- 4 hours ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Welcome back to Baskin and Phelps.
00:01Jeff Phelps, Andy Baskin.
00:03Let's go to the wise heart right.
00:05We make it right.
00:06Call Kyle Wright hotline.
00:07Joining us, a man who 25 years ago had family and friends wondering,
00:12Mike, what the hell are you doing?
00:14You're leaving law and you're going to do what?
00:18What's it going to be called?
00:20And you're going to make a living doing this?
00:23He's Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk,
00:26celebrating its 25th anniversary on Sunday.
00:30Friends and family, there you go, Mike.
00:33Congratulations.
00:34Happy anniversary.
00:35That's awesome.
00:36And look, first of all, thank you.
00:37And second of all, I like a good narrative that ignores the facts as much as anyone,
00:44but I do need to be accurate about this.
00:47I was still practicing law and I continued to practice law for the first eight years
00:52of the existence of PFT.
00:54For the first four or five years, we didn't make any money at all.
00:57It was just a hobby.
00:58But once NBC came along and they said, you know, if we partner with this content licensing
01:04deal, we would like you to stop practicing law.
01:07And I acted like that was a major problem for me in the hopes of leveraging the best possible
01:13terms with NBC.
01:14But secretly, I was thrilled to be able to graduate from 19 years of that and focus only
01:20on this.
01:20And here we are 17 years later where we've been exclusive to NBC.
01:25But I never would have.
01:27When we started this thing, I had no idea what I was doing.
01:31Some would say and they would probably say accurately, I still don't know what I'm doing.
01:35But I still remember that first day and it's just like, all right, here we go.
01:41Let's see what happens.
01:42And we took the leap of faith, cost $500 to set it up and $50 a month to maintain it.
01:50And again, didn't make a dime for three or four years, but it was fun.
01:55It was a hobby that didn't cost anything.
01:57That's how I justified it to my wife.
01:58Like if I golf, it's going to cost me at least 50, 75 bucks.
02:02I'm going to be gone for six hours.
02:03I'm going to be pissed off when I get home.
02:05Like at least this is something that doesn't cost me anything.
02:08And it feels like, I always used to tell her, I don't know, I just feel like this could
02:12go somewhere.
02:13And I had no idea where it was going to go.
02:15And here we are 25 years later.
02:17Awesome job.
02:19That's why it's the Bible.
02:20It's a better narrative the way I laid it out, but that's okay.
02:24Yeah, I like the idea that a high wire with no net and a stiff breeze and people questioning
02:31my sanity.
02:32I mean, that would make a much better story, but unfortunately it's not true.
02:35I think we have your next book.
02:36There it is.
02:36There it is for the next book.
02:38All right.
02:38It's Brown Steelers week, which actually means something around here.
02:41We think.
02:43Yeah.
02:43At least we're trying to figure it out.
02:45You know, I'm still kind of like, at one point they kicked around this game for Sunday
02:50night football.
02:50How meaningful is this game and who is it more meaningful for?
02:54I think it's huge.
02:55And I actually think if a five and two team can have a must win game, it's a must win
03:00game
03:00for the Steelers since they've already lost to the Browns.
03:04And if you get swept by the Browns and then you fall a game behind the Browns, you're going
03:08to have to make up that game at some point in the final nine, because you got to be ahead
03:15of the Browns.
03:15You can't be in a tie with the Browns because they've swept you.
03:18So, and I just think the idea of losing at home to an arch rival that has kind of been
03:27discarded as an arch rival, despite what happened in the playoffs in 2020, I think the Steelers
03:32have spent most of the last 50 years looking down their noses at the Cleveland Browns,
03:37whether it's the Browns that are now the Ravens or the Browns that are now the Browns.
03:41And, you know, it should have been a bigger rivalry in the 70s and the 80s and the 90s,
03:46but the Steelers were always the better team.
03:48Hell, I remember the very first electric football game I got, 1974, the two teams that were in
03:54the box were the Steelers and the Browns.
