ED/BC Podcast

Now We Have a Series in the NBA Finals

Erik Dobratz, Brian Coleman

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 33:21

Send us Fan Mail

New York City was electric, ready to watch the Knicks take a commanding 3-0 lead in The NBA Finals. The Spurs (and maybe the refs) had other ideas.


 

Allswell - Your Dream Bed Starts Here
Free delivery on your first order over $35.

Instacart - Groceries delivered in as little as 1 hour.
Free delivery on your first order over $35.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

The ED/BC Podcast. You think you hate it now, but wait until you listen to it.

SPEAKER_01

Welcome back to another edition of the EDBC Podcast. Eric Dobratz and Brian Coleman coming to you after a game three at Madison Square Garden where the Knicks uh their playoff winning streak was snapped by the San Antonio Spurs in a game that Brian I would say was uh not fun to watch as a Knicks fan or any fan. I did not care for the game, the style of it. Um, I don't know. I thought the referees did a bad job for the Knicks last night. It's not why they lost. But uh when you have Victor Weminyama basically strangling uh Jalen Brunson and throwing him to the ground and not calling it you got an issue there.

SPEAKER_00

How are you doing? Uh, you know, I'm I'm sort of like trying to digest all that happened last night, and I'm slow right now. Yeah, I mean, listen, part of me wants to make the joke like, hey, back in the day, that wouldn't have been a file. That's just old school basketball. And you know, Kevin McHale sent Kurt Rampus into photographers. Uh you young kids don't know what I'm talking about, but I don't care. Um and I I I do think it was this is when the conspiracy goes, well, like with the NBA wants this series longer. We won't more than just we want at least we we want to try and get three games at MSG with Wemby.

SPEAKER_01

So and I think I'm helping their cause last night.

SPEAKER_00

We've seen this before in the playoffs. I mean, it did help their cause. Uh, but the Spurs started to their credit. And I still don't know what they're doing half the time, and I don't know a lot about Mitch Johnson, the coach. I know he's succeeding a legend, so there's always pressure on him. But half the time I don't know what the hell he's doing in this series. I'm like, what is what is what is what are you doing here? I I'm talking to the TV, um, but to their credit, they played better, and it wasn't just Wemby, they got some other contributions. Our guy, Stefan Castle, who probably wasn't as popular as he usually is in the Madison Square Garden, had a nice game when I thought stepped up in various ways for the for the Spurs. And yeah, you know, you won 13 in a row, unlucky 13. But uh I think I mean it was such a crazy day in New York. I mean, if you were on social media yesterday, you saw just how crazy it was. It's sort of the game. I guess after all that you're hoping you're thinking that the Knicks would um prevail, but it was a good it it was a I don't think it was a terrible game stylistically. It was a little more like what I thought of you know a playoff game would be. You see these type of games sometimes in the playoffs. Um but the Spurs did enough, and now we have a series, and now you know Knicks fans have to like put away the uh uh you know put away the champagne for a few more days and see what happens. Now once tonight become tomorrow night is not just like a gravy night. Tomorrow night is a big, big, big game.

SPEAKER_01

Uh the thing that annoyed me, Brian, that we've seen it in so many sports, everywhere you looked, whether it was a talk show or a newspaper. I mean, I heard one guy on the radio yesterday talking about when the parade was going to be in New York. I mean, when you start doing that stuff, why are you what is it touching the uh touching the uh what's the expression I forget when you're you know celebrating too early, yeah, touching the trophy too early, whatever they call it, I forget what it is.

SPEAKER_00

But you know, the the chickens are still on the eggs, they haven't missed anything.

SPEAKER_01

There were so many times yesterday where I heard that. I'm like, what are you doing? Guys, the Spurs are a good team, and let's be honest. Wemby hits a shot on two in game two that he normally probably makes 75% of the time. The Knicks are all of a sudden down 2-1 in this series. So let's relax a little bit. I mean, I thought that when I said style, Brian, I thought Brunson dribbled the ball a little too much. I thought their passing wasn't great last night. Uh Bridges was a non-factor last night, uh, got in some really foul trouble. Uh, but again, the officiating really bothered me last night, Brian. And I'm not a I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I just thought it was a bad crew. I mean, they were they were calling things on one end, they weren't calling them on the other. You know what I mean? And and Towns has got to be smarter too, Brian. When you're going up for these rebounds, you want to box some out. Great. Don't hook them. They're gonna they're gonna review that every time and you're gonna lose. If you hook a guy, they're gonna they're gonna call that. So uh he's gotta be smarter than that. I I uh I'm hoping that it's a wake-up call the Knicks will get from this game and realize that there's a long way to go in this series. But I think they absolutely if they don't win tomorrow night, Brian, I think they lose the series. That's uh that's how much I think it'll catapult the Spurs.

