Knicks Win NBA Championship, USA Opens World Cup With Win, U.S. Open Preview & Golden Tempo Rising

Nick (00:02.878)
All right, you ready?

We back. It's the height differential. That is the six foot six kneel. I am the 410 Nick. Got plenty to talk about. Knicks win in five. Canes win in six. The Louisville Kings win the United Bowl championship in their first ever year, which actually was pretty dang cool. And we're gonna talk about that. US Open is this week, which is exciting. World Cup's going on.

Neil (00:27.406)
It is cool.

Nick (00:37.256)
Just you get sad 'cause the NBA finals are over and the NHL's over, but there's a there's a lot to talk about still.

Neil (00:44.866)
Yeah, there's there's plenty of sports still still going right full swing right now.

Nick (00:49.234)
But before we get into it, make sure to subscribe to the Height Differential. However, you listen to pods, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, rate it and leave a review. It helps other people find it. And to follow us on social at Height Differential. The New York Knicks, for the first time in 53 years, are your NBA champs. Your initial thoughts.

Neil (01:15.83)
I mean, we w when we first l when we left off here last week, the Spurs had just won game three. And we talked about all the pressure being on the Knicks at home in that game four. And Matt and Matt was on here last week. We both thought that the Spurs were gonna end up winning that game four and that would turn the series. And by God, you bull a twenty nine point lead.

I mean, the Knicks had no business winning that game forward and you know, and if if the Spurs hang on, this thing could be a different series. But props to the Knicks. They've done this throughout, you know, a lot of the playoffs. They had a big comeback against the Cavs in game one of their series in that. And, you know, they've showed time and time again coming back against the Spurs, I think, in most of of all of their wins. That you know, they came back from second half deficits and in big deficits and

You know, they they never quit. They never quit and I told you we were we were talking when that thing got from twenty nine down to twenty. I asked if you were gonna, you know, take the take the to the Knicks and you said, Nah. But they did it.

Nick (02:15.599)
Yeah, did did not take that one. they trailed by double digits in all four of their victories. And yeah, a twenty-nine point come from behind. Like the largest come from behind win in NBA finals history. I think the second biggest come from behind win in the history of the NBA playoffs. The the Spurs had seventy-six points in the first half and then thirty something i in the second half.

Neil (02:42.049)
Yeah. Yeah.

Nick (02:45.693)
Like I I don't even understand how those numbers are possible. But it's just this that was the tell of the whole series. The Spurs would jump out in the first quarter. They would get a lead. They their point differential in the first quarter in this series was 57 points. They won by combined 57 points in the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Knicks won by 29. In the third, the Knicks won by 14.

Neil (02:56.929)
Yeah. Yeah.

Neil (03:07.105)
That's crazy.

Nick (03:14.127)
And the fourth, the Knicks won by 26. This is just the Knicks, their run it is one of the most impressive runs in in NBA history. They finished 16 and 3. They were they lost two games in a row to the Hawks. And this was back on April the twentieth and April the twenty third. And from that point on, they lost one game.

Neil (03:31.563)
Fox. Yeah.

Nick (03:43.304)
They finished the playoffs 16-3. Their point differential is 14.9, which is the largest point differential in in NBA playoff history. Just and look, you can talk about their road to the finals all you want. Like, yes, the Celtics getting knocked out of the way. Definitely helped them. The Pistons getting knocked out of the way, who they struggled against in the regular season, definitely helped them. But you gotta give this team credit for just

You play who is who is in front of you, and they beat the hell out of everybody, including the Spurs, who nobody really was giving the Knicks a chance in that series. And even me, I picked the Knicks, but I picked them in seven. I never thought they would win in five.

Neil (04:27.979)
No, and i to to win all three games in San Antonio, you know, you go on the road and take care of business. And like you said, coming back from double digits every time that they won. absolutely incredible. Jalen Brunson, I mean, Jalen Brunson is probably gonna get himself a statue outside of Madison Square Garden after the series he had, you know, and put up forty s forty five in in in game five to to seal the deal. And, you know, he only scored less than thirty one time and he put up twenty in game two. I mean, he was just an absolute stud.

O. J. An and Obi probably never gonna have to buy a drink in New York City again after that tip in in game four. I mean, these dudes

Nick (04:59.121)
No shitty. And you know, it just wasn't that dude. He was just he was a beast all series.

Neil (05:05.483)
Yeah, I know. Like, I mean this this team is talented. They they you know, they they damn near made it to the finals last year and ran into a a hot Pacers team. So, I mean, this team was built for this. They you know, they're they're built for for for long term success. So I expect to be right back kind of where they are again next year.

Nick (05:23.815)
Yeah, you've you've got the Villanova threesome with with Brunson, Bridges, and Hart. All three of the ch the two championships they got with Villanova were both i in in Texas. and now they get this one in San Antonio. So all three of the championships they've won, include the the two Villanova and the one with the Knicks have all been in Texas. Hart was a part of the first one at Nova, but Bridges and Brunson were were were a part of of both of them. Just

Like Carl Anthony Towns, we haven't even talked about him yet. He had 578 playoff minutes. And in those minutes, the Knicks outscored their opponents by 258 points. The best plus minus in a single postseason by any player in the 30 years of play by play data. The the previous high was Steph Curry, who had a plus two forty five in in 2016 17. the Knicks were six and two in playoff games where they trailed by double digits.

Neil (05:57.483)
Yeah.

Nick (06:23.825)
That's the best playoff record for any team of of the last 30 years. Like, just continuously just putting up numbers. yeah, I was you were talking about OG. He so effective field goal percentage takes into account three pointers. So you get like a d an additional like 0.5 for every three you make. So it kind of makes up for that additional point from the three point line.

Neil (06:51.979)
Yeah.

Nick (06:52.007)
He had an effective field goal percentage of 67.2 in the playoffs, which is the highest mark for a player with at least 150 field goal attempts in the NBA playoff history. And like the num they they just played out of their head. And and that's why everybody in the city of New York is is going crazy. They were the one of the highest, one of the highest

Neil (07:16.397)
They are going crazy.

Nick (07:19.717)
the lowest odd teams to win the playoffs. I think they're the third lowest in the last twenty years. Like just we have and I bet it. Like this I don't place good bets. And I bet the Knicks back in February. And it just it can't believe it actually happened.

Neil (07:36.718)
I mean they put it together at the right time. When you look I mean when you we don't we don't know how young the Spurs are and and all that, but when you look at the roster, like the starters on like the Knicks really do just have more talent. I mean Wimby's the best player probably on the planet. I mean if you you can take Shea or Gildris Alexander or whatever, but Wimby is damn good. He's one of the best in the league. He's probably the best player in that series. But when you when you look at the totality of the roster and you go with, you know, like

the Brunsons and and you've got the Carl Anthony Towns and OGs and like all that. Like you they probably were the more talented roster. And it showed. Like what what happened to De'Aaron Fox? He was he was bad. He's bad. He was just bad all series.

Nick (08:16.157)
Well he's battling he's battling injuries.

No, he wa he was not good. He was not good. And this this dude is under contract through two thousand twenty nine thirty with with the Spurs and making almost a little over sixty million dollars in the final year of that contract. There's a lot of Spurs fans that are trying to figure out a way to get out of that, that want them to figure out a way to get out of that contract. He battled high ankle sprain injuries throughout the Western Conference finals, but I don't know. He he

Neil (08:37.099)
Yeah.

Neil (08:44.909)
I mean only th he had he had one big late he had a a a big shot late in game was it game three they kinda iced it for the Spurs, but he makes that boneheaded play in game four where just run the clock out instead of trying to go up over OG, which then obviously led to your loss because dribble that clock out a little bit, hit two free throws, that game's over and it you're going back to San Antonio tied two two. But he just the turnovers, he wasn't scoring a lot, just not good.

Nick (09:13.713)
Yeah, it was also boneheaded mistakes, like you like you mentioned. And it like there were other quick shots too. I felt like when they could have ran some clock, you know, it wasn't just that layup that he took to the rim that got busted. Like it's some other place too. Darren Fox was not good. He was not good. And he's a big reason why the Spurs lost. But Mitch Johnson talked about it. And like we all knew that the Spurs were really good. And I was surprised they beat the Thunder because I thought they were a little early

To win it all, but once they beat the Thunder, who is the best team in the NBA, you're like, all right, well, if we can beat them, they can win it all. And I think that's what a lot of people thought. But I think in the end, we found out that this team just is not ready to win an NBA title yet. They're gonna get plenty of chances. That threesome of Castle and Vessel and Wemby and then and then Harper too. Harper is gonna be a of stud.

Neil (09:46.423)
They were best in the league all year. Yeah. Right.

Neil (10:00.833)
Yes.

