Today’s word of the day is ’commencement’ as in MLB as in Tokyo as in Dodgers as in Cubs as in regular season! Opening Day is tomorrow. The season starts. The Road to October is here. (8:11) The Vedder Cup is here! What in the world? Well, it’s a new series cup for the Mariners and Padres rivalry game! Will the fans care? The players? The teams? (18:55) March Madness is here. Drama is here. Conspiracy is here. North Carolina makes the tournament as its AD is the head of the committee. Wow. (34:20) Review: Adolescence. (39:45) What is the latest on the Tampa Bay Rays? Is there a new deal on the horizon? (47:30) The Bengals signed their WR duo to record deals. Will they be the Eagles or will they be the Dolphins? (51:00) NPPOD

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Today’s word of the day is ’check’ as in not check mate yet as in the Rays as in St. Pete as in Tampa as in new stadium. Here we are again. The Rays have announced they are not moving forward with a new stadium in St. Pete right no. Nice. So now what? Is this just more negotiating? Is this the team trying to get to Tampa? Is a sale coming? (19:20) We have more owner fights about to start. This time it’s Rockies owner Dick Monfort publicly calling for salary caps. And the Reds owner is in on it too. (25:30) The Marlins want to hire you. Seriously. You can go play for the team! (34:25) Review: Babygirl. (36:40) Should Cooper Flagg sit out the tournament? (41:00) Marquette head coach Shaka Smart says he will not negotiate deals with agents of players. They get paid what they get paid, and that’s it. (46:25) UNLV cannot pay its head coach Dan Mullen. What? (52:04) NPPOD.

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Today’s word of the day is ’velocity’ as in fastball as in baseball as in Jacob deGrom as in Tommy John. The Texas Rangers have a major deGrom problem. They paid him to pitch and he doesn’t pitch. How can they keep him healthy? (13:00) Bobby Witt Jr. had an injury scare yesterday. Got hit by a pitch and went down. How does it feel to be in the front office watching this happen? (18:00) Josh Allen spoke after getting his big deal. He said he took less money so the team could sign some more players. Good for him. (26:20) The Jets have officially released Aaron Rodgers. What’s he going to do? (32:30) Review: Jerry Maguire. (38:00) NPPOD. (42:30) The Utah Jazz were fined for not making players available for national games. The tank is on. Fail for Flagg! (45:10) Apple and MLS was never a good deal. MLS needs more viewers. It needs more reach. Is it time to call this broadcast deal a failure?

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Today’s word of the day is ’icon’ as in Shohei Ohtani as in Dodgers as in MLB as in Fortnite as in Demon Slayer. What!? Ohtani is ready to takeover Japan again. But this feels so much bigger. Let’s discuss this series for MLB and the activation of promotion that MLB has done there. (13:20) Vladdy Jr wants $500 million. No deferrals. That was his last offer to the Blue Jays. (23:15) Brian Cashman said exactly what we said! The Yankees will not spend right now on a new starter. Not going to happen. (28:50) Review: The Search for Instagram’s Worst Con Artist. (34:24) The great Junior Bridgeman died yesterday. What a legacy he leaves behind. (36:30) So You Wanna Talk to Samson!? Someone asked me about the new MLB Overlap hats from New Era. Who approved them!? (43:33) NBA to NIL is the new way. Steph Curry and Davidson. James Harden and Arizona State. Russell Westbrook and UCLA? (51:30) NPPOD.

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Today’s word of the day is ’mileage’ as in Gerrit Cole as in Aaron Boone as in the Yankees as in Tommy John. That’s it. Cole’s season is done before the end of March. What a disaster for the Yankees and for Cole. (11:07) The Seattle Mariners are already down a starter. George Kirby is shutdown because of shoulder inflammation. Uh oh. The team says not to be worried, but Mariners fans still are. (24:00) The Dodgers just gave Dave Roberts a huge new deal. Another record-setting contract. Good for him. (33:15) Review: The Girl with the Needle. (35:30) The NFL QB carousel is spinning and spinning and spinning. Seahawks traded one away and signed one. Jets got one. Steelers need one. Giants need one. Vikings need one. (47:01) Former MVP Mo Vaughn admitted to HGH use. He was in the 2007 Mitchell Report, but now he’s on record. (51:20) NPPOD. 

