00:00By the way, Sam Laporta has never sounded more Italian when he was talking about breaking my effing back.
00:07You'll never hear it the same. Next time we play it, listen for it.
00:10Get your feedback on the phones. 248-539-9797.
00:14Marron, I go out there and I try. I try, John. They won't pay me.
00:21What do we got? So there's a question.
00:24Are you bothered by his comments? Are you bothered that the Lions haven't paid him?
00:28There is a pushback of people who are saying, look, he's more important than J-Mo.
00:33Well, okay, but his contract's up after J-Mo's.
00:37I want them to pay Sam Laporta.
00:39I do too.
00:41I think if you ask most people, do you believe that Sam Laporta is a top five tight end?
00:48They'll say yes. Do you believe he's good for this offense? Yes.
00:51Do you want to re-sign him? Yes.
00:53All of those things.
00:54And at the same time, he didn't need to say this.
00:57No. He didn't need to put this distraction out there going into the Green Bay game.
01:02It's a critical juncture of the season, man.
01:04Ball out.
01:05What she's been doing. Keep doing it.
01:08Force their hand.
01:09Don't create a distraction.
01:10Yeah.
01:13Feedback.
01:14Laporta showed his true colors maybe before our biggest games of the season.
01:19Another text says, kids spend the last bit of money on a jersey.
01:22Parents spend their last bit of money to take their kids to a game.
01:25He sounds insane.
01:25He should be more respectful to a team that's given him millions.
01:29He would say, I've given you my back.
01:31Right.
01:32But on the team side of things,
01:35I don't know what the injury was with his back.
01:39I don't know what the surgery was to correct the issue.
01:43And I don't know what moving forward.
01:46Is there a chance that it could be re-injured?
01:49Does it put a timeline on his effectiveness?
01:54Like all of those things, I don't know.
01:55And if he wants to get paid by the Lions,
01:57we want the Lions to pay him.
01:59They may get to the end of the year and be like, you know what?
02:01The risk is just too great with that type of injury.
02:03And if you go somewhere else and they pay you
02:05and you play a great career, all right, hey, we lost out.
02:09How do you feel about that?
02:10It's one scenario.
02:11Some have said this is Brad Holmes' fault,
02:13that he set the precedent, we'll take care of guys early.
02:16And now Laporta feels like, well, why am I different?
02:19Do you feel like there's any merit to that?
02:23Every contract is going to take on a life of its own
02:27and it should be done on its own merits.
02:30I understand his frustration.
02:32I do too.
02:32I don't want to be a hypocrite.
02:34We had said the Lions had blindly just fallen in love with the Ronin
02:36would sign everybody no matter what,
02:38and sometimes earlier than they needed to,
02:40at their detriment, see Kirby Joseph, right?
02:42So now they're taking, at least in this instance,
02:44a more pragmatic approach.
02:46I don't want to kill them on both sides of the coin.
02:48Well, but you also,
02:49one of the things that we've said about Brad Holmes is,
02:51this was when he took the Lions job,
02:54it was the first time GM.
02:58It's a job where you're going to learn on the job
03:00and you've got to do things differently as you go.
03:05And now we would like to see him actually trade some of the draft picks
03:09outside of just moving around in the draft
03:11and add things in free agency,
03:14add actual proven pro players.
03:17This is also one where you could look and say,
03:19well, is he learning?
03:20Because he has redone a lot of these contracts early,
03:23and I think he will continue to do that.
03:25They may actually do it with Sam Laporta.
03:27Or this might call for a franchise tag.
03:30I mean, every situation is a little different.
03:32But what did they learn about giving Kirby Joseph a contract?
03:35Exactly.
03:35That's his frustration, though.
03:36Oh, so you took care of him and him and him and him and him and him.
03:39What about me?
03:40And he's the guy.
03:42He's the first guy that's not getting the Brad treatment.
03:46Yet is fair.
03:48And I think what you just said, what about me?
03:50It's fine that you feel that way,
03:52but if you're the guy going on national podcasts in the middle of the season,
03:54go, but what about me?
03:56It's almost like he talked like his agent would talk to Brad.
04:00Well, my theory is this is fed through.
04:04This was intentional.
04:06This is them trying to send a message.
04:08They're not happy with the tenor of the negotiations,
04:09and this is their way of trying to put a shot across the bow.
