Nothing Personal with David Samson

Mailbag! It’s a mailbag! It’s time for some mail! We get so many questions so even when there’s no show… there is still a show! (1:20) Let’s talk about leaks. Someone asked about leaking information and what would happen when someone got caught leaking information. What about intentionally leaking information… (12:40) Someone asked how you would describe the relationship between players and the front office. Can you become friends with players? (20:12) Someone asked me what the state of Minor League Baseball and the MLB Draft is. Which direction is this league headed in? (30:18) Someone asked me about the Beloit Snappers plan for naming rights. The team announced it would be done on a daily basis. (37:48) Someone asked what’s easier in terms of expectations: running a big market or small market team?

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*DISCLAIMER* We are sorry about the audio quality. Our recording setup in the dinghy took on some water.

Today’s word of the day is ’Oliver Stone’ as in the American film maker as in it’s time for a movie as in Pete Alonso has conspiracy about MLB that we need to talk about. Alonso says that MLB is messing with the baseballs based on what the free agency class looks like.(13:26) Gerrit Cole squared off against Josh Donaldson on Wednesday night. The Yankees vs Twins. The story was that Donaldson wants to expose pitchers and Cole is America’s most wanted right now. (20:32) Review: Riders of Justice. (23:55) Montez Sweat made some alarming comments about the COVID-19 vaccine. He answered a question about the vaccine saying he doesn’t have enough information on it yet… he doesn’t trust it… what information is he waiting for? (31:20) Starling Martels is going to be a free agent at the end of the season. He said he wants to remain a Marlin for life. Not going to happen. Why do players say this when it’s time to be a free agent? (36:10) NPPOD. (37:10) Signing young players to long-term deals can be a great thing to do. Sometimes it’s an awful investment. Let’s talk about what the Philadelphia Phillies did with Scott Kingery. (43:00) I will not be appearing on the Local Hour of Dan Le Batard’s show this week. Sorry. But it’s……..

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Today’s word of the day is ’spider tack’ as in foreign substances as in a new kind of sticky paste used by bodybuilders that MLB pitchers are apparently using. Gerrit Cole was asked about his use and his answer is now an all-time great one…. NOT. (13:50) Let’s talk about this new book that just came out by Andy Martino about the Astros scandal. It goes into detail about Jose Altuve and how he tried to fight back against the sign-stealing. Do we believe this? (19:40) Kevin Durant was not very happy with Jay Williams of ESPN. Williams claimed that Durant had said something and Williams said that something on the air, and Durant called him out for it. Let’s discuss this sort of dilemma and why it’s happening more. (30:45) Review: The Dry. (34:40) NPPOD. (36:32) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me about the College Football Playoff and the possible expansion to 12 schools as opposed to four schools. Interesting. Why would the committee want to expand?

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Today’s word of the day is ’39’ as in 0-for-39 as in Jarred Kelenic is currently hitless in his last 39 at bats. The all-time record is Chris Davis who went hitless in 54 straight at bats. So what did the Seattle Mariners do with their top prospect? Sent him back down to the minor leagues. Did the Mariners bring him up too soon? (13:40) Do you want to be an owner? Now you can! You can buy a piece of Manchester United! Let me explain. (22:25) Review: Four Good Days (26:20) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me about Aaron Rodgers not showing up to mandatory minicamp. They wanted to know if I’d fine him if I were part of Green Bay Packers front office. (34:45) NPPOD. (35:12) Jeff Bezos is going to space. He’s out of here. Taking a flight on Blue Origin to space because he wants people to experience that trip so he’s testing it out himself. (41:05) Daryl Morey was fined again. This time for a tweet on Steph Curry. Guy can’t help himself.

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Today’s word of the day is ‘gotcha’ as in you’re caught as in it’s all over as in MLB says it is going to start cracking down on foreign substances used by pitchers. What does that even mean? (15:55) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? (18:30) John Rahm was leading the field by 6 strokes at the Memorial Tournament and as he walked off the 18th green he was told he tested positive for COVID. Whoa. PGA immediately told him he had to withdraw. (27:19) Review: Together Together. (31:30 NPPOD. (37:10) Is there parity in the NBA now? No LeBron and no Steph Curry. Are we at a point where teams are this close in terms of competition? (40:42) The Portland Trailblazers fired Terry Stotts over the weekend and Dame Lillard is said to be highly sought after. Portland wants Dame to be involved in the search. Jason Kidd turned down an interview. What will happen here?

