Hey folks, at that time again, Fred and the Fantastics on BLEAV and on PodClips across America and around the world. We’ll discuss this, that, and anything in sports with Art, with Laura, with Mark, and with you. You can email us, [email protected], [email protected]. So much to talk about, but off the air we were discussing the late Jason Collins, the first player, when he was playing, who indicated that he was homosexual. And he died at the age of 47 from a brain tumor. And, Art, let me tell you a quick story. In 2010 or 2011, the movie Valentine’s Day came out. I’ve probably seen it a hundred times. I love it. I mean, everybody that I’ve liked in the movies was in it, and bottom line, all right. But this punchline, for me anyways, was that Rams’ so-called quarterback in the movie had a press conference, a media conference. And they were asking him if the reason he had the media conference was to say, Are you going to come back next year? Sort of like Matt Stafford, he was a free agent, and his contract was up, and he was getting up there in age. And was he going to come back? So he holds the press conference, the media conference. Remember now, this is 2010 or 2011, and he says, Yeah, I’m coming back. I’m gay, and I’m going to play. And the whole world went crazy. Two years later, Jason Collins makes the comment to the world in sports. I wonder if that movie didn’t push him toward that direction. What do you think? Is that a possibility, Art?

Oh, heck, yeah, that’s a possibility. I mean, you know, I think the hardest thing for folks in our previous society, it’s changed a lot, thank God, in the last 15 or 20 years. But to have to live with who you really are, and that macho man, that A-type personality, leagues of professional sports, it’s pretty wild. I mean. Hey, I want to just say something real quick here. One of the guys that was really a cool dude to be, and I played a lot of golf with him, Jimmy Colbert, passed away this last week. Nice man. He was 85 years old. And then a guy that I used to listen to, because I used to like to learn how to speak. Spanish, Rene Cardenas, who, with Jaime Jarrín, a great broadcaster for the Dodgers, and for Texas, and for Houston.

Charles Young.

Yeah, and one of my teammates, Charles Young, passed away as well.

You brought up an interesting point, Fred, with the way the world is. You know, the black athlete, I can remember, with the Pirates, and Parker making a million dollars, and batteries thrown, people didn’t really get behind the black player, in some of these cities. The gay players we’ve seen.

Who was the Dodger and Padre that was gay, that was an infielder? He was one of the first ones to come out.

Yeah, and the third thing, but it’s really transformed, and I’m so happy to see it, is women moving to the forefront of the sports industry, whether they’re agents, whether they’re owners, whether they’re,

Yeah, the Raiders president is a Black woman.

They’re not sitting home and making babies and making chocolate chip cookies. They’re good.

Laura, do you want to comment about Jason Collin’s death at the age of 47, brain tumor? And a fine player at Stanford, a good player in the NBA, not a scorer at all, but blocked some shots, got some rebounds, and he told the world he was gay. Laura, any thoughts?

Yeah, he’s a kid from Southern California, so we kind of watched him play. He played at Harvard-Westlake, and then he and his twin brother went to Stanford, so they stayed in California. It’s kind of glabioblastoma, or glioblastoma.

That’s the brain cancer. Oh, God. It’s a serious thing.

My next-door neighbor died of it. It’s just an absolutely horrible diagnosis and a horrible illness. And I read somewhere this morning that there are no currently active gay players, who are out anyway, so that’s kind of sad.

The one kid that played defensive end for the Raiders out of Penn State, he retired, so yeah.

Remember the linebacker from Missouri, Sam, a long time ago?

Yeah.

That’s right.

I’m sure there are some gay players. They’re just not out.

No. I think that the Redskins had a cornerback many, many years ago.

I think you’re right.

I’m going to switch topics, and let’s talk about the whole situation. Front Page, LA Times on Thursday, there’s a story about a young girl, high school trans athlete who wins a sprint race, 100 meters or 200 meters, whatever. And she was totally harassed. Her mom was there. She was totally harassed. Laura, where is this going to end?

You know, I’ve said this before. Not every trans girl is Caitlyn Jenner. I mean, most of them are just regular kids who want to play sports. I just think it’s another form of discrimination. Last year, there were seven trans girl athletes playing in Division I sports. Seven.

Right. It’s not like it’s 7,000. Yeah. And for fans to treat this young lady the way they treated her is completely wrong, Fred, no matter what side of the fence you’re on, on this one. You treat people with respect, no matter who they are. And, you know, we’ve got to get over this. Like Laura said, seven people, really? And we’re putting up, you know, it’s like, my God, you’d think it was 7,000 of them.

Mark, you’re religious, so maybe you’re down the middle on this. So what are your thoughts?

Well, and you know me, Fred. I’ve always said, if we’re going to do these kind of things, have like a couple different divisions, so we have competition across the board.

Yeah.

I know people might disagree on that, but I mean, that’s the way I look at it. You know, have one division with the, you know, the trans,

And maybe have an open division where the runners run, you know, no matter what, you know.

And then I think that would solve the problem to a certain extent. I mean, that’s the point.

Mark, the total number of trans athletes would be 0.001. You wouldn’t have enough athletes to compete, to tell you the truth.

I know, there just aren’t that many trans people to make a competition.

And why are they making it such a huge deal?

I know.

You want the answer to that?

Yeah, I’d love it, Fred.

It’s a big issue for the right wing. It’s just one more way of taking a suspect class and putting everybody’s grievance on that. You know, it’s just, it’s ridiculous. It’s such a small, as Art said, it’s such a small part of our society to have this horrible harassment go on. And it’s abominable in my view.

I got an idea. I got an idea, Fred. Tell me a little bit about Major League Baseball at the quarter poll. Who’s hot? Who’s not?

So I’m listening to KNBR in San Francisco after the Giants beat the Dodgers. Folks, we’re taping this Friday afternoon. So I’m listening to KNBR, as I do a lot. And the Dodgers lose to the Giants two games in a row, Monday and Tuesday of this week. Honestly, they were talking as if the Giants win the World Series, had just won it. It’s 40 games into the season. There’s 152 games a season, not 40 games a season. Of course, the next two nights, the Dodgers come back.

Exactly.

Any comments, Art, about that?

I just, you know, when you told me that off the air, I thought to myself, because having done Giants baseball in spring training and, you know, doing a lot of Scottsdale Firebirds baseball, their AAA team, KNBR, has always been Giants. The Giants fans are just like Dodger fans in a lot of ways. They are crazy, man. They win two games, and they’re, I mean, at least the Dodgers have won, what, 10 of the 11 Western Championships and a West Championship? So they won, you know, two championships, three in a row. They have something to crow about. But the Giants basically are scuffling along with a college baseball coach and, you know, a general manager who was an excellent catcher, but is he really, you know, ready to run a franchise? I must have been funny for you, Fred, to listen to that.

I almost called in, I swear to God, but I didn’t. No, I think I’d be,

They’re going to say, Where are you calling in from? Well,

The interesting thing in that division is this team has three guys that can’t hit their weight. And they’re tied for first place, pretty much, as the Padres. I think Conte says no home runs. Machado’s bad at 111. The other guy, Merrill. And they’re going to welcome the Dodgers to San Diego one day.

They got four stud pitchers, though, that are pretty much carrying them.

Yeah, they got guys they can throw down there.

And that kid’s coming out of the bullpen, I’ll tell you what? He throws wall-to-wall aspirin tablets.

With that said, the Dodgers are going to win that division. Laura, your comments?

Well, you know, what’s interesting to me, as I was watching the game last night, and there are virtually no Giants fans in the stands. Now, if you watch the Dodgers everywhere they go, there’s Dodgers fans.

In San Francisco or all over the league, yeah.

A lot of Dodgers fans.

I go, how do these guys afford to go?

Even my sister, who was a traitor and became a Giants fan,

Traitor, I love that.

She acknowledged that there were just so many Dodgers fans at AT&T Park. The Dodgers, I read this quote, are pacing themselves. They recognize that they’re going to probably go all the way.

How much better is the National League?

They’re just staying a little bit in first place.

Can I ask you guys a question? How much better is the National League than the American League when you look at the standings?

Hugely.

It’s unbelievable.

Quite a bit better.

Yeah, absolutely.

I think, and everybody can say what they want, but I think when you’re in a division where the Pirates are and everybody’s well over .500 and beating up on each other, I think they’re more battle-tested than the teams like the Braves and Dodgers, and some of these teams,

Did I hear the Pirates in the background?

No, no, no. I look at it like this. If you get tested early on, and the Pirates have said this, that they’ve had to play the toughest schedule in the first 40-something games in any team pretty much out there. If you get tested, battle-tested early, and the Braves are 30 and 13.

I’m going to tell you, Mark, they are a markedly improved team. And I’d say the next two years, maybe two years from now, you’re going to see Oakland and Pittsburgh in a World Series.

Oh, yeah.

I have a funny feeling about that because the young kids that they keep bringing up, like their shortstop. I mean, this kid is just an incredible athlete.

All right. Let’s take a break and come back with more of Fred and the Fantastics on BLEAV and on PodClips right after this.

Welcome back, everybody. Fred and the Fantastics, Art, Laura, and Mark, and yours truly, Fred. Email us, [email protected]. Plenty of baseball action this weekend. Folks, we’re taping this Friday afternoon. But before we talk about that, Art is 128 years of age.

Wow.

What do you take to answer these questions correctly, Art, and discuss sports in a very valid way? Art, what do you take?

It’s the professional formula of Prevagen. Fantastic stuff. Will really help you keep it together mentally. I can’t help you physically. I don’t know what to tell you about that. Get to be our age. All I can tell you is I look forward to waking up real early in the morning. I used to laugh when I lived in Scottsdale and I’d get up and go for my run. This is 30, 35, 40 years ago. I was only 100. And the old guys would be out there. They’d be up so early. And we’d all comment on, you know, boy, it’s great out. Beautiful out. Well, the reason they got up so early was it was cool in the morning. Plus, they were happy to be alive. You know? I mean, it’s good stuff.

All right. Let’s go further on Fred and the Fantastics. Let’s talk about baseball this weekend. Hey, it’s a shock: Friday night. Angels at home against the Dodgers.

