Celtics Concerns + March Madness in Boston | Bob Ryan & Jeff Goodman NBA Podcast - video Dailymotion

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In this episode, Bob Ryan and Gary Tanguay voice their concerns around the Celtics and take a look around the league at teams that could surprise them in the playoffs. Plus, Bob Ryan highlights the record that Daniel Gafford is silently approaching, and recognizes how great of an impact Caitlin Clark is having on the popularity of the Women's NCAA Tournament. That, and much more!    TIMELINE:  00:35 - Celtics concerns  05:48 - The modern game  09:05 - Western Conf Play-In  10:15 - Anthony Davis and the Lakers  13:10 - Daniel Gafford approaching a record  18:51 - March Madness in Boston  20:24 - Kentucky’s John Calipari  22:43 - LSU’s Kim Mulkey’s rant  25:49 - Caitlin Clark’s impact    This episode is brought to you by Prize Picks! Get in on the excitement with PrizePicks, America’s No. 1 Fantasy Sports App, where you can turn your hoops knowledge into serious cash. Download the app today and use code CLNS for a first deposit match up to $100! Pick more. Pick less. It’s that Easy! Football season may be over, but the action on the floor is heating up. Whether it’s Tournament Season or the fight for playoff homecourt, there’s no shortage of high stakes basketball moments this time of year. Quick withdrawals, easy gameplay and an enormous selection of players and stat types are what make PrizePicks the #1 daily fantasy sports app!    When you’re hiring for your small business, you want to find quality professionals that are right for the role. That’s why you have to check out LinkedIn Jobs. LinkedIn Jobs has the tools to help find the right professionals for your team, faster and for free. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/SCRIBE. Terms and conditions apply.

Transcript

00:00 [MUSIC]

00:10 It's that time for the Bob Ryan, Gary Tangwith podcast right here, CLNS Media.

00:27 We are brought to you by Price Picks, the exclusive daily fantasy partner of CLNS Media.

00:33 Pick more, pick less, it's that easy with Price Picks.

00:36 Bob, we've seen this before with the Celtics.

00:38 It was a very frustrating game against Atlanta.

00:40 They blew a 30 point lead.

00:43 And just because I'm a New England sports fan, this stuff really irritates me still.

00:47 I understand they have a comfortable lead.

00:49 I understand they're the best team in the East.

00:51 And I understand that they'll probably go to the NBA Finals.

00:55 It's happened before.

00:57 And I know we'll be able to segue to the Milwaukee game,

01:00 the same thing happened to them.

01:01 It's just very frustrating for me to see this, that it just, it burns me.

01:08 >> I'm pissed off.

01:10 Funny how I found out I was watching Kaitlyn Clark.

01:14 I didn't even wanna watch the game.

01:15 I figured they'll kick Atlanta's ass and no worry about it.

01:18 And I didn't know until I saw the score on the crawl that they had lost the game.

01:23 And it wasn't until about an hour later that I saw on X,

01:27 somebody complaining about fuming, a Celtic fan fuming about blowing a 30 point lead.

01:35 And I said, my God.

01:37 So I didn't know any details until the next doing when I read about it.

01:40 Okay, I thought they had this out of their system.

01:42 I deluded myself to think that these guys, this is why they are not the favorites.

01:50 This is why Denver remains the favorite until further notice.

01:54 They have proven themselves and the Celtics have not.

01:58 And I'm talking about you Jason Tatum, as much as I am about you, Mr. Brown.

02:04 Everybody talked about Brown.

02:05 It's Tatum's the one that's got this act up to come up big and not do dumb things

02:10 and not do logical things and do the right thing in these moments, okay?

02:17 But when you blow a 30 point lead is collective, of course.

02:20 But ultimately, I'm telling you, this is why I love watching them.

02:25 I'm rooting like hell for them, but I don't trust them yet.

02:27 I don't trust them.

02:29 And this is exhibit A.

02:31 And there's no way that this should happen to that degree,

02:36 that you blow a 30 point lead to it.

02:38 I'm sorry.

02:39 And they didn't even have Trey Young.

02:40 Sorry.

02:41 And now I know the Celtics are playing shorthanded, but

02:43 they've proven that they can play shorthanded.

02:46 Because they do have, in fact, the best one to nine in the league.

02:49 They got the best one to five, one to seven, six, seven, eight, and nine.