SPEAKER_00

Historical precedent here, uh, and I I forgot about I remember this because I remember this series like it was yesterday. I can't remember what I did two days ago, but first time since the 93 finals Bulls uh suns, where through three games, the home team is 0-3, and Phoenix had the home field home home court in that series, uh, much like San Antonio does. They ended up losing in six. Now it was a 2-3-2 back then, Eric. This is you know, now we're doing uh home away, home away. Um if you're from the Knicks' perspective. Um so I guess I see what you're saying, but I think if they lost Wednesday night I still think they could win, they would be able to pull out this series because I think they could I think they could win a game five or a game seven in San Antonio. I I I have didn't believe that a week ago. And even with I I know what you're saying with the self-inflicted wounds that Wemby did on the game two that cost the Spurs at the end of the game. Um I wouldn't I I wouldn't I wouldn't be quite that dire if I were a Knicks fan. However, if I were Knicks fan and they lost both games at home, I'd be like, yeah, I'd be I'd be gloom and doom all the way. I'm I'm looking at the I mean because then you're gonna start thinking same old Knicks and this team's gonna turn out to be the ultimate tease and all this talk of uh oh, they're as good as the 1970 Knicks and all this crap will go away.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, 100%. 100%. Brunson, uh, you know, what do you have, 32 last night? Again, he's just taking a lot of shots, Brian. I mean, he's taken 25 shots at the game. He's a he's become a bit of a volume shooter during this uh little run here. I wish he could be a little more efficient. If you look at his teammate OG last night, what did he have? 28 points, and he only took 13 shots. You know what I mean? So we've got to be a little more good. What are you gonna say?

SPEAKER_00

I was gonna say you told me last night before the game started that OG's gonna have 28 points. I'm saying this game's gonna be over by third by sometime in the middle of third quarter. I can go to bed. I agree.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, Towns didn't have a good night, just 11 points. Uh Hart had 16, he was four, seven for three, he was good. Uh bridge bridges was the missing link there. Uh, they got some good minutes from Clarkson off the bench because Shemet did not play well last night, but Clarkson I thought picked up for him. Uh, so I'm not gonna blame the bench per se for the Knicks. They got uh decent, decent contributions from from their bench. Mitchell Robinson really non-factor, just seven minutes.

SPEAKER_00

I was surprised by that. And I guess, you know, we talked to Mike Ficaro last week after game one for the New York Post, and he posed he talked about OG being sort of like maybe the a secret sauce to serve to sort to help solve the Wemby issue. But I thought there'd be more Robinson. I thought at the very least he could hang and bang, let take some of the time away from town. So town's what is I'm looking at here now. Towns play, yeah. So town's played 38 minutes, Bridge has played two. And by the way, Borge is so overrated, it's ridiculous. I mean, he is so feast or famine. When he's good, when he's bad, he's a non-factor. And for a guy you treated on a million first round picks for, I need something. I don't I'd rather have 20 a night than 35 one night, and then freaking one out of two points and one for five, and only I mean only took five shots last night. What that's just a waste. Uh I must I'm still surprised they didn't try and put Towns down a little more lower down on the block with uh you know with Wemby who again. If I if I was a coach, I'd be like, you know what, you're staying on the block all night. Just get down there, be used, just just accept it. You're not going out the perimeter. Not this game. Not saying we won't do something differently, but this game, you're down low all night.

SPEAKER_01

I think he went to the basket last night. I thought it was his best game in the series, 11-18 from the field, he two or four from three. I mean, I thought he was terrific. You know what I mean? So he he he stepped up, he heard the critics the last couple days, Brian, and and came through in a big, big moment for the Knicks. I thought the crowd was good last night. Obviously, the president was there last night, got booed terribly during the anthem, which uh so funny. All the prognosticators were, you know, oh, if you think Trump's gonna get booed, the bet. And everyone said the same thing. They're gonna put his face up during the national anthem because it's it's it's not a good look to boo during the anthem, but that did not stop the crowd.

