We'll be right back to you. Bad morning, Joe Sportsnet 5.9 in the fan bed and a spring going. Blue Jays Red Sox continuing what will eventually be kind of a five game series. Red Sox getting back in the win column yesterday. Blue Jays dropping four games under 500. They had a little bit of an uneven rough start for our guy, Uriel Rodriguez. They let him kind of grind his way through five innings, but six earned runs and give it up three in the first inning kind of put the Blue Jays behind the eight ball either way. Vladimir Guru Jr. continues to do stupid things like just like insanely ridiculous. No, but like in a good way, not getting picked off second base 10 to play. Yeah, that was also insanely stupid. Yeah, I actually think those were the exact words you used when you went into a fugue state screaming about it the morning after rightfully so. Yeah, that was rough. Anyways, no, but good. Like in a good way. Yeah, now it's good. The old buddy, the elf, but in a good way. Yeah, because now he's got the exit velocity, but also the home runs and the OBS and the OBS plus is all happening and playing third base and like I said, the question will never be the arm with Vlad at third base. It's actually pretty enjoyable to watch him chuck it across the diamond on like a routine play, especially when you're when you're coming off like the tenure of Matt Chapman, right? Like how many conversations we're going to talk to showman in a minute here. And I actually remember him breaking this exact thing down of what do you like about Chapman more, the glove or the arm? Because they both were, you know, like 60 on the scale there. Like it was ridiculous what he could give you. And I think that's the biggest reason why is it's like, oh, this harkens back to the olden days. And you know, it's like very different at the dish. Vlad and Matt Chapman, but over there specifically the arm. Yeah, he's got a cannon, man. Yeah, Addison Barger does as well. I don't think he's the same defender as either of those guys though either. But anyways, so Vlad is going to be the topic of much discussion this offseason because he is one more year of team control in which he may go to arbitration again, but he went to arbitration last year. He's going to get his whatever 30 ish million for one more year. And then beyond that, who knows? He's a free agent at the end of the 2025 season. Whether you think he's the third best, fourth best, fifth best player in major league baseball, like he's in that range, right? Like he's like, and whether Austin Matthews is the second best, third best, fourth best player. He's also like same range. Also, I mean there, Vlad, he wasn't drafted because he's not draft eligible but signed like developed by the organization as close to drafted as you can get. Yeah, I mean, he was part of the Blue Jays when he was 17. So actually more ingrained in the Blue Jays than Austin Matthews was as a first overall selection. And if I could tell him I could talk radio caller for just one second. He's born here. Yes. And he was born in Montreal as Canadian, owns, I suppose, a Canadian passport. He certainly has Canadian citizens. Yep. Quickly, did you see somebody get him a leaf stat last night? Yeah. Yeah, I saw that. I'm surprised you didn't bring that up earlier. We've been doing the show for two hours. Maybe smile. I thought about it and then there's no like topic. It just like it made me happy personally. I mean, we just did, you know, 20 minutes on vibes, guys. It's true. And the bad vibes, guys. Well, because, yeah, you were like, right, again, like, God, Twilight Zone here, you're the one being like, let's focus on the negative and I'm not complaining about something. Yeah. Good vibes. Great vibes. Yeah. Traded assigned baseball, I think for a Leafs hat, which was like nothing special, but that. Yeah, it was cool. Yeah. That's great. A lot of Canadians there. Anyways, he's amazing and has been amazing. And I think now, like, we're in a spot where, okay. 2021, we can stop having the discussion about that being in a weirdo environment and minorly ballparks because he's got no protection. And the offensive environment in baseball in 2024 is it's, we're in the dead ball era and he's still doing these things. It's insane. But like I said, he's going into an off season where he can, listen, he can negotiate an extension, whatever he wants, right? This isn't, this is not a game. It's not a game. It's a game. It's a game. It's a game. It's a game. It's a game that I collect a bargaining agreement that forces you into a box. He could have done this whatever. But it's obviously, if it gets into the regular season next year, it's very difficult to imagine him. Concerning. Signing an extension before reaching free agency when he's that close. Now, this off season, it can happen. Rafael Devers did it, right? And that's the comp everybody's making. It feels very stressful, though. It feels like the clock is ticking and it feels like a game. It changes on what happens this off season. It didn't feel that way with Austin Matthews. There's a couple of different reasons why. But like, am I on to something here that there is a different feeling because two players that are very similar drafted, quote unquote, and developed by organizations who have turned into top five players in the sport. And if they play their entire career with those franchises, they're going to be in the level of excellence or have their number of retirements. They're going to be in the level of excellence or have their number retired at Scotia Bank Arena. And it just feels like a difference. There's a different feeling surrounding the contract negotiations between the two players. Just a quick point of clarification. We don't get to say that the Leafs drafted and developed Austin Matthews because he scored four goals in his first game. So he was just drafted and then he showed up. Thank you Switzerland for developing him. The Zurich Lions, who knew that's the true breeding ground for greatness, but the Leafs do not Crawford. You did it. He would have sucked without you. Yeah, for sure. That was it. But yeah, it's like no development happened. It did happen along the way. Who was the head coach of the Young Guns team at the World Cup of hockey? Could have been the Leafs coach this year, Tom McClellan. Oh, was it? Okay. Thanks, Todd. Yeah, he did a great job. God. And how big of a sickle am I that I