Yeah.

Yeah.You know, guys, I, I was on the phone with my mom, uh, about 45 minutes ago.

And, uh, my mom was a teacher and, and she works, she works for, um, she works for the state.

And, you know, 40-plus hours a week.

And she said to me, "You know, there's something about that guy," and she doesn't know a lot about sports, just being real.

She said, "There's something about that guy that unifies the entire town."

I, I appreciate it

...

Yeah.

You know, guys, I, I was on the phone with my mom, uh, about 45 minutes ago.

And, uh, my mom was a teacher and, and she works, she works for, um, she works for the state.

And, you know, 40-plus hours a week.

And she said to me, "You know, there's something about that guy," and she doesn't know a lot about sports, just being real.

She said, "There's something about that guy that unifies the entire town."

I, I appreciate it

...

Just how elated are you? You're generally a happy person, but are you on a different level tonight?

Over the moon, Josh.

It's really incredible for Cleveland to be able to go down 2-0 in that series and come back.

Nothing short of amazing.

When you consider the run the White Sox have been on, sweeping the Astros in the wild card, really controlling the first two games in Cleveland, then you've got to go...

You know, you've got to go to Chicago, and they were ruckus, and those fans had to be feeling heartbreak.

But, you know, I'm going to start with a nugget here right off the top.

The guards, John Fanta, Just how elated are you? You're generally a happy person, but are you on a different level tonight?

Is that fair to say, John?

Yeah, because if he plays B-level football, they're going to be in the mix to get a playoff spot in an AFC that's got a lot of questions right now.

And the Browns' schedule is not very difficult.

I mean, they're playing a last-place schedule.

And week to week, things change.

But for the Cleveland Browns, they've been somewhat fortunate with their early slate.

After Jacksonville, they're catching Tampa Bay at a perfect time.

Is there another college wide receiver that has done what he's been able to do so far this season?

Who had the worst day in college football today, John Fanta?

Oh, it's without question NC State.

I mean, C.J. Bailey, what are you doing? What are you doing? And, Doran, that's not good enough, the post-game explanation.

Clearly, Dave Doran, you don't work on late-game execution.

Clearly, you don't work on these situations.

It's on you and your quarterback.

That's unacceptable.

And also, if I said Jeremiah Smith, Malachi Tony, we heard your Darian Mensah versus Trinidad Chambliss thought, who do you look at first? Who would you much rather see play on the Browns between those two?

Yeah, and keeping the lanes open in this generation, that increases your odds, and you can't be a one-trick pony, and it's very hard to make it, starting off at least, if you're not already established, with just a narrow pathway.

Well, that's a huge part of it, and...

At Fox, you know, I really got my start in women's basketball, women's college basketball.

The first game I called for Fox Sports was a game in 2018, February of 2018.

I graduated the spring prior.

It was a game in Omaha, Nebraska between Creighton and Marquette.

And it was on FS2.

Especially in our business, having a supportive partner in this business is like a superpower i believe was the quote and i've got a girlfriend now who's totally all in and supportive because look people who don't work in our business they might see it from a glance but we're working nights and weekends for the most part and we're traveling a lot and we're away and i know you have a kid now so that makes it even a more complicated layer so Just having that supportive partner, not only does it feel like you have weight lifted off your shoulder, but it also gives you extra confidence and motivation knowing you have that best friend in your corner, right?

The Jared Verse trade, you kinda like the direction of the team, but that, that's a, that's a body blow on Sunday, isn't it?

I think it's probably the most disturbing thing about this, fellas, is that I don't think that the, the casual would believe that the Browns have made the playoffs two of the last six years.

And people would find that hard to believe, and, and, and rightly so.

What they're doing isn't just bad, it's worse than that.

Because it's one thing to stink, it's another to be tone deaf about it.

And they, they, they should be ashamed of what they did on Sunday afternoon.

That was not National Football League caliber.

Right.

[laughs]

... full rosters.

I mean, w- w- we, we don't even have some full schedules.

It, it, it, it's, it's a three-ring circus, and the season starts in less than eight weeks.

So the, the fact of the matter is this: uh, I thought the SEC did everybody in college sports a favor last week.

Now, you know, there, there's...

Are there, are there, uh, uh, incoming antitrust lawsuits and incoming other lawsuits? Sure there are.

Did, did you get the same feeling at all or am I off?

This is going to be a great quarterback class in college football, but with Jeremiah Smith and how close they are, where does Malachi Toney, I guess, just rank as blockbuster, must-watch talents in the country right now for you, John?