SPEAKER_00

It didn't stop. Although I think it would have been worse if it wasn't the anthem, but it's funny you have to go through all this these brigham rolls and to say nothing, the fact that everybody took like everybody like three hours to get in the building at minimum yesterday. Yeah, I was. That's behind us, and hopefully game four tomorrow night. We're taping this on Tuesday morning. Game four tonight, tomorrow night is a festive atmosphere with maybe a little less confusion and and and inconvenience.

SPEAKER_01

No, let's hope so. But again, we got ourselves a series now, Brian. Two games to one. Uh, I picked the Knicks in six from the very start. Uh, I never thought they were gonna sweep this team, Brian. I never did. I mean, I yeah, hope for it, but I never thought they were gonna sweep this team. I think the Knicks are gonna win it in six. But again, the thing that worries me is tomorrow night, Brian, if they don't come out and play well, I think they could be in trouble. I do.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I just I think over the long haul, and I gotta I pick the Spurs and Spurs. We're coming into the series of big favorite. You know what bothers me about the Spurs is if can Wemby do what he did last night three or four more or two or three more times, and I don't I don't know. And you do need to have what you had last night. When you had Castle, he was like, okay, 23 points is him 35 points, but he was just efficient. He was, you know, you know, okay from the field, but played good defense, was made some spirit, you know, play a little played physical, which is what you gotta do in that situation. Fox played well last night, too. What's that? I thought Fox played well last night. He did, he did, and then they finally figured out like, dude, we don't want you to shoot too much. Uh he was 4'14, which is not uncommon for DR and Fox, but just like, dude, be the point guard, be the distributor. Let's keep help it, you know, keep the turnovers down because we're putting the ball in your hands more. We don't need you to shoot a lot. We're good with that. Just just distribute and be smart. And you're right. I thought the same thing.

SPEAKER_01

Uh the it was fun watching the garden be uh, you know, just so fired up. But I mentioned to someone yesterday the Knicks have lost a lot of big games at home over the years. And we've seen them all, man. That the people like coming to Garden and winning just as much as the Knicks like playing there. So that's the thing you got to realize that that people, uh opposing teams, they they hear all the nonsense, they hear how great it's the Mecca and all this other stuff. So, man, uh you got to be careful because I've seen the Knicks, whether it's Indiana back in the day, the Bulls back in the day, you can go through his chapter versus Miami. Uh there's all kinds of uh bad losses over the years, Brian.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, 100%. I mean, we you know, last year the Tyrese Halberton game. We don't have to go too far back uh in game one of the Eastern finals. So yeah, uh listen, yeah, you're right. The Knicks have a little bit of work to do, and maybe, you know, again, I I I was a little I I get I get it. And I think you know he was pissed off because of the officiating, and rightfully so. But I forgot, I can't you can't go on for 20 minutes about the officiating last night. I didn't see the whole thing, but I was you know, I saw clips like you, you know, be smart in that. And he's done a good job. I mean, I'm ready to like last night I'm thinking, you know, oh what are we gonna talk about the podcast? I mean, this will be like, hey, we can, you know, Mike is Mike Brown the Joe Torrey of the Knicks. Like, this could be one of redemption story, you know, though he's won before though, but no, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Joe Torrey didn't have an easy go in his first championship of the Yankees in '96. Remember, they were down 0-2, lost two games at home, and then won four in a row. So let's hope it's not working in reverse this time around.

SPEAKER_00

You know, which he predicted, but I don't think Mike Brown's making any predictions right now.

SPEAKER_01

Brian Brian folks, I think, has a mouse crawling around his feet here or something in the home base.

SPEAKER_00

No, I just had a power issue. Sorry, I'm back again.

SPEAKER_01

I'm back here. Unbelievable. All right, we'll tell you what, let's take a time. Much better now, though. No, yeah. Let's take a time when we come back, Brian. I want to talk about uh baseball, NHL. It is amazing, though, Brian, when you have the Knicks or the Rangers or whoever in the playoffs, it's like baseball. What baseball? I mean, who I know. It's unbelievable. I mean, they they're taking such a backseat to the Knicks right now. Uh, wherever you listen, wherever you get your sports from. Like uh here's a perfect example. Last night at work, we had high school stuff, a ton of high school semifinals, but we led with the Knicks, did a minute of Knicks highlights, and we did the Connecticut Sun play. We did 20 seconds of their highlights, and we put up a full-screen graphic with the score of the Yankees in the Red Sox games because we didn't have time. Instead of doing normally 25 seconds on each game, the Yankees and Red Sox, last night we did five seconds. Yankees win, Red Sox lost. That's it. And in the regular season, you ignore the Knicks. I go and then put you put a graphic down for the Knicks. Yes, 100%. They've taken over the city. They have so. All right, we'll take a time out. We'll come back and talk about the rest of the week in sports, Brian.