02:52 They have the best talent in the league, but

02:54 that doesn't mean you're gonna win necessarily.

02:56 And they've proven that with this.

02:58 So they have something to prove.

02:59 And starting tonight, as we speak on the morning of the rematch against Atlanta and

03:04 that strange scheduling that doesn't happen too often.

03:08 And you have a two game series.

03:10 But with the two days off, it's bizarre scheduling.

03:14 Absolutely bizarre.

03:15 It's weird.

03:16 I mean, they- >> Strange schedule.

03:17 So anyway, I'm with you, Gary.

03:20 I think we deserve to be angry.

03:22 And I think they got something to prove.

03:25 And I wanna see how they react to this thing.

03:28 It's about the big picture, folks.

03:31 They're gonna have the best seed.

03:33 They're gonna finish with 60 some wins.

03:35 They're gonna do all this nice stuff.

03:37 And then the real stuff's gonna matter after that.

03:40 And they have to prove themselves to me, I'm damn sure.

03:45 >> Well, I'm with you.

03:46 And I'm glad you agree with me because I was wondering if I was just being a little

03:50 too hard, considering how well they played this season.

03:53 But, and I understand what Joe Mazzullo's doing.

03:56 He's playing a lot of different guys.

03:58 He's emptying the bench.

03:59 And I understand that.

04:00 But with seven minutes to go, he puts everybody back in.

04:04 >> Yeah, no, I like the way he's handling it, in general terms.

04:08 And but they just didn't do the job that they should do.

04:10 Yeah, no, it was, it doesn't.

04:13 And the big picture, it means they're gonna win 66 instead of 67.

04:18 That's all it's gonna mean in that regard, more than likely.

04:22 But that's not the issue.

04:24 The issue is who they really are and what they get and

04:28 what they're made of for April and May and June.

04:33 That's what our issue is now.

04:34 >> Right, and now you wonder, are they just a regular season darling?

04:39 >> Yeah, and the other thing I wanna remind people in general terms,

04:43 is that when you're looking at people and you're thinking, well,

04:47 they're not gonna be a, this team won't be a contender.

04:51 That I can give you enough examples over the years of surprise teams that caught

04:55 fire in the playoffs and went along.

04:56 Maybe they didn't win the championship, but they got to the finals.

05:00 Celtics encountered two of them in the 70s with the Rockets twice.

05:05 And there was a year, and don't forget the Knicks in 99, they were the 8th seed.

05:09 They got to the finals.

05:10 And the Celtics themselves in 69, I know people say, my God,

05:14 that's the Pisces scene era.

05:16 Well, it was real basketball, folks, I'm telling you.

05:18 And they finished fourth in the Eastern Conference and

05:21 were not remotely considered to be a favorite, and they won the championship.

05:24 So teams can come out of nowhere and catch fire at the right time.

05:29 So don't think that they're gonna waltz to the finals cuz they're not.

05:33 >> I think a perfect current example of that is Miami.

05:40 >> Yeah, exactly, thank you, Miami, right.

05:42 So we encountered that phenomenon, yeah, absolutely.

05:48 >> What I liked about this game as an NBA fan and as a basketball fan,

05:53 aside the Celtic fan in me was ticked off like you.

05:57 But also it just sheds a light on how damn good you have to be to play in

06:03 the league.

06:03 I mean, DeAndre Hunter goes out, he hits the three pointer at the end,

06:07 gets 24 points, Trey Young's not playing.

06:09 All of a sudden, the Atlanta guys go, wait a minute,

06:12 we're gonna make a statement.

06:14 And that's why I defend Scalabrini a lot with people.

06:17 People will make joke about Scal and I say, listen,

06:20 if you're one of the 300 best players to play in this league,

06:25 you're pretty damn good.

06:27 >> You're absolutely right.

06:28 >> And that's why when you play a team, you give a team like Atlanta,

06:33 life, it just brings the focus on how good you have to be to play in this league.

06:41 >> It's one other thing that I know we wanna get to it, and

06:44 we can tie it in with last night's comeback that the Lakers made in the fourth

06:48 quarter against Milwaukee.

06:51 And why these things seem to happen, it's not exclusive to the Celtics.

06:55 We're concerned about them because they're a team that should be competing for

06:58 a championship.

06:59 But this three point shot world that we live in,

07:04 I think this is the root of the problem.

07:07 >> Well, games never roll.

07:08 >> You live by it and die by it.

