My Unmasking Journey: The Stages

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In today's episode of the giant stray Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals, AJ Brown appears to be New England bound and the Stanley Cup playoffs are underway. But we begin today with the NBA playoffs. All 16 teams have now played one game. The teams who would expect to win big Oklahoma City San Antonio Boston, they all won big. But there were two rather surprising results. The Lakers beat the Rockets, shooting 61% from the field and 53% from three. And the eight seed in the East Orlando beat the one seed, Detroit, in Detroit by 11 points. Wilbond, which game gave us the more surprising result? Orlando. Not close. Orlando. And Tony, it didn't start out the season with that being a surprising result if you look forward. I thought Orlando was going to be like a foreseed, maybe have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. When you got Ben Carroll and Wagner, these guys are just as talented as Kate Cunningham in various ways, different ways. Ben Carroll's overall number one. Orlando's supposed to be better. Orlando was a disappointment all season. They woke up and beat Charlotte, beat the daylights out of Charlotte, to get to face Detroit. And then they go up to Detroit where you think, okay, Kate Cunningham is back to choice there in full. Detroit's going to flex on Orlando. No, Orlando now two games in a row has looked like a team that's a real threat. In the East that most people thought we're going to be a threat going in. So I don't know why they weren't what they were supposed to be in the regular season. It's only a two game sample. That's all. But wow, come on, that's a good game. I'm going to go the other way. I happen to watch both these games. I don't know how it happened. Maybe the Nats games were over. Maybe the golfers were over. But I lucked into watching both these games. And I would disagree with you. Really? I think the Lakers winning is a bigger deal. Now I understand Kevin Durant didn't play. I saw that. But I didn't think the Lakers could win any games without Don Chitchan Reeves. I did not. Even with Kevin Durant out. No, and I didn't think they could shoot like they shot. I did not. You know, the rockets last lead at four or two. The Lakers from the beginning of the game did very well. People didn't need to realize this. You only get assists on made baskets. It's not nice passes. The basket has to be made. LeBron James had eight assists in the first quarter. Yeah. He had ten in the first half. Luke Conard did not miss. He went five for five from three. And twenty seven points, which is more than he had in any regular season game. So to me, you know, that was, that was most surprising. I thought the Lakers couldn't shoot like that forever. But they did in that game shoot like that forever. I understand what you're saying about Orlando. Because you were one of those guys. We've had a number of guys on this show who pointed that ban carol specifically. Yeah. It said he'd not have it. Yes. What we think he's supposed to have. That's right. And a lot of people said in the coaches coaching for his job. And it's not his fault. It's been a carousel, right? And I agree with you. I think it's a surprise because it's a one eight. But I agree with you that Orlando has quite a bit of talent. You do? Do you want to hear a short odd fact that I think is relevant here? Sure. Okay. The Detroit Pissons have now lost 11 straight home playoff games. This stretches back to 2008. That's over five series now. That's not a small sample now. No. So when it's allowed, it's passionate. It's a great place. And they watch a game and they don't win. So now every pro team has about 12 assistant coaches if not more. Do they have a team psychiatrist? Because they need a team psychiatrist. 11 in a row at home is never supposed to have. No, and that's not that's just not very Detroit like. So I, but going back for a second, if Kevin Durant doesn't play and we don't know it's a knee, it doesn't sound like it's something that's supposed to keep him out for whole series. If Kevin Durant doesn't play the Lakers will win that series. Okay. Playing is simple. Okay. I mean, you take away Durant. I didn't see that. I didn't see that. It cancels out Luca, right? It's Luca and Reeves. It's like 45 points. It's a lot of points. Damn. Orlando. Can Orlando win a series? From what you saw yesterday. Don't, don't, don't, don't. I know you always say game one is the easiest game. No, the series. No, but it's three weeks away until the end of the series. It's gonna go on forever. Stop 