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Hello, they're in Happy early new year to you.

I am coming to you on Monday, December twenty ninth.

Full disclosure and recording on Sunday, December twenty eighth.

I always want to put those timestamps out there just to give a little context and perspective from where where I am speaking.

From today's episode, I've got a little bit on sort of what's happening.

You know, currently, the US military is in the middle of a couple of different military campaigns, and I want to talk about that.

What's happening in Nigeria, what's happening in Venezuela, and a little bit of sort of how this fits into the larger picture of America's role in the world and the whatever, and sort of the Trump doctrine, what does it mean anymore?

Is there a doctrine beyond the word transaction.

I'll get to that in a minute.

I have a great interview.

I did conduct it a few weeks ago, and honestly I saved it for what I thought would be a good period to have this conversation.

And it's with author Yourn Weizman.

He wrote a book called Hollywood Ending.

Basically it's about Lebron James and the Lakers and the whole attempt to get him there, how long that process took, as well as is sort of how hard it has been for Lebron and the Lakers, who are both sort of amazing brands, and it hasn't been the merger of success.

Then one might have imagined I've got some you know, I will confess to growing up a Laker fan.

Really, what I grew up was as a Magic Johnson fan.

Those of us in mind, we didn't have we have the Miami Tropics, I guess from the old ABA, but I have this zero memory of them.

So I'm not going to pretend I do shoot.

Even the University of Miami didn't have College Basket Division in college basketball until nineteen eighty five, till I was thirteen years old.

So basketball in South Florida was always a bit.

It was almost as sort of foreign as hockey was in South Florida in the seventies and eighties.

Now, I think it's fair to say, because there's always been a very strong, underrated high school basketball scene, but basketball, very much where I grew up was the third sport, and in some cases the fourth sport, the other ones being football, baseball, soccer, and then you get to basketball.

I think that has flipped a bit, but it's still a strong baseball culture in South Florida, still a strong soccer culture in South Florida.

In the competitive sports, obviously an extraordinarily strong football.

But as we've watched the SEC grow into a bigger power in basketball, the improvement in high school basketball in Florida has only you know, if you have these great athletes for baseball, these great athletes for football, there's going to be great athletes for basketball.

It is not ironically the DMV where I live today is considered in some ways a better recruiting hotbed for basketball than South Florida?

Is I throw all that in there so that if you were a basketball fan when I was in the eighties, you were more likely in Miami to identify with a player.

I was a Magic Johnson guy.

I had a friend who was a Larry Bird guy.

I had another friend who was a Michael Jordan guy.

I had another friend who was a Kareem guy.

And the point was, what did that mean?

Well, you actually tried to emulate how they played, right when you were playing your version of pickup basketball.

Shoot, I used to dribble super high as if I was somehow a six' nine point guard Like Magic, johnson when of Course i'm five by that point at, thirteen probably five, three five, Four But i'm dribbling as If i'm some six' nine point guard.

RIGHT now i was a lot of fun to play pick up basketball WITH because i enjoyed making a.

Great.

Pass right that was the, you know the identity that you Had With.

Magic johnson and the point being is THAT so i rooted For the lakers primarily through the Lens Of.

Magic johnson HOW did i?

Know?

This Well when miami finally got a team at.

The HEAT when i moved and had everyday Basketball, IN washington i realized it Wasn't THE lakers, i followed It Was, magic, Johnson right and my disconnect From the lakers Happened When magic johnson essentially stopped being a primary the primary star Of, the LAKERS and i.

Moved on and it's still sort of.

Both the strength OF the nba and the weakness OF the, nba said it's very much, individual driven not.

Team driven Outside, The lakers celtics and to a lesser extent, than, next right there certainly are people that are passionate more about the team than.

The player but you look at you Go To, los angeles There are laker fans and There are, kobe fans and they're not always the.

Same thing There Are magic johnson Fans and, laker fans and yes there's a shared, ven diagram but it's not always the.

Same thing and that's WHAT makes i think this book compelling.

TO me, i mean it's a.

Business book this IS why i think.

It's worth it's a, culture book understanding, you know the modern day.

CULTURAL sports, i mean, you know in Many Case lebron james is going to be one of the foremost important, millennials, ever right he is in when it comes.

To sports he very much was transformational, to sports to the culture, of sports the business, of sports the player, empowerment era all of.

Those things and so this IS why i enjoyed.

This book this IS why i enjoy.

This conversation this is not about on.

The court this is about sort of the zeitgeist off.

The court it's about the business, of basketball the business, of Sport, the Lakers the, bus family all of.

Those THINGS so i do think it's my long way, of, saying, ultimately right you get book interviews that, interest Me and i'm hoping that my interest in it translates into making you interested.

In.

It right that's sort of the compact we all make here with the podcast world that we all live in.

These days, so fully this is something that, interests ME and i know there's a subset of my audience it's interested.

In it if you're, normally not this is why we give you.

The option you don't a way to have to listen to every.

INDIVIDUAL interview, I DO but i do think even if you're not a, sports fan the community in and around All Things lebron james is something that even if you're not a, sports junkie is something that you is worth understanding and worth understanding in in.

Greater details, SO anyway i enjoyed.

This Conversation, UH so i thought i'd give you a little bit of.

My Backstory and i'm curious please.

Share away how many, of you particularly if you're in sort of the, aar more found.

Your way like my son's A Huge phoenix.

Suns fan why Because Of.

Devin booker he's never Lived.

In phoenix we've never Lived, in phoenix we have no Connection, to phoenix but he in some ways.

Got there he THINKS to NBA two K and booker was the young guy when he, started following and he gravitated toward the more, young players which is what young fans.

Typically do, you know you don't when you first become a Fan, of swarm.

You don't you don't gravitate to, the.

Veteran right you gravitate to the, hot rookie to the person that's only a few years older.

Than you it's somebody you have a better chance of.

Identifying with And so i'm curious how many of you FIND yourself nba fans but got there through, a player not, a team, you know and, it's funny it's IT'S it's I and i lived and Died Those.

LAKERS celtics i got suspended for school for a fight Over, a lakers, you know.

BASICALLY gloating i gloated in front of My, friend seconday last day, of school gloated in front of him After the lakers one in eighty five and.

He just socked me in.

THE face i socked.

Him back we got a Fight over Burden.

And magic i'm on the Side, of magic he's on the Side.

Of bird.

And we hugged.

It out we, were fine but it was sort, of like that's that's the power, of, Sport right but that's.

How INTENSE and i always ASSOCIATED The nba finals with the last week of school back in the in, the day so it all sort of came.

Together there but before we get to, THE interview i kind of want to answer a QUESTION that i kept getting from friends and family over the last, few days and that was an interpretation Of the President's truth, social feed which many people don't See truth social but see it PERHAPS on x or they, see it, you know repost It.

ON instagram, i mean it is interesting how this works now and, of course you've heard me get into the mistake collectively the world made in his attempt to try To Deplatform donald Trump after.

January sixth by, the way my what if episode is coming later this week and early.

Next week you're going to get a couple of my, what ifs including What If donald trump had won the twenty.

Twenty election BUT before i don't want to give away too much of the store.

On that but ever since, right truth social been his primary way, to communicate and people on x, repost it People on instagram, repost it gets reposted on TikTok all the other social, media platforms and being the president Of The, united states, YOU know i do think there are things that don't get reposted that if people saw them, more intently they would be even more troubled by the psyche of.

This PRESIDENT but i got kept getting a question about one specific thing he tweeted, or truthed however you want to, call it and that is when he was, tweeting about like just his Anger, over epstein which clearly anything that anything that makes him look bad he gets.

Angry about and, you know sort of the grievance, comes out, the victimization and, you know let's make other people pay the price before he has to pay.

The, Price right Let's called vernie and, said this and it was, something like this may be your Last, merry christmas.

You KNOW and i had a lot of, people go what does he mean?

By that, you know seeing it as, a threat seeing it as what?

Is it and, you, KNOW look i will fully CONFESS that i ignore most of his, YOU know i.

SEE them i ignore most of them because IT really i don't believe he.

Means anything this is.

TO me i think about the time period with which we get most.

Of these we get him after ten o'clock, at night sometimes at three or four in The Morning east, coast time.

You KNOW and i think we all think about the person in your life that you notice is on social media a lot at.

Odd hours these are people that have some form.

Of anxiety perhaps they're, super lonely maybe things aren't going well.

At home and THAT'S what i always come back to when you have the president doing This On, christmas Day On christmas, eve night going all, through this and you're, asking yourself oh, my god what is wrong with?

This MAN and i look at it as a this is a cry.

For help this guy.

Is lonely he really doesn't have anybody he's.

Close with IT is i know this will come across sounding like, a hater but you know.

He doesn't.

He is he is close with his kids because he's supposed.

To be but if, you know if you've done reporting about his actual personal relationships with, his kids you will know they're.

Not great.

There isn't it is a one.

Way relationship and that's been.

The problem all of his relationships are.

One way he, uses people he, discards them which may explain why you never hear things like former college Roommate Of donald trump stopped By Mar a lago to hang out.

With him, you know a friend that he grew up with has been, you know show it.

Doesn't happen there are no.

Old friends he has old acquaintances that he discards or uses whenever he.

Deems.

Necessary Right jeffrey epstein is probably the best version.

Of this here was somebody he was quite, close to and then he drops him like a rock when.

He starts and this is what he does When any he is not going to be a friend when you're.

In trouble he expects you to be.

A, friend though when he's, in TROUBLE and i think it explains why that on a Day Like, christmas day when most of us the last thing we're going to be doing is behaving lonely on, the internet, he does and it is most people, ignore it most people don't.

SEE it i do view it as some, sort of, you know personal cry, for help which IS why i very much think that his social issues really do are a part of sort of the lack of character that he has to be leader of the.

Free world but that's NOT where i want to focus, that conversation BECAUSE what i really want to there is something else that we learned via his feed all Through the christmas sort of that thirty six hour period of a little Bit Before christmas day and a little bit Of After, christmas day and that is sort Of the trump doctrine was on.

Full Display right if you're looking for a consistent moral Compass in american form policy, right now you're not just looking in the.

Wrong place you're looking at a map that's been rewritten by.

A sharpie and if you want to Understand what i'm, by that don't start with this national, security Strategy which i've already explained in detail a few.

Episodes ago don't start With a.

Pentagon, briefing instead you have to start with the truth social Feed Of donald Trump's On, christmas day because over that thirty six Hour Stretch, Christmas Eve, christmas day and the, morning effort you actually could see The entire trump second term worldview play out in.

Real time there were, holiday greetings there were, religious proclamations there, were threats there were, missile strikes there were, deportation talks ominous warnings that sounded more like a mob boss than a head.

Of state and it.

Wasn't chaos it.

Wasn't doctrine it was just.

Simply doctrine it was.

Not chaos so let's walk through.

It all so in the twenty four Hours, Before Christmas donald trump was already setting.

The tone he's Doing The norrad, santa, calls right the simplest thing you're supposed to do, as president, you know having a little Fun with norad is santaw are We tracking santa around?

The globe but, even there he's warning About bad santa's infiltrating.

The country border rhetoric wrapped.

In tinsel by, the way it Sounds Like donald trump is a fan of my single favorite Cheech and chong RECORD that i.

Owned on, forty five and that.

Is his Tale Of santa claus where he's stopped by.

Border, patrol anyway.

It is if you've Never heard Chiech and Chong And, santa claus Please.

It's cheech tell him the Story Of.

Santa Claus, to chong, it's amazing it's FANTASTIC and i used to have it memorized at the age.

Of eight don't judge.

My parents so he's talking About.

Bad santam then comes the now famous Post Wishing merry christmas to the of course radical.

Left scum so he always wants to attack fellow, human beings call them scum if they politically don't agree.

With, him again pretty much the worst ATTRIBUTE.

The us president, could have particularly.

This, one then of course there's he attacks on, the media the threats to review broadcast licenses because he was mad because again he's lonely and he has nothing to do but, watch television watch.

Late television he gets mad and they're making jokes at, his expense and he.

Feels isolated all of this Was before, christmas dinner and Then On christmas day itself.

At Escalated early, christmas Morning the president announces that THERE are us military Strikes, in nigeria and he's described them as quote powerful and deadly AGAINST the isis.

Affiliated, militants now obviously it was very important for him to create legal justification by claiming THIS was isis.

Affiliated, militants okay, but listen but do listen carefully to.

The language this wasn't about counter, terrorism capacity it wasn't Even about, nigerian sovereignty and it wasn't even about.

Regional stability it was simply.

About Religion the president framed the strikes as a Defense of christians from what he.

Calls slaughter he literally wishes A merry christmas to quote the.

Dead terrorists that's not, policy language that's.

Civilization.

Language okay And, In nigeria america isn't acting like a.

Strategic partner it's acting like a.

Moral avenger he literally thinks of this as part of.

The crusades this is the first color of the trunk doctrine religious identity as a justification.

For force and notice, Something important this only works WHERE the us can, act unilaterally not against non state actors with no risk.

Of escalation that of course.

Matters here now let's Move to venezuela And the.

Western Hemisphere, in venezuela the language changes completely when he talks.

About.

It here it's not, about faith it's not about.

Human rights it's.

About ownership that's Why the minorman doctrine gets talked about quite.

A bit when trying to understand his Motivation, with Venezuela the president boats about a massive.

Naval presence he calls it.

An armada he talks about oil that was, quote stolen about assets that must.

Be returned this isn't, democracy PROMOTION although i could argue that's the better Justification, for venezuela but he never talks.

About that this is repoman, to pumacy if.

You will he sees himself as basically the thug Helping the american.

Oil COMPANIES the us is acting less like a guaranter of regional stability and more like a collection agency with.

Aircraft carriers that's pillar.

Number two resources.

Justify coersion and here's the.

Key Distinction in venezuela's strength.

Means Seizing, in nigeria strength.

Means striking it's a.

Different language it's the.

Same, logic now let's Move.

To, Ukraine right he's going to be meeting this week and we'll see if.

Something happens, i'm skeptical which IS why i don't want to make a huge deal over the meeting and mar Lago between Zelenski.

And trump but we See that zelensky is at least trying To keep trump, from striking, you know essentially some sort of Compact with russia and Essentially leaving ukraine on.

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Percent off so let's compare Both of Nigeria and venezuela To the, ukraine situation because this is where the moral code.

Completely Disappears, in ukraine the rhetoric isn't, about civilization not Least from trump's point.

Of view it isn't, about resources at least.

Not upfront it's about ending, the bloodshed which sounds noble until you look at.

The mechanics military, aid paused intelligence.

Sharing throttled then the pressure is applied not to the invader but to, the person to the entity that.

Was invaded and what's quietly folded into this so called peace plan a minerals deal that benefits Only The united, states, lithium.

Titanium Uranium so ukraine's sovereignty is.

Simply collateral this is pillar.

Number three negotiating leverage beats.

Moral clarity So in nigeria we.

Fire Missiles, in venezuela we.

Blockade Ports in ukraine we walk away and call.

It strength so the question is how inconsistent is all?

Of this is it inconsistency or is it simply?

A system because there are.

Many critics on, one hand you look at this and you say this is not coherent.

At all it's.

Completely incoherent but it depends on how you look at How trump.

Use thinks and if you look at it through the umbrella of, selective transactionalism well then it all starts to.

Work together military force is used when the enemy fits a domestic Political narrative christians for the, evangelical.

Base migrants when it Comes, to venezuela the cost, is low Right then asuella as not really Attacking The, united States, neither's nigeria and the leverage.

Is total when those conditions, don't exist Like Confronting vladimir Putin, or shijingping the moral language just.

Completely vanishes that's why there are no missile strikes Over the Wigers.

In.

China right what's the difference between protecting that religious minority versus what the Persecution of Muslims In western china versus the Persecution of Christians.