SPEAKER_00

All right, don't forget, don't hey, don't forget to take advantage of the Instacart Plus program. Now for it's still just as low as $9.99 a month or $99 a year. Membership pays for itself with just a few orders. And here's how Family accounts, Instacart Plus members get to share their benefits with other family members for free. That means households can add items to a shared card and shop together. And you get free delivery on any order with $35, 5% credit back on eligible pickup orders, and reduced service fees, plus some perks from cop brands like miles bonus points from Delta Airlines and exclusive benefits for Chase Card members. So remember this summer, shop from them, say with Instacart.

SPEAKER_01

So, folks, as you know, I work at uh News 8 ABC Station, so you got the NBA Finals on and the NHL hockey on. So I I I'm always amused when there's a hockey game or an M NBA game that goes to an overtime session per se. And Brian cannot wait. I mean, literally, if his phone was across the street, he would run to the phone to text me, say, ah, late game, eh?

SPEAKER_00

I've been there a million times too. You just still you just still work there and do the same thing. I know it feels so uh I'm trying to read the link, but I can't see it. But yeah, I think I texted Eric around 1120 Saturday night. He's probably usually 1120 Saturday night. Eric's about to go on TV and do the sports for channel eight. Instead, he's sitting there in second overtime, waiting to hoping that Vegas and uh Carolina will just I know, I know he's sitting there scoring. I don't care who, just somebody scored, goddammit. Tell me I'm wrong. 100%.

SPEAKER_01

And you take such glee uh in rubbing it in that I am gonna be home later than I normally would. Yes, seriously. I do feel for you. Well, hey, listen, all kidding aside, what a great, what a great series the NHL is putting on. I I don't know what the numbers are for people watching it. I mean, Las Vegas and Carolina aren't exactly the Rangers and uh, you know, Edmonton Oilers per se. No. But um I have really enjoyed the hockey. It's been fun to watch. I mean, they're scoring four or five goals in late in third periods, overtimes, spooky goals to win. I mean, all kinds of replays, you know, officiating. It's just been a good, good series. How how much have you paid attention to the NHL series?

SPEAKER_00

Oh, a lot. They've been three great games. And I mean, and like the fact that, you know, now we got a 2-1 series, Vegas. Um, I believe it's in Vegas right now, right? Yeah, they're playing, yeah, they're in Vegas tonight. They've been in Vegas. I'm uh so tonight's game four. I hope, and uh I I'm rooting for Vegas because I kind of like the coach, and I don't I'm not a big Carolina guy. Uh uh, so yeah, but I just went an entertaining game and they've been fun. And like I said, when the hockey is good, there's the their playoffs are the NHL playoffs when they're good are as good as it gets in the big league playoffs.

SPEAKER_01

Sean McDonough's voice, Brian. I mean, he and and he had such a a great call of the uh was it the game two where he said, you know, this Carolina top line is gonna be hearing about it if they don't score, and then sure enough, they score the game winning goal with that. Literally 10 seconds later it comes out of his mouth. So it was great stuff. Really, I mean I'm just it's fun to watch. I mean, I love hockey. Uh my team sucks. I mean, I'm watching all these old Rangers running around the ice and looking like the great players we thought they were gonna be, but for some reason the Rangers were unable to get that out of them. Uh but it's been a lot of fun watching this for sure.

SPEAKER_00

So no, I agree, and yeah, I it does as not a Nick as a non-Knic fan, and the fact that the Rangers didn't have been so bad, it's kind of just like, damn, I miss when the Rangers used to do this with Madison Square Garden take over the city. I should say one thing, and I meant to mention in the last segment. I just thought I'd I don't know if you've heard the same thing. Having known a couple people uh having heard a couple people uh who are in the city on a regular basis saying, like, it's incredible like people are like holding doors extra long and saying, please and thank you and have a great day and smiling. I mean, this Knicks really have unified the entire city, even non-basketball people are into it and like having a good time. So I thought that was interesting.

