Yeah, folks, at that time again, Fred and the Fantastics with Laura, with Art, with Matthew. And we’ll discuss this, that, and anything in sports, and maybe a little bit more. You could email us at [email protected], [email protected]. We’re taping this at one o’clock on Friday afternoon, in four hours, of course, in Brazil, we’ve got an NFL encounter, Kansas City against the Los Angeles Chargers on YouTube. Now my only thought is, if you don’t have YouTube, can you, is that a free guy? A free game or not a free game? I’ve already got enough of these streaming services. Art, do you think it’s free or not free?

Well, Laura and I had a big discussion about it. And yes, this game is free because they’re trying to lure you in, baby, and that’s why it’s gonna be free. So the Chargers in Sao Paulo, Brazil, against Kansas City, Kansas City lay in three-forty-six and a half, the over-under. I like Kansas City in the under.

I like the under, I’ll tell you that. Laura, are you gonna watch the game tonight?

I’m not gonna watch the game tonight because I have other plans tonight.

Wait a minute, more important than football?

I’m upset that I can’t watch the game because I love football and I really wanted to watch this game. But I,

You’re gonna protest tonight, right? You’re gonna do a protest.

Not exactly, maybe, I’m, it doesn’t matter, but um, no, I just I just I think I thought, you know, football, National Football League should not be broadcasting games on Friday night.

It’s high school night tonight. Let the kids in high school play.

It’s high school night.

You know, there were, there were rules for many, many years, and this had to do with the antitrust in the National Football League, we’re talking now in the early 1960s, where they could not have a game on Friday or Saturday till late December. And that, because the college season was over at that point, and the high school season was over at that point. But I guess it’s different now, they can do whatever they want. Matthew, you’re a sports historian. I think I agree with Laura. I don’t think they should have the right to, to play on Friday night, there are high school games or college games. I don’t think that you try to overpower them. Your thoughts?

Hey, it’s, it’s the almighty dollar. I mean, you talk about corporate amorality, man, it’s get it while you can. I mean, you know, you’ve got, you’re trying to, you’re trying to hawk product there. I mean, there are no rules anymore. I mean, you’re getting, you’re getting in this increasing monopolization. Not just sports, a whole lot of other things, man. It’s just it’s, you know, it’s just corporate monopolization, control, you know, try to take it, you know, exacting corporate taxation. They talk about government taxation, what about corporate taxation, all the little extra fees? Oh, you want to see this? It’s gonna cost you more, and more, and more. The better, you want better things, it’s gonna be more, and more, more. It’s just it’s taking it out of you, you know.

Matthew, we’re gonna all get tariffed.

Hey, well, hey, hey, you know, hey well, hey, you know, hey, that’s exactly what it is, my friend, you know? You know, they’ll tariff everything, man, heck, they’ll even vaccines. They’ll probably tariff vaccines, you know,

There are good people, good people on both sides.

The previous administration had enacted these rules against the airlines, so that people were going to be compensated if they were stuck as a result of,

If you’re stuck on the tarmac for five hours, six hours.

Yeah, Trump just, Trump just eliminated all those protections.

Yeah, yeah.

So, talk about corporate taxation, you know.

Of course, you’re gonna have the National Guard coming to a city near you.

He’s a man of the people.

It’s already happening, my friend.

We’ve had that, and guess what?

That massive raid at the Hyundai plant? And I forget where that is, but hey. You know?

The commentary, I mean if, even if you’re a Trump supporter, you cannot believe the things that they say. Like, if Trump hadn’t sent in the National Guard, L.A. would be dead, would be gone. Let me tell you something. There wasn’t one thing that was burned in L.A. except for two Waymos, which had nobody in them, which we call vandalism.

It was a five-block area, I think a five-block total.

We have more unrest when our teams win a championship, by far.

Let me ask you guys a question. Do you think it’s fair to the Chargers to play a divisional game against a divisional foe that’s won eight AFC West in a row, the Kansas City Chiefs? They lose a home game to go playing in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Is that fair to, to L.A. Charger fans? And, and, and, and, and that franchise?

