Takes

Houston will steamroll Northern Kentucky and their second-round opponent (Iowa or Auburn)

Houston, when they get embarrassed, they take it out so hard. Yeah. On like... Houston is going to steamroll Northern Kentucky. Duh. But then Iowa or Auburn are both gonna get steamrolled either one. Houston, just a reminder... puts a lid on the rim and they just rebound. That's all they do.

Auburn vs Iowa is a bad matchup for the Hawkeyes because they can't play on the road

This game though, is a bad matchup for Iowa, simply because they've been horrendous on the road. And this game's being played in Alabama... So it's gonna be all Auburn fans. Yeah. Like that's, that's, that's, and also it is an away game for us. It's horrendous for Iowa.

Texas will reach the National Championship game

I have Texas going to the national championship and losing to Alabama. Whoa... Texas is depth, Texas plays defense. Texas is battle test in the Big 12.

If Illinois or Arkansas wins their first-round game by double digits, bet everything on Kansas to beat them in the second round

If, if Arkansas or Illinois wins that game by 10 or more, okay, take Kansas by a billion because that is exactly what will happen. Like Illinois would beat Arkansas, he'd be like, holy shit... Kids better watch out than Kansas. Like No, no, no. That's not how this works.

Kansas will reach the Final Four

I have Kansas going back to the final four. That's my pick... when Bill Self has a one seed, he's gone to seven out of nine elite eights. So I think Kansas is, is a shoe-in to the elite eight.

The next Syracuse head coach should be forced to run the 2-3 zone in perpetuity

I hope whoever the next coach is at Syracuse, they should just have to run the zone forever. That should be Boeheim's legacy. Like I will retire, but you have to run my zone in, in perpetuity for the next hundred years.

I am officially starting a #FireMikeHopkins campaign for the Washington Huskies

I gave Spencer Hawes our good friend my word that I would start a fire Mike Hopkins hashtag. So if anyone wants to join me on that, the Huskies, I think have not been to the tournament in like three or four years. So we'll do, maybe I'll do that for him. Mike Hopkins, you suck.

It is Rick Pitino or bust for the St. John's head coaching job

Rick Pitino better be at a major school next year because it's time. And there's some openings that perfectly fit Rick Pitino... The choice for St. John's now really is a simple one: Rick Pitino or bust.

Aaron Rodgers might retire just to prove he doesn't need the $59 million

The more I think about it, the more he might retire just so that he could have the Trump card on everybody to be like, yeah, I'm the motherfucker who walked away from 59 million. Like, like that's his credibility... I think that Aaron might actually retire just so that he can have that moral high ground for the rest of his career.

NFL owners are colluding to prevent Lamar Jackson from getting a fully guaranteed contract

I think it's less about you need an agent and the collusion is more about the fact of nobody wants to pay him a guaranteed contract. Like the owners are so pissed off about the Deshaun Watson deal. Yes. And they know that Lamar wants a fully guaranteed contract. So I think if, if collusion is happening and there's like, there's a good chance that the owners are colluding on this, it's just to the point we're not gonna give this guy anybody else guaranteed five year deal.

Expecting to fail is the secret to life

It's actually the secret to life. Expect, expect to fail. And then if you don't totally fail, that's like a huge victory.

James Bradberry admitting to his holding penalty in the Super Bowl was a classy move

James Bradberry being like, yeah, I held them. That was actually a classy way to hold, take an L... because you know, he could have easily went in the locker room and said, no, the refs fucked us.

Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets is officially happening

It's official. It's official. Official. He's gonna be a New York jet.

Zach Wilson's physical ceiling is Patrick Mahomes

Ceiling is Patrick Mahomes. Ceiling. Physically, they can make the same throws. Physically. They may not do it at the right times, or as accurately, but he can do the same thing.

I am fully buying in on Justin Fields in fantasy football next season

I am probably, if you guys allow me to manage your team again next season, I'm definitely gonna take whoever is wide receiver one in Chicago... I'm buying in on Justin. I hope Justin is their guy. I love Justin Fields.

Justin Fields is 100% the guy for the Chicago Bears next season

I love Justin Fields. I hope Justin is their guy... He's going to be. I'm reporting it right now.

I will only draft running quarterbacks for the rest of my life

I promise you also, I will only draft you. I don't care how early I have to draft them. I will only for the, for the rest of time tale. As old as time. I will only draft a quarterback that is a running quarterback.