In nigeria that's why Me and mark gets, ignored again the same thing religious minorities essentially.

A genocide That's why ukraine gets a spreadsheet instead of.

A, Shield right so the question is what kind of long term change does this Create with america's relationship with.

THE war i personally think this is damaging us for, a generation and it's going to take us a generation to win back enough allies to restore freedom and democracy around.

The, World okay and you can call me an expansionist all.

You, WANT yeah i am pro democracy and.

PRO freedom i know that, every civilization, every tribe will take a different path to.

Get there BUT ultimately i believe in what was written In the Declaration of independence that we have.

Inalienable rights so what do our allies see in?

All, this well here's the PART there i think matters.

The most this Isn't changing american, form policy but it is Changing how americas perceived and europe leaders no longer are whispering about this.

Issue anymore they're openly talking about what's called.

Strategic, autonomy translation we Don't trust washington and we Can't trust.

America anymore some that are very much in the isolation of Wings good europe should pay for their.

Own security america shouldn't be.

Doing it, To this i'm always ready to Respond, WITH okay i.

Get it you Don't want america to be THE, world's beacp but you do know somebody's going to be the world's.

Bee cop you really want putin and she to decide who the bea?

Cop is or do you Want The united states?

To decide but let me put a pin.

In That, in nigeria officials are scrambling to have to walk back to the religious framing because they're now turning a counter terrorism operation legit.

Counter terrorism this is.

Radical extremism this isn't about some crusade fight Between the Christians.

And MUSLIMS although i do think the president's trying to appease a small group of people in this country who do see it, as this but they're turning this count when you turn a counter terrorism operation into a quote, religious Crusade what nigerians fear is that this is going to put a target on their, own citizens because if you start to justify Killing via god rather than sort of via the actual humans living on, this planet that is how you get, more bloodshed and that's how you get no remorse with.

That Bloodshed In, latin america governments That dislike maduro are Alarmed at america's behavior because if oil seizures, become precedent than any resource rich Country In latin america could.

Be next america isn't being seen.

As unreliable it's simply being seen, as, transactional frankly no Different.

Than china and if we're going to behave the exact Same way, china does which is, essentially transactional pure, and simple then don't be surprised when people that used to be our, ally, say Huh maybe i'll get a better Deal.

From china that's kind of, a problem don't, you think which gives us leads me TO what i believe is a.

Brand, Problem now so for seventy, five years rightly, Or wrongly america sold.

One idea we sold the idea that, borders matter that.

Sovereignty matters and look what we did to defend the Sovereignty of.

Kuwit successfully, mind you force is constrained by an accepted set.

Of rules now the rule, is simple what's in it?

For us and can we?

Enforce it that's.

Not leadership it's essentially.

Portfolio.

Management right he sees himself as the head of a private equity fund who's just trying to make that fund, more, financially, bigger.

Wealthier etcetera and here's the but here's.

The dangers if allies don't want to be, our customers they're going to, Shop Around.

Hello beijing and if credibility, becomes conditional partnerships will become.

Extraordinarily temporary so in a World with Moscow, in beijing this Is again putin's worldview is.

Everything's transactional there is no, moral clarity there is no, you know democracy's bullshit as Far as.

Putin's concerned and if we accept, his Worldview Which donald, trump does this is the.

Huge problem and so does She and that's why.

He gravitates that's why he won't confront when they, violate norms but he will confront anybody else who's quote smaller Than The united states when.

THEY do i think it leads us.

Very vulnerable so here's.

The problem trump might get a few short term.

Wins, here, hey look he protected a Handful of Christians.

In nigeria maybe maybe he TOOK, out isis or maybe he just radicalized religious extremists even More in nigeria seizing.

A, tanker okay you're going to create regime Change.

In venezuela are we going to?

Manage that or are we just going to walk away and let the chips fall where they?

May not managing dictatorships that fall and helping with it leads to some really.

Bad outcomes see My time Todd Cast time machine segments On The ottoman empire and the fall Of The soviet union basically.

Another empire.

But you can lose the.

One asset we are losing the one asset that mattered, a lot and it's frankly an asset we talk about in my fight to restore legitimacy, and media and that.

Is trust and once trust, is gone no amount, of missiles minerals or holiday posts can buy.

It back we're not leading the world.

Right now we're negotiating it one transaction of, a time and that's an extraordinarily risky thing for us.

To do and We ignore trump's crazy on his social media posts because, we, think hell, you know he's, all bark very.

Little bite but the bites he does DO and i agree the bites are smaller than.

You think but the bites that he does do sets, us back sets us back on trust around, the world just like he.

Has done he wants to any institution that has ever, been legitimate he tries.

To delegitimize he did IT, With nato he's done it with.

Mainstream media he.

Does it he does it in so, many aspects does it with the rule.

Of law he just, you know it is.

It is he is in, some WAYS like, I said i want TO.

Be tv i've called him, this before a WANNA be.

Tv mobster real mobsters are sort of smaller and pettier and not as and not as Glamorous as trump builds him up in.

His Head but trump is a creature, of, fiction right he.

Is not his ideal is something he saw in.

A movie or on a.

Television show it's not something that's.

Actually.

Existing right this has always been the disconnect Between The donald trump Version of america and the actual Version.

Of america What the america he wants to make great again is the one he Saw Via John.

Wayne, films right it's Not the america that actually in the fifties.

And sixties and so it is a bit of.

A fantasy and it's just like what kind of leader he wants.

To be he admires Guys Like john gotti on an, actual mobster but he also admires People.

Like putin he does admire People Like, tony soprano a, fictional mobster because of the total and complete control.

They had and that's ultimately, it's clear whatever it is that he's never had in, his life he keeps looking for something to have, more control to be, in charge to, be venerated to.

Be wards but whatever, it is he's and in Some ways i've, always said lucky, for us he's still looking for some sort of human acknowledgment of, his existence which in some ways may explain why he behaves the way.

He, behaves right he is desperate.

For affection i've seen.

It MYSELF when i compared HIM, TO fdr i didn't compare him positively.

OR negatively i just compared.

Him factually he saw it as a positive because that's what.

He wants he wants to be seen as bigger than.

The moment he wants to be seen as somebody who were all stuck learning about, in history whether we like it.

Or not and in some ways he thinks.

Great people your greatness is measured by how much impact, you have regardless of whether that impact is positive.

OR negative i, really truly and this to me has always been the.

Warning side you know.

IT does, i mean it's alarming what we may end up Doing.

With, Ukraine now i'm pretty confident the unintended consequence of this isolationist, foreign policy that the pres the sort, of transactional semi isolationist, foreign policies sort Of, anti europe is that it's going To strengthen europe and it's going to Make The european union a more an actual competitor to.

Us economically it's going To strengthen europe's INVOLVEMENT in nato in such a way that we may we may miss the influence we.

Once HAD so i do think There's and that's, the, Thing right there's always unintended consequences that develop when we try to engineer the world through, our prism and we want everybody to see things absolutely through the prism of how he wants to.

Make things everybody else gets to say in.

This too and while it looks like there's no consistency into this, foreign policy we are starting to see.

A consistency he picks on smaller entities to try to make.

A point he ultimately, sees things as, you know like he did With the.

Iraqi oil he still to this day believes that oil Belongs to america since we Helped, liberate iraq that that should be.

The price everything is, a transaction which is the exact Worldview That vladimir putin has been preaching since he took office at the start of this twenty.

First Century, All right so with that we will transition From One christmas day unpacking of our politics to the other issue that pops Up Every, christmas day the relevance and INTEREST of.

Nba basketball how's that for a really, ROUGH transition, i kid let's sneak in a break when we.

Come back Your own whitzman on HIS Book A, Hollywood ending lebron And, the lakers and what has been an, uncomfortable partnership, Right Is lebron james is always going to be at least number four on the All time, laker list Right Behind.

Magic kobe and there's a real there's a real generational debate of.

Who's one Magic or kobe both have.

Five titles who's won on?

THAT one i KNOW where i.

Come down Then, there's kareem who some argue should be above all, of.

Them right Then There's wilt Chamberlain On lebron james kind of nomadish all timers who were mostly, is so who were associated With the lakers for, a time who did great things on, other franchises and SORT of i think the questions Are they lakers?

Or not and you KNOW what i MEAN when i asked.

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That.

Code so as many of, You know i'm as a huge, sports fan even worked in the briefly helped found a publication focused.

On sports i'm always obsessed with the nexus of sports culture politics.

In, GENERAL obviously i think many of us now realize politics is downstream from culture as.

IT is I also i am a huge believer that sports is something that actually is a way to knit the country's polarized communities, back together particularly on the.

LOCAL level i still think it's the answer on.

LOCAL news i say all that as my way of trying to give all of us the excuse who are focused on the political world every now and then to focus on my.

Next guest it's Your.

Own whitesman he's author of a new Book Called.

Hollywood ending It's the Dreams and drama Of The lebron Lakers h, and yes it's going to be a bit about the drama of all things having to do With, the Lakers.

Basketball LEBRON but i think we all it's fair To say lebron is part of the larger Zeitgeist of america and perhaps the Same Way taylor swift is part of the Zeitgeist.

Of america people do want to know What does lebron Think About?

Donald trump right type?

Of thing, and oh by, the way What does lebron Think About?

Michael jordan?

Right like and in that sense that that is sort of the world we.

Live in and that's part of my goal of this podcast is to sort of always have an aperture that's wide enough to include all aspects.

Of that so there's my rationale and excuse for taking a love it break.

Your ownA it's good to meet.

YOU too i love, YOU know i Like that you're making me feel better.

About myself so there.

You go thank, you well You, pitched look you pitched me on this and you did probably say it's, a LOT but I have i've always been.

YOU know i know a lot of people know that that follow me through politics know.

That, it uh, you know a better than average sports fan Is how i'd like to present Myself that i'm Not an i'm not a moron, about IT and i do have strong feelings, about IT but I am i love the culture and IF if i could have trade trade careers, With, YOU roman i would have.

Done it i'm guessing there's a lot of sports writers AND reporters i know that would love to be political writers, and reporters and there's a lot of political reporters and writers that would love to be.

Sports reporter grass is, always, Greener RIGHT but i started in the, local, news right so when you talk about your local news stuff, and UH and i know what you're, doing now you know MY first i still joke that nobody was ever meaner to me Than the scarsdale to, this DAY including, nba people Than These Scarsdale new york cheerleading moms WHO thought i had something out against their CHILDREN who i weren't featuring enough at after.

After, meet, so yeah you.

You were born with a with a bias?

Agonds cheerleaders is that?

Trying?

Naturally, yes, Correct.

Correct well, in fact let's let's spend a couple of minutes tell me about how you, you know how you got to being a.

Book author it always the goal of a lot.

Of reporters can you get to the point where you don't have to do the day to day grind, as much where you can do the long, form reporting the eighteen month projects rather than the eighteen.

Hour.

Projects yeah so, FOR me, i MEAN so, i STARTED like, i said local news covering In the journal News In westchester rockland area and local sports.

Out here, AND yeah I mean nba was always.

My sport basketball is always my.

Favorite sport and just, FOR me i learned early on that the sort of my, BRAIN works i like diving into subjects and kind of honing in on things and not being day.

TO day i also saw sort of where the business was going and, THOUGHT that, i mean now it's maybe kind of the.

Other way but, you know ten years ago there was this whole long form thing and, feature writing.

And there was a bit of a renaissance.

Around it in.

A way if you can do good stuff that reporting, in it.

That's part but the other part is it's.

More imporing It's but I'm actually I'm a sabbath, observant JEW so i knew that being a beat writer was not necessarily going to be that wouldn't let itself Out on.

Friday nights we taught of some stuff that, happened THERE so i have to sort of adjust.

Around that so a mix.

OF it I just i just even.

THE way, i mean it's more of a media, conversation too but sort of so much as, SPORTS reporting i think other reporting, in general but sports reporting now has gone into, the.

Insider right you have these main ten.

Pole insiders Adrian wol zanowski was a name not, there anymore but these are, you know if you're not big sports fan who recognize, Somebody's Names adam schefter and the the day to day scoops go to them and just it's just it's been.

Punted, basically otherwise well.

It's access, YOU know i always, say this, YOU know i go to a lot of.

Journalism, schools yeah.

PARTICULARLY after i left meet the press as we try to figure out how to how to, you know how are we going to fix this sort of this, next generation a little bit of of of whether it's a trust issue and all.

Of THAT and i talk about the different forms.

Of journalism there's accountability, journalism there and, you know, in politics when you're an, access journalist that's as negative as.

It, comes oh you're just you're just being.

Spoon fed You're the, trump reporter or you're the Or the schumer reporter or something.

Like that where in, sports sorts if you're not if you don't have access to, the building you can't do your job as the.

Beat reporter it's.

Not fair so you sometimes have to pull a punch because these are.

Private organizations right, In politics i'm covering a taxpayer funded organization.

And they, need, you right they need you to get the message, out.

LIKE well i, don't know like arguably LESS so i would argue that that less on that it's more of we at least Have the Freedom Of, information, act right we have things that we can use because it's taxpayer funded and they can't really, you know we Have That, first, amendment right and it is About The first amendment is about government getting in the way a private organization can decide who they.

Talk to any anytime.

They WANT and i remember we locally we got a taste of this when The Then washington redskins, now Commanders When dan schneider.

Opened him he just Barred The washington post from being able to cover.

The organize So The washington posts could cover The Controversy, rondane schneyder but they couldn't tell you who was injured this week and was who was practicing this week because they weren't.

Allowed in and that was a disservice to the readers Of The.

Washington POST so i always struggle with this issue in sports of just, you know there's no doubt you just identified there's like three or four guys that get all.

The handouts but those.

Are handouts let's not pretend they're anything other though, for sure one.

Hundred percent that's a big part, of, It RIGHT and, i mean now we're not and it becomes, you know anonymous horses For reasons i'm not really fully, sure why and so so for me it is kind of, Figuring, Out okay i'm not going to be one of, Those guys so what's the?

Other lane and the other lane is sort of this more in.

DEPTH reporting, i mean what you're saying is, so true and it's this is not me selling the book in, this.

Way but like one of the THREE reasons I thought i could write.

The book I'm A, NEW yorker i don't Cover the lakers, a lot and there were issues With the lakers, at ME but i don't rely on them like THE arena i go, TO mostly i Go To Masive.

Square garden that's THE team i, deal with which it's their.

Own problems we can talk about the.

Nick separately but If, the lakers If the lakers got annoyed, in me and, they, Did like i'm not dependent on them for a credential to do, my JOB and i thought that was A value i could bring to the to the books specifically because exactly what, you're, saying, yeah no one.

Hundred percent and in some ways it's always been the case at any news organization that if you're going to do an, investigative piece don't don't actually Let the beat Have the beat reporters, do it because you're gonna cut off your nose despite your, face exactly go get and go get somebody who who is it there all, the time right who can go in and sort of in some ways it's a fresher set.

Of eyes like if you're with a team data day, to day weird stuff comes across as normal to you because you don't know the alternative versus you're coming from a farther away so you can see.

The weird you have a better shot identifying the weird than the average beat writer Of, the lakers.

For sure AND like, i say, you know part of It is i've taken a few shots in this, media tour Maybe at lakers beat, Writers necessarily but part of it is also that it's.

Different job so if you.

Are a laker, beat writers what you were saying About The, washington, post Right if lebron's not talking, to you you're failing.

Your job like you are that your job is to tell get.

That access that's part of, the job and you act part of the, dirty war but but that's literally your job is To get lebron and tell fans what.

That.

Is Right SO I'M i i make fun of, it Sometimes but I'm also SYMBER that i can understand, it too and that's and that's and, it's, OKAY.

Right i think that that's.

The THING like i look at it, as, saying hey all, there's all there's a lot of different flavors of journalism that.

