Bald Guys On The Bench
Bald Guys On The Bench
Birthday Beers and Hockey Tears
Recorded May 4th, 2025
Birthday celebrations and playoff hockey collide in this special episode where Graham turns 42 while the NHL delivers some of the most dramatic Game 7 moments in league history.
The conversation kicks off with Graham's birthday weekend recap before Scott launches into passionate analysis of what he calls "one of the greatest hockey games" he's ever watched—the Dallas Stars' historic comeback against the Colorado Avalanche. We break down how the Stars became the first team in playoff history to overcome a multi-goal deficit in the third period of a Game 7 and win in regulation, with Miko Rantanen scoring a hat trick against his former team. Even more remarkably, this historic comeback was immediately followed by the Winnipeg Jets pulling off the exact same feat the very next night.
This playoff magic sparks the episode's central debate: why hockey playoffs consistently deliver more drama and intensity than basketball's postseason. Scott doesn't hold back, criticizing the NBA's "load management" culture while celebrating hockey players who get stitches and return to the game. Graham offers counterpoints about different physical demands and roster strategies, leading to a spirited back-and-forth that hockey and basketball fans alike will find entertaining.
We dive deep into second-round matchups for both leagues, from the Knights-Oilers showdown featuring "the best player on the planet" Connor McDavid to the surprising NBA landscape where young teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder face closing championship windows due to upcoming salary constraints. The episode wraps with our signature "Hot Chick of the Week" segment featuring Jackie Redmond of NHL and WWE fame.
Whether you're a die-hard hockey fan, a basketball enthusiast ready to defend your sport, or simply enjoy authentic sports talk without filters, this birthday episode delivers entertainment and insights in equal measure. Join us for the celebration and stay for the debates!
#baldguysonthebench #graboneandcrackone #nhl #stanleycupplayoffs #nba #nbaplayoffs
Welcome to another episode of the Bald Guys on the Bench podcast, with your hosts Graham Cohen and Scott Wasco.
Scott:What's up everyone. Welcome to a special edition of your favorite sports comedy podcast, the ball guys on the bench. Last week was episode 150. Today's episode we'll call it 42, because it's my boy, Graham's birthday. Unfortunately, my boy Graham has to share a birthday with all the Star Wars nerds out there and we got to hear this May the 4th be with you. Bullshit. But, Graham, happy birthday my guy. Let's go. What's cracking what you doing?
Graham:Thank you. Thank you, my friend. It's a pleasure man. Let's just say it's been a good day. Last night was a little rough, had some fun, but you know, doing the podcast today, I'm excited about it, but I'm going to be real, I'm a little parched. So how about we grab one and crack one and then we'll get into it? Sound good.
Scott:It's about time.
Graham:He keeps staring at me like bro say the phrase Well, can you?
Scott:say it please. I mean, even though I'm going to grab one and crack one. It is late here on the East Coast because we just got to watch another doozy game seven between the Jets and the Blues. That we'll get into in a minute. But my gosh, graham's birthday weekend. He just told you he's a little banged up from last night. Other than that, what did you do this weekend? You're off today and tomorrow, right?
Graham:Yes, just worked really. Saw a movie the Amateur with Remy Malek was really good, yeah, and then just watched sports, so that's all I had going on. What about you?
Scott:Where'd you go last night with your boys?
Graham:Yeah. So last night we just went to One of the local gaming bars that's in town. It's called Distilled. There's like 40 locations and it's right outside the club. So just went there, had some drinks, Played pool, Dusted off the old Q-stick and whooped some ass outside the club. So just went there, had some drinks, played pool, you know, dusted off the old cue stick and whoops a mess, you know. Do you know what that's like? Scott winning it? Yeah.
Scott:I know a lot, but we're not even going to get into that. We don't have enough time for this. But not take any shots Anything. I mean no, it's taken. You yeah Low key. I mean, did you take any low-key? I know you're bummed because you were supposed to go to XS tonight.
Graham:Yeah, so that didn't happen. Well, folks, if you're wondering why we're not going to XS, it's only because the weather here is going to rain and they canceled the show. So I was going to go to XS with some friends. We were going to get a bottle service and do it up like we were 30 again. But it's not in the cards for tonight. But we'll probably do it in a couple weeks. You know, I have a friend who was playing tonight there, Not that I know the new people but yeah, I think his name is XSession.
Announcer:Yeah, no clue. I think that's what it's called.
Graham:But yeah, no, no, they had this whole big party planned, it wasn't? It wasn't like one of those, just like regular uh events. You know that they I want to say events, but, like you know, just a regular sunday night. But that being said, since this is may, today would have been the first um what they call, uh, adult swim nights, which basically means sunday, sunday swim.
Scott:Yeah, adult sunday swim sunday, swim Right yeah.
Graham:It is what it is, but you know there's always another time. You know it's funny. My phones are. Friends are blowing me up even now, like so where are we going? Where are we going? And I'm just like bro, I'm still doing the podcast, leave me alone.
Scott:I was like yeah, I mean it's only. It's eight, 30, your time. Tell them to relax.
Graham:I'm like just text me what bar you're at and I'll meet you there, like all right, all right, all right so, but I had a great time. Today was chill, just really kind of recovered a little bit. This morning was rough, but then a lot of my time was just spending it on the phone talking with old friends you know people I don't get to talk to very often and just catching up. Got steaks grilled at home tonight. That was really good. Did a nice little berry cobbler for dessert and here we are.
Scott:Wait, wait, wait, you didn't get your favorite dessert.
Graham:No, it's what I wanted. I thought you were. I'm a pecan pie guy. Pecan pie guy yeah pie yeah, come on.
Scott:Well, come on mama I well she wouldn't.
Graham:It's not that she wouldn't make it, it's just that'd be something that I wanted, something that I know both my parents would eat. I mean they'd have like a slice, but they the whole pie would just be for me and I don't. I just didn't want to have all that sugar. So I know it's my birthday, I get it, I get it. I still really enjoyed what I had, so yeah, hey, that's all that matters, right?
Scott:that's all that. Uh, my weekend worked yesterday. Ava had her prom last night felt really old. Uh. Came home, watched game seven last night stars avalanche my god was losing it and supposed to have kellen's first flag game today. Like I told you last night, weather was supposed to be shit today and it was. Game was canceled. Literally was up late watching hockey and everything and woke up early. I'm looking at the clock. I'm like, oh my god, it's 10 o'clock. They've already emailed the game's canceled. What the shit am I supposed to do today? It was a long day, so your boy decided he's gonna nap, watch some golf, nap a little bit more. Watch some golf and you know, wasn't much of a golf tournament because scot Scheffler just laid the wood to everybody.
Scott:I mean, if you like, shooting 31 under. I mean thanks for playing, scotty, and you know you and I were talking about it before we even get into anything else. We were talking about, you know, the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, not this week but next week. How about the storylines, dude, heading into that? Scotty dominates. Scotty dominates this week. You know Bryson won on live. Jordan shot nine under, I think, today to get in the top five. You know people haven't been talking about it but you do realize Jordan is a PGA Championship away from the career Grand Slam.
Graham:That's insane.
Scott:How wild would it be to have two in?
Graham:a year. That's crazy. I mean, when you mentioned it to me earlier, I completely forgot Like I was thinking about it. I was like yeah, you're right. Yeah, and Spieth's still young.
Scott:Yes, Like real young.
Scott:Rory just completed the Grand Slam going to a golf course he owns yeah, you know Quail Hollow. He's won there how many times? Justin Thomas got his first major there. There's a lot of fun going to happen at the PGA Championship and a lot of fun gonna happen at the pga championship and a lot of drama. It's gonna be awesome, it's gonna be sick, but this week the truest championship, which is normally held at quail hollow, had to be moved. Obviously you're not going to play there two weeks in a row because of the major right. They're playing at philly cricket club up in philadelphia. If you're not going to play there two weeks in a row because of the major Right, they're playing at Philly Cricket Club up in Philadelphia. If you're a golf fan, watch it, because this golf course is sick. They had the PGA Club Pro Championship there four or five years ago. Okay, sick, awesome location, but going to be fun and it is an elevated event, so they're all going to be playing. But anyhow, as the weekend goes.
Scott:Dude, we were just talking about it, game 7 last night, one of the greatest hockey games I've ever watched in my life, between the Stars and the Avalanche Dude, that series lived up to the hype. You know it was insane, it was wild. It had the storylines Stars are down two going into the third period, homeboy and Miko ranting and that was traded from the stars to the hurricanes earlier in the season. And then the hurricanes turned around after he said he wasn't going to sign an extension, traded him to the stars. That's insane. Had a hat trick against his old team, not in the game, but in the third period. Granted, one was an empty net, don't care, it's still three goals, right, dude, it was insane.
Scott:Ava, her date, her boyfriend, andrew, they got back from prom and Kellen and his buddy were here and I'm watching the end of it and you know, you've been around me with a Knights game. When the Knights score, it's the loud boom, you know Right, and the tying goal. Your boy hits the boom. Ava looks at the TV and she's like Dad, the Knights aren't even playing. What is going on? And I'm like this is insane, right, insane. It was wild, dude, incredible Dude. The Stars, first team in playoff history. Multiple goals in the third period of a game, seven Down. Multiple goals in the third period and winning regulation, they're down two to nothing. Dude, score four. I mean the Avalanche become the first team in Major League Baseball, nba, nhl to lose seven consecutive Game 7s.
Announcer:Damn, damn Right.
Scott:Peter DeBoer, the old Sharks coach, then the Knights coach, now the Stars coach. My guy's undefeated in game seven.
Graham:I mean.
Scott:But he's never won the cup.
Announcer:Gotta throw that out there.
Graham:Yeah, couldn't handle it with your team, but here's the thing the Stars were down.
Scott:Their best defenseman Wasn't playing in the game. Another dude they were down two of their best players. Incredible dude, Insane.
Graham:Like just for that game, or they like playoff.
Scott:They've been their defender's been out since February, I think Can't even think of his name. I'd have to go look it up. But they're down. Two of their best players in this series. Move on. Off-hockey playoffs dude, insane.
Scott:My Knights advanced the other night against the Wild in game six. It was insane. That was a home game. Up two goals, dude, with three minutes left, stone hits that one to go up two and then, like 30 seconds later, the Wild scored to make it a one-goal game. I'm like, oh God, empty net, last three minutes. We hold on to win. But the coolest thing about that, it was Fleury's last game. And the coolest thing in the hockey playoffs is the handshake right at the end of the game. The officials, the referees, everybody stayed on the ice to say goodbye to Fleury. It was sick, it was insane, especially, you know, before he's playing against the team. He left Pittsburgh to go to the Knights year one Stanley cup finals. You know, it was just amazing. Amazing hockey playoffs, dude. The respect, the intensity, I can't even describe. I mean, last night I'm on the edge of my seat, I don't even have a dog in the fight. Yeah, no, it was insane. But I don't know, not even better than a good football game.
Scott:More intense.
Graham:Yeah.
Scott:Yeah, I mean a playoff football game. I can at least go take a leak because there's a TV timeout. Fair, you know what I'm saying? It's just intense, dude. I just wish more people got into it because it's wild. But you know, euler bound two games and nothing against the kings. The kings, dumbass coach, makes that stupid challenge in game three, lose the challenge, go from up one to down one in like 30 seconds. Then the oilers rattle off four games in a row. So knights oilers, round two. Let's go right at home. Is that like four games in a row? So, knights-oilers, round two, let's go Bring it on.
Graham:Is that like three years in a row now?
Scott:Well, the Kings and the Oilers were, I think, four or five years in a row, first round.
Graham:Yeah, no, I remember you saying that before.
Scott:Yeah, the year the Knights won the Cup two years ago we played them in, I think, the second round. Not sure, because last year we got bounced in Game 7 in the first round against the Stars, the team we won in the Western Conference Finals to go to the Cup. But you know, everybody knows you're going to go deep in the playoffs. You're going to have to play the Oilers I mean, they do have the best player on the planet yeah.
Graham:I mean they do have the best player on the planet.
Scott:Yeah, I mean, he's our David and they have dry sidle. But everybody knows the Oilers have one line. You take advantage of that one line. You keep that line in check. You're going to be all right. But I don't know, dude, I felt bad for TP, that the Kings, you know shit the bed after looking so good through two games. But you know it's playoff hockey, yeah it sucks.
Graham:I mean you were sounding pretty, pretty confident about the Kings after their first two wins Dude 100%, absolutely, dude, a hundred percent, absolutely.
Scott:And anybody that listened to the episode with me and TP, the team I didn't want to play in the second round was the Kings. Yeah, you know, I'd rather play the Oilers than the Kings. Yeah, the Kings are a heavier team. Better goalie, the Oilers goalie suspect. You know the Oilers have one top line. Am I saying the knights are gonna win? No, I think we are. We're the better team, but better team doesn't always win hockey. But you know, I don't know Hockey playoffs, dude. I mean, it's the first round. We had two game sevens last night and tonight Two game sevens bro, where the team that ended up winning was down two goals going into the third period, and both won.
Graham:We had two game sevens in the NBA.
Scott:Yeah and they were fucking blowout, blowouts. Were you glued to your TV going? Oh, come on, let's go, let's go, clippers, come back. Oh, I'm sorry. Kawhi Leonard played in seven games this year. Cause a load management, as his vagina is hurting. And then tonight the rockets, the two seed get blown off the court by. They're down 12 at halftime and Steph's only got two or three points. Oh, load management, get out of here, dude, get out of here. Don't even talk to me about. I mean, I don't even want to hear it at all.
Graham:I'm sorry, I knew it. I mean, am I wrong Am?
Scott:I wrong.
Graham:It's not that you're wrong, it's just.
Scott:I'm right, exactly. I'm not needing a pat on the back because I know the NBA is boring.
Graham:It's not boring, it's just compared. Hockey is a very unique sport. That.
Scott:Because dudes care and don't sit out on a back-to-back game because they have a bruised toenail.
Graham:So what about the guys that don't play back-to-backs in the MLB?
Scott:Yeah, you know what they're called Pitchers. You don't pitch back-to-back games.
Graham:I'm talking about the hitters, bro, not the pitchers. I know that I'm just saying. It's a completely different sport, one's way more physical than the other. Like I get it it's, it's the nba last night in the first period. I'm just saying the first period.
Scott:oh boy, gets cross-checked to the face. Okay, he's bleeding. Instant four-minute penalty against the avalanche. Billy texts me I could not imagine getting cross-checked into the face on ice and I'm like dude, I couldn't imagine half the shit these dudes do on ice On a blade. That's about that thick. No, I get it. Mark Stone the other night. Mark Stone last week goes into the locker room in the second period, gets stitches in his eye, comes back out in the third period In the NBA, lebron would be out for a month.
Graham:Oh my god, First off you know, he's like 42 years old right.
Scott:I don't give a right lebron at age 28 if he got his eye opened up in the third quarter of an nba game. You're telling me he's gonna come back in the playoff game.
Graham:It's in a playoff game? Yeah, he would come back.
Scott:They'd stitch him up and if they needed him, he'd pass, with the game on the line with three seconds left.
Graham:Oh, my God, I can't with you right now. Tomato, tomato, because I'm right. No, it's just Because I'm right.
Scott:I'm 100% right. I'm 100% right. Imagine buying tickets to an NBA game to go see the Lakers on the road. You spend 500 bucks for your family. Oh sorry, lebron's not playing tonight. He played last night. It's load management. You ever see that shit in the NHL. The only person you're gonna probably see sit out in a back-to-back game in the NHL is the goalie.
Graham:First of all in hockey. They're sitting down half the fucking time.
Scott:Who is?
Graham:The players, because they're always rotating. They go in, they play for like a minute and a half, then they come back and sit down and then they wait another minute and a half and then the other line goes down.
Scott:Graham, graham, graham. I'm just going to tell you to stop talking right now, because you're making yourself look dumb on your birthday. I'm just telling you just stop talking.
Graham:Are there not line changes?
Scott:No, A hundred percent. There's line changes.
Graham:Yeah.
Scott:Go run versus go. Use your legs to skate back and forth and change directions and get pounded into the boards versus flopping.
Graham:Oh, my God, All right.
Announcer:We're done with this conversation.
Scott:Oh man, I don't even know what to say right now, except for you know what it's? 20 minutes into the episode, You've got four minutes left of your birthday and I haven't done my ritual. You're going to do it. It's time.
Graham:All right, let's hear it, buddy.
Scott:It's time. All right, let's hear it. Buddy, it's time. I'm gonna get mine running through the hood with my hand on my nine. Which one do you want first? Hebrew you are a Hebrew. My favorite Hebrew your name is Graham. Happy Hebrew, my favorite Hebrew. Your name is Graham. Happy birthday to my favorite Hebrew. I don't remember how the song goes, but happy birthday. I'm not going to do the other one because you know obvious reasons, but anyhow, here's to you, my boy, my best friend. Cheers to you. Tap in the computer. To you, my boy, my best friend. Here's to you Tap in the computer. Happy birthday, my brother.
Graham:I'm like here, there you go, so you can see it Tap. I hope you have a good day.
Scott:I hope you man up and go out tonight. Oh no, and I hope your boys buy you some shots.
Graham:Yeah, I'm going out Just one, but I'll have A Jameson tonight ew, that just made me like try he thinking about it. Well, let me guess your shot of choice is tequila anything with jameson anything, so you'll do no, no, I used to love jameson.
Scott:I'd rather have jameson, oh, unless, unless the best shot of jameson I ever had in my life was at excess and $20 for a shot. Thanks for playing. But it was a shot and it had like little ice pellets in it. It was legit. But for $20 a shot, and better, tickle my balls, tickle my balls. Am I wrong? I'm not. So second round hockey playoffs is set up. We got the Knights, we got the Oilers, we got the Stars, we got the Jets. Crazy thing is TP actually texted us earlier, before we even started the teams playing each other. The Jets and the Stars were both down two goals heading into the third period and both ended up winning the game. Tonight the Blues and the Jets was a snooze fest until the third period. I mean Connor Hollenbuck, however you say homeboy's name, best goalie on the planet in the regular season may win the MVP, and he had been pulled three times in the series through six games heading into the third period because he was snakebitten, was getting hammered, gave up too early tonight.
Graham:That's crazy.
Scott:And then wins Insane, insane Second round. Like I said, stars, jets, knights, oilers. On the East, we got Toronto, the Panthers and we got Washington and the Canes. Solid matchups, dude, I'm just going to go out on a limb and say the Panthers are going to boat race the Maple Leaf. Really, I don't know why. I just think it's going to happen.
Graham:So what you're saying is look at the odds right now.
Scott:Yeah, I mean, I was actually looking at it before we got on for the series props and all that stuff. The Canes and the Capitals nobody's giving the Capitals dude respect, which I don't understand. The Canes are minus 160 in the series against the Capitals, plus 140. The Capitals are the number one seed in the East. Yeah, dude, oilers are favored over the Knights. The Panthers are minus 170 against the Maple Leafs For the series. To win the series yeah.
Graham:Yeah, you're showing me a game.
Scott:Yeah, you got to go to series winner Stars are minus 145 against the jets plus 125. The knights oiler series, uh, what's it have? I think the oilers are minus 115 and the knights are minus 105, so that's pretty much dead on. But wild dude, second round. Dude, second round, let's go, it's going to be fun.
Graham:I'm excited, you know. Remember when you told me to click that link on the stars on Vegas' website so I could get the up-to-date information, aka potentially get discounted tickets. Well, I got a message from them the other day. It's like, hey, we got playoff tickets available. And I'm like, hmm, let's just see how much these cost.
Announcer:Let's look at it, yeah.
Graham:I was like hmm, and then I saw the price and I was like maybe not.
Scott:Yeah, second round's going to be expensive.
Graham:Dude.
Scott:What were they?
Graham:Home opener game one Tuesday night. Dude, the last row at the top was like $170.
Scott:That's better than I thought it would be. Yeah, I was like.
Graham:I mean to be my first game and it be a playoff game would be pretty exciting.
Scott:but I'm like yeah, I will tell you this, I've sat in the last row. My first hockey game ever that I went to were the Ducks, and we sat on the last row way back when I was at SCGA. It's not a bad spot, right. I've sat super low at T-Mobile, at the fortress, and, like man, I think I'd rather be higher.
Graham:Yeah, you know but hockey is one of those sports where it's kind of like football, where it's just like you'd much rather be like in that middle area. You know you're not yeah, middle for sure.
Scott:Yeah, something. I just saw dude talking about the two goal comebacks last night and tonight in game seven. Here's a stat for you two goal comebacks in the third period to win a game seven in hl history first 106 years three. Last two days two. What? First, 106 years three. Last two days two.
Graham:That's insane. I'm just like what?
Scott:Dude, that is wild, wild, I don't know. I don't know. I mean, I texted Jerry last night after the Stars came back and I'm like, dude, that might have been my favorite hockey game of all time that did not include the Knights. And another game I compared to it is the first game with Canada and the United States and the Four Nations thing, when there were all those brawls in the first three or four minutes. The hockey game that my favorite is obviously the clinching when we dominated the Panthers game five, when we won a million to two or three and won the cup. But last night, not having a dog in the fight, dude, it was wild.
Scott:I just go back to Ava going Dad, you just yelled boom, and the Knights aren't even playing. And I go back to the text thread with the San Diego League, where I finally got those morons to turn on hockey and somebody was like all right, I turned it on, who are we rooting for? And my response was we're not rooting for a team, we're rooting for a sport where load management is not a thing. Oh my God.
Graham:I think the title of this episode is I hate basketball.
Scott:No, no, no, it's going to be load management, but I don't know. I don't know, I mean look.
Scott:Fun fact for you today. I wish I would have seen this before. Look Fun fact for you today. I wish I would have seen this before Mets got rained out yesterday and for the last 15 years, the Mets have lost their 34th game of the season. Okay, rained out yesterday and so we had a doubleheader today and we lost our 34th game for the 16th year in a row. I'm like not that I was going to go throw a bet on the Cardinals against my Metropolitans, but I'm like I could have shared that information with my boys if I would have known that I was just going to ask you, did you bet it?
Graham:And then hope all of you lost.
Scott:No, I was going to you know here, boys make this bet. I hope you all lose. But funny thing, nba playoffs. You know NBA is your deal. I thought it was very weird how you know game seven last night the Clippers and the Nuggets, then game seven tonight, the Warriors and the Rockets, but we had game one before game seven tonight the Warriors and the Rockets, but we had game one before game seven started. Game one of the second round between the Pacers and the Cavaliers. Aren't the Cavs the one seed, yeah, and the East, yeah. It was weird to me how I mean, obviously they won a game seven on prime time Sunday night, but they started the second round before the first round was over. And this is where we enter, graham, with all your NBA knowledge.
Graham:Yeah, that's TV contracts, bro, but I mean, like I said, I get it.
Scott:You want game seven on primetime, you don't want game one. I mean well, especially between a franchise, cleveland and Indiana. And I heard something the other day and I'm just going to throw this at you real quick Obviously, the Lakers got beat in five I think, wasn't it five by the Timberwolves. Yes, the NBA wants the Lakers to advance.
Announcer:Yeah.
Scott:How bitter is the NBA that they're knocked out after the first round? Obviously, you have the hold on, hold on, hold on. You got the big boys in the East Boston and New York playing in the second round, boston and New York playing in the second round, and in the West you got OKC Minnesota. I mean the Warriors are getting up to that, I mean obviously, but the Lakers, they have fans all over the world.
Announcer:Yeah.
Scott:And, like I asked you earlier, I'm like dude, are the Timberwolves that good, what? And your response was yeah they are.
Graham:Yes, Like how you were saying with hockey in the NBA this year. Well, I wouldn't say this year or even last year. The NBA had a problem about 10, 15 years ago for about five to seven years straight where the league was very top heavy on in both conferences. So it's just like when you're very top heavy you don't get a lot of the good matchups, and then that's also where you see a lot of the same teams play, like there was a reason why you saw the Cavs and the Warriors play four times in the finals.
Graham:You know what I mean it's just like when you got two dominant teams, one on each side, and mostly they blew through each conference fairly easily. You don't have that anymore. There's a lot more depth to the teams and, honestly, when there's more depth it makes it more exciting. There's better matchups and you're not seeing the same thing. Watching the same thing happen over and over again is not exciting, which is why a lot of people don't like seeing teams win all the time, which is why a lot of people were betting against the they bet against the Patriots when they were always winning. They were betting against Kansas city when they were always winning. It's just like, after a while, team people are just like all right, I'm done seeing the same thing over and over again, like it's not exciting anymore. Um, but now you know there's a lot.
Graham:The NBA is getting younger in a sense. I mean it's always getting younger. But you know a lot of the faces of the NBA are in the tail end of their career. I mean LeBron's 41, 42 years old. Steph Curry, you know, is like 36, I believe maybe 37. Kevin Durant's old. It's just like when you have a lot of your marquee players that have played 15 plus years already, that's the tail end of a career. I mean, the fact that LeBron's playing in his 23rd season is just no 22nd season. It's bizarre, it's mind-boggling, it's wild. People forget or I can't say forget whether people know this or not, because I'm sure you don't know this, and when I say this you're probably like who. Lebron spends a million and a half dollars on his body every year, of course, just to stay in health, of course, like at that age. You know what I mean. It's just like I'm surprised, if not more.
Scott:Yeah, if you consider a chef and is the dude preparing meals for him, you know I'm surprised anymore oh yeah, dude, that's the chef is the cheapest part.
Graham:Yeah, crowd therapy every day, the massages, I mean just everything you know. The workouts, I mean like his day is packed all day, I mean, and that's just for basketball stuff, not the other obligations that he has with family and stuff like that. But yeah, I mean getting back to the playoffs. There's a lot of good matchups. We did have quote unquote an upset because we had the Warriors, the seventh seed, beat the Rockets, the two seed, so that was pretty good and look, but is that an upset, though?
Scott:On paper, yes, because of their seedings, but is it once? The Warriors added Homeboy? Yeah, and by Homeboy you mean Butler.
Graham:Added homeboy. Yeah, and by homeboy you mean Jimmy Butler.
Announcer:Yeah, I mean see that's the thing.
Graham:In the West. The number one seed had a pretty high advantage. I mean not high advantage, but like they had more wins, like they only lost. Don't quote me on this, but it was like maybe around like 15 games or something. But you know, from two to seven there was, the difference was only, I think it was a couple of games. Yeah, it was definitely less than 10.
Graham:It wasn't much, so it's just like a lot of teams are right there type of thing, where in the past there was a much bigger discrepancy. I mean there were years, like when I was saying there was those down years, there were teams making the playoffs that had um, I can't think of the term, but they were under 500. Like you imagine making the playoffs and you're not even 500? I mean it's rare when it happens in the NFL. I mean I remember when the Falcons made the playoffs and they were 7-9. Like what? So it's just, it's different. I mean it's and look, it's good for the game that way. And plus, there's a lot of teams that are finally figuring it out. I mean, look the Pacers, they are a low-key quality team. But the thing also is, with all, sports cream rises to the top. Now in this second round, you're really going to see. Just to reiterate real quick.
Graham:Yeah, go ahead.
Scott:I'm just throwing this out there. I don't want to interrupt you.
Announcer:No, go ahead.
Scott:But, dude, the Lakers were the three seed and they were 50-32. Okay, playing against Minnesota, minnesota it was 49 and 33. One game, three seed to the six seed.
Announcer:Yeah.
Graham:Insane Right.
Scott:And the Thunder lost 14 games.
Graham:Yeah, I was about to say it was pretty close and the Thunder lost 14 games. Yeah, I was looking to say it's pretty close, um, yeah, so it's just like, with the matchups now that are happening, it's just like there's some really good matchups that I'm like looking forward to see. Um, I'm really shocked that the Pacers uh, beat the calves. As you were saying. That first game in the second round that started already the Knicks-Celtics should be a good series. I think the Celtics are going to take care of business. Fairly candidly, let's just say this I don't think it's going. It's not going seven games. I think it's going to be a 4-2 series, maybe a 4-1 series. But I like what else we got here. I mean, what's going to?
Scott:And, like I told you the other night, I'm always a year late. Remember last year on the show I was like OKC going to the finals.
Graham:Yeah, they had a chance.
Scott:Who's going to beat them? This year they had a chance.
Graham:Who's going? To beat them this year, dude they. The thing is, they need to do it this year, and the reason why I say that, folks, is because a lot of their talented players are all on rookie contracts right now, like they have three people that they need to pay really big money to very soon and they're not going to be able to keep that team together. I mean, it's like their team 15-plus years ago when they had dude think about this they drafted all of these players.
Announcer:I know exactly where you're going.
Graham:Kevin Durant, james Harden and Westbrook on the same team, and Westbrook came off the bench. Like what?
Scott:Dude, I will never forget being in Vegas with Bear and we went down to cash his ticket when the Giants won the Super Bowl and we sat at a sports book and got buckets of beer special and watched a playoff game with OKC and the Lakers and I'm like look at these dudes? Are you kidding me right now? Yeah, so the Thunder Nugget Series. The Thunder are minus 700 betting. The Celtics are minus 800. The Cavaliers are minus 210. The Timberwolves are minus 180.
Announcer:Yeah.
Graham:I mean, like I was saying there's good matches, like it's going to be good, like I'm I'm really curious to see what's going to happen in this second round, just to see who's going to play in the conference finals. Like it's going to be some really good matchups, like I'm really curious what's going to happen, like you were saying, in the warriors series. That's going to be.
Scott:I mean you got Steph Jimmy Butler versus what's his nuts for the Timberwolves. Anthony I can't think of his name yeah.
Announcer:Yeah.
Scott:Michael Jordan's whatever Everybody always calls him Jordan's little hooker baby, Dude the Warriors plus 155. Little hooker baby, but dude the Warriors plus 155, I think I'm taking that.
Graham:Yeah, I mean, they like I right, it's a.
Scott:I mean the experience.
Graham:They got a lot of good players. I mean, dude, I keep on forgetting they got Randall on their team that they got on the trade during the offseason. He was on the Knicks, he was really good. When I saw him I was like damn, I'm really not watching enough of this basketball. Like I completely forgot you were on the team. I was just like, oh, um, there's a lot of good storylines. I mean I I really think that series could go either way. Um, I mean, jim, it's it's the thing.
Scott:Here's the funny thing to me Cleveland, the number one seed in the East, okay, mm. Hmm, me, cleveland, the number one seed in the east, okay. The Pacers against them are plus 120, plus 175. Cleveland's minus one, minus 210. The Celtics minus 800 against the Knicks. I know I'm not a huge NBA guy. If you put a gun to my head right now and said, hey, why name a player on the Pacers, the Cavaliers or the Knicks, one player for three teams?
Graham:I seriously don't know if I could do it. I mean, to be fair, it's not something you normally watch. So I mean, most of the basketball that you watch is just to throw some fun bets on, to be honest, just because you're bored at night, yeah.
Scott:But still one player to be named for three teams that are in the semifinals.
Graham:Yeah, I mean there's.
Scott:Who's Donovan Mitchell played for? Doesn't he play for the Cavaliers? He does, there, you go.
Graham:All right, there's one, let's go. I didn't even look that up, I promise. I swear to God, the only reason I know his name is because he was interviewed on the Kelsey podcast. Let's go, all right, there's one, let's go. I didn't even look that up, I promise.
Scott:I swear to God. The only reason I know his name is because he was interviewed on the Kelsey podcast. Let's go, let's go. But as far as the Pacers, I mean the last Pacer I could tell you, reggie Miller, my boy Debt Left Shrimp. Let's go Back in the past. I'm saying dude, pacers are winning that series.
Graham:Oh, that's definitely not happening. Well, I can't say that, oh, it's happening. They down one. What's happening? That'd be sad. That'd be sad.
Scott:How pissed would the NBA be if it was like the pacers versus okc in the finals no, they want.
Graham:I mean I mean okc boston and okc cleveland would be amazing. I mean I think the nba would want the Warriors just because of Steph and his age.
Scott:Steph, yeah.
Graham:That also, because if I would say don't quote me on it, but I'm pretty positive yeah, jimmy Butler hasn't won a championship yet. So I mean they're kind of pulling for that a little bit too. But yeah, I mean I really think that they I mean, look, the Thunder is the team to beat. They've just been so dominant this year and it's just like they got a lot of guys Like and they're guys that you forget about too Like I keep like they took the dude from like the seven foot one white dude, that's like. That looks like a toothpick and I can't think of his name off the top of my head right now. Number one overall three years ago, but he was hurt last year. It's just like they got studs and the funny thing is is their best player. Okc wasn't even drafted by them. He was actually drafted by the Clippers, but the Clippers traded him because they didn't see his potential, his rookie year. Wow, could you imagine an organization trading away a player that turns into be the best player in the league?
Scott:Do we need to talk about the Mavericks trading Luka?
Graham:Well, here's the thing with that.
Scott:And his hot mom to the Lakers.
Graham:Yeah, but see, look, a lot of reasons why the Lakers lost is because newsflash Luka doesn't play defense. And when you don't play defense and they're very top heavy, like they pretty much just have their starting five, their bench is not the greatest. Look, can he score? Yes, but if his shots ain't dropping, he's almost a liability out there. Like there was a play, specifically within the last couple minutes of the game, where he drove the lane and made and went to go for a layup, didn't make it and spent like 15 seconds complaining to the ref like he got fouled and he really didn't even get fouled. And it's just like, bro, you have to try, like, and by try I mean you got to try and play defense you got to be, you know, and it's just like that's the one knock on him.
Graham:It's like, yeah, you're a great individual scorer, congratulations. But you know, your defense has been subpar his whole career. So people were thinking that, hey, you know, uniting with lebron, lebron's a good defensive player. You know, maybe it will rub off, you know it's things like that, but it's just like now. Nowadays in the NBA, you can't have a superstar be one-dimensional in the sense of only being an offensive player. You know what I mean. Like you've got to be able to play some type of defense and it was on full display. I mean like it was to the point where it was obvious. I mean like it was to the point where it was obvious. And when it's obvious, it's just like you can kind of understand why the Mavericks made that play. I mean, I wouldn't say that's the reason they did it, but like you know, it's a-.
Scott:He didn't watch his nuts. In his press conference, their coach, JJ Redick, throws something out there and be like next year we need everybody in shape. Look, and wasn't that the knock on, luka yeah.
Graham:No, it definitely was. But also, I mean, I would also say that some of the blame for the Lakers in the playoffs, like how they finished the regular season, was amazing, but it's just some of his coaching decisions, even though he's analytically brilliant when it comes to basketball. I mean, look, this is his first year, yeah you know who else was analytically brilliant.
Scott:You know who else was analytically brilliant that got a head coaching job. That never deserved it. That douchebag, brandon Staley. How'd that work out Analytically, moron? Okay, when he first came to the league with the Chargers, it was great and the motherfucker's going for fourth and 18 and whatever Never deserved a job. At least Reddit played for Duke played in the league league. There's lots of players that have played in the league that have taken head coaching jobs right, oh for sure but you know, I don't know.
Scott:I've heard a lot of media, a lot of people questioning reddick at the end of the season.
Graham:But Well, a lot of it was just because he wasn't subbing players Like he just had, like he just had his starters out he played his starters the whole fourth quarter and it's just like, yeah, if those are your five best players, like I get that. But like, even with the best conditioning, like you got to take a seat, you know you got to Come on guys.
Scott:It's time for a little load management. You played last night.
Graham:You got to be whooped, I mean come on.
Scott:I mean you're getting paid billions of dollars. I mean you don't need to play tonight.
Graham:You played last night. There's more to I know.
Scott:I'm just throwing the, I'm just saying the.
Graham:I'm just saying versus. In hockey there's more ways you can affect the game without scoring. You know what I mean. Where in the NBA, scoring is kind of the thing you got to do. You know what I mean.
Scott:Yeah.
Scott:But, coaches, the old saying I'm going back, you know years here, you know, and just throwing haymakers at my chargers. How many close games did the chargers lose in the fourth quarter? Good coaches win close games, bad coaches don't. Yeah, it's all how you manage your squad, I agree, but I don't know. Something we haven't done in a while we're going to bring back tonight and that is our hot chick of the week.
Scott:And if you watch the J jets and the blues game tonight, you saw who our featured hot chick of the week is and that is Jackie Redmond. And she was interviewing the jets head coach at the end of the game. And I'm like I'm sorry, what? Where did this chick come from? Look her up. Yeah, not only does she do hockey, she's on WWE 38 years old smoke show. You're welcome. All these dude, all these hot chicks. Like I said, you are taking all the sports jobs and you were like, oh, it's because it gets guys to watch sports. No, graham, it's not because it gets guys to watch sports. We watch sports because we love sports. It gets guys to watch the interviews after the God dang games. When the game's over, you're flipping channels. Now, I mean the GOAT, aaron Andrews, right?
Announcer:Yeah.
Scott:The first one of them Smoke. Then you got Amanda Baleonis and golf and whatever. We're not even going to get into all this.
Graham:So who's the football?
Scott:one.
Graham:But Aaron Andrews.
Scott:Well, you got Amanda Baleonis. You got Aaron Andrews. Uh, Paul, the, you know who your boy's favorite is. If you don't say this within 10 seconds, right now, I'm going to be bitter Betty.
Graham:Wait, interviewer.
Scott:Yes, sideline.
Graham:Oh, sideline. Oh, Stacey Colbert. No, no, no, god damn. You love Amanda Pallionis. You said Sideline, I'm assuming football, so I'm like. That's the first person that came to mind.
Scott:Melissa Stark.
Graham:Oh, I wouldn't All right. I vaguely remember that now. Yeah, you speak more about Amanda Pallionis than anyone, so that's why I was, just, like we said, silent.
Announcer:Duh, duh.
Scott:I don't even know who you are anymore. No, no, no, no, no, Stop, stop, stop. Can I get two slaps and uh?
Graham:That's what I was gonna do.
Scott:Okay, a birthday one. Oh, that's what I was gonna do.
Scott:okay, a birthday one and folks just like that. I think it's time for Graham to go out and get blacked out if you're in the 702, to go out and get blacked out If you're in the 702. Hit my boy up, buy him a shot, throw him a little Venmo at Graham Cohen or whatever it is. Send him some cash, money, pay for some drinks. Graham, I love you, it's your birthday, mine is next Monday and we got a Knights game on my birthday. It only happened twice. The first year it happened, we made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. The second year it happened, we had a special episode when we won the Cup. Yes, sir. Special episode when we won the cup, yes, sir. So, with all that being said, go Knights, go Graham. Happy 42nd birthday. Love you, brother. Hope you had a good time and on the West Coast in Nevada, it's still your birthday, yes sir.
Scott:So go have some fun. Get this show out. Tell Mama Cohen, next year I expect some pecan pie. Other than that, get us out of here, bro.
Graham:Scott, it's always a pleasure doing the podcast with you. I appreciate the birthday wishes. I look forward to next week for your birthday and also I'm surprised you didn't mention it Two days after that. The schedule release for the NFL Can't wait for that You're looking at me right now I'm too nervous to even think about that. I know, sweet baby Jesus. Please, all right, mum's the word. All that being said, scott, it's always a pleasure and, as the best homie always says, buh-bye.
Scott:Good night friends. Good night, jackie Redmond. I'm glad I discovered you tonight. Go Knights, go Go.
Announcer:This episode of the Ball Guys on the Bench podcast is brought to you by our friends at Northstar Credit Union and Southern Auto, located in Southeast Virginia.