Nick (10:10.961)
He already is. they're gonna get plenty of chances to win it all. And the Spurs are gonna be relevant for the next 10 years because whoever they place Wimby is gonna I mean, he's just gonna keep getting bigger bigger. He's gonna fill out. And he didn't dominate the series like I thought he would. He really didn't. And I think that just is he's still got room to improve. He's gonna learn a lot from this. And the NBA better watch out because it could be really scary.

Neil (10:37.857)
Yeah, and I think the Knicks frustrated him a lot. I mean, there's some moments and he he looks he seemed frustrated. yeah, I mean I think I think the Knicks kinda got in his head a little bit and threw him off his game. Like, you know, he was out there pushing people around. He some might call a questionable dirty dirty dirty play from from Wemby a little bit, but I don't know. Yeah. I think there's a little frustration going on.

Nick (10:58.845)
Frustration. Frustration a little bit. And look, I the Knicks won and five and as a not I'm wasn't biased, but I was pulling for the Knicks 'cause I bet on but it seemed like the Knicks didn't get as many calls as the Spurs got, just from from the outside.

Neil (11:18.049)
Say Mike Brown. All right, Mike Brown.

Nick (11:21.029)
D do you know do you disagree with that?

Neil (11:23.839)
it's NBA officiating. I don't know. I'm sure that maybe the Knicks got fewer calls. I don't know. Sure.

Nick (11:31.931)
Yeah. The Knicks didn't that their three losses. Their two losses to the Hawks came by one point each and then their loss to the Spurs came by four. So their three losses in the playoffs, they lost by a combined six points. the Bulls did it in ninety one and ninety eight. So the only teams who win a championship without losing game by at least five points. I mean, dude, you can just keep going with

with these numbers. But it Jalen Brunson, like you said, put up the points. He didn't shoot it great the first couple of games, but they figured out a way to win those first first two in in San Antonio. And then I mean you you score thirteen straight in the fourth quarter in an exciting game. You're and score forty five. You're you're gonna get a tro you're gonna get a statue.

Neil (12:17.814)
Lane.

Neil (12:24.789)
I mean, I would love to not shoot it great and still put up thirty in in game one. Like he's finding ways to score even without s even without without shooting it great.

Nick (12:29.743)
I agree with that.

Nick (12:34.084)
And look, let's say this six one guard, like for the small guards, proving that small guards can carry teams to championships. And look, th there was a lot of people that doubted the decision when the Knicks gave him the max contract a couple years ago. And a lot of them were the Knicks fans that were celebrating. You saw Stephen A. Smith talking about it. They had highlights with him saying that he wasn't sure that he was a max contract player, but he proved everybody wrong and

It was really cool to see him and his dad celebrating on the court with

Neil (13:04.001)
Yeah, that was cool. I agree.

Nick (13:10.255)
Anything else on the series?

Neil (13:13.537)
No, I mean I think these both these teams will be right back where they are next year. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a rematch in in twenty twenty seven. The Thunder probably have something to say about that. But I think these two teams and the Thunder will be the teams to watch for next year.

Nick (13:27.804)
Yeah, the early odds are out. I think the Knicks are the third or the fourth choice to to win it all. The I think the Thunder and the Spurs are clearly are going to be one and two and they should be. I I I think the one thing that about this series is it really kind of defines Mike Brown's career. He's a guy that got this job a couple years ago and everybody's like, really? Mike Brown? he just got fired. He got fired from the Kings a couple years ago.

Neil (13:36.011)
Yeah. Yes.

Nick (13:57.333)
And one of the last things he did was criticize Darren Fox for closing out on a three point shooter when they're up by four and he fouled him. And he talked about that in the postgame and a couple of days later he was fired. And now it's I good for he out he won one with Cleveland.

Neil (14:11.809)
Has he won a title?

Neil (14:17.065)
that's right. He was with the yeah. Yeah, he's I he's been everywhere. Wasn't a lake he was a Lakers coach, wasn't he, for a time? Yeah. He was a Pacers coach, I think, for a time.

Nick (14:21.722)
He's been all over the place.

Nick (14:27.622)
But yeah, I just I think it really did kinda def define his career and and good for him. and he definitely Mitch Johnson's a young coach. He did not win one in Cleveland. He the club the best he did was was the Eastern Conference final. So this was his first championship. but Mitch Johnson

Neil (14:45.569)
What's Tom Thibodeau thinking as he's sitting on his couch?

Nick (14:49.456)
Well, I mean, I was one criticizing it. Like, how do you fire Thibodeau and you bring in Mike Brown? And it it it worked out.

Neil (14:56.597)
It worked. It worked.

Nick (14:59.964)
Another thing that the NBA has here's one more. The forty-five points by Brunson, the most ever by Nick in in the finals. Willis Reed had thirty-eight in in nineteen seventy. So I got so much stuff written down about this. It's it's hard to include it all, but our bo our boy P. Crush celebrating. Mo Egger from Cincinnati, he's celebrating. All the Knicks fans been waiting their whole life for this and

Neil (15:12.141)
Okay.

Neil (15:27.539)
they did a lot of celebrating out there in Manhattan. Some of the scenes were some of those scenes were wild.

Nick (15:30.348)
As they should. As they should. Do you not expect what did you expect?

Neil (15:36.127)
I mean, I w yeah, I'm sure. Sure.

Nick (15:39.962)
It's and probably it's a average Saturday night in New York City.

Neil (15:43.627)
Why were there there was like seven school buses lined up that they were all jumping on and setting on fire. Where'd the hell these school buses come from? Where did these school buses come from?

Nick (15:48.503)
Just tears the hoods off.

Just tearing the hoods off.

Nick (15:56.483)
Interesting fact is it's the eighth NBA championship, NBA champion in the last eight years. So pretty like a lot of parody in the NBA. The Thunder won last year, the Celtics in 24, the Nuggets in 23, the Warriors in 22, the Bucks in 21, the Lakers in 20, and the Raptors in 19. I thought a fun little exercise would be.

Neil (16:04.768)
Okay.

Nick (16:27.152)
To match these up, you pick the winner and we see who ultimately is the best champion of the last eight. And I I ranked them by their regular season record. So the Thunder last year were sixty eight and fourteen. The Bucks had the worst record of any NBA championship. They were forty six and and twenty six. That season was a little shortened because of COVID. You go on Thunder or Bucks to move on to the to the semis?

Neil (16:33.825)
Yeah.

Neil (16:55.669)
Taking the Thunder. No. No. The Thunder were that good last year.

Nick (16:57.232)
Is it even

Nick (17:02.958)
I in the four five matchup we have

Nick (17:09.05)
we have the Raptors who were fifty eight and twenty-four in two thousand nineteen and the Knicks who this year were fifty-three and twenty-nine. Tough matchup. You got Kawhi against against Jalen. Who you going?

Neil (17:19.895)
That's a that's a very tough match, yeah.

Yeah, McKawai, who who'd Kawhi hit that remember he hit that game seven bouncer falling out of bounds, sent him to the who was that against? Do you remember who the Yeah, who No. Who they did that like that shot sent them to the finals. It was game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals when he hit that falling out of bounds. but it was w it was a classic shot.

Nick (17:37.124)
Who did they they beat the Warriors.

Nick (17:48.899)
you're making me remember too much stuff.

Neil (17:53.473)
That's a this is a tough one. This is a toss up. But

Neil (17:59.394)
Give me the Knicks. The way I mean, if we're if we're going playoff basketball, like this is a playoff and the Knicks the way the Knicks played in the playoffs, give me the Knicks.

Nick (18:08.668)
And that was against the Bucks in twenty nineteen.

Neil (18:10.765)
It was against the box. Okay.

Nick (18:13.338)
The three seed is the Lakers who were fifty-two and nineteen in the bubble year. They're playing the Warriors, who were fifty-three and twenty-nine.

Neil (18:24.439)
Yeah, it was just so awkward and odd.

Nick (18:26.64)
I I agree.

Neil (18:28.587)
Was it Davis Davis and LeBron together and I forgot who else they had on that team? Caruso, yeah, Caruso was there. I mean, it's just hard to go against the Warriors. Give me the Golden State Warriors in that series with Steph. I think Clay was still there, right?

Nick (18:33.669)
Russo.

Nick (18:43.14)
And then Yeah. And then the two seven is the Celtics. Two years ago sixty four and eighteen against the Nuggets. They were fifty three and twenty nine. Who you going with?

Neil (18:58.957)
I guess we're very good that year. But give me the gimme the Boston Celtics, Jason Tatum.

Nick (19:04.006)
So now you got Celtics Warriors in the first semi?

Neil (19:12.095)
I bet you were gonna go ahead and recap the other Sime. But all right, yes, no, sorry. We're going we're going Boston Celtics in the first Sime.

Nick (19:19.514)
And then see I don't trust them. Like they they should win. They they have the best team. They figure out a way to lose. They figured out a way to win one year. Yeah. Well the the Mavericks were not should not have been in that final. And then you've got Thunder and the Knicks in the other semi.

