LeBron's Next Team? USMNT Drama & Magnitude Stuns Sovereignty

Nick (00:02.293)
You read

Neil (00:03.555)
Yep.

Nick (00:05.557)
Episode 50 on the verge of America's 250. It's the height differential. That's the 6'6 0. I am the 410 Nick. Got a lot to talk about. Men's USA win in the round of 32 against Bosnia. But we're losing Flo Balogun. We'll talk about that. A lot of things going on in the NBA.

Magnitude wins to Stephen Foster last week and there's some news regarding Golden Tempo. And there's a there's gonna be a wedding. There's a wedding on Friday at Madison Square Garden.

Neil (00:44.653)
Yeah.

Nick (00:47.391)
Don't you just wish you could be there on Friday to be a part of that beautiful ceremony?

Neil (00:52.14)
Is it confirmed it's at MSG? Okay. I I saw some reports that I mean they you know they rented it out for three days, but then there's some other reports that said that the wedding is not officially there and I don't know, but I mean it's gonna be a star sludded affair. I wouldn't mind being a guest in attendance.

Nick (00:53.973)
Yeah.

Nick (01:07.423)
Like is the hope like what are they using? They're using the whole arena?

Neil (01:12.654)
I guess. I think they said it was what about a thousand guests, which that is remembering the seats nineteen thousand or something. No, of course not.

Nick (01:16.117)
Okay. Yeah, they're not the the arena's not gonna be full.

Nick (01:23.057)
I I must have I didn't know that they were engaged yet. I didn't I don't remember them getting engaged. Okay. and like I know they talk about them getting married, but it's just like all of a sudden it it's it's happening. And they're doing it at S G. Big big time month for MSG. Get NBA title and then you get which is maybe the most famous couple in

Neil (01:28.205)
What?

Yeah, it's been like over a year, I feel like.

Neil (01:40.812)
Yeah. Yeah.

Neil (01:46.306)
Yeah.

What? Yeah.

Nick (01:52.041)
The United States getting married.

Neil (01:54.936)
True. That is true.

Nick (01:58.005)
Well we'll get into we'll maybe get into that. I don't know if there's much more to add. just two famous people getting married in front of a lot of people at the most famous arena in the world. Or at least in the United States.

Neil (02:09.164)
Is it gonna be streamed? Like people be able watch this thing? Like a Netflix special? I feel like they could monetize this wedding.

Nick (02:16.263)
I a hundred percent I mean if if they want to do that, it would be an option because a lot of people would watch it. Maybe they want it to be a private ceremony. I don't know. I haven't seen whether it would be streamed or not, but they could make a lot of money off of it, there's no doubt. But happy fourth of July to everybody. It's hopefully gonna be a a beautiful weekend. You spend it with your family at the pool, at the lake, on the beach, drink some beverages, eat some dogs.

Celebrate two hundred and fifty. Watch the hot dog eating contest as Joey Chestnut does he's back in it, right? Yeah. So but we'll start off by talking the the World Cup. The the men's team on Wednesday night gets a two to nothing victory. They're only their second ever win in in the knockout round. Now, obviously this is the first time that's been thirty-two teams, but their second ever knockout win, their first since two thousand and two.

Neil (02:46.687)
yeah.

He's back, yep.

Nick (03:12.671)
They ended a ten game losing streak to European competition. But I think the story was that red card in the in the sixty seven in the sixty-second minute.

Neil (03:24.95)
Yeah, I mean that that was obviously huge. You know, y y at the time the US is up one nothing. They get the red card and all of a sudden you're playing with ten men, so then you're getting a little worried about, okay, can we fend this off, you know, the last twenty to twenty five minutes of the game. Can we fend off Bosnia with only ten men? and we did. You know, they they they they showed they could do it and they even added an another goal late, to even pad the lead with with a man down. But when you go and face a a team like Belgium

Who coming in is probably one of the top ten teams, you know, in this tournament. Without your best player, it's gonna be difficult. It's gonna be difficult.

Nick (03:59.839)
Well a and also can we like neither one of us are gonna sit here and pretend that we're soccer experts. But I mean I just it's bullshit call.

Neil (04:04.694)
No, no.

Neil (04:11.662)
To the common fans, like us? Yes. I mean do by rule?

Nick (04:12.146)
Like Yes. But even the even the experts, like Taylor Tw Twelman, like they're all saying and even all the the analysts on on TV, like if you are purposely trying to rake somebody's ankle with your cleat, then yes, that is a red card. This was not on purpose. This was an inadvertent thing.

Neil (04:28.238)
Yeah.

Nick (04:42.206)
Like to me it's just it's unnecessary and they have VAR. They're able to look at it in slow motion. It works it looks worse in slow motion than it does in real time. Like and like it'd be one thing if it the red card took him out of that game, but it takes him out of the next game. And to me, it's just a unnecessary card.

Neil (05:02.892)
Or is there an appeals process? Like can they try to appeal this or no?

Nick (05:06.12)
They can appeal if they extend the suspension. So if if the if FIFA decided that this was worth more than a one game suspension and decided to extend it to he's missing two games, then they could appeal it. But because it's just a red card and he's just missing the next game, there is no appeals process.

Neil (05:26.91)
Ugh. That's ridiculous. It's ridiculous. You should like when you miss a game, like when you're suspended for a game, you should be able to appeal it and and have some common sense prevail here that this was not a malicious attack, you know, with the cleat. It was just an accidental event and you know, you should be able to play. But I don't know, soccer soccer has so many stupid rules that it's whatever.

Nick (05:54.237)
I just because we know basketball so much more than than we know soccer. Like I just envision a play where something that similar happens and obviously it's on ax on accident, they're gonna get called for a foul and they should get called for a foul. But if they go to the monitor, they're not gonna extend it to a flagrant because he just stepped on his foot on accident.

Neil (06:16.878)
Well even in basketball, flagrant too, you get ejected for that game, but guess what? You can come back and play the next one. Like let play.

Nick (06:20.286)
Well yeah. I mean that's what that's what makes this so I mean just tough to handle is that you're gonna lose your best player against Belgium i in the round of thirty two on your home turf. Like you're taking away the host country's best player in the round of thirty two for

something that is not clearly warrant the red card. And and like Twellman said, you you don't understand the plot if if if you're making this this call.