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Today’s word of the day is ‘gnome’ as in Le Batard called me that. Can you believe it? How dare he? First it was the poster.. didn’t care. Then another poster… didn’t care. And now a gnome? The dinghy is coming for the ship. (4:12) LeBron James and the Lakers have been eliminated from the NBA Playoffs. First time in his careers he’s lost in the first round. Anthony Davis could only play five minutes through injury. LeBron was the latest person to come out when he said he was just burnt out. Let’s discuss. (14:35) Players always want to be scouts. It’s their favorite thing to do. They all want to sign a guy they saw or a guy they played with. Tom Brady is the latest on this list as the Buccaneers used him to help scout WR during the NFL Draft. (23:24) Review: Bo Burnham’s Inside (30:15) Johnny Manziel was recently on a podcast where he talked about all the money he made in college. Cash money. Would NIL have helped curb this? (37:45) NPPOD. (43:05) Who will be the first manager fired in MLB this season? I’ve got a list of four because it’s bound to happen soon. 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘du-rag’ as in a wave cap as in the hair covering mostly worn by African-American people. Why are we bringing it up? Bob Brenly is an analyst for the Arizona Diamondbacks and commented on Marcus Stroman of the Mets du-rag. Stroman called him out for using “racist undertones” in his comments. Sensitivity training. That’s the new thing. What even is that? (9:46) What is race norming? It assumed that Black players started with lower cognitive functioning and made it harder for them to be eligible in the billion dollar lawsuit against the NFL. More than 2,000 NFL retirees have filed dementia claims, but fewer than 600 have received compensation. (18:55) Danny Ainge officially resigned yesterday and met with the media. He said he was tired and it was time. Brad Stevens was tired after the bubble. Everyone in Boston is tired. The pandemic has tired us all out. The strain on mental health has been significant to us all. (27:28) Review: Frances Ferguson. (30:40) NPPOD. (32:57) Four minor league baseball players have been suspended for doctoring baseballs. Big deal? No. MLB owners are now meeting to discuss what’s happening in the big leagues. What are they trying to prove? (40:20) Bob Baffert has been suspended by Churchill Downs for two years. Medina Spirit tested positive again, but Churchill Downs says, “Hey! Even if you bet against that horse you’re still as loser. Sorry!”

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Today’s word of the day is ‘prison’ as in prison food as in that’s what everyone is saying the Oakland Athletics minor league teams are eating. Picture surfaced and the food looks like a mix of Fyre Fest and something a 1st grader would make if you gave them keys to the kitchen. This is a big problem because the Athletics run the minor league affiliates now and team president Dave Kaval addressed the situation… but was he being honest? (10:55) BREAKING NEWS: The Boston Celtics will have massive turnover now. Head coach Brad Stevens will now become the new head of basketball ops and longtime executive Danny Ainge will step down. This is what happens when you’re the Boston Celtics and you don’t get results. (14:30) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me about Ben Roethlisberger telling reporters he was the one who asked the Steelers for a pay cut… HA! (23:20) Review: The Kominsky Method. (26:11) The Utah Jazz are giving courtside tickets to Ja Morant’s family after what happened earlier in the season. Why is this a big deal? (33:20) NPPOD (36:40) Atlanta small business will have its lawsuits dismissed, not settled against MLB and MLBPA. What are we even talking about?

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Today’s word of the day is ‘withdrawal’ as in Naomi Osaka has withdrew from the French Open, one of the four tennis majors, citing mental health reasons. She released a statement about why she would withdraw. This came after she said she would not be doing press conferences because of the anxiety she deals with during those events. Let’s have a discussion about mental health, pressure in sports on young athletes, and the “job”. (22:50) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Another night of NBA playoff action and another night where a fan was arrested and ban from the arena. This time the fan actually ran out onto the court and was tackled. Someone asked me what rule changes I’d make to make sure this doesn’t happen anymore. (36:10) Review: Mare of Easttown. (39:20) NPPOD. 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘grateful’ as in it’s Memorial Day as in day to remember all those who have sacrificed their lives for us to have our freedom to live in this country. (1:28) Fans are out of control right now. Another NBA Playoff game and another situation where a fan was arrested. This time a Boston fan threw a water bottle at Kyrie Irving as he was leaving the court. This has become disgraceful. (9:25) Marcell Ozuna was arrested for domestic violence over the weekend. He was caught in the act by the police in Georgia. This is serious. MLB will suspend him for a long time. (27:00) Review: I am All Girls (31:00) NPPOD. (34:15) Naomi Osaka won her first match at the French Open. The Open has responded with a fine of $15K. (39:00) Inter Miami has made history. Not the good kind. Largest penalty in MLS-history ($2M), allocation money forfeited, owner fined, former sporting director suspended through the 2022 season. Woof. 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘catalog’ as in an organized collection of things as in Josh Donaldson says he’s going to put together a catalog of how every pitcher cheats. Why would he do this? Who’s he going to expose? The Houston Astros? Trevor Bauer? (9:40) The worst play in MLB history happened yesterday. The Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman’s brain absolutely melted. Cubs Javy Baez made a play that broke first baseman Will Craig’s brain. Unreal. (17:22) NPPOD. (24:20) Review: Friends Reunion. (28:40) Let’s talk about the Super League. The disaster that was. This weekend is the Champion’s League final in Lisbon. Manchester City vs Chelsea. It looks like UEFA want to ban Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Juventus for next season’s competition. Uh oh. (34:20) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Noah Syndergaard has had a setback in his attempt to return from Tommy John surgery. The problem with not only his current health is the timing of it… Syndergaard is a free agent this offseason. (43:40) Naomi Osaka penned an open letter about why she won’t be meeting the media during the French Open. She spoke about her mental health and the pain the she goes through during these media sessions, and the questions they ask. 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘popcorn’ as in get your popcorn as in fans are back in the stands and they’re hungry! But that’s not why we’re talking popcorn — Russell Westbrook was leaving the game with an injury and a fan dumped a bucket of popcorn on him. GMAB. Fan culture is dangerous and this needs to be dealt with. (11:56) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me for my thoughts on Joe West confiscating Cardinals pitcher Giovanny Gallegos hat for foreign substances. Cardinals manager Mike Shildt was tossed from the game and was not happy after. (21:24) What happened to the new New Era hats? They were released, destroyed, and gone in the blink of an eye. (28:03) Review:I, Dolours. (32:26) Mickey Callaway has been suspended by MLB for an entire year. Mickey Callaway has been fired by the Los Angeles Angels. What took so long? (37:08) NPPOD. (39:10) What is going on with the Minnesota Timberwolves? Owner Glen Taylor is being sued by one of his partners because of the deal he did with Alex Rodriguez. Uh oh!