10. Stop. Then go on for that long. Let's move to the intriguing results. From opening weekend of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Sabers were down to nothing to the Bruins with less than eight to play. And then scored four times to get their first playoff win in 15 years. The Golden Knights kept rolling under torts, winning their opener over the Mammoth. And the Canadian top-the-lightening in OT, tone, your biggest NHL headline from the weekend was what? I want to say, Torrello. I want to give him all the credit in the world. He came to the team. They fired their coach with eight games left. He won seven. He still has not been beaten in regulation because they lost an overtime game. Then he gets to the playoffs and he wins the first game. And I want to say this is all about him, because they were down to one in the third period. But no, you have to say Buffalo. Because Buffalo was down to O in the third period. Let's go over what they did. Eight minutes to go down to O. They scored seven, 58. They score again to tie at 416. They score again to take the lead at 324 to go. They score an empty netter with 112 to go. So they go from O2 to 422 in about six and a half minutes. And they've not been in the playoffs in 15 years. It's the first game they have won in 15 years. I don't, you know, where was. Did Boston leave the ice in the third period? How could that happen? I would concentrate on Buffalo. Boston's had its successes in its cup trophy. It's Boston's had everything. Buffalo, it's been so long. And people who were in that building say it was dead. And I have spent enough time in Buffalo with the football team and the despair over losing playoffs games. They've gotten into playoffs and they've won some home games, but they've lost the biggest games. And there's carryover. You know how small Buffalo is relative, relative to other places. And what that means, those two teams in that city. And so it's just like, oh my God, I just, I happened to turn on, it was too nothing. I'm like, oh, poor saipers. This is going to go the way of Buffalo. Good for them, but let me mention Edmonton. Because Edmonton, the headline hasn't happened yet. Edmonton doesn't play yet. They're going to play Anaheim tonight. And guess who's back after a month away? Leon Dreyse. Yeah, he's great player. Leon Dreyse, who was having a great season when he got hurt and was santo. He's gonna miss the regular season the rest of it. He did, but he's back to the playoffs. Can they get to the final a third consecutive time? And if they do, could they win since Florida's not around? And I go back to Buffalo for a second. They're only the second team in the history of the NHL to win a playoff game in regulation down multi goals with eight minutes or less to go. You know, the last team was it did that? A team called the New York Americans. I don't know who they are. And I grew up in New York. Wow. In 1940, that's 86 years ago. If I was actually that old that we said at the beginning of the show, I'd have been a kid at that point. So 86 years ago. The original six, we know they are. I don't know. I don't know. I honestly don't know. Oh, a small little fact, one small fact. Tampa Bay has now lost eight of their last nine games at home in the playoffs. They won the Cup. It's weird. Recently, twice, 2020, 2020, Mike, there's probably guys on that team who were on those teams. No, they can't get it right. That's weird. Let's move to the NFL. This is not a draft story, but it has implications for the upcoming draft. The Giants traded their disgruntled, pro-bowl defensive tackle, Dexter Lawrence, to defense hungry Cincinnati for the 10th pick in the draft, giving the Giants the fifth and 10th picks. And today, Adam Schepter of ESPN is saying the Eagles will trade AJ Brown to the Patriots after June 1st got a way to lend because of Cap consideration. We'll bond, which is the more intriguing NFL news. This isn't close to me. I'm tired of AJ Brown. Now, the AJ Brown is essentially outlived his usefulness. All these people who's always open. He's a number one. No, he's always open. He's reading a book where he's on a, you know, peloton. Always open. Move him over here. This trade that Giants made with the Bengals is intriguing to me. The Bengals are having two almost audition. Their front office has to audition to keep Joe Burrow. Yes. And Joe Burrow, if we believe that Joe Burrow really is this tough a guy, he's looking to see what kind of effort is being put forth. By his front office to bring some players in particularly on the defensive side, since and that he's got offensive players and