just had? Right. Right off the top. Okay. But no, I don't think you're off base. I also think I think this is a little bit. These two guys in particular are a bit of a Rorschach test for just how you view the stress of things or it's a weather vame for where you're at because I with Matthews agree. It felt stressful until there was penned a paper, but I was as confident as you could be without seeing a contract that there would be a contract there. And quite honestly, I do feel a similar way about Vlad, but the difference is because and I think the biggest difference is the lack of a box. The baseball put you in. There has been nothing but this guy wants to be a lifelong Jay. The team would love to build around him for 20 plus years from the time he was again 17 years old. That's basically been the tenor from both sides seemingly. So I think that's the difference. Why is okay? We're getting awfully close to the finish line and you've had years. You could have been talking about this thing. I think that's why it feels so different than the Matthews thing. More or less. I mean, I know it was months, but more or less happened as soon as it could happen. Yeah. The Vlad thing could have happened at any point in time here. And I think that's actually the biggest reason why it feels so different is because they've had multiple opportunities to do this and happen. Yeah. The range of outcomes is way wider for Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., the amount of years, the number of dollars as opposed to Austin Matthews, where it's a cap sport. And like I said, like he literally couldn't sign an extension until last off season. So yeah, there was no build. I mean, there was a build up, but it wasn't like, oh, well, they haven't come to a middle ground on this yet. What's going on? The other one I was thinking about, and it's funny. And again, it's like, that's why I think these guys are, again, like a weather vane, Rorschach test, whatever term you want to use for how you view these things. I wasn't so much thinking about Matthews as much as I was thinking with Marner. The Marner situation seems so contentious. Whereas the Vlad one, I think people are uneasy. They're going, okay, like, could we see a number? Could there be a report of something close? People would like that. But I think even the people who are the biggest worry warts in the world about that aren't thinking there's no chance it gets done. Whereas the Marner one, it just seems so contentious and there's so much anguish on all sides involved. And I say all sides because I'm including the fan base of that side. Whereas with Vlad, if we're doing the Matthews comparison, it's one thing. But to Marner, it's also night and day as well. Yeah, no, for sure. And you know what part of that is that the Leafs aren't to the NHL what the Blue Jays are to baseball, right? Like the Leafs are the Leafs. And it's like if things go well and Mitch Marner performs and they want to bring him back, you could see a world where all offenses are mended and that's fine. But yeah, as much as Vladimir Guerrero Jr is a Canadian and this is the only franchise he's ever known and has said nothing but I want to be here, be here, be here. Once you get to the finish line and you see, and I know he's also been vocal in saying that he'll never play for the New York Yankees. He would be in the bidding for his services at the conclusion of the year. Yeah, it's a little different feeling than rejoining the most important franchise in the sport which I don't think anybody's going to confuse the Blue Jays for. All right, Blue Jays continuing their series at Fenway Park where they've played like two and eight-ninths games so far. Talk to Dan Schulman. How's it going, Dan? I'm doing well. How are you guys doing this morning? Doing all right. We were just having a Vlad conversation. And I know this is, I mean, it's happened a lot over his career but I was also talking earlier in the show. It just feels like recently he's had a couple of those doubles, Dan, where like, either it's a ground ball or the ball is like barely lined over the infielder's head and it gets all the way to the wall. It's stupid because he's also thrown in the home run power but when he does that, it is mind bending. And Brent had a great point that we can view that. We can fully absorb that and be happy about it now that the home run power is there and it's not just, oh, this guy hits the ball hard but it's on the ground. It's been unbelievable what he's done recently. Yeah, a hundred percent. And I've used the term exit velocity fatigue a couple of times on the hair because I know that people kind of roll or roll to their eyes at it but now that their line drives or fly balls more often and ground balls less often. I mean, he's just squaring up the baseball more. I didn't get it on the air last night but I had it ready. I looked during the day. If you don't believe in exit velocity, let me present to you this. And I'm not talking about you guys, obviously. But the top five players in terms of percentage of hard hit balls, which is 95 miles an hour or harder, the top five players and the bottom four players are judging Otani, Soto, Lattie, Gunnar Henderson. Hit the ball hard. He is good. Hit the ball hard helps. And now he's hitting screaming line drives and impressive home runs trying to stretch the single into a double. Not so good last night in the first inning. But what he's doing with the bat right now is incredible. And I don't know what's going on inside the walls of the organization but outside the walls. And I think it's going to be the sign him chance are just going to get louder and louder and louder and louder. And it feels to me like something they should do and they need to do in order to build around them in order to excite the fans in order to entice free agents in order to prevent the Yankees and Red Sox or Yankees or Red Sox from signing him in a year. And with guests like if it's not done by spring training, it's not going to get done. And so I think it's going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to make sure we get an email saying press conference tomorrow. I don't know if it's going to happen. But I hope it happens. Yeah, I think I think I actually think you'd be hard pressed to find anybody that follows or cares about the team in one way or another that can make the case otherwise. There's none of these