Nothing Personal with David Samson

Call us and leave your question: 631-377-4869 It's So You Wanna Talk to Samson Wednesday! Someone asked me three questions in one! What is the Angels draft strategy? Why do they seem to try and find prospects they can rush to the big leagues? Which union is the best in American sports? (15:30) Someone asked me about Dontrelle Willis, arbitration, and if I play both sides of the arbitration argument. (22:10) Which other league would I want to be president in? Is promotion/relegation better than what we have? (27:00) Leadership. Let's discuss leadership and the role it plays. (35:30) What happens when a player gets traded or brought up? Who handles the moving? The expenses? (45:00) Is the RSN issue going to be the end of iconic and longtime voices we hear? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘electric' as in All-Star Game as in swing-off as in MLB as in getting right! What a night for MLB! What a moment! Wow! Let's break down the game and all the moments. From ABS to Hank Aaron tributes to dingers to Schwarbombs. LOVED IT! (21:40) MLBPA executive director Tony Clark met with the media before the All-Star Game and he had very strong feelings about the salary cap idea. Woof. Collusion? GMAB! (31:30) The Tampa Bay Rays are going to play games at home in the postseason… if it happens! Shocker! (37:50) Review: Thunderbolts. (39:10) Emmy nominations are out! (43:40) NPPOD. (44:00) Scottie Scheffler gave some responses to some questions before The Open Championship and whoa. The level of depth in his answers. The level of truth. It's something you rarely see. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Terry Virts has joined us today! The former F16 fighter pilot, and NASA astronaut, is running for the Senate in Texas! (27:30) Let's discuss ICE and professional athletes. MLB is full of immigrants, and where this country is right now, baseball needs to protect its players. (38:30) A rich dude bought his way into a tennis tournament and people are MAD! (46:00) Donald Trump made himself the story of the Club World Cup. He had to be on stage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘robbery' as in Home Run Derby as in Big Dumper as in Cal Raleigh as in Brent Rooker as in Junior Cameniro. What a a night. Everyone was made from the production to the broadcast to the rules. Everything. But Cal Raleigh had his moment with his father and brother. We saw Junior Caminero hit some bombs. We saw Jazz show up for the fun of it. We saw a measuring stick come out. (21:35) How excited are you for the All-Star Game? Paul Skenes. Tarik Skubal. What more can you want!? (30:30) Review: Friendship. (35:30) Rob Manfred met with the media to talk about new broadcast deals. MLB still doesn't have them. (43:05) The Tampa Bay Rays sale is expected to be complete by September. Wow. (50:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Home Run Derby is tonight! Who's excited!? We've got some big bats going. (11:00) What is going on with the NFLPA is something we haven't seen in the sports world for quite some time. The collusion story gets deeper and deeper. This time the NFLPA has released a statement questioning the reports, but also said it was looking into the reports. Not great. (23:00) Club World Cup final. Big money. Big fans. Big problems? (36:20) Go Messi Go! Lionel Messi is setting MLS records and the league needs him so badly. (41:00) MLB Draft time! Let me explain to you what happened yesterday. (50:30) Cooper Flagg shutdown… he is good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘break' as in All-Star break as in baseball as in Home Run Derby as in All-Star Game as in the first half is here. What were the biggest observations from the pre-ASG? Remember when everyone wanted Craig Breslow fired? That was just a month ago! What about the Brewers and Blue Jays season!? Are the Rockies going to break the record!? (23:00) Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh are having themselves a season. The MVP race is on! (32:40) Review: Heads of State. (36:20) MLB decided to put Jacob Misirowoski in the All-Star Game and Phillies players and fans went crazy. Wow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Coca Day! We talk weather apps and Prime Day and July 4 baseball and MVP races and Juan Soto and Apple and colleges! Another fun Friday with Coca! You can follow him (me) on Twitter @matthewcoca if you want more terrible takes, or if you want to yell at me! Whatever! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