Okay, but there are,

But there aren’t. All five L.A. Charger fans?

Bottom line is, Art,

I never looked at it from that perspective.

Sorry Charger fans. Compared to San Diego Charger fans.

Go ahead.

The bottom line is they’re trying to expand, obviously, internationally, and so they won’t. The next time this happens, they won’t go. Okay, you know? Kansas City will lose a home game, they’ll balance it out over a period of time.

I can’t wait to see the cheerleaders for the Brazilian franchise of the NFL.

Oh yeah.

Oh, there’s my cat. I’m kidding, I’m kidding.

Let’s talk about the cheerleaders and the RedZone. The RedZone, of course, all the games all the time. And so you pay a couple hundred bucks for it. And now Steve Hansen says that, that there’s gonna be commercials, but I found out just a couple of 15-second commercials. But, bottom line is, Art, and Laura, and I always talk about greed, Matthew. You know, if they start with a few 15-second commercials, you know what’s next, do you not?

That’s right, it keeps, they just keep building it up and up, then up, and up, and up, you know, it just, it never ends.

You know? Years ago, when I lived in Japan, Matthew, and Fred, and Laura, they didn’t have commercials when you watch the Tokyo Giants on TV. They would take, like, the top sixth of the screen, and they would run products across the top of the screen.

Yeah,

Or maybe a quarter of the screen, if you looked at it from a vertical standpoint, and it made so much sense because it kept the telecast rolling. Now, obviously, baseball is made for commercials. You have so many, 18 natural breaks, pregame, you know, postgame, the whole shot. But I’ve always wondered why they didn’t do more of that. And then, last night in the telecast on NBC, I noticed when they had the 15-second little cut-ins. Did you notice how they used about a third of the screen for the commercial while they kept the TV going on? This may be something that you’re gonna see in the future.

I remember I did a six-week tour of England in 1989, and I was, I was watching a lot of BBC and enjoying it immensely. What I noticed with them is that they would go for like, let’s see, 25, 26, maybe 27 minutes non-stop. And then they would, might do two to three minutes of commercials. And then at the top of the hour, they would start with a show again, again, 25, you know, to 30 minutes non-stop before you would cut in for a commercial or something like that.

Yeah. Like, cuz when I watch ESPN SportsCenter, they say we’ll be back in five minutes and 30 seconds. I’m like, five minutes and 30 seconds, I could go do a lot of things, come back and not miss anything.

Let’s talk National Basketball Association and Steve Ballmer.

Oh boy.

The richest owner, I think in the NBA. Apparently, allegedly, they wanted to get $28 million extra to Leonard, who wanted that kind of dough on top of his $40 million. So, they didn’t want to do it with the salary cap, so they found another sponsor, basically, where Leonard didn’t do anything.

And he sent them like $50 million, did he not?

Yeah.

That’s what I read, yeah.

So, Laura, have any thoughts about the Clippers? Are they gonna be in big trouble? You know, the last owner, Donald Sterling, was kicked out of the league. I don’t think Ballmer’s gonna be kicked out of the league, but he can’t cheat every other team in the league. Your thoughts, Laura?

Yeah, I think he is cheating, and I don’t, I haven’t heard whether Kawhi Leonard was collaborating in the cheating, but it certainly sounds like it, since he didn’t have anything to do under this contract at all, apparently.

So I’d like to get a $28 million contract where I could just do nothing.

Yeah, for nothing.

Wouldn’t we all love to have it?

Yeah, it was just a sham. I don’t think Ballmer’s gonna be hurt if there’s a fine.

$300 billion? Yeah, he’s fine.

I just heard, I just heard this morning that the latest,

Elon Musk,

Yeah, he’s gonna be the world’s first trillionaire. Can you believe this? I mean, this is insanity. Anyway, I think if they penalize the Clippers, you know, like if they take away some of their draft picks or other, that could hurt the team. So, and they should, I think, in my view, because that’s cheating.

I agree, bottom line. We’ll take a break and come back with more on Fred and the Fantastics on PodClips and BLEAV. Back after this.