particularly the receiving core to win the Super Bowl. With if Joe Burrow, by the way, can be healthy. He's got to be upright. But I don't know if Dexter Lawrence has as much left as he appeared to have two [BLANK_AUDIO] three years ago, he's what is he just shy of 30 still, he should have a lot left. - I think he does. - Okay, but you can, with the five and the 10, if you're the giants fine, in this draft, you can get two linemen and the edge and a tackle. - It's in really trying to round. - If you're the giants, I'm not saying it's a bad thing to the giant. - Okay, me? - I'm saying it's a good thing for Cincinnati. And I'm also saying it's more important than AJ Brown because it has actually happened. AJ Brown may or may not do it for his son. - It sounds like it's not. - Okay, fine, that's fine. You're right. Joe Burrow called them out. So we got to stop doing this. We got to get better than this. They had already given him great wide receivers. Now they go out in free agency. They signed two defensive linemen and a safety and now they bring in Dexter Lans. Because the last person you want to say out loud, we got to change things. There's a pro-bowl quarterback because you don't want to lose a pro-bowl quarterback. So it appears to me that Cincinnati is actually trying hard. When you say you don't know what he has left, they get 40 a game with Burrow. They only have to hold something to 38. - They don't have to have the best defensive. - He didn't have a better, better, have a terrific 2025 season. And he was hurt and he just wasn't in 2025 when he had been in 22-34. - I would bet on him. - You would think there'd be a bounce back season in him, a guy who can literally anchor that defensive line in a way that they had. - We are talking about two teams right now, New England because that's where AJ Brown is headed. New England and Cincinnati that could be Super Bowl contenders right now. The New England went for the Super Bowl. I bet Great May is very happy about this because they went to Super Bowl without a great wide receiver. My understanding is Mike Raeville coached him. - You can't say anything. - Maybe they have a - He's going to fall in line now, we all think. - Well, you know, well, I don't know about that. - Because I tend to agree with you that AJ Brown is problematic. - But overstated at this point. - Always open. - Always open. - Let's take a break. Coming up, our thoughts on David Robinson and Tim Duncan, turning out to watch Victor Wembañama's first playoff game. And Mattie Fitzpatrick and Scotty Schaeffler battled down to the wire at Harbour Town. - I watched that. You did too, 'cause we were on the phone. We're the only two people on this network that watched that. - That made me very happy yesterday. - And you was terrified. - I was. - I was. - I was. - 9-1-1, where is the emergency? - It's the middle of the night in a small town on the Jersey Shore. Someone reports an abandoned car on a bridge. A search gets underway for the missing driver. 19-year-old Sarah Stern. - Is it a missing person? Is it a suicide? At this point, nobody knows. - Old friendships, buried cash, and a sinister plot that was once pitched as a movie plays out in real life. I'm Juju Chang from 2020 and ABC Audio. Listen now to Bridge of Lies, wherever you get your podcasts. ♪ ♪ Time to validate the viewers and mail time. I'm gonna get the first one and read it to you. - Mail time! - Validation home. - He's in glasses. What's your word for seeing David Robinson and Tim Duncan turn out to watch Wembee score 35 in Game 1? - This is great. They couldn't put the two of them on the screen enough for me. Somebody who covered the entire careers of both Tim Duncan and yes, David Robinson from the time he was in high school in Northern Virginia right around the corner for where we sit. And I love seeing them on the screen. Old goats, that's my word. - Old goats. - Old goats. And by the way, that's a Billy goat right there on the screen now. And he is, we talked about this on your podcast this morning. You can't turn away. If Victor Wembee was playing the moves he makes, the defense he plays, he's got at some point, was Juju Holiday, looks like he's shooting over a small building. Because when he extends from 7th, 4th, or whatever he the reach is, you can't get the ball over the sun. So defensively he changes the game. Offensively, he's pulling up hitting threes, turn around threes like Larry Bird. It's unbelievable. He is going to be in the goat discussion in a minute and a half. But those are old goats that we're watching. - So a couple of months ago you started acting like his press agent and you're back there. So it makes me happy. Even though I was saying to you, they were the best team in the league at that point. And you said, oh no, no, no, no, but they were the best team. - I believe they are the best team. I just don't think they can. - So my word is lineage as in, you know, ancestral lineage. - Right, because you start with David Robinson. He plays there eight years Tim Duncan joins him. He and Robinson win two together and Duncan wins three more. All right, and so they go to see if this kid is the real deal. The same as us. We all want to see the same thing. There is something going on now in basketball where it is possible with Wemba Nyama and Shohei Otani that we're watching the greatest players of all possible. - I mean, we're gonna get down the line. - So we're gonna look back and say, okay. - Wemba Nyama was asked if the weight of their presence was intimidating in any way. And this is his quote, I wouldn't say weight. No. I would say I feel safe. It feels like if you trip, there are a lot of hands ready to catch you. That is such a great quote and makes those guys feel so good. - Yeah, it's really amazing. It's really amazing. - He is amazing. - That's a lot of work. - Am I reading this? - Yes, you read. - Is it another Wemba Nyama email? - No. - Okay. Are you more focused on Matt Fitzpatrick winning in Harbour Town or Scottie Sheffler nearly chasing him down? - Well, Scottie Sheffler did chase him down. - Yeah. - Because on the 18th hole, Matt Fitzpatrick bogeed causing a playoff. I was on the phone with you. You were distraught. You thought Northwestern Purple was gonna go down and he was gonna heap in that playoff. And I had to talk you out of all of this screaming nonsense because what happened in that playoff? - That's how it fits. - How about Matt Fitzpatrick? - The four iron. - Right, the four iron, two hundred two yards to 13 feet. - 13 feet. - And Sheffler must have made, not say must have, may have been rattled because his shot came up short. So he was not going to birdie that hole. - No, Matt Fitz knocks it in in the way that he had that par saving putt on 11 and he wins and he's having, he's now number three in the world. - Yes. - Matt Fitzpatrick. So you should feel, and by the way, Scottie Sheffler finished second in the master's, finished second in that harbor town. He's always, you have to always put your head on a swivel, you have to look at him. - You do. - And that's what Matt Fitzpatrick looked away at some point and flubbed that chip that wound up about 22 feet short. - That's a hole before. - Important to point out is, Matt Fitzpatrick is now one, one more tournament that's got to be sheffler season. - This year, this year, just one. - And he lost one in a playoff, Matt Fitz did. I mean, he's having a great summer. He mentioned he's number three now. - Yeah, I'm fizzing world. - As a cost-cati, yeah, it's got, he's still number one. - Yeah. - But this, you know what? He's won something called the US Open. - Okay. - So, Matt's is passing this first row. - Not his first row, you know. - Not his first row, dude. - Right, that's right. - And it's the second time he's won at Harbor Town. - Yep. - And I just think that this sets up pretty well if you want to look at something that could be budding. I'm not gonna say a rivalry for the coming weeks. We got the PGA and then some tournaments and then we got the Open. - You know, Rory's gonna play in these two. I mean, you know that. - Number two, a distant two. - Rory is gonna play in-- - A distant two. - Is in Harbor Town where they give you that plaid jacket. - Yes. - That's the plaid jacket. - Would you wear that on the air? - No. - No, I would. I'd wear it on the air. - Some of you have plaid jacket from Harbor Town. - Don't send them a jacket. - That's enough email. 42 long. Let's take one last break, still to calm the Metz losing streak. The Metz of your youth, it reaches 11. - Ah, ah. - And was this hug? The last one. Steve Kirsteff, Curry and J. Mongrino are gonna share during a game. - That's one of the greatest play offshots I've ever seen. The Maddie Fits' second shot on it. - It was amazing. - Yeah. - That shot. - But I mean, they're not that many play offs. So you're not judging it against that many things. - That's great shot. - You wonder if Scottie Shepler got rattled, is he? - Maybe. - Made rattled? - I don't think so. I don't think so. (upbeat music) - Happy drawing. People happy 81st birthday, Steve Spurrier. A great college football player and a great college football coach. Spurrier won the Heisman as a quarterback at Florida and later won a national championship