The Ravens would have used the exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson if they truly believed a long-term deal was coming.

If you're the Ravens GM and you truly believe that you're going to re-sign Lamar Jackson to a long-term deal... wouldn't you make it an exclusive franchise tag? I certainly would. If you're confident that you can reach a place where you'll have an extension, then you would probably put that tag on him instead of the lesser amount and then leave the option for him to get signed by somebody else.

Lamar Jackson is the future quarterback of the Washington Commanders.

I can report exclusively via Leroy that the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills will not be pursuing Lamar Jackson... That basically just leaves the commanders and that's it. So future Commander Lamar Jackson, I refuse to let Schefter beat me on.

The ceiling for Derek Carr and the Saints is a second-round playoff loss.

The Derek Carr deal... if you're a Saints fan, I guess you're like, 'Hey, it's better than what we've been going through.' But doesn't it feel like the ceiling for Derek Carr and the Saints is like maybe a second round loss?

Derek Carr and Daniel Jones will be the new era of the Carson Wentz vs. Dak Prescott debate.

We've definitely got the new era of the Carson Wentz versus Dak Prescott debate already set up and ready to go for us. And that's Daniel Jones and Derek Carr. Now we'll be tied in because of, they're got, they got essentially the same contract.

Adam Silver hates being the disciplinary figure and would much rather be seen as the 'cool' commissioner.

Silver hates this. Silver wants to be the cool guy. He wants to be the cool substitute teacher. He wants to be the cool stepdad. Like, 'Hey, I'm your friend, you can tell me anything.' So whenever he has to actually be the heavy, he absolutely cannot stand that.

The New York media ruins Jets quarterbacks by sensationalizing negative news to gain clicks.

The New York media sensationalizes quarterbacks' performances to gain clicks and remain competitive in the big media market. Amplification of negative news and critiques elicits greater responses from the consumers, leading to a lack of confidence in the fan base, ultimately resulting in a destructive impact on the team and the quarterback's confidence.

Derek Carr would not work in New York because he is too sensitive to media criticism.

Derek Carr would not work [in New York]. He's too sensitive. He cries, he blocks everybody on Twitter. Like, his excuses wouldn't suffice for the New York [media].

The NBA MVP award and the discussion surrounding it are overrated compared to winning a title.

I also have a take: the MVP is just way overrated besides the team... in terms of a league-wide discussion, I just don't care who wins the MVP. I don't care who wins the title. Can you remember every MVP? ... Maybe MVPs aren't overrated, but the discussion about them is overrated because I feel like we spend a shit lot of time talking about an MVP that most people at the end of the day, then the playoffs starts, it's like, 'Yeah, this is what we're playing for.'

I'm correcting my take: MVPs aren't overrated, but the discussion about them is overrated.

So here, all correct. Correcting my own take. Maybe MVPs aren't overrated, but the discussion about them is overrated because I feel like we spend a shit a lot of time talking about an MVP that most people like at the end of the day, then the playoff starts. It's like, yeah, this is what we're playing for.

The Madden generation is better at NFL game management because they grew up simulating those situations.

Honestly, so I grew up playing Madden. I really believe our generation is maybe a little bit better at game management because we've done that. Because we know when you're down 10 and you got, Hey, we're gonna kick the field goal now, and then I'm gonna get the onside, I gotta get the seven later. I do think all those games, I know it's silly, but I do think that all helps when it comes to game management.

Designed downfield laterals are the future of NFL offensive football.

I think I know what the future of offensive football is gonna be. It's gonna be designed downfield, laterals. You see the chiefs do it occasionally. But when it's executed, right. When it's taught correctly, it can turn a, a seven yard gain into a 40 yard gain very, very easily.

The idea that you must 'establish the run' to make play-action effective is a fallacy.

That's a fallacy. You don't have to establish the run to throw. I think play action's been proven that you don't need to have a good run attack or be running the ball to get the linebackers to decide.

Pressuring the opposing quarterback is more important than protecting your own.

[Big Cat: What's more important... protect the quarterback or heat up the quarterback?] Stefanski: Ooh, I probably heat up the quarterback. Yeah, that's the right answer. That's the way that you win Super Bowls.

Using shampoo on your armpits doesn't work to make them smell good like it does for the hair on your head.