We need you need, your accountability you need, your access you need, your service like we could sit here and go.

Through it so you you went about this How many i'm guessing this is not the first iteration Of a lebron book.

You, PITCHED no i had a uh the FIRST all i wanted to do we Start Is Lebron, big Three The, miami Heat the Big Three heat and actually the reason, my grandfather my.

Grandfather moved he was not a, basketball fan but he moved to of Course when new yor jew so what do?

You do when, he retired he moved down to a century Village, in, florida right and became a.

All had a grandparent in century village At In, south florida my great grandmother and GRANDFATHER where i think they were the founding residents there in the.

LATE seventies i love it right in the Clubhouse At alray beach was our our was our.

Century village so my Mine.

Was deerfield so he became a later in, HIS life i think through me because he SAW much i.

Love sports he became A huge, heat fan huge where he would he would watch he would, call me he would watch, first take he would want he would get angry at all the media guys who picked Against.

The heat this was when there was the big batan of.

The backlash he would he.

WAS he i always compare him a little bit To a jewish Version.

Of miami people Might Remember dan lebtard and he had his FATHER.

On tv, oh yeah, rappy, Hoppy right so It's a jewish version.

Of that so That that heat team had like a special place in my HEART because i was talking about them.

A lot i had tried doing a book on the.

My order so The first LEBRON idea i HAD and i, always, SAY no i, like Books and i'm the general Of the big but it's also a.

Commercial, endeavor uh so you never HAVE thing i, Could Sell so lebron is obviously that doesn't mean you have to be interested in the, topic too but it has to be the commercial aspect.

To it AND so i Pitched the UH what i wanted to do WAS that i had to propose on Everything The Big three heat and just.

Didn't work someone else was going to do IT and i heard.

About it they ended up NOT doing i don't actually genuinely don't know what, happened THERE but i HAD to i had, to pivot and we ended Up.

With lakers, you know, it's.

Tough you know with sports books is, YOU know i sit there and like my favorite sports books are a variety of.

Different, types, Like uh october sixty four is just an all timer for me because it's a book that's not really, about, baseball right it's about the civil rights movement and sort of the beginning and the end, of it and then sort of the role.

Sports played and it's Just Obviously halbert stam is sort Of the he's The north star, Sports, right like, you know nobody does it, Like Him so i'm not going to say.

There's that BUT then i love some.

Moral histories there's a great one ABOUT the Aba Called Loose.

Balls, falls yep oh, my god it's it is ONE That i my fandom for that book.

ONLY grows, i mean it was just like A terrific it's a reminder that there are certain recent histories are sometimes better told via oral history than trying having one writer's voice to try to capture.

The moment but the larger difficulty in sports books is getting out of, a region right or getting out of a, metro area which IS why, I mean i've pitched some sports and politics books and have struggled to get publishers to buy it because of.

This issue lebron obviously is somebody that's bigger for the REASON that i stated in.

Our introduction lebron is a, cultural icon not just a.

Basketball icon and then you merge it With, the lakers also a, cultural icon AND suddenly i now see where you have a.

Commercial, VEHICLE yeah I, Mean lebron, like listen you could be it's not even any, sports fan but even other not, sports fans if You say, lebron opinions it's interesting because.

They don't they don't necessarily, like him and that's an interesting THING that i find, About him like the obviously compare Him to jordan always and it seems to elicit a different.

Emotional response it's the strangest Are ARE and i guess THAT'S where i want.

To, start Yeah Because I'VE i've i Will confess i've started.

The book i've not finished, the book.

But well it is, that's okay.

It Is a this feels Like a, lebron book Not a.

Lakers.

BOOK yeah i think that's, probably true or THE way i The way i've sort of thought it through is it's like on the SO what i like.

To do one of THE things i like to write.

About in THE way i sort of approach, MY job i think is in THE way i summarize IT is i like WRITING about i describe it the things that happen behind the scenes that we don't see that impact what happens on the court that we.

Do, See right and so, for me this is sort of a look At the i'll call it the merger really because it's more than a merger between these two iconic sporting Institutions of lebron And the lakers and what that looks.

Like Together but lebron is sort of the, you know everything goes to him and him and his agency and what.

That means AND later i do a lot of his, political stuff which Around the bubble, twenty twenty around the bubble and a lot of stuff he, did there and then sort of his retreat from political life in, recent years which we've SEEN and i have found.

Really interesting, SO yeah i MEAN that's i would agree with you.

On that, you know it's interesting this MERGER that i like that you described it as a Merger between lebron And, the lakers BECAUSE when i think about all the other superstars That the lakers, have, Acquired right kareem was, An acquisition shaq was.

An acquisition you Could argue kobe was an acquisition because it was a Trade On, Draft NIGHT but i.

DON'T know I put kobe.

In magic we're Sort of lakers, for Life, Versus, kareem Lebron, and shaq who were sort of the, hired guns, Right yea but in the Case of Kareem, and Shack the lakers made them.

Bigger deals lebron arguably was a bigger a bigger brand before going To, the lakers and in some ways he's still a bigger brand Than the.

Laker brand Is, that.

Yeah it's so it's.

SO interesting i.

Completely agree and one of THE things i looked at, is like Why did lebron go To?

The, Lakers right and to this day you don't get a, clear answer and.

It seems like an.

Obvious answer i'll just we're going to give to.

Move hit the Business of lebron needed to Be.

In la so All of lebron's post basketball life was going to be based out of Out Of, southern california even if it was going to Be, in vegas he was probably going to live In.

Southern california so it seemed to me it was just him preparing for the, next chapter And the lakers were just the most viable way.

Exit strategy so.

The, second part THERE'S why i think is interesting BECAUSE that's i was gonna, Say that like it's, Almost, LIKE okay i want to, do This and i'm, so, big right the Brand of lebron is so big that what can what THERE'S no i can't go play for ninety nine percent of.

The teams It's basically Lakers or knicks were basically it like those are the two that.

Would work and he wanted to go out west because It just knicks one because he's never Been A new, york guy no, or no.

WHATEVER reason i HAVE a i Have a i'll ask you about.

IT later i have one theory as to why he Picked the heat Over the knicks back in.

The, DECISION okay i want to get to that, with you but go.

Keep, Going yeah so it's and IT'S so i agree with you on the post.

Basketball stuff what's, interesting though it's been sort of a mix of what that looks like and maybe that's part.

Of it so at first we thought.

It was gonna, be movies and He Did, space jam but then that sort of disappeared a, little bit and they have his his his longtime business Manager Friend maverick carter sort of had This Spring, hill entertainment which maybe people have, heard of and the reporting on that.

Is that's BASICALLY it's i don't want to say, a failure but.

It's not it's not doing.

Great financially so you, had that, you know he there's about, his wife like, the weather and he wanted his kids to be out there and just he was Done.

With cleveland and again we're talking about that post, business stuff the post playing career in.

His businesses ownership is definitely something he's.

INTERESTED in i cover that.

A lot and he Feels Like, LAS vega, i mean it feels like it's an inevitable ownership group that that he gets, to lead right.

For sure and.

He's uh one of the things that cover like he's made Trips To, saudi arabia which most PEOPLE think.

I can't i, don't know he, hasn't said but most people in these circles believe those are.

Not, Coincidental right he's invested in like a sell boating thing.

OUT there i, don't know but.

He did some minister, of culture one of, the princes which Whose name i'm not gonna even pretend, to remember but one of the princes Hosted an instagram Picture of Lebron There.

Maverick carter so most people kind of joined the connection that like money and face of, the, ownership right that's kind of where we're gonna end up with the uh with.

That stuff but he is, so big that's.

The point Like, the lakers it almost feels like the only team that could absorb him in that and not be swallowed.

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Win WELL but i COULD argue i say this as somebody, who like, You know i'm Even though i'm in my, MID fifties i was probably the first GENERATION of nba fans that were fans of, a player not.

A.

TEAM yeah i grew Up in miami in the seventies.

And eighties we didn't get the HEAT until i was literally graduating.

High school that's when we got.

The heat, You Know, ronnie ceychelee he was the big first star that.

We had AND so i was a, magic guy.

You KNOW and i had a friend who was a, bird, Guy RIGHT and i had another friend who became who Was the, jordan, Guy right and you know that's how we rooted for basketball in the seventies, and eighties and it's in some ways it's still what basketball.

Is.

Today right it's more player driven than.

Team driven And the lakers were one Of the lakers In the, celtics royas the two franchises that most of the time were bigger than, their, players right or at least were the same size as their Players See.

Magic Johnson the lakers have been Good, for lebron But has lebron been good For?

The lakers so it's it's so.

Interesting thing so the short answer.

Is yes so this is one of.

The things so the short, answers yes because you have to remember the dark period they were in before they, got, In right so this is.

People remember so anyone who's WATCHED the Hbo Show, winning time which is based on Another great lakers.

Book Show, called SHOWTIME And Hbo couldn't COULDN'T a tv show Called, shot correct which is.

Hilarious exactly so the Book was Showtime By, jeff prowlman who's like the best sports author going.

Right, now hey football For.

A buck i had him on this Podcast.

Talking, Trump yeah.

I'm sure so he's like the best.

Of this so that book just gets on The Magic.

Kareen lakers this show gets made to bring.

It up So That's, jerry, buss Right and jerry buss is, People know i'm his iconic, uh owner just larger than.

Life figure all that Builds the lakers into the thing that we all know.

They are, he, dies leaves leaves, the children Leaves the lakers to a trust of.

Six children AND when i, you know the term it's like succession but is, a cliche but it really, is that like this is really, sports succession Where like jerry BUSS is I Guess brian, cox's character except he goes To the playboy mansion a little.

More and he had a little.

LESS money, i mean the dirty little secret About the lakers And the bus family is, how basically and That's What winning time did a good job.

Of explaining bus was sort of Like The donald trump of.

His era he had he always used other, people's money correct to pretend he, was wealthy like he didn't really.

Have.

Well correct and so he leaves the team and he's got his children fighting over it and they're not it's not a.

Good situation he basically leaves it where he.

Leaves a trust in a Way where jeannie the daughter is in charge of the, business side jim the son is in charge, of Basketball but geenie's actually in charge of.

It all it's saying to, you mean.

The former, Presidential Candidate.

Jimmy, buss that's.

By, the way.

The succession that was when really it went to succession because he is was a connor.

WHATEVER heal, I mean, I mean i'll never forget getting that press Release like may of.

Last year, you know, you're, like wait what he's filed?

Exactly exactly, oh, Wait though I'm gonna i'm.

Gonna confirm sorry It Was, Johnny Buss, Johnny Bus.

Johny, buss sorry john this is, the, Third, right Jimmy, there's genie And.

There's Johnny, There's, Jimmy, Jeannie, Johnny Janney.

Joey JESSE now i remember if you can get all, those kidding it's.

All.

Jays yeah among the ones, we know all the same mom, or, no, no no that's, the okay the original four or the four older ones with, one mom two younger ones with a.

Second mom one came out later with the.

THIRD mom i don't know what else.

Is that so there's the THERE'S another tv show that's out there that's also about the kind Of About, Genie, buss.

Yes, running back that, is yeah nobody is watching.

That, show yeah and.

That they did do the storyline, of hey look one of the concessions, guys said out, of wedlock brother Of.

YOURS genie i have to.

Tell you nobody has watched that show with a more critical eye than me because some, of it so much of it is True.

That i'm watching it and, being like oh, my god who came up with?

This?

Idea WAIT do i have to look?

Into this it's just, something real.

Because there's enough that is true There that i'm, Thinking, like okay maybe she's the.

EXECUT producer I.

THOUGHT leani i was just, Gonna Say jenny buss IS an ep, on, It, right.

Yeah she's an.

Execut producer so THAT'S what i was, LITERALLY like i was taking notes on.

That show i'm Not even i'm not even like nobody else watched a show like.

It's passive it.

Was decent it's a passive, entertainment show.

Right right the Woman From Almost, Famous, hudson yeah, Thank.

You but i'm watching it like, you know people watch Like the wire and like.

College courses, You know i'm just taking notes.

On it you can.

Find exactly so they said those kids and it's.

A disaster i'll go the full, quick version like It's a genie has to fire.

Her brother her brothers then try to take the team from her in a.

Boardroom coup that.

Doesn't work she keeps, the team and this is and then They give kobe this ridiculous contract sort of a golden parachute of a contract end his career and sort of bring back to, your question like what mattered more They needed lebron was this lifeline sort of this we are in this dark Period and lebron comes and, it's, like No the lakers, Are Back eye genie boss like, MY father i can get.

Stars too we.

Are back so that's where he had an immense impact on them and.

Her, specifically well.

That's interesting that you, say that because when you really look, at it if you take away the, bubble, title Ye the lakers THEY'VE been i guess was it two years ago they were a three seed or a two seed or was it last year that three seed?

They made last year of the three seed they Made the, conference finals kind of like you know back in they backed in a couple of, years, ago.

Right but they've really not been.

A factor they just you can feel that they're not.

A factor they just don't have.

Enough depth and it, goes, to frankly just a total mismanagement of their, front, office right mortgaging so many of their draft picks where.

THEY were i mean they had some.

Draft picks they just sort of pet, them, away right, you, know yeah, you look, you know Whether It's lonzo ball.

Or, whatever correct the kind Of as i've.

Been doing this is THE way i describe it is like you can't say they want, a title so you can't say it was.

A failure so THE way i say it is it Was the lebron ten YEAR in la was.

A.

Success butt and the butt IS if i told you when he got there in twenty eighteen that you would get.

Eight YEARS and i think, this IS like, i joke it's going to be a trivia question people get wrong in.

Twenty years This is lebron's longest consecutive stretch with.

One team It's, the laker This current, lakers, stretch right that's the team he spent the most consecutive years.

With right so you told you you're gonna, get yeah?

Go, ahead, No.

No no that's interesting because it then brings up the question of what logo does he go In the Hall?

Of?

Fame right it's fascinating and the idea Of being so he's there eight years and he's been mostly healthy, until that basically, mostly healthy and not just one title it was in, a bubble but one, finals run like just one.

Finals appearance and the fact that makes it even more interesting is the fact that the title and the main high point happened in a literal bubble with, no parade and they then have this sort of robbed fans of his ability to emotionally connect to, these moments these things that fandom is.

Built ON and i just think it's going to make his legacy in la really interesting and honestly diminish it when we look back on it in twenty years and going to, be, like wait what?

Happened then what?

Was this it's.

A, strange no it's always going to be The, third yeah it's never going to be the first or second Part of.

Lebron's career it's always going to feel like.

The coda it's always going to be.

The, CODA no, I agree, i agree but.

Just strange it's strength to.

That point it's strange that like that is the LONG like, i said that, longest, stretch right that that is not a three year period but an eight year or.

Maybe nine we'll see what.

Happens stretch that's the part that makes.

It strange let me, ask this why do You think lebron wasn't a?

Ring chaser, you know there's always been, this thought is he a ring chaser?

Or not he's clearly not because if he wanted a, ring chase YOU and i you, Tell ME but i think if he wanted a, ring Chase the warriors would have found a way to make room.

For him, they called out of my mind that they, caught, it.

Right asked and, he said and it's.

Really interesting it shows you where his relationship was With the lakers in twenty.

Twenty four he was in one of his passive aggressive tweet streaks or whatever when.

He does and so.

They called, they, figured okay We'll Call, genie buss and, they Called And genie buss in a really, interesting answer and she gets censorive, about this but she didn't.

Say no, she Said Call Rich paul lebron's agent call m and, find out which is not a no right for like, for her that's a, Big, OKAY like i don't know if call him and he, Said no so he Made, the yeah he's made.

A choice he's made a choice to sort of keep his ROOTS.

In la maybe goes back to what we were talking, about before for, whatever reason whether it's a, family thing whether just deciding he doesn't want to play for a, random team.