questions that have been lingering because again, like we've seen the successful stretches from Vlad in the past outside of 2021. They haven't been this long since then. But when you come with the pedigree, he does. It allows you to believe it so much. There's been a lot of discourse about him going to third. One of the one of Vlad's best abilities is that he's there every single day more or less. Do you worry at all about if they ask him to play third more? It's a more taxing position. I don't know how much more taxing it is, but I think it definitely asks a little bit more of you than first base. Do you worry at all about the third base? I don't know. I don't know. The fitness questions we had early on, but it's just there's no world where he's not the most important bat on the Blue Jays. You have to be cognizant of keeping that in the lineup as much as you can. How do you weigh that with the importance of him potentially helping your team a lot at third base? Yeah. I mean, I think first of all he's clearly taking better care of himself. You can see it. You can see it. I'm sure you can see it on TV. I can see it when I tell him when I stand beside him. I mean, he's in great shape. He looks really good. this conversation, what's available on the market, like if the best available guy who's willing to sign with them or they can trade for is a first baseman, he might go to third. My first choice would be to leave him at first, I think. And I haven't done a deep dive on available free agents who are third baseman. I know Alex Breggman is. I don't know exactly who else is. But you know, if Alex Breggman doesn't want to come here, but Christian Walker does, maybe they move to third base. The other thing too, that I think would help them is I don't believe under any circumstances they should get a guy who can't really play a position and is kind of a full time DH. I think that would be a mistake because wherever Vlad is, you know, if you want to give him 20 or 30 games at DH and you want to give Springer 20 or 30 games at DH and whoever you're bringing in, if this big fumber of a bat that everybody, you know, hopes they go get if that guy needs to DH a little bit, et cetera, et cetera. So I think if they keep that DH position more open, more flexible, that can help as well. So even if Vlad is playing a lot of third base, if he knows once or twice a week, you go DH, that helps too. So I prefer to see him at first. But if the tipping point is the best available guy is the third baseman and if Vlad is on board, and I believe Vlad is on board, like I think he loves it, I really do. And not for nothing, it probably increases his value, his monetary value, potentially heading into free agency, if that happens, if he can play some third base too. So I think I don't think it's likely, but I think it's, you know, better than a zero percent possibility that he's playing a lot of third base next year. But I all things, all things being equal, I'd love to see him stay at first on a heavy basis on a on a frequent basis. I mean, he's, he's, he's got the ability to be really good there. And I think they'd be best there, but it all depends on who they can get in the office. Yeah. I mean, you mentioned Christian Walker, the question I was going to ask is like, where is the bar for the type of player that plays first base that you would move Vlad over to third on a more permanent basis? Of course. Yeah, you're not, you're going to have the open DH slot. Yeah, to me, yeah, Christian Walker is, is obviously good enough and hits for enough power and gets on base enough that he would be a guy that I'd be willing to do it. Like Reese Hoskins. Ooh, I don't know. Where's the bar? Is that, is he's, he was a guy the Blue Jays were interested in. And like, he's potentially available. I believe he is an opt out. I mean, is I listen, I'm not going to put you on the spot. I don't know if you have baseball reference page open, but does he feel like a guy good enough that if you can get Reese Hoskins, Vlad would play more third base in 2025? I don't think so. I don't have baseball reference open. I usually do actually, but I don't today. So I don't think so. Like, I think it's got to be a clear wow. This is the wow guy. You know, on the other side of the diamond, Willie Adonis is a pre-agent if I'm not mistaken, right? And that's a, that's, that's pretty good player too. So listen, we're, we're several steps away from this, obviously. And I think Bobishette's future plays into this as well, right? So, and Bobishette's going to come back and play the next, maybe in two weeks or something like that and play the end of the season. And hopefully his bat gets going and it's a big, giant jigsaw puzzle. And, but the biggest domino is, in my mind, it will, anyways, not, not talking about signing guys, although I think that's a very, very important piece of the puzzle is for them to really make an effort to go up to Vlad this winter. But the, to me, it's got to start with, they, and, and Buck used the phrase for partner. Vlad needs a power partner. And it's a perfect way to say it. That, to me, that's the first piece of the puzzle. Then you figure out because they've got all these guys with versatility who plays where and they've got, they've got some really nice young pieces, but I don't know that they've got stars there. They're complementary pieces. They, they've got to augment the top of the roster with a, with a guy who can really swim to bat and hit near the top of the order and whether it's hitting ahead of Vlad or behind Vlad, whatever the case might be. I think it starts with Aaron and it trickles down. I think Christian Walker, if he's the guy, I think that's a big enough piece to seriously consider it, but I would take a long hard look at who can play third base two in the hopes of being able to leave Vlad at first. Yeah, I think you, I echo your sentiments there. I think in a perfect world that he's happy and again, not that he wouldn't be happy at third, but it's like he's finally found a home. We did this yo-yoing so much early on in his career. He's hit and just leave him in that spot. But again, it's not to say you couldn't, couldn't pivot, but I do agree with you. I think in a kind of perfect world, I would, I would just leave him at, at first there. Somebody who there have been debates about position in the past, not so much this year because he hasn't been quite frankly