Every good team wants to keep their good players. Fans understand that, and
I think organizations understand that. The LA Clippers really no difference. They wanted
to keep James Harden, they wanted to keep pull George together. George instead
signed a four year, two hundred and twelve million dollar contract in Philadelphia last
week. You saw this, right, I mean, he's still a very
productive player. He's got no trade clause. And remember LA was I mean
that's his hometown, that's where he grew up, spent five seasons there,
was hoping to stay there. The Clippers offered him a two year contract.
His words, now, the Clippers offered him a two year contract worth sixty
million dollars. Trent, if I offered you a two year deal worth sixty
million dollars, how would you take that? Where do I sign? Right?
I know it's different because you're not an NBA player, at least you
weren't this morning when you woke up. And I also understand that you know
there are certain parameters that take place in the NBA and certain guys who expect
to be taken care of. How would you view how would you view Paul?
How would you view a guy like Paul George certainly one of the better
two way players in the league, even at this age. I mean he's
coming off. I don't want to call it a career year, but he
did play in seventy four games. A big concern with him has been health.
For context, the year before that, he played fifty six, year
before that thirty one, So I mean he did, I guess, make
a really solid case that he can be durable and he's earned this money.
And we see this a lot in football ship where guys in a contract year
will really be a little extra motivated. I wonder if we saw that with
Paul George this year. But it is interesting. I mean, he gave
an interview saying he kind of just wanted what Kawhi got, and Kawhi Leonard
is a guy who is a lot less reliable in terms of staying on the
court. So I do find it interesting. Yeah. Look, I mean
I don't know how old is old enough or too old for some people.
He's thirty four, right, so in theory, if you give him that
two year deal, he'd be thirty six by the time it's all yeah,
and he hasn't been super durable. He played fifty four games a couple of
years ago, played thirty one games in twenty twenty two. Last year he
played fifty six. This year he played seventy four. Yeah, and that's
seventy four by the way, that's his highest mark since twenty nineteen, when
he was still with a thunder for context, and he played seventy seven games
there. In fact, he's only played all eighty two games. Well,
he's never done it now. I don't think that's the measuring stick because I
think, look, a guy plays eighty one. Maybe in Indiana they had
it wrapped up in twenty sixteen and he chose not to play the final game.
I don't know the situation there. Did lead the league in games played
in twenty twelve. But my point is you can understand why an organization might
be a little timid when it comes to signing a thirty four year old who
hasn't been super durable but very productive to a four year contract. Would they
have met in the middle, I don't know. I don't know how those
negotiations went, but I do know that he got four years out of Philly
and he was being offered to by the Clippers. The bigger issue that I
have is that Paul George viewed that two year, sixty million dollar contract as
disrespectful. His response, according to a podcast that he did recently, said
I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, two years sixty that's crazy.
I'm not going to sign that. I have. My initial thought was this
is kind of disrespectful. Now, look, he joins a really, really
good Philadelphia team. I mean, you get Joel Embiid, you got Tyrese
Maxey, and Embiid's got to stay healthy. Of course, Trent Meant mentioned
that he wanted somethingor close to Kawhi Leonard. Leonard signed out what was an
extension three years, one hundred and fifty three million dollars. James Harden signed
a two year, seventy million dollar deal at the start of free agency.
So the Clippers had to have known that that was going to be the barometer,
right, I mean, that was going to be something where the Paul
George camp looked at and said, we want to be somewhere in this ballpark
and they didn't get it. And if James Harden sets the bar there,
I mean they were teammates last season. Of course, Paul George is a
better player than James Harden at this point in my agree agreed. So if
he's getting seventy, I can definitely see how Paul George would look at it
and think sixties is disrespectful. But Chef, I want to ask you this.
Paul George said the no trade clause was pretty important to him. I
mean, that's just kind of what I gathered from this podcast interview you're referring
to. Do you think if they would have grown sixty five at him in
a no trade clause you think he stays in LA Yeah, it's a great
question. I think he needed to be at least to the James Harden seventy
I would have guessed. My issue trend is this. I'm sure there's times
where we all felt in our careers where we've been disrespected. Right, We've
used that word undervalue when you'd yeah, that might even be better underappreciated.