07:10 Now, I'll give you the numbers on last night,

07:12 just to show you how the game is being played now.

07:16 >> In last night's game, the Lakers did rally, 128,

07:19 124 of them in Milwaukee, double overtime.

07:21 Lakers were down 19, continue.

07:23 >> Never had a lead until the second overtime, which is,

07:25 I'm a Laker fan, I love that game.

07:27 That's the kind of game you smile all day long,

07:30 that they could win a game like that.

07:33 But Milwaukee took 119 shots, 68 twos and 51 threes.

07:41 LA took 108 shots, 64 twos and 44 threes.

07:47 Not as bad as I thought it was gonna be,

07:49 the fact that I was looking for it to be 50% threes.

07:53 But what I'm saying is, when you're living by it and dying by it, and

07:56 it's not easy apparently, we're learning this as we go along.

08:00 It's not easy to shift your mentality to, hey,

08:03 we're not in the three mode tonight, we better go to two.

08:07 And people, and stop the bleeding by just, we gotta get to the line,

08:12 we gotta do a set of play.

08:13 Well, I set up, run a play to get my best shooter,

08:18 my God, the dreaded 17 footer.

08:22 Although maybe there's a diminishing number of guys that can make that shot

08:25 anymore, I don't know, maybe not.

08:26 Not everybody is DeMar DeRozan, who doesn't take threes.

08:29 But it's the mentality of the game now that you just keep firing those threes.

08:34 And if the other team, their look has turned around, now they're hitting them.

08:39 And it's about, if we took the three out of these games,

08:45 I don't think these things would happen as often as they do now.

08:47 >> Well, and I think that's why the league loves the three.

08:49 And I personally, I know we disagree,

08:51 I love the three because that means the game's never over.

08:54 >> Well, yeah, and I hate it because it distorts the game.

08:57 >> Right.

08:58 >> And it's- >> I get that.

08:59 >> Side play, we can have, all right.

09:02 So anyway, the Lakers, I think the most interesting thing left in the big

09:06 picture in the NBA for the remaining season is the Western Conference play-in

09:13 possibility.

09:14 >> Right.

09:15 >> I'm looking at the numbers right now, okay?

09:17 The 7, 8, 9, 10 are as follows, and that's who's playing,

09:21 if people remember, remind them.

09:23 Sacramento 42 and 30, Phoenix 42 and 30, tied.

09:27 LA 40 and 32, two games behind.

09:30 Golden State 37 and 34, there were 10.

09:33 But guess what, folks?

09:35 Houston is one half game behind the Golden State.

09:41 Houston has sneaked up on the rail.

09:44 We knew they had young, raw talent.

09:47 >> Right.

09:48 >> When Steven Silas had these guys.

09:50 And now they're coming to life, Jalen Green.

09:54 I mean, so Houston's right there, and they could be in and

09:59 Golden State out.

10:00 And Golden State, you know if you let them in,

10:04 you're gonna have to pay respect, but they might not get in.

10:08 [LAUGH] So that'll be something.

10:10 So I'm just keeping an eye on that one, but I think that's gonna be the-

10:13 >> I need to ask,

10:16 we've talked about Anthony Davis a lot, and he's been hurt, and we understand that.

10:20 And what a shame, 34 points, 23 rebounds last night without LeBron.

10:24 And Reeves and Russell had terrific games as well for the Lakers.

10:31 As best you can, if Anthony Davis is healthy for his career,

10:37 where would you put him?

10:40 >> If he were healthy for his career, he's entering into, well,

10:43 first of all, he's in the top 20 all time.

10:45 So start with that.

10:47 He's a top 20 all time player.

10:49 If he gets a long enough career,

10:52 then he won't be the big what if of our time.

10:56 And he could go as high as in the 15s.

10:59 I mean, he's a very skilled player, very skilled player.

11:02 This is a guy who in his NCAA championship game, went 0 for

11:07 10, and you can make an argument was the best player on the floor.

11:11 I saw that game, block shots, rebounds, passing, he knows how to play.

11:18 And it's just a matter of staying healthy, no question.

11:21 I mean, not everybody can get 34 and 23, that's pretty good stuff.

11:26 And he can do that stuff.

11:28 I'm an admirer of his talent and I want the guy to stay healthy.

11:32 And he deserves a career and he's a wonderful player.