YOU know i, just yeah he hasn't.

Done it he hasn't.

DONE it i don't know if he's still sensitive about, you Know The Miami super team winking up and he doesn't want that associated more, than LIKE look i.

DO that i, don't KNOW but i agree.

With, you well let me go Back to miami because this one is a little more personal.

To me you Have The bill simmons version.

Of, events, okay right, AND look i don't know if you listened, to, him, yes yeah, of course so, YOU well i mean then you know where that he believes it was a peeing contest Between pat Riley And.

Lebron james and there was No Way lebron james was never he was never going to stay somewhere where he wasn't, the alpha And pat riley was never going to keep somebody and play second fiddle.

To them is that the reason why that that.

RELATIONSHIP ended i.

Think, PARTLY yeah i would say THE part I would riley did try like the and this Is but riley did try to keep.

Him right and part of it is that he was offended The way lebron treated him in this.

Pitch meeting like there's a STORY about i Forget maybe riley went Up to vegas to pitch Them and lebron some of the guys like a soccer game on, the Background and riley, just felt, you know offended because this is and, he's right He's pat riley thought he deserved a little.

More respect the.

Answer to that is probably what you're saying is probably like that was the build up to that where sort of this contest about who actually gets to, run things who's, in charge who gets to do it.

WHOSE way.

I always compare the heat To like lebron's graduate school almost right Where, Yeah cleveland.

I'd heard him call it, college, Before, right okay, so yeah it's, just, like, yeah yeah he learned how to win and how to he, needed it and then he.

Sort of took the things he got there and took them out into the world with Him.

Into, CLEVELAND then i mean the reason he left and this is the but the reason he left he wanted to Fix the, cleveland, Narrative right they wanted to fix the.

Decision narrative they want to go back win a Title.

In cleveland like THAT was, i mean the fact that they went to tell you?

About him what does that tell You?

About lebron what do you what do you?

Take away not everybody would feel that because he's never really going to live, there, again right his kids may never.

Live there, YOU know i have an Attachment to miami that my son has no, attachment to right because HE'S never i don't think his kids really have an Attachment to Accron.

In cleveland but it meant something to him to do that.

For sure what does that tell you about him that maybe we we we we overlook sometimes in our in our sort of cheap descriptions of.

THESE ubers, I mean i, mean one it's you care, people THINK which i actually think is not a, you know guess someone as.

A NEGATIVE like I always i, always laugh, you know in, MY job i always laugh when, people say like when, the athletes sad will.

Pay attention you, all do and, it's fine like we.

All do it's the most, human thing like what are?

You kidding and so, it's caring.

Right care people think that's a.

BIG thing i, think, that like is it more about legacy and caring what people think as opposed to the.

HOMETOWN thing i actually think a bit.

Of it but it's, also INTERTWINED and i think at that point it's probably hard for to separate.

Those two and obviously bringing, THE title i mean that Was.

Looked cleveland, you know they haven't WON an nfl championship since.

The fifties they haven't won a baseball championship since.

The forties it was a B f d.

One hundred like the way THE way i kind of say he went back to a team it mattered so much, to him and because he recognized how much it Mattered, to cleveland he went back and was willing to take checks and Play For.

DAN gilbert, I Remember dan gilbert's the owner of people don't know he's the owner Of.

The Cavaliers after lebron Goes, to miami, he Writes and i'm not even gonna use the coded like it might, be no it was a.

Racist letter it was a racist letter saying Basic How dale?

Lebron leave it.

Was terrible it was, terror right just like.

IT was i forget who used but plantation like letter was a phrase thrown around a lot by people who by like, you know historians and people who all throw that language.

Around Lightly and lebron was willing and he's still in.

The caves lebron went back and it's not like it's not Like he it wasn't THAT because i always forgiven it because that was so important, to him and it was so and he thought it mad it would matter so much to, the city whether that's for an ego for the city probably mix, them, both right that he was willing to go back, and say you, Know what i'm going to eat.

IT this i want to.

Do this of the, three franchises which one would build a statue?

To, him WELL so, i Joke, THE lakers i think are going they just, do, that right even though it's Weird and la has.

Weird If the lakers do, it personally because it's not he's the only, one, one sorry but.

What it be weird if they.

Did it that's the thing think about, like that like would it be weird if they didn't.

Do it because You have, lebron again a, top five if not better player, all time eight years on.

Your team it's almost like, A statement i agree, with you but it's almost like a statement if you don't.

Do it, all Right The washington wizards don't have a Statue Of, michael jordan.

But that was, two years right that we didn't.

Own it so, it's different but about.

Two years it's not the eight like that's.

THE thing, i MEAN the la, relationship Again the LA's Relationship to lebron is.

So interesting it is the one place he went there and he was, not welcomed like it was.

Not cheering there was there were murals of him that were to face with Pictures.

OF kobe a lot of this goes back To The kobe lebron rivalry a little that was a little, between them but on a more, macro sentence it was between sort of their respective fandoms and sort of GOING into i.

Never thought of it as much about Because, basically kobe, you know his last championship is right but the year before, the decision, right.

Yeah and they and they never went up, each other they never faced each other in, the finals which is.

Too bad but they were pitted against each other And by nike and by marketing machines, and media and it became a Thing where, kobe's fans Which are, lakers fans WHO are i Mean The lakers kobe fans.

Fans are Not.

All lakers The thing i've LEARNED about LA and i have a my best friend lives out there and he will he vouches for, this too which is.

Not all not All all laker Fans are, kobe fans but Not all kobe Fans.

Are kobe's ahead in.

The, Hierarchy yes kobe is higher up in.

The hierarchy and this.

Is double this was true before, he died but it cementous after.

He, Died yes and it's fascinating because then you think, about it and then you Think about Kobe and lebron and they are polar opposite in so many ways in terms of their approach on, the court Where, like kobe IT'S like i shoot over, Four guys lebron passes to the.

Open guy lebron's, you know all kinds of, Good teammate.

Night's guy kobe was a bit of, a, Bleepole right kobe want to be Friends.

Like kobe would to link up with our players on.

Their teams lebron, obviously does and it sort of, becomes like that's The quote mamba mentality and his fans and go to war for That quote mama mentality being correct as Opposed to, lebron's approach and then all of, a sudden this guy you've been arguing arguing against is dropped into your city and it just creates these weird mix.

Of, emotions well, you know, it's interesting this this the Persona.

Of lebron, YOU know i Think about I'm a lebron.

Defender, generally YEAH meaning i look at a kid at fifteen who's on the Cover Of, sports illustrated who's told he's going to be the next greatest basketball player of, all time that this guy's the heir Apparent Of.

Michael jordan and.

It's true he lives up to an absurd set of expectations that were set.

For him, and oh by, the way there's no major Scandal around.

Lebron's life you've never, you know, We can i'm sure you there's plenty of rumors that you've had to deal with that you know that people, would, say hey did you know this.

About him there's rumors about.

Every celebrity ninety percent of them are not true or so exaggerated they're more not true.

Than true but, You know i'm one, of those, you know you sort of crowdsource.

Somebody's life if he was a, bad dude after twenty, five years we'd have a parade of people telling us how bad of a dute.

He, was right he's clearly a.

Good guy he's a pretty, you know he's got a he's a good.

Family man he's very protective of.

HIS mother i think that's why he never was going to Go To.

New york he didn't Trust The new york tabloids to leave his.

Mother alone i've always believed That that's miami is this safe space yep.

For That we miami has never Had A new york post culture Is what i'll.

Call, it right There's no.

Page six celebrities are allowed to Live in miami and people leave.

Them alone it's very Similar.

To la there's just not as many Celebrities in miami as there IS.

In la but it's that.

Same, thing oh everybody leaves.

Him alone, you, know nobody, you know we're all we're all hiding from something Here.

In miami that's why, we're, Here right that's, That's okay and yet he, Seems POLARIZING like i Understand why, kobe's polarizing but why the Hell?

Did lebron how did it Hell did lebron end?

Up polarizing it's it's it's it's not a good it's, the decision the.

Original decision that's what.

Does it and it's.

SO strange, i mean this.

Is a harsh way to, put it but it can Take the kobe.

Comparison more, it's said people seem to have less of a problem getting over a sexual assault allegation and they do a pr free, agent THING which i don't, buy this BUT like i could, spin it that worst thing he ever did was do an awkward free agent thing that raised money.

For charity like that's the worst thing, he, did, Right.

Right, AND again i know the charity thing is a bit of a.

COP out i don't know, full like but on, its surface that's.

What it that's what.

It is and and YET and i think he's never recovered.

From that AND it's, i mean it kind of goes through your intro second about sports and what people feel like they're entitled to as fans and what, we expect how we expect athletes to uh.

Serve us and it's it taps into all these.

Greater things.

You know it's interesting.

THE decision i would argue that was the last moment where a majority of fans took the side of franchises, over players because ever, since then fans are more pro player.

THAN franchise, i mean he sort of that and that's sort of like that's part of the depart of.

His legacy ran ushrating the so called player powerm, that, right.

Right he brought.

It in he made a hell of a lot of Money For.

Kevin, durant right he blazed a Trail For.

Kevin, durant sure he blazed a Trail For chris paul and some of these other guys that made money ended up being able to sort of demand what they want Or A, kyrie, Irving Right.

James harden we can go on.

And on none of those guys are able to do with get what they Got if lebron hadn't done what he did right and he changed so changed.

The game and yet this pioneer is not even held up in HIGH esteem i THINK among.

NBA players i agree, it's, strange like obviously all respect his, no one there's, no oh everyone respects the greatness and, the longevity which is part, of it and the fact that he's forty or, forty one and like this is the first time we're seeing a little.

Slip up it's insane.

HE treats, i, MEAN look i also think he shows, you know to, be great you have to work.

At, it yeah and you have to make.

A choice you can't be a you can't live.

The, Lifestyle Look michael jordan could live a high roller lifestyle and be great At, basketball lebron but, Guess what michael was still only great for a shorter period.

Of time he was done.

By, high thirty he was done and that he.

Was done lebron trained his body and mine to be able to essentially Last Like.

Tom brady and you know what's funny Is.

Like brady, You know brady's also not beloved Outside Of.

New england, he's respected.

He's acknowledged but there's this weird Versus A.

Peyton manning who's the more?

Lovable guy right Yall Love.

PEYTON manning I Want peyton manning to.

Sponsor this, brady was, you Know but brady was so he seemed to be so obsessed with football you didn't care about the.

OUTSIDE world I think lebron's mostly the.

Same Way the brady is THE guy i always compare him, to right just because there is no take tennis out, of it but the Four major, American, sports like there's no comp to what these guys do to be, this great that great at.

That age it's it's.

Unheard of it's.

Unheard of and like, the way one of THE things i DO is i loved this kind of like talk to people About how lebron has got him, like this and the way has explained.

To me you know that he's mapping out.

Every minute it shows you the discipline that every hour of every day's.

Mapped out so they'll be Filming space jam and then it's like two twenty and his trainer pop.

A joke he pops out of a trap door for like his two twenty seven and kinwa right or things, like that just knowing.

Every Hour michael beasley told me His stories lebron's, longtime friends saying it's like A bleeping nascar pit stop around him half.

The time just these guys are always, around there, and yeah it's something, about IT but, i agree so the, respects there.

But he's not beloved the SAME way I think.

Kobe, parts again It's a jordan Thing and, Kobe thing like these are guys who you hear people talk about people, meaning, fans media but also players talk about in a different Way.

Than lebron and.

It's fascinating.

This this lebron's.

LAST year i.

DON'T know, i mean you know this is it'd obviously be really good for your book if, it was.

He would try to hitting that.

Moving target, MY answers i, don't KNOW but I genuinely i don't think.

He knows that's my read on.

IT is i.

DON'T think i think he's sort of he's a free agent now they.

Left it, he sorry he's on.

Expiring contract he is for the first time in.

His career he is on.

EXPIRING deal i think he's it seems to be he's wreckon reckoning with no longer being the power player.

That he once was and no longer being in.

Total control he also like there's a lot of things he wants to a lot of boxes he wants.

To check like most assume he's gonna want a Farewell tour he also has made clear talking about the player of.

Powerment stuff so he doesn't have a farewell, tour, Now correct so, that's good have announced it.

This.

Year correct that makes me think where it's going to get one?

More year he DOESN'T take Caf, of, Cleveland right, it, does right because it comes back to so where is it going.

To be, it's like if you're doing a, farewell tour it's gonna Be A lake Lakers.

Or calves.

That's it, anyone else.

That's, it yeah it doesn't even make Sense for.

Miami, anymore right you can't Make a.

Miami.

Case, Yeah no and and and he doesn't take.

Pay cuts that's.

The part he's gonna have to.

Be interesting it's gonna.

Be interesting So, since miami He, joined miami he took a pay cut to, Join them and since then we talked about the.

Player empowerment he's been very big, ON like i don't take.

Pay cuts we take the.

Max DEAL and i don't think.

It's for like.

SELFISH reasons i think it's more of representing the player for us and sort of being, you know union guy for lack of a.

Better term and if you're not willing to take a pay cut your your options are limited.

Right where, you KNOW if i was, ADVISING him i, might, say no one's going to call you a scab at the age of, forty one you take ten million dollars instead, of, Thirty, right like, that's okay go where.

You WANT but i don't know what.

He, WANTS well, I mean cleveland is a fascinating destination right now because he might be able to win a title too this farewell if he chose to do that.

NEXT year, i mean this is a team that is, it is it is in it's the best version Of The cleveland cavaliers without a Guy Named lebron james on it as.

It is, FOR sure i thought he should have gone there like he because he's kind of put out again some passive aggressive statements, this YEAR and i remember being like talking to some people IN the nba and just, be like do what, You want like do you want to, go home Go to cleveland then, it's fine or you want to stay do what.

HE wants, I agree and.

As, a player you know the Beauty Of lebron and just to me is why you got to give it to him as a as, a teammate is that he he'd understands he knows how to play a role if that's the best way to win.

A, GAME yep i mean he could be an important role player in oddly That that cleveland could use.

For sure and THE part i joke is like we talked, about, it like, you know he's not top five.

Player anymore last year he was second TEAM, o mba which means he was, top twenty.

Top, ten, still like it's still incredible if, he wanted he won't.

Do it we have, you know most, old guys you get to the point where they're kind of the bench guy playing fifteen minutes.

A game like he could do that for seven more years if he.

Wanted to he's so good and.

So, smart uh and talk about the role, player STUFF so i mean anything would takehim for next year.

For, sure, well look the other issue here has To be, brownie, Yep right and it's and and and the role of and then his, middle son who, some argue who's a little bit taller than, his, brother.

Right correct so my Understanding is Bryce was bryce is the.

Other one he was once a.

Better prospect it seems to be Unclear now bronnie's condition.

Is, WHY also i always thought, you know and if you're, writing it, you're, like oh THAT'S what.

I WANT but i always thought this would be last Year because bronnie's, he's no his contract is no longer guaranteed after.

This year so that's part of the EQUATION which i find, really interesting and so weally not talked.

About, MUCH yeah i.

DON'T know i don't know if another team Would.

Take bronnie if the The reason lebron was able to force that through last time is because he was still good enough to force, that through you know.

At, this point at this point is at, THE case i, Don't know well.

It would any?

Of us would any other team Have?

Drafted?

Smith, NO no I mean i do think a team would Have Drafted.

BROWNIE james i do actually believe that another team would HAVE because i think that was always.

Another, rumor hey does a team Who wants lebron and the for two for like sort of a two year, farewell tour do They draft brownie as a way to?

Bait him, right too and Clearly and Clutch or bron's they just was worried about that because they they They, forced bronni they would basically turn.

Other teams away from himself and they told them, don't draft because he was ended up drafting the.