He's a top-ten player in the sport.

He really is.

And he's as much watch a wide receiver as anybody because you don't know what he's going to do next.

And look, we know the quarterback position.

This class is loaded.

If you ask people who their favorite players are in college football heading into this season, or if not their favorite, the guys they know the most, your first answer is probably going to be Arch Manning.

I agree.

But with Jeremiah Smith and how close they are, where does Malachi Toney, I guess, just rank as blockbuster, must-watch talents in the country right now for you, John?

He's a top 10 player in the sport.

He really is.

And he's as much watch a wide receiver as anybody because you don't know what he's going to do next.

And look, we know the quarterback position.

This class is loaded.

Like, if you ask people who their favorite players are in college football heading into this season, or if not their favorite, the guys they know the most, your first answer is probably going to be Arch Manning.

I

Since you took us there, what did you make of that decision? Deshaun Watson, starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.

It is...

Organizational malpractice to the highest degree.

It really is.

And to me, I think a lot of people are making it about Deshaun versus Shador.

And I get that.

I understand that that drives home a lot of attention in an audience.

What would you say are fair expectations for year one with Michael Malone?

Brown with the Patriots? Hmm.

Jalen Hurts with the Eagles because they've been in the playoffs five consecutive years.

Hurts has shown an ability to adapt with offensive coordinator changes, and that defense is still filthy.

And the Pats is, too.

The Patriots have their own defense that can get the job done as well.

I would also say this.

I am not subscribing.

Yes.

Can you talk about that? What impact that might have on like U of M or MSU?

Yeah, it's interesting because we're in a world right now where conferences are trying to put their foot down on professionals being able to to return to college.

Here's the fact of the matter.

The fact that this has gotten to this point where you're, you're having to see conferences say, Hey, you know, Daquan Wright of the Cleveland Browns or Xavier and Harris of the new Orleans saints, you know, who were in college to try to go see NFL that they can't play for a big 10 program.

The fact that it's even gotten to this point, Marie sums up the three ring circus of college sports.

Because once you go professional, there's never been a world where you can just say, oh, you know, I want a second chance at the college realm.

I'm going to go back.

Anybody surprise for you, good things, bad things?

You look at how stacked the Rams are, but what do you make of them? And the NFC West is going to be very competitive outside of my Cardinals, but with Donald being an addition to LA, how do you stack this up, John?

Oh, I mean, I rarely, Tom, say... you know, Superbowl or bust because of how hard it is to do it.

But you have Miles Garrett who, and Aaron Donald.

And I don't know if you're a wrestling person or WWE.

Like, I liken that to Undertaker and Kane.

Yes.

In terms of dynamic duos.

What about in college football? What are some of the big storylines you're tracking?

You look at how stacked the Rams are, but what do you make of them? And the NFC West is going to be very competitive outside of my Cardinals, but with Donald being an addition to LA, how do you stack this up, John?

Oh, I mean, I rarely, Tom, say... you know, Superbowl or bust because of how hard it is to do it.

But you have Miles Garrett who, and Aaron Donald.

And I don't know if you're a wrestling person or WWE.

Like, I liken that to Undertaker and Kane.

Yes.

In terms of dynamic duos.

What about in college football? What are some of the big storylines you're tracking?

How surprised were you by those answers? And do you think it's the right tact for them to take?

It's not the right tactic to take.

And I was surprised by Underwood.

I wasn't as surprised by Whittingham, guys, because it's not like he's this Michigan-in-the-family guy who knows it front and back and is going to start laying the hammer down.

It's still unique to see Kyle Whittingham as the coach at Michigan.

They've had a reality TV show the last couple of years, if not longer, on everything to not do off of the field.

Underwood, he surprised me because he's got this swagger.

But there's no denying, John, that the gambling aspect of sports is huge right now.

Tell us about this, and what kind of show is this going to be?

Well, Tony, it's going to be a show about the fans.

It's going to be a Monday show to set the table for the week.

We all know, you guys know on your show how popular Mondays are, especially this time of year with overreactions and reactions and all kinds of things.

So I just wrapped up my first year at NBC Sports, and wrapping up the first year, my bosses came to me and said, look, the personality that you've got, the fandom, Whenever I go on the air, I want to have the experience that I would want as a fan listening to the show or watching the show.

And bosses came to me and said, would you be interested in doing some sort of a show? And I said I would love to do it.

And we had further discussions throughout the summer of what it's going to be.

How surprised were you by those answers? And do you think it's the right tact for them to take?

Can you talk about that? What impact that might have on like U of M or MSU?