03:57So, yeah, it's a shame that the NFL decided not to flex that game to prime time.
04:03That's not an NBC decision.
04:05That's an NFL decision.
04:07But it's going to be a hell of a game on Sunday.
04:09And maybe it's a game that shouldn't be played under the lights.
04:12Maybe it's an old-school afternoon football game.
04:15Maybe there's some poetry in that game unfolding with the sun up in the sky like they used to
04:21do it back in the days before they started playing football at night.
04:26You know, the problem with that game is you had to use cotton balls after you lost the
04:29football on that electric football game you were talking about.
04:34Well, yeah.
04:35I mean, was it cotton?
04:36Like, what is it?
04:37We used cotton balls.
04:38I don't think I ever lost them.
04:39I think I had the foresight to realize that I was a big enough dope that I was going to
04:44lose them all, like they were going to go down the little holes in the intake for the
04:49furnace.
04:50Yes.
04:50So I pestered my mom until she ordered me enough backups that I never ran out of them.
04:57Man, you must have been one of the rich kids.
04:59We were all just happy one guy had it.
05:01We'd all go to his house.
05:02Oh, yeah.
05:03We'd sit around.
05:04We'd sit there and listen to that hum.
05:08We were really, really affluent that the strip of 10 replacement foam balls was $1.49.
05:16Yes.
05:18Mike Florio joining us from Pro Football Talk.
05:2225th anniversary coming up on Sunday.
05:24You've moved the Browns up in your power rankings.
05:27Why?
05:28What are you thinking?
05:30Well, I mean, if you win, you go up because football is a zero-sum game.
05:36Every week, there's winners and losers.
05:38So the winners tend to go up.
05:40Now, sometimes you can lose a game, but it's a loss to a superior team, and you look good
05:46in the process, and you can move up that way.
05:48But they're going to keep moving up.
05:50You keep winning, you keep moving up.
05:52That's the way it goes.
05:53And, you know, they can go as high as their ability to win will take them.
05:58So they deserve it.
05:59Not long ago, I had a three-way tie between the, I think it was the Steelers, Browns, and
06:05Bengals.
06:05When they all were three and two, I think, I wasn't quite sure where to draw the line.
06:10So I just said, ah, let's slap them all together.
06:12But right now, of the three, I believe the Browns are the highest, and they deserve to be
06:16there.
06:17I mean, that's the thing.
06:17They're earning everything they have, and the one way to keep what they have is to
06:22keep winning.
06:23Who is the real Deshaun Watson?
06:25I keep asking that question out of everybody, because, you know, prior to this week, at least
06:30it was, we have first, second, and third quarter Deshaun, and then all of a sudden, fourth quarter
06:34Deshaun comes out on the field with a cape on.
06:37He did it again last week, too.
06:38I don't know.
06:39Who is the real Deshaun Watson?
06:40What do you think?
06:41You know, it's funny in a weird sort of way, and it's not as dramatic as when Tim Tebow was
06:46doing it in either direction, because with Tebow, it was as bad as it could be, followed
06:52by, like, Hall of Fame-level performances in the fourth quarter.
06:57But, hey, it's better than the alternative.
07:00It's better than the guy who disappears in the fourth quarter.
07:04So, you know, he's a guy who had his first 300-yard passing game ever with the Browns,
07:09and he's doing enough.
07:11And, hell, they're already talking about the possibility of an extension that will keep
07:16him in Cleveland beyond this year.
07:17It really is a compelling story.
07:19I mean, but for the unsavory aspects that I know he'd very much like people to stop talking
07:24about, but, you know, it's not going to go away, because it is going to be part of his
07:27narrative permanently.
07:30It's, you know, it's a great story.
07:32And it's just hilarious, because what happened last year?
07:36The owner comes out and says, well, that was a swing and a miss.
07:38And we finally get to the point where it's the last year, and if that contract wasn't
07:43fully guaranteed, he'd have been long gone by now.
07:45And where are we?