Second round they told other teams do.

Not draft, they said you know some team that heard stories about teams on asking His Agent, rich Paul would bronnie played IN The g league and the, answer was he ain't know if it works WITH the, nba schedule which was not what they were, really, Implying right that wasn't the reason the question was asked that or they have draft telling teams if you, draft him he's Going, to australia like they really they.

Were forcing it through to make sure that he would end up With.

The lakers what.

Does lebron want out of this for?

His SONS if i GET if i get critical, at All and I'M always i don't like TO be i don't like my parenting to be back, seat DRIVEN so.

I don't i'm hesitant to backseat drive.

Another parent, But man i'd like TO think i wouldn't put that much pressure on, my kids and he's Put some he's put some serious Pressure.

ON BROWN i i feel nothing but Empathy, for BRONNIE and i know that that, seems ODD but i.

Do no, you know it's, So INTERESTING so i agree With you so The lebron brownie think is really interesting because he's said he's been in locker rooms saying things out loud when he knows reporters, are around, Like oh bronnie, could play he's better than half these guys IN, the nba or tweeting out about my drafts, being bad all these THINGS where i, would say as a, parent too like that.

Seems awful that seems.

Just bad and then and yet clearly they've done something Right, because bronnie by, all accounts is a REALLY he's, i mean he's, well liked, he's respectful he, works hard everyone loves.

Actually really and he's just like, his father pretty high basketball.

Like you he may not have, the abilities but he knows what he should, be.

Doing correct so Everyone.

Loves brownie so, the fact WHEN whenever i find myself saying that seems like, awful, parenting RIGHT whenever i find myself, saying.

THAT fine i sit.

There too, Yeah RIGHT and i.

Kind of, counted saying you know what they raised in basically on the.

Celebrity spotlight they raised a kid and it seemed to have.

Worked OUT so i don't know if that's luck or they knew what they were doing so that's kind OF how.

I deffer but it's funny you say That because i've had these same conversations with people and, with myself, you know internal dialogues about.

This STUFF and i guess that that's that's going to be.

A factor what what do we Think is middle sun Is at arizona that he Arizonated to so is?

Are they is he gonna play?

THIS year i it was that game was on last NIGHT and i forgot that there Was a james.

ON there i should have checked.

It out it would have, been good, uh, good good uh prep, For this but is he going?

To play, They don't.

They don't they don't Know from bryce's Perspective.

And lebron lebron a media day, was asked.

You know you're gonna wait?

For HIM and i forget exact well it was, basically no, You know i'm not waiting.

For him you know we're not going to get to.

That point so there's a World where Luca and lebron could be a fascinating version sort of a twenty first century Version of Kareem, and magic sort of one guy at the in the sunset of, his career one guy getting ready for his.

Peak powers but WHY do i get the sense that there's just no chemistry between.

These two so the funny, part, is well they haven't played a.

Lot together that's the.

Short answer Lebron, loves Luca like luca is one of.

These guys first, of ALL all nba players.

Respect him he's sort of lebron like in terms of his, you know the chess master moving.

Pieces around Years ago.

Lebron had to.

Play defense lebron plays.

For sure, for sure but so years ago lebronch was going to build out or was building out His Own Jordan like lebron Line, for Nike and luca was one of the guys he targeted and that was.

Way, before, So like luca's always been a guy, he likes and he talks to People around lebron now and, they, Say no Lebron.

Loves Luca the lakers he might feel, differently, About, Right so LIKE the i think anything you're seeing is if you see a passive aggressive or you maybe see a Clip of lebron watch a game and maybe not being Mister.

RAW raga i think that's More about lakers organizational and the fact that they haven't given him that they didn't offer him a contract extension last summer as opposed to.

Any issues With the.

Encore guys but in fairness To, the lakers, my GOD what i mean they CAN'T keep i, WOULD argue, I mean I think and this is the real question is when you ask, basketball people Has keeping lebron around actually, you know certainly pre Trade.

Of, luca Look the luca trade falls into, their lap which is you, know why there's why our Friend mister simmons wants to have a.

Conspiracy theory but somehow this.

Helps them it is amazing how Often the Celtics and lakers end up with, of course, oh boy just when they need a player to, keep it of course their, legacy going they find.

It right but it.

It doesn't it doesn't seem as if That keeping lebron has actually been good For the lakers for the rest of.

This decade this isn't the right way to prepare for A Post.

Lebron, LAKERS no i agree.

WITH you i don't think.

They're wrong and the most the interesting part is they were.

Doing this they were moving On.

Before lucas so if you, look back if you're, you Know the LAKERS Hired jj red to be the head coach before, Last year.

There's always been a question that Was not lebron's.

First, choice correct it was.

It was it Wasn't that lebron was Out of it wasn't necessarily his.

First choice like he.

They floated that they had floated they want some, other guys and everyone Assumed because LEBRON And jj redick were hosting a, podcast together because, not really since it's twenty, twenty five why wouldn't that be?

The case of course.

That's what by, The Way rich paul apparently is going to have a Podcast, with simmons right and in.

That world so if you, want to if anyone who wants to do a fun, google now then You Know, rich paul's, you know going to be Working With.

Bill simmons look Up What rich paul Set About bill simmons in an Interview With isaac Channer Into, new yorker and that'll be A.

Fun Google to, simmons credit he kind of alluded, to it but he in his podcast earlier, this week but, he said, He, goes yeah when we had the, first meeting it wasn't clear whether there's.

This Question there's Rich, like Bill there's Bill like rich, Get, Right Yeah.

So amazon i'll say It's About rich paul's this.

IS separate I Like.

RICH paul i find like he is a professionals.

Wrong word he just.

Gets it he's not sensitive like.

He can.

He can he's okay if you, criticize him and then you can talk, about it talking out and he's cool.

With it, you know sometimes people in the sports world are uber sensitive, about things and he is not one.

Of them but we were saying TO The, jj Redick the LAKERS hire jj reg to be their.

Head coach and you listen to that, press conference it's hilarious because they're talking like They're The Oklaho.

City thunder they're talking about it's a.

New world we went into.

Player development they talk about they're going to make a player, development APP which i don't know whatever happened.

To that, you know there's new salary.

Cap structures we don't do.

Superstars anymore luca then falls to the lap and they.

Change everything but they were moving On from lebron before.

Last year.

Let's do two more items here BEFORE before i let.

You go One Is magic johnson's relationship With, the lakers?

Is it is there?

One anymore or, you know after the debacle of his role has sort of head of.

Basketball operations and now that he's, YOU know i see him In most commanders games now hanging out with is a part owner of.

That team he's a part owner.

Of that he was all Over, the dodgers like, of course it seems like he always knew where the.

Camera was there's, a camera there's.

A Camera there's magic finding his way.

Into.

It right what's the Relationship Between magic Lebron and magic And?

The, lakers okay so the most interesting part is That the lakers just sold Recently To, mark walter who Owns.

The Dodgers So, MAGIC johnson i guess is it's it's actually interesting question because people, don't know and people are AROUND the nba are.

Really Curious so magic.

It ended the background is Him And genie boss were basically like brother, and sister.

So close she brings him in for a year to run or two years, he's there and, it ends like, you, said horribly just a.

Flame out it's embarrassing, to her embarrassing to.

The franchise and then he GOES on tv and He Accuses, rob polenka general manager who's still the, general manager of.

Backstabbing him he says that that's Not even he's not like, sources say he's saying that the Step n Smith that rapulinka backstabby on.

First, Take Right so ropolink is, still there he's still the, general, Manager right he's.

Still there lebron was not thrilled with how the.

Magic stuff And then lebron also they him and his group were.

Really accommodating maybe it's the, wrong word like magic after They saw lebron was.

VERY big, i mean wasn't magic credited With recruiting lebron and.

So this is to.

Be credited this IS when i say.

They're accommodating they were very Accommodating, to magic telling, the setting the narrative, Going On jimmy.

Kimmell talking about how He's outside lebron's house at midnight.

Or whatever and, that was as someone explained, TO me I think i put this in, the Book like lebron was going There whether magic was there.

Or not but they were okay To let magic.

Do that sot they.

Do that And, then magic besides being bad at, the job just to leave in this ridiculous way of announcing in a press conference without telling anyone he's leaving and just basically walking out.

The door.

It's EMBARRASSING so i don't think the relationship between Him and lebron IS like i think Everyone respects magic and what.

HE was i wouldn't say that's particularly Close the lake and Him And genie bus their relationship is, still there but it's not what it.

Once was but again repeating what it looks Like when magic's partner now BUYS the uh Buys the lakers and what, that MEANS it's i can tell you people asking me that QUESTION and i, Don't, know.

Well Are the buses keeping a piece of.

The team So the genie is, fifteen percent which is the minimum amount required to still be officially, the governor.

And she's the governor the governor of.

The.

Rep.

Yeah correct that could.

Always change and we've seen other examples in like where we've told, You Know mark cuban sold the team and said he was going to be Running in it wasn't.

The case this seems to be more locked in, than that but they could change.

Any, minute, politics Yes and Lebron has.

It's funny, IT'S like i actually don't think he's weighed in that often in politics COMPARED to i could argue compared to even Shack.

At magic Shock and magic show up, on events they.

Do stuff when they did Stuff, for obama, You, know lebron it was always More the obama people Wanted, more Lebron and lebron was, you know Felt Like michael jordan in nineteen ninety when he refused To Endorse harvey gant In The Jesse helm senate Race Of.

North carolina he never actually said, the Quote well republicans by but, you know it's always been the lie, know, Shocker right but the legend of that quote sits, out THERE and i always got a Sense, that lebron at least there was always a piece of him that, heard that and he would he certainly made, you know he did not want to seem like he, was unsupportive particularly of the Concerns Of, african americans so he never wanted to be seen as not.

Supportive there but HE never I never i've never thought of him as as active in politics as the reputation that is out there in the right in particular is that.

HE is i think that's a.

Great way to.

Put IT and i think the way YOU put i think what you just said the ending, part, there right how he gets framed by the right and sort of in today's world where you just you know you're good.

Or bad everything's by it.

Doesn't matter it's sort of what the different we we live in these, different ecosystems and the right has decided he, politicizes everything and, you're, like really, because correct he really doesn't when you when, YOU look, i mean, you know he.

Does not he does not get, Actively involved he doesn't write, big checks he doesn't show UP in.

Tv Ads magic johnson does all of those things right and.

Always, has Yeah, NO lebron i mean even the first ones.

He did, it's interesting so he never did Anything until obama two thousand.

AND eight i think It WAS jay z was at a thing that Basically brought, lebron In brought lebron, with right it, was, correct correct you'll Member The.

Trayvon martin he had a statement with.

The heat but the interesting it was it, Wasn't him it was, the whole all, the teammates the who.

Entire team he's with, the group hooded.

Sweatshirt on and then there Was another.

I'm, gonna forget Might Been.

ERIC garner i.

Don't know Maybe In.

NEW york i can't breathe and he wasn't sure if he was going to DO a.

T shirt he was sort of in and out in twenty.

Twenty two things what twenty Sixteen with trump seemed to ignite him a.

LITTLE bit, i mean is the famous you, bum tweet which is pretty Funny because.

Trump went, after him and, of correct, you know, You, know lebron.

It's funny he is just like us in that he lets social media get under his.

Skin, everyone so, for sure one hundred percent he's very much in on.

Social media and then the most involved he got was twenty twenty in, the bubble WHICH again i mean that's we'll look back in that fifty years from now and just a million everybody.

Did This Was.

George floyd this was sort.

Of right it's like people getting involved in the civil rights movement in.

The sixties it just wasn't like everybody was getting involved on and it.

WASN'T specific i, mean again they were very specific what.

They did him and, his guy he had, His Guy, Adam mendelssohn Who's Who's donold Schwarzenegger's communications guy's his, Communications guy, And well lebron is his group are really Good at they're great at finding experts what they want, to do and then we find the experts.

Execute it so they get all these people from the.

Political field i'm gonna.

Forget there you WOULD if i knew told you, the names you would know.

All, them NO but i Knew about mendelssohn and a.

Few, others no he's.

He's careful he doesn't, do stuff but whether it's business or politics, or culture he does does seem to be calculating.

And careful and.

They're right it wasn't about there was.

Not voting it was there.

Very specific it wasn't about a.

Specific candidate it wasn't about Vote For.

Joe biden it was let's mobilize and let's vote and make sure we can.

Vote this That's an.

American right there's, nothing political, which whatever but there's nothing political about getting out.

To vote and that was what the how they.

Pushed IT so i and, since, then honestly it's like, you said he might.

Have endorsed he might Have endorsed biden HIS last i don't remember what.

He Did and i'm sure He.

Endorsed commel i'm not saying.

HE didn't, i mean, my GOODNESS.

The nba, YOU know i always.

Say this, you KNOW the nfl is the truly the only equally divided, fan base and it really Looks.

Like america, It, is yes it is fifty.

TO fifty nba, leans left golf, lean's right baseball, leans right hockey, leans right like, you know, you know show me your fan Base and i'll show you which way they, lean exactly, you know and, you know so there certainly is an Assumption of, lebron's Politics but i've always thought he was put it.

This way he wasn't nearly as front Facing as kareem was in.

His, heyday no not, even close not.

Even close and the only, THING is i would say so there was one point around twenty twenty where it seemed like he was thinking he wanted to maybe position himself as that would get that where he has like.

He's walking Out WITH malcolm x books, and again but this is twenty twenty and LIKE he's, i mean twenty twenty was just we could throw it out the window in terms of what people were doing and.

How people are.

Approaching things but he did seem to sort of be sort of be dabbling in some of.

THAT stuff i think, HE rightfully i don't think that's, his SPECIALTY and i think he's been smart to sort of pull back on that a.

Little bit so that's the ONLY thing i.

Would say but the other part is The lawer ingram shut Up in.

Dribble right that was the, other thing which was again we talked about coded and not, even, coded right and now that across, the line and that also ignited and that sort of set him off in a.

Way, too no It's always i've always Thought ro lebron was a reactive.

Political person it's a great way to put it.

IN person, i like that's a great way to.

Put, it, yeah yeah well let me get you out of here.

On this in, Twenty years lebron is going to be.

We, know look we can have the.

GOAT converse i actually somebody who Thinks That magic johnson should be in the in a three way conversation With with Jordan.

And lebron and my, argument is you Know what Jordan and lebron.

Didn't do they didn't win a title in their.

First year they didn't take a team that didn't make the playoffs and.

Win IT and i.

Love it, and oh by, the way if NOT, for Hiv does magic have six Rings and michael?

Has five and what's the conversation right like, WE could, I could i could.

Have That so i'm Always and i've Always thought lebron is if you if you went to a lab and you, and you your two Ingredients Were magic Johnson And, michael jordan you Would get Lebron, Right like lebron is the best of both.

Of them so legacy stuff aside that the six titles versus, ten finals that's, you know that's always going to be the marker that one person makes one argument to Say, it's lebron another person makes The Argument.

Sage jordan but the one place he has a chance To surpass Michael and magic is in being a front office guy and A right magic was terrible as, a coach terrible AS, A gm michael terrible AS, a gm terrible as.

An owner we have first had experience Here in washington and we've watched the debacle That.

Is charlotte is That what.

Lebron is there a competitiveness in him that he sees an opportunity that he gets to have a legacy that that that nobody else OF the nba all time greats.

Have had he can also be as successful on the business, side too that's a.

GREAT question i don't know if he's Comparing.

TO jordan i do think that's something he, cares.

ABOUT right i do think being remembered in terms of as.

A success, i mean we see he's a billion, dollar athlete like he's already, been there and, you know he's sort of approached.

The business he's been one of these guys who's been into like we get equity.

And companies that's going way back and ready since, you know since he, was twenty which.

Was insane if you think.