11:37 Yeah, the guy that fascinates me on that team because not too,

11:42 too long ago, a little more than a calendar year ago, I knew who the hell he was.

11:47 And that's Austin Reeves.

11:49 >> Right. >> And starting with last year's

11:50 playoffs, he emerged, his coming out party was the playoffs last year.

11:55 And now he's a nice player.

11:58 He's a really nice player.

11:59 By the way, as compared to triple double last night.

12:02 And anyway, the Lakers, you don't want them around.

12:08 [LAUGH] If you're, nobody I'll go, once again,

12:12 it seems like I say this every week, every time we get together.

12:16 Nobody's gonna be clapping their hands and say, goody, goody,

12:18 we're playing the Lakers in the period.

12:21 There's just not.

12:22 And one of the X factor guys there is Russell.

12:26 If Russell plays under control and plays a solid game, he's got skill.

12:33 He's been maligned at different ways over his career, but he's got some skill.

12:38 And also I got a sneaky good guy that people don't know much about is Dinwiddie.

12:44 They picked up Dinwiddie and he had a big game last night.

12:48 You don't wanna mess around with the Lakers in the playoffs.

12:52 And so I'm sure they're gonna be,

12:55 I'm not pretty sure they're gonna be there in the playoffs.

13:00 So we'll see what happens.

13:02 >> I want him in.

13:04 >> Yeah, that's fine.

13:05 >> I want him in.

13:06 >> You're right.

13:07 >> I want the Lakers in.

13:08 I want him in.

13:09 >> I got one for you that I must be just a complete basketball nerd.

13:16 I don't know why, but nobody is talking about something that is one,

13:20 it's a phenomenal thing going on.

13:23 Not only in the NBA, but in the world of sports and nobody's talking about it.

13:28 Daniel Gafford, are you aware what he's doing?

13:31 >> Yes, because you told me.

13:35 >> Most people don't know who he is, first of all.

13:38 Okay, so for the record, folks, Daniel Gafford is 6'9",

13:42 hybrid big guy, out of the University of Arkansas.

13:46 He was born in El Dorado, Arkansas, which is the home of Lou Brock.

13:49 I just wanna fully give you all the information you need here.

13:53 He was a 2019 second round pick, number 38 in the draft by the Bulls.

13:58 Last year, he got traded from Chicago to Washington to Dallas in the same year.

14:05 Okay, in last year's, in the 2021 playoffs as a Bull,

14:10 excuse me, he shot 84.6% from the floor.

14:16 You heard what I said, nobody talked about it.

14:19 This year, as we speak, in his last ten games, he is 64 for 76.

14:25 Do you know what I said?

14:28 >> I did, I also read it, yeah.

14:30 >> He has made, and going into last night, he had made 33 straight field goals,

14:36 which is too shy of the record set by a guy we're gonna talk about,

14:39 some guy named Chamberlain.

14:41 And that was set from March 5th to March 13th, he made 33 straight field goals.

14:49 And right now, he's shooting 69% for the season,

14:52 as I said in his last ten games, 64 for 76.

14:55 Now granted, we know we're talking about dunks and putbacks, clearly,

14:59 almost exclusively, right?

15:01 >> The anti three hero, the anti three hero.

15:05 >> Dunks and putbacks, which leads us, folks, to Wilt Chamberlain.

15:09 >> Yes.

15:10 >> And the youngins who have only heard of him like he's, I don't know,

15:15 Abraham Lincoln or somebody that nobody they can relate to, okay?

15:19 Okay, let me just give you a few things, factoids about Wilt Chamberlain.

15:25 Okay, first of all, folks,

15:27 here's some of the categories in which he led the league during his career.

15:33 Minutes played eight times, field goals made seven,

15:37 field goals attempted seven, field goal percentage nine,

15:41 led the league in field goal percentage nine times.

15:45 Free throws attempted nine, free throws made one, [LAUGH] that's what,

15:51 that's what he did, he won 78 triple doubles,

15:55 including 53 of them in two seasons of 66, 67, 68.

16:01 And here's how he reinvented himself, totally reinvented himself.

16:07 In 1961, 62, when he averaged 50.4 points a game,

16:13 in 80 games, he took 3,159 shots, 3,159.

16:19 11 years later, as a Laker, playing all 82 games, he took 586 shots.

16:26 >> Wow.

16:28 >> But did I mention that he shot 73% from the floor?

16:33 >> And also he's playing with Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, correct?

16:37 >> Yeah, well, Baylor's retired by that time.

16:39 >> Okay.

16:40 >> Baylor retired in the 71, 72 season, early in the season.

16:44 And but the next year, Baylor's totally gone and West is there.

16:48 He, so that's a massive reinvention when you reduce your number of shot attempts by

16:55 2,600.

16:56 >> [LAUGH] >> That's incredible.

16:58 >> Okay, now, he wanted to lead the league in field goal percentage, and

17:03 he stopped shooting anything but tips and dunks.

17:06 >> Right. >> Almost exclusively.

17:08 He had a turnaround jumper that people wanted him to take, you know what I mean?

17:13 And hoping he'd hit the first one in the game.

17:15 And this is the theory back in the mid 60s, when he decided he's gonna show the world

17:20 I'm not some big freak that is just seven feet tall.

17:24 I'm an athlete, which he was.

17:25 >> Right, well, he was, sure, track and field.

17:27 >> He was a track star at Kansas and all that.

17:29 So, and of course, volleyball, and okay.

17:32 He had a turnaround jumper, and everybody hoped he would make one early, so

17:38 then he'd wanna keep taking them the rest of the night, you know?

17:41 So Russell would let him make the first one, that'd be good, then, okay.

17:45 By the time he got to the Lakers,

17:48 he wouldn't shoot unless it was, he didn't shoot anymore.

17:54 82, that's four, two, that's only five, that's fewer than five shots a game.

18:01 >> Did that hurt the Lakers?

18:02 >> No, well, that season, in 71, 72, they won the championship.

18:10 >> Right. >> And then next year,

18:11 they got beaten in the Western Conference Finals by the Bucks.

18:15 >> Okay, yeah, Luau Cinder.

18:17 >> Yeah, but excuse me, they beat, no, no, au contraire.

18:22 They did win, they beat the Bucks, and they lost in the finals to the Knicks, 73.

18:28 >> Okay.

18:29 >> Okay, they beat the Bucks, and he outplayed Kareem.

18:32 At age 36, he was, or seven, in that series.

18:35 Okay, but I just want people to understand when we're talking about this,

18:38 what a phenomenon he was.

18:40 And but Daniel Gafford, no one's talking about this.

18:44 I can't believe that it's not worthy of somebody's attention.

18:48 The guy shot 64 for 76, he's missed 12 shots in 10 games.

18:52 >> It's worthy of Bob Ryan's attention.

18:54 >> Football season may be over, but the action on the floor is heating up.

18:59 Whether it's a tournament season or the fight for a playoff home court,

19:03 there's no shortage of high stakes basketball moments this time of year.

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19:50 [MUSIC]

19:53 >> All right, now, there's a tournament going on involving lesser

19:59 paid athletes, but no longer unpaid, right?

20:03 >> And we're gonna have that tournament in Boston.

20:07 >> Did you say unpaid?

20:09 >> I said no longer unpaid.

20:11 >> No longer unpaid.

20:12 >> It involves lesser paid athletes than those big names, but

20:15 still, but no longer unpaid athletes.

20:17 It's for a basketball championship of the colleges and universities of America.

20:21 >> Yes.

20:22 >> Yes, and we have a segment of it right here in our own backyard.

20:26 >> Yeah, and what do you think about that?

20:28 >> Well, I love having a tournament here.

20:30 And by the way, every time they have it here, first time was '09.

20:33 This is the fourth time we've had either a regional or a sub-regional.

20:37 People love it.

20:38 They love, first of all, outsiders.

20:40 People come from- >> People come, I mean,

20:42 that's the big thing.

20:43 People come from outside.

20:43 >> They wanna come to Boston.

20:44 It's a tourist attraction.

20:46 >> Sure.

20:47 I wonder how many people there are from Boston.

20:50 >> Well, according to what I read in the Globe this morning,

20:53 they immediately sell out the tickets when they put them on sale.

20:56 >> Yeah, I'm sure they do.

20:58 I just don't know.

20:59 I think I'd like to know, and it's impossible to figure out.

21:02 >> Yeah, I would too.

21:03 What's the percentage of people who are coming in from, I don't know,

21:07 from other parts of the country to see- >> Well, right,

21:09 because we're not noticed.

21:10 >> It's just not a college basketball town.

21:12 >> Yeah, we're not noted for being a college basketball town, and we aren't.

21:15 But this tournament belies that to a degree.

21:19 By the way, I wanna talk about, quickly, a couple of coaches of note.

21:24 One, John Calipari has just been extended at Kentucky.

21:29 And we learned that had they chosen to terminate him,

21:34 they would have been on the hook for $33 million.

21:39 >> Yeah, so he's- >> That's a buyout, folks.

21:41 That's a significant buyout.

21:43 >> But why would you fire Cal?

21:45 >> Well, because, I say it would have been ridiculous.

21:50 They're not gonna get a better coach.

21:52 >> Well, that's my problem.

21:53 >> The problem is they've only won one championship since he's been there, and

21:57 that was 12 years ago.

21:58 And they have this self, that's who they are.

22:05 But they wouldn't have gotten a better coach.

22:08 Who would have- >> Well, I mean, Bob, let's face it.

22:10 I mean, everything has changed when it comes to, he brought in, and

22:14 the rule or the feeling was you had to win with freshmen, right?

22:19 Who were gonna go to the NBA.

22:20 And then he did that once, and then it didn't really work after that.

22:24 So they've kinda had to change the way that they're recruiting, I assume.

22:28 And let's face it, there are other schools that Kentucky's competing with.

22:32 >> Yeah, I mean, absolutely, and a lot of high power, but

22:36 that's just the Kentucky- >> Mentality, I get it.

22:39 >> Kentucky, I'll give you the equivalent.

22:42 Kentucky is to basketball,

22:43 where Notre Dame is to football in terms of the self-delusion of its fans.

22:48 I mean, there's nobody more pompous and

22:50 unrealistic than Notre Dame football fans in the world of football.

22:53 >> Right.

22:54 >> They think they have a divine right.

22:57 And Kentucky, it's the same way in basketball with Kentucky.

23:00 >> Right. >> You grew up in Kentucky,

23:02 you feel that you have a divine right to win.

23:05 And Cal has delivered successful seasons to a degree, but

23:10 only the one championship, and the one year they should have won.

23:14 I think he messed up because he should have played Devin Booker more.

23:16 And that was the year he was playing two platoons, basically.

23:21 >> Right. >> The playing time of ten guys, and

23:24 his best player clearly was Booker, and they should have won.

23:27 And I called him accountable for that one, okay.

23:30 But other than that, no, and I'm a John Calipari fan,

23:34 unlike a lot of people around here.

23:36 So that's fine.

23:37 Anyway, Cal's back, and they don't have to pay him $33 million,

23:41 so they're paying him a lot of money to start with.

23:44 The other coach in the news, and I don't know if you've been following this at all,

23:48 Garrett, is Kim Mulkey at LSU.

23:52 >> Yes, yes, yes, yes.

23:53 >> Did you see the rant and listen to it?

23:56 >> I did not, but I did see the headline.

24:00 >> It was almost chilling, her venom.

24:04 She leapt off the stage denouncing Kent Babb of the Washington Post,

24:10 who apparently is working on a story.

24:14 And she's referred to him as a sleazy reporter, he's anything but.

24:19 >> But fill everybody in, Bob, what's the back story on the article?

24:22 >> The back story is that Kim Mulkey is the most controversial coach in

24:26 women's college basketball.

24:28 She has won four championships.

24:30 She is a cantankerous, aggressive, outspoken in many ways.

24:37 Her fashion sense is a source of great delight and amusement for people.

24:42 And I can urge anybody, you can go find it easily, just go Google her up and

24:47 go get her longstanding fashion stuff.

24:50 That's fine, that's fine, that's part of the fun.

24:52 She's a great coach, no question.

24:54 But boy, she's one of these people that I think she needs to be people,

25:01 she has to have enemies, it makes her, fuels her.

25:05 But she's claiming that, she told us that he's been working on a story for two,

25:13 and she's resisted him giving him an interview for two years.

25:17 And the reason is that she said he wrote a hit piece about Brian Kelly.

25:23 And I just did a little research and it was not a hit piece.

25:26 She's crazy, it's wrong, totally wrong.

25:29 And so then she made a big fuss last week because she said,

25:32 after telling us that she wouldn't talk to him for two years.

25:37 And then last week, there was some time thing where he wanted to talk to her for

25:41 48 hours.

25:42 And she said, well, we're preparing for the tournament,

25:45 I don't have time to do this.

25:46 This is antagonizing, he's trying to harm my chances of our team winning and

25:51 all that.

25:51 And you gotta go, people go Google this rant of Kim Mulkey.

25:55 So anyway, that's the story, the story hasn't appeared yet.

25:58 But we're waiting for this story.

26:01 She said that he interviewed players specifically to get them to say

26:05 negative things about her.

26:07 There's no evidence of this, no one's come out and confirmed that at all.

26:11 But she went absolutely crazy last week.

26:14 Meanwhile, LSU, they're back, they're contender, and

26:18 they're the defending champion.

26:21 And the women's tournament is fascinating,

26:24 because you got the Caitlin Clark phenomenon.

26:27 >> Right.

26:27 >> I will say something about that in a minute.

26:30 And UConn back in a mix, Paige Beckers, and did you notice that Gina Auriemma

26:35 declared that Paige Beckers is the best player in America?

26:39 And if you look at the metrics, everybody knows it.

26:42 >> Yeah. >> Out of which,

26:43 keep the fire going.

26:44 >> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

26:46 >> Just turned 70, he's still got his fastball.

26:49 Here's the thing, Garrett, two days ago, I was having my morning coffee at my

26:55 favorite place in Hingham, Red Eye Roaster, down at the Hingham Harbor.

26:59 And talking with Bob Weeks, the proprietor, and a gentleman I do not know.

27:02 And we were having a three-way conversation.

27:07 And after we segued from the end, we got talking about the women, and

27:12 the Caitlin Clark phenomenon, and the whole thing.

27:14 And we all had watched her, and had opinions, and all.

27:19 And I said, you know something?

27:21 I said, think about this, that two years ago, forget about ten years ago,

27:26 no one would be having this conversation.

27:29 And yet, right now, this conversation that three males are having

27:34 about the women's tournament is being held simultaneously,

27:37 at this moment in time, in each of the 50 states, somewhere.

27:42 >> Right.

27:42 >> Like that.

27:43 They have, that's how far, that's what she has meant, and

27:47 what is the benefit that she has brought to college basketball.

27:51 Now, Gino may be right, by the way, about Paige Becker's, and that's fine.

27:56 Don't forget Juju Watkins out on SC, and Hannah Hidalgo, and

28:01 Notre Dame, suddenly these are names that people who are casual fans are getting to

28:05 know, but think about that.

28:07 Would you agree that I am almost undoubtedly right,

28:10 that with that conversation that three males were having,

28:14 was not unique to America at nine o'clock Eastern on Tuesday, on Monday?

28:22 >> She's changed the narrative for basketball.

28:25 >> She's the face of college basketball now.

28:27 >> She's the face of college basketball.

28:28 >> I mean, there's no male even close.

28:30 I mean, the player of the year is, it's fine, but no, nobody's male.

28:35 It's interesting, it really is, so.

28:38 >> Well, it's fantastic, and it's great for the game, it's great for

28:41 young people, all the way around, it's just tremendous upside.

28:45 But she is, and she also to me, I mean, I haven't studied,

28:51 I haven't studied her, I haven't covered her like I have a lot of athletes before.

28:58 But she seems to embrace it.

29:00 >> She's- >> She's got some swagger,

29:03 she's got some- >> She is a star.

29:08 >> Right, right.

29:09 >> And she's been kind of preparing for this.

29:14 And particularly, and of course, one of the great things that people,

29:18 many people don't know, or realize, is that if it was gonna happen, and

29:22 there's a good, New York Times had a good story to this effect.

29:26 If it was going to happen, it's no surprise it's someone from the state of Iowa.

29:31 Because Iowa has been in the forefront, such as it was, of women's basketball in

29:36 a way that most other states weren't.

29:38 >> I didn't know that.

29:39 >> They were the second to last state to get rid of the six person game.

29:43 That was the college basketball, women's basketball was 60 people,

29:47 right into the 60s.

29:49 And the last state was Oklahoma, but they were the next to last.

29:52 But the women's tournament was always as big or bigger than the men's.

29:56 Hey, and your home state is right- >> Maine, yeah, Sidney Blodgett.

30:02 Sidney Blodgett.

30:03 >> They may be the bronze medal winner, but certainly they're there.

30:05 >> But- >> Sidney changed the game, yeah.

30:08 >> Iowa has been in the forefront of women's basketball for a long time.

30:12 And so it makes sense that this great player would emerge coming out of

30:17 the state of Iowa.