SPEAKER_01

We did an interview at work yesterday with Perry Sook Jr., who's a sports reporter for WPAX. Uh, and I asked him that very question. Because you're hearing, Brian, that remember after 9-11, you had a similar situation where people seem to be more patient, holding doors open, please, thank you, all that fun stuff. But then you hear those stories and how you know it is a Nick town, obviously, that crime is down in the city like 70%. I mean, they went and did, I forget who it was. Someone did a story. Is it the athletic or someone went to the went to Rikers Island to watch against prisoners? I mean, so listen. Yes. But then you get you see video after the game last night of Nick fans beating the hell out of a couple of Spurs fans because they're wearing Spurs gear. That that's not acceptable.

SPEAKER_00

Well, that's my thing. Like, what uh what if the hell what hap what what happens in the city of the Godfrey but they blow this series? That's that I don't want to I I'm staying away. So no, I have no interest in going that.

SPEAKER_01

Uh, we mentioned that we're kind of been ignoring baseball, Brian. Mets are back home tonight against St. Louis. Uh the Cardinals start at home saying the Mets schedule, Brian, has just been so awful. Four West Coast trips before June 15th is insane. I know we talked about it a little bit, but I mean there haven't been long trips per se, but still going out to Seattle and then San Diego, you're playing six games. They were three and three, lost two or three in Seattle, and then bounced back to win two or three against the Padres, who can't hit themselves out of a paper bag, by the way.

SPEAKER_00

Uh I I what happened to Fernando Tatiste Jr. I'm just surprised it hasn't happened. Like uh sort of that's the strong thing would have happened after he got traded to the Mets. I know he can't hit out of a paperbag, many of a child is you. I mean, listen, I don't give a damn about the San Diego Padres. I'm just glad to see that the Mets took two out of three. And finally, as so many of the beat reporters put put out there, let us know, okay, this ridiculous asinized schedule crap is over. The Mets will not play another game. Uh the latest first pitch game they have the rest of the season, or a couple eight o'clock ESP or like NBC games. That's it. Um and I don't know, Eric, if you've seen anything. There was a movement on social media yesterday among Mets Twitter or whatever you call it now, um, including some of the beat writers being pepped with questions. Will the Mets move starting pitch time tomorrow night from the usual 7.10 to earlier? I have not heard that they have done that, but maybe that I don't know if that's even in play. Um you mentioned.

SPEAKER_01

I thought the Yankees might do that last week as well, and they didn't. The games are tipping about 8.45. So if you started the game at 6.30, even that would be a huge difference. But uh it doesn't look like they're they're gonna do it, Brian. I mean, they listen, these these uh Yes Network S and Y, they sell advertisement for prime time games, and you move the games back, you take them out of half of prime time. So that's the reason why they're not moving them. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00

So yeah, I know, no, especially and uh we all know the net the mess in Europe Yankees uh need all the financial help they can get. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And listen, in the day and age we live in, Brian, the game's gonna be on there on some TV, and if you can bring your iPad into the joint and watch the game and do both if you really wanted to.

SPEAKER_00

You know, no, you're 100% right.

SPEAKER_01

Uh, we got to talk about the Yankees, Brian. Aaron Judge, broken rib, what happened uh, I guess the second week of April, this injury happened. He was diving for a ball. I don't know against what team it was. He played with it for two months and just can't do it anymore. So he's gonna be on the shelf for a good six weeks, Brian. It was a big blow to the Yankees. Luckily, the American League stinks. You've been saying it all year. Um, they beat Cleveland last night. Those are the teams they got to beat. Hopefully, they have enough offense. Um, it's tough watching some of these teams play because no one can hit in the baseball anymore. Although your boy Carson Bench had five five for five on uh Sunday, which is fun to watch. Uh home run triple, and then AJ Ewing looks like he's playing well in the outfield for you guys. He can cover some ground. So Mets three and three on the trip, and now you come home and hopefully uh get a little closer to 500, Brian.

SPEAKER_00

Well, I should point out that until last night, uh ever since the Mets had called up aging, no relation to no relation to Patrick Ewing. Yeah, the Mets the the Knicks have not lost the game. So sorry that ran us over. Yeah. Yeah, the Mets have played, you know, they came off, they had a winning June. I mean, sorry, a winning May, uh, despite the incredibly bad schedule, and now they've come home for a little while. Schedule gets tougher. The Cardinals, as you mentioned, are a surprise team. But let's see if the Mets are actually gonna make at least give us a reason to keep an eye on them this summer, or we're just gonna be waiting for football to start. If you're a Mets fan, that is.