Neil (19:26.657)
They throttled the Mavericks in that f that final. Throttled the Mavericks. They no, the Mavericks they should not have been the final.

Neil (19:37.623)
Give me the thunder.

Nick (19:39.312)
And then you got Thunder Celtics, you're taking the one and the two seed.

Neil (19:44.993)
I just think the Thunder were that good. I think the Thunder is probably the best of of the last eight years, last year's Thunder team. Give me the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Nick (19:53.723)
Yeah, I mean, they by far had the their only they're the only team that have had a winning percentage above eight hundred in the last eight years. Pretty much rolled to the playoffs. I I like the Warriors, that was the Warriors kind of on the end of their if that would have been a two thousand mid two thousand ten Warriors team, clearly you're taking them, but that's a team on the decline a little bit, so

Neil (20:08.641)
You must.

Neil (20:13.556)
yeah.

Neil (20:18.443)
Yeah, if that was the the fifteen Warriors, the s like you know, the seventeen Warriors, the eighteen Warriors, perhaps. But no, give me the Thunder. Thunder is the best team in the last eight years. You agree with that?

Nick (20:30.916)
Yeah. I I think the record says that. I I would have maybe had the Warriors beat the Lakers because I don't believe in the the bubble Lakers. And then which you did as well, and then maybe would have the Warriors beat the Celtics just because they have more playoff experience and the Celtics always figure out a way to lose. But I d I don't know if I could have the Warriors beating the Thunder in the final.

Neil (20:41.355)
I did. I had Yeah.

Neil (20:55.233)
Yeah. Agree.

Nick (20:57.914)
The Knicks weren't the only team to go sixteen and three in the postseason. The Carolina Hurricanes do the same thing. Go sixteen and three on the way to win. where the series was two to two and we were talking about how it was one of the best Stanley Cup finals in history. And and then the Canes go on and win game five and six. They go to a they go to Brandon Bussey and goal in what that was game four or game three. And then he closes out the series and they win three straight.

Just I'm not gonna sit here and and pretend that I can break down hockey, but I I did enjoy watching the series and I the the Hurricanes I think are one of the first teams to win the Stanley Cup and be eligible for the postseason the entire season. So they did it from they were good from start to finish. And Yeah, at the at the end of the season they they've just proved to be the better team.

Neil (21:46.231)
So they went wire to wire, basically, is what you're saying.

Neil (21:53.986)
No, they were in the first four games of that series were absolutely phenomenal. I think we had three of go to one went to double overtime. I think one or two others went to overtime and you know, you're thinking this is one one for the ages, it's gonna go seven. And then, you know, after game game four, I mean the Hurricanes just put it on the Knights. I mean they won game game five by two goals, game six by two goal or game yeah, game

Game four by two goals, game five by two goals, and then game six, they closed it out three nothing on the road in in Vegas. And do you see the quote by the Vegas head coach that said he was leaving his clothes in the Carolina Hotel 'cause he guaranteed they'd be back there for game seven and then they don't score a goal at home? Yeah. Yeah.

Nick (22:40.454)
So he just lost his clothes.

Nick (22:46.076)
the Hurricanes finished postseason with sixty-six goals and they allowed just thirty-nine. The Knights had the most 76, but they also gave up the most 62, and I think in in the end it just kinda it was too much. I will say, like, I do feel like this year I learned more about hockey than than I have in any other previous year of my life. With with the Olympics, with following the lightning, with watching the whole Stanley Cup, and

I'm I'm I'm excited to see if it continues next year. I just I wanted the six game six to be won by Vegas just so we could have a game seven.

Neil (23:26.135)
Yeah, game sevens of any professional sport championship is is one of the best things in sports. But it was just n it was a non competitive game six. It was a blow. I mean disappointing.

Nick (23:38.288)
Yeah. And they they win empty net, they get so many chances there at the end, they like they ride at the net and just can't figure out a way to get it through. And then once you get the empty net goal, it's just like, All right, I guess I can turn this off.

Nick (23:54.523)
You didn't turn it off on Saturday when the Kings came from behind to win the United Bowl Championship. I mean they start the season off and three. They finally win a game, then they blow up their whole team. I mean at one and three you're not thinking this is even possible. They get towards the end of the year, you're like, dang, they got a chance to make the playoffs. They get in the playoffs. They beat the they beat the Battlehawks on the road.

In a game where they were out possessed forty to twenty. They figure out a way to win. And and then the first half they can't move the ball at all against DC. And then it was just the same old story. They the stats don't always look great, but they get timely turnovers, they get defensive touchdowns, and they figure out a way to w a way to win, and that's in their first year they get a United Bowl championship, which is like we both said, is pretty cool.

Neil (24:32.236)
Yeah.

Neil (24:52.459)
No, it was awesome. And y a after watching the first half of that game, it was obviously concerning. You're going up against your former quarterback and Jason Bean, who you traded 'cause you didn't think mu highly of him. So now you're facing him in the UFL bowl for the championship and you go into the locker room down sixteen to seven. You haven't moved the ball in the first half. You don't have any offensive points. The seven was off a a scooping score. And then second half, you know, it all clicked. The defense started playing better. They only gave up

four points in the second half, all on that four point field goal, shut him out in the third quarter. And then the offense got it moving, you know, Wheeler with a forty four yard touchdown, to start the fourth quarter. And then, you know, you tack on another touchdown to go up twenty seven to to sixteen and you're looking good. And I mean this is where the UFL unique rules come into play. You're up twenty seven sixteen and then all of a sudden a four point field goal gets it right back to a a seven point game with nine minutes left. But

Big stand there at the end when when DC was driving in the fourth quarter. you know, held to a a red zone stop on fourth down and and they got got got the got the dub.

Nick (26:01.023)
It I mean Tanner Brown did it again. had a fifty seven yarder, another thirty eight yarder. Like you think maybe eventually he he's gonna miss and he just never does. We we talked about it last week, like this dude is gonna be on an NFL roster. They didn't they didn't move the ball through the air hardly at all on Saturday, but they got enough on the ground and really started to move it on the ground in the second half. I did you get any gear yet?

Neil (26:30.591)
Not yet. Yeah, probably.

Nick (26:30.81)
Are you gonna get some gear?

Neil (26:34.871)
Probably.

Nick (26:37.016)
I I just really hope and I think they were. Like it looked like the watch party at at Parlor was pretty well attended. I I think there was there were some folks that went to DC to watch the game. There was a great crowd there. and I'm sure the majority of them were DC fans, but look like there were some Kings fans there. I just I hope that winning this championship continues to grow momentum and we can fill Lynn Family Stadium next year because it's been a fun product. And

I criticize it at times. I think the football improved throughout the year and obviously it proved enough for them to win a win a chip.

Neil (27:14.027)
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, there was talks of a possible parade. I mean, I don't know if I'd go that far, but a lot of these guys I mean, these guys they don't even live here. They they they trade everybody lived in in Texas the whole season. They spent one day a month basically in Louisville. So they're not I mean, are they connected to the city? Yeah, because they play for l a team with the name Louisville on their jerseys, but like none of actually like ever moved here. Like they got on a plane, played and went back to Texas. So mean

Nick (27:20.902)
too easy.

Nick (27:39.812)
Well that's not the way it's structured. That's not the way it's structured.

Neil (27:43.189)
I know, that's what I'm saying. Like, I mean, sure it's it's cool, but

Nick (27:49.542)
Well, Mayor Greenberg talked on Twitter that he was putting something together, so hopefully like it just helps build momentum. I don't know how many people would show up for it. I mean you don't want to risk the fact that you're having a parade and nobody's there.

Neil (28:03.415)
I mean maybe you like a little pep rally at the at at the at Lynn Stadium or something like that. You don't need a fool on parade, but you do like a celebration. You know, let let the fans take pictures with the trophy and the players and the autographs and you know, have like a little fan fest or something. Let whatever. You have a celebration. But a parade might be overdoing it.

Nick (28:23.159)
I I don't disagree. I I think just a little celebration at at the stadium, yeah, would be perfect. But you have to have something to continue to to build momentum for for next year and it's it was it was cool to like Chris Redmond, like you could see how excited he was that they won this thing and he was excited to do it for the city and and Eric Crawford wrote of a bunch of good stories on it on on WDRB dot com and just

Neil (28:30.75)
I agree.

Neil (28:34.455)
Yeah.

Neil (28:42.187)
Yeah, I he's a lobble guy.

Nick (28:51.993)
We really didn't know what to expect, you know, being in the United League and I just I it surpassed all expectations for me and winning a championship.

Neil (29:01.387)
No, I think the city the city I think really really embraced it. I think we f ended up finishing second in the league in attendance, if I'm not wrong, behind Saint Louis. but the fans came out, they supported. I think they sold out at least the first game, maybe a couple high attended games after that. But yeah, though I think the fans embraced it. Now that you win a championship, obviously more people are paying attention to it. So I think going into next year, you know, season ticket sales should be pretty good.