coaching the Gators. He won 72% of his games at Duke, Florida, and South Carolina. He won six SEC titles at Florida and an ACC title at Duke. The old ball coach was inducted into the college football hall of fame as a player and a coach, one of only four people to be so honored. He briefly coached the Washington football team in the NFL. At the end of one season, Spurrier said, "Well, we finished 5 and 11. Not very good, but there were some teams who were worse than us. I guess that's one positive way to look at it. We are the worst team." Love the quote, love Spurrier. - There's another quote on the way into town that Steve Spurrier gave you. You want to remind people what he said? My goal in life is to have Michael Wilbond say I'm a good football coach, Wilbur. Michael Wilbur. And you know, despite that, you know how much I love Steve Spurrier. We both did. It was so much fun to have him around. And we wish he'd been around longer. Long, long. Happy anniversary, Michael Jordan. On the stay 40 years ago, Jordan scored a still NBA playoff record, 63 points in a double overtime loss to Larry Bird and the Celtics at the God. After the game, Bird said, "I couldn't believe anybody could do that again." So, Boston's Celtics. Jordan's 63 overshadowed Bird's 36 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. Jordan got 49 in game 1. He got 63 in game 2, which led people to wonder if he'd get 77 in game 3. Bird, who called Jordan the greatest player he'd ever seen, said, "He won't get 77. I'll retire if he does." Indeed, Jordan got 19 in game 3 as the Celtics swept Chicago. We're gonna go. on to win the NBA championship by beating Houston, four to two in the finals. You can see that the legend of Michael Jordan starts in North Carolina beating Georgetown with that last late jump shot. It really starts there. 'Cause when he did that to the shelters, like Larry Bird said, you thought, I know I thought, watching it at home in my parents' basement. Oh my God, this dude is different. - Heavy trails, so 11 in a row for the meds. The meds were so close to snapping your losing streak on Sunday, but close to Devon and Williams blew a one-nothing lead in the ninth and the Cubs went on to win two to one in the 10th. The meds held baseball's highest opening day payroll at just over $350 million. But during this swoon they have been outscored 62 to 19. - Wow. - Wow. - One soda was been out since April 3rd, but he's expected to return from his calf strain during the team's nine game homestead that begins tomorrow. And in Wilbur news, Sunday was the Cubs fifth straight win. - I'm happy to get that, but I'll transition sadly to melancholy trails. The death of Rod Martin, the former Raiders linebacker, 72 years old, was part of two Raiders Super Bowl championship teams and quite a player at linebacker. Sorry to hear that news. - Let us go to the big finish if we could. - Good, and your audience club is leaving Iowa State for Oklahoma State to find that significant. - Well, you're that good, there's significance and she's like the second leading school, but the transfer news, doesn't it just overwhelm you? Can you differentiate everybody has to go through the portal? - I just wanna say this, Michigan won starting five chances so it's important. - It is, it's important, right? - Cowboys made Brandon Aubrey the highest pay kicker in the NFL in 28 mil over four years with 20 guaranteed your thoughts. - He had six kicks of 60 yards or more that went through. If at either, there's no part of the field almost that he can't get three points. I do think it's significant. I do, I think it's a big deal, especially if they go to four points on a new role from 60 and out. Man city beat Arsenal two to one, break it down. Look, these two have been battling, this game was playing an incredibly high level. I was gonna try to get you to watch it. - I would do that. - So I just been wasting my time fabulously entertaining game. Steve Kerr, share the hug with Steph and Dre Friday night. Say anything to you. - Says he loves those guys, it does not tell me automatically he's retired, does not. - Last one, Tyler Reddick, one is fifth NASCAR race of the year and nine tries. Big deal, right? Yeah, we can go back to Michael Jeffery Jordan. All right, and this is a different chapter. But Tyler Reddick, how about that? Five wins and nine tries. You don't do that often. In 40 or five. - We're out of time. We'll try to do better the next time. I'm Tony Cornheim. And I'm Mike Wilbond, same time tomorrow, go ahead. Shout out to the Northwestern, Women's the Cross team. Another big 10 championship, domination home.