Hey, we’re back on BLEAV and on PodClips. Fred and the Fantastics, Art, Laura, and sports historian Matthew DiBiase. Let’s talk about collegiate football. So Artie, you’re in Southern, you were brought up, basically, a lot in Southern California, you were a UCLA fan. You think that DeShaun Foster should be the collegiate coach of the year, or should it be Bill Belichick?

Oh, we’re gonna find out tomorrow when they roll into Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

I love, I love UN, I love UNLV.

You have two different programs, going in two different directions, all right, now. You know, the, Dan Mullen basically took a ball club that was built by another coach who’s now at Purdue. And I just have a funny feeling. And I thought UCLA went out in the portal and got 40 new guys. Now maybe it’s gonna take them a little time to gel as a team, but this is a very, very key game tomorrow. And I gotta tell you this, this Italian quarterback Calandro for, for UNLV impresses me, and this whole program at UNLV impresses me. So I kind am of with you on this. And you know, Fred, I’m a UCLA fan. So it’s gonna be real tough, but I think the Running Rebels are gonna give them all they can handle.

UCLA tomorrow against UNLV on the CBS Sports Network, I will guarantee you they will not be back on Fox. Laura, you’re a UCLA fan. What was your thought about last week’s 43 – 10 performance?

It was very disappointing, obviously. I know I don’t, I would not nominate DeShaun Foster or Bill Belichick here.

The two Heisman trophy for the favorites last week both got bopped. I mean, you had, you had Manning against,

You know? I think that, you know, I feel real, I felt kind of bad for Arch Manning, even though he’s like, football royalty.

There’s so much hype, right, Laura?

The expectations.

Yeah, it’s crazy. I mean, it was, he’s nominated, everybody’s talking about a Heisman Trophy winner when he hasn’t even played a game.

Yes, hasn’t started a game, right, exactly, yeah.

It’s crazy.

How old is he? How old do you think he is?

He’s got so much talent, I think he’ll be fine,

I think he’s 19, isn’t he?

21.

Is he really 21?

He’s 21.

He redshirted the first year, sat, you know, backed up the second set, so he’s a, he’s a, he’s a Covid, would that be a freshman or a sophomore now?

I think a sophomore, but obviously he’s not gonna play the entire,

Look at the kid at North Carolina whose dad was the quarterback for Tampa Bay, Johnson. He’s in his eighth year of college football, been with four different teams. So if you’re broadcasting the game in the NFL, if he gets there, you’re gonna say the, the previous, this team, that team, this team, that team, that team quarterback. I mean, wow, what’s next?

All right, Sunday night, Buffalo, Baltimore. Laura, you have any thoughts about two of the best quarterbacks in the league, obviously going head-to-head? Who do you like Sunday Night on NBC?

Well, my heart’s with Buffalo. But I think it’s gonna be a great game. I hope it’s gonna be a great game. It should be a great game. Um, I think Buffalo is gonna win the game, but I think it’s gonna be close.

You know what I think?

In a regular-season game, you got to go with Lamar Jackson; in a playoff game, go with Josh Allen.

Matthew, you have any thoughts about Buffalo and Baltimore on Sunday night on NBC?

It might be a possible preview of the AFC Conference Championship game. You know, it may be give or take, I don’t know, of a KC or something like that, but definitely, you know, a divisional championship.

We should all hope that KC’s not in it.

We’ll all have to see it, we’ll have to see and all that.

Taylor Swift rules.

The thing is, how much further can Sean McDermott keep going being a heartbreak coach and all that, all those playoff defeats and all that? I mean, he is the leading active,

Marty Schottenheimer, Jr.

Isn’t that kind of Buffalo’s, isn’t that Buffalo’s history, though?

I know. But McDermott keeps moving up those charts. I figure he’s got seven playoff losses now, and I mean, if he goes to eight, he keeps moving up them charts. I mean, how much longer is Buffalo gonna be patient with Sean McDermott? That’s a question I have in my mind. How much more before you finally have to pull the trigger on him and all of that, that’s, that’s the question. And Matt Lafleur at Green Bay? I mean, he just became a heartbreak coach, too, with his fifth playoff loss last season. I mean, how much more is Green Bay gonna be patient with him?