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Today’s word of the day is ’doctor doctor’ as in the Thompson Twins as in Phillies manager Joe Girardi lied about the absence of Bryce Harper. Said it wasn’t an injury. Then said it was an injury. Why would he do this? Noah Syndergaard left a rehab start with an elbow tightness after Tommy John. Corey Kluber threw a no hitter last week… this week leaves with shoulder tightness. Zach Plesac is out after injuring his thumb taking off his shirt. WE TOLD YOU THIS WOULD HAPPEN! NOW WILL YOU LISTEN!? (18:00) I need to address Zach Plesac breaking his thumb taking off his jersey. WHAT!? (22:00) Vladimir Guerrero Jr has changed his life. This offseason he lost a ton of weight and it helped. League-leading 16 home runs. League-leading OPS. Good for him and the Blue Jays. (31:53) Amazon acquires MGM Studios for $8B. (35:03) Review: The Woman in the Window. (38:04) NPPOD (40:56) Kristaps Prozingis was fined $50K for violating the league’s covid policy. LeBron James was not fined for violating the league’s covid policy. That is the truth... NBA hypocrisy at its finest.

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Today’s word of the day is ’swindled’ as in using deception to deprive someone of money or possessions as in Tampa Bay’s owner Stu Sternberg is being sued by his partners for allegedly engaging in a “relentless scheme” to take over control of the team and sell an interest to Montreal investor. Woo Boy! (19:59) The NFL has now comment on the Eugene Chung segment. It is launching another investigation. Gotcha. (23:06) Aaron Rodgers appeared on ESPN last night and made some comments about the Green Bay Packers. He’s happy with the players, he’s happy with the fans, he’s happy with the equipment managers, he’s happy with the grounds crew and food vendors, BUT he is NOT happy with the team’s philosophy. Okay, Aaron. (29:38) Review: All Things Must Pass. (33:15) NPPOD. (35:08) The Oakland A’s are doing a tour of the United States right now. Not the team, but management. The front office is trying to find a new place to relocate to and the tour hit Portland and Vegas.

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Today’s word of the day is ’tequila’ as in tequila! as in LeBron James went to a tequila tasting party and the NBA was not happy. What happened to covid protocols? LeBron was surely suspended by the NBA… WRONG! The NBA said he did break some rules but not enough to be suspended. The NBA was never going to suspend him. (8:37) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me about 2020 CFB recruit Jaydon Blue skipping his senior season of high school to prepare for college football. Will this lead to more high school athletes making a similar decision? (25:49) Review: Army of the Dead. (29:32) Former offensive lineman and assistant coach Eugene Chung, who is Korean, says he was told he was ‘not the right minority’ while interviewing for an NFL coaching job this offseason. Just another ugly incident that Roger Goodell needs to have answers for. (37:47) NPPOD. (44:16) Phil Mickelson becomes the oldest man to win a major. Crowds rushed the course. It was a scene.

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Today’s word of the day is ‘legs’ as in the story has legs as in this Tony La Russa story is not going away. Everyday something comes out that makes this situation look dire. Twins pitcher Tyler Duffey was suspended 3 games for throwing at Yermin Mercedes. Former Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia went nuclear on La Russa. What is Rob Manfred going to do? (11:10) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me about handling the 85% threshold for vaccine protocol changes if I were president of the Cubs. Team president Jed Hoyer was not happy, let’s explain why. (26:48) Review: White Boy. (33:02) What goes into a rehab start? Jacob deGrom pitched last night against a low-A team in Port St. Lucie and torched them. Does this mean he’s ready to return? Let me explain. (41:02) NPPOD - NBA play-in games have been bad. Blowouts everywhere. Nate McMillan got fined $25K for his comments on the Knicks and the NBA. 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘Oprah’ as in you get a car! And you get a car! And you, yea you, you get a car! Another no-hitter! Back-to-back days with a no-hitter in MLB. Yankees pitcher Corey Kluber threw his first career no-hitter against the Texas Rangers. We how have six no-hitters this year… all coming against the same three teams! Texas Rangers; Seattle Mariners; Cleveland Indians. What in the world is happening!? (12:04) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked my how I felt about White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn’s comments on the Tony La Russa situation. (25:39) Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri had some comments about his future with the team. These comments need to be discussed because what he said was shocking. (35:31) Review: Those Who Wish Me Dead. (39:08) NPPOD. (43:10) Stanford has brought back 11 sports after having previously cut them in budget crunching. How does this work?