Of all The mistakes magic made, early on, he's, correct, right yeah HE just i.

Mean this the THE the iq just it's through, the charts off.

THE charts I do i think the legacy he is gonna be maybe different.

THE ownerships i think.

The legacy is going to be an all time great who was different than.

Everyone, else right in terms of being remembered as between, the longevity the player, empowerment stuff that's gonna be a huge part.

Of it i'm, LIKE you i joke that there's like forty top, ten, players right not top, of three but like you start naming top, ten guys and You named Jerry and Magic and Kareem and shack and you get to thirty five, of, Them right so it's kind of LIKE he's i don't know how to discern between any.

Of, them, yeah, like well look, at baseball how do you have the show hate Conversation versus may's and and, you know we all had the official line back in the Day of mays and And And ruth and now, you're, like well what do we do With?

Show hay, you, know right totally changes, that, Conversation right so.

The ownership part is, interesting too because it also maybe and This is i'm thinking, about it like if it, went poorly it WOULD really i think it would, hurt him maybe more than It hurt Jordan and magic.

As well and that's.

Also, interesting, interesting huh.

Just because The expects it's because the expectations bar is.

So, high yeah and almost, like again talk to some of this stuff where we talk about and for, whatever reason he's not the love necessarily the, same way it's like you're starting at.

A low it's like you're starting at.

A five instead of, a, ten right and it cannock, you lower, you know you have it's almost like more to lose, or whatever as Opposed.

TO jordan i Mean the jordan thinks wild nobody cares what he did at any point, he can like he SPEAKS On nbc now for three minutes and people think it's the greatest interview of.

All, Time RIGHT it's i don't.

GET it, I mean i Don't find jordan's, YOU know I find jordan's criticism of of players not playing every game to be totally naive of what the game.

Is today, Of course like it's just like it's just he feels like a guy that doesn't even watch THE current nba if this is what.

He, thinks no it was.

So, predictable also like, you Knew like jordan on, load management they were like they kept, hyping THAT and i could TELL you i was, gonna say then we knew wearing the, same right he's wearing the.

Same suit it seems like they talked to him once for like twenty five minutes and.

Chopping exactly what.

They, did, yeah right.

And everyone but people are eating.

It UP so i Want the jordan thing is the WHOLE sid i, don't know it's like this aura, around.

Now There's A.

GRETA garbo, i mean not to go.

BACK way i mean it's a super, old, reference right but that was the.

Old joke she stopped talking to.

The press so anytime you heard a Quote of greta gar oh, my god we've heard from it's Like with jordan's weirdly he, never talks so whenever, you Know it's by, the way this is a good reminder if you're super famous withholding your comments on things and then make whatever you say down the road.

More.

Interesting correct, So yeah so IT'S just i don't know how anyone competes THE joy.

I GET that's i guess That's what.

I'M saying i don't know how you compete, with, That right IT just i, don't know.

All right you doing a, book tour we were in the midst, of it in the midst, of, it, yes yeah?

Is it how much of it?

Is physical how much of it is?

Most?

Virtual yeah most?

Is virtual and you say this year's year of twenty.

Twenty five you, know, RIGHT well i know you you.

What kind of reception are you getting from lebron world and what kind of reception are You from?

Laker world So the, LAKE world, i mean it's a.

Can Open the lakers threatened to sue me before this book, Came out so that was that was fun before the book came out over what not checking, the well.

They hired, this guy but they they They Hired.

Marty singer who was a famous defamation lawyer before they got the, fact check so they would claim it's a, fact check but they doesn't.

Line up, so yeah so that.

Was good So the laker world is.

There's nothing that gives a book more promotion Than some yahoo threatening to.

SUE IT i, i AGREE and i JOKE that i should thank them for, the marketing, YOU know i KIND of i was Gonna Send geny bussey thank, you note, you know, And Uh.

Lebron world they're fine.

With it, it's fine, You Know laker.

World's Interesting so i'll get a quick it's.

Been interesting lakers fans seem less interested in learning behind the scenes of.

Their fans the books, doing fine, it's not, but like it's been interesting To hear lakers fans not interested in LEARNING about i wrote a book On.

The sixers sixers.

Fans want to hear every single thing that's happening in the front office right wrote process and that why things might not.

Go well laker fans get, very defensive which is it's just.

Interesting, SOCIOLOGICALLY well i.

Think if You're a, laker, fan frankly you always know that it always.

Works out THAT'S what.

I think that's what.

IT is, I mean, i'm sorry, you're, like wow they picked they picked eighth And Got.

Kobe bryant, YOU'RE like, I mean i'll never.

Forget that, you're, like oh What Does jerry west know?

About this like the minute they drafted, The guy.

You're, Like Oh jerry west must know something that none of us.

Know Yet joe bryant's kid must be, that good, you know, of course, all right and he gets?

Him?

Eight?

Right seven what?

Is it seven teams passed Up.

On kobe, it's wild it's uh and then that's, gonna yeah it's.

It's wild.

It's, Wild YEAH so, i, figure right.

It always works out For.

The lakers they always, get shocked they even if they don't get the guy the, first, time, right, Yep, exactly no not like We're beloved nicks who never get.

That guy And yet knicks fans always think they're going.

To get that.

Guy coming lebron.

Is coming they never come.

For sure, for sure And, like lakers, You know luca fell into the lap.

Last year now they're set for.

Ten years, you, know.

So, all right why haven't you done the why CAN'T the nixt?

Win book.

I've been, Told, that uh people like, Positive books That's what i've.

Been told, that's uh.

That's interesting, we're right you've got to get, people, hope right so the right, You Know jim dolan is a kind, of buffoon is not Gonna, the.

Knicks though it is amazing the amount of devotion they have for a franchise that really is one of the most failing franchises in the history OF.

The nba.

It's wild it's kind.

Of it it's like special, about it, you know it's it's it's, it's yeah it's like a it's they hate they hate, the ownership they love, the team but they know there's a fatalism.

To it is a mix of fatalism, and hope which is.

Really, strange yeah.

It's, WILD no, i mean, it's funny, you know it's, always supposedly, You know knicks fans Are also yankees Fans and, giants, fans supposedly While the nets fans are more likely To be jets Fans and.

Mets fans and, to Me the knick's history feels more Like the Jets and.

Mets than it does a hundred per one.

Hundred percent it lines up with that for one.

Hundred, Percent, anyway well this.

Was great You think lebron would ever run?

For?

Office oh.

Great question i've not been.

Asked That, UH no i don't.

Think so i'm gonna, say no.

That's, INTERESTING no i don't.

Think so do you think he wants to be a kingmaker literally in the world?

Of politics?

Does he does?

He do because That's what arnold would do for a while until he finally got dragged.

In that, You know arnold is an interesting model for how you can be, a celebrity dabble in politics and then maybe do it for a small period of time but still keep.

YOUR celebrity, I mean arnold's been the best at that compared to the celebrities.

TURNED politicians i.

Think we're going To, SEE lebron i.

THINK almost I Think magic johnson is almost.

The closer the come more of the comp in terms of, the business the, business stuff and we're seeing a little of the media.

AND pie, i mean He's on DraftKings, ads NOW which i don't.

Really UNDERSTAND but.

I, Don't either BUT can i just, tell, you Man The Kevin harry lebron ads are.

REALLY good i mean They humanize lebron in a way that nobody, else does.

Which might be, the, point right BUT just i think it seems like, to me even That weird hennis which we died To the hennessy ad with the fake, decision thing which was, not great it seems to me we're we're reinvesting in in brands and, you know business side of things in an.

Interesting way so THAT'S what i would guess we're headed in terms of the post.

Playing Career does lebron write his OWN book i or does he instead do a.

BIG documentary i was going to say this is again it, depresses me but it's where we are these DAYS that, i mean he's got cameras following him, around already they'll do they already, have that like they'll do their version Of The last.

Dance again we'll compare It.

To jordan it's gonna be.

A documentary, UH yeah i hope we get a book like again, the guy, the writer reader or me wants, but uh you know again twenty.

Twenty five, so.

Yeah but then there's, some things, you know sometimes you don't want a book written until after the.

PERSON dies i hate to put it, those ways but it's, you know well people around them tell you the real truth while the person, is stolen.

Oh for sure from another in terms of someone doing the biography, on, Him, correct yeah in terms of him doing his, own, one, YEAH NO i i.

He doesn't participate in any long form.

Interviews now like they don't do it basically for the, most part because it's why would you.

Do, THAT well i don't call him a, white Whale but I've probably i've, you know gotten close to striking Up A relationshipip maverick a number of times in order to try To get lebron and it's it's it's it's even in the.

You know and he certainly at some point suddenly didn't want to be interviewed by a, political journalist right like that just that was not the image.

They, Wanted, yeah SO like, i said, THEY have i think We'll see netflix documentaries and things.

Like, that yeah this.

WAS great i.

Appreciate it.

Congrats around this was this was terrific, AND uh i can't wait to.

Finish it thank you.

So much it's a lot.

OF fun i.

Love this.

It's great, Thank, you, Chuck.

Excellent well good luck with it and if, nothing else We're.

In november you don't know what to GET your nba fan in.

Your life there you go get them the book and get them a hard copy.

Of, it anyway did you do your own audio?

THIS time i.

DID not i did my, last one and not to sound spoil it was the it's, the wife were doing your?

Own audio and a book.

Is painful it's.

SO hard i think it's.

Really hard it's And then i'm catching typos and it's making me angry because.

You're reading THAT'S what i hated.

About it it's a.

Terrific exercise it.

Really frees but you sit there and, you're going oh, my god how many TIMES did i use?

This phrase oh?

My god we got to?

Fix it and then they tell you it's too late.

To fix, too late, really.

Torture right it'd be, great, if though, you know if you, weren't where if writers weren't all the standing going up against, the deadline if you gave, yourself, like okay i'll do.

The audiobook i'll read it out aloud NOW because i have a two, weeks extra and so that's obviously never.

The case so it's aside from the actual torture of reading it over, and over like it's your, torture yourself seeing mistakes and bad phrases and just you walk out there and, be, like oh this.

Is awful what?

Is this, so, yeah no not.

This, TIME well i hope.

You enjoyed my guest is you're going to hear people use nuggets of, your book Like during lakers games by Guys Like mike Breen, and tarrico who probably are all devouring it as.

We speak so that'll be a lot of fun, FOR you.

I hope So, thanks jacket.

My friend it's good to.

Meet You, all right it is Podcast time, machine time AND as, I teased i'm going to do some what ifs that you could argue are sort of.

Going back at a time machine but impacting what happened and then coming back, and, seeing hey what happened when You gave biff the gamble the sports almanac and he could go back in time and gamble on all the.

Actual, Outcomes right so we'll be doing, you know in some ways that is the distortion Of Our todd Cash time.

Eschine SEGMENT but i am in straightforward mode and as, you know just to give you sort of the parameters OF what.

I use it is a there is something taking place this coming week, in history a milestone.

That happened in, this Case it's december, thirty first nineteen, fifty four is where we're going back in our podcast.

Time machine so that is and it is something that came to, an End and i'm going to use it to tell the story of what, we are which is a very reluctant nation.

Of immigrants let.

Me explain december, thirty first nineteen, Fifty Four ellis island quietly closed its doors to become simply.

A museum there was, no ceremony there was, no speech there was no national moment, of reflection which is actually fitting because at, The Time ellis island didn't Close because america stopped being a nation.

Of immigrants it closed because the immigration system That Built ellis island no.

Longer existed i'm going to get, to that and that quiet ending gives us a perfect entry point into a much, bigger question and it's one we have been arguing about since the founding of.

This Country is america a nation?

Of immigrants and if, we are which factually, we are have we always been actually a reluctant nation, of immigrants which is The case i'm going to make with this.

Time machine so, it, answered honestly we do need to strip away the nostalgia and we need to look at what the twentieth century actually did when it came to immigration Into The.

United, states first we're going to talk about the myth and the Reality.

Of alisheim at the turn of the, twentieth century immigration In The united states, was massive it, was chaotic and it was.

Largely Unrestricted allis island processed millions, of people sometimes as many as twelve thousand people, a day and most were arriving by Steamship.

From europe that was the primary way we got immigrants into, this country and it is also the version of immigration That we americans love.

To romanticize but, even that there was anxiety built into the immigration system at.

That time newspapers in, that time and if you Go To elis island as, a museum you will.

See this as this, was happening we talk about it As Amazing, elis island and in fact it's a badge of honor if you had a relative Come Through.

Ellis, Island right but at, the time this is what newspapers were.

Warning about, crime, disease anarchists, job competition.

Cultural change in, Other words america has never experienced an immigration surge without fear attached.

To it and this has been true arguably since the, very beginning but certainly it was also all throughout the, twentieth century and by the, nineteen twenties this fear got turned into policy that brings us to the, quota system which Actually governed america's immigration system for basically half of the.

Twentieth century the modern immigration debate really begins with this decision to restrict entrees.

Via Quota The immigration act of nineteen, twenty four which was also known As The Johnson, reid act created what was a national origins quota system that fundamentally reshaped who could come To The.

United states and this decision sort of embedded a form of racism that people now look back on nostalgically, and, think Well if america was, for it it couldn't have.

Been Racist but i'll get.

To that but here's What This immigration.

Act did one it severely limited immigration from Southern And.

Eastern europe as Somebody whose jewish relatives Came From, eastern europe let me just say that a Lot of jews saw that at the time as Essentially preventing jews from coming Into The.

United states but if you just made it about a certain Region, of europe it didn't look like some sort of restriction based.

On religion the nineteen twenty four law favored northern And, western europe and it virtually excluded immigrants coming In from Asia.

And africa well what did?

It do immigration dropped by more than, Eighty percent and this is actually what Essentially Ended, ellis island even though thirty years later they finally shut.

Their doors because after nineteen, twenty four most immigrants had to be approved.

Before arriving it used to be you got processed once you.

Got here then in the after nineteen, twenty four you had to get approval before you.

Could come ship based mass migration completely collapsed because of this change, in Law And ellis island never really operated again as a true gateway after nineteen, Twenty four and, in fact by The Time ellis Island closes december, thirty first nineteen, fifty four it's no longer a symbol.

Of openness it's simply a relic of A system america had already, had abandoned which brings us to the next turning point in the immigration debate nineteen sixty five and what lawmakers thought they were doing versus what ended.

Up happening and this arguably is the most consequential legislation that was enacted and arguably still not.

Fixed Sense the Immigration And nationality act of nineteen sixty five is easily one of the most misunderstood Laws in american history because it did not come due to a sudden embrace of.

Mass immigration it actually came out of a civil, rights argument and it Was A cold war inspired a civil.

Rights, ARGUMENT yeah i have one of the one of my thesis in sort of why we had less polarization During The, Cold war and, in fact one of my major THESIS is i don't think we Get The Civil RIGHTS act a sixty five Without The.

Cold war that our fight With, the soviets who we are having a propaganda war about democracy.

And freedom how could we be glamorizing democracy without giving freedom To every american that lived in.

This country so there Was The cold war politics sort of HOW bring i think both sides together?

On THIS and i wonder Without The cold war do we Get The Civil.

Rights sact i'll save that for another.

What if but by the, early sixties the national origins quota system was really embarrassing For The united states internationally because it was.

Explicitly discriminatory we picked and chose what ethnic origins we wanted in which ones.

We didn't we contradicted what was the civil rights movement at home at, that moment and WE undermined us.

Credibility abroad and, in fact it was standing At the Statue of liberty That Then PRESIDENT.

Lyndon b johnson said the system violated quote the basic Principle of.

American democracy so he was making a moral case.

On immigration but here's the part.

We forgot the law was sold To the american public as being very modest and.

Non transformational this wasn't going to have a.

Huge impact supporters went out of their way to reassure skeptics in.