SPEAKER_01

Um I think that I think the Mets are gonna hang around enough, Brian. I do. They're gonna get a little healthier. Lindor, I haven't heard an update lately of when he's coming back. Still a month away, probably. A month, really, okay.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's not great news.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, um, I know Polanco again was pulled off his rehab. I mean, I don't know what to tell you about that guy, Brian. I mean, he's just that's a bad it's just another bad that's bringing it up. It's a bad signing. It's just it's a bad contract.

SPEAKER_00

He had to know better than that, you know? Yeah, I mean, God bless Jared Young, who came back. I don't know where Jared Young came from, but it's been, you know, pretty solid for them at first base and as a left handed hitter, because you're right. Well, you know, the Sign Kalanco to replace a guy, I say every week Eric Sarding it to replace a guy who plays every game, every day, all every year. So there you go.

SPEAKER_01

He's been red hot and great, too, by the way. Alonzo's been red hot for the Orioles. I think he had the 27 RBIs in the month of May or something like that. So he's playing well. But again, you got to get over that. Uh, you know, even if uh what are they gonna do with Vientos? That's the question I have. Here's a guy who you've been banking on. He shows flashes, man, but other times he just some of his quotes last week, Brian. Where's this guy from? I mean, I just oh I've been playing a good first base. No, you haven't. You stink over there.

SPEAKER_00

You stink. You can't you can't field, you can't throw which which is which uh for a guy who's 27 who can't runs the way he does. I mean, um, as an athlete, I mean, he can't run, he can't throw, he can't field, he doesn't hit for average. So if you're not hitting, you know, if you're not a power presence, you're useless. And right now he's useless. So I I don't think I mean it's it's too bad because a couple years in the playoffs, he had a great playoff run at 24 error. I mean, people forget that he was phenomenal, and he had that was coming off coming off 27 homers, and you're thinking, oh yeah, this is it. He we don't feel like he's established, he's here, he's set, and it's feeling it's been a disaster. And I don't think he's in their players, but I don't think they could get a you know, I don't know if you I don't think they could trade him for a bag of balls, but I don't think he's gonna be around much longer. So plays to play him. Yeah, I'm not saying Brett Beatty is David right, but just let Brett Beatty play at third base until Lindor comes back, and then quite frankly, with those. If Young's gonna hit, he's not playing. Hey, he's gonna play again, especially against at least against right-handers. Yeah, so yeah, but it is fun, Eric. You're right. When when watching guys like Benjamin AJ Ewing, it at least gives you a little optimism. But uh, you know, you hope these guys turn into something. The Yankees, as you mentioned, uh, even with the judge injury, although it's another one of these injuries where it reminds me of uh Anthony Riswell a few years ago. Everyone knows there's something probably bothering the guy that's wrong, and yet the Yankees deny, deny, deny. It's like la la la la la la. They don't want to hear it until it's absolutely you can't avoid it. And I don't understand it. I mean, this maybe this could have been, you know, if he had sat a month ago for for a month, maybe you'd be he'd be you guys would be ready to welcome him back right about now. Instead, now you're taking this in to pass the all-star break it at the minimum. So I don't understand what the hell they've been doing.

SPEAKER_01

And they played him every game this season, Brian. So the guy's been hurt. The guy's been hurt, and I give him a lot of credit for playing through it, but you could tell something was bothering. You look at the numbers dating back to the first month of the season, he was hitting home runs all over the place, and then he steadily cooled off because he was having trouble with his right side, and you play him every day, and then you play him every day in the outfield. He crashed into the wall a couple weeks ago, and you're like, Jesus, I mean, that's just the way he plays. I get it. He goes all out, but it's like the guy's six, seven, two hundred and eighty-five pounds, like he's gonna get hurt. Like, I just I don't understand the Yankees. I we've talked about it a million times, you brought it up. Guys hurt him on put him on the aisle.