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Today’s word of the day is ‘Freudian slip’ as in you say something you don’t mean to say but it’s something you were thinking as in Tony La Russa cannot help himself. The Chicago White Sox are a fun team and La Russa hates it. Yermin Mercedes is a rookie and mashed a home run off a position pitcher up 11 runs on a 3-0 count. FUN! Not to La Russa! Is there a chance he could lose the clubhouse? (17:03) Shohei Ohtani is a star and the Los Angeles Angels are in big trouble. Mike Trout is out 6-8 weeks. They’re already 7 games back on the Athletics. Another season with no postseason incoming. (24:28) Spencer Turnbull is the fifth pitcher to throw a no-hitter this season. The hitting this year has been so bad and it’s bad for baseball. The Mariners and Indians have been no-hit twice this year… IT’S STILL MAY! (30:28) - Review: Monster. (34:43) NPPOD (42:30) Our dear friend Derek Jeter has a 6-part documentary coming out with ESPN. Ha. Can’t wait.

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Today’s word of the day is ‘contradiction’ as in Albert Pujols says that the Angels have not been telling the truth! What? Pujols said he never told the Angels he wanted to be an everyday first baseman. He said he never had conversations about getting released. Do we believe him? (11:04) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me if Huascar Ynoa should be punished for breaking his hand punching something in the dugout. Ynoa is now out a few months. Injuries are piling up. Stanton hurt, Trout hurt… stars are out for MLB. You cannot do something stupid to hurt yourself. (28:40) Review: Voyagers. (34:30) Bob Baffert has been banned from the Belmont Stakes. His horse was able to run in the Preakness, but the Belmont said no. (39:13) NPPOD. (43:15) Manny Machado is catching heat for a slide. 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘bail out’ as in when a company is in trouble they get some financial support that they probably should not have gotten as in Albert Pujols has signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Excuse me!? Welp, I got that wait to see wrong. After the Los Angeles Angels released him he goes across town to the Dodgers and I wonder why. How does he fit there? (22:43) NPPOD (29:01) Review: Fandango. (33:27) Nick Castellanos allowed a fan to give his postgame on-field interview. The fan said he told Nick to imagine the ball had Rob Manfred’s face on it. Should this be acceptable? Will this be some more unnecessary drama before a MLB labor war? (42:41) Change can be a good thing! The NBA Play-in games will be electric. Lakers play the Warriors, Westbrook could have saved the Wizards. This is what the NBA wanted, sorry LeBron. 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘faith’ as in good faith as in MLBPA says MLB was not acting in good faith last year and has filed a $500M grievance. What does this all mean? Who will win this battle? Why are they fighting in public again? (16:00) Let’s discuss some injuries in sports. Do teams have the best interest of the player when medical options are given? Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres are on the verge of a massive breakup 3 seasons into a monster contract. Woof. (27:56) Review: Wander. (31:53) The NBA has create the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice award. What is this and why does it matter? I’ll tell you. (38:00) NPPOD. (40:00) Alex Rodriguez is buying the Minnesota Timberwolves. Does that mean he is now an NBA owner? Sure. Does it mean he will be at owners meetings? No chance. (44:13) Deshaun Watson update.

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Today’s word of the day is ‘housing’ as in not the housing bubble or the housing crisis, but the Houston Astros are offering furnished housing to all of their minor league players. This is a major announcement. Life as a minor league player is not great. (12:00) The New York Yankees outbreak has now made national and international news. The government is now involved. The coaching staff got the Johnson & Johnson vaccines and they are still getting COVID. Let’s explain some of these issues. (17:47) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me what I think will happen with Miguel Cabrera. He just made history on Wednesday night collecting the most hits by a Venezuelan-born player. He’s at the backend of his career and the Tigers stink. (26:30) Review: Transhood (30:22) Houston Rockets owner Tillman Fertitta is back in the news because he said he’s excited about losing. Excuse me? Sir… are you okay? (35:33) NPPOD (37:32) Teddy Bridgewater was traded to the Denver Broncos in the offseason and he’s already making headlines. He had some comments about the Carolina Panthers practices and he had some things to say on All Things Covered with Bryant McFadden and Patrick Peterson. Matt Rhule decided to respond. 

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Today’s word of the day is ’viva Las Vegas’ as in Elvis Presley as in the Oakland Athletics need a new ballpark and could be moving to Las Vegas… or could they? Word broke yesterday that the Athletics were given permission to seek a relocation. This is major news and Oakland could be losing its third major sports franchise in the past two years. What’s going on? (14:33) Drew Robinson homered last night in AAA! What a story! If you haven’t seen Alive: The Drew Robinson Story you need to see it. (17:28) Bob Baffert blamed everything on cancel culture. Bob Baffert blamed everything on pee on hay that his horse ate. Well, Bob Baffert has now released a statement saying, “oops, my horse did use a ban ointment.” GIVE ME A BREAK! (25:56) Review: Blue Chips (33:16) NPPOD - Why is Joe Maddon so happy about Shohei Ohtani? The team is in last place! Who cares how good Ohtani and Trout are if they can’t win! (38:20) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Covid is going crazy in MLB right now. Uh oh. Fernando Tatis Jr is out after testing positive. The Yankees have coaches out after testing positive. Uh oh. (44:08) Is Alex Rodriguez already out on buying the Minnesota Timberwolves? What’s happening here?