Maybe not disrespected, but underappreciated. Do you recognize what you're missing here?
Do you realize what I do in addition to the things you see the things
you recognize, Right, I do some little things that you don't always know
about. Right, Well, that's fine, And what you just said is
a good word. What I said, I think is an appropriate word.
My problem, and I think many people's problem with Paul George might be the
word disrespect. It is really hard for average people like you and me and
our listeners to take a guy who's being asked to play eighty two games a
season and he's never done it, play the game he supposedly loves, and
a game that you and I would absolutely love to play for a living,
make thirty million dollars a year doing it and call it disrespectful, especially towards
the end of your career. You point out the age. That is a
big factor, especially for a guy who in his career thus far has made
well over three hundred million last year. Paul George made over forty five million
dollars, the year before forty two, the year before thirty nine. When
somebody says to you that you're making thirty million dollars a year, and that's
what he made in two thousand and nineteen. When somebody says to you at
the age four, even though you're a decorated player, you're gonna make thirty
million dollars a year, you can say it's it's too low. You don't
think it's market value. To use the word disrespectful is just really hard for
the average fan to get behind. We just can't appreciate it. We just
don't know where you're coming from. We just think you are spoiled. I'm
not saying he is. I'm saying that's how it comes off. That word
is thrown around way too often in today's world, and it's sure as hell
isn't appropriate in this situation. When we come back, something that I watched
last night, that you may have already watched, but something that has got
me kind of fired up. When I originally didn't really want it, I
didn't think it would be but it's changed my mind. It has to do
with football, it has to do with the NFL network, and we'll talk
about it when we return on Ex'es and Bros. Right after this Rock's Best
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Myer app. Coming up later today at three on the Huge Show in the
Michigan Sports Network, I'll deliver huge opinions on everything you're talking about thirty five
after the hour. Welcome back on a Tuesday here on Exes and Bros.
Who with You Monday through Friday from six until nine at Meyer Hotline eighty sixty
six eight forty eight forty three the text line Sports Radio to twenty one thousand.
We do have a poll question up there for you, and we ask
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Tiger's a winner Yesterday one nothing over the Reds. How many shutout wins?
Is that for detroiting? Does that even matter? That's just kind of a
statistic that we like to add. But it's the fifth shot out of the
year. I read that they are forty one and twenty six when they score
two runs or more. Huh, what does it tell you? First of
what, I found that hard to believe. Second of all, it shows
you if they can. It shows you how anemic their offense has been this
year. Well, I think it also speaks to how great the pitching has
been. Agreed, you see, I like that you looked at it from
a positive standpoint. I immediately went toward the negative standpoint. All you got
to do is give these guys two runs, right, you win the game?
Yeah? Yeah, I mean, look, they're starting pitching yesterday.
Here's what I couldn't help it on wonder though. I don't know why my
mind goes here. It needs to be fixed. I don't know how to
do it. Maybe you can help me. When I see a guy like
Montero come out and do what he does, and we've seen rhes Olsen do
what he's done, right, and we feel like there are at least a
couple more arms, whether it be Job or Madden or whomever in the miners,
who are ready to make the next step within the next couple of years,
hopefully within the next year. How do you accelerate the reboot? How
do you accelerate the ability to get what is truly needed for this team.
Look, I've said this for a long time, and then we'll get to
something I watched last night. I've said this for a long time. This
team, this organization, not the team. The organization has been built on
starting pitching. Okay, you know a n ie note Just look at their
draft picks and look who they talk about. It's been about starting pitching.
If that's the case, and we all believe it, also understanding with the
caveat that you're going to miss on a lot of starting pitching. If you've
got nine starters in your camp, you're lucky if three of them come out
being major leaguers. So you're bound to get a lot of that. But
if it is truly built on starting pitching and you need position players, something
that this organization has lacked, you know you're gonna start. You're gonna train
your starting pitching. Right. You use your strength to bolster weakness. I'm
not saying Montero or Olsen or eventually Job or Madden or Flora's, any of
these guys are going to be an ace or going to be the next coming
of Derek Scoubel. I'm just wondering if, with that being a luxury for
you, you want to use that to your advantage to get some additional pieces
that will expedite things. I think what it comes down to, two chef,
is just how just how frustrated are you with the anemic offense? Right?