a part of the team because injuries, you mentioned him there is, is Boba Shet. You know, how much of what the Blue Jays, and I guess the rest of Major League Baseball see from Boba Shet, how much is that going to impact what this offseason looks like for the Blue Jays and him? I mean, we understand the way track record works in baseball. We understand small sample size as well. If he comes out and looks like the Boba Shet of old for a month, how much does that kind of reset the conversation the team would be having with other teams about him this winter? Well, I think it reset the conversation in terms of how everybody would feel about him, both in Toronto and in other organizations. So if he comes out and swings the bat great for three weeks, I think people say, okay, he's still Boba Shet. I have no idea what their level of interest is in taking phone calls on him. I don't know. You know, there have been all kinds of, you guys have read them, but seeing them too, you know, is the relationship good, et cetera, et cetera. I don't know. I am not the kind to go up to a player or a general manager or anybody and say, hey, is the relationship fractured? That's not my thing. So when he is, like until this year, he was one of the best offensive short stops in baseball, like that's the floor, one of the best offensive short stops in baseball. I don't see any reason to assume why it's not still in there. In terms of what their thinking clock process is going into the winter, I don't know. It wouldn't, like, I don't think Vlad's getting traded under any set of circumstances, even if they make them a contract offer and that it doesn't work out, I don't think they're trading him under any set of circumstances this winter. I think it's possible Boba gets traded. I don't know if it's likely, but if I wake up one morning and see Boba Shet's been traded, that wouldn't stun me. Again, it's what would you get? I don't know if they're actively looking to do this, but if another general manager calls Ross Atkinson says, I'd like to talk to you about Bob. Ross Atkins isn't hanging up the phone. He's listening to what the guy has to say. I think it depends on what you get when you're trying or if you're considering trading a guy who's got one year before free agency. You're not going to get a superstar back. You've got four years left until free agency. It just doesn't work that way as you guys know. You're going to get, if you're going to get an equally good player, that player's probably only got one year left until free agency or you're taking a bit of a lesser package because they're younger and they have more control and that sort of thing. It's all interrelated. It really is, like, you know, maybe wouldn't, does Vlad move, might have to do with what could they get in the trade for this guy or that guy or the other guy. So, but I think it's beneficial to everybody, Bishette and the team, if he comes back and swings the bat very well for the last two or three weeks, all over the longest back at the end of the season. But this is a, to say this is a monumentally important winter. I think, I don't think it's hyperbole for this team given where those two guys are with free agency moving a year away and given the apparent, you know, decision by the, by the front office to try to contend next year, like what they do this winter is going to be tremendously important, not only for next year, but I think for several years to come after that. Yeah. And apparently Mark Shapiro only has one more year on his deal. I don't know. Did you see yesterday the White Sox and Rangers were suspended after four pitches? I knew they were suspended. I didn't see it was after four pitches. Like, so now we're getting into silly town. And it was weird. I don't know if you guys watched the day came Monday or June 26 or whatever saying it happened. But it was a little bit silly. And I think we kind of said, oh, I hear the rules. Some of it's some of it's fun. Some of it's silly. I understand the, the, the reason for the rule. It was a COVID thing. And I understand whether, you know, why wipe out something that's already happened. Okay. It gets a little bit silly when the, the next opportunity to do it is not for two months. I think if you can, if you can pick up the game in the same series, do a suspended game. If you can't wipe it out. And the, the silliest of the silly is that this game now is, is, I don't even know what tends to use here, future past or present. But is that this game took place June 26. So I hadn't enjoyed it. But it didn't. Like, if it's a suspended game, by definition, more than half of it took place in the second part, if you know what I mean. So like I have to say, George Springer's got four home runs and six games instead of five home runs, seven silly. I have to say they've won five in a row and set a six and row silly. It does. Like if there's something really obvious I'm missing here about that, I've looked at the, you know, I'm happy to learn. But the silliest part of the silly is that it reverts to June 26, so that Joey Loper Fido played for the afters and the Blue Jays on the same day. Just doesn't make any sense. No, no, it doesn't. It, that's the part that's infuriated. I actually don't mind like picking it up later in the season. But yeah, just put it in that part of the schedule. Like when I look at the game log, just have it be there instead of earlier and like guys making their debuts months before. That's the one you hit the Wagner of it all. Yeah. No, the actual, the one is like Dalton Varshos on base streak, not continuing. And thank God he got on base. Like that part like God forbid we had Vlad doing is whatever 20 game hit streak that was interrupted by the suspended game. And he picked up a hit like that part is that seems like a simple fixed. And you're someone who is in touch with people who are important and can make these decisions. Doesn't that, that sounds like a simple fix, doesn't it? It sounds like a simple fix. Like you began the segment by saying they've played two and eight nights of game. Right, right? Yeah, they played eight nights of it, put it on the eight ninths part. So the funny part is we use a website. I think a lot of media use a website called MLB research. It's a fantastic, fantastic website. I don't know how we did a job without it. After the game finished, it disappeared from like today's log. It just disappeared and