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Today’s word of the day is ‘triple double’ as in Russell Westbrook as in the new king of the triple-double as in Westbrook broke Oscar Robertson’s all-time record for triple-doubles. Does this make Westbrook an all-time great? (7:47) The Seattle Mariners are ready to call up Jared Kelenic. Why now? (14:00) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me if I ever had a player who played for me that would only stay if another player stayed. What!? Let’s see what Davante Adams has to say about a situation like this. (23:22) Review: Walk The Line. (27:20) The Golden Globes are doomed. It’s over. See ya. NBC has pulled the plug… why? (32:52) NPPOD (37:35) Tim Tebow signed a one-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. What is Urban Meyer trying to prove?

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Today’s word of the day is ‘raccoon’ or is it rat or is it ratcoon? The New York Mets were in a bit of an awkward place on Friday night when camera caught commotion going on in the Mets dugout. After the game Francisco Lindor said he and Jeff McNeil were arguing about whether there was a rat or a raccoon running around the clubhouse. Interesting story to tell. (11:38) Jacob deGrom returned to pitch on Saturday after missing his last start with a lat issue. And you guessed it… he left the game with a lat issue. Did the Mets rush him back? (12:45) What is going on with the Los Angeles Dodgers? The team of destiny was 13-2 and now… they can’t seem to win games. After dropping 15 of the last 20 games, and losing five straight series, is it too late to say it’s still early? (20:52) Review: Sons of Sam. (26:54) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me for my thoughts on Bob Baffert and the Kentucky Derby. Who is Bob Baffert? He’s a horse trainer and his Kentucky Derby winning horse tested positive for PEDs! (36:42) NPPOD. (39:00) Zion Williamson is out the rest of the year with a fractured finger. President David Griffin was fined $50K for public criticism of the referees because Zion isn’t getting calls. 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘hollywood’ as in a Hollywood ending as in Albert Pujols has been designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels. Pujols is in the final year of a 10-year, $240M deal — the timing of this designation was out of nowhere. Let’s try and talk through this situation, his comments, his legacy in LA, and how the Angels chose to let this end. (16:00) Bonus story: What happened with AJ Burnett in September of 2005? (19:57) Bills GM Brandon Beane says he would cut a player if they didn’t get vaccinated. Whoa. It’s rare for a team executive to be that open about such a hot button topic. (32:53) Review: Every Breath You Take. (36:00) NPPOD. (39:27) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me about the Arizona of Governor Doug Ducey passing a new tax bill. What does this all mean?

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Today’s word of the day is ‘slapshot’ as in we’re talking hockey as in the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals have turned MSG upside down. We had three fights to start the game, we had penalties, we had Tom Wilson fighting and leaving the game, we had James Dolan firing his team president and general manager. What in the world!? (12:02) We spoke the other day about Tony La Russa and some of the struggles he’s had with the Chicago White Sox this season. Well, yesterday, another blunder by La Russa cost the team the game. (20:20) What are the Green Bay Packers doing? Are they planning to move on from Aaron Rodgers right now? There is a lot going on. (26:26) Review: Frank of Ireland. (30:43) NPPOD. (32:30) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me if I was president of the Denver Broncos would I pay Ja’Wuan James after he tore his achilles working out away from the team facility. Uh oh. (40:50) Kyrie Irving won’t meet the media. The Nets have been fined. Why is this still happening?

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Today’s word of the day is ‘MRI’ as in Jacob deGrom had to get one yesterday and the panic button was smashed by the Mets. deGrom was supposed to start on Tuesday night, but was scratched late with a lat issue. Let me break down what happens in these situations — from the call to the decision to scratch to the MRI to now. (13:31) Yesterday we spoke about the Mets firing hitting coaches. Today we talk about the hitters talking about the hitting coaches being fired. That’s what happens in a rain delay. Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor didn’t sound happy about the move. (30:58) Review: Like Father (35:47) The New York Rangers are furious. They released one of the strongest statements ever condemning Tom Wilson and the NHL. This needs to be discussed. 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘play in’ as in play-in games as in the NBA decided last season it would have a small play-in tournament to figure out the final spots in the playoffs. Now this season it’s back and LeBron James is not happy. Who voted on these games? Did they just come out of nowhere? LeBron knows better. (8:48) The New York Mets have fired their hitting coaches 23 games into the season. Steve Cohen is feeling the new-owner-itis right now. (22:05) Days before the minor-league camp was set to open the Philadelphia Phillies did something that is rather unusual. The team removed its director of pitching development and promoted a coach with only one year of experience. Why would the team do this? (32:21) Review: 7 Yards. (38:10) NPPOD. (41:13) The Los Angeles Dodgers went from best team ever to struggling to now plagued by injuries. Dustin May needs Tommy John surgery. What about the Chicago White Sox? Luis Robert is out for a long time with a hip injury. The Sox were supposed to be the best team in the AL. 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘love’ as in love is in the air as in Aaron Rodgers had his heart broken by the Green Bay Packers. Right before the 2021 NFL Draft news broke that Rodgers and the Packers may be headed to an ugly divorce. The team wants to start planning for Jordan Love’s future and Rodgers wants out.(11:20) MLB has always wanted to be like the NFL. Jealous, jealous, jealous! The NFL Draft is so much more than what MLB has to offer. (15:11) What is going on with MLB umpires this year? Instant replay decisions going poorly. Umping going poorly. Fans are mad. Players are mad. Teams are mad. What can MLB do? (23:42) Review: The Courier. (26:33) April showers bring May something, something, something. The MLB standings look pretty crazy at the end of April. The Royals are in 1st, the Yankees are under-500, the NL East is sloppy, the Dodgers can’t win anymore. Where are we right now? (36:39) NPPOD. (37:42) MLB has banned Roberto Alomar for life. This comes after an investigation into some bad sexual misconduct. Will MLB stop here?