Neil (06:53.239)
No.

Neil (06:56.76)
But it was the referee that made the call, right? Like W but doesn't doesn't the referee still make the final decision after looking at the video? So I think it was I mean it's it's this referee, it's it's a one man jury and he determined that it was what it was. And to me that doesn't make any sense, but it is what it is.

Nick (06:59.06)
It was referee and then VAR upheld it. V A R.

Nick (07:05.481)
Yeah.

Nick (07:19.38)
But now they gotta face a Belgium team who really was on the verge of was on the verge of losing to Senegal. Down two one late and then score in the down two and then

Neil (07:25.08)
They almost I mean they should have lost. Yeah. Yeah. Two

With in the eighty third minute they were down two and they scored in I think it was the eighty third and the eighty sixth. And then a hundred and twenty second.

Nick (07:38.366)
And then they scored in the 126th minute to win.

Nick (07:44.83)
I don't know. The I'll it just

Neil (07:45.847)
It's it's gonna be hard. It's gonna be hard without your best player, but not impossible. Like I said, Belgium has not looked like a team that's you know, that's very good. They've they've looked pretty mediocre throughout this tournament. So is it impossible? No. It's gonna be hard. I think the US can still do it. but it's gonna take a great game.

Nick (08:07.392)
And like this is another thing too, like red cards don't happen very often. Like, this is the fifth he's the fifth American to get a get a red card in World Cup play. Fifth. And like for that for that He's the first of any country to score and get a red card in the same game since some dude for France in the two thousand six final. I'm not even gonna try to pronounce his name because I'm not gonna even gonna get it close. But like that's another like this just doesn't happen.

Neil (08:19.96)
Yeah.

Nick (08:35.942)
And like it just wasn't blatant enough to warrant it.

Nick (08:41.358)
And like you've never got past the round of sixteen. You you feel like you've got your best team that you've put out there in a long time. And you lose your best player. But I you talked about the the free kick in in the eighty second minute by Malik Tillman. Dude, that thing that was that was bending it, baby. It was sick. And he had just changed his cleats because he I guess he had blood. Yeah.

Neil (08:49.101)
Yeah.

Neil (09:02.622)
Beautiful. Beautiful. yeah.

Neil (09:09.004)
He got stepped on, yeah. Red card that person. Where's that red card?

Nick (09:10.888)
So he just No kidding. And then the Bosnia manager or coach, whatever, is going nuts after getting all the calls. Holds on to the ball. Yeah. Wouldn't even put it back in play.

Neil (09:19.436)
He picks up the ball. May just grab the ball. No, I mean overall the the US dominated the game. I mean, they had two goals called back that were offsides. One was really close, the other one was an obvious offside. they had another another shot that hit the the top crossbar, you know, so

Nick (09:38.9)
That was Balogun.

Neil (09:39.436)
They were attacking, they were they were shooting you know, they were getting their opportunities, a lot of opportunities, controlling the game and it really was never in jeopardy, except for when that red card came out and you thought you know, But even after that, they still dominated it.

Nick (09:54.089)
You just ended your your ten game losing streak to European teams. Now you get another European team. So you might as well make it two and You might as well avvenge the loss to them in the round of sixteen and two thousand and fourteen.

I mean, everybody's gonna be pumped up for this game coming off of July fourth weekend, everybody's gonna be recovering. They're all be we're all gonna be burnt and hung over and and ready to watch some soccer on on Monday night.

Nick (10:22.462)
There's a lot going on in the NBA. And

I think LeBron probably he's still doing it. Been been playing since three. He announced he's coming back next year. But he doesn't know where he's gonna go. Are we gonna see another decision? Like is this gonna be a a live television broadcast where he chooses where he wants to spend his final year?

Neil (10:32.653)
Still doing.

Neil (10:44.352)
No, I think he's too old for that. No, no. I think we're past all I think he's too old for that now. He's grown up since then and you know, how about that? How about he announces the day after the Lakers guarantee Bronny's contract that he's leaving? Smart. Got his yeah, got his kid two point whatever million. And then he's like, you know what? I'm gonna bounce. So, no, no more decisions. I think it'll just be a a a breaking news story from Shams and you know, and we'll just go from there. We'll find out on Twitter, like, you know, a lot of things we find out now.

Nick (10:56.596)
On purpose.

Neil (11:14.124)
But where do you think he ends up? I hear like the Heat, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Sixers might be in play, the Boyers, what do you what are you feeling?

Nick (11:22.296)
I I mean I don't think he's going to the Sixers. I I think it's either the Heat, the Cavs, because he's been there before. And and then maybe the Warriors with the opportunity to play with Steph. And I if if I'm him, like I don't think Cleveland can win, even with like

Neil (11:39.852)
Even with Donovan and Harden.

Nick (11:41.639)
I mean, it Harden's back on that team. I don't want to play with James Harden. And I I just they both need the ball so much. I his legacy already is just so different because he's went Cavs, Heat, Cavs, Lakers. He's just been so many different places. And the Warriors might be 2 0 too, and you're adding another old guy. I mean I don't know. Like how good is LeBron still? Is he still a top ten player in the league?

Neil (11:44.886)
No I wouldn't either.

Nick (12:12.55)
If he is, he's he's at the very back end of that.

Neil (12:12.696)
Probably. Yeah.

Nick (12:17.8)
I mean

Neil (12:21.4)
I mean, that's intriguing. You get a little LeBron and Giannis action?

Nick (12:24.38)
I I guess I just I don't think the Warriors can win with a bunch of old dudes. They've he helps They still have Jimmy Butler too, but will Jimmy Butler be healthy?

It I don't I don't know I don't know where he's gonna go. I don't I don't think there's a perfect fit. Any of those like going back home and finishing your career in Cleveland I think would be cool. I don't think he's gonna win there. You've never been at the Warriors, do you just try to chase one more ring with a bunch of old guys, or do you go play with Giannis and return to Miami? I mean

Neil (12:56.558)
What about Boston? Boston been mentioned? I mean now that Jalen Brown's gone, you get Tatum and LeBron together?

Nick (13:00.5)
I don't know. I

Nick (13:04.948)
I don't know, what do you think?