only the night game was up there. But now it's back. But then if you look at the Blue Jays like their schedule, it shows up on June 26th. But both games are showing up at the top on whatever the day was two days ago, August 26th. It's just it's again, it's just silly. Like nobody's getting harmed here or anything, you know, there are no real victims here. But I'd love to be in the room where somebody said, no, no, no, we have to do it this way because of and everybody was like, oh, yeah, that's a great point. You know, so it just doesn't it doesn't make any sense that like why why wouldn't it be Monday when it finished and when 90% of the at bats happened and so people like me don't have to say Will Wagner was playing for Sugar Land on June 26th. Like, you know, it's just anyways. Oh, no, I mean, who I yeah, Buck kept doing the same thing that we were all doing. Like, who wasn't watching that game saying, Oh, wait, yeah, they're that extended the consecutive games with a home. Oh, no, I'm sorry. No, that's it's stupid. Yeah, a little bit pedantic, I would say, anyways, they play a game today that will count as today. Careful. Yeah, I think as long as the weather's okay, Dan, whether I think it's okay today and tomorrow that was the other thing is it was a little it was a little dicey on Monday and everybody was like, come on, Matt, like, but I didn't see that other game was suspended after four pitches. I'm going to go look that up and read a little bit about that. Now that's that's kind of funny. So but yeah, the weather, the weather is okay. If you're going to be in a city as long as it as it feels and will continue to feel that the Blue Jays have been here. Boston is a pretty good choice. This is a you know, if you're going to have a long long series, Boston's a great spot to be in. I think both for players and fans alike and lots of fans are here as well. So happy to be here a couple more days. Yeah, and it looks like a lot of J's fans as well. All right, Dan, enjoy the rest of the series. Thanks for this. Thanks guys. See you later. Dan Schulman in Boston getting ready for the resumption of the series for pitches. It's the White Sox and the Rangers. Well, okay. So I think what's happening here, I need to be proven wrong in this. But I think that someone in Major League Baseball head office said we can do better than the, what was it, Canucks and Flames games that had to be played while the playoffs were going on. Was that in the COVID season? That was in the COVID season of like there were playoff games happening and the Canucks and Flames. I'm pretty sure it was, I mean, I know it happened. I think it was Canucks and Flames had to play. It was like, it wasn't one game was like two or three at the very least that they had to play. Well, the playoffs were going on. So I think someone in Major League Baseball is just trying to, uh, trying to make sure that they can one up that. Honestly, we need a 30 for 30 on that. And we need a 30 for 30 on the people that bet on that game or those series of games. I actually just think those people need help. Yeah, just like that, like just like it wouldn't help. And then well, they're getting help. We can interview them for said 30 for 30. But Dan nailed it about Boston. Like it is, uh, I mean, I did my bachelor party there. We went for a, yeah, Red Sox, Jay's series was awesome. So yeah, it's a, it's always a, it was a good time there. And yeah, I would, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in that city. Haven't been in a while, but love me some seafood. So yeah, I don't go back. I still enjoyed it. Yeah, I haven't been, honestly, last time I was there, it was awesome. I had, uh, friend that had connections to some Red Sox, something. We were there for the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park. Ted Williams was there. Like I was a child was the last time I was there before you. There were the monster seats over the green monster in left field. But yeah, uh, that was a scene. Anyways, uh, rival sons and clutch coming to OLG stage at Falls View Casino on September 12th for their two headed beast tour. We're giving away tickets and a hundred dollars in dining credit for the overtime sports lounge for each winner all week to enter. All you have to do is tune into the fan morning show, listen for the code word, then you text the code word to 59590 standard message and data rates may apply. Today's code word is beast. Text beast to 59590 right now for your chance to win. Give it away. Another pair of tickets tomorrow. So be sure to tune in when we come back. We'll talk to three time Super Bowl champion Matt Chatham, former NFL linebacker next, as the fan morning show continues, Ben Anis, Brent Gunning, Sportsnet 590, the fan. >> Covering the blue jays from an analytical perspective, Jay's talk plus with Blake Murphy. Be sure to subscribe and download Jay's talk on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. >> All right, fan morning show, Sportsnet 590, the fan, Ben Anis, Brent Gunning just happened upon some Jeremy Swamin sound that we got to play for you before the end of the show. >> Mm hmm. >> But before we get to that, let's talk to how about a three time Super Bowl champion, former NFL linebacker. >> Seems good. >> Owner of Rub Smoke Love, you can check out rubsmokelove.com online or order now on Amazon. It is Matt Chatham. How's it going Matt? >> Morning guys, going great. >> All right, so I just bought a smoker this summer. I'm the proud owner of a trigger and I've smoked a couple of briskets. I just did some chickens the other day ribs. I mean, where, so you're the rub that you've got, like where do you recommend that is used? Like, is that a brisket rub? Like where would you suggest that I use your rub? >> So we, we, we make, we call sort of a holy trinity kind of version where there's a one, one version is called gold barks and gold bark is basically your chicken, chicken pork fish kind of variety. We have a gold bark bold, which would be the spicier version. That basically it's your basic barbecue, but then we had Chipotle in jalapeno. And then beefcake is obviously met more for, for beef offerings, for your briskets, for steaks, for burgers, all that kind of thing. So we, we kind of did it with the intention that it would be versatile. Basically, you could batch cook for your kids, do a party, you know, kind of thing, do tailgates, all that kind of