Nick (29:29.881)
And look, I th I think our show has to take a little bit of credit for getting that stupid overtime rule changed with within the next week.

Neil (29:37.131)
Yes. Yeah, Dean Dean Blandino listens to the pod. He realized he was a jerk and an idiot and changed the rule.

Nick (29:46.522)
I don't know if he realized he was a jerk and an idiot. I think that might be a little strong of word wordsmithing there. but he did realize that the the rule was intended for safety measures, but it doesn't work in real life. Like they just didn't w I don't I I think that was an intent. Or and they didn't want somebody to keep committing a penalty on purpose over and over, but that's not what happened. I the rule was stupid. The rule was stupid.

Neil (29:54.571)
I mean when you

Neil (30:03.873)
No.

Neil (30:15.201)
Yes. Dean right. The rule was stupid. You ended the game on a penalty and Dean realized he was a jerk and an idiot and he was like I was wrong.

Nick (30:24.921)
And that was one of their four losses. Like their record would be even better with the if that wasn't a loss. Should have at least been a tie.

Neil (30:29.677)
Also, speaking of the UFL, former Louisville Cardinal Jack Plummer named UFL MVP.

Nick (30:40.431)
But couldn't get out of the the semis there.

Nick (30:46.713)
You you said on text you are considering becoming a Louisville Kings season ticket holder for the twenty twenty-seven season. Can we get a commitment?

Neil (31:00.213)
No. It's still under consideration.

Nick (31:05.357)
If you like I would be really considered like if you wanted to do it, I would maybe go in and not work against next year.

Neil (31:12.223)
It's not it's not bad. It's a reasonable it's I mean it's a reasonable price. You get I mean it's only four games. It's not like it's a huge commitment, you know? Like it's it five? Okay. Okay. So five. It's a five game season. I mean, what are we looking at? About two hundred bucks? Probably.

Nick (31:19.771)
I think it was it was five last year. They're in game season, yeah. Cause I worked four of and there was one I didn't work.

Nick (31:31.043)
I would say you could easily get probably decent six seats for for two hundred bucks.

Neil (31:36.075)
Yeah, so I mean after winning a championship maybe the prices go up. Who knows? But we'll we'll take it under advisement.

Nick (31:43.312)
But get your gear before it's gone. Here here's my strategy. I'll probably buy a shirt now. No, you gotta get one thing because you don't want to risk the one thing you really want going away. So you buy the one shirt you want for like 30 bucks. And then you come back in a couple months or whatever, when everything goes on clearance, and then you scoop up whatever else you might possibly. Like I'm not gonna buy a two can koozies for eight bucks.

Neil (31:47.341)
You're not waiting for it to go on clearance? You're not waiting for like the the clearance though?

Neil (31:55.073)
Don't really know what I really want.

Neil (32:06.507)
Well I saw

Nick (32:11.087)
But when they go on sale for a dollar in a couple months, let's go. Give me those things.

Neil (32:16.685)
I mean I saw our boy Carl H. from the PRP. He he's already placed that order.

Nick (32:22.105)
He scooped a hat and and a shirt. He scooped the mascot shirt, which looked like it was designed for children, but makes sense that that Carl would want that one.

Neil (32:27.725)
How do you disrupt?

Neil (32:32.717)
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Yeah.

Nick (32:36.153)
But congrats to the Kings, congrats to to Chris Redman and and the and the rest of the team. And just fun to have another I mean, obviously you would like to have top level pro sports here in this city, but it's fun to have something to cheer for in the summer and it's good to see them win it all.

Neil (32:55.233)
Yeah, it was fun.

Nick (32:57.881)
How much World Cup you've been watching?

Neil (33:01.423)
a decent amount. I've got it on right now. Argentina and Messi is playing Algeria. It's currently one nothing Argentina here in the twenty seventh minute. But yeah, I I tuned in to a couple games, watched the Japan Netherlands game. That ended in a two two draw. watched what did I watch yesterday?

Neil (33:22.669)
I forgot who I watched yesterday. Couple games they all ended in draws yesterday. Watch a little Spain in the Cape Cod or Cape Cape Verde. Yeah. Had to Google where they were.

Nick (33:27.515)
Captain, can't we?

Nick (33:32.54)
So you talk about you talk about draws. So there's just some random dude on on social media and he's betting draws in every game. A hundred bucks on the draw every game. And the first day of the tournament, I don't think there were a single draw. But since then there's been several a as you mentioned. And that Spain Cape Verde draw, I'm sure did they did pretty well.

Neil (34:01.579)
Ya, ya, ya.

Nick (34:02.595)
off of the off of that one. but no I've been I've been watching quite a bit. If I'm home and there's like it's it's on World Cup. And we we were all together on Friday night at at Saints to watch the USA kick it off again against Paraguay and what an atmosphere and it it was it was a great atmosphere. Pull us at it splits the defenders

Neil (34:23.879)
awesome.

Nick (34:30.583)
And and they get a goal to to start the tournament. That place goes crazy. And then Balagoon gets two goals. They end up winning four to one. Great start for for the USA. And we all I think probably had a few too many while while watching that game on Friday night at Saints.

Neil (34:51.435)
Yeah, no, it was you probably got it got rowdy. I mean, when when you score in the seventh minute, I the the place is already juiced going in. It's you know, first game of the World Cup, it's on the US soil, the place is already ready to roll. And then to get that early goal, like the like the excitement was just over the chart, off the charts. You get three first half goals, you're just pounding Paraguay into submission. You end up winning four to one, you know, and Paraguay what were they picked?

I mean if we go on World Rankings, I think they were probably third in the group, so you know, it's it's a team that was that could'd be right there at the end of ya. is awesome. And then on the other side, you know, you get an upset with Australia beating Turkey, in our group, so

Nick (35:41.261)
It's say it correctly, please.

Neil (35:43.79)
Turkey Turk Turkey. I don't what is it. What do they what do they call themselves now? Turkey A. Turkey. Yeah, so you know, they they get upset two nothing to Australia. So, you know, a big matchup Friday at three with the Aussies. to be sitting in that driver's seat to be going to that round of thirty two.

Nick (35:46.715)
Turkey. Turkey.

Nick (36:02.937)
Yeah, no, I'm I get excited about the World Cup every time it's played. But good to to start it off with with a with a one victory. But it being on our turf, it's even more exciting. And

Neil (36:14.047)
Let's be honest, like you like yeah, we all get excited about the world. Like we get excited about when USA national teams play any sport. Like hockey, we were all excited. It could be the women's soccer team, we would all be excited. Olympic basketball, like we're anytime the US is on and on the world stage, we're all excited.

Nick (36:24.847)
Yeah, but not any

Nick (36:33.785)
Yeah, yeah, for sure. For sure. And it I think sometimes even more so when it's not a sport that we watch religiously. Like like that's I think you get excited to watch soccer because you you don't have a soccer team. Like we've watched the Wrexham documentaries and we pool for Wrexham, but we're not w watching intently every game to to see if they won win, you know? so it's it's fun to have such a

Neil (36:41.133)
Correct.

Nick (37:02.969)
big rooting interest. And are we are we going back to to Saints on Friday? It it is your birthday on Friday. So I do think that you have to choose what the plans are, but after after that event last week, I I think if it was my birthday I'd be wanting to go back.

Neil (37:10.911)
It is, it is.

Neil (37:24.407)
Possibility. I mean I'm just a man of the people. I'll I'll throw it I'll I'll I'll take it to a group vote. You know, I'll take it to a group vote, see what see what the majority of the pack wants to do and we'll do that. But wherever I can get the most people, that's what I want.

Nick (37:25.77)
you don't know yet.

Nick (37:40.901)
Well, you had all the people go there last week, so I'm s sure there might be one of our buddies that's gonna say no.

Neil (37:43.137)
That was fun.

Neil (37:48.526)
We have a couple of people that we we do have a couple people that that are down on Saints. I mean I Saints is fine to me. My wife won a hundred and ninety bucks on the little slot machine playing Buffalo the other night. So she was happy. Vibes were high. I don't know, maybe we go back. You don't remember that? You know the little s the two slot machines that are sitting there in the corner? Yeah. Put in twenty bucks and ended up profiting like a hundred and ninety bucks.

Nick (37:48.815)
Yeah.

Nick (38:04.827)
When was that? When was that?

Guess not.

I do know, I remember those, yeah.

Nick (38:19.013)
Yeah, I don't know if I remember that. Friday was a long day. We we had a scramble at teed off in the rain at eight o'clock in the morning. You went straight to the pool after that. I took a little nap and then we were there late. So yeah, I don't I don't remember her winning 190 bucks. Pro I was probably just in another area. I was probably just walked to a to another place. USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino. He is the first like foreign

not the coach since Jurgen Clinsman was the coach a few years ago. He he's coached at Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea. But he made some comments about the culture of American sports. And I kind of would just wanted to get your thoughts. He he said their culture is playful. They want to play. We told them guys playing soccer is one thing. Competing is another

Neil (39:09.002)
Okay.