07:47The, you know, the Deshaun Watson trade, the worst trade ever, the worst transaction ever.
07:53We may have to revisit it.
07:54Herschel Walker may be back up to number one by the time this season's over.
07:58If you're the Browns, would you seriously think about next year and giving him another
08:06contract?
08:07And to what extent, what kind of a contract, Mike?
08:10It all depends on what happens this year.
08:13And the contract's going to be driven by the market.
08:16You're not going to use the franchise tag on him.
08:18I doubt that the Browns would do that, especially because it's driven not just by what the tag
08:24calculation would be, but it's cap number with a 20% bump.
08:27I'd have to look at what his cap number is this year.
08:30And there's wisdom in signing him to an extension because then they would be better able to manage
08:36the dead money charge that's always there on the back end of a major contract because
08:41they use option bonuses and restructurings to kick the dollars into future years.
08:48And you can smooth it out even more if you extend that player's contract.
08:52So there's real benefit to the Browns in doing it.
08:56To the extent they make it to the playoffs, and I think I saw Mary Kay Cabot report this
09:00recently, the playoffs are the key factor.
09:05And if they get to the playoffs, he'll be back.
09:08And how could he not be back if they make it to the playoffs?
09:11So winning cures everything.
09:13Hey, there was a time when they were ready to run Ben Roethlisberger out of town.
09:17He'd been sued for rape in Nevada.
09:19He had a criminal prosecution that almost happened in Georgia.
09:22He got suspended six games by the league, reduced to four.
09:26They hated him in Pittsburgh.
09:27He came back and he took them to the Super Bowl, and they never talked about it again.
09:32That's true.
09:34Between the Steelers and the Browns, too, both teams are carrying four quarterbacks right now.
09:37Now, with Dylan Gabriel getting activated by the Browns, I'm just curious, do you think
09:42they'll be sitting at four quarterbacks after the trade deadline, both of these teams?
09:47Well, I thought it was very interesting when the word came out a couple of weeks ago that
09:52Shadir Sanders hired an agent.
09:53Right after Marvin Harrison Jr. hiring an agent resulted in Marvin Harrison Jr. being traded.
09:59Now, they've given no indication that they want to trade Shadir Sanders, but there's no
10:05reason for him to hire an agent in year two of a contract that can't be renegotiated until
10:09after the third year of the contract expires.
10:13So I suspect the purpose of hiring an agent is to lay the foundation for a trade.
10:19And I also suspect he'd welcome the chance to move on if he could.
10:23But, you know, if I'm Shadir Sanders, I'm looking at this saying, hey, Deshaun Watson's
10:26been injured before, there's no guarantee he's going to be healthy for every game of
10:32the season.
10:32There may be an opening for me to play.
10:34So I'd wait until the offseason.
10:36I'd wait to see what they do with Deshaun Watson before making a formal trade demand.
10:41But I don't think that that agent hire was just something that happened spontaneously.
10:48There's a reason for it.
10:49And the reason is either get a new contract or get a new team.
10:53And since he can't get a new contract, the only explanation is he's trying to get a new
10:56team.
10:58Mike Florio joining us from Pro Football Talk.
11:00Colts send DeForest Buckner out to San Francisco, Quentin Nelson to Seattle, maybe Jonathan Taylor's
11:07next.
11:07Is there any other team that, first of all, with what the Colts are doing, is it the right
11:14time to do it?
11:14Are they doing what they should be doing?
11:17And do you think any other team's going to sell off pieces?
11:20You know, it's funny.
11:21We always hear the NFL is a deadline-driven business, except when there's a tangible example
11:25that it's not.
11:26Because it's two weeks before the deadline that the Colts made these moves.
11:30My theory is that on Monday night, when Saquon Barkley, who's been rumored as a potential
11:36trade candidate by the Eagles, when he pulled up with an aggravated hamstring injury, I wouldn't
11:42be surprised if Colts' ownership saw that and thought, you know, we could wait to trade Quentin
11:47Nelson and DeForest Buckner, but if we play them the next two weeks, they could get injured
11:54and all of a sudden, we won't be able to trade them.