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Mailbag! It’s a mailbag! It’s the end of April 2021 mailbag! We’re a quarter of the way through 2021 already! Someone asked about Opening Day starters - they wanted to know why #1 starters were matched up against #1 starters! Why not just throw your #3 agains their #1 so you can pitch your #1 against their #2. (5:50) Should MLB be run like the EPL? Have a regular season winner and an FA Cup style tournament with Minor League Baseball teams. (9:20) Does old-school baseball work? The Boston Red Sox are trying it now and it’s working out so far. (14:05) MLB slippery slope after moving All-Star Game. Will the league take a stand on transgender rights? (22:00) Someone asked me about the Bobby Bonilla deal and what it meant from the team side of things. Was it a good deal for the team outside the jokes? (31:20) Someone asked me about workplace policies - specifically about attending out-of-work events. (36:40) Someone asked who the five most important people in Marlins history. This came from Jeannie Buss answering a question about the five most important Lakers in franchise history. (43:18) Someone wants to know what’s going on with the PGA bonus structure. Where did this come from and why this is happening? 

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It’s a Samson Sit-Down with Joel Corry. He was a former sports agent in the NBA and NFL. He’s represented Shaq and Ronnie Lott. He’s an NFL cap expert. We discuss everything from agent poaching, NFL salaries, differences between NFL and MLB contracts.

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It’s a Samson Sit-Down with Pudge Rodriguez! The Hall of Fame catcher stops by to discuss his life in baseball (4:05) Relationship with Johnny Bench. (7:23) What did Pudge do when pitchers got on his nerves? (13:05) Favorite pitcher to catch (16:43) Choosing the Marlins in 2003. (21:47) How a trip to Vegas saved the 2003 Marlins season (28:48) Favorite play from 2003 World Series run.(35:41) How early did Pudge know that Miguel Cabrera was great (39:35) Thoughts on today’s game of baseball. (46:33) How the modern MLB salaries are given

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Today’s word of the day is ‘mutual’ as in agreed upon by parties as in the Colorado Rockies GM Jeff Birdich was fired… sorry, no, he mutually agreed to stepped down. Why now? Why only a quarter of the way through the season? (11:10) Shohei Ohtani is a unicorn. He can pitch. He can hit. How are the Los Angeles Angels doing? What does a new Ohtani contract look like? (25:38) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked why Steve Cohen wants to buy SNY so badly. (36:26) Review: Stowaway. (39:27) Arsenal is not for sale, but it is for sale, but it not for sale, but it is? Spotify CEO Daniel Elk wants to buy the team. Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke says the the team is not for sale. 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘peek-a-boo’ as in I see you! Do you see me? Trevor Bauer made headlines this offseason with the closing one eye and pitching this spring. Well, Fernando Tatis Jr. has had enough and hit two home runs off Bauer. He swagged it out with a Billy Strut after touching home plate and covering his eye while rounding the first. Let’s talk about this ‘rivalry’ with the Padres now up 4-3 on the season series. (12:15) Madison Bumgarner threw a no-hitter yesterday. Or did he? Should a 7-inning no-hitter be considered a no-hitter with the new double-header rule? (21:44) The Angels and Yankees had ‘brief flirtation’ regarding Aaron Judge this offseason. What does this mean? (29:21) Oscars Recap. (41:28) NPPOD.

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Today’s word of the day is ‘69’ as in get your head out of the gutter as in the NFL has a new uniform policy and Tom Brady is not happy. It’s a jersey number Tom! Calm it down! Let’s talk about jerseys. (11:45) Alex Smith had some not too kind things to say about the Washington Football Team. He called out the training staff for the way they handled him and his rehab. (18:31) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? The IOC announced that Olympic athletes at this year’s Tokyo Games will not be allowed to protest or make political statements. What? (34:30) 2021 Oscar Predictions. (41:26) NPPOD. 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘accountability’ as in responsibility as in LeBron James sent out a tweet and Instagram post he didn’t realize he shouldn’t have sent. His platform is too big. He is too smart. This stemmed from another police related shooting in Ohio. What should happen now? LeBron deleted the post, but the damage was done. (10:26) Someone asked me to share my thoughts on the NHL saying they’d loosen up COVID restrictions after players got vaccinated…. And the NHL did not follow through with these promises. (24:28) Is the sophomore slump real? It looks like it for Tyler Herro and the Miami Heat. Has he become too Miami? Too South Beach? (35:07) Review: Spontaneous. (37:25) NPPOD. (43:46) Eagles playing Rock, Paper, Scissors against draft prospects? What!? There’s no way this is serious….

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Today’s word of the day is ‘mayday’ as in it’s going down as in it’s over with as in the Super League is no more. What an absolute disaster. Chelsea gone. Man City gone. Tottenham gone. Juventus gone. Arsenal gone. AC Milan gone. Man United gone. Liverpool gone. Who is left? How did this go so wrong? (12:51) Let’s discuss the Derek Chauvin trial. Let me help explain the details of this ruling and what happens next. He was charged with three crimes in the killing of George Floyd. (28:55) Review: Billie Eilish - The World’s A Little Blurry. (32:14) NPPOD. (33:55) MLB and MLBPA have start to negotiate the new CBA talks. What does this mean? Work stoppage!?

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Today’s word of the day is ‘mamba’ as in Kobe Bryant as in Vanessa Bryant as in Nike. Why is this back in the news? Because Kobe Bryant’s deal with Nike is done after Nike could not come to terms with Vanessa and the Bryant estate. Kobe died in January 2020 with one year remaining on his Nike deal. What happens now? Nike paused all production of Kobe apparel… will a new deal get worked out? (9:50) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me how serious the Super League concept is. Let’s discuss. (25:19) Review: Songbird (29:53) NPPOD. (34:25) Let’s update you on the Deshaun Watson saga. Where are we now? (42:52) The jury has been sequestered in the Derek Chauvin case. Let me explain this for people who don’t understand. 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘Super League’ as in the soccer world has been turn upside down! A mutiny! The rich! 12 of the biggest football world have decided to ditch their domestic leagues and start a new league. Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Juventus, Real Madrid, Barcelona! UEFA is mad. Fans are mad. Everyone is mad. Snakes in the grass. Billions in the bank! (14:37) Dwyane Wade becomes a part owner of the…Utah Jazz? What? Dade County… Mr. Heat… with the Jazz!? How did Micky Arison let this happen? (26:33) NPPOD - David knows nothing about the rules of gambling. (29:38) Review: Nobody (33:21) The New York Yankees are awful. Downright bad. What is happening? (39:07) Wait to see. (43:00) The Washington Nationals are having big problems. Stephen Strasburg is hurt. Always hurt. Uh oh. 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘toxic’ as in a toxic work culture as in Mickey Callaway wasn’t the only person within the New York Mets organization. It’s all bad. Sandy Alderson knew about how bad things were. Ownership know how bad things were. What happens now? (13:36) Daniel Snyder, owner of the WFT, is suing Bruce Allen. Never seen something like this before. Snyder thinks Allen was the head of the leaks department. What about the name choices? The team is still looking for a team name and a survey was sent to fans. What does all this mean? (24:33) Review: Live-action Oscar nominated short films. (32:23) Patrick Corbin is bad. Very bad. NPPOD. (41:28) Fernando Tatis Jr is expected to play Friday night. He’s dealing with a long-term shoulder injury that will need surgery. What’s the rush to get him back?

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Today’s word of the day is ‘HBP’ as in hit by pitch as in Carlos Rodón was 2 outs away from a perfect game and a pitch hit Cleveland catcher Roberto Perez in the foot. He kept his composure and got the final two outs to seal the no-hitter. So let’s talk about the play, what happens during a no-hitter, what teams plan, what managers do… everything no-hitter. (8:41) Let’s talk about the death of Bernie Madoff and the impact he made on the Mets, charities, regular people, and the destruction he caused. (14:49) Let’s talk about charity. How do some players fund team foundations? What’s in a contract to do that? (24:09) Review: Cherry. (27:13) The Atlantic League is testing out new rules. Pitching rubber will be at 61 feet 6 inches. You want to take out your pitcher? You’re going to lose the DH. What? (34:06) NPPOD. (41:45) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me if I was team president again would I sign Yasiel Puig…. No.

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Today’s word of the day is ‘no regrets’ as in Mark Cuban as in the owner of the Dallas Mavericks realized he made a big uh oh too late. Players are not happy with the new play-in tournament in the NBA Playoffs. (11:40) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me about antitrust, the Sherman Act, the Republican effort to do away with this because of the All-Star Game being moved. Can the Minnesota Timberwolves move? Are the NBA rules the same as MLB? (26:12) NPPOD. (32:06) Review: Godzilla vs Kong. (35:56) Buffalo Bills fans will need to be vaccinated if they want to go to games. People are not happy. People are happy. Let’s discuss. (42:15) The Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers players will not attend OTAs… Why is this news? Why do we need a statement? 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘taser’ as in here we go again. Another young African-American was shot and killed by police. This officer thought they were using a taser… unbelievable. So the sports world in Minnesota stopped again. The Twins, Timberwolves, and Wild all postponed games last night. What goes into these decisions? (10:57) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me what I would say to players who didn’t play last night. (21:26) Review: Girl In The Basement. (28:15) Sam Darnold met the media in Carolina for the first time since being traded by the New York Jets. (35:17) NPPOD. (40:08) What are the plans for the Chicago Cubs? Are they ready to sell Baez, Bryant, and Rizzo? The team currently has the worst batting average in baseball. 

0:00 - Intro

0:10 - Minnesota sports on pause

10:57 - Players not wanting to play

19:26 - Girl In The Basement

26:15 - Darnold meets the media

33:17 - NNPOD

38:08 - Do Cubs become sellers?