SPEAKER_00

That's it. And you knew this as he got older, and you you knew this when you signed the contract, he's probably not gonna age as well as other players. I mean, you should you would think they'd be cognizant of that, but whatever. So far, it's not hurting them because you're right. The div the even if they don't win the division, if they if they somehow Tampa Bay is gets ahead of them, they'll still make a wild card because the the American League is is hot garbage.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Um, last thing before we take a time out, Brian, is the World Cup. Uh, I don't know when it starts. I don't know really much about it, Brian. I I feel bad. I feel bad because I just don't, I mean, we're we're all about the Knicks at work right now. We're all about we have high school semifinals all this week. We have a championship series, uh uh excuse me, a championship Saturday for baseball, softball, and boys and girls across this weekend. So I I'm really not even thinking about it. I mean, am I doing a disservice to viewers who are big soccer fans? I don't necessarily think they're watching us to get their World Cup stories, you know.

SPEAKER_00

Well, I don't think you're doing a disservice because I think local sports is what you, you know, not that you need more. Not that anybody's asking my opinion, but if I say local sports is bread and butter, what you're focusing on. And here's the other thing, too. I mean, like I as non-soccer fans, which I know we're ugly Americans, you and I when we say this, like we don't really we're not really into it, but you're gonna you're not gonna be able to escape it. So if you're a soccer fan, you're gonna have a bunch of platforms to like watch or read or you know, find out about it, it's gonna be everywhere. So but it does start, it does start this week, it starts the 11th.

SPEAKER_01

Well, listen, uh, let's take a time out. Then we got some pop culture stuff you want to talk about. I got a couple of books I want to tell you guys about too, so we'll do all that more on the EDBC podcast.

SPEAKER_00

Far out. All right. Well, it's been a busy time, man. Listen to Eric's schedule. You know, he's getting crazy. We all need good sleep. Oswald knows the power of a good night's sleep. That's why they have a well, they have a little something they call hybrid mattress technology. That means all their mattresses have both individually wrapped coils and memory foam. Oh, I love that memory foam. Just gets the mattress just the way you like it. It's it's terrific. What a blend of cover and support. The Oswald Queen mattress still starts as low as $350. That's a great uh price for a queen size mattress. Plus, you get free shipping, 100 limit year, one 100 year 10 year, that'd be great, but 10-year limited warranty and a 100 night risk-free trial. Plus, remember every time you click on one of our episodes of the EBC podcast on your phone or on your tablet, whatever, there's a link for all aswellhome.com. Click on that link, start shopping for those uh betting and betting goods. Get 15% off your total order just by using our little link. It's so simple, it's unbelievable. So this summer, sleep well and save well with all as well. Music history, Brian. What is this all about that you put on the road? Two Rolling Stones, one of them you'll know, I think, but two things that happened this day in history, one of 1970. I'm not gonna give you the dates. So two Rolling Stones uh items that happened on June 9th, uh, do you know what they are? I mean give me the years, I'll tell you, but I don't know. 1969 and 1978.

SPEAKER_01

June 9th of 1969? Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00

I don't know. Mick and Keith. Go ahead. Go ahead. No, go ahead. Say it. Mick and Keith go over to Brian Jones' house and say, mate, you're out of the band, mate. We can't put up with it no more. I don't think that's a good idea. So, yes, the the uh the stones fire founding member Brian Jones, he has a mishap and passes away unfortunately a short time later, but the stones start going on a roll.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it's funny. I was gonna say it's Brian Jones related because I know he died in July of uh July of 69 after he was told to hit the road. So what was the other one you had? Go ahead.

SPEAKER_00

Uh one of their big albums, their biggest you know, selling albums after a couple of a little downturn in the mid-70s. Some girls came out in 1978, huge hit. Well uh a little disco, a little too much disco on that album for my taste, but it's still uh a favorite amongst Jones fans. One song for crying out loud. Well, yeah, I guess so. One song. But it's it I you hear it too much.

SPEAKER_01

So I know. It's a it it's uh it's not my favorite on that album. There's some that's it is a great album. Shattered is my favorite on that song, but there's no album. But there's uh uh Beast of Burdens on that album, uh Before They Make Me Runs on that album. It's a great album. So anyway, uh you got a couple birthdays you gotta tell about too.