Nick (39:16.783)
They're two completely different sports. They grow up in a culture of playing. Why? If you start in MLS and you haven't won a game in three months and you're at the bottom, what's the consequence if there's no promotion or relegation? American sports reward losers with an exclamation point. Both soccer but soccer is different. If you reward those who don't win, if you don't have goals, you don't fight, if I lose, what happens? Nothing. They just fire the coach.

Also, the American player is disciplined, but with a sense of complacency that isn't good in soccer. It took us a year and a half to change that mentality. Do you do you think there's anything to that? And look, a lot of these guys aren't playing in MLS. And I think that's a reason why a lot of people have optimism for this team. But do you think there's any truth to what he had to say?

Neil (40:07.681)
Yeah.

I I agree with what he's saying about American pro in sports in general and rewarding the losing. And there's gotta be some fixes to that. Like you reward NBA teams for tanking by giving them like the number one draft pick and they get a superstar, you know? You reward just like football, you know, you reward the w the worst teams that lose and soccer there's no relegation. There's no relegation in any of our pro sports, but we don't really have like what are you gonna relegate the worst major league baseball team to the international league? Like, I I mean, I don't know. Like

You know, is Lou City gonna get called up to play in the MLS? Maybe I mean soccer's probably your one sport that you can actually do this in. Others not so much, but I mean, but I but I don't know the the mentality of American athletes, because like you said, most of these good American athletes are playing overseas in soccer. Like they're playing for the best clubs. They're not playing in MLS. So

Nick (41:03.067)
Yeah. Well I yeah, I I think it's more the mentality of the ownership groups.

Neil (41:09.077)
Yeah, I would agree with that.

Nick (41:11.105)
And look like you've got players at the end of seasons when they're struggling that should be competing to try to get their contract extended or get a new contract. So I don't know if I buy it completely what he said. I do think that the relegation aspect of it i is really cool. I just think that yeah, you d soccer is the one sport I think here that it could work because your lower level teams like Louisville City in

And what what's that even what's their league even called?

Neil (41:45.65)
the USFL. No U USL. USL. Yeah.

Nick (41:46.767)
USF up?

Nick (41:50.8)
Okay. United Okay. like that's a tier two of soccer in in the United States and they're independent for the most part. So yeah, it c the relegation could potentially work in in soccer and I think it would be cool to try to figure that out. And if somebody from Louisville would love for them a team that's had success in their league to get a chance to jump up. I think that would that would be really cool to watch. Would it be cool? And could it prevent tanking in other sports? Yes, but

There's no foundation for it to happen.

Neil (42:23.455)
No. And I a thousand percent agree with you, it's the mentality of the owners. I y I some of these owners that own these yo European top soccer teams, they're competitive. They wanna win. They wanna win. Their fans are lunatics over there. Like they wanna win. Everybody wants to win.

You come over here, you look at like an ownership like the Cincinnati Reds, small market team, they don't spend a lot of money, and they know like all they they just wanna own a team. Like they don't put anything into it. As Castellini said a couple years ago, like to the fans, like where are you gonna go? Where are the fans gonna go? They got nowhere else to go. Like, so

That's their mentality. It's the mentality of Mike Brown. Like Mike Brown is finally maybe starting to come around and putting a little effort into the Cincinnati Bengals. But there's half the ownership groups of of these American pro sports teams that have the mentality of I want to win and I want to win whatever it takes. And then there's others that are like, I'm just happy to own a pro sports team, look at me, and then I don't really give a shit. They don't put anything into it. Their payrolls are yeah, they're you and then it's reflected in the payrolls.

Nick (43:18.222)
And Ellie.

And the rel relegation fixes that. Relegation fixes that. Like the Colorado Rockies would be in single A right now. Because they haven't done anything in forever. The the Reds would be in danger of it. They would be in danger of it. And

Neil (43:23.744)
I agree.

Neil (43:33.653)
I would agree. But there's nowhere else to go. Like like

Nick (43:37.893)
There's not, but it would make it just ch like those cheap owners would be held accountable and would not long they would no longer be in the top level. And

Neil (43:48.333)
Do they do it in every sport over like in Europe? Like I know soccer, but like in like your Euro basketball, like are there relegations and stuff in like basketball?

Nick (43:56.1)
I think it's all structured the same way. I don't know a hundred percent. But I I think it's all structured the same way. And look, it's just little towns trying to compete with big cities. Right? And and trying to figure out their way because they're all independently owned. So it would be like like if the Boulevard bats could be independently owned and we put together our own team and you're trying to finish in the top three and the well, it's not the International League more, whatever it's called now, but

Neil (44:06.305)
Yeah. Yeah.

Nick (44:23.483)
Trying to finish in the top three and taking the spots of the Rockies and the Reds and at the bottom three.

Neil (44:29.621)
The Marlins and yeah. Yeah.

Nick (44:32.155)
Like it it I I like that he brought the conversation up, but I think the players are the wrong people that show a lack of just urgency. It's it's the owners. It's it's the owners.

Neil (44:44.129)
No, it's the owners. It's not the players. The the players are the players want to be their best 'cause they want to make a lot of money. And you ain't gonna make a lot of money unless you're at your best. So I it's not the players' mentality, but I agree, I think it's a thousand percent all on the owners.

Nick (44:50.659)
Yeah. For the most part. Now look

Nick (44:57.477)
Look, and like the NBA when they're tanking, you you watch a game like you watch a game with the Wizards or somebody the last couple of years, and at the end of the season you don't even know any players on the team. So it ain't on the players. It's it's on the owners. And I we we can get into the tanking stuff with the NBA because I really haven't dived in it too too much yet. But they're trying to to address the issues which need to be addressed. I don't know if what they've decided to do is is the best way to do it, but

Y you can't have teams not trying for w what sometimes is the whole damn season.

Neil (45:31.723)
Yeah. I mean the the Pacers were that way the whole season. Like once Halliburton was out, they just threw in like I know Halliburton's great, but you were a game seven finals team last year, and you lose one player and all of a sudden you have the third worst league in the record in the league. That's tanking. Even without Halliburton, you should be better than that.

Nick (45:35.771)
And look it.

Nick (45:51.845)
Well they did they didn't even try.

Neil (45:53.612)
No, they didn't try. They knew they weren't gonna win a title, and so they tried, and they failed at they failed at tanking.

Nick (45:59.964)
But I failed to take it because I didn't even get a draft pick.

Nick (46:05.467)
I don't know. I just I there's I just think that it would be really cool if there was relegation in the United States. But it's it's a it's a pipe dream 'cause it's never gonna happen. There's too much money. Nobody's ever gonna vote for it.

Neil (46:16.055)
There's and there's not enough structure there's not enough structure in the minor leagues for it to happen. Like you've got ownership groups that own seven different teams in minor league baseball and there's not even like what do you the G League? Like like there's not even enough teams in the G League, like

Nick (46:27.099)
They would it would also have to be voted on by the ownership groups and they're never gonna vote to say yes, I wanna give up a chance to own a top level change.

Neil (46:31.905)
No, it's not. But like you you have to also have a foundation below you have to have a a foundation of these lower leagues. And soccer I think has it the most, but football, basketball, I mean there's not even like the UFL has eight teams. Like, not gonna happen.

Nick (46:48.729)
No, it's not. But I I think it would be cool to try to see it happen i in in soccer.

Neil (46:52.286)
I agree, it would be cool, but yeah.

Nick (46:57.039)
We got the third major coming up this week. The US Open will take place at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. JJ Spawn is your defending champion. Rory and Aaron Rye have won the first two majors of the year. We this is also a chance for Scotty to pick up the career grand slam. You were talking a little Scotty before. You said is he ever going to not be?

A favorite to win a major or really a tournament in general because it's every single time he he tees off. I'm guessing.

Neil (47:30.944)
Every time.

Neil (47:37.26)
I i it just feels like it's been so long since he's won a tournament. You know, we talked about it. Like he's he's been there. He's got a couple sec I mean, he won early on the season, but a couple top fives and finished you know, out eleventh I think in it at the memorial, I think is what it was. But like I don't know, he's just always the favorite and he's just hasn't been seeming to win lately. So like guys like

Rory or guys like Fitzpatrick that have won, you know, recently and Rory with the Masters and Fitzpatrick win a couple of times here. I think he's won three times this season. But like some of these guys that have been winning more, I think should at least close the gap on Scotty. I mean he's plus five hundred and Rory's sitting there at second at plus twelve hundred. So close the gap on him a little bit.