And look at his regular season record, Matthew, it’s one of the greatest pre-, you know, first five-year regular season records of all time.

Yeah, I know it’s gonna, it’s gonna be interesting to see. I mean, sure, Buffalo’s probably gonna make the playoffs and all that, but can they make that, can they get that primate off their back and make the Super Bowl? That only helps them to stop being a heartbreak coach.

All right, final, final thoughts. So, Laura, final thoughts on Fred and the Fantastics.

Well, I’m just looking forward to a great sports weekend to the extent that I can fit them all in, in what, however many hours there is. Really looking forward to that Sunday night game, and also looking forward to the Raider game Sunday morning, so that should be interesting. And wish everybody a great weekend.

You too.

Art, final thoughts.

What’s wrong with my Dodgers, you guys? They go to Pittsburgh, we’re lucky Mancini isn’t on the air with us right now, cuz we’d be hearing it from every side, losing three in a row. And hey, here’s a stat that was really a mind-blower. Last eight starts at PNC Ballpark. Paul Skenes, 6 and 0 with an 0.35 ERA.

Not bad. Hey, by the way, you mentioned the Dodgers. Who’s their catcher if Smith and Rushing go down?

I don’t think they have one.

Emergency catcher? Mookie Betts.

Emergency catcher. Who might that be?

Mookie Betts.

Matthew, do you have any thoughts?

Nah, nah, I have no idea. Probably Mookie Betts? Or a bullpen catcher?

Mookie Betts, incorrect. Laura, any thoughts about who would be the Dodgers’ emergency catcher?

I don’t think,

Maybe Ohtani?

I don’t know. I mean, they don’t have,

Who is it, Fred? We’re dying here.

You’re not gonna, you’re not gonna believe this. They picked up Alex Call, what, three weeks ago? He’s their emergency catcher. He played catcher in high school.

Who?

Alex Call, the outfielder.

Oh.

He’s their emergency catcher. I thought you were gonna say Kiké, but Kiké said he’s not a catcher.

If they call on him, he’ll be ready!

He’ll be ready. Yeah, all right, but all those games, you only had two. You see that both Rushing and, and Smith can get hurt. Smith’s hurt right now, and Rushing looked like he was hurt.

That foul tip off the thumb.

The X-rays were negative, though, so that’s good news.

That’s what they said when they, that’s what they said when they looked at my brain the other day and said the X-rays were totally negative.

Matthew, you haven’t been on in a long time. Give us your final thoughts on Fred and the Fantastics.

Well me, I’m gonna be focusing on, I’m mostly, I’m, don’t laugh, but with the Eagles game I was switching back and forth between that and the U.S. Open and tennis because I am keeping records for, hopefully, a future book project that should happen, take place, sometime next decade. You know, the greatest Grand Slam Tennis ever.

Who’s gonna win it on the men’s side?

I think Joker’s in the final set of his career. I think it’s gonna be Alcaraz and Sinner. I think those two are the male rivalry of the 2020s. I think the torch has been passed from Joker and Nadal to Alcaraz and Sinner.

How about my favorite girl, Sabalenka? Has she got a chance?

Well, she’s the defending champion. There hasn’t been a back-to-back in the U.S. Open in quite a long time.

Yeah, but I think she’s gonna beat Anisimova.

I concur, yeah. Thing is, there hasn’t been someone to take Serena’s place. No one has really emerged on the, on the women’s side yet. It’s, it’s kind of still kind of iffy, you know?

Yeah,

No real breakthroughs. Unlike the men with Alcaraz and Sinner, they’re breaking through.

Yeah, they’ve won all the last seven major tournaments have been won by either Alcaraz or Sinner.

So women, though, no one, no one’s really taken Serena’s place yet.

Fantastic.

All right. For Matthew, for Laura, for Art, Mario, thank you for putting the show together. More, stay tuned all night long and all day long for more of Fred and the Fantastics. Bye, everybody.