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Today’s word of the day is ’change of heart’ as in Myles Garrett as in the Browns as in Cleveland as in the NFL. Garrett is staying in Cleveland. Wanted out. Browns said no. Browns paid him record-setting money. What happened to winning? (13:30) Josh Allen is the new highest paid player in NFL history. $250 million guaranteed. Sorry, Watson. (18:45) Gerrit Cole could be done for the season. This is a nightmare for the Yankees. (28:50) The Mets will be without catcher Francisco Alvarez for 8 weeks. Here we ago again! (33:45) Review: Goodrich. (36:10) It’s Rays update time. This is a big one. (47:00) The Sacramento Athletics of Las Vegas has a huge announcement. Was it a move? Was it the new stadium? Was it a sale? Nope. It was a new patch. (50:34) NPPOD.

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Today’s word of the day is ’working’ as in going to work as in Vladdy Jr. as in the Blue Jays as in Juan Soto. What are we talking about? Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said he asked for 14 years but fewer than $600 million. He said he didn’t want Juan Soto money, but he did want the years! Is he going to get close to that? (9:45) The Yankees are falling apart before the season begins. Luis Gil is out. DJ LaMeheiu is out. Giancarlo Stanton is out. (14:50) What is the latest on Shohei Ohtani? Did he have a setback? Is he going to pitch this year? (20:20) So You Wanna Talk to Samson!? Someone asked me if I ever put a player on an innings limit because I knew he’d be traded later in the season… wow. (31:48) Review: All We Imagine as Light. (34:15) Athletics are back in the news. A new team president. New renderings. A new extension to a young player. So much positivity… but where is the stadium? (46:50) NPPOD. (49:20) Mark Cuban shared his thoughts on the Luka Doncic trade. Oh boy. 

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Today’s word of the day is ’truth’ as in Justin Turner as in Seattle Mariners as in MLB as in owners as in spending. Turner was on the Mariners last season. And he has some things to say about the Mariners offseason spending… or lack of it. (11:35) I have an update or correction on the MASN deal between the Orioles and Nationals. (17:11) WBD prez David Zaslav says the company never needed the NBA. He said they have NASCAR and CFP games and soccer games and more! (32:40) Review: La La Land. (37:00) Saquon Barkley record-setting contract. Maxx Crosby record-setting contract. NFL players are getting paid big money. Markets are getting reset. What does it all mean? (46:05) NPPOD. (47:40) Sportswashing is over. It worked. The Saudis have done it. TKO announced a deal with the Saudis to create a boxing league. Dana White will be the face of it. Congrats.

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Today’s word of the day is ’grasping’ as in ESPN as in MLB as in TV rights as in leaks. What is going on? MLB will have to find a new network for its broadcasts with ESPN opting out. Is ESPN going to find a way to still get games? Did MLB leak the reported offer that ESPN gave them that was a slap in the face? (13:03) It’s time to talk about the Athletics again. Now the team will begin to take deposits for season tickets in Vegas. How fun! Well, where is the stadium? (22:45) So You Wanna Talk to Samson!? Someone asked me why teams still get public financing. (34:20) Review: Paradise. (37:50) NPPOD (40:10) The Dallas Mavericks are down bad. No Luka. Everyone hates Nico. Anthony Davis hurt. Increased ticket prices. And now Kyrie Irving is out for the season. (48:00) UNC and Belichick are no longer doing Hard Knocks. Why? The NFL is mad. And his girlfriend is reportedly too involved. Hmm.

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Today’s word of the day is ’50,000’ as in points as in basketball as in LeBron James as in Lakers as in Cavaliers as in Heat. That’s right, LeBron James is about to have 50,000 career points. No one else is close. He is 40. Unreal. (11:40) Another PR nightmare for the Mavericks. Here we go again. This time its ticket price increases! (21:02) NPPOD. (22:25) MSG Network is in some trouble. Bankruptcy could be on the horizon. Why is this happening and what could it mean? (34:30) Review: The Gorge. (38:00) The MASN fight is over! Orioles and Nationals have reached a settlement. Never thought the day would come! (45:30) The Houston Dynamo did something so pathetic it hurts. It offered fans a complimentary ticket because Messi didn’t play. What?

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