stuff. And you could cover 100 different iterations if you really wanted to. >> So I imagine you're well versed in the world of smoking. I've tried a couple of different, different variations on the cooking technique. When it comes to the brisket, do you have like a suggestion for me? Like the first one was good. The second one, I kind of, I was under the gun a little bit time-wise, which you never want to be when you're cooking a brisket. Do you have any suggestions for me, Matt? Because I'm going to wait like maybe another month and try it again. Like what is your go-to method when it comes to brisket? >> I think one of the biggest mistakes people make with brisket is not letting the juices sort of reincorporate to whatever your long timeline is, you know, like 15 hours, 18 hours, what it is. They're usually best as an overnight, not that you have a trigger, you can do that. But if people like to pull it off when it hits the right internal temp, 204 or 202, whatever you do, if you don't, one of the really best methods is if I butcher paper, wrap that thing, I can tightly double wrap, put it in the cooler with towels and resting it for another two to maybe even four hours, really helps keep the juices in. What often happens, people will slice one that's at the right internal temp, all the juices run out, and then you have it relatively dry piece and they dry fast once you cut them. So it's kind of a food service-y trick to wrap them, let them reincorporate, and they actually slice a little better that way. So, but I mean, what I just suggested that what's that like 24 hours, it's not the kind of thing that's very conducive to like, hey, we have people over in four hours, like it just doesn't work that way. So that's the challenge of brisket for really everyone. >> I am just such an instant gratification guy, I'm like, but like, I'm hungry now. Like, that's all I can say. >> All right, make it some for me, Ben, in the meantime. >> Yeah, have a burger. >> Okay. >> I did that method, that was the best one that I made was that method, but I destroyed a towel. I was like, ah, it's just a towel, it's wrapped in the butcher paper, none of it. Oh yeah, it's towels, obviously. >> You should have seen the pride on his face as you described step-for-step, what he described for me, step-for-step, he's like, oh, I'm just like, great, I am as good at smoking a brisket, or at least know the steps as well as a three-time Super Bowl champ. It's the pride. >> I'll give you another like, okay, second one, this is important. So, whenever you go to your grocery, at least here in the States, very often brisket is the flat, the big sort of flat, and piece, whatever. The point is that other chunkier version, they're usually separated in grocery stores. So, most people will say, hey, I'm gonna do my first big brisket, or I'm gonna pay the 80 bucks and do this for, you know, like a holiday or something like that. Don't buy the flat. The flat is, in my view, sort of more expert level, because the flat is not nearly as fat as fat full. So, it renders much easier, it can be drier, much quicker. The point, that chunkier part in the back that's usually separated is what they make burnt ends from, and it's full of fat, and it's harder to screw up, basically. So, you can still make slices from the point. So, if you have a butcher, or someone you trust to go actually do the cutting for you, or then I just point it straight out of the counter, go for points. If you're just new to the stuff, you know, take the beefcake, cover a point, and slice that later, you can't go wrong. It's a little more foolproof than doing a flat. >> That's good advice. I go to my butcher, Mr. Kirkland, at Costco, where they're together. >> Mr. Kirkland, exactly. >> He's great. Captain Kirk, can you call him? >> Yeah, we're on a first name basis. >> Yeah, again, check out RubSmokeLove.com. All right, the Patriots, no ballot check. What's it like to watch this team, and what will it be like to go through a season for the first time in forever with no bill ballot check? >> It is different. I mean, I don't -- I think there's not a uniform response to that, and that's probably what is, you know, unusual, and I'm sure happens in other places. There's some curiosity from some corners of the market. There's some apathy from other corners. There's some straight up excitement for just something new and different. Like, you know, hey, I'm going to try this new sitcom. I've always watched the other one for 20 years. It's over, and here's the spinoff. You know, there's -- but what I'm getting at is it's not as if there's a sort of cohesive -- we're all going to do this thing again. We all know who the general players are. It's new, right? And so it's just kind of this brave new world kind of thing here. So, you know, John Mayo was an incredibly popular player, pretty well loved and liked, and all that kind of stuff. And again, you know, there's factions or whatever, but some that are incredibly excited to see him finally get his opportunity. I know his teammates always said he was going to be this -- you know, he's such a smart guy and going to be a great coach. What'd they call Geraud Belichick? It's a storyline to it, but it's not, you know, I just think there's -- it's being consumed different ways in different parts of the region. Yeah, I mean, I see the clip of -- I think it's pretty anecdotal, but talking about calling him Geraud Belichick, because he's basically like the other son poking around there. The other difference in feel -- and I'm looking at this from the outside, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong -- is the difference in feel around Drake May versus Mac Jones. I mean, obviously, part of it is just the draft pedigree. One guy's third overall. One guy's -- one guy's 15th, but it felt like, again, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but it felt like there was a ceiling from the outset from a lot of people placed on Mac Jones of, okay, game manager, maybe he grows beyond that. I would imagine there's a little more, you know, uncertainty, but also hype surrounding May. What's been the feel of him versus obviously nobody's Brady, but the difference in feel around him versus the start of the Mac Jones era? Yeah, I think it's the profile is dramatically different. And I think in the instance of Mac Jones, he was the fifth in the class. So, yes, he did get taken 15th, but