Oh, my God.

On local Channel 11.

Really?

How many games have been shown on a local TV channel?

I thought I had to go to Apple and get another big bite of them.

No, it’s Channel 11. You’re not in Los Angeles. I don’t know where you’re going to have to go. But the bottom line, it’s on the Angels’ digital network, of course. But it’s also on Channel 11 here in Los Angeles. Of course, historically, Channel 11 was the Dodger Channel, and Channel 5 in Los Angeles was the Angels Channel. And that’s how I grew up. But, Laura, any comments about, are you going to watch it on Channel 11 this evening?

I’m going to watch the game. And I have to say that it will be at least, 60 percent of the fans will be Dodger fans at the game.

I mean, it’s in Anaheim tonight.

It’s in Anaheim, yeah.

Anaheim, Los Angeles, which those of us who live here know, Anaheim is, like, the farthest thing.

Why did the Angels ever get rid of their California Angels moniker?

It’s ridiculous. I mean, they’re not in L.A.

No. California Angels could encompass the whole state. I mean.

You know, and the Dodger fans tremble. I can’t believe it. I was telling a buddy of mine, I said, the California employment must be good. These guys, I mean, they just, they come in,

Look behind home plate at Dodger Games. Check out the people behind home plate at Dodger Games. I mean, it’s a who’s who of Hollywood royalty.

Wow.

Yeah, it really is.

You know that they get food?

The first row.

They get free food?

Not free food, but it’s delivered to them.

Oh, I was going to say, the rich people get free food. That’s the way the world goes.

Well, if you pay $5,000 a ticket, maybe.

They ought to bring you a burger and a fry.

Yeah, exactly. It’s kind of like free food in first class when you fly, you know, in airplanes.

You’re paying the freight.

But, you know, the first row, they’re a lot of the same people. So they must all, they have season tickets.

Because we talk about, well, the couple on the right’s there tonight, but the guy in the middle, he’s not there.

Mary Hart usually is there. They get the whole crew, yeah.

I just want to sit there to get the foul ball, and then they can have the seats the rest of the game.

Thank you, Mark. How many foul balls you got hidden in the closet there?

I have quite a few.

You know, we were talking off the air about the difference between the American League and the National League. Seven out of ten free agents are going to the National League. All the money is going to the National League. I mean, it’s, there’s only, I think there’s only three teams in the American League now that are over .500.

Over .500. Yankees, Tampa Bay, and Cleveland.

And, you know, our Pirates division, there’s more than three teams over .500 in one division.

Yeah. I mean, it’s, you know, and now you’re going to have, you’re going to, it’s just an amazing situation. But I got to tell you, I think you got to take the National League and the All-Star Game.

Well, and all the money in the American League is going to the Northeast. So, it’s not even being spread around.

That’s true.

I’m not going to be able to watch it, because that’s something else that’s on just Netflix.

The All-Star Game this year is going to be on Netflix?

Wait a minute. Let me think twice about that. I think so.

Okay. Wow. Surprise me, Fred.

No, I’m wrong.

Fred, you know, I’m a big golf fan, right?

Right.

Well, I wanted to watch the second round of the PGA today.

Right.

But it was on ESPN Plus, which I had for a couple of years when they had Stugotz on TV. Now they have the PGA, and do I want to roll over $14? It used to be $6.95, $7.95. Now they want $14. And I said, you know what? Suck it up, buttercup. Wait until the telecast.

Let’s go back. I understand that, but the All-Star game will not be on Netflix.

It’s Fox.

Just the Home Run Derby.

I’ll tell you, my secret, though, to getting streaming services is whenever my husband and I get in a fight, if he acts like a jerk, I tell him I need another streaming service.

Oh, there you go. I like that. Let me write that down.

That’s how I got ESPN Plus.

One more topic on Fred and the Fantastics.

That’ll be the next pay-per-view at Laura’s house.

This week, the NBA Combine taking place in Chicago.

And a lot of the players are most-

94%, you said, stay in the draft. 94% of those guys fail?

You want to jump out? You jump out. You can’t wait until almost June to decide if you’re gonna come or go. What do you think, Art?

Well, you came up with a stat the other day that I was amazed at. With the NBA draft, 94% of draft picks in the NBA in the last five years have failed to make the team.

Yeah.

That’s amazing.

94% of draft picks? Wow.

No, that’s not true.

That can’t be right.

That’s not right.

You mentioned in one of your articles that it was crazy. I looked it up, and it’s pretty high. I mean, now, listen, the guys playing in the lower-level league, you know, the G League, or whatever it’s called, but the guys on the second, third, fourth round picks in the NBA, very few of them make the ball clubs.

Here’s my prediction that could happen. LeBron will go to the Warriors. The Greek Freak will go to the Lakers.

So, Seth and LeBron are gonna play. They’re gonna have one last shot.

I think that’s where he’s gonna finish it up.

That’s interesting.

All right, that’s it for Fred and the Fantastics with Laura, Art, and Mario.

Who’s gonna win the Preakness, Fred?

Thank you very much. We gotta go right now, and we’ll be back soon on more of Fred and the Fantastics. Bye, everybody.