11:58So they had the ball on the tee and they decided to go ahead and swing.
12:01And it makes me wonder if they don't trade Jonathan Taylor by Sunday, I wonder if he'll
12:06even play.
12:07I wonder if they're going to find a way to sit him out, go with the rookie at tailback,
12:12and wait to see if they get a better offer, or will they just take whatever the best offer
12:17is this week and get a deal done?
12:20I feel like he has a very good chance of being next.
12:23And really, anybody in that locker room has to spend the next two weeks thinking, am I
12:27next?
12:29What about the Browns at the trade deadline?
12:31Should they be buyers?
12:34Well, it depends upon what's available.
12:37It depends upon where they think they have weaknesses, if they can shore things up.
12:41I mean, you know, a lot of things have to come together, but the idea that they even
12:46be in a position to scour their roster, ask themselves, what are we willing to give up
12:51by way of future assets to make a short-term push to make the team better now?
12:56What does it do to the current locker room if you supplant someone from the starting lineup
13:01to bring in a stranger to the team?
13:03How long is it going to take to get that person up to speed?
13:05Is it somebody the coaching staff already knows?
13:07Is it somebody we're already comfortable with?
13:09There's a lot of factors that go into it.
13:10I think they should be looking to buy as opposed to looking to sell, which, you know, it's
13:16another hallmark of a team.
13:17It's a competitor.
13:18You have trap games.
13:20You don't have trap games.
13:21In the past, you are the trap.
13:23Now, you know, I got to sweat out a trap game against the Titans.
13:26So it's one of the indicators that the Browns have changed the overall mood of the franchise.
13:33They can have trap games, and they can consider being buyers at the deadline.
13:37Mike Florio joining us, Pro Football Talk, 25th anniversary coming up on Sunday.
13:42Well, which one of these lines would have made you say to me, I'm crazy at the beginning
13:47of the year?
13:47The Browns would be 5-2 at this point.
13:50If they go 6-2, it's like a 90% chance they make the playoffs.
13:53Or that the Browns' defense may actually be better without Miles Garrett?
13:59Which one of those lines sounds more insane?
14:02Probably a tie.
14:03Okay, thank you.
14:04Probably both.
14:05You know?
14:06Because think about it.
14:07Last year, and hey, what was the reaction when they traded Miles Garrett?
14:11I know for me it was, I mean, what did he get you with 25 sacks?
14:15What did he get you?
14:16He got your five wins.
14:18So, the idea that they would be better on defense without him is probably more stunning.
14:23You know?
14:24And, hey, I mean, at least the Rams got to 3-4.
14:29And Miles Garrett hasn't played much this year.
14:31And maybe the Rams will end up going farther than the Browns at the end of the day.
14:34But it is stunning to see how much better the Browns have gotten and how the Rams haven't
14:39lived up to the presumptions we all made the moment they landed Miles Garrett.
14:43Mike, John Harbaugh seems to be finding out that life in New York, not quite as group
14:49hug as life in Baltimore.
14:52But, they're doing okay.
14:53They bring in J.J. McCarthy.
14:55He's looked good for a game and a quarter.
14:58Could they have a huge problem, or a good huge problem, if J.J. plays well the rest of
15:04this year and Jackson Dart comes back from his ACL injury next year and they're sitting
15:07there with two young quarterbacks?
15:09The only good problem is no problem.
15:11That's the best problem, is to have no problem at all.
15:15Jackson Dart is their guy.
15:17J.J. McCarthy's in a position where he can change the narrative depending upon what the
15:23Giants do for the balance of this year.
15:25It's all to be determined.
15:26If they get to the playoffs, I don't know if that's enough for J.J. McCarthy to actually
15:32keep the job in 2027.
15:34But, if they get to the playoffs and they win a couple of games, if they get to the NFC
15:38championship, if they somehow get to the Super Bowl, man, that changes everything.