30:18 So she's a star, she embraces it.

30:20 This isn't Nicola Djukic, nobody wants, he doesn't wanna talk about it.

30:24 >> No, she's great, she loves it.

30:26 >> She gets it, and that's why the WNBA is drooling,

30:31 waiting for her to get in there.

30:34 But the thing is, it's gonna open a door.

30:37 People are gonna be saying next year, well, I don't know,

30:39 we'll see what happens.

30:41 >> Who's the next Caitlin Clark?

30:42 >> Right, exactly.

30:44 So this is a tremendous development.

30:46 And so this year, I know I, for one, have never had as much interest.

30:51 I mean, I'm not saying I never had any interest, but

30:53 never as much as in the women's tournament as this year.

30:56 To see how it's gonna play out, not just for her, but for Kim Mulkey, and

31:01 for Juju Watkins out there at SC, and for Gino.

31:05 I mean, UConn, they're in the mix.

31:08 They're not a top, they're not a favorite, but

31:11 you wouldn't be stunned if they got to the Final Four.

31:15 >> Bob, before we go, any thoughts on the men's NCAA tournament coming up?

31:19 >> Yeah, the tournament, it's very simple.

31:22 The best team is UConn.

31:23 There is no question in my mind that they are the best team.

31:26 But they have lost three times, and they're not invincible.

31:30 They're not an all-time great team.

31:32 I don't know if they're as good as last year's team, they're right there.

31:35 But point is, if it were three out of five or four out of seven,

31:39 I'd bet the house, the rent money, everything on UConn.

31:44 But it's not, we know the nature of the tournament.

31:47 >> Right. >> You can have a bad night, or

31:48 you can run into somebody with a great night, and you could lose.

31:51 They can lose, but they ought to win.

31:54 They're the best team.

31:55 There's no doubt in my mind, but

31:57 that doesn't mean that there aren't a few teams that can beat them,

32:01 including teams in their own league who have beaten them, like Creighton, for

32:07 example, so UConn, but it's a chalk tournament this year.

32:11 There's nothing resembling a Cinderella.

32:13 The lowest seed is NC State, and of course, they've won two championships in

32:17 their time, and they're out of the ACC.

32:19 They're not a minnow, so there's nothing.

32:22 And my other favorite story, my favorite story in it,

32:25 is Gonzaga, who is the 25th straight year they've been in the tournament,

32:29 and the 26th straight, excuse me, I think, yeah, well, since '99.

32:34 And ninth straight, Sweet 16, which is, I mean, that's a phenomenal achievement.

32:38 >> That's amazing.

32:39 >> Because it's one thing to win that,

32:41 the conference is not a top flight conference, the West Coast conference.

32:44 >> Sure.

32:45 >> It's okay, but it's another thing to get in the tournament and

32:48 keep doing it and doing it and doing it.

32:50 >> Right. >> You get to the final 16.

32:52 Nine straight years, Mark Few, what he's done there,

32:56 you cannot praise him enough.

32:58 And so, I'm going to games in Boston, I'm going to Final Four.

33:04 I'm looking forward to it, but I'm rooting,

33:07 I'm unabashedly rooting for UConn to win.

33:11 >> Does Goodman take you to dinner?

33:13 >> [LAUGH] Well, he doesn't have to at home, I'll be-

33:18 >> No, I mean at the Final Four.

33:19 >> The Final Four, yes, we'll work on that one.

33:22 We'll have a week to get through, straighten that one out, that's it.

33:25 >> That poor guy's going to be exhausted.

33:27 >> My God, I know, he does, this is the season, I can't imagine his schedule.

33:32 >> All right, Bob, but listen,

33:33 we are going to record again on Sunday night after the weekend.

33:37 >> Yes, a lot to talk about then.

33:39 >> There'll be a lot to talk about, great stuff, and we'll talk to you then.

33:42 Bob Ryan, Gary Tangway, brought to you by PrizePix,

33:45 the exclusive daily fantasy partner of CLNS Media.

33:48 Pick more, pick less, it's that easy with PrizePix.

33:51 Bob, enjoy the tourney.

33:53 >> Thanks, Gary, we'll talk to you, bye-bye.

33:55 [MUSIC]

34:06 [MUSIC]

Celtics Concerns + March Madness in Boston | Bob Ryan & Jeff Goodman NBA Podcast

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