How badly do you want to speed up that process? Are you willing
to let go of some of these arms? Yes? Now, Jack Flaherty
will be a really important piece, right. I mean there are people who
believe the Tigers should sign him to a line long term contract. I am
not one of those, not saying I'm right. I'm just telling you I'm
not one of those. I'm not. I don't know. None of us
know what the market is to get a guy like Jack Flaherty. I know
what people would love to have, but oftentimes those are fantasy things. I
would trade Jack Flaherty for Gunnar Henderson well, of course, but Baltimore wouldn't
do that, you know what I mean? The Yankees are in need of
pitching, starting pitching. How good is their farm system and so on,
and so those are the things that oftentimes, you know, first of all,
you got to look at. Second of all, you got to make
sure you got certain guys you're going to get. And thirdly, do you
really want farm systems? Like we talked about yesterday, do you really want
prospects? We've gone through that before. And the judgment it is not just
the judgment on at least at that time ala Vila. For Justin Verlander,
it was baseball baseball feeling like you had the three nine and eleven prospects in
the Houston organization coming to Detroit. For Justin Verlander, most people would say,
and I read you the quotes from Detroit got a haul haul, meaning
in theory it was probably at least at that time, people thought it'd be
beneficial for both teams. That was the hope. Yeah, isn't that isn't
look isn't that the goal? Anytime you do a trade. I know fans
want to be able to say we fleeced them, but teams in general,
they're looking, they're looking for something that's good for both teams. Look at
the Lions and Rams trade. Do you think that was good for both teams?
Trent, I was just going to say, that's the perfect example in
all of sports and modern history that I can think of. It's a really
good trade for both teams. Rams got what they want, they got their
Super Bowl and they're still contenders. And the Lions got the chance to use
draft picks and get a starting quarterback and to hit reset and to give Brad
Holmes those resources to build what he's built in a short three years. Right,
So I'm not based on yesterday's conversation. You and I probably both agree
with this. I want ready made major leaguers one guys who are going to
contribute. Now, I would tell you this. You go to MLB dot
com. This is why sometimes we get a little twisted with things. MLB
dot Com before the year, this is before the season began, they had
the top They ranked every Major League Baseball farm system from one to thirty.
Do you know where the Tiger is ranked? No? Idea fifth? Wow,
I would have got seck the middle of the pack. Right. Last
year, mid season rank was thirteenth, preseason rank was twenty fifth, two
years ago, mid season rank was twenty second, preseason rank was tenth.
So before this season began, MLB dot Com ranked the Tigers farm system fifth
because had Max Clark as a top one hundred prospect. He was thirteenth,
Cold Keith as a top one hundred prospect, he was twenty second, Jackson
Job who was a top one hundred prospect, he was twenty fifth, and
Jay Young, who was a top one hundred prospect, he was sixtieth.
Okay, there you go. So they had them ranked fifth and people are
like, okay, well, who needs a starting pitcher the Dodgers. Are
you going to take Dalton Rushing from LA who's the seventy fifth overall prospect in
baseball and plays catcher in first base? You tell me, hell no,
you want more than that people I read yesterday, Oh how about what the
Yankees? The Yankees need starting pitching. Okay, well, what is it
you're going to get from the Yankees? Are you going to get Anthony Volpi
their shortstop? Are you going to just get Jason Domingez they're really good looking
young outfielder, or Spencer Jones another good looking outfielder, or a kid by
the name of Roderick Arius, their shortstop, Chase Hampton, a right handed
pitcher. Those are all just prospects. Man, except for Volpi, who
won a Gold Glove as a shortstop a year ago. I think you follow
my point. Detroit's got prospects. Detroit, at least according to MLB dot
Com, Detroit has some talent in their minor leagues. You need some major
league talent. That's my point. All right. Last night, flipping through
the channels after the Tigers game on Fox, and I come across Hard Knocks
in Season with the New York Giants. Have you seen it? Trent,
bits and pieces, not all the way through. Okay, so I think
there's only one one episode so far, and it's an HBO production. I
said, it's an NFL network, it's HBO. It's phenomenal. It's always
really well put together. It really is. I mean, I didn't think
I would enjoy it. I mean, as a matter of fact, we
talked about this a few weeks ago, or I said, sometimes less is
more, you know, it might be too much with what's going on.