When you wash your hair, it smells nice. When you wash your armpit hair, the smell does not stick. It doesn't do anything... If you use shampoo in your hair, you'll be able to smell the shampoo in your hair later in the day. Use shampoo in your armpits. You will not be able to smell that.

UCLA will still earn a #1 seed despite Jalen Clark's injury

Blue blood, blue blood number one seat. They're [UCLA] probably still gonna get a number one seat.

Villanova will win the NIT this year

I might jump in in the boat for, for Nova too. I might put a future on Nova... I might put a future on Nova to win the NIT.

The Duke vs. UNC rivalry is officially dead without Coach K

One casual take I had watching the Duke UNC game was no, no, that rivalry is dead. Dead. Over. Coach K killed it. [He] shouldn't have retired.

UNC will win the ACC tournament and make the NCAA tournament

Carolina seems like they're not gonna make the tournament. They just seem like a team from a, from a casual point of view that somehow wins the ACC to...

I would root for Duke in the NCAA tournament for the content if Coach K came out of retirement to coach them

I would root for Duke in that tournament because just the content. Yeah... why not? Because who knows who's good. I'm just very, very excited.

Jon Jones is the best UFC fighter of all time

I think John Jones is the best UFC fighter of all time, I think at this point. It's hard to say otherwise cuz he has that one loss on his record. But that was just for illegal elbows, right, when he is beating the fuck out of a guy.

Ja Morant's strip club gun was surprisingly small and unimpressive

Outside of the seriousness of what's going on in Ja Morant's life, that was a pussy ass gun to flash. That thing was so small.

Professional athletes should never go live on social media

If you're a professional athlete, you should just never go live anywhere. There's no reason you're live all the time for your job. Right. It's called playing the sport. There's no need to go live. Too much bad shit can happen when you go live.

Ja Morant is personally responsible for his behavior, not just his 'surroundings'

The line that a lot of people been using is like he's surrounding himself around people. I think that's a lazy take. Like Ja Morant is, I would imagine the alpha of his friend group. He is the guy who has all this talent... you have to pick better choices.

NFL GMs should risk everything to draft Anthony Richardson at #1 overall

I dunno how you can be a GM and not risk everything to get him [Anthony Richardson]. Get him number one. Huh?

If you completely ignore his actual game film, Anthony Richardson is a can't-miss NFL prospect

I'll say this, if you completely ignore all the times that [Anthony Richardson] has played football, he's the can't miss prospect... just from a measurement standpoint.

Bryce Young is officially too fat to draft after his Combine weigh-in

I actually ran the BMI on Bryce Young for his exact height and weight. 29.3. He's borderline obese. Yeah. He's too fat to draft. This guy's a tub of shit.

Ice cream should be a breakfast staple because it has more protein and better nutrients than sugary cereal

I've always argued ice cream should be a breakfast staple. It's way better than like these sugary cereals. And it's got way more protein and good stuff like milk. It's healthy.

The Phoenix Suns will win the NBA championship and Chris Paul will get his ring

I'm still, I'm all in on these Suns. I am, I am. Chris Paul getting that ship this year. I just, I don't see a way that Chris Paul loses this year. Ye...

Aaron Rodgers is returning to the Green Bay Packers for the upcoming season

Leroy's first report... Aaron Rodgers is returning to the Green Bay Packers. Fuck. For the upcoming season.

Passion for the game is the most important trait in a draft prospect

For us it's passion for the game. And that's the cool thing about these interviews... guys sit down and you throw the film on. You see this body language from the guys that it's like different. They get to the edge of their seat.

It is impossible to fake passion for football when playing because the game film always reveals the truth

There's no faking when you're playing. Right. You know, so we always judge the number. So we look at the tape, the tape tells us passion, the tape tells us love... it's always on the tape.

The team with the #1 overall pick is essentially the second-best team in the NFL

There is only one team that can win a Super Bowl. Everyone else is a loser. Except the team that has the first pick. We are literally the second best team. There's the first pick in the Super Bowl. Right. That's it.

The Chase Claypool trade was a good opportunity to improve the Bears and the story isn't over yet

I don't think the story's written. I got confidence in it. Yes. And at some points, you know, in this game you gotta take chances... it was the opportunity to get our team better, our offense better and give Justin [Fields], you know, another weapon to throw to.