I think that's sort of a run-on-quarterbacks and sort of an urgency to get one because they're all flying off the board in front of you. But fifth in the class, I mean, look at all the draft classes, go 10 or 15 deep. Fifth in the class doesn't usually end up being a star in the league, you know, occasionally you strike gold, but that wasn't the case. You know, he was not a high-measurable guy. He did come from an awesome program, obviously, and had winning there, but he was more of a, you know, sort of immediate success. It came easily to him right up the bat, but then you quickly saw the ceiling and he regressed. So, I think the difference with Drake May is he's kind of the other end of the spectrum. I mean, he's, you know, North Carolina, not necessarily considered a stronger program. I think it was something like 20 college starts, so not nearly as experienced necessarily, but measureals off the chart. And just sort of he's the he's the high feeling, at least perceptively kind of guy. So, I think the interesting part there is just how that gets adjusted, because, you know, Brady leaves, they try the Cam Newton thing, and they're, you know, desperate to get their guy and get things back and rolling and winning, and that was a little more sort of the feel around Mac. This is, okay, the end of the Mac Jones sort of era was a flaming hot mess, and they just need to actually get the answer right now. So, there's not necessarily the urgency, I guess, from the fan base, at least in all corners, so like throw this guy in the field and see what he can do. It's more, let's make sure we get this right, right? So, the developmental high ceiling guy is maybe even more appealing, because they went and got Jacobi Brissette, who's kind of known as to be a rock, you know. He's not going to go make the Pro Bowl. He's not going to be all Pro, but he's going to be a steady hand, and one that should presumably allow for Drake to progress and be ready in his own time. So, it's just a, it's a real different way, they're digested, I think, around here. So, Caleb Williams, Jaden Daniels, Bo Nix are going to start week one. I mean, does that impact the decision-making by the Patriots, and do you think Drake May is the starter week one? Yeah, I think it's completely irrelevant to them, but I think the mode of operation back in say, to spring and map the draft, and well, first, after free agency, prior to even making the draft pick with them, was that you take Jacobi Brissette because you're not expecting, you know, you're whomever it is you take to start on day one. And most of those other places we're talking about don't have like a certain other guy with that amount of experience to come in and do it. So, I think the thought here was, wow, go ahead and, go ahead and shock us, and we'll, you know, we'll make the change, right? Well, if the rookie's ready, the rookie's ready, but that was a pretty high bar to get to. Now, he had a couple really good last two weeks to camp, and it makes you kind of rethink things. But I just, again, I don't think in this market there's necessarily, and that there's going to be outrage if Drake doesn't start the first few games, or even first half of the season. I mean, I guess in that instance, it depends more upon, you know, results and how things are going. But they don't want to screw this up. You know, I think there's a collective feeling of, I don't care what's going on across the country in another place. This guy has the talent, let's take him at his pace. And this is not necessarily about, you know, getting a playoff berth. And maybe you win one or two or three more games with one guy versus the other. It's really not about that. This is infancy stage, get it right, make sure that guy is often flying for for decades from now. Can't wait to see is the NFL season feels like it's, it's forever from now. It feels like we've been talking about the preseason and training camps for forever. But, yeah, it is fast approaching. Matt, thanks for the tips on the brisket. Again, people, I should check out rubsmokelove.com or you can order online at Amazon. Thanks for doing this. Thanks. Yeah. Take care. All right. There's Matt Chatham, former NFL linebacker. He won three Super Bowls, and he likes to smoke meat and he sells a rub for it. Yeah, seems pretty, pretty good checking all his boxes there. I enjoyed that chat. I did enjoy the one last year when I brought him on specifically just to be like, but, but say good things about Tom Brady because people are saying too many nice things. That was before the Super Bowl, right? Yeah, it doesn't matter though. Yeah. No, since the Super Bowl, the conversations changed as he's now won three and back to back. Yeah, I need him to that. I really, really need him to not three Pete. So I can be like, you know, but this is tough because I'm also like a LeBron guy. So, I can't sit here and be like, you know what matters is is repeating, repeating, repeating, and then be like, but in basketball, it's different. So, you know, we all do this. Okay, so I mentioned it before you got to Matt. This Jeremy Swamin stuff is fun now. It's really getting fun. It was fun the other day when it was reported that he's looking for 10 million per. Oh, that was glorious. Yeah. All right. It makes sense. Guy went to arbitration, apparently some hurt feelings between he and the Boston Bruins, but they made their choice and chose him over the guy that won the VASDA and lead us all Mark. Yeah, I grew up solid, whatever. Anyways, Jeremy Swamin was on the Shut Up Mark podcast with Mark Lewis talking about the ongoing restricted free agent negotiations. You're in a big point in your career with a big contract negotiation going on right now. No one else really knows what this is like. Your first presumably longer contract. What is that like from an athlete's perspective? If you were to ask me that same question a year ago, I would answer truthfully and I would say, it's scary. It's a lot of resentment towards people that want you to succeed. And when you're not getting compensated for your endless efforts and doing what you do best, it's a nerve-racking feeling because it's your family you're fighting for. And the answer I'm going to give you this year is that I've educated myself and that I understand the business side of it all. And it's given me a complete new mindset of understanding the business and how to react to