- 1 day ago
Ryan asks JP and BMitch which DC sports headlines they are buying or selling.
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00:00All right, let's get this thing started.
00:03Beamich and JP, are you guys buying the idea that the Nats could be a wild card team?
00:10Have no choice but to buy it right now because I didn't expect them to be where they are.
00:15And they're playing much better.
00:18And the more confidence you get, the better you play.
00:20So I say yes.
00:23I'm buying it because the pitching has really improved.
00:26And, like, you're not going to maintain red-hot bats up and down the lineup like they have.
00:34But if, like, Wood and Abrams, I think, are legit, right?
00:38And some of the other hitting will probably fade a little bit.
00:43But if the pitching could just improve or if they could play better defense, stop committing so many damn errors.
00:48Like, I don't think they play October baseball, but I think they hang around the conversation most of the summer.
00:56Yeah, and I think they're contenders.
00:59That's kind of where we're at.
01:00But speaking of baseball as well, are you buying that Blake Butera should be in the middle of the race
01:06for NL Manager of the Year?
01:07A lot of people have been kind of talking about it at this point.
01:10And now with the Nats being contenders, it's a real thing.
01:13They got to finish this thing how they started.
01:16I mean, I know we always try to crown the next person every time.
01:20Got to do a little bit more before we start discussing that.
01:22But I think right now, like, a June 1st vote, he's certainly in it.
01:27But I would also, like, who's running the Braves?
01:30They're outrageous.
01:32First-year manager, I'm blanking on the name.
01:34He's in the mix as well.
01:36Yeah, like, I mean, they just fired their old skip, hire that dude, and they have the best record in
01:39baseball.
01:40I would also wonder, like, the Rays are having a really good year.
01:43Like, as exciting as this is with Butera, I don't think he would win, man.
01:50I think they got to be over two, just two games, over 500, so start having that type of discussion.
01:54Yeah, I tend to agree.
01:56All right, that's fair.
01:57Okay.
01:58I think, like, if we're ranking Vegas odds for it, and he was like...
02:02It's probably top three.
02:04I think top three, top five sounds right, for sure.
02:07All right.
02:08He's pressed the right buttons, and, like, lineup decisions are really where a baseball manager makes a difference.
02:13And he's, one, not scared to move it around, and, two, largely tends to get it right.
02:19Definitely.
02:21All right, kind of switching over to basketball now.
02:23There's been a lot of smoke for these analytical experts in front offices saying that Cam Boozer is the number
02:30one player in the draft.
02:32B, Mitch, are you buying that?
02:34No.
02:36No explanation.
02:37No.
02:39Do you watch the other guys?
02:42Have you ever seen a guy with other guys that are high-flying get drafted after Cam Boozer?
02:49Okay.
02:49Case closed.
02:51That's the analytics people that's trying to bring their thought into it.
02:54No, no, no.
02:55You also saw the analytics on AJ DeBanzo, right?
03:00And then you saw Peterson got some analytical stuff, too, and he's still high-flying.
03:05No.
03:05I don't buy that one.
03:08The analytics think Boozer's the best pick.
03:11That's what, I saw this, I believe it was Draft Sleeper earlier today he said that.
03:16Yeah, Draft Sleeper, they should go back to sleep.
03:20I also think, no.
03:23It's a no for me.
03:25I think Boozer will be good.
03:26Yeah.
03:27I agree with that, but I'm like, you line them up and you say, which one are you going
03:32to take?
03:32The other guys are jumping off the page at you.
03:36Boozer, you go, this is a real solid dude, but you don't think he's better than all the
03:40other guys at this point.
03:41I don't think so.
03:42Yeah, I agree with you guys there.
03:45Commanders fans are still concerned about the wide receiver room.
03:48Are you buying that it's a fair concern at this point?
03:51I mean, I'm far more concerned about the DBs than I am the wide receivers, and my concern
03:58last year, the floor of that room was a real problem, and Chris Moore ended up being your
04:04fifth most targeted wide receiver.
04:07This year, I think they've raised the floor significantly, and I'm worrying about the floor
04:12of the DB room, of the corners specifically, and generally, you're playing five corners a
04:18game.
04:18Like, those guys are on the field, in defensive situations, not just special team situations.
04:25So, is it a fair concern?
04:28It's fair to have some questions about it, especially knowing they tried to be active in free agency
04:32and weren't at that position, or not at the top of the market.
04:37I don't have as much of a concern, because I think, like, you have Jaden, and that masks,
04:45that helps a lot of receivers look better.
04:47So, I'm not, that's not my top concern, but I can understand where people are with it.
04:52Well, for me, if we were in, by the break, our training camp, and nobody had started to
04:59emerge, and we went through, in our first, second game of preseason, I might be concerned.