Nick (48:21.731)
Yeah, I like I could see Fitzpatrick be he's a former US Open winner. he's won three times already this year. He's first in the FedEx Cup points. I if you're looking for somebody to be a favorite over top of him, I'm guessing that maybe it could potentially be him. But I mean, dude, we're talking about Scotty not being Scotty and he's got seven top tens and ranks second in in the FedEx Cup. And we're surprised that

He's not first in the Fed Cup. To be honest. Fitzpatrick overtook him and is is now first in those standings. But like he's still the best player in the world. And because he's the best player in the world, he's gonna be the favorite to win every tournament that he's in. Now, am I gonna take him every time? Probably not, because the n the numbers just aren't that great and he hasn't been winning. But

Neil (49:05.42)
Yeah.

Nick (49:19.833)
You know he's gonna give you a chance at the end for the most part. And he's got motivation. You don't think he wants to check that one off his list to finish that the slam a year after Rory did it?

Neil (49:34.626)
Yeah.

Nick (49:34.711)
I I think some guys that I would like I I think Fitzpatrick is a guy you've gotta look at. He he's playing really he's played better than anybody all year long, and that's why he leads the FedEx Cup. I I think Cam Young's another guy that that you really need to look at this this week. I just like I he's gonna be there. I don't trust him to cross the finish line.

Neil (49:52.459)
I like Fleetwood too.

Neil (50:06.091)
I didn't he get that monkey off his back when the last year was Cup champion, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Nick (50:08.803)
In a thirty in a thirty man field in the FedEx Cup championship.

So look, I know he he he crossed the finish line and won an event, but it's also a limited field. So I I want to see him win a full tournament before I'm picking him to win something.

Neil (50:23.019)
Yeah, but yeah.

Nick (50:32.727)
I'm I'm interested to see how Matt Fitzpatrick is plays. Like he's played really well since he got his card with with Matt kind of carrying him there. He's competed. And then you talked about it. Wyndham Clark's been playing really well. Could be another guy. He's looking like he's like plus 4,500. Might be somebody that you look at. But last year, JJ Spawn was the only player to finish above par or below par and he won the thing. This is the

Neil (50:46.295)
Mm-hmm.

Nick (51:02.991)
Fifth time that it's been at Shinnecock. Brooks Kepka won the last time it was there, which was two thousand and eighteen. So I don't know. I just

Neil (51:16.045)
Are you taking Scotty?

Nick (51:18.976)
No, I would I would take either Cam Young or I would take Matt Fitzpatrick.

Neil (51:26.401)
Give me Fitzpatrick, that's my choice.

Nick (51:31.237)
Will will there be a live guy finishing the top five?

Neil (51:38.668)
Mm.

Neil (51:42.796)
I can see Brooks Kepka getting up and maybe sneaking into that fifth spot. I don't think it'll be Rahm. I don't think it'll be Bryson. Bryson hasn't really shown me anything this year. It's been disappointing. I'm gonna say no, but I think Brooks finishes top ten, right on the edge of that top five.

Nick (52:02.233)
Will there be a live guy finishing ahead of Rory?

Neil (52:07.692)
No.

Neil (52:12.269)
What do you think?

Nick (52:12.601)
You're you're you're the big Live supporter, so I thought maybe you would say yes to one of those. Will will there be a live guy ahead of Scotty?

Nick (52:25.125)
So top live the top live finisher is going to be Kepka at what, eighth?

Neil (52:26.243)
I Scotty's top five.

Neil (52:31.327)
Yeah. Round eighth.

Neil (52:36.545)
I got Rory. Rory ahead of that. I think and Scott do be top five. I've got Rory right around fourth, fifth.

Nick (52:45.849)
Does JJ Spawn or Aaron Rye compete? Are they in contention on Sunday? Neither one of them. I mean, you remember last year with JJ Spawn shot a 40 on the front nine and then Yeah, sixty-five footer on eighteen. We were in Charleston watching it. We were actually at Reds at that point. And he drills that sixty five footer.

Neil (52:51.167)
No. No.

Neil (52:56.973)
Yeah, he hit the Well, then he hit a gazillion foot putt on eighteen.

Neil (53:04.747)
Yeah. We are reds. Reds on the reds on the Yeah, yeah, reds on the river.

Nick (53:15.696)
So no no ride, no spawn, no live guys. All all Tommy, all all Scotty, all Rory, all Matt Fitzpatrick.

Neil (53:27.071)
Yep, those Englishmen, those Northern Ireland guys, the Europeans I think will be mostly up there in the top five.

Nick (53:35.119)
What will the final number be?

Neil (53:39.883)
Minus four.

Nick (53:43.801)
I might go minus two.

Nick (53:49.136)
Might go minus two. one other thing with this. So Scotty was asked and I don't know if you've been noticing, like, he's got had a little attitude in some of his answers here over the last

Neil (53:50.539)
Okay.

Neil (54:00.61)
He hasn't been winning. He hadn't been winning.

Nick (54:03.065)
So he was asked if he prefers going off late early or early late. So Thursday, Friday. So if you go off in the early group on Thursday, you go off in the late group on Friday and vice versa. He p he ponders it for a minute and then just goes, No, not really.

Neil (54:12.149)
Yeah, yeah. Right, right, right. Yeah.

Nick (54:22.9)
if you were a golfer, would you prefer one or the other?

Neil (54:27.935)
Yes. I'd rather go late early.

Nick (54:34.042)
And why?

Neil (54:35.767)
Two reasons. Number one, you go off late on day one. You kind of see how the course is playing a little bit, you know, you can kind of get a feel for what like what what the conditions are. And then if you're playing well, you can't wait to play again. So if you're playing well at the end of that, you you want to get up and play again, so you get you're right back in it. Or if you're not playing well and you missed the cut, you miss it early and you get home. You get home early. You don't gotta wait around.

Nick (55:00.089)
I hundred percent. I a hundred percent think it's late early. One thousand percent. I don't want the big gap between my two rounds. Like if I do play well now I gotta wait forever to play again the next day. If I play if I play not well, I gotta wait to play better that long. Like I've got more time to get ready, but that then I'm gonna get in my head, I think. like conditions play a role in a little bit of it because sometimes it's gonna be a little bit easier in the morning. But

Neil (55:04.535)
Yeah. Yeah.

Neil (55:11.679)
Right. Yep.

Neil (55:22.027)
Yeah.

Neil (55:29.602)
Yeah.

Nick (55:30.029)
You want that on Friday if you're trying to make a move. So I think one thousand percent it it's going late, going early.

Neil (55:35.671)
Yeah. Or if you're missing like I said, if you're missing the cut, you can get on out of there. You ain't gotta sit and wait around. You get home you get get home and take in your own bed. But if you do, if you do, you're out of there early.

Nick (55:38.639)
Yeah. Well my goal is not to miss the cut. Yeah.

The the one disadvantage would be being right there on the cut line and just having to sit there and wait. Like at least if you're playing and you you know what the number is and what you gotta get to. So so that's probably the one positive for going early late, but 1000% I'm on the the late early bandwagon.

Neil (55:56.577)
Yeah, yeah.

Nick (56:10.331)
So we've get we gotta talk at some point some golden tempo because golden tempo is all people want us to talk about on Facebook. I don't know, I don't understand why. We we talk golden tempo and we get millions of comments. We talk, do you wanna golf and go to jail or win five million dollars? And nobody cares. So we gotta talk a little bit of golden tempo. He did move into the top ten of the N T R A.

moved into number six. He is below Nysos, below magnitude, below White Abario, below sovereignty, and below Forever Young. It's golden tempo there at six, and then Bookham Dano, deterministic, Skippy Longstocking, and Nitrogen. He's the only three year old in the top ten. Do you do you think that's about where he belongs?

Neil (57:06.445)
I think he is the top three year old. I mean, he's proved us wrong. I he's the top three year old in a three year old class that I'm on record for saying is not very strong. But he is a top three year old, so I think he should be in the top ten of overall, you know, horses. Six might be a little high to me. I mean, I I think I would still have journalism ahead of him and and some others, but I know. He's he's sitting there he's sitting there at twelve.

Nick (57:29.093)
Journalism not even the top ten. Journalism is now twelve.

Neil (57:35.583)
I don't know. I I'd put in the top ten, but I'd probably have at nine or ten.

Nick (57:40.527)
Here's what I'd say, this is the highest he can possibly be.

Neil (57:44.34)
yeah.

Nick (57:46.117)
Six is the highest this horse can possibly be. He cannot be above any of those top five. But I'll be honest, huh?

Neil (57:52.471)
No.

Those top five are really good.

Nick (57:57.114)
Yeah, you're not you're not putting him above Nysos, Magnitude, Water Barrio, Sovereignty, or Forever Young. Like, no. I I think six is the right spot. I think, I mean, he won the Belmont, he won the Derby. He deserves to be in the top 10. I can see him being above those next four. He's won big races. Like, and but yeah, I think six is the absolute perfect spot for him.

Neil (58:27.681)
Yeah. I mean he he could prove us wrong again w you know if he takes on these these studs here in the in the classic in November. I know we do, but I'm I w I really want to see him I wanna see him run against these horses and I wanna see it like tomorrow. 'Cause I really wanna I because I really wanna know how good he is. That will tell me how good this horse really is.

Nick (58:37.295)
Well we got a ways to go for that. We got a ways to go for that.

Nick (58:45.389)
Well, it's not gonna happen tomorrow. It's look, I know that you are a big fan of Sovereignty. And last year Sovereignty did the same thing. He won the Derby, he won the Belmont, but then he went on to win the Dandy and he went on to win the Travers. And was gonna be is was gonna be one of the favorite I don't know if he would have won. There's really good horses in that in that field. I I don't think you can guarantee. But if

Neil (58:55.01)
Yes.

Neil (59:03.617)
You would have won the classic.

Neil (59:08.893)
I know there are, but I think he I think he

Nick (59:14.167)
If Tempo runs in the dandy, which is gonna be against this same three year crop, it's shorter, but if he wins a dandy and then goes to where now he's won the three races in a row that Sovereignty did, are you starting to think that he's at that same level?

Neil (59:30.285)
'Cause I Sovereignty beat better horses on on his way to doing that last year. I just think the three year old crop last year was just better than this year. And I'm not trying to knock Tempo anymore. Like I I've I've I've Yeah, like I've and there's not a Baeza or anybody. Like there's not the quality of horses I think that there were last year. Like I Tempo's proving me wrong. He's better than I thought he was.

Nick (59:39.107)
It there's not a journalism right now there's not a journalism in this crop. There's not.

Neil (59:55.512)
But I really wanna see I r I can't wait to see how good he really is when he runs against the quality of horses that we just mentioned. And if he can do something there, then I was really wrong. But I don't wanna wait. I want it to happen like tomorrow.

Nick (59:55.609)
And he keeps improving too.

Nick (01:00:09.659)
Well, and the the thing with sovereignty is we didn't get to see that Breeders' Cup Classic last year. 'Cause he ended up scratching from it. So and and we've only seen him run once since then and and he came in second to White Obarrio in the Oakline handicap. So you you still haven't really seen White Obar or Sovereignty put up any any kind of big win against older horses.

Neil (01:00:14.477)
I know.

Nick (01:00:35.983)
So you're asking you're asking Tempo to do something that sovereignty hasn't.

Neil (01:00:36.471)
But we get to see that this year.

Nick (01:00:42.437)
To get to get to his level.

Neil (01:00:46.443)
I mean, do you wanna go over the speed figures of what sovereign how what sovereignty won the Belmont in and what he won the Derby in compared to to tempo or or like what do you like do you think that sovereignty is not as good as t you think they're equal?

Nick (01:00:55.44)
No they

No, but I think I think Tempo has an opportunity to be as good a horse as sovereignty.

Neil (01:01:05.035)
The opportunities are there. There's no doubt. The opportunity is there. He just needs to keep winning. He keeps winning

Nick (01:01:09.605)
Like if he goes and wins the dandy and then he runs in the Travers, if he win if he goes and wins the Travers, then he's d definitely in the same category of sovereignty who won those same four races. But he's got I want him to run in the dandy because I want to I want him to prove that he can win at shorter distance. And if he if he figures out a way to win that race and then he lines up for the Travers.

Neil (01:01:29.889)
A short distance.

Nick (01:01:38.019)
And he's gonna be against his same crop. So yeah, that's still gonna be the argument. Cause if you still don't believe now look, the rest of the crop could improve too. I still think commandment's a good horse. I still think Renegade's a good horse. Further ado, further ado.

Neil (01:01:47.373)
They could. They could. I'd like to see the Puma. I really want some I want the Puma to get back.

Nick (01:01:55.685)
We I I want the Puma to get back too. I feel like we ain't seen the Puma forever. And he was w one of my favorites in the Derby. So yeah, I want to see the Puma. But I'm just excited for this whole three year old schedule. And I I think next week we'll get in here and we'll we'll talk a little Stephen Foster as as we preview that because that looks like it's gonna be a heck of a race.

Neil (01:02:03.799)
He was my choice.

Neil (01:02:19.885)
Sovereign two will be there for that one.

Nick (01:02:27.15)
if we get this show real popular, there's a decent chance that we could eventually become trillionaires.

Neil (01:02:35.392)
Yeah.

Nick (01:02:37.324)
And and join Elon Musk.

Neil (01:02:39.917)
Trillion. Trillion with a T.

Nick (01:02:42.404)
Have you like, do you even understand what that number is?

Neil (01:02:46.261)
No. It it's it's like it's fake it's just a fake number at this point.

Nick (01:02:51.662)
So I just I'm trying to understand what it means and I'm looking up some numbers. To make one trillion dollars, the median full-time American worker who's making around sixty thousand dollars a year would have to work sixteen million seven hundred and ninety-five thousand four hundred and thirty two years. That's longer than human beings have existed.

Neil (01:03:14.709)
That's insane.

Nick (01:03:16.408)
The distance between the Earth and the Moon is approximately two hundred thirty-eight thousand nine hundred miles. If you lined up one trillion dollars worth of one dollar bills lengthwise, you wanna guess how many times you could take a round trip around the moon and back?

Neil (01:03:33.517)
I'm gonna say what ten? Two hundred and two. Okay.

Nick (01:03:35.62)
Two hundred and two.

the medium home price in the US, this is back in 2023, is four hundred twelve thousand. At that rate, a trillionaire could afford to buy two thousand two million four hundred twenty-seven thousand one hundred and eighty-four homes.

Nick (01:03:55.618)
If you were to count one dollar per second nonstop.

Do you know how many years it would take to reach one trillion?

Neil (01:04:06.475)
Well I need what's a trillion divided by sixty divided by sixty divided by twenty four hours and I no idea.

Nick (01:04:14.445)
thirty one thousand seven hundred years.

Nick (01:04:19.874)
If yep. If an individual spent one million dollars every single day, do you know how many years it would take them to exhaust the entire one trillion?

Neil (01:04:32.087)
How much do we spend in a day?

Nick (01:04:33.718)
One million dollars every single day.

Neil (01:04:36.715)
So three hundred and sixty five million a year. A lot of years. A lot of years.

Nick (01:04:41.882)
Two thousand seven hundred and forty years.

Neil (01:04:49.037)
How do you how did how how do you get to that point?

Nick (01:04:51.46)
How does any person have that much money? And what do you even do with it? What do you even do with it? That's what he's doing, that's how he's making his money.

Neil (01:04:53.633)
I how do you get to that point? I don't know.

Well, go build rockets and build build self driving cars and stuff like that. I know.

Nick (01:05:04.714)
He just went public. That's how he made his money. It is the Rockets. Like just it's just. It's it's not comprehendable. It's really not.

Neil (01:05:19.213)
Speaking of rockets and like rich people, whatever happened to Richard Branson in Virgin Virgin Mobile and Virgin Atlantic, like that dude was on his way and then I haven't heard about him in like a decade.

Nick (01:05:29.912)
I have no idea.

Neil (01:05:31.553)
You remember that though? Like the Virgin and like the Virgin's whatever Atlanta rockets and stuff? He was he was building stuff like that.

Nick (01:05:34.138)
What was that?

Nick (01:05:38.106)
Not really.

Did he get the mouth?

Neil (01:05:45.675)
Wasn't his company wasn't it blue was it Blue Origin? Was that his company?

Nick (01:05:45.892)
Did he do anything?

I have no idea. I have no idea.

Neil (01:05:55.508)
Bezos is Blue Origin. Yeah, like he had was it Virgin Atlan Virgin something? It was everything.

Nick (01:05:59.803)
Isn't that a record company?

Nick (01:06:06.84)
I I think you're talking about a record company.

Neil (01:06:08.865)
No, Richard Branson Space Company. Virgin Galactic. Richard Branson Space Company, Virgin Galactic was a commercial space tourism and aerospace organization founded in 2004. But I haven't heard anything about them in like a decade. Like they were they were on their way. They were good. Virgin Galactic was gonna be like you get in this thing and they takes people to the moon and like you just make it like a vacation. And then I haven't heard anything about them in a long, long time.

Nick (01:06:22.434)
So are they out of business? Are they out of business?

Nick (01:06:39.087)
Yeah, I don't I re I guess I'd never heard about 'cause I didn't know what you're talking about.

Nick (01:06:46.962)
how often do do you d who's usually cooking dinner for the two for the fam over?

Neil (01:06:54.987)
Usually it's Erica. We've been eating out too much lately, but it's usually Erica.

Nick (01:06:58.916)
So today I had some leftover ribs, pops to grilled some ribs on Sunday. No, they were the ribs the ribs were fine. And I I put in the oven, wrapped them in aluminum foil. They were they were delicious.

Neil (01:07:03.474)
God. Were they just like on the plate? Were they like on the plate in the fridge for five minutes?

Neil (01:07:12.781)
Uh-huh.

Nick (01:07:14.584)
But I needed another side, so I I was like, let's eat healthy. I had a bag of Brussels sprouts. I've never really tried to make Brussels sprouts.

Neil (01:07:19.883)
Mm-hmm.

You said cook with some boiling water, right?

Nick (01:07:24.748)
I steamed them. There was the one that you steamed in the back. And then I was gonna put them in a fr after I steamed them, put in a frying pan to with some extroversion olive oil to kind of get them crispy 'cause yeah, I probably should have done that. But here I want them to be because when they're you get in like a steakhouse or something, they're so good. I love I just never have Yeah, yeah, a little crunchy, and that's what I was trying to do. So I throw in some ones with some olive oil.

Neil (01:07:27.595)
Not the bag, yeah.

Neil (01:07:36.376)
you should have put him in air. You got an air fryer? I some air fryer. You loved to do the air fryer. Yeah.

Neil (01:07:46.945)
You like a you like a crispy little crunchy? Like what you Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Nick (01:07:54.752)
After I had steamed them for a couple minutes to get not frozen.

Go to pepper use the wrong side of the pepper. And basically half the pepper bottle goes in there. So I'm like, so I'm like, now how can I dilute this pepper? So I'm looking to see what other vegetable I could probably throw in there just to make it to be more vegetables. So then it becomes less pepper. That's my mindset. So I had a can of corn, I throw that in there, I was like, corn and Brussels will go well together.

Neil (01:08:08.653)
You start sneezing.

Neil (01:08:23.201)
Yeah.

Neil (01:08:28.8)
Okay.

Nick (01:08:30.222)
Bro, I still can't. I can't even it was so peppery. I still couldn't eat it. Like it just like because I threw the corn in there with the with just the the juice or the water, whatever it is, hoping that it would soak up some of that water. The w it's all just pepper, straight pepper juice. I tried to eat it. I'm sneezing for five minutes. It was I've I've ruined my brussels. So when you're using pepper, look at the side you opened.

Neil (01:08:50.581)
I feel you gotta be sneezing.

Neil (01:08:59.425)
Well y th th that's just that's yeah.

Nick (01:09:01.72)
I've never made the mistake before.

But I run a perfectly good bag of Brussels sprouts, a can of corn. Try I tried to eat it. I put on my plate and I took like two bites and I'm like, no, this is I'm like, do I try to throw something in there to salvage it or am I just gonna run something else?

Neil (01:09:19.265)
Where'd you get the let's get back to the ribs. I don't care about your Brussels anymore. I'm just talking about these ribs. Where'd you get the ribs from?

Nick (01:09:24.428)
On Sunday, I don't Pops grilled a ton of ribs on Sunday.

Neil (01:09:29.135)
pops out there on the like a smoker? Is he just doing the grill? What's he got out there? Okay. Okay.

Nick (01:09:32.652)
And smoked them all day. Smoked all day. And I took home two little four piece ribs, like good little size ribs, with four bones in each of And had a little bit of macaroni and cheese left over that mom made. And I was like, but I want another side because I'll eat one rack of ribs today and then I'll eat the neck tomorrow. Well, because I ruined the Brussels, I ate all the ribs today and the and the mac and cheese. And

Neil (01:09:43.735)
Yeah.

Nick (01:10:02.776)
Now I'm now I'm out of food. But

They were good, dude. Pops did a good job. Pops did a good job.

Neil (01:10:10.315)
Bruce, I need to know the next time he's making some ribs, I'll make my way over there. Speaking of ribs, I saw a commercial for Applebee's. It's like $14.99 all you can eat boneless wings and riblets. So while you're over there going to your Applebee's iHop combo, no, I mean I I I mean when you're out there at your Applebee's iHop combo when you're eating your double stack of pancakes, you can get yourself a side of all you can eat riblets.

Nick (01:10:14.084)
Well, I'm I'm sure you're invited.

Nick (01:10:25.631)
Hold on. Are you coming?

Nick (01:10:36.324)
So to me it's still wild that there is an Applebee's iHop combo restaurant. It's been wild from the beginning. But if you want beer with your pancakes, I guess it makes sense. And I will say the iHop Applebee's combo that just opened this week or last on the Dixie Highway has been absolutely slammed ever since it opened.

Neil (01:11:02.477)
That surprises me none. Surprises me none. Surprises me none.

Nick (01:11:04.64)
Absolutely slammed.

But if you wanna go out there and and get you some riblets and then afterwards get some get some dessert pancakes

I mean, you think about it, it works. You you g you get you get your pancakes, you get some chicken tenders, then you make a little taco out of that.

Neil (01:11:24.193)
Does it work? It's working.

Neil (01:11:33.325)
Did yourself an OM cheeseburger?

Nick (01:11:35.662)
Yeah. I mean I will I ever go in there? Probably not. Is there a chance that

Neil (01:11:40.621)
No, you gotta do it. You I want you to go in there and then give us the honest review here on the podcast.

Nick (01:11:46.786)
On the pie?

Neil (01:11:47.777)
I mean, maybe we'll go together. We need to pick a day, we'll go out there together.

Nick (01:11:51.458)
I think we need more content. It could be funny. We we

Neil (01:11:56.172)
The Applebee's iHop combo. Well, I mean, apparently we got to make a reservation. So Steve can get us a res Steve can get us a table for two.

Nick (01:12:00.613)
I I think we do and we might we might have to do it a week in advance at the at the way it looks right now. Lines out the door, lines out the door.

Neil (01:12:06.285)
See if he can squeeze us in for a table for them. I'll check open table and see if they got any open spots.

Nick (01:12:13.252)
We I'll look into it. I'll r I'll I'll I'll try to get us on a list. But no, I I think that would be a good idea. And I think this Tuesday when we play next Tuesday when we play a little golf for Father's Day with with with the pops and the and the father in law, the the two Bruces. We we need to re record some video. We we will do the test of me on the third hole.

Neil (01:12:33.591)
Bruces, yeah.

Nick (01:12:42.244)
To determine if I win five million dollars or if I will go to jail. So I think we need to record that. And maybe just a couple holes where we play against each other. And then maybe a couple holes with the Bruces playing against each other. Who who's gonna win that? How how good's Bruce Fall been playing? Do you know?

Neil (01:13:01.589)
I didn't play with him this year. I think he he's he's doing pretty well.

Nick (01:13:06.49)
'Cause my Bruce is playing three or four times a week.

Neil (01:13:10.593)
Yeah, I think your Bruce is l probably a little bit better, than Bruce Fall, but

Nick (01:13:16.602)
'Cause we he w he's so excited about it. He was talking about what the teams would be. And

Neil (01:13:21.719)
Tough course.

Nick (01:13:23.416)
Yeah. I I normally you're you're gonna beat me there normally.

Neil (01:13:24.641)
Let's no listen. We've played there before. Like we we know f we're familiar with it. Your dad's played with us there last year. This will be Bruce Ball's first time there. So it's good it's it'll be a little bit of an adjustment, I think.

Nick (01:13:32.398)
Yeah. Yeah.

Nick (01:13:38.774)
and th are they gonna play up or what were we gonna do there?

Neil (01:13:42.529)
Yeah, y I think senior tees for at least them you can play up too if you want to. I mean you're old as hell too. I mean, what are you now, fifty five? I think you qualify.

Nick (01:13:47.928)
Of será, bufera.

Not fifty five yet. still got a long way to go for fifty five and I'm old enough. I don't need to be adding additional years to my age because I already had a hard enough time saying I'm forty five because it just doesn't seem real.

Nick (01:14:07.278)
But Alright. I don't think I have anything else.

Neil (01:14:11.989)
Nope, Joe didn't give us what would Joe do. Joe does suck.

Nick (01:14:14.404)
Joe sucks. He asked us if we wanted something morally, like something moral, or if we want something fun. And I'm like, dude, something fun. We ain't trying to get too deep. And then he just ghosted us. Just straight ghost.

Neil (01:14:30.519)
Sad.

Nick (01:14:32.354)
I I think before we get off we got a prayers up for for Kenny Klein who's going through a little little medical issue right now and I the prayers are working right now. So just just keep sending and just let him know that his with his family, all of our thoughts and prayers are with them and we wanna see Kenny get out of this.

Neil (01:14:53.569)
Yeah, one of the best.

Nick (01:14:55.802)
the the absolute GOAT. And just seeing the amount of local media and national media that have talked about him and just to be a small part of of what he did at Louisville for 40 years was such an honor. And I want nothing more than him to get out of there. So sorry to end this on a sad note, but I had to say something. for the 6'6 meal, I am the 14 Nick. You've been listening to High Differential. Remember to follow us on social media at Height Differential.

Wait and leave a review on ha whatever podcast provider you are listening to. And I guess next week we'll talk World Cup or whatever to talk we'll wrap up the US Open. It won't be on Tuesday night, I bet, 'cause we're playing golf. So I'm I we'll show we'll record on Wednesday of next week.

For nails, I'm Nick. We'll talk to you next week. Yep.