Yeah, it's interesting because we're in a world right now where conferences are trying to put their foot down on professionals being able to to return to college.

Here's the fact of the matter.

The fact that this has gotten to this point where you're having to see conferences say, hey, you know, Daquan Wright of the Cleveland Browns or Xavier Harris of the New Orleans Saints, you know, who were in college to try to go see NFL, that they can't play for a Big Ten program.

The fact that it's even gotten to this point, Maurice sums up the three-ring circus of college sports.

Because once you go professional, there's never been a world where you can just say, oh, you know, I want a second chance at the college realm.

I'm going to go back.

Anybody surprise for you? Good things, bad things?

Go.

It is the single worst handling of a position ever.

in sports by an organization ever, ever.

And if there's one worse than it, you have to tell me what it is, because I don't think there is one.

And I say this, Josh, because it hasn't been 27 years of poor.

It's basically been 23 years of poor.

But there was a stretch in which Baker Mayfield was the quarterback in Cleveland, and the Browns were making the playoffs.

How is that – possible coming from a guy who roots for Cleveland sports teams?

Mm-hmm.

But the task is he wasn't brought at USC to win games.

He was brought to USC to go for championships, to go for Big 10 championship, and to go for, for, you know, make a college football playoff run.

Well, they haven't even been to the college football playoff.

So, you know, you, you, you got a defensive coordinator change.

Can they get stops? I mean, that, that, that, that's the, the fact of the matter is this, USC's been soft at times, uh, defensively.

Especially away from the Coliseum.

It's gotta be close.

Do you think Clevelanders are taking Donovan Mitchell for granted thus far in his Cavs run?

I'm not taking him for granted.

I don't think Clevelanders are taking him for granted.

They make that place one of the better atmospheres in all the NBA.

And I think Donovan is appreciated.

But the standard change in 2016, guys, is why people are starved for LeBron James.

They want him back.

I just don't get it.

Where do you see this with LeBron definitively not going to the Lakers and now the options wide open?

I've got to be real with you guys.

I know it's easy for somebody to come back at me and say revisionist history or whatnot, but I just never felt like the – and it's not to say that it still couldn't happen, but I don't feel the vibe of the Warriors move at all.

They were your biggest rival for several years.

I don't care that you've won a gold medal with Steph Curry.

I don't care that you want to close it out with – I mean, what is basically a glorified nursing home plan if the Golden State plan were to happen.

It doesn't make sense to me.

How does LeBron sort of fit into that equation, you think?

Who's the biggest winner in yesterday's blockbuster trade?

The Milwaukee Bucks, because they collected a bunch of assets.

They have two top 13 picks in tonight's NBA draft in what is a generational draft class.

I think that this draft class will go down as one of the best that we've seen.

in the last 25, 30 years.

And so you have two of the top 13 selections tonight.

You brought in Tyler Hero.

Good

But like walk us through, like when did you decide this was something you wanted to do when you wanted to be a broadcaster? Like what was the path?

Well, for me, it was growing up, I always thought it was cool that people got to talk about sports on TV.

And I can remember turning the volume down on games and broadcasts after a quarter of a football game or an inning of a baseball game, turning it down and starting to do it inside the house.

Now, I'm the oldest of four, so sorry to my three younger siblings, because that was probably a little bit annoying in the living room, looking back on it.

But I knew when I got done with my freshman year of high school football, and I was doing the off-season program, but you sort of realize that's where the contenders separate from the pretenders in the weight room program.

December, January, like who's gotten and who doesn't.

I was fine, but I had passion for the game, guys, but I knew that I wasn't going to be able to continue to play it.

did you end up at Seton Hall from Ohio?

Uh, can you just kinda reflect on that and what that means maybe for the college game now translating into the NBA finals?

Well, it shows you why Axel Lindeberg, Maresch Johnson, and Nadi Mara should all get ta- should all get taken in the lottery in this year's draft.

We shouldn't overcomplicate things.

If you've won in college, and you've won at a high, high level in college, or you've shown efficiency at the, in the college game, today's NBA is about roles.

Role allocation has never been more important, and Stefan Castle understands his role on this team.

Now, I think it's even bigger than the Spurs originally thought.

I think it's even bigger than Steph originally thought because I, I, I didn't see him coming out of college and playing as much point guard as he's played.

It was something that I saw, and I was like, "How, how in the world is that possible?" Is that s- at all concerning for, you know, the Knicks for the duration of the series looking to, you know, close out a finals win, or is that something that maybe we're reading a little bit too much into?