04:12They're hoping to garner sympathy and favor from fans.
04:15I'm telling you, there are some that have his back.
04:17There's a lot more people that are angry.
04:19But I guess we'll let the cards fall where they will.
04:22We'll go to the phones and let people jump in on it.
04:242-4-8-5-3-9-97-97.
04:27Kevin and McComb, you're on 97.1.
04:30Hey, guys.
04:31So, yeah, I am upset with what he said.
04:34Obviously, I think everybody is for the most part.
04:37But I think it just goes back to the fact that the tight end position is not an easy position
04:43to find talent at, I feel.
04:46I think Laporta's success, there's a correlation between the Lions' success and when Laporta's successful.
04:52I think that he, that 2023 season, I mean, he had 10 touchdowns in that first season.
05:00And I'm not saying, like, I am upset with what he said.
05:03But at the same time, it's like, I mean, we paid J-Mo, and J-Mo's led the league in
05:08drops last year,
05:09and he leads the league in drops this year as well.
05:11So, I just don't, I do blame Brad Holmes for a lot of it, honestly, because at the same time,
05:17it's like, why are you trading for Tesla?
05:19And it's like, I just feel, I just feel if we lose Laporta, it's going to be really hard to
05:25find another tight end.
05:27I don't think it's going to be as easy as just drafting a guy in the third round or second
05:31round.
05:32I mean, there's, you've got Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, and then honestly,
05:36I think Laporta's probably the next best one in the league when he's at his best.
05:40Call me crazy, but yeah.
05:42I think you throw Kittle in there, Kittle in there too, but that's your top four.
05:46No fighting you on that.
05:47I'm getting older now, though.
05:48Oh, no, I know.
05:49And I think that's the key is those tight ends don't grow on trees.
05:52Those upper echelon guys, specifically those that you can count on to be attached to the line of scrimmage and
05:58block,
05:59but also be a threat down the field.
06:02And Laporta picked up a couple big fourth downs against the Cardinals.
06:04That's what he's done since they picked him up coming out of Iowa.
06:08He's been a reliable option in those key third and fourth downs, red zone.
06:12I think about the playoff game against the Rams, big play in that game.
06:16I don't want to lose them.
06:18No.
06:19And what the caller said, a lot of people think you can find a tight end easy.
06:22You can't find the elite ones easy.
06:24No.
06:25There are a dime a dozen out there, man.
06:27You can get a solid tight end.
06:29Like, I think Brock Wright can be a starting tight end in this league,
06:32but you definitely haven't prioritized the position if that's your case.
06:36There's a lot of Brock Wrights in the league.
06:38There's few.
06:39Sam Laportas.
06:41Laportas and McBrides and Brock Bowers.
06:44There's a significant drop-off.
06:46Yeah.
06:46Like, people think of Dallas Goddard.
06:48Like, some people think Laportas and him are equal.
06:51You're blind.
06:52Yeah.
06:53Chuck in Detroit.
06:54Good morning.
06:54You're on 97.1.
06:57Hey, what's going on, guys?
06:58Yeah, I just want to say, I see both sides of the coin.
07:02I see, I mean, we all, all of us work around the flyers.
07:05All of us work very, very hard for our money.
07:08But it seems like, to me, with him, you're complaining about the wrong stuff
07:14in the wrong places.
07:16Like, you shouldn't have to go on a podcast to talk about that.
07:18You can talk about your boys or whatever, you know, at home.
07:22Cool, cool.
07:22When you put it out in the world, it makes it look bad.
07:25And honestly, it's like, I want them traded to be honest.
07:28Because if you're whining like that, don't tell them what you're going to do
07:30on the field.
07:31I mean, you're just really upset about it.
07:34And I get what he's whining about because, yeah, we all want to get paid
07:38what we're worth.
07:39But what can you do?
07:41It's like, when I go to work, there's people complaining.
07:43The job did not tell you to come.
07:46They did not get your door and tell you to come to work.
07:48You're not their job because you want the job you need the job.
07:51Now you want to complain about it.
07:53Stop complaining and just go to work.
07:55It's that simple.
07:56Yeah.
07:57The only thing I would push back, Chuck, is just because he's saying these
08:02things and you said, well, you know, is it going to affect his work?
08:05It hasn't.
08:07He's having a great season.
08:08Yes.
08:09Yeah.
08:09Yeah.
08:10But we don't know.
08:10But Chuck, he's incentivized to keep it up.
08:13You know what I mean?
08:14Like, if he wants to get paid in three months.
08:17Yeah.
08:17If it's going to be somewhere else, I'm auditioning for my new team.
08:20Right.
08:21But if he does, but one drop, like they said yesterday, if one drop in the game
08:25against Green Bay or he starts, you know, fumbling or just missing passes or whatever,
08:29they're going to jump on him quick.
08:31Very quick.
08:32And that's not going to be good.
08:34So he shouldn't have put that out.
08:35Just on his sake, he shouldn't have put that out at all.
08:38Or just, you know, just go to work and go about your way.
08:41People pay hard money for these games.
08:43I can't even go to a game, can't afford to go to a game, but I don't want to pay
08:46for a ticket.
08:47Hey, and you want to whine about you're going to pay millions of dollars to play a sport that my
08:52son plays?
08:53Come on, man.
08:54Get out of here with that.
08:54Chuck, appreciate it.
08:56It's good stuff.
08:58Let's go to Joe and Shelby.
09:00Joe, you're next.
09:00You're on 97.1.
09:02Yeah, I'm completely on the opposite side with this conversation.
09:07There are a couple points.
09:08First is him coming out and saying this out loud.
09:12Now, first, I can assure you he's already shared this in the locker room with guys on the team.
09:18They know where he stands with this.
09:20This is not going to be a distraction in-house.
09:23They know where he stands.
09:24The second part of this is he went on a show that was designed for him to be genuine, authentic.
09:31It is not going on 97.1.
09:34It is not going on ESPN.
09:35And that's like a Pat McAfee show where you go and you have a conversation with somebody, and you're supposed
09:40to be genuine and honest.
09:42I fully respect him for coming out this way because usually, what do we hear?
09:46John, you said it earlier.
09:47And, Kosta, you brought up an example.
09:49Oh, I want to be a lifer.
09:51That's a bunch of bullshit.
09:52These guys, sorry.
09:53You're good.
09:56We'll clean that up.
09:57We're good.
09:59Look, you want unfiltered.
10:01You want raw.
10:02You want honest.
10:03You're not always going to love what you hear.
10:05That's just the cost that comes with it.
10:07Even from our callers.
10:08Even from our callers.
10:09This damn FCC.
10:11All I would say is we don't have to like everything we hear.
10:16You don't get a free pass to say whatever you want.
10:19We're going to tell you if we don't like what we hear.
10:21Fans are going to let you know if they don't like what they hear.
10:24Right.
10:24And I would disagree with, you know, we want honest responses from everybody.
10:31So whether you're coming on 97.1 or you're doing that show, I don't think the platform
10:39makes any difference.
10:40It's okay to say there, but it's not okay to say here because we're just going to replay
10:43the audio anyway.
10:44Yeah.
10:44You have to know it's into a microphone.
10:46It's broadcast everywhere.
10:48You know, he's done himself a disservice, not only just with what he said and the fan reaction,
10:52but potentially endorsement wise, at least here locally.
10:56If you're an advertiser, would you sign him up to be your spokesman right now with this
10:59feedback?
11:01I just think what that caller was meaning was that it is relaxed.
11:06You are off.
11:07There's being off and being on.
11:09Yeah.
11:09Being on the radio here is more on than with part of my take.
11:14Yeah.
11:14But anytime a microphone is in front of you, you got to be on.
11:17Yeah.
11:19Text us from a female Lions fan.
11:21You all need to grow a pair.
11:22Stop whining.
11:23Laporta has every right to get paid.
11:25Yes, he did break his back.
11:27Choice of words.
11:28Wah, wah, wah.
11:29He's been nothing but an asset to this team when he has a uniform on.
11:32It's a business.
11:33If the general manager can sit and gaslight and every player has a right to demand to
11:37get paid with their worth.
11:38Just like golf.
11:39Sam doesn't get the respect he deserves because he's not flashy signed jazz.
11:44Okay, jazz.
11:45I can appreciate your opinion.
11:48I see.
11:48We're up against it.
11:49We got calls to get to.
11:50We'll do it next.
11:5097 one.