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Today’s word of the day is ‘icon’ as in Hideki Matsuyama is the new Masters champion as in never having to buy your own beer again at a bar. But what’s it like to be an icon in Japan? Matsuyama is about to find out. Spending time with Ichiro in Japan was an experience I will never forget. (10:00) What in the world happened in the Phillies-Braves game last night? We spoke about how poor replay was last week — and it gets even worse. Alec Bohn was out on a play at the plate, but the umps called him safe, after review everyone in the world saw he was out, but he was called safe. Phillies win 7-6 and the world explodes. (17:46) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Alex Rodriguez has entered into an exclusive period to buy the Minnesota Timberwolves. Remember when he was going to buy the Mets? Remember when he was joining a SPAC? (31:53) Review: Weed The People. (37:49) More MLB drama! Mets/Marlins had a a rain delay after 7 minutes of gameplay. It was complete BS and both sides were mad. How did this happen? (43:40) Jacob deGrom needs run support. He is the best pitcher in baseball and his team doesn’t win. How long can this go on?

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Today’s word of the day is ‘B Squared’ as in Bauer’s balls as in Trevor Bauer is having his baseballs inspected by MLB. Why is this? Well the umpires saw what looked like markings on the baseballs and sent them to the league office. Bauer and his agent went on Twitter last night and called it all “gossip”. What will happen here? (12:00) More and more gun tragedies are taking place. One of the latest was former NFL player Phillip Adams who murdered five people, including two children. We need to have this discussion. (23:43) Review: The Life Ahead (26:53) Did you see the end of the Mets/Marlins game? The Mets won on a walk-off HBP! Excuse me? Michael Conforto got hit with the bases loaded and then all hell broke loose. (39:27) NPPOD. (41:24) 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘nightmare’ as in it all feels like a dream after you make it through spring training but then the first week of Opening Day comes and goes and your team is hurt, and losing, and bad, and it’s a nightmare. What is happening with Aaron Judge and the Yankees? Aaron Boone said he’s sore and will get the day off. It’s kind of early for this. Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, George Springer, Fernando Tatis, Trevor Rosenthal… more and more injuries are happening. (11:43) What can you make of first week performances? We’ve got teams that are overachieving early and teams that are underachieving right now. (16:27) Did MLB change the baseballs? Are they dead? Are they live? Where do we stand on the issue? (18:29) NPPOD. (20:11) Tiger Woods is lucky to be alive. It wasn’t drug abuse. It wasn’t alcohol. His crash was caused by his reckless driving. (27:06) The Masters started today. Fred Ridley is the chairman of the Masters and he released a statement on the Georgia voting laws. (35:48) Review: Collective. (36:57) Hubert Davis was named head coach at North Carolina. What was so significant about this? He became the 3rd head coach in program history, but the first African-American. What he said was very telling. 

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Today’s word of the day is ‘trash’ as in take out the trash as in trash cans as in the Houston Astros are being ridiculed so bad by opposing fans that Dusty Baker had to say something. Fans brought trash cans to the game! What can the Astros do about this? (12:53) Fernando Tatis Jr may miss the rest of the season. We haven’t learned anything new from his first MRI, but GM AJ Preller said it’s a non-surgical injury. You can beat he’ll need surgery because the Padres said he wouldn’t. (23:09) Review: WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn. (27:38) It’s time for another update on the Deshaun Watson case because a woman chose to come public and hold a press conference. Watson’s team then revealed that her attorney tried to get hush money before going public. Nike has announced they are suspending Watson. Oh boy. (41:00) Wait to see. (45:23) NPPOD. #waittosee

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Today’s word of the day is ‘All Star Game’ as in Atlanta as in Denver as in MLB as in Texas as in what is happening right now in Rob Manfred’s office is not pretty. What happened? Why was the game moved? How was the game moved to Coors? What happens next? (23:55) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me if the Padres regret giving Fernando Tatis Jr that mega deal with his shoulder injury. Why would someone ask that? Because Tatis left with a shoulder injury and he might need surgery. This was an injury the team knew about. Uh oh. (33:25) Review: Concrete Cowboy. (35:49) Steve Cohen continues to talk and talk and talk. He got his first taste of being Mets owner and he is struggling with the NY media. (42:00) NPPOD. BRACKET WINNERS ANNOUNCED - REACH OUT TO COCA!

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Today’s word of the day is ‘calm’ as in everybody calm down as in take a breath as in yesterday was just one game of 162 of them. The Houston Astros played in front of fans and the Oakland fans let them hear it. Boos on boos on boos! Remember the sign-stealing dilemma? Feels like a decade ago. (7:30) Why are pitchers still batting? Why is there no Universal DH? We saw how ridiculous things were when Tyler Glasnow batted for Tampa Bay. (15:00) NPPOD. (18:30) So You Wanna Talk To Samson!? Someone asked me about the Supreme Court hearing the NCAA v. Alston case and they wanted it to be explained like they weren’t a lawyer. (31:39) Review: Operation Varsity Blues. (36:10) Red Sox owner Tom Werner says that LeBron James is good for Boston, and good for business, but there was something he said that I couldn’t believe. 

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