https://www.charitybuzz.com/catalog_items/auction-lunch-with-david-samson-of-nothing-personal-3220102 Today's word of the day is ‘benjamins' as in big bills as in Brinks truck as in Thunder as in SGA as in Jalen Williams as in Chet Holmgren. That's right. The Thunder won the NBA title and now have locked up its Big 3 for $800 million! WHAT!? (10:30) Giannis has spoken. What did he say? A clue! A crumb! (17:00) Orioles owner David Rubenstein finally spoke for the first time since Brandon Hyde was fired. That was a month ago. Woof. What did he have to say? Injuries. (28:30) Review: The Bear Season 4. (34:15) Another American woman is in a Grand Slam Final. Amanda Anisimova is back in a final for the first time in 6 years. She had previously taken time off for mental health struggles. (42:50) We have another update on Lloyd Howell and the NFLPA. Uh oh. (48:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike Tollin has joined the show! The mastermind of The Last Dance with Michael Jordan! You know him from Smallville and One Tree Hill and Varsity Blues and Radio and All That! (28:45) We have a stadium CEO accused of rigging a bid! Oh boy! And it involves some heavy hitters! (38:40) Deion Sanders sounded off on the state of college football. He has a problem with salary. He has a problem with tampering. (44:00) Rob Manfred wants a salary cap. Players are worried. What will happen? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘abhorrent' as in the NFL as in the NFLPA as in collusion as in appeal as in firings. This is how this ends. Pablo Torre had broken this story wide open two weeks ago, and now the NFLPA is not happy. The players union will try and appeal this decision now. How does it end? (17:50) The Yankees have DFA'd DJ LeMahieu and owe him $22 million. Brian Cashman then met the media to explain the decision, talk about the trade deadline, and defend Anthony Volpe. (35:00) Review: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. (38:00) Apple may go all in on Formula 1 US rights. Whoa. (42:30) Automated balls-strikes is coming for the MLB All-Star Game. Uh oh. Is this what players don't want? Do they want it? Is this a small test to get us all ready for next year? (49:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Call us at 631-377-4869 It's So You Wanna Talk to Samson Wednesday! We start off with a question about what goes on during a Players' Only meeting! (8:10) Is A.J. Hinch the most valuable manager in baseball? (14:10) How do you deal with loss? Especially when you are the head of a business or company. (23:00) Mount Rushmore of candy! (31:20) This is just a big ole pat on the back for me! (34:30) Could you see MLB expand internationally to make the game more global? Does it make sense to do this? (44:05) Banana Ball! Should MLB we worried about the success of the Savannah Bananas? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘consequences' as in the NHL as in NIL as in Canada as in change. Gavin McKenna is the lock of all locks to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. And he's going to college. A top Canadian JR player headed to the US is unheard of. But NIL has changed the world of hockey forever. (11:00) We have another investigation into an MLB agent. Another case of an agent taking advantage of a foreign player. It's sad. Someone had asked me a question about MLB owners and the MLBPA so let me answer that. (25:45) We have an F1 update! Christian Horner has been fired by Red Bull. Wow. (33:00) Review: Dept. Q. (36:30) Draymond Green sounded off on the new CBA. He said free agency is dead. He said players aren't educated on business. Hmm. (44:45) The Big Beautiful Bill is already upsetting Congress. Here we go. We've got people in Congress writing up bills to change the gambling law in the bill. Woof. (49:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've got Bobby Valentine with us today! This was a fun one! Bobby V goes off on umpires and catchers! And tells some great stories about being an All-Star Game manager! (28:00) Clayton Kershaw was named an All-Star and he felt it was “weird”. Why? Because he didn't think it was anything her deserved! (33:00) Kansas still wants the Chiefs and Royals. It is doing everything it can to help. (40:00) The WNBA has a little money problem. Look at the payouts for the All-Star Game. This is going to be another major point in negotiations. (46:15) Unrivaled vs the WNBA. Is that happening? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘revelation' as in the Suns as in Mat Ishbia as in Bradley Beal as in Kevin Durant as in Devin Booker. The 2nd Apron is coming for every team. The Big 3 is over. The Suns are looking to hard reset just two seasons later after having NBA Championship aspirations. (9:40) The Orlando Magic 2nd Apron clock has started. A new max extension for Paolo Banchero is here. The Magic need to win now! (16:15) The Miami Heat found a scorer. A 3-team trade that most believe the Heat won. Nice. (23:30) The Washington Nationals announced Miguel Cairo as interim manager. He was the bench coach. (32:00) Review: Squid Game Season 3. (36:20) The Washington Commanders are in a bit of a pickle. They want a new stadium. They need approval. They might need President Trump to help. (44:00) NPPOD. Let's talk about the Royals and Pirates here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Another professional player is under investigation for gambling. This time it's in baseball again. Luis Ortiz of the Cleveland Guardians is on leave right now as the league looks into a few pitches he threw. That's right… this is on PITCHES! Jonas Valanciunas has to honor his contract. That's what the Denver Nuggets said after trading for the center. He wants to play in Greece. Oh well! Big Beautiful Bill talk. What happened in Texas over the weekend is incredibly sad, and terrifying. My time at the San Siro in Italy. What a stadium. An old stadium. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

https://www.charitybuzz.com/catalog_items/auction-lunch-with-david-samson-of-nothing-personal-3220102 Today's word of the day is ‘unceremonious' as in Mike Rizzo as in Dave MArtinerz as in the Washington Nationals as in fired. That's right, same day as two Nationals make the All-Star team, the owner fires the GM and manager. Why now? Well, the team has been bad bad bad, but the timing is just odd. (18:00) Paul Skenes can't get a win. 42 career starts and 17 No Decisions. And it's not like he's been bad! He's been an ACE! (23:00) How should you react during a surprise season? With the MLB trade deadline fast approaching we take a look at three teams: Marlins, Orioles, Braves. How should they each respond? (35:20) Review: Echo Valley. (37:40) MLB All-Star rosters are close to complete. Clayton Kershaw got in as a Legend pick. Nice. Who were the biggest snubs? (48:20) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've got Boog Sciambi with us! We're talking all things Cubs today! Kyle Tucker has been amazing addition in Chicago, but can they sign him? What do the Cubs need to be real contenders this season? (30:30) The All-Star Game starters were announced for baseball! What were the snubs? How good has Javy Baez been!? Lindor finally gets his nod! (38:00) WNBA expansion is here! Is it a good thing? (45:00) Wimbledon is upon us and Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff are both gone. Wow. Let's talk about Coco Gauff and the pressure she has on herself to be great all the time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘dogfight' as in the AL East as in the Blue Jays as in the Yankees as in the Rays. What a division race this has become. For the first time since April 14 the Yankees do not have sole possession of the division lead! (12:00) Clayton Kershaw picked up his 3,000 K as a member of the Dodgers. He's only the 20th pitcher to ever do it and just the 4th lefty to do it! But that's not the biggest story in Dodger Land. A conservative group is suing the Dodgers and Mark Walter over DEI practices. Why? We all know why. (23:30) The Bucks have broken up. After just 2 seasons Giannis and Dame are done. The Bucks waived Damian Lillard and will stretch his deal over the next 5 years. Why? (33:30) Review: The Social Network. (38:00) The Knicks are set to hire Mike Brown as head coach. Was this the plan all along? Will this work out? (45:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've got Stan Van Gundy with us! Let's play a game called Stan Van IN or Stan Van OUT! Is Kevin Durant going to win a title with the Houston Rockets!? Did the Knicks make a mistake firing Thibs? Is LeBron going to have a better chance to win a title if he leaves the Lakers? Is expansion going to happen? Are dynasties dead? (30:00) Malik Beasley is under investigation for gambling. Uh oh! (41:00) Luis Severino is having some fun. He got a huge payday from the Athletics and now he's bashing the club. Love it. (48:30) The Florida Panthers are bringing everyone back, and now all the fans are mad. Bill Zito is getting it done! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘halfway' as in MLB season as in June as in predictions as in recap as in The Good as in The Bad. Let's start things off with my June predictions. How did I do? (7:00) The Good from MLB in June: The Houston Astros. This team just wins and wins and wins! The Rays win too! Can you believe it?