Neil (13:07.202)
I think it goes the Heat, to be honest with you. say the yeah. Heat or if he just wants to make one more appearance with his hometown Cavs, just a farewell swan song, maybe that, but I would say probably the heat or the calves.

Nick (13:20.436)
I mean if I'm him, like I've already won my rings, maybe I just go back to Cleveland to finish my career at home. Maybe that outweighs everything and and becomes the way I make my decision. I think if I were him, that's probably what I would do. I and then see if I'd get James Harden traded.

But I don't know. Like

Neil (13:39.288)
I mean Harden I mean technically Harden's a free eight. He did decline his player option, but the expectation was he was gonna re sign. I don't know if Lebron's decision impacts that and maybe they don't wanna re sign him now. So maybe.

Nick (13:52.667)
I I and I look, dude, I get it. LeBron's one of the best players in the history of the NBA. I d the the amount amount of times that he's jumped teams, I think it just tarnishes his legacy a little bit.

Neil (14:02.25)
for God's sakes. No. No. The main has been, he's won everywhere. He's won a title in every city he's played in. He went to the NBA finals with a Cavs team of like Zeldrunis Elgauskis and Delante West and a bunch of has like nobody's ever heard. Like he got a really bad team to the NBA Finals. Like, no. LeBron's the best. LeBron's the best to ever do. Like, I know you're a Georgian man.

Nick (14:03.986)
Do not at all?

Nick (14:17.044)
Yeah, booby.

Nick (14:23.388)
The w we've we've had that point for twenty years. Yeah, I know that. And that was with his first team. And then he jumped ship to go

Neil (14:30.316)
You're a Jordan guy and all that. You're not gonna you're not gonna agree that LeBron's better than Jordan, but LeBron's the best to ever do it. He's the leading scorer all time in NBA history. He's probably top five in a bunch of other categories. LeBron's the best to do it.

Nick (14:44.648)
I I yeah, I'm never gonna agree with that. And the fact that he played on so many different teams adds a layer to that. the fact that he lost I mean he got to the finals every year at for one at a for a portive career, which is unbelievable, regardless of who he was on. I I know that. I know that. Jordan also never lost in the NBA Finals. And I get it Jordan played for the Wizards to end his career because but he didn't play for five different teams.

Neil (14:59.192)
And he was the reason. He was the reason.

Nick (15:13.864)
And he was tired of the Bulls ownership. Like he is he was he was a really good baseball player. I don't like like you don't think it like not even a little bit. Him going like Cavs, Heat, Cavs, Lakers to in another spot doesn't change his legacy at all.

Neil (15:16.718)
Jordan's a baseball player anyway.

Neil (15:30.54)
No.

Nick (15:34.558)
Like who's another player that is as great as he is, that has been changed teams as often as he did?

Neil (15:42.082)
Wayne Gretzky. He was a king, a ranger. I'm I'm sure he played somewhere else along Don Ryan.

Nick (15:47.315)
Nolan Ryan.

Nick (15:51.679)
Mean th they they exist, but I just I have I don't know what it like I just enjoy players that spend the majority of their careers with one team. And I think it adds to their legacy.

Neil (16:06.83)
Don't make a difference to me. Doesn't it doesn't affect the the the the kind of player he is and was. No. Who cares about it? I like I don't care about LeBron's like what do you what his legacy like he's the best player to ever play the game. Like I don't know what legacy I don't care if he's played for thirty two teams. He could have played for a different team every season, and it's not gonna diminish the fact that he's the best player to ever play.

Nick (16:07.686)
At all.

Nick (16:14.088)
I didn't think I d I didn't like the talking about him as a player. I'm talking about his legacy.

Nick (16:33.14)
I I think it does. Now it would be kinda cool to see a player's like, Look, I'm always gonna try to do it with all thirty two teams and switch teams every year and see who I win chips with and see who I don't win winships with. I mean

Neil (16:44.077)
Mm-hmm.

Nick (16:48.542)
For an experiment, I wouldn't mind seeing that.

Neil (16:50.784)
Fine one contract.

Nick (16:52.853)
I mean, what are what are the Celtics doing?

Neil (16:58.104)
Giving away a Jalen Brown for an old Paul George and a couple picks.

Nick (17:05.406)
Like, when was the last time Paul George was relevant?

Neil (17:10.168)
Probably when he was a pacer. When he was getting the pacers to the Eastern Conference finals.

Nick (17:16.06)
And they're getting what two first round picks in twenty eight and thirty one. And two second round picks in twenty eight and thirty.

I I know they were dangling Jalen Brown to try to get Giannis to Boston. And I guess was the relationship so like was the r was the relationship over after they did that where they figured figured out they had to trade him somewhere regardless of what they got in return? Like or was they just didn't want him to be part of their team anymore?

Neil (17:46.901)
Yeah. Well, I mean, didn't didn't Jalen Brown make some take he said something in the media, took a shot at at Tatum. So I feel like maybe he Yes, yes, correct. So I feel like there might be a little friction there between Tatum and and Brown and you know, if one has to go, you're gonna get rid of Jalen Brown. You're gonna keep Jason Tatum. So that probably had something to do with it. Maybe Jalen Brown won it out. I I don't know, but

Nick (17:58.034)
Yeah, he said it was he said it was his favorite year of basketball ever.

Neil (18:16.686)
I feel like he could have gotten a little bit better than Paul George in return.

Nick (18:20.476)
One thousand percent. And you didn't even get a draft pick in this upcoming draft?

Neil (18:27.294)
You got you got no players that are gonna help you right now.

Nick (18:30.408)
And you're trying to win right now. You're the Celtics.

Neil (18:33.23)
Correct.

Nick (18:34.598)
And honestly, they failed just with that core by just winning one championship. That core should have won more than one championship. And and now you're tearing it up for a fifty year old Paul George who hasn't been relevant since basically his Pacers days. And and you're getting four picks. Like the S the Sixers, okay. We'll we'll take Jalen Brown off your hands.

Neil (18:42.574)
I would agree.

Neil (18:51.192)
Haves days, yeah.

Neil (18:59.158)
Mm-hmm.

Nick (19:00.82)
Like it's and it's so funny, like it's more fun to talk the moves in the NBA than it is is to watch and the whole season. Like talking about this is more fun than watching the games.