Hard Knocks in season, Hard Knocks training camp, Hard Knocks off season,
It's like, okay, enough, it's really not. I mean, I
was wrong. I'm sitting here. I was completely enthralled with this stuff,
and I think the NFL might be the only league that can get away with
that. I agree. I agree what they do a great job. I
wish a local production company would do that with the Detroit team, even if
it's for a year. Like I remember while working with what was then known
Fox asking the Red Wings to go behind the scenes and put together a really
special Red Wings feature, and Babcock and ken Holland agreed to do it,
you know, I mean, they had to have final say, but I
would guess most teams want that anyway. But it was following the team on
the road. It's giving them the giving them some inside information through casual conversation
and miked up personalities, things that common fans don't see. They see the
games, they see the production, and they see the pre impost, but
they don't and sometimes you'll get a miked up situation, but they don't see
the behind the scenes stuff. It's something that has always enthralled us anyway.
Their general manager is a guy by the name of Joe Shane, and a
couple of things struck me while I was watching this Episode one was they talked
about patients a lot, and I thought, how often do Detroit fans hear
that word patience? They hear it with the Red Wings, They're hearing it
with the Pistons for sure, and we hear it for the Tigers, right,
So a lot of the p word being used in Detroit, and it's
being used by the New York Giants too. The other thing that I recognized
was something they said and they brought up the Lions. During this, the
director of pro scouting was talking about the various running backs who were going to
be available if they didn't re sign Saquon Barkley or if they didn't franchise him
and try to trade him. So they were talking about various upcoming free agent
running backs, Singletary, Swift, you name it. They brought up Jacobs,
they brought up a lot of different names. There were a lot of
them. It was a good class, Yeah, yeah, it really was.
And they ended up signing Singletary. But they were talking about sa Kwon
Barkley and how productive he was and just how valuable he is. But the
director of pro scouting said, you put him behind Detroit's offensive line or the
Lions offensive line is what he said, or the Eagles offensive line, and
look how much better he would be. Look at the numbers he would put
up. I think he's exactly right. Yeah, but there was a part
of me, Trent, while I'm listening to this and watching it, I'm
thinking, not that I didn't believe it already, but the Lions have arrived.
The Lions are being used as a measuring stick in something the standard.
Yes, the Lions are gold standard for offensive lines in the National Football League?
How often has that been the case? Not just offensive line. I'm
talking about any position, any position group. Remember I said late last week,
I was talking about the NFL network production of America's Game, and I
mentioned the Steelers and their linebackers. Remember Ham and Lambert and Russell back in
the early seventies, And I said, they were the staple, right,
all of them were all pro. They were the measuring stick. When has
Detroit? When have the Lions had a collective group? I don't mean one
player. I don't mean Calvin Johnson, I don't mean Barry Sanders, I
don't mean Chris Spielman. I want to know the last time the Lions had
a collective group position group that was the standard. This is a answer.
I mean you could you could pretty much say Jason Hanson that's about it,
right, But that's one place I know. That's why I said it's probably
a smart alec answer. But yeah, I mean, who would it be?
Is not this the best offensive line the Lions have ever had? I
can say that with confidence? Oh yeah, Okay, have the Lions had
some linebacker group? They've had an individual Mike Cooefer went it was more of
a defensive end. But you know, there was Chris Pielman, there was
Stephen Boyd. I'm talking about together. Has there been a secondary way back
in the seventies with Spider Man Allen leading the W was there a defensive line
outside of Robert Porchet, outside of al Buba Baker? I suppose it was
with Doug English too, but it wasn't. It's not like it's viewed as
the Steele Curtain. Wasn't viewed like Baltimore or Chicago when Chicago was led by
Steve McMichael or Baltimore led by Tony Siragusa in company. I mean, no,
the Lions offensive line is the envy of just about every other NFL group.
Every NFL team when they aspired to do something, they would use the
Lions as the example. That's pretty cool. I like that, and I'm
sure you do too. Expectations, perhaps very low expectations. We'll explain when
it comes to this team in the market when we return on Access and Bros.
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