it. I understand the cap is going up and where it will be in years. I understand my comparables and how I can't ruin the goalie market for other guys that are going to be in my shoes down the line. It's nothing I never can say. I didn't even think of that. I went to the school of business for the University of Maine, so I love the business side of it all. And I studied it and I love it. I'm doing classes still in Stanford, part of the NHLPA program on business. I know that these experiences I'm doing now are going to help me post-career when I want to be a businessman, when I want to talk about serious stuff. Oh my God. Oh my God. God, he just kept talking. If he, there was a world where he ends the answer after like I understand it's a business and that has a completely different tenor of like, well, you know, Jeremy Swamin gets it. Sometimes you don't play nice in the sandbox, but he's going to come and they'll figure it. And then he just kept talking. Oh my God. And I would again just like to thank him and shut up Mark for allowing him to do so. So if you're a Bruins fan hearing that God and like good for like cannot disagree with anything Jeremy Swamin said. I have been begging since Austin Matthews takes his six minute long contract extensions, which like whatever. So long as you're wearing a leaf jersey, I don't care. But for somebody else to act as though this is the way they're going to do it. And finally, finally, finally, it's a guy, not just any guy doing it. It's the goalie of the Boston Bruins putting the screws to them. Yeah, I talked to Mike Fuda yesterday and is like 10 million for Jeremy Swamin. We also talked to Andrew Bryant though. Yes. Who said it's not like what you've done and what your skill level is. It's what you can get. Guess who wants all he can get? Well, and you know what, not that it's the exact same, but we were having that conversation in the light of wide receivers. She asked, but mostly quarterbacks, right? There is a floor of quarterback that if you have one, you're just like, okay, good enough. Fine. We think we can win with this. Let's go. That's kind of goaltending in the NHL. Is it not like if you have a guy that you think not only gives you a chance, but an outsides chance to win because of what he's capable of. You can't move off of that willfully. You really can't. So it's just, yeah, I love, I love, love, love to hear this. Him talking about the cap going up, his goalie brethren, his comparables, not ruining the market. Oh my God. Just like, why stop at 10? Like that sounds 11. Come on. You should be the highest paid. Didn't you hear him? He's a smart business guy, which by the way, just whenever you're trying to say how learned you are, it never, like people say, God, it never comes across as anything other than that. Yeah, right. Which I just, I rewatch both Godfathers every much while I just finished number two, but yeah, that's exactly what he said. It's like, he did that. He's like, yeah, Stanford bud. Heard of it. It's like, I feel like shut up Mark gave him a look when he said Maine like, I don't care about Maine. What's that mean? He's like, you heard a Stanford ballad? Oh my God. Yeah, no, it this is not going to be a quick resolution. Can we also like, we put a mic and Leon, can that guy talk to Lee on dry side? I don't know what it is. Whoever that guy is in Edmonton, talk to talk to Lee on dry side, please. Yeah, there is dry side a slightly different because he has a contract. Yeah, but also, well, yeah, and he's not a restricted free agent, but also there is like just a cap cap, right? And you know, hey, I don't think Jeremy Swamans asking for 14 million, right? I mean, if he wants to. But he's using his comparable as of other goal is and one is Sergey Babrowski, who won two vests before he signed his 10 million per deal in Florida where Leon dry side was literally like pay me like the best player in the league or at least how much close to it, you know, you can conner can pass me next year, but I want to be passing him now. Like there is the parameters are a little more obvious, right? With Swamans, it's like, well, you've never been the number one on question starter before. You're going to do that, but your numbers have been spectacular. You weren't even the number one on question starter in the postseason, but you emerged as the guy that was like, yeah, we were idiots for not making you that. Yep. And still won the series against the Leafs in seven game because they lost their number one on question starter. This can't go without saying they traded away the guy that he had the pendant with as well, though, right? Like it's like they gave him all this leverage. How is though I suppose they would say again, like goaltending weird in the NHL that they're going to say corpus alo chance he's fine because there's a good chance he's fine. Yeah, I got I said it yesterday, like that the era of taking a cent less to be a Boston, Bruin is like this, it seems like a guy that's not going to acquiesce by a cent when it comes to negotiations. He's like, I'm screwing the next guy. Yes. Okay, I can't afford to do that. I'm very involved with the PA. Yeah, the other interesting thing is that the next guy, like, and not that he should be, but he's not talking about a Boston Bruin. He's talking about the next goalie, right? So it's like, that's the union he's talking about right now, the players union, not the team. And forever, it's been about what can I take to make this work for the team and clearly that ain't the case anymore. And again, thank God, because I'm sick and tired of seeing it happen everywhere else but here. Okay, Bruin, do you only have 8.6 in available cap space? Yeah, make a couple million more. Yeah, make it work. I don't care. Yeah, because, you know, I'd like to be a part of this team, but it's a business. I just went through an off season where you you took me to arbitration and you said mean things to me. I'm getting the bag. All of the bags. God, what a gift. I'm headed into a baseball week vacation. I could not have ended my last minutes on the show for the week. Any better. That clip is so good. And no doubt I'll play it again for a Samaki tomorrow. It's so good. Filling in for you the next couple of days. Enjoy your vacation. I will. I'll be back tomorrow with another edition of the fan morning show. This has been Ben NS front gunning sports F5 night event. Good morning.