That moment they argued, the following this would not dramatically, Increase immigration this would not change the ethnic composition of, the country and this was, about fairness.

Not volume, in Fact Then Senator ted kennedy famously said the bill would not quote flood our cities or quote upset the ethnic mix of.

Our society and, many critics including labor unions weren't focused on race.

At all they worried about, job competition, wage pressure and whether the country could absorb.

More people those concerns.

Were minimized they were sort of glossed over and attributed frankly, to oh you're, being racist you're.

Being xenophobic you're not.

Seeing it so Here's what.

Congress built the structure of the law mattered more than the speeches that.

Were given so the law abolished the national.

Origins quotas it prioritized, family reunification which was a huge aspect.

To this it created limited employment, based visas so no one fully modeled what all of that would mean, over time and once one family member entered, legal life then others.

Could follow it was called, chain migration and it was never the intent of, the law but it ended up being.

A mechanism the result wasn't, immediate chaos but it was steady and.

Sustained growth and the shift and where immigrants came from, also changed which brings us to the next, unresolved chapter and that was the nineteen eighties amnesty enforcement in the deal that.

Didn't hold so by the, late seventies growing Up, in miami this was my sort of first memory of, policy debates and it was All Over central American and, cuban IMMIGRANTS so i had a front row seat.

To this so by the late seventies and, early eighties a reality had become impossible.

To ignore millions of people were already living and working In The united, states illegally and the system had no.

Credible answer There wasn't this wasn't.

New migration it was simply.

Accumulated migration and agriculture relied on it and there was no enforcement.

Against it construction relied on, it again no enforcement.

Against it restaurants relied, on, it again no enforcement.

Against it and both parties.

Knew it and it leads To The immigration Reform And control act Signed By ronald reagan in nineteen.

Eighty Six The mizzoli act some people know it As, the deal had three, Parts legalization so basically it gave amnesty to about three million.

Undocumented immigrants they got legal.

Status automatically number two was.

Employer sanctions employers were supposed to be punished for hiring.

Undocumented workers nineteen.

Eighty, six yeah we can't even get anybody to use e, ferify today and we didn't even have that system in place in nineteen, eighty six, and then of course there was the promise of more.

Border enforcement this was a promise that this would be a one.

Time resent reagan even framed it, pretty optimistically consistent with.

His worldview it was a.

Humane solution so here's why.

It failed and this is, the history the lesson history keeps teaching us on.

This issue the, legalization worked enforcement did not employer sanctions were very, weakly enforced if.

At all demand for labor never, did change and the legal pathways never, did expand so.

Then all the.

Incentives remained chain migration essentially was the best, way Through and congress.

Moved on they left the system permanently unfinished because our politics were too complicated on this and there was no clean left.

Right argument there were coalitions in different ways that sort.

Of really.

Made this impossible for one party to be the party in one way or.

THE other, i Mean In south florida You had republicans standing up for migrants and undocumented immigrants in ways that you.

Didn't have in other parts in.

The country but then In the midwest you had.

Conservative farmers you needed.

Labor anyway, you know many, of you if you're listening to, this podcast you know.

That story but after, eighty six arguably this is where our modern immigration politics.

Are born legalization without, durbal enforcement enforcement without, legal reform and a growing population living.

In limbo this is where the current era fits Into all this, historical contest of, course matters which IS why i wanted to lay.

THIS out i thought this would be a good pretext to sort, of explain, you know constantly the number one Question that i'm asking is how did we?

Get here it's usually a, follow up whether it's on campaign, finance reform it could be a follow up, on democracy follow up on, for policy follow up on, character politics follow up on, the media but question remains, the same how did we?

Get, here well, on immigration this is my best way of trying to explain how did we?

GET here i don't Know if i've got a.

Way OUT if, i Did maybe i'd be running.

For office but this is it's important to understand the context Because the trump administration didn't invent, immigration restriction but what they did do is rejected the optimism of the nineteen sixty, five reforms rejected the compromise language of the nineteen eighty, six reforms and lean heavily, into enforcement, de terrence.

And symbolism so what was new wasn't.

Really restriction it.

Was rhetoric it was, the visibility the willingness to make immigration the central cultural.

Dividing, line historically this isn't.

A rupture it's actually simply a.

Pendulum swing it's a return to An older.

American instinct but it's one of the uglier Chapters.

Of america it's not the.

Ugliest chapter we know what that, one is but it's one of the, uglier ones and we're still dealing with the fallout, from it which leads me to ask, this question are we really a nation?

Of immigrants so let's say answer the question as honestly as.

We, can yes.

We are we are a nation, of Immigrants and america is still more of an idea than it is.

An ethnicity but.

History suggests something a bit.

More precise we are a nation, of immigrants but we're a reluctant nation.

Of immigrants we celebrate immigration in retrospect once the simulation happens and once the, fear fades but in real time, anxiety dominates, restriction follows and the half.

Finished Reforms Pilot ellis island closed because mass immigration and the quota.

System rose because.

Fear prevailed the nineteen sixty five law reopened the.

Door cautiously nineteen eighty six tried to reset the, system imperfectly and today we're still arguing over the consequences.

Of Both So ellis island didn't close Because the american.

Dream ended it closed because the, system changed and the tension between openness and control never.

Went away that tension, isn't new and it goes back TO what i think is the, founding tension and that divides so much of, our politics which is a basic argument of who gets to Be?

An AMERICAN and i actually think it should continue to be the single most important debate question That a civics teacher should want to be asked to everybody that runs, for office and, every debate every interview of a new CANDIDATE for aufas should always include, that, question right who gets to Be?

An american.

Tell me how you.

Answer that you answer that question, for Me and i'll tell you what your political, philosophy is because that's the debate we continue, to have and ultimately it's the debate that's at the heart of the of this division and what has been essentially a never ending debate about who gets to Be, an american who gets to Come, to america who gets to Work, in america and who gets to be who gets the Privileges of?

American citizenship, all right so, with that let me sneak in a.

Few questions we'll do a little last check.

Coming up I'm gonna i'm gonna give an empty the, mail bag as, they say but let me do a, few Now, Ask, Chuck haye Chuck And happy holidays wanted a flag a fun but serious proposal from former Podcast Guest Congressman Chris, deluzio Pennsylvania The Hot Dog act Honest hot dog is an acronym in this case honest oversight of ticketed dining and on, site grub which calls ON the ftc to investigate concession price gouging at publicly.

Funded stadiums has anyone who's recently been to a major sporting event can attest food prices are out?

Of control giving your intersection of sports, And politics i'd love to hear your take.

ON this ps, totally random but do you have a favorite?

Political comedy dave nineteen ninety three is high on.

My List.

Chris pittsburgh, you know that's actually a good it's a good top five LIST that i ought to come.

Up with i'll tell you the FIRST movie i think of when you asked me about a good political Comedy Is.

Distinguished gentlemen It's The eddie murphy One.

On congress it was written in.

EARLY nineties i remember in THE moment i felt the same way about that MOVIE that i Felt about idiocracy the FIRST time i saw it when it came Out.

In.

No six let's just say an age.

AS well I Think distinguished gentleman does as good of a job of Explaining how congress, actually works or, excuse Me how, washington works since it's a CLASS that i teach for my FRIENDS at usc than any.

Any other dave's a, Good one don't get, Me wrong dave's in that my, top Five But distinguished GENTLEMEN probably i go a little bit higher because it was written by ex, congressional staffers so there was there was little little grace notes of detail that were just Fantastic that dave.

Didn't have, dave romanticized, You know dave is sort Of the west wingification of it, of things a little bit kind Of Like american president, You know dave feels like it should have Been An aaron zorcin even though.

It wasn't but it's sort of the fantasy land versus distinguished gentleman is a little bit more of a reality check.

On it, so ANYWAY but.

I, DIGRESS look i think you bring up an, interesting point and it's one OF those i remember when the the sort of the snobbish political media Coop coud biden focusing on.

Junk fees but this sort of incremental price gouging that.

Takes place first, OF all i do think sporting events and music events are becoming we are pricing out the, middle, Class right and, IN fact i would expand That.

To.

Disney right look at how expensive two Nights at, disney are and.

THERE isn't, i, mean basically if you're Not a, florida resident you and you get a little bit Of the florida, resident discount it's hard To afford disney more than sort of once, a, lifetime right once.

A generation it is that expense, to do and it, is look, YOU know i.

Could, MIND hey i only paid fifty bucks to go See The, rolling, Stones RIGHT and i THINK and i remember feeling price GOUTS when i was sitting in the four hundreds for you too at.

Ninety bucks and then of course there's the amount of money my daughter spent to Go See taylor SWIFT that i may or may not have helped subsidize at least one of the concerts that you got, to see and that was well into the three and four hundred.

Dollars range so some of this, is inflation there's.

No doubt but, you know are we making sporting events and, you're, right right so many taxpayer dollars are being used to develop almost all of.

These.

Venues right there aren't many arenas or stadiums that don't have some that didn't get developed without some sort of public.

Tax break some of it is.

QUITE small, i mean the owner Of the dolphs mostly built everything on.

His own but, you know it's not like he built the roads to the stadium that he got that that certainly had, some taxpayer uh taxpayer involvement.

In it but all of, these venues all of, these arenas open, air stadiums closed stadiums where you, see, Concerts revivals disney, on ice, sporting, events concerts.

Et, cetera right they're all massively going up, in price and there is this idea of captive audience.

The process, you know we've we've we've we've had fits.

And starts, you know we beat Up.

Ticket master it feels like every once in a while when we want when when it looks like, everybody's, hey look we're we're going to protect.

The consumer let's go After ticket master because they're kind of the, ticketing monopoly although the monopoly is less than it was than it, once was but you're getting at SOMETHING that i think that.

There is, you know there's always a question are we going to hit a point where the average fan is priced out of being able to attend to?

THESE games nfl games feel, that way, you know and you throw in the hassle of, it, all right it's not easy to get to in some cases that for the price, the hassle is the experience?

Worth?

It right you start factoring all that in and you know there's so many different velvet ropes that they want to sell you as well with, these experiences and then these teams and these even entertainers prioritize the experience for the super elite because they can basically profit more, on that creating more velvet rope moments for those that can, afford it because that's where you can get your, extra cash that's where you can get your.

Extra profit not providing those experiences for the, middle class not even providing the opportunity beyond obviously financially being able to have.

The opportunity.

It, Is.

Look i'm at the end of, The day i'm, a free.

Free MARKETER but i think that you are a large customer base is better than a niche customer base that is.

Extraordinarily wealthy you may make a good business out of that for a, few years but that is not a long term strategy.

For Success disney world works because it seems to appeal, to all but the Minute disney world creates these barriers to entry that are now higher and higher for the, working, class well Then suddenly disney isn't.

For all And suddenly disney RELEASES a dvd or a movie or a new show, on streaming and people don't want to give you the six dollars a, month anymore the ten dollars a month anymore in order to get access to those princess movies or get access to some of these fun.

Animated shorts and then you suddenly lose pieces of your.

Customer base, SO look I think i love.

The idea you know that you focus on publicly.

FUNDED stadiums i would love find me the stadium or arena that didn't have some public.

Funding help and again to me building roads and freeways that explicitly get to your stadium Like The Joe.

Robbie stadium yes he did the stadium, part himself but not all of the government essentially infrastructure that was needed to support fifty to eighty thousand people going in and out of that place ten or fifteen times.

A year so, in fairness there isn't.

Anything there and, you know wouldn't it be interesting if you essentially created two pricing structures where those that paid taxes in that area got, a discount the Same way disney Does give florida residents.

A discount you Get a florida.

RESIDENT discount i assume there's One.

IN california i don't know about.

THAT one i know About the florida ONE because i LIVE the.

I have lived.

Planing around there's, certain months it used to be certain months a year That the florida discount would.

Kick in, you know IT'S basically i think it would be the times that others were traveling less and They wanted, you know it used to Be that, disney saw just get people in your park and then you can sell them, other stuff even if you get them in the park.

For free and it used to be the mindset of, stadium, owners right gets you into, the park, you know buy a ten.

Dollars coke, you know so what if you got the ticket?

For free AT least i got some money out.

Of you but it's an.

INTERESTING thought i will just tell.

You this this is the type of populist politics that cuts across.

Partisan lines right when you're sort of getting at something that annoys the liberal and, the conservative, you know, you're, like man what's this?

Price gouging didn't my taxpayers contribute taxpayer money contribute?

To this WHY am i now paying an extra surcharge on top of the tax dollars that already went?

To this?

You KNOW so i think IT'S a i think it's A good it's like the stock trading ban at it's good.

POPULOUS politics i don't know if this is, good LAW but i do know it's.

Good politics, all right let me take one.

More question we'll do a, little, football BECAUSE like, I said i'm going to do a whole monster mail bag HERE that i promise this comes From.

Daniel a, He, Says, hey chuck a few weeks ago you mentioned that both parties are likely to see new congressional.

Leadership soon how much do you think the twenty twenty six midterms will shape?

Those races, for Instance if democrats gained lots, of seats could new moderates push for centrist LEADERSHIP while gip losses leave only hard right members to elevate a more.

Extreme leader or are there are other dynamics at play beyond.

The, MATH look i think the math is going to.

Mean something.

You know Take Take.

Chuck ship though he's unpopular In the, democratic base there's no doubt.

About it he has got many elected senators who don't have the confidence in.

His leadership But if democrats Gain, the senate are they really going to get rid?

Of them they're not going to get rid.

Of them it's just not the way, senators behave even if there's a slew of.

New senators so the, point being his results, matter, Here, right Look Does mike johnson state speaker if they Hold?

The, house yes, YOU know, i mean it's, just yes that's how, it works you know, It is and is he gone and not a leader at all if they lose control Of.

The, house yes that's going to be the.

Case too by, THE way i Think both Schumer, and Jeffries if democrats don't Win the House, and senate they're.

Both gone the question is whether any of them can SURVIVE what i think is going to, be knockdown drag out intra party fights in twenty eight on the direction of.

Both parties you know?

Which direction Is The democratic party going?

To go in a more democratic socialist direction or in a more sort of business.

Friendly?

Direction right that is ultimately the larger argument that that party's going, To HAVE and i think the larger Argument the republicans are going to have is are they going to be a sort of more of a populist nationalist party or are they going to be a more, free market business.

Friendly party and that same fight in a different different ways is going to and it's going to be interesting because you have some people participating both in the center left camp and the center right camp hoping that at least one of them wins their argument in.

Their primaries it's possible, neither, does right and we Get jd VANCE and, aoc right which would be, you know it's SORT of.

I joke, you know if We Got ken Paxon And jasmine Crockett, in texas it would be essentially a preview of what would happen if both parties nominated from their bases the next two.

Presidential NOMINEES so i do think the results in twenty six will have a.

Huge impact the safest of the four Leaders is Thune because thune Isn't a, trump acolyte but he is seems to Have managed trump, okay enough, you know, we'll see but, you KNOW and i don't think losses will be attributed.

TO him i think the losses will be Attributed, to trump which weirdly Could.

Strengthen, thune so of, THE four I think thune is the least, in danger but all of the other three very much their futures rely on the results of the of the twenty twenty six.

Mid Terms, All right i'm gonna stop THERE because i think for many of you this Will be i'm gonna use this instead of a little bit of a football.

IN review a.

Little bit we had our, single best most interesting College football bowl day that you, could have and it really was just not, that.

INTERESTING right, I mean i ENJOYED The Byu georgia.

TECH game i was glad to see it.

Was competitive it does feel as If The Pop tarts bowl is now the only non major bowl that anybody seems to have, heard of which is.

Just.

Crazy right, you know back in, my Day The, Gator Bowl, Liberty Bowl, peach bowl which were not.

Major bowls then none of Them Were.

Citrus bowl, you know they had their own cachets.

About it, you Know The sun bowl had a, real History The liberty bowl had a.

Real history i've been To A, liberty bowl for what.

It's worth i've been To A peach bowl back in the day when It was miami's first bowl game in, fifteen years and you still have, the.

Phenomenon, right Look The Clemson penn state game was just atrocious.

To watch the only game worse to watch was was the Mind Of Ohio president.

State, game literally if you only if you were gambling, on it were you watching.

That GAME so i may have given a hint a way OF how i was watching, that GAME but i always made sure it was in my, four box EVEN the.

Nfl, offerings, right boy this was Just a christmas dud FOR.

The nfl, it all all of those games lacked a little.

Something, right obviously relevance is a big part, of it and there Was No.

Patrick mahomes right, in theory it was supposed to Be the Cowboys and commanders fighting it out for a playoff spot or, the division just like it seemed like that could be at the beginning of.

The season so it was a good day FOR.

The NBA as i, told you these were games, worth WATCHING and i have to Say the.

Knicks delivered that was a heck of.

A Game, Knicks calves wemby DELIVERED as i Promised you.

Wemby would, and man you gotta Love Me Sam.

Anthony edwards, you know he's the he to me is the forgotten.

Rising star he's like the guy that sort of everybody wants to.

Talk About and Yannis, and jokic and then there's old ant That, he edwards who's kind of an Old school he's just a, You Know Lebron kobe jordan like player who, you know can do a little bit.

Of everything wants to be that kind.

Of player and We, forget hey don't forget.

Ant man i'm a huge.

ANT man i.

Enjoy.

IT man i enjoy watching him play basketball because it kind of feels like a throwback to THE game i grew up with in the eighties.

And nineties, you know there's a there's this sort of a style that he plays WITH that.

I enjoy BUT the, nba delivered and you got to give it to, them.

Karma RIGHT the nfl tried to Steal It, it's christmas and it really just.

Fell flat and now you have so many opt outs by, THE way, i mean, you know end up dealing with opt outs in, bowl games and you're dealing with, you know teams that.

Are deciding are we using this to try to see which players we want?

To keep, you know and we're seeing the.

Same thing and this one was this is a warning the college football if you choose to go to twenty, four teams because you'll get the last week or two of, the season you may get games that, are meaningless more games that.

Are meaningless look at all the meaningless games now IN, the nfl like next Week.

The packers they don't even get me started In the packers situation at.

The, MOMENT look i obviously have skin in the game As a.

PACKER fan.

I the coach.

Frustrates me, you guys if you've learned anything from Me is i'm obsessed with, play CALLERS and i hold play callers more responsible than anybody else when it comes to my two favorite.

Football Teams the universe remind, me Football the universy, remind me And The Green.

Bay packers and here's what, frustrates, Me right, i've gone, you know soup the nuts on my frustrations With The miami hurricane Play Caller shannon dawson and how he does, not call does not game plan for the team we're playing until the.

Second half it.

Drives me, it's terrible and it Has put miami in the situation of almost not making.

THE playoffs i really, believe that but it almost cost US the A and.

M game and it better he better actually game plan because If The ohio state team shows up that showed Up, AGAINST indiana mimi could beat that team if they actually gain plan to face that team and don't wait until the second half to start play calling against the actual defense, you're facing not just simply getting your offense offensive issues worked out to see what's working and.

What.

Isn't well my complaint about lafleor Is and this is something me and my packer buddies we've been talking about a lot in our.

Text chain why is It that lafloor looks like he is more dynamic of a play Caller when willis is at quarterback Than When jordan love is.

At quarterback and, You Know jordan, love, games look, He wins he's got a, good record and you can't, you know it is never Flashy.

With love and you know it's Not Like favar rogers both were a.

Bit more, You know love is just very careful by.

The way that's.

Pretty responsible he runs the.

Offense well he doesn't improvise.

As MUCH and i think that's the jenesiqua that's sometimes missing from, you Know From.

Jordan love apologists, like myself because there isn't like these, you know you know he does he is pretty good at sort of when he moves around, the pocket but for, whatever reason he doesn't like to run.

As Much, and willis you know what you see with the packers is that there, To Me malik willis the last two weeks has looked like a better Version Of, jalen hurts has looked like a a Version Of lamar jackson that has succeeded in the past right where he is comfortable run behaving like a running back.

At, times right and he will both, you Know Both jalen Hurts.

And lamar you know they both have learned not to take as.

Many hits but, early on, you know they were running backs who could throw.

The BALL and I Think Malik wilson willis was and that this is why it took him a while.

TO develop i Think from liberty and et cetera said he was really a running back who could throw the ball and who could game plan and who could read.

A defense and He's obviously and when you think About, where laflour yes he comes, from McVeigh but it's sort of That, McVeigh shanahan The larger, shanahan tree And the shanahan tree does like to emphasize the.

Running game and it's clear to Me that Lafleur Wishes jordan love would.

Run more and if, HE would i think he would game plan more that you would you would see more run RPOs that WHERE the r was picked BEFORE the p was picked and the quarterback did a little bit more running than.

He does and when, you know it's sort of when that system is working on.

All cylinders it's when you have a quarterback that is willing.

To run and it does seem as if for, whatever REASON.

And i don't.

Know enough i'm Not a packers, beat Reporter but i'd love to know is?

This something are We?

Protecting love we're afraid of him?

Getting hurt has there?

Been issues is it like you know that they don't want him to?

Take hits does he not want to?

Take hits, you know we don't know the, full situation but for, whatever reason the play calling feels much more dynamic over the last couple of Weeks when willis has.

Been there now part, of it maybe the stakes, are lower And so lafleur doesn't second guess himself as Much when willis is at quarterback Than when love is.

At quarterback but as, a fan as a fan who watches, every play there's a noticeable difference into how he.

Calls it there's a liberation in the play.

CALLING decisions i feel Like that lafleur Makes when willis, is there Then when love, Is there and, you know look for All the packer fans that have enjoyed the way the offenses look these last two Weeks and i'm one.

Of them i'm also mindful they lost the last.

Two games first one was a freak way, to lose and, you Know the ravens GAME was i.

DON'T know, i, mean Clearly Losing kenny clark in the Trade Of micah parsons matters.

A Lot If michaeh parsons, gets hurt we have nobody to stuff.

The run and, MY god, i mean it Looked Like derek henry was back in.

High school it was just ridiculous that he got over one.

Hundred yards and so it doesn't matter what you do on offense if you can't stop the run on.

That front SO but i, go back that's THE question, i have and that's the question we're going, to see.

YOU know, I mean I assume wellis plays again in the final week because the have no reason.

To play i'm a little Concerned About jordan love rust for what.

It's worth so maybe let's treat it like a third preseason game where maybe he plays for a quarter and then you Bring.

In willis be, careful there but there's SOMETHING off i think in the Relationship Between jordan love and the floor that that is that is a that would be A theory i would PURSUE if i Were a packers.

Beat reporter do are they not as?

In sync why does the offense look more Dynamic when willis is?

Running it it's just, A fact.

It's true is it just as Simple as willis is willing to run and Love isn't is it different?

Play calling is it different RPOs that?

He's given is, it SIMPLY like, I said willis playing for.

A job.

I'm curious, you know he's not at.

A contract Do the packers get anything?

For HIM if i Were The miami Dolphin and mike, McDaniel Stays malik willis would be an incredible quarterback.

For them he could be the guy that unlocks, that team that offense in a way that two and never could unlock because that was a case where they couldn't use they couldn't have to run.

The ball but if You get, mike McDaniel who was remember a run game, coordinator first and he's essentially wants to be a run, first team And the dolphins have been a bit more competitive when they've just decided to screw it with, Tow him let's be a run.

First, team well what If That's malik willis back There with Devon a chain And Oli Oli.

Gordon jr and You Have, jalen waddell and you have a couple of those, good receivers and you have a Mean leak willis that can also run.

The ball.

As a, packer fan Can the packers get first?

Or second can they at least get a second round pick?

For?

Him uh in this.

Day and age OF, the nfl do you want to pay a backup court back reasonable money to keep?

Them around given this is now two years in a row Where the packers have had to play meaningful games with a.

Backup, Quarterback right these are all questions That the packers have to decide in the.

Off season but it's interesting there, all right a few storylines for the upcoming quarterfinals Of The College.

Football, playoff obviously You've Got Miami.

VERSIO state i love that my FRIENDS at espn are promoting the.

Historic nature the last time they met when stakes were, this high was when a controversial flag was thrown By a big twelve official by the Name Of terry porter calls the pass interference That Handed jim Trussell And ohio state their first.

National Title For, ohio state it was their first national title in over thirty years at the time and essentially jump, started there brought their program back to.

Elite status without that Victory, over miami you know that if they lose, that game they was, Scandal ridden tressell was kind of driven out that whole the backle with their big freshmen at.

The time, you know all.

Of That ohia state may never Be The ohio state we know of today without that controversial ending to, that game where if they just are another Hurdle in miami's drive to be the greatest greatest of, their GENERATION which i still think they probably have atod pretty good case for that back to back would have cemented it in a way that would have.

Been, different right even though that one team is considered an, all time that entire entity WOULD be i think it would be An elevated there wouldn't even be a debate WITH the lsu twenty.

Nineteen team but what it Did For, ohio, State Right ohio state hadn't won a national title in over, thirty years hadn't had always been a wanna be, never really, you know it'd always been sort of the, rung below kind of Like where wisconsin football had been sitting for the last twenty, five years, so close but can't quite make that next SLEEP where i Would argue oregon football is, at right which, is boy they seem to be with the, big boys but they when are they ever going to?

Break through are they ever going to actually win?

A title can they ever actually?

Break through.

And so there's some fun.

Storyline There The big ten has a lot on, the, Line right i'm if you told me All Three big ten teams lost, This Weekend i'll State, To miami Indiana, to Alabama and Oregon To.

Texas, tech right there's the only other Game Is Georgia ole miss which Has No big ten team.

In it what's, the, Narrative right i'm, Just, Saying look i'm not.

Predicting anything and, you Know The big ten's fan BASE is, i think second.

To none they have.

Terrific fans you know they'll they'll sell out stadiums for eight and, Four teams so kudos.

TO them i just think it's a storyline that's sitting.

Out there i'm obviously very Bullish and iamy's ability To Beat.

OHIO state I Think.

TEXAS tech I think oregon is.

MUCH softer i don't THINK they've i am not impressed With who.

Oregon's, Beat, yet look They Beat.

Texas tech i'm not going to be a.

Doubter Anymore but i'm a DOUBTER until i see them play a team that CAN physically, i think bully them in.

A way they haven't.

Faced yet they Didn't Face ohio state, this year they Didn't, face michigan they didn't face the More Physical big.

Ten, teams well we.

Shall see Maybe maybe indiana, does count is That maybe iowa.

Does count but look at the struggles they Had with Indiana, and iowa who are built more Physically than.

Oregon IS so i HAVE some i have some.

Suspicion there and then of course there's the THE question i Have In indiana alabama is you know you have the Whole hot, you know there used to be there was a bit of A the it seemed as if we went through a period in the eighties and nineties where the team With The heisman trophy candidate usually lost their if they were playing a meaningful, little game usually lost and the, assumption, was well the player wasn't around.

As much they were basically on the.

Banquet circuit because if you Win The, heisman trophy it also means you likely Win a davy O'Brien or you win the and there's all these, awards ceremonies and yes, they've consolidated it's somewhat into.

One thing but you're doing you're making more money than you've ever made at, any time and, appearance fees maybe you're starting, a business maybe you're doing all sorts.

Of stuff so you have the distraction issue that, is that never mind the overall distraction that every players are facing with the portal being portal door opens two days After the, miami game one day After the january, first games which is what's leading a lot of people to assume That ole miss gets just Hammered by georgia because half those players are trying to figure out what hour they should SIGN with lsu to transfer From ole MISS to lsu And Follow.

Lane kiffin so the two QUESTION marks i Have In.

Alabama indiana One is Kaylen de bor is a great, Game, planner okay and you can't deny that he's not.

The guy, You know alabama is better in bigger games than they are in.

Smaller GAMES so i, you know and you Look at Kaylen de bor's record in playoffs at lower levels how he handled big Games at, washington right it did seem as they he was a.

Game planner indiana has some significant injuries, on defense including the one where they lost.

The lineman thanks to their celebration Of The big, ten game that's not an.

Insignificant loss so And The, rose bowl, you know this is the Biggest stage indiana's ever.

Played on now we're going to keep saying that right wherever stage, they are it's the biggest stage because and, you know look when you're when you're knocking on the door of the, elite Club, Right, indiana, oregon right you certain.

Certain, Entities already alabama lose and it won't matter to their long.

Term legacy indiana loses and suddenly.

Is out they couldn't play with the big boys.

Right up the first time they FACE an, sec opponent look what happens.

To them so the pressure's More.

In indiana alabama's playing with, house money just like the pressure's More In.

Ohio state miami's playing with.

House money the pressure's MORE on i Think On texas tech In The texas tech organ game for what, it's worth Because the, big, twelve right, You know miami got its win to prove.

It Belong The big twelve hasn't gotten its WIN.

By us Win Over georgia tech is not the same As As texas tech Knocking, off oregon AND will I Think texas tech is on.

THE level i, Really do but you got to see.

It right they're knocking on the door and they, went in and the Winner Of Texas tech oregon has a better shot of getting letting in the door than the, loser.

Does obviously And Then GEORGIA olemiss i THINK the, i THINK oh, I am i am betting That that georgia just sort of.

Smokes them and it has more to do with Distracted ole miss players than it is debating whether one side is better than.

THE other i just think, it's, Simply uh george is better.

In general and you're going to have half of The old miss team thinking about it's uh how much money they're gonna get PAID.

At lsu so.

WE'LL see i am awfully CONFIDENT If i i'll SAY where i am either blindly loyal to my my Homies In coral GABLES or i am right, about this and THAT is i think the point spread on this is just ridiculous.

And ABSURD and I think this gets it to.

How perception, You, know again a point spread doesn't indicate whether these teams.

Are close it's how the public.

Regards them and there is a Belief That ohio state is a juggernaut And the miami it can all fall apart at, any, moment right and it's all about, recency Bias and miami has fall has not met.

The MOMENT although i would argue That the miami teams in the last ten years wouldn't have WON that A and, m game this team.

Seems different we're going to find Out Against.

Ohio state but that's that nine and a half.

POINT spread i just don't.

BUY it i don't think that game this.

Game is if it's more than, One score i'd.

BE surprised i think it's going to be another.

SLOW game i think it's going to be, another grinder particularly in the.

First HALF and i will, SAY this i Don't think miami Wins If ohio state scores more than twenty.

FOUR points i don't Know if miami can score thirty one or twenty seven or.

TWENTY eight i Think if miami wins, this game it's because they win the game twenty four to twenty twenty four, to seventeen twenty.

To seventeen you See where.

I'm going that's that's my expectation.

On That but i'll Tell you i'll SAY what i said.

IT there i do think it's about time look to just let.

Her rip you're going to have to if we fall behind by.

TEN points i want, to see, you Know Let carson beck live or die, with him don't try to protect.

Him ANYMORE and i still think there's too much play calling that's done to protect rather than simply to let the chips fall where.

They May, All, Right um, i've GOT like, i said, coming up we'll have one more drop.

THIS week i got a couple of what IFS that i am doing based on, your feedback two pretty.

Big Ones one i've already told You that i'm gonna do about twenty What if trump wins a twenty.

Twenty election i'm actually going to put two different what ifs into the same.

Episode there i'm also going to Do a powerhouse.

Mail bag we're going to go forty five minutes full.

Just, question so by, the way if you're listening now and you want to get a question in under the under the under.

The deadline.

Submit asap so, with that thanks for, your support thanks, for listening and until we, upload again hm m m m hm

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