IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT WITH GRANT NAPEAR

Former Voice of the UConn Huskies basketball  teams, yes both men's and women's,  ESPN radio host and so much more, Joe D'Ambrosio joins the podcast. How many sportscasters can claim to have called both winning teams in one year for both men's and women's basketball? I think none.  Not to mention an incredible career that spans collegiate sports, professional baseball and football and stories from years of experience with some of the greatest players and coaches of all time.  And yes, Joe share some of those stories with us today.  Some surprises on his favorites from his UConn days, his praise for the dynasty Geno Auriemma has built with women's basketball and a little bit of sports talk on our favorite teams and memories.  A legendary voice in a region of the country that claims several city's teams as their own,  we laugh and compare notes on players we loved and plays they made.  You're going to enjoy the passion and enthusiasm Joe brings to the discussion today.  

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Kevin Durant. Here we go again. ESPN announcer Jay Williams shares an episode he had with KD a while back and KD unloads on him. Hard. On social media.  In a comparison to Giannis Antetokounmpo that wasn't unflattering, KD goes off saying to never compare him to Giannis again.  Along with a few expletives of course.  When is Kevin going to grow up and let this stuff stop getting under is skin?  He's a superstar just making himself look like a child doing petty, immature things.  I say it needs to stop.  What are your thoughts? 

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Really now.  What has happened to Aaron Rodgers?  Great QB, Green Bay hero, solid legacy and certain hall of famer.  But judge and jury?  C'mon.  He's already about to burn $600K in fines and that's OK?  It's a bad look for a good guy.  What could possibly be going on and if you don't like it that much, buy your own team and do it your way but last I looked, the checks were signed by somebody other than Aaron.  Stop the nonsense, honor your contract and do the right thing.  If you have an opinion on it, let me know.  I'd love to hear what the rest of you think.  In my opinion, Aaron is way outta line here.  

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First it was James Harden acting like a child in his process to get out of the Houston Rockets.  Immature and unprofessional.  Now his team is in the playoffs and he's sidelined with a hamstring pull.  May not be able to play in the playoffs likley hurting the Brooklyn Nets chances of advancing to the next round. Karma is a bitch James.  
Then it was Lebron James mouthing off about the play-in program and how stupid it was, not to mention all the hypocritical comments about so many other issues in the news.  Well, first round elimination has to be the payback for both Lebron and his team, the Los Angeles Lakers.  Yes, Karma is a bitch Lebron.
And how about Luka Doncic?  He and his owner and his head coach all had a lot to say about the stupid play-in series.  There you go Luka, Mark and Rick. Karma is a bitch.
And I have to add the asterisk to the mouth of Rick Carlisle on his comments about Atlanta changing out their talented young coach for Nate McMillan.  Rick, your team blew a 2-0 lead in the first round and is now watching the rest of the playoffs from home.  As a matter of fact Rick, those "insane" Atlanta Hawks with the "insane" front office and "insane" management you were so inappropriately critical of, have now advanced into the second round and have already won their first game.  Now how about that?  They actually did something that wasn't insane by expecting a different outcome from doing something different vs doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome.  Good for them.  Bad for you, Rick.  Karma is a bitch.

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35 year Sportscaster veteran, Kevin Calabro, has really seen it all.  From minor leagues to major, Olympics and two stints with fierce rivals, he went from the voice of the Seattle Supersonics to the Portland Trailblazers TV announcer after an 8 year hiatus once the Sonics left Seattle for Oklahoma.  Yes, he'll tell his understanding of that story as well as a the bumpy reception in Portland.  His career started as many sportscasters of his era with a love of radio, the legendary sportscasters of the day and a love of sports.  He may be one of the most recognized voices of the NBA, a committed family man, and a gentleman who knows how fortunate he has been to have built the relationships he has with the players, managers and fellow broadcasters he has had the good fortune to have been associated with.  A highlight of the conversation you'll want to hear is his five year plan for the NBA to return to Seattle.  I have to say, this was one of my favorite interviews for the podcast.  You'll hear why when you pull up a chair and join us for the conversation. 

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What's all this noise about unruly fans at stadiums?  Really? We have a couple of incidents in the last two weeks, two that have made the press, and you would think the players are being assaulted at every game.  Two incidents that have been dealt with as they should have been dealt with.  If you're going to serve alcohol, you're going to have drunks do stupid things.  Period, end of story.  So, here's what I suggest NBA, for the players safety, eliminate alcohol at the arenas and the players will be safe as babies in a crib.  But what?  You can't do that can you?  So let's just tell the players to lighten up.  Enough already. This is nothing unusual or extreme and let's have all the fans watch out for those few jerks that have an inability to control themselves., then report them.  And yes, I do have more to say about in today's rant so listen up.  

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My guest today is Scott Howard-Cooper author of the book, Steve Kerr.  This is an incredible discussion about Steve's life and how Scott was able to capture the information he needed to capture to  produce a book.  There's much more that many don't know about Steve beyond basketball and it's not that his basketball career was all that shabby to begin with.  He played for nine seasons on the championship Chicago Bulls teams with Michael Jordan. He's passionate about gun violence and for good reason.  Scott has done an incredible job of researching  a great deal about Steve and I think you'll be surprised to not only hear what Scott found in his efforts to learn what he could about Steve, but additional tidbits that make the man who he is today.  It's a fascinating discussion I know you'll enjoy, basketball fan or not.  

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So if you're De'Aaron Fox, and many of the younger rookies are in the playoffs, how long before you say get me outta here, Monte?  Think about it.  Players all over the place are demanding trades and getting their wishes.  Somebody brought this to my attention recently as it wasn't even on my mind.  But, reality is the Kings have been terrible.  They've had change after change to no positive effect, have made what I and many others would consider awful trades and it all shows in year after year of  losing seasons.  You can't argue that. For a player like De'Aaron, where's the bright spot?  In my opinion, the Kings have one more year to get it together or I would suggest, De'Aaron pushes hard to get out.  Let me know how you feel about it.  I think Kings fans do have something to worry about because I'm certainly not sure about what next year is going to look like.  Bottom line is it had better look good.

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That's right.  It's insane the way the Hawks have been playing since Nate McMillan took over as head coach.  It's also insane that the Sacramento Kings let Bogdan Bogdanovic go to Atlanta.  And these playoffs are playing out to where it looks like Rick Carlisle, Dalllas Mavericks Head Coach, the man responsible for the comments on the insanity of the Atlanta front office for such a choice in changing out their head coach and hiring Bogdan, will also be advancing to the second round.  Now wouldn't that be something to see these two teams meet in the finals?  Hmmm.  That would truly be insane!  

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So Marcell Ozuna has a problem and it's not his fingers that are creating an issue.  Although Chip Caray appears to intend for you to believe that's the case. (Yes, that's Chip Caray, grandson of Harry, son of Skip.)  No Chip, Marcell is likely not in "Injury Limbo" as you call it.  Marcell was arrested for aggravated assault strangulation of his wife.  His wife may be in injury limbo but not Marcell. He's got bigger issues than just his injured fingers.  Yet, you chose to minimize the severity of the charges he's facing and the real reason he's not going to be on the field any time soon.   These are serious allegations that were masked by your comments and need to be dealt with as critically in the broadcast booth as they would anywhere else.   And I would bet your relatives would agree as well.  

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