Neil (19:11.576)
True. That's true. I mean there's been yeah, there's there's a lot of moves. Like you like Giannis is now in in Miami. we've got John Morant going to Portland. Like nobody ever follows the Trailblazers, but Portland trying to make a move. so yeah, there's some superstars on the move.

Nick (19:32.462)
Ja Morant man, his stock has just went from as high as it could be to

Neil (19:37.656)
Well, it's because he was an idiot and decided to start pulling guns and doing other stupid stuff, but

Nick (19:47.518)
Tim Hardaway Jr. is is just signed with the the Miami Heat. And his dad, his dad, Tim Hardaway Sr., played for the Heat from 96 to 2001. Was a two time All Star in those five years. Was all he was all NBA first, second team a couple times. He had his number retired. He played five, six seasons there, but had his number retired. Number 10. Tim Hardaway Jr. wears number 10.

Neil (19:59.725)
Yeah.

Nick (20:17.011)
And would like to wear number ten at the at the heat. But Pop say Pop's ain't allowing it. Pop's ain't allowing his own kid to wear number ten in a heat jersey. He says, My legacy is my legacy. And he's doing it his way. Even though he likes to wear ten, he loves to wear ten, but that is not coming down from the rafters.

Neil (20:43.438)
I mean I'm I'm on his side on that. Like you know, like that is my leg. That's like that's his legacy. Like that's the you know, like y your kid can go get it go create your own legacy. Go get your own number retired. Go be great with the heat and get your own number retired.

Nick (20:45.715)
No way.

Nick (20:59.251)
Do you know why he wears tin? Because his dad wore tin.

Neil (21:00.92)
Probably first dad. Yeah.

Nick (21:05.201)
That's this is the most one of the most selfish things I've ever seen. It's your own son who wants to continue your legacy, wear your number, in your honor. The name on the jersey is the same. The name on the jersey is the same.

Neil (21:08.972)
I don't.

Neil (21:14.85)
His legacy's over. The legacy the the the the ch The legacy's been written.

Neil (21:22.286)
There's a J R at the end of Hardaway on

Nick (21:24.039)
Didn't have to be.

That's not required. Like, this is one of the most insane things I've ever There's no way. Like, you should be so honored that your son wants to wear your number and play for the same franchise that you played, that you would run and be like, I'll go tear it down myself so you can wear it. Instead, he's just like, nah, bro, wear eleven. You ain't get you ain't getting mine. You really you're really on senior side here.

Neil (21:28.462)
That's true.

Neil (21:52.235)
I don't have that big like I I don't have I sure like it would it be cool, yeah, but like I don't have as big a problem with it as you do.

It's legacy that like he's in the ra the legacy's over. The chat like the book has been written, his jersey's in the rafters. It's gonna stay there. You wanna wear tin? You can p wear tin everywhere else. But not here. Even though you're even though it's your own son.

Nick (22:12.381)
Well he's not changing he's not changing his mind. He said this is tough to do. When it's up there, you want it to stay up there and you don't want nobody to touch it.

Neil (22:23.928)
Hold that.

Nick (22:25.265)
It's a you're a bad dad! You're a bad dad!

Neil (22:27.02)
You're no

Nick (22:33.141)
It is not ridic the he is ridiculous.

Neil (22:37.43)
What's a w it's a number. It's just a number. Like the relationship between father and son isn't gonna change because of a number. I don't think so.

Nick (22:40.945)
Right.

Nick (22:45.541)
It might.

Nick (22:49.223)
You don't like I just I can't even comprehend the world where you're like no. It's not even something it's the easiest decision of all time.

Neil (23:04.28)
Not that easy, Tim Hardaway not on your side. So it's can't be that easy.

Nick (23:10.205)
So he's gonna wear eleven. And he's wore eleven before because he's been at other teams that had ten retired, but they weren't retired because of his father. They were retired because of other players. I just it's

It's wild to me.

Nick (23:29.735)
We're we're just recording this on Thursday, so we're we're a couple of days away. We we've had I've been watching my nephews play All Stars all week and then I was at Hamilton on on Tuesday, then we had soccer last night. So we're recording this on on Thursday afternoon. But the Stephen Foster on Saturday.

You you were on sovereignty. He went what'd he end up going off at? One to one?

Four to five. I think four to five maybe. Heavy favorite in a loaded field.

Neil (23:57.175)
Probably yeah, four to five, yeah.

Nick (24:03.781)
Magnitude at the start at the start just jumps through the gate.

Neil (24:07.789)
Yeah.

Nick (24:09.703)
Which that's kind of fifty to fifty to me. Sometimes I'm like, that dude that dude's ready to go. But it also worries you a little bit. And then they got him back to the gate and dude was ready to go. And and Magnitude took off, got to the lead. Baeza once again, just like he did in the Ali Sheba on on Oaks Day. Did got off to a terrible start. Willie Dees was not a factor in the pace at all. Magnitude just got out front and led the ho went wire to wire.

Neil (24:20.898)
He was ready to go.

Nick (24:39.695)
Sovereignty looked like coming around that turn that he was gonna make his move from the outside and then really just didn't have anything left. And the only horse that was catching him was Baeza, and you do wonder if Baeza gets off to a better start, which you it just is something that he always has done recently. He's not gotten off to a good start.

Neil (24:54.242)
He never does.

Nick (25:01.657)
I pretty impressive performance from magnitude. Coming off the Dubai, winning this race against these horses. He he's he was number two horse in on in the rankings coming into it and he's still gonna be two now. But were you disappointed in Sovereignty's run?

Neil (25:18.05)
Yeah, a little bit. A little bit. I mean, you just gotta give credit to magnitude. I mean, we we talked about it coming in, he'd won three in a row. He was probably the hottest horse of of the five going into this race. and he proved it again, you know.