(15:00) What's the Bad from the month of June? It's gotta be the Mets! Horrible pitching right now. Just bad! And what about the AL Central? It's the Tigers and who? (26:00) Here are my predictions for July! (33:07) Review: TrainWreck: Poop Cruise. (38:15) Rob Manfred keeps going after the MLBPA in a way we haven't seen before. It's been incredible to see. (49:35) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kevin Millar joins the show! Let's talk some baseball! We start off today with Kevin Millar's career. From the Marlins to almost going to Japan to ending up with the Red Sox. Millar was a replacement player back in the 90s. He wasn't part of the union and still made a career out of it.  (36:30) Let's chat about the game today. What looks different today than when Kevin played? Velocity and bullpens and elbows.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's time for another Coca Friday! We get things started with how his morning went before the show then kick off the sports talk with his thoughts on the NBA Draft. Where will the Rays play postseason baseball? Are the Marlins going to want to host those games? Does every MLB try to win? Not the players, but the front office? Public money will never end. We've now seen 3 teams in the past week get hundreds of millions! And fake news is out there so please be safe folks! You can follow Coca on social media @matthewcoca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘unjust' as in Wander Franco as in the Dominican Republic as in MLB. Wander Franco was found guilty of a heinous crime, but he will see no jail time. Is that justice? The mother of the girl in the case was sentenced to 10 years! (10:30) Former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has now been suspended for 10 games. Will he ever kick again in the NFL? Should he ever be allowed to? (18:23) The Blue Jays and the Guardians exchanged hit by pitches yesterday between the two best players in the game. Both left hurt. Vlad Guerrero Jr. Jose Ramirez. (32:00) Review: Fight or Flight. (36:20) We have another update to the bombshell report from PTFO. (46:22) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Public financing is not going to end. Everyone said that Kansas City was the end when they voted down those new stadium proposals. Nope. Here we go again! The Cleveland Browns are about to get $600 million to build a new stadium! And this is a good one! (8:30) The Washington Commanders are still trying to get a new stadium. And now we have lawmakers in DC that want to talk and talk and talk! (12:20) Logan Morrison joins the show! We talk baseball, heckling and more! (39:25) Premiere Lacrosse League signed a new deal with ESPN. This one is an interesting one because ESPN has taken a small stake in the league. (44:33) Jacob deGrom almost pitched a perfect game yesterday. Would the team ever have taken him out? Should they have protected him if it came to it or just let him fire it off? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘Boras'd' as in Boras Corp. as in Scott Boras as in Jeremy Pena as in Alex Bregman. It's that time again. Pena wants a new deal. Bregman wants a new deal. And now Boras will have his moment again. (16:15) A White Sox fan has been ban from all MLB ballparks after taunting Ketel Marte. Was this the right reaction from the league? Too much? (24:00) The NBA Draft round 1 happened last night! Cooper Flagg could be the billion dollar man? Ace Bailey got draft by the Jazz after saying no to the Jazz? The Nets used all 5 picks! (35:00) Review: Animal House. (38:45) The All-Star Game is headed to Atlanta and Ronald Acuna is in the Home Run Derby! (44:30) Young stars are making a lot of mistakes in baseball. Why is that? (50:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Call us at 631-377-4869 and leave a voicemail to get heard on the show! It's So You Wanna Talk to Samson Wednesday! We kick things off with the Minnesota Timberwolves! What's the first few days of being an owner going to look like for Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore. (9:30) Someone asked me if there's any evidence that it's better for stadiums to sell cheaper hot dogs and beer. Interesting. (15:00) Billboards of other players over my players? Yes I would! (23:30) Pablo Torre has joined us to discuss collusion in the NFL. Was it actually happening? (50:00) Where is Corbin Day from? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘apron' as in luxury tax as in salary cap as in penalties as in the NBA as in MLB. What are we talking about!? The Boston Celtics have been blowing it all up… kinda. Jrue Holiday is gone. Kristaps Porzingis is gone. Hundreds of millions have been saved in penalties. (17:40) The NBA Draft is here! The first round is on Wednesday. Second round on Thursday. Cooper Flagg is an easy number one. Then things get interesting! The Brooklyn Nets have the most first round picks ever! (24:30) Aaron Rodgers says he's only there for one year. That's it. Then he will disappear. (34:30) Review: Dean Spanley. (39:30) NPPOD. Everyone needs to watch the Pirates and Brewers game today. Trust me! (43:15) The Arizona Diamondbacks are getting $500 million from the state. Yup, remember public financing was over. Ha! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike Berland joins the show! He's an author and political pollster! He has worked with the Dixie Chicks, he's worked with Michael Bloomberg, he's worked with Hilary Clinton. You can get his new book TODAY! It's called Not About Golf: The Life Changing Joy of Playing the Game! (25:45) The Mets are in a bad place right now. Losing games. Losing division leads. Pitchers can't pitch. Hitters can't hit. All around bad. (34:20) The WNBA players are trying to make a statement. The CBA is ending. Negotiations are here. (44:50) The Reds DFA'd a player they just gave big money to. Not ideal. But what the team's president said is interesting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘predatory' as in loans as in money as in Fernando Tatis Jr as in Big League Advance. What are we talking here? Well a company is being sued by Tatis Jr because of a contract he signed when he was a teen. Why is he doing this now? (21:02) Wander Franco update. The disgraced Rays star is in court in the Dominican Republic facing charges of sexual abuse against a minor. Just a very gross case. And on Thursday we'll get a ruling. (31:00) Review: Deep Cover. (35:30) The Athletics held the groundbreaking ceremony in Las Vegas yesterday. What a special day. (47:00) NPPOD. (49:30) The NBA ratings came out for Game 7. Monster numbers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced a $1 million pledge to the city of Los Angeles area services for immigration. They were pressured to do something, anything, and they responded. (13:00) Shohei Ohtani continues to take rehab starts for the Dodgers at the big league level. 1 inning again. But he brought his bat to the game! (20:00) My response to Andrew McCutchen. (24:45) We now know another bidder for the Rays. Trip Miller has gone public saying he wants the team. Uh oh. (33:00) Cal Raleigh continues to destroy baseballs. He's a monster! Let's give him some flowers! (38:30) Coastal Carolina was in the College World Series final. Its manager was ejected in the first inning of an elimination game. Unreal. (45:00) Wisconsin is suing Miami. No not the states. The colleges are going after each other over a transfer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘tonnerre' as in Thunder as in Shai as in Sam Presti as in the Oklahoma City Thunder are your NBA champions! What a sad start to the game with Tyrese Haliburton going down. He's now done for all of next season. The Thunder are primed to be great for a few more years too! (21:04) Kevin Durant has been traded to the Houston Rockets! Wow. The Suns are still in some trouble. The Rockets now have a chance in the Western Conference. (36:30) Review: The Amateur. (39:40) The US has bombed Iran. (48:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's time for Matthew Coca Friday! We kick things off with a discussion about the Los Angeles Lakers sale, the price of expansion, and will Mark Walter be the big spender with the team like he is with the Dodgers? (13:55) The Dodgers and Padres are a real rivalry. A LOT of bad blood between them. We also discuss the situation before the game where the Dodgers had to release a statement about immigration agents showing up to the stadium. (28:42) What's the deal with MLB free agency? Is there going to be a deadline added so that there's more excitement around it? (40:34) We end today with discussion on taxes, the Florida Panthers, and the Boston Red Sox! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘madonna' as in Like A Virgin as in OKC Thunder as in the Indian Pacers as in Game 7. It's a GAME 7! The Pacers crushed the Thunder in Game 6. The Thunder kept turning the ball over. The Thunder couldn't shoot. The Pacers looked like the better team. (10:30) The Lakers have been sold. Mark Walter, the owner of the Dodgers, has purchased the majority stake from the Buss family. A $10 billion valuation? What!? (23:30) Are the Rays finally for sale? Is it happening? Is Stu Sternberg ready to let go of the team? (34:10) Review: Your Friends and Neighbors. (39:00) John Fisher is selling the San Jose Earthquakes. John Fisher is trying to build a ballpark in Las Vegas for the Athletics. (48:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Call the So You Wanna Talk to Samson hotline at 631-377-4869 So You Wanna Talk to Samson!? It's Wednesday! Someone asked me if I was MLB Commissioner… how would I grow the game? (12:00) Would the NBA ever shorten the the season? Is it boring? Is it too long? (18:00) Someone asked me about spring training games and dealing with disgruntled fans during spring training. Hmm. (25:00) Someone asked me for forgiveness for puking on my golf bag. What? (32:40) What was my favorite thing to do as a team president? What were the least favorite jobs I had to do? (45:00) Should the Tigers bump Tarik Skubal to Thursday so fans get to see a Cy Young showdown between he and Paul Skenes? (50:00) Bad free agents. The Angels are not the only team! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘sunrise' as in Florida as in Panthers as in South Florida as in back-to-back as in the NHL as in the Stanley Cup! The Panthers did it! How have they been so successful? What a franchise. Brad Marchand was brilliant. Sam Reinhart scored 4 goals! Sam Bennett won the Conn Smythe. And Connor McDavid goes home without the Cup again. (16:00) Rafael Devers is ready to play everywhere for the Giants. Can you believe it? (30:00) Review: MobLand. (36:00) The Phillies did something that not many would do, they benched a player during a games played streak. Nick Castellanos was benched. (42:00) NPPOD. Giving you a pick of the Thunder and Pacers game. The big story is will Tyrese Haliburton play? (50:00) The Yankees are broken right now. Can't score runs. Judge is slumping. Yuck! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You can follow Katie across social @katiephang or on YouTube at Katie Phang News! Katie Phang joins the show! We break down ICE raids, protests, Trump, and more! (27:30) Giancarlo Stanton is back for the Yankees, and they need him. The team can't score right now. Five straight games of just poor offense. Four straight losses. (35:00) What's going on with the Commanders? Is the deal done or not? (41:00) Attendance! MLB attendance is up right now! Biggest Father's Day weekend in a long, long time! What about the Club World Cup? Why is the attendance all over the place? Is it the venue choice or a bigger issue? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘alignment' as in Red Sox as in Rafael Devers as in Sam Kennedy as in Craig Breslow. That was the buzz word. What did Boston's front office have to say? The usual! Another big surprise was how David Ortiz took to the media to defend the Red Sox. Never go against the family! (21:40) The Oklahoma City Thunder have finally taken a series lead! Up 3-2 now after Jalen Williams and SGA had themselves a game. Tyrese Haliburton re-injured his calf and was held without a field goal! (30:20) Review Rolling Along. (35:20) Shohei Ohtani has returned for the Dodgers. He pitched 1 inning. That's it. But he had the juice! (42:40) NPPOD. (45:00) Ippei Mizuhara is on his way to prison. The day Ohtani gets his start. LOL. (48:00) Gage Wood threw a no-hitter in the College World Series yesterday! 19 strikeouts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I want to start hour 2 talking about how my weekend went. I went back to camp. (9:45) What happened in Minnesota this weekend was a disgrace. What is wrong with this country? We continue to just not get it. (19:30) What's going on with the Washington Nationals? Falling apart and the manager just blamed the players. That's it. Said it's not on the coaches. Hmm. (34:30) Are the baseballs different in MLB this year? Yes, but no one inside baseball will acknowledge it. Andrew McCutchen will! (47:50) Desmond Bane was traded for a monster return to the Orlando Magic. It is over for Memphis. The Western Conference passed them by. Now the Magic have a real shot to do something in the East. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘fait accompli' as in Rafael Devers as in the Boston Red Sox as in the San Francisco Giants as in traded. How did we get here? Who is to blame for this falling out? Craig Breslow? John Henry? Red Sox fans are furious about this — they think it's Mookie Betts all over again. (16:00) The Florida Panthers are a win away from a repeat! Brad Marchand is playing like a man possessed! Sam Bennett keeps scoring! (23:00) What is going on with the NBA Finals? Everyone seems to be mad about something. There have been excellent games on the court, but the stories have been off the court. (36:00) Review: Holy Cow. (40:00) NPPOD. (42:45) We have two stories about the Dodgers right now. Shohei Ohtani is back to pitching. He'll be on the mound tonight. First time in almost 2 years he'll pitch in an MLB game. The other is about Clayton Kershaw. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is going on in Kansas City? Both of them! The Royals and the Chiefs want stadium money and who is going to pay? (7:00) ICE and Border Patrol is the big thing in our country right now. With the FIFA Club World Cup being here, with the World Cup next year, things are scary for some. Let's discuss this impact on sports, and the country. FIFA is basically giving away tickets to the opening game in Miami. (28:15) The House Settlement has rocked the college world. We knew this would happen. Everyone knew this would happen. And the lawsuits are here. (40:00) I want to spend some time about business and sports and movies, and when you know things are going bad. What if you don't have the power to change those things? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘80.5' as in percentage as in Pacers as in Thunder as in the NBA finals. The Pacers took Game 3 and now have an 80.5% chance to win the series according to past results. Tyrese Haliburton did it again. Another late run by the Pacers and the Thunder couldn't stop it. Now just 2 games away from a title! (10:15) What are the Knicks doing? The Knicks have asked 5 different teams to speak with its head coach and they all said no! What was the plan here? (21:20) Kevin Durant wants out of Phoenix. What? Another trade!? Another team? Oh, what the Suns could have been. (33:30) Review: Groundhog Day. (42:00) The Athletic released its poll about Major League Baseball. Who did the players vote on the worst organizations? It's not surprising! (49:45) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Leave us a voicemail at 631-377-4869 for your question to make it on air! So You Wanna Talk to Samson time! It's the 2nd hour! Our first question is about estate planning and why teams sell for these purposes. Hmm. (10:00) Someone asked me about the MLB Draft. Will it ever be reformed? Why are there separate drafts for international players? Will there ever just be one draft? (19:00) Someone asked me about the biggest fight or argument I ever saw in a clubhouse. This should be good. (26:00) What do you think about Skener Wieners? Huh!? (34:20) Someone asked me about the new deal between MLB and Jomboy Media. How do you feel about it? Should MLB be doing this? (46:00) Someone asked me about the ABS system and the impact it will have on umpires, players, fans, and the league! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘simulated' as in simulated games as in Shohei Ohtani as in pitching as in Dodgers as in rehab assignments as in bullpen sessions. Let's cover everything about injuries and returns to play. We start with the Dodgers and their trio of big name arms: Ohtani, Snell, Glasnow. (17:30) Let's break down the rest of the Dodgers pitchers now, and some other big names in the league. Sean Manaea and Giancarlo Stanton had rehab assignments last night. (33:30) Review: Sinners. (38:00) The Phillies are not doing great right now. Injuries happen. But the bullpen isn't good. The team is struggling. (45:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ken Rosenthal joins us! Let's talk some baseball! A random conversation on the Astros sign-stealing? Sure! Who could be traded this year? Are the Orioles sellers? Is a lockout coming!? (27:30) Private equity has come for college sports. It's happened. Took 2 days after the House Settlement! (36:20) The Club World Cup starts Saturday and we still have drama. How much fun! The MLS players are NOT happy about the pay. (42:10) The Rays and Blue Jays are pushing the Yankees right now. Not the Red Sox, not the orioles. (47:30) Red Sox starter Hunter Dobbins came out and said he'd never play for the Yankees ever. He said he'd retire! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘rattled' as in Oilers as in Stanley Cup as in fighting as in the Florida Panthers. That's right. A Game 3 thrashing by the Panthers and it's now a 2-1 series lead. The Oilers looked like the Panthers just got to their heads and they couldn't do anything but fight and commit penalty after penalty. The Panthers are deep, scoring from most shifts. The Oilers rely so much on McDavid and Draisaitl that when they dont produce, they lose. (14:30) The Red Sox called up top prospect Roman Anthony yesterday and he debuted vs the Rays. Not a great game, but that's not the story. (33:00) Review: Better Sister. (36:30) What is happening with Giannis? Is he staying? Will he request a trade? What will happen!? (44:40) The Pacers are already focused on the offseason. Well, the front office is. What will happen with Myles Turner? (50:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Something major happened in the NCAA this past Friday, the house settlement. Schools can now directly pay college athletes. MAJOR! Let's talk about what will happen next. Tanking. Lawsuits. Drama. Transfers. You name it. (18:00) Craig Kimbrel was DFA'd by after one game. Woof. Why did the Braves do this? (28:30) The Rays stadium may be fixed. More and more money being spent to fix The Trop. How fun. (34:30) Michael Jordan is in some trouble. This time in NASCAR. Let's talk about why he's in trouble and what could happen. (41:00) NBA expansion. Is it happening or not? Is Seattle and Vegas getting a team or not? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘answer' as in response as in Thunder as in NBA Finals as in Pacers as in SGA. Oklahoma City rolled in Game 2 like everyone thought they would. Heartbreak in Game 1, but this team knows how to respond. How about the NBA putting the logo on the court digitally? Were you a fan of that? (11:00) Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played one of the best tennis matches you'll ever see in the French Open final. Amazing tennis. What a comeback. Couldn't believe my eyes. On the opposite side we have Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka. Gauff won her second Grand Slam. Sabalenka won the first set and then was outplayed. After the match… sore loser times a million. (30:00) Review: Pee Wee as Himself (34:10) Corbin Burnes is done for the season. Another pitcher needing Tommy John. Here we go again. (44:00) I have never seen what happened to Ryan Weathers happen before. Drilled in the head by a throw to 2nd in a warmup. And he stayed in the game after being flat on the field. What? Are the Marlins serious? (49:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The day has finally come. Matthew Coca, my producer, is joining the show for a whole hour! We discuss the NBA Finals. We discuss service-time manipulation. We discuss making stars. We discuss Elon v. Trump! We discuss it all! You can follow him on TWITTER @matthewcoca I am Matthew Coca writing this whole thing hehehehe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘precisely' as in the Pacers as in Tyrese Haliburton as in the Thunder as in SGA as in NBA Finals. The Pacers did it again. Another comeback win late. How are they doing this? It looked like the Thunder were going to win by 50! And then Tyrese Haliburton hit a game-winner. The Thunder just crumbled in the final 2 minutes. (10:40) The White Sox are for sale, but not really. Jerry Reinsdorf is ready to hand the team over to an Ishbia. Not the Suns owner, but his brother Justin! No later than 2034! (26:30) Review: Mountainhead. (35:00) Aaron Rodgers has joined the Steelers. How fun. The Steelers are suckers. (43:00) NPPOD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Silver talked about the NBA All-Star Game and guess what? The format has changed again! The game will be on NBC and next season the network has the Winter Olympics! (5:00) Our Thursday guest this week is Pablo Torre and he has joined the show! (27:00) FIFA is slashing prices for the Club World Cup already. Who could have seen this coming? Not even Messi could pull this many fans. Is it the stadium size? (38:00) The Chicago Fire have lapped the Bears and the White Sox for a new stadium! What!? How did this happen!? (46:00) The French Open is going on! Are you watching? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's word of the day is ‘McOverrated' as in Connor McDavid as in the Edmonton Oilers as in NOT overrated. The Panthers jumped out to a 3-1 lead and blew it! Leon Draisaitl had the game-winner, McDavid had two assists. And Edmonton has the 1-0 series lead. Who doesn't love playoff overtime? We will also break down taxes! Who doesn't love taxes!? (16:00) Rob Manfred met the media yesterday. He had a whole lot to say about some major things. ABS is coming to baseball. Robot umps? Kind of! Automated Ball-Strike System is here in 2026. (22:00) Rob Manfred also spoke on the TV contracts. Where is the next media deal? Could be coming this July. He also had to comment on Pete Rose, Donald Trump, and the impact of the tariffs. (33:05) Review: 500 Days of Summer. (38:00) What is going on with the MLB salary cap? Is it happening? Will it happen? Should it happen? (44:00) NBA Finals are here! Are you excited? (51:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices