 We always have a good time when we have on Christopher Mad Dog Russo and he is nice enough to join us now Chris it's Michael Don and Peter. How you doing today? How are my three favorites things good? We're doing great We're doing great now your name Chris has been out there a lot there There's rumors that there might be a spot open working with your old partner Would you ever be interested in reuniting and going back on terrestrial radio? I would probably say not So from that standpoint, I wouldn't think I think might could get a part I wouldn't move that out based on what I've read, but I do not think you will see me in that direction I thought there was a chance maybe a couple years ago when I 30 for 30 came out Which you by the way, Mr. K. Did a great job with thank you, which I thought I did not hear from you on that And what did I hear from Peter like we were not we were not important enough. I didn't watch it Honestly, I was disgusted that we aired it There were a couple years ago that that could occur that did not so I would say probably safely Mike that that ship is sailed But if asked would you do it? They won't ask number one so it's a hypothetical probably at this point in my life I would not all right if entercom comes in drops, you know five million dollars in your lap a year. Would you reconsider? They won't if they did I would probably say no Wow First off serious has been great to me that's number one I know that you know, it's kind of weird to say it because you know I'm not trying to sit there and I don't want to be lovey-dovey with serious But they've been very good to me for 11 years now and for me to leave them to run back to terrestrial I have never heard the end of it plus I love the content that you can do it serious Plus it would affect the MLB network show so I it's just timing would not be right I think there may have been a time that there would have been a consideration But at my age right now guys, that would not occur. I'd be shy at first off. Let be fair I mean, I'm not that important the intercom or mark turn off or anybody else or Mikey They're not gonna come back and say Chris by the way, we love you so much. Here's five million Let's let's topple ESPN ready with the ratings. They are not gonna tell me that so that's so It's a nice hypothetical Mike. I know you're trying to get me in a little trouble I would say I would say no, I would say they wouldn't want me and I wouldn't go Perfect now. I just want to ask you this when we promoted that you're gonna be on on Twitter yesterday I mean people go nuts for you You realize that on terrestrial radio a lot of people don't have Hard to me to gauge it I did see the New York Post and believe it or not I didn't even realize that this was sort of the end of the rating period this day. Oh, yeah Oh, I can see you know, I'm a pawn the sacrifice Wasn't that come on Because you're my pal Mike you've been good to me and I've known you for a long time I love Don's brother Peter. I don't know that well That would not have been my intention because obviously, you know My home for 20 years with Mike But I so I did not think that but I listen the fact that there's so people who care in New York is a good sign I don't get it. I've known you for 23 years and you throw it out. Well, I know Don's brother that wow that was That's a little rough Wasn't very that wasn't very buddy-buddy DVD I don't think I got it back Postgame on the on radio with the Rangers every day that you're doing so I enjoy that as well. What are you a devil thief? I was I'm a giant fan did Jets for 16 years on that fan stuck on. Yes. This is my life But you were a huge devils fan Some say he has a devil's tattoo. Oh really that's been said We're we're we'll show that tattoo be that would be on my calf So I just had to get that out of the way I know Don's brother Only known you for 23 years Now we're talking about this before the show you have such every time you come on the show you're so alive about sports And you've been in it for so long. How do you still keep up that that a energy and be enthusiasm about now You've seen the sausage being made well remember Mike This is a good time for us, you know, you got your opening day tomorrow. You got baseball We all love the baseball you got games all over the place. You got final Sweet 16 stuff the college game should be very good this weekend. The weather will get a little better You know, you're not catching me on a February 15th day And if you did I would have been talking you came in Rams basketball Who by the way won their first state championship in 57 years 10 days ago He's on a team now playing is a little And they had a hell of a great coach They had a hell of a year and they were 25 in the last two years. They were 9 and 31 combined So you would have heard me scream about that in February, but it's a good time of the year Michael I mean, I know you got a lot of games against the Orioles, but I mean you got the baseball You got the n-sit up lay a little warmer weather So a little perky today compared to say most days, but you know, you still like doing it You do it all these years. You've been doing Yankee games forever Yeah, you're telling me in the middle of January when middle of June when the rays come in For a three game series on a jury night at the stadium on a Wednesday You got to find some in a three hour and 55 minute game The unmanageable three hours 55 minutes you find some life doing the games, right? And you've always been so passionate about baseball especially and listening to you and working with you You were someone that really trusted your eyeballs when watching a player How do you feel now that like they're the analytics are telling you how good a player is does it bother you that Sometimes the analytics are denying what your eyes tell you I never died never done Mike might I don't talk about war Wins above replacement. I don't get that wrapped up in that I try to look at it, you know analytics can be a useful tool But I look at it like I've always looked at it as far as just who I think is a great player And who I don't think is a great player who's overrated who isn't I'm more team oriented anyway And I think this year, you know the American League. We all know it's a have-have-not league I think the NL will be a little more interesting. It's probably about seven or eight teams We were kind of bunched up in the 80s while the American League gets, you know, it's basically come down to Houston The Yankees and Red Sox. I mean that's what it comes down to Indians I think will come down a little bit. So I'm more wrapped up in the teams than they are in the players But you know, I listen you had to talk about the players recently Aronato trout Machado Harper the Grom Snell, I mean my goodness Verlander they have spent so much money. That's why the players Association's human about that middle class is absurd. They have spent billions of dollars here in the last month or so with these contracts So you have to pay attention to class, but me as Mike would know I'm still more wrapped up on team Now you had some strong feelings about Harold Baines and some of the Hall of Fame inductions some minor disagreements about that Why did you feel so strongly and do you still feel the same way you did now at the start of the season that you did a couple Months ago. Oh, absolutely. I don't know how Mike feels about it. He might age You know, Baines is a nice player. Baines is not a Hall of Fame baseball. He's put Oliver in a Hall of Fame Put it down automatically and Keith Hernandez in that too. Good job, Mike They didn't play Hernandez is a better player than Baines. He wasn't a long compiler like Baines is I'll tell you what else bother me. Why have the riders votes? I mean the most the highest percentage I was 6% for quite a while. Yeah, so it goes from 6% into the Hall of Fame Now LaRouche is mad at me when I say that but I do think that you know having so many ex White Sox people on the board Including rhinestore. I and don't forget, you know, Gillick was on that and Tony was and so was Alomar who play with him I think that had a lot to do with this, but you guys know how I actually think it's embarrassing Baines We had Tori on and Tori was part of that and and I don't want to get on Joe Tori But when he's describing Baines, he's like he's a heck of a player. I'm sorry that doesn't describe a heck of a player Does not describe a Hall of Famer Lee Smith. He took the ball every day That doesn't describe a Hall of Famer at least Lee Smith is I wouldn't have put him in either But at least he's debatable. I mean you can make a case How the heck do you make a case about Harold Baines because he had more game-winning RBI's, you know The fifth inning on that nonsense, and I had a big fight with LaRouche here about Oh you did play I was gonna say I was gonna give you credit for holding your own because there's a there's a tendency for athletes and coaches and people in The sport to shout down experts who haven't played the game And I thought you were great for for holding your ground And I get 20 credit for coming on but you know, I mean you're right You always get that Mike you get it too. Well, you never played. What do you know? I mean, I managed them. How do you know how good the player is I know because we saw Baines for Mike what 23 years we saw many people it bans a Hall of Famer and you're right No, and if you're gonna put Baines in I mentioned Madeline Hernandez look this up when you get a chance Chris a guy I per I mean, I'm not objective because I love him Kenny Singleton's a Hall of Famer then good point I mean look at his numbers. He's a much better player. Yeah, absolutely. I think Al Oliver That's the guy that I bought up to to LaRouche So I mean all of us a lifetime funer hitter. He's got 2,800 a career hits I mean the the argument that I heard with Baines Well, if he didn't have three strikes, you know, he was involved in the three walkouts He would have had the missed a lot of games. He would have had the extra hundred and 200 hits Yeah, well, how about Oliver for clown out loud? He's close to right really bothered me about Baines And you know, they are cheap in the Hall of Fame and the bottom line is they have cheered The Hall of Fame used to be the best one But to me they've cheapened it with some of the folks who have gotten in and to me It's more about that executive committee than it is about the writers I still think the writers do a good job. Give me we're talking with Chris Russo here on the Michael K show Give me your take on the Giants because we haven't heard your take on the Giants So you think not your not your Giants in New York Giants. Do you believe they know what they're doing? I think demanding things a big mistake. I can't get on them for Beckham. I think he was tough to handle off the field I know they gave him all the money there in August. What's happened in seven months But I think the issue that I have with the Giants is it's very difficult to Try to win with a 38 year old quarterback and one thing about Manning to be fair He's lost 24 of his last 32 games He's 116 and 114 is in his career and he's playing one playoff game in the last nine years He's a and I hear everybody tell me well, how about the last five or six games? Look how great he was. Hey guy, Dave Guettemann. Did you see the Tennessee game? When he was atrocious The Eagles in the second half when they couldn't move the ball an inch Did they and the interception they flew before the half anybody see that game? Dallas wasn't playing but he had defense and Redskins have no defense I mean he's 38 years of age. Did the Giants owe Eli another send-off? I don't know. I'm a little listen I'm a little worried about the Eli thing is a little and remember I don't kill him for Berkeley because Because he's going to be great, but they had darnold. They had josh allen Who's going to be good? They got haskins sitting there. They have another chance at rosin They've had about five or six chances to get a quarterback in the last two drafts And if they let another opportunity sometimes you got to take a chance and just draft one and keep your fingers crossed Well, that's the thing because you can't play Eli forever for crying out loud But I do think this was a favor after the embarrassment in 2017 When they they cut his streak and started gino smith and I think john mara told guettelman and shirmer I want to try to win with Eli before his contract is up. He made no sense to take a running back, too It just it doesn't i'm sorry great running backs don't need the championships great quarterbacks do That's a good point don don's on top of mike. He's not bad. He's Listen, I consider my career. I consider my career a completed hail mary. They do happen Well, here's the here's the here's the question to ask about barkley and donald Would you rather have the very good? Let's assume donald's gonna be very good. I'm not a whore of famer Would you rather have the very good quarterback to lead your franchise for 15 years? Or would you rather have you know a whore of famer? He is whore of famer. He stays healthy Or would you rather have a whore of famer running back for seven? Oh, I would rather have the the very good quarterback. I think so too. Mike, what do you think? I think I'd rather have the quarterback. Peter. Yeah, it's 50 The bottom line is it gives stability to a franchise for 15 years if you if you luck out and and chris You just said it and we've been talking about it if they pass if haskins is sitting there at six and they pass I don't see how the fan base doesn't lose their mind I I what what they cancel a third round pick at arizona to get to get the rosin. They can't try that Well, if you can try to get them for a third You don't have to give up a first round pick. You can't throw a second round pick I mean you can't take a run at the top of rosin is you got to play him You can't have him sit there because you know who wants maybe e-line at five and six the last five games It's time to make a move. I think he could be kurt warner. He could be a guy that starts the season I don't like that Here's the people who support e-line. I know he's won two soup bowls and I know he's probably going to want a fame And I know I've been a little anti e-line since he kind of strong on san diego I'll be the first to admit that when he came out in the jeff be fair He's lost 24 of his last 32 games as a starting quarterback And he's played in one playoff game in which he lost Since since the 1-0 last championship of 2011, but it's not all his fault No, I understand that but he's certainly, I agree. We understand that but he's a statue He can't move and he's very erratic in these games Well, I've got no problem with the keeping him now His money's going to come off the books at the end of the season So, you know why why why get rid of him and eat any money to go bring in another quarterback Miles will just keep him this year But I'm with you but here's the thing you got a couple quarterbacks out there that you can get right now And you had a couple quarterbacks last year they could have drafted donald They could have drafted Oh, no that I agree with that I agree with once they passed on the quarterback at this particular point None of those quarterbacks again in the playoffs anyway, so may as we just keep elie I understand well again, you can't throw a second round pick to get josh I'll in here to shoot you guys. Oh, you know that I agree with but you can still keep elie on the roster and do that I didn't say but josh, josh has got to play No, I agree. I completely agree and I and I hate these people saying well He was awful last year akeman was awful his first year elie was awful That that coach was awful. They got rid of him. That's the worst offensive line in football I don't want to work anybody evaluate josh. I can't do it. You're in arizona. That's not fair. All right now I need you. What else you got mike? I need you to gauge this for me. Peter Rosenberg, right? I don't know. We're going has kind of made Oh, yeah, he made his name in the sports side by just killing duke. He did a duke video a duke wrap He hates duke. He went to maryland. He's rooting for them because he likes zion williamson. Don, and I think he's fraudulent And I won't root for them and I will no longer. It's not that I'm rooting for the team chris You can't separate it. Pete. Oh, guys the best player. Let me ask you a question Go ahead. The last possession on sunday afternoon When they're down by two, did you root for them and he had the ball on the left side line? Yep, I wanted He's a fraud Well, we forgot to know him you'd have zion williamson should have been committed should have been called for two offensive or at least one offensive foul Were you for the last play of the game? We are my god He ran right into that little guard and then they forced they had a hook on the rebound and barrett pushed off I mean gee whiz and how many calls are going to get the last second for that game Now but do you how special do you think zion is as a player? I think it's gonna be I you know, I had my doubts a little bit as I wondered about his outside game But I'll tell you watch him in the last whatever it might be You know the carolina game in the acc tournament when he had 31 points He can make a three. He's a freak athlete. He's competitive. He's a tremendous offensive rebounder And that's something else. He's a much better passer than you think. Oh, yeah, unbelievable He is you know watch the nicks end up with pick number three and they end up with barrett who stinks What'd you think of when jim dolin was on with us did you just hear any about that? Oh, yes, I did And I loved your I didn't hear it, but I heard I read all the excerpts And I heard your questions about the daily news my press conference. I can invite who I want Spoken like an old new york daily news writer and michael k. That's right. It is I heard about the issue with the fan a tmz. It was a setup blah blah blah I heard it all. Did you have a good relationship with dolin when you I did I also heard the idea a lot of my buddies said You know dolin does not come across great on these radio interviews He does also I don't know if it would be that bad on radio, but the fact that we're simulcast you he's got He's got these sloppy notes in front of him. Sometimes it doesn't make him look good Ah, he's fumbling with his words. He's got the notes. He's wrinkling up. He can hear the notes in the background I don't know but you like him personally like because he does come off a little odd on the radio Oh, he's been good to me Yeah, that's the way I feel too, but I know that people out of work there. He's a tough guy to work for Uh, you listen, you know, I I you would know that better than me. I had never worked for the garden Um, you know, I know he loves that band. I mean, I I guess he makes you go to the I said to amberham used to say that I guess he makes you go to the shows When he's covering plain eagle songs Do you think durant comes here? I do not I think durant's going to the clippers Oh, then they you know what then trading poor singers was the mistake. I agree Unless they get two max people that that was a mistake They had to do it, but if you don't get if you don't cash in on it, it's bad I think I don't know what I know, but I just I think jerry west with the clippers I think doc rivers with the clippers. I think the warm weather I think the fact that lebron's vulnerable with the lakers And the fact they have two max contracts and he's going on a ready-made team I think you might go there and I'll tell you right now If I was my team, I'm not bringing kairi erring in Why too sensitive there's something about him. I do not like There's a lot of drama with him. So you'd rather have camber walker I don't know about that either I I I don't know. I know the nicks will probably do it because they'll be desperate right so there but Which is what they did with stottemire Exactly and stottemire game a good half a season right and then but I think that would be now they'll probably do it But I think that would be a mistake. I'll tell you what I'll tell you what I'm as you know I'm a fraud, but I'm also a Celtics fan and it's I love kairi personally great kid But as a leader, he just seems to he keeps wavering And this is a team that is desperate for real leadership. And I just don't think he's the guy Well, think about it last year didn't play in the playoffs. They played pretty well Uh, this uh, you know, when he was with cleveland before the bra and the team stunk I mean this year he's had a he's got a lot to say They've had a terrible year for them He's or is he's now he's questioning stevens. Who's the hell of a coach? I'm not involved. I don't love him. I don't think he's a blend He's a great scorer in in in crunch time, but I don't think he's a blend in point guard This is me now. I'm not an expert from what I see and the nicks will do it because they're desperate I would not go near before you go your giants your giants don't look like they're gonna be good terrible They have bad team I think the question that you're going to have with the giants They have no outfield number one right right ahead You hit it right in the head and you know, bochi's leaving as you guys know The question they got side far hands 80 in there from the Dodgers who's you know, he's a Oakland a disciple believe me all that the question you're going to have with the giants Is in july When they're 30 behind the Dodgers, which they will be Will they trade bumgarner who's a free agent who will give the giants a benefit of the doubt with the contract Because he loves the giants and he's a he's a good kid who doesn't play just for making every nickel But will they trade him to get a lot back and refurnish that farm system? That is the question. I think the fan base, which is you know sells 41 000 tickets a game They love the guy out there. He's helped them win three championships They did not trade them in the off season when a lot of people thought they would That will be the question with san francisco and you'll find that out when you go out there to do these games If they get off to a bad start and the Dodgers play well early and they had 20 out on me Because they're not making a plus as a wild card team in the national league. There's too many teams So they got to win the division. They're not going to what are they going to do a memorial day when they're 20 out And you know, they got him sitting there. It's a tricky spot for him. It really is Chris. We can't thank you enough My boss tim mccartney just sent word five million dollars just to join the three of us. Would you do it? Six he's got me Thanks, man Hold on. Let's let's let's let what kind of negotiate. Yeah, sure. Sure in hypothetical world. All right. How about 15 for three? No bonuses needed 15 no ratings bonuses. That's very big of you 15 for three. Okay How's that because if I'm if you're gonna pay me all that money, I should get ratings, right? Exactly. That's the way george used to think. Why should I give you MVP bonuses? Yeah, why should I give him bonuses for winning MVP's? I'm paying him a fortune for trying out a lot Okay, no bonuses three for 15. All right coach him to call me. All right. Wow big story here So which one of us goes no forward would be good. We still have that dinner. All right. Oh, he's gone I think he hung up on that. That is the end. That was probably for the best. Yeah