He he he got like you said, you called it the race that was run was exactly how you said it was gonna go with magnitude getting out front and basically never not giving up the lead and that's what he did. So props to you for calling that one right. Sovereignty, I mean, there was no excuse for him. He was right there at the top of the stretch, right in the middle of the track, had a had a a clear lane. If he wanted to run past magnitude, he could have done it and he just didn't have enough. And you know, Baeza

When the gates open, he just froze and just stood there for a split second, like, my guy, like the you better run. And so he finally got it going and you know, he was flying down the stretch. So if he got off to a better start, maybe he would have f finally won a stakes race, but he didn't. You know, he once again comes in the money like he always does. But yeah, a little disappointed in sovereignty. There was no excuse. It was there for the taking and he just didn't take it.

Nick (26:22.129)
You do wonder if it's a mile and a quarter instead of a mile eighth if Baeza gets up to him because he was moving. But yeah, I Sovereignty now has had two pretty just okay performances. losing to Watabario in the Oakland and now losing to to Magnitude and Baez in in the in the Stephen Foster. I like do you think he's still a candidate to win like to compete in the Classic or

At what we're seeing right now?

Neil (26:52.942)
I mean, he's not gonna be the the the favorite like he was in this race. I think he's a cana is he a a candidate to win? Sure. I mean he's won big races before. He does seem to be slowing down, with with his last two performances, but I mean he's still the horse of the year last year. He's won a ton of big races. I mean, I still think he has a some some left in the tank, but he's not gonna be the favorite. I mean that's for sure. I don't think he'll even be the second choice going into the classic.

Nick (27:17.329)
No, he he won't be he won't be ahead of magnitude, that's for sure. And I with it's just like if you could just figure out a way to get by easy to out of the gate, I think you can beat anybody in the country. And his last two races have been unbelievable. It's just he's given everybody ten links to start the race. And that's a hard thing to overcome against really good horses. And he almost did it.

that the story of the race for me was just Magtude getting start, just and never giving up the lead and Baez's bad start and sovereignty just not really having enough. I I did win some money, put twenty dollars on Magnitude. It went off was seven to two at the gate and then ends up at five to two because you know how that goes. But it it was nice to hit a little race for once because I had been on a cold streak. But we also learned before the race, Shere DeVaux.

Neil (28:05.752)
Cars.

Nick (28:17.349)
announced that that Goten Tempo is is battling a little bit of an illness and and will not be in the dandy. We we had talked about could he copy what Sovereignty did last year, winning the Derby, the Belmont, the Dandy, and the tra and the Travers. That's now out because he won't be racing. I a little disappointed, but I wanted to see him try to run a the mile and eighth dandy to see if he could win a shorter race.

Neil (28:42.914)
Yeah. Yeah, it is disappointing, but you know, you gotta do what's best for the horse, and if he's not at a hundred percent, obviously you're not gonna gonna run him out there. So a little disappointing 'cause you're you're right. I wanted to see what he could do on a shorter track as well. if if he could still come off from off the pace and still still get up. But you know, hopefully he'll be he'll be back on the mend and and get healthy and we'll see him at the Travers and see if he can see if he can do it there. But yeah, a little disappointing.

Nick (29:10.887)
Get little little sniffles, little sniffles action. But yeah, take care of the horse. Yeah, take care of the horse. but yeah, I I just I really wanna see if he could do it in at a shorter distance and it's unfortunate that we're not gonna see that. but they did say that they're now pointing towards a travers, so we will see. That should be a really good field i in in both of those races.

Neil (29:12.684)
No, a little cold, yeah.

Nick (29:33.213)
Fourth of July weekend, what what are you most excited about?

Neil (29:37.283)
Well, we're coming over to your house. So looking forward to Saturday, a little pool party. Little cookout at the Swacko Lane over there. So So if anybody's listening, come out to Swacko Lane on on Saturday and hang out with the height differential crew. But looking forward to it. Love a good pool party. Love the smell of the the the burgers and dogs on the grill and a an ice cold coors light where the mountains are blue in the koozy. So we'll be floating, sipping, eating, be a good time.

Nick (29:44.955)
Okay, wacko on wacko.

Do whack one to I go.

Nick (30:06.341)
It's and look, dude, it's gonna be hot in that like yesterday we get up and we play eighteen out at at Cardinal Club. It was hot out there. It was hot out there. And then I leave there to go straight to South Oldham Little League to sit in the sun a and watch my nephew win the the ten U tournament. They now will play the compete in the Kentucky State Tournament here in a couple weeks. But I ain't gonna lie to you. I would rather

Neil (30:17.122)
Very hot.

Nick (30:35.699)
Play golf moving around than just sit in the sun and watch baseball. Like I felt like it was hotter just sitting there.

Neil (30:43.222)
Yeah, just getting cooked. Yeah. Yeah.

Nick (30:46.257)
And plus I I get it, like being out in it already the whole day and already kind of feeling gross and then just sitting in it even more. But this morning, first thing I did, got in a pool.

Neil (30:59.096)
Smart.

Nick (30:59.975)
I was thinking about cutting the grass, but I'm not I'm not doing it. I'm gonna wait 'til it gets a little cooler this later today. And then we'll drive down to South Odom and watch my other nephew play. So I thought maybe we could do a Fourth of July, what did we say, food and drink draft? Kinda like the Thanksgiving draft that we did.

Neil (31:11.374)
There you go. There you go.

Neil (31:19.65)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, we do that.

Nick (31:24.275)
We'll do a we'll do a little snake. We'll we'll both pick what, four? Four things?

Neil (31:27.758)
Four, let's go four. Four things.

Nick (31:30.759)
Who goes first?

Neil (31:32.876)
I'll let you go you go ahead and crack go ahead and crack it with the first pick. Go ahead.

Nick (31:36.776)
Well, I'm I am definitely gonna crack it. Several. You you gotta go with the ice code beer on on Fourth of July for for food and drink. You get you gotta and you gotta go several of And the the advantage of hosting is that you don't have to drive. So you can drink as many as you want. So ice code beer, first overall pick.

Neil (31:44.686)
Can't You can't beat it.

Neil (31:55.96)
There you go.

Good pick, good pick. My f second overall pick, but first pick for me, I'm gonna go the burgers on the grill. Give me I know hot dogs is a popular Fourth of July item. I'm more of a burger guy. Give me some some patties, some beef patties, sizzling on the charcoal grill, on the gas grill, on any kind of grill. Give me the the cooked meat as my pick.

Nick (32:21.843)
All what you got next?

Neil (32:24.076)
Next, this might be an unpop this is an unpopular opinion. A lot of people you either love or you hate You either love or you hate but baked beans. I love good baked beans. Give me some baked beans on the fourth of July. It's a fourth of July dish. I mean it's it's a dish you eat all year round, but it is it is prevalent on the fourth of July. Give me some good American Bush's baked beans. Okay.

Nick (32:27.825)
And you're going you're going third over wrong.

Nick (32:47.047)
That is terrible. Like also if you know me, you know that I'm not a beans guy, you could have got that the last pick.

Neil (32:55.598)
I'm just I d I I'm not going against you. I'm going against what the opinions of others.

Nick (32:58.739)
No, you well, you you could get that in the last round because you don't want to take it.

Neil (33:02.326)
Mm-hmm. That's true.

Nick (33:05.779)
Alright, you took burgers, I'm taking dogs. Dogs or b can dogs brats, is that the same category?

Nick (33:16.421)
I would t I would say they're the same damn thing. So dogs brats and then you gotta give me a little corn on the cob. Corn on the cob on the grill. Don't even shuck it, like throw it on there like that. Let the shuck catch fire. Tear it off. Put a little butter on it.

Neil (33:16.534)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Same thing. Same thing.

Nick (33:38.035)
Corn on the cop.

Neil (33:39.99)
Okay, okay. I think n you gotta go like the fresh fruit. You gotta get like your watermelon. You know, like watermelon, big summer fruit, you know, get your strawberries, blueberries, you know, a lot of people make like an American flag, like fruit platter. Give me some fresh juicy fruit.

Nick (33:58.439)
Well w you're taking the entire fruit world? You can't take the entire fruit world. What? You can't take all of fruit!

Neil (34:01.324)
Yeah, the whole fruit world. I can take the whole fruit world. The whole fruit world. I'm taking fruit out of the whole thing. It's a mix like what what if it's like a fruit platter? Like what if it's like a bowl of just mixed fruit?

Nick (34:16.595)
I just don't think you can take an entire genre of food. Like I can't I didn't take vegetables. I didn't take vegetables for corn and the cob.

Neil (34:19.35)
I took it. I took it. It's in the bag. It's already been taken. It's been taken. It's it's been checked out. It's put in the bag. It's on the way home. It's been sh it's been done. A whole fruit a whole fruit

Nick (34:29.907)
Like there's no doubt watermelon is the answer. Watermelon is the answer for the fruit.

Neil (34:35.416)
So what you gonna go are you gonna go strawberries or something after this?

Nick (34:37.799)
Well, y I would have taken if you would have taken strawberries, I definitely would've taken watermelon. I don't know if I would have taken strawberries.

Neil (34:42.624)
I said watermelon water watermelon would be the pick, but

Nick (34:47.315)
So let me I'm changing my third pick to vegetables. Like that's how ridiculous your pick is.

Neil (34:54.402)
It's not ridiculous. It's a fruit like a fruit tray. Watermelon's involved in that. It's a fruit tray.

Nick (34:56.027)
My first and my first pick is now alcohol. My first pick is alcohol and my third pick is vegetables.

Neil (35:02.518)
It's a fruit thing.

an idiot. It's like a fruit tray. It's like a a mixed thing of fruit. And watermelon's a part of that. Water by well fine. Watermelon. There you go. Go ahead and pick whatever other fruit you want. Took the whole taking the whole fruit category.

Nick (35:12.795)
There you go. There you go. Watermelon. Well, do you got another pick? So go ahead and take your strawberries now.

Neil (35:22.766)
No, I don't need to take strawberries. let's see, let's see. Let's go with a nice apple pie.

Nick (35:27.283)
I mean, yes.

Neil (35:29.442)
little dessert. It gotta have a little dessert to cook out. We're serving up some a apple pie with some ice cream on top.

Nick (35:35.05)
so now you're taking ice cream too?

Neil (35:37.592)
Taking it all. I'm taking all of it. Apple pie, olive mode, put a little ice cream on there. That's what we're going with.

Nick (35:44.627)
I mean, God, I was going gonna go ice cream.

Neil (35:48.632)
We're not you can go popsicles.

Nick (35:51.069)
I didn't wanna go popsicles.

Neil (35:53.68)
I hate potato salad.

Nick (35:55.111)
I'm not going potato salad. I will mustard potato salad is way better than mayonnaise-based potato salad, but still not my favorite thing. I mean you you basically took th three fourths or three fifths of the food pyramid with your selections. I can't take ice cream. I I guess I can take I can now take another fruit. No, I'm taking ice cream. You can't get apple pie and ice cream.

Neil (36:19.65)
Take ice cream. You put ice cream on top of the apple pie. You can take ice cream. Come on, take a standalone ice cream. I don't care. Take a standalone ice cream.

Nick (36:23.674)
You can't take both.

Nick (36:30.115)
I if I'm getting any ice cream, then I'm taking cookies and cream or vanilla. I'll take cookies and cream.

Neil (36:36.056)
No cotton candy?

Nick (36:38.586)
No. Is that back?

Neil (36:40.942)
Yeah, it's every summer. No, I haven't got it.

Nick (36:42.63)
Have you got it?

So this was what, one of our first ever shows.

And this dude's talking about cotton candy blizzards being the best blizzard at DQ.

Neil (36:58.478)
Still is.

Nick (36:59.334)
So and no, and also you would say they have the best fast food burger.

Neil (37:02.85)
They do still do.

Nick (37:04.496)
So I went and tried the burger. Went and tried the cotton candy blizzard. Two bites of the burger, it tastes like a fast food burger, and then I found a bread tie. A plastic bread tie in my third bite. So threw that away. And then the cotton candy blizzard, not even edible. Not even edible.

Neil (37:20.458)
that's just ridiculous. That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Also, speaking of fast food burgers, I did have culverse for the first time in like years the other day. The culverse burgers, really, really good.

Nick (37:24.548)
Not even edible.

Nick (37:28.636)
So good. So good.

Nick (37:33.97)
Like it's a it's an elevated burger. It's it's in the same realm as like a five guys.

And a and a Freddy's. Freddy's got a good burger. Like to me, like the DQs, the McDonald's, the Wendy's, they don't even compete with those. Like it's a it's a different category.