SPEAKER_00

All right, Dickie V uh going through some health issues right now. Um we really hope the best for him because he's such an iconic figure in college basketball and sports. You and I Eric grew up listening to Dickie V on college hoops, so he's celebrating a birthday. Is Dick turning uh 87? Oh no, I'm sorry, 80, 83, or 87? 80, 83, 87. He's 87.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

All right, Michael J. Again, the last three are all like holy crap, we're old. So just buckle up. Uh Michael J. Fox, great actor, family ties, became a massive movie star in the 80s and 90s, huge movie star. You know, Back to the Future's 41 years old. Yikes, I'm old. Is Michael J. Fox celebrating a 60th, 65th, or 70th birthday?

SPEAKER_01

Uh 65th.

SPEAKER_00

He is 65.

SPEAKER_01

I figured he was a little older than I was. I think he was like 24 when he did Back to the Future.

SPEAKER_00

Anyway, go ahead. Johnny Depp used to be a teen heartthrob, very, you know, great actor, you know, friend of Keith Richards, by the way. He and Keith are mates, as they say. I think that's what they say. Irish. Yeah, uh, yeah, 100%. Is Johnny Turning 58, 60, or 631 or 63? 51. He's 63. And you can still call a man Johnny, even though at 53. You can still call him John. All right, we've done this one before because we love the movie Heat, and she's is an integral part of the movie. I don't get a whole part of it. But Natalie Portman. So Natalie, no, that's all I'm gonna say. Uh, is she turning 38, 44, or 49? 49. She's 44.

SPEAKER_01

Still makes me feel a little 38 seems a little too young, but yeah. She was also in Beautiful Girls, which is a great movie. That's a great movie, yeah. She was next door to that. So hey, I want to uh Brian, we're I I have a job for you, Brian. I want you to get this author on.

SPEAKER_00

Bob Spitz.

SPEAKER_01

Bob Spitz just came out with this new book about the Rolling Stones. I got it today. Uh it was a gift given to me by my mother. And while she bought that book on Amazon, she said, Hey, this guy Bob Spitz wrote another book you might like too. Oh, Beatles. Look at this book, Brian. That's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00

That's perfect for the summer. Folks, you can't see this because we don't beat it's great, it's great on Zoom.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it is great.

SPEAKER_00

It's 900 pages about the Beatles. 900 pages of the Beatles. And folks, we'll spill it out right now. I didn't mention it, but it's also Eric's birthday today. Happy birthday to Eric. That's why he's getting these gifts. I'm not gonna guess my age either, by the way. No, we already know. We're not gonna guess. Let the people guess. Well, those are two cool books. Now they're Bob Spitz, so he's done the did he any any other British invasion bands he's done? Like uh book too. I'm not sure which one, but he did a Zeppelin book as well. Did he really? That's that's hilarious. I might have read it if he did a Zeppelin book. But that's I will check the I will check those out.

SPEAKER_01

Bob's I've read every Stones book there is, so I'm curious to see what this one is. It says the Rolling Stones, the biography.

SPEAKER_00

So we'll that pretty much sums it up. That pretty much that's in that's that's it in a nutshell. All right, we'll check that out. Bob's Eric, I'm actually writing this down. Bob Spitz. Bob Spitz. Find him. I'll do some detective work.

SPEAKER_01

He's gonna be out with Mad Dog in the next couple weeks as well, which I'm I'm looking forward to hearing Mad Dog pretend he has any sort of Rolling Stones knowledge because he does not have any. So no, I'm gonna email his producer to tell him don't embarrass himself on the interview.

SPEAKER_00

So yeah, he'll wet himself over Bob Dylan, but he's not into the stones. But it will be fun to see him try and uh mandle some of the names.

SPEAKER_01

Exactly. So all right, Brian, that's it. We're gonna wrap this up. I got some stuff I gotta do. I gotta get ready for work, of course. So we'll uh catch up next week. Hopefully, we'll be celebrating a championship with the New York Knicks. Are you convinced that the Knicks are still gonna win this thing, Brian? No, I'm not.

SPEAKER_00

Uh I think they will, but I I I I wouldn't be I will not be I'll be surprised, but I won't be shocked if we do this up if this uh next episode like on a Monday and we're thinking about like a game seven. Won't be surprised. No, I will be surprised, but I won't be shocked. I can't talk right now. I should probably just stop.

SPEAKER_01

Knicks and six is what I started with, and that's what I'm gonna finish with. So let's hope we're celebrating next week here on the EDBC podcast. I think I'll be wrong, but it did say surprise and seven, but I think I'm gonna be wrong. All right. I'm Eric, he's Brian. Till the next time, Brian. Say goodbye. See ya.