15:42And, I don't know, it would be crazy if it happens because J.J. McCarthy is a byproduct
15:49of the Vikings' decisions that they had to make a couple of years ago when he was injured
15:55and Sam Darnold went, what, 14-3?
15:59And, the Vikings made a bad decision in the aftermath of that.
16:03And then, they had to make another decision this year that resulted in McCarthy going
16:06to the Giants.
16:07So, it really is crazy.
16:08And, you know, the biggest thing about the Giants is this.
16:10It is proof positive of what one hire can do for a team.
16:16One coach.
16:17There's no salary cap.
16:18I think a lot of teams try to go on the cheap with coaches.
16:22There may be some not-so-subtle collusion when it comes to coaching pay.
16:25But, man, if you want to turn a bad team around quickly, if you want to change the culture
16:29immediately, look at what John Harbaugh did for the Giants.
16:32And, I think it's going to result in plenty of teams trying to get Mike Tomlin to leave
16:38NBC and go coach their team.
16:40Because, that one hire can change everything.
16:42Look at it for the Chiefs with Andy Reid in 2013.
16:45I mean, this lesson's been out there time and again.
16:47You get an established coach that knows what to do, that knows how to change a culture,
16:51that knows how to set a tone, that knows how to coach a team, and you can change everything
16:56about that organization.
16:58Is Tyreek Hill going to play football this year?
17:01I don't think so.
17:02I don't think so.
17:04Look, he's not healthy yet.
17:05I still don't understand what Drew Rosenhaus was doing a couple of weeks ago when he started
17:11putting out the word that he may sign somewhere soon.
17:14Yeah, that it is imminent or it's going to happen as soon as this week.
17:18They had that civil trial.
17:20He got found responsible of two different counts of batteries.
17:23The NFL's investigating him.
17:25These battery findings, even though it's not a criminal finding, that's going to complicate
17:29his potential availability.
17:32I don't see it happening.
17:34And I don't know.
17:36Look, he's got factors in what he's looking for, wants a good quarterback, wants a contender,
17:41et cetera.
17:41Factor number one is, is he going to be healthy?
17:43And you have to wonder, is he going to be put on paid leave because of this civil battery
17:47verdict against him?
17:49I don't think he's going to play this year.
17:51But, you know, of course, the minute I say that is the minute he signs with the team
17:55and he's on a field come Sunday.
17:58Mike, congratulations on your success.
18:0125th anniversary of Pro Football Talk.
18:03I do need to, I do need to, I fact-checked you guys earlier when you, when you told a
18:08false narrative about my history.
18:10I have, I have been multitasking.
18:12I have found in my archives, the original rule book that came with the electric football
18:19game that I got in 1974.
18:21Okay.
18:21And on the back, there is an order form for a strip of six foam rubber footballs, plus,
18:27plus the little foam washer that fit between the timer and the electric surface that allows
18:35the little, because that was the official timer.
18:37That thing moved, uh, for a strip of six plus the timer.
18:41It was 35 cents.
18:44It's a rich neighborhood, man.
18:45You were that rich neighborhood.
18:46You can afford those.
18:48Not us.
18:49We were using Q-tips that had already been used.
18:51That's how poor we were.
18:53Mike, we love having you join us.
18:55Thank you very much.
18:56And again, continued success.
18:57If you wax mixed in brown, like the little football, is that, is that the idea?
19:01Yes.
19:02That's how poor we were.
19:03Wow.
19:03Let me just say that.
19:04All right.
19:05See you, Michael.
19:06See you guys.
19:06Bye.
19:07Mike Florio joining us in the wise heart, right?
19:09We make it right.
19:10Call Kyle.
19:11Right.
19:12Hotline.
19:15He said to Sean Watson next year.
19:17Why, why wouldn't you?
19:19Yeah.
19:21Smart move.
19:22Let's lay off.
19:23Yes.
19:24Let's discuss.
19:25He just said, just get to the playoffs.
19:26Next on Baskin and Phelps.