Neil (37:55.116)
Different type of fast food restaurant, I would say.

Nick (37:59.389)
Would you rather go to the lake or the pool for Fourth of July weekend?

Neil (38:07.822)
That's tough one. That's a tough one. I mean, am I on are we are we taking the boat out on the lake or are we just going to a dock floating around? Yeah, give me the boat. I'm a boat guy. Gimme the boat.

Nick (38:10.066)
It's meant to be tough.

Nick (38:14.182)
Yeah. Yeah, you're thinking about that.

Nick (38:20.336)
I I think I'm a pool guy. I think I'm a pool guy. You got access to to other like the grill, like the the you know, like

No, I don't know. Like both are great, but I I think I would pick pool. are you a fireworks guy?

Neil (38:38.988)
I'm indifferent. Don't hate Don't love I mean when I was a kid it was different. I feel like when you're a kid and you get to set off like it's way way more fun. As an adult, you just kinda they're alright.

Nick (38:50.746)
Here's like the people that do their own fireworks, I d I just I don't understand it.

Neil (38:57.998)
Nick (38:58.714)
Like spending that much money, creating that big a mess that you have to clean up.

I I don't mind just sitting there and watching other people do them. Like at night when you're drinking a beer you've had a day hanging out at the pool, like sitting down and watching them. I d I don't mind that. And but there's no world where I would ever drive to Indiana, spend three hundred dollars on fireworks, and then almost kill myself fifty times in the dark for other people's entertainment. And then

Neil (39:12.46)
Yeah. Yeah.

Nick (39:33.968)
And then have to clean up the ashes and the mess in my yard afterwards. Like no I want no part of it. And I don't understand why anybody would want to do that.

Neil (39:44.28)
Some people like blowing stuff up, I guess. I don't know. I'm with ya I'm I'm more of the I'm more of the watcher than than the buyer, yeah, but it's

Nick (39:52.508)
They're gonna start Do you think they're gonna start tonight or tomorrow night? People start shooting them off.

Neil (40:00.483)
hope tomorrow night, but there's some people that take the whole week and decide to set off every night, but I think tomorrow night's gonna probably be the start of o o of most of it. You'll get tomorrow night, you'll probably get fr Saturday night obviously and you'll probably get the leftovers on Sunday.

Nick (40:16.998)
Your dog how's your dog handle fireworks?

Neil (40:19.554)
She hates. She hides in the closet.

Nick (40:23.26)
Like opens the door in a closet and goes in there.

Neil (40:25.454)
Well the closet door's already open. It's my my she'll go to my closet.

Nick (40:29.084)
She just and that's does she go in that spot a lot?

Neil (40:32.733)
yeah, thunder and all that. Yeah, she she takes my she paws at my shoes, moves my shoes out of the way, and she sits in the back of the closet. Yep. That's her spot. Yep.

Nick (40:37.65)
Crap. And just like that's her safe space.

Nick (40:43.726)
Can you imagine like just being that scared and just not knowing what to do?

Neil (40:50.69)
Yeah, no, that's it. It sucks. Yeah.

Nick (40:51.056)
And you're like, Huh? And you it like every time there's fireworks you're like, shit, we're going back to the closet. I don't know what's happening.

Neil (41:00.524)
Well I wonder what they think is gonna happen to him.

Nick (41:03.398)
Well what goes on in a dog's brain would be somebody could figure out that. Like to get the live thoughts of a dog.

Neil (41:08.706)
I would love to know. I would love to figure out. Dude, it would be so awesome.

Nick (41:15.706)
I would it could be a a television show where you just follow your dog around. Like your dog especially. Like when peop random people walk in the house and that dog's like, I'm gonna kill these people that are trying to kill my family

Neil (41:28.31)
That's exactly what she's thinking. That's exactly what she's thinking.

Nick (41:34.578)
I don't know.

I'm took off work today. Golf tomorrow obviously. Nice little nice little four day week. Well, actually five day weekend 'cause we played golf yesterday.

Nick (41:49.84)
You playing a are you playing again this weekend?

Neil (41:52.768)
No. Don't have lines, do you? No.

Nick (41:55.431)
Me neither. Me neither. What else is what else is going on?

Neil (42:02.614)
Not much, man. don't know. Look forward to the holiday weekend. We'll like I said, be over at your house this weekend. Probably hit the pool tomorrow. We'll be at your pool on Saturday. Recover on Sunday and That's that's about it. I don't know.

Nick (42:18.002)
Yeah, it's it's it's a slower a slower week in sports really. It's just World Cup going on and NBA trades. The Braves can't win a game in baseball, the Reds can't win a game in in baseball. So we don't want to talk baseball right now. The Yankees can't win a game. The Marlins and the Phillies can't lose.

Neil (42:28.11)
Can't like

Neil (42:37.742)
Yeah.

Nick (42:39.77)
All-Star games coming up here soon. Who will be the Reds All-Star?

Neil (42:45.688)
Chase Barnes.

Nick (42:47.622)
Yeah, his numbers are pretty incredible.

Neil (42:49.678)
He's got a two like a sub two ERA.

Nick (42:52.154)
And he'll be their only one, right?

Neil (42:53.76)
Ellie maybe. I mean he he got hurt and he was out for a couple weeks, but he's I mean, he still had a pretty good start to the season and maybe Ellie, but Chase Burns for sure. But I always look forward to the baseball. It's the best s to me it's the of of the big four sports is the best all star game that there is.

Nick (43:14.204)
Well, it it's just the easiest game to play, you know? Because

Neil (43:18.85)
Yeah. Well why? Basketball can be easy to play. Like what do you mean? But why not?

Nick (43:21.534)
'Cause well, they just don't go full out. Like in baseball you I d I don't know. They just don't. And they can't really in football. They can't really go all out. Well they used to. They used to. Now they're playing flag football. But no, I agree with you one hundred percent. It's it's the best All Star game. And now that they finally brought back wearing the team uniforms where like those couple of years where they were wearing National League and American League uniforms, it was terrible.

Neil (43:31.81)
Why can't you lay somebody out? Why can't the linebacker just lay somebody out over the middle? I don't know. It's

Neil (43:45.368)
Yeah.

Neil (43:50.338)
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Nick (43:51.281)
So just seeing all out there in in in their their team's uni, I think adds another element to it.

Neil (43:58.605)
And the home run derby is going back to the classic home run derby where you you count outs or swings, you get a certain amount swings. So that's not doing time anymore. Which I'm a fan of. I hated the time thing, 'cause they pitched the ball before like the the the like dude would hit a five hundred foot home run, but you wouldn't see it on camera because the next pitch is coming before it even lands. So you couldn't ever actually appreciate the home runs that they were hitting.

Nick (44:05.126)
We're not doing timed anymore.

Nick (44:22.714)
No, they they've toyed with the derby so many times. Like, to me it was best when it was just ten outs.

Neil (44:29.368)
Problem was it was running for so long like it took t too long, which is why they did the time. But I enjoyed it. I agree with you. The outs Yeah, I agree.

Nick (44:35.058)
Like if somebody goes off, that's fun. And it's out there forever. Like it was Josh Hamilton that went off in like two thousand and eight where it made them change the rules because he I think Woody hit like forty. Yeah, it was insane. And and that's where they started changing the rules. But to me that's what home run derby is. You're right. Like I don't like and then you get extra if you hit a moon, like something goes so far. Like, get out of here with all that. Just ten ten outs. Yeah.

Neil (44:41.708)
Yeah Yes. Yes. Forty, yeah.

Neil (45:03.458)
How many bombs are you gonna hit? Yeah.

Nick (45:05.53)
And dude, the here's like so my nephews wanna and they always wanna play wiffle ball in the front yard. The the move is trying to talk them into playing home run derby instead of actual game. That way you don't have to play defense.

Neil (45:11.278)
Mm-hmm.

Neil (45:19.758)
Smart.

Nick (45:21.308)
So if you haven't used that strategy, but

Neil (45:25.614)
Were you a fan back in the day of Chris Berman on on the call doing the backback back?

Nick (45:30.224)
Yeah, of course. Of course. I I I think Bur Berman's a little gimmicky. I don't have him up there as one of my top broadcasters, but yeah, the back back back was awesome.

Neil (45:42.262)
the his catchphrases and his lines, like that's what made him popular.

Nick (45:45.841)
Yeah. That's what I mean that's what he was. I what he was on that movie, was it Were the Kids the Manager? Was he? He was the broadcaster on Yeah, Little Big Lake. Yeah. Yeah. I always thought I don't stuff like that. Always just I remember that stuff from moo movies when I was a kid.

Neil (45:55.299)
Yeah. Little biggie. Little bigger. Yes, it was.

Nick (46:08.688)
He's still doing it, dude.

Neil (46:10.454)
He is still doing it. Go for him.

Nick (46:15.494)
Well I don't know. It's it's gonna be a short show because not a lot going on, but excited for 4th of July. Hope everybody enjoys it, spends time with with friends and family, enjoy some dogs, some burgers, and celebrate 250. And dude, I I was at Hamilton on Tuesday night. If it's here for two weeks, so good, dude. So good. Do you have any desire to see it?

Neil (46:32.056)
Celebrate.

Neil (46:42.358)
Haven't seen. Yeah, I haven't seen that one.

I like Broadway shows, yeah. I mean I've seen my fair share. I've seen The Lion King, I've seen Wicked, I've seen Mary Poppins, you know, I've seen a couple of So I mean, obviously Hamilton has a reputation of being very, very good, so I would I didn't even know I was in town.

Nick (46:59.228)
Do you not know anything about it? Like you you've never listened to it?

Neil (47:02.998)
No. I mean is it basically is it Alexander Hamilton? Is that the character? Yeah. That's what I mean I figured, but

Nick (47:07.782)
Yes. Yeah. it's like when I was working at Moorhead and didn't have a place to stay, was driving back and forth a lot. It's about this time that that it was becoming popular. It was what, two thousand fifteen, two thousand two thousand fifteen. No, bro, on iTunes, I would just listen to that whole thing on the way. And it would it was about two hours long. It would get me there. And I've did that several times.

Neil (47:22.37)
What you little book on once you have a book on tape?

Neil (47:32.087)
Yeah.

Nick (47:35.428)
I I can't believe it's the first time I've seen it because I've been a fan of it for a long time. And it's just it's incredible. I do think that if you go there completely blind and not being familiar with who the people are and the story, I think it would be kinda hard to follow because it is so fast paced. Like my dad was asking a a lot of questions. 'Cause it 'cause it's hard. But I if you get a chance to get out there while it's here at the Kentucky Center, I

Neil (47:54.648)
Yeah.

Neil (47:58.083)
Okay. Yeah.

Nick (48:04.496)
suggest to it because dude it it's it's incredible. It's incredible. But I don't know. That's about all I got. make sure you subscribe to Hype Differential, however you listen to pods, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, rate it and leave a review. It helps other people find it. You can also follow us at Hype Differential on all social platforms.

You wanna wish the people fourth happy Fourth of July, bro?

Neil (48:33.036)
Yeah. Happy Fourth of July. Happy two fifty birthday to America. Celebrate responsibly, drink responsibly, light off fireworks responsibly. Make sure you have all f ten fingers and toes come Sunday. And don't set your house on fire.

Nick (48:43.186)
Please. Please. And and have a have a pillow in your closet for your dog.

Neil (48:49.73)
Yeah. Maybe a couple of dog treats in there too, some toys, you know.

Nick (48:53.574)
But happy Fourth of July, everybody. You listened to the the height differential. We will be back next week. We'll talk to you then. You

Nick (49:04.134)
I like the short, short episode.

Neil (49:06.83)
There you go.

Nick (49:09.296)
I gotta go I gotta go get stretched at three o'clock, so

Neil (49:15.042)
Go get stretched, bruh. She hot?

Nick (49:17.074)
No, it's Alex. It's a guy.

Nick (49:25.97)
I was hitting the ball farther yesterday, I feel like.

Neil (49:28.908)
Yeah, I think so.

Nick (49:31.271)
it also just could be moving more because it's so hot.

Nick (49:36.998)
Can't make any pot chest yeah.

Neil (49:41.389)
Yeah. Putting is hard.

Nick (49:43.323)
All right. I'm gonna stop it.