05:04But at this point, I'm not, because I know they say it all the time, ain't nobody playing
05:09nobody tomorrow.
05:10They've been through one damn practice, one OTA.
05:14What have they done that anybody should be concerned?
05:18I don't think any negative thoughts came out of the OTA.
05:22None.
05:22So, what are they concerned about?
05:24Just because they want to be concerned?
05:25No report said it was, like, awful.
05:30The fans are crazy, man.
05:31I guess we'll find out.
05:32But let's go over to the hockey rink here.
05:35Some Caps fans don't want Ovi to return, which I personally think is a little crazy, based
05:40off his metrics hurting the Caps.
05:42Are you guys buying that thought that the Caps may want to push him out?
05:47I don't know if many Caps fans feel that way.
05:50I think maybe somebody inside the building that feel that way, but I don't know if many
05:53Caps fans feel that.
05:55He was their leading goal scorer.
06:00Like, what, I don't understand that thought process, especially because, like, if he had
06:07some outrageous contract that was going to really be an anchor to the organization, like,
06:13okay, I get it.
06:14But he doesn't.
06:15And by all accounts, he's willing to sign something that's reasonable.
06:18It's not like there's this great free agent hall out there around the NHL.
06:22Like, I listen to the Spittin' Chicklets guys, and they're like, this is not a killer free
06:27agency class.
06:28And they have all this young talent.
06:31All these young guys worship Ovi.
06:33It's not like, I mean, all the hockey guys I know that we talk to on the show, I talk
06:39to
06:39them off the record, like, when I'm covering games for NBC and stuff.
06:42Like, Ovi's the best dude in the locker room.
06:45Everybody loves him.
06:46Everybody respects him.
06:47He works his ass off.
06:48Like, I do not, I can't possibly understand.
06:54It'd be one thing, listen, he doesn't have the same speed.
06:58Maybe he's not helping you on defense.
06:59And maybe you have to be more specific in what his role is going forward.
07:04Maybe you have to change the lines and stuff.
07:06Like, I can get all that.
07:07But to not want him to come back, to me, is asinine.
07:11It's a crazy thought, but fans, some fans are crazy.
07:15So let's go back to the football field.
07:16I think that's more about somebody that don't want to fight their legacy.
07:20That's making decisions.
07:22That's where that's coming from.
07:23That could be very true there.
07:25Let's go to the football field real quick.
07:26The commanders have an interesting backfield at the running back position.
07:30Are you guys buying that they will have a one-two punch and not a lead back?
07:35Yeah.
07:38It's never really, like, the NFL today is more about one-two punch or by committee.
07:45It's not about one guy getting all the play and then the other guy coming to spell it.
07:49Guys have specific things that they're going to do.
07:52You got third down backs.
07:53You got guys that's going to be your first.
07:55And you got guys that may come in on a second and out loan.
07:58Guys that you're going to bring on a second and short.
08:00They're going to have three backs running consistently.
08:04I think it's absolutely a committee.
08:06I think it's White, Bill, and Fat Man is what they're hoping.
08:10And I think J-Mac still gets – I can see J-Mac – I don't know how they'll break
08:19the roster when we get to August 30th.
08:20If J-Mac gets released and then brought back to the practice squad would kind of be my early hunch
08:26on this thing.
08:28Injuries will always be a factor.
08:30Like, absolutely, it's a committee.
08:33That's why, like, people will – I've gotten this question a bunch on all the years.
08:36Like, yo, what's Bill's situation?
08:39Bill's situation is good.
08:41Most NFL teams are committees.
08:44What was it?
08:45Atlanta has a lead dog back, you would say.
08:48But they play the other guy a lot.
08:50Algier got plenty of care.
08:51Algier plays a lot.
08:52So, when you got a guy talented like B. John and you playing Algier that much, what on earth makes
08:57anybody think that Bill has to make all the carries?
09:01It's a crazy thought.
09:02But on that front, are you buying the idea that Jaden Daniels could be the leading rusher for the Commanders
09:08in 2026?
09:09I would think that that's their – that's not their plan.
09:13They go into this thing where they're going to let the backs run in.
09:15If Jaden has to go, go.
09:17I think that the talk they're telling him is, you run when you have to, but we're not going to
09:22call a lot of runs for you to just go out there and run.
09:25They want a running back to be the leading rusher.
09:29I think this offense is going to look a lot different.
09:32Yeah.
09:33And I don't think you'll see nearly the design quarterback runs we saw with Cliff.
09:37And I think you never want to eliminate Jaden running.
09:42No, no.
09:43It's an absolute weapon and an asset, but no.
09:45I don't think Jaden's going to be the leading rusher.
09:48I don't think he should be.
09:49I get it.
09:51This season, a lot of fans are going to have their eyes on Dan Quinn.
09:54Two new coordinators in the building.
09:57Disappointing year in 2025.
09:59Is this a make-or-break season for Dan Quinn and this commander's staff?
10:03Are you buying?
10:04Make-or-break saying what, though?
10:05I mean, you could say make-or-break season where you say they've got to be in the playoffs.
10:09If they come out here and let's say they go 10-7 and they don't make the playoffs, do you
10:13say we've got to let them go?
10:15I think the make-or-break has to be defined.
10:20How much are you saying make-or-break?
10:22But I think you can't be 5-12 again.
10:24I think they – he's got to win at least eight games.
10:30That, to me – like, if it's 7-9 maybe, but if it's double-digit losses, I think that's break.
10:40Like, if you're 6-11, hell, I guess it would be 7-10, right?
10:48Like –
10:48Yeah.
10:49I'm just saying, like –
10:50I don't think they can afford double-digit losses.
10:53Yeah, definitely not that.
10:54And that's what I'm saying.
10:55But when you go make-or-break most times, people think you've got to be in the playoffs.
10:59I don't know if they have to be.
11:02It's a fair – all fair points here.
11:03We have two more here.
11:04Speaking of break, Anthony Davis.
11:07Are you buying the idea that Anthony Davis could be a wizard game one, 2026?
11:14No.
11:16It's too much stuff going the other direction.
11:20You're asking us, will AD be on the Wiz game one?
11:24Not if he's going to be healthy or anything, but, like, will he be a Washington wizard?
11:27Are you buying that?
11:31I mean, the theory, you get a distressed asset, right?
11:37So they got an asset on the cheap.
11:39You want to build it up to flip it.
11:42Or maybe he just plays and is good.
11:44I don't know, though, dude.
11:47You've got this new report out.
11:50I just don't know what leverage he has to force his way elsewhere.
11:54But if you have a young team that you're building the right way, do you want to deal with that?
11:58See, that's the thing I'm looking at where he is basically showing by all – everything that we see,
12:06he is basically saying, I want to go.
12:09And you want to build up the asset to be able to do something for it.
12:13But if he don't play and he's not around, you're not building it up,
12:17eventually you've got to make the decision that's best for the team.
12:21And if somebody comes and offers you anything, you might want to take it.
12:25Because that headache in the locker room is bigger – is a bigger problem than anything.
12:30Yeah.
12:32We – game one – I think it's a better question if we think he actually plays for the Wiz.
12:38Because I don't know that answer.
12:39Seems like he doesn't know that answer.
12:42There's a lot of questions being asked, but this is the final one here.
12:45Are you buying the idea that the Nats could trade C.J. Abrams at this year's trade deadline?
12:52Yeah.
12:54Like, they told him straight up in his face, and he was understanding of it because the people were honest.
13:00We – we made you available, but they got a high bar to clear.
13:07The way he's raking right now, somebody may want to clear that bar.
13:11And if they come in with it, I think they'll make that move.
13:14Dude, the C.J. Abrams situation, the baseball evaluation is pretty easy.
13:22This dude's at an all-time high.
13:25We're not on the same timeline, right?
13:27It's kind of similar to Denny Avdia when Wiz traded him.
13:31And we have a kid in the minors who we can promote to play the position who's also raking.
13:36The C.J. Abrams situation is not a baseball dilemma.
13:40It's a PR dilemma.
13:42It is – fans are buying into this product.
13:45We're playing way better than they expected.
13:47The ballpark –
13:48And he's a big part of it.
13:49The ballpark's getting good crowds.
13:51We're selling hot dogs.
13:52We're selling beers.
13:53We got C.J. bobblehead night.
13:56We already traded away Gore, and fans were kind of pissed about that.
13:59We've already traded away Soto.
14:00Fans were kind of pissed about that.
14:02Traded away Trey Turner.
14:03Like, depending how far back you want to go, they have a PR problem trading C.J. Abrams at the
14:08deadline.
14:08Not a baseball problem.
14:12I think – what do you say to your fans?
14:16Listen, there is a – there are baseball crazies.
14:20There are Nats crazies that, no matter what, are all in.
14:22But for the significant amount of casuals that are kind of getting back into it, what does another trade of
14:30a star player say?
14:33That's what they got to figure out.
14:34And that's like –
14:35They start asking the question you and I asked.
14:36Are you going to pay anybody ever?
14:38Are you ever going to pay anybody?
14:39Yeah.
14:41And then, do you want to trade C.J. now with this looming work stoppage?
14:46And who the hell knows what it's going to look like on the other side of this?
14:49Like, if you're really maximizing value, it probably is right now.
14:55But how on earth are you going to sell that to the fans that are actually excited they're playing good
14:59baseball?
14:59So, let's go.
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