Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre

Latest Episodes:

Is LaMarcus Aldridge a Hall of Famer? + Former UCLA coach and FS1 college basketball analyst Steve Lavin Apr 16, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason and Producer Rob G discuss LaMarcus Aldridge's abrupt retirement from the NBA due to an irregular heartbeat. While most in the NBA media are focusing on how this could impact the Brooklyn Nets' title chances this season, the guys agree that this could be a case of addition by subtraction. Aldridge was a luxury item in Brooklyn. If anything, his absence should lead to more minutes for defensive bigs like DeAndre Jordan and Nic Claxton. The bigger story in all of this, at least according to Jason and Rob G, is whether or not Aldridge belongs in the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame. Even without a championship ring on his resume, you could argue that Aldridge had a better pro career than guys like Chris Bosh and Kevin Love. Even with his career getting cut short, Aldridge should still be considered a Hall of Famer. Later, former UCLA Bruins head coach and FS1 college basketball producer Steve Lavin swings by to discuss how he ended up spending 4 months straight on the road as part of FS1's college hoops coverage, how the transfer portal could impact the sport moving forward, if coaches may lean more into recruiting high-end transfers as opposed to one-and-done freshmen, why it's going to be extremely important for coaches to be more flexible in their approach to the game if they're going to successfully navigate the shift towards transfers, what he learned from legendary coach John Wooden, how alternative paths to the NBA like the G-League, JBL and Overtime leagues could impact college basketball moving forward, how the Name Image Likeness bill could be what ultimately keeps top-level recruits in the college game, and much more!

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Trevor Lawrence is the Anti-Baker Mayfield & The 76ers Cakewalk to the Eastern Conference Finals Apr 15, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason does a deep dive into Trevor Lawrence telling Sports Illustrated that he thinks it's unhealthy to spend your career always feeling like you need to prove something. These comments immediately make you think of Baker Mayfield, a young quarterback who famously uses every public slight as motivation. Mayfield has been out to 'prove the haters wrong' dating back to his days as a walk-on in college. However, that mentality is precisely what derailed him a bit early on his career. It wasn't until this past season that he started to tune out the noise that he started to settle in. On the flip side, Lawrence figured that part out as a teenager. He's mature beyond his years. He has a staggering level of self-awareness for a 21-year-old. One look at his social media pages will tell you that football doesn't define him, and that should be commended. Now, the counterpoint to that would be: Can you really trust the fate of your franchise with a guy who doesn't seem to love football like that? That's a fascinating question. In many ways, Lawrence has a lot in common with the last once-in-a-generation quarterback prospect: Andrew Luck. But before injuries derailed his career, Luck was one of the top young signal callers in the NFL. If he can stay upright, bet on Lawrence reaching the heights we hoped Luck would have. Finally, Jason closes things with a quick thought on the Philadelphia 76ers' victory over the Brooklyn Nets. On the surface, there's not much to take from Philly's win over a depleted Nets roster. However, dig a little deeper and you'll see this win could set up the Sixers for a cakewalk all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals.

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Reggie Miller is a Fibber, NBA Fans Love the 90s & the Play-In Conundrum Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason kicks things off with a deep dive into Hall of Fame shooting guard Reggie Miller telling ESPN.com that he would've never considered teaming up with Michael Jordan back in the day. Stop it, Reggie; We don't believe you. The whole narrative that players of the 90s didn't believe in teaming up has been completely overblown. Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen and Karl Malone are just a handful of Hall of Famers who famously forced their way to a different team in search of greener pastures. And who could blame them? History tells us that you can't always trust the NBA front offices to make smart decisions, so if you have the power, why wouldn't you want to take your career into your own hands? Thankfully, players today recognize where the 90s Era NBA went wrong (in more ways than one) and they're doing things differently. As it relates to Miller specifically, it's crazy to think that they wouldn't even considerteaming up with MJ. Reggie's career isn't as impressive as some talking heads would have you believe; He didn't have much postseason success at all until Jordan retired. In many ways, his career compares favorably to DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan is a very good player who kept getting stymied in the playoffs by an all-time great player in LeBron James in the same way Miller kept getting blocked by Jordan. Later, Jason tells us why he has a small bone to pick with Luka Doncic and Mark Cuban for ripping the NBA's play-in tournament format. First off, single-game elimination makes any sporting event better. That's just a fact. Secondly, would either guy even be talking if the Mavs were the 1-seed instead of the 7-seed? Of course not.

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Julian Edelman is Not a Hall of Famer + Yahoo Sports Senior NFL reporter Charles Robinson Apr 13, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason kicks things off with a quick thought on Julian Edelman's retirement from the NFL and tells us that while Edelman is a great story, he is absolutely not a Hall of Famer. That's not a knock on Edelman's abilities in any way; On the contrary, he's a very good football player. But if fellow quarterback-turned-wide receiver Hines Ward can't sniff Canton then neither should Edelman. Later, Yahoo Sports Senior NFL reporter Charles Robinson swings by to discuss how the lack of the NFL Combine will impact the upcoming NFL Draft, why the San Francisco 49ers pick at #3 will have everything to do with Kyle Shanahan's confidence in himself as a coach - whether that's Mac Jones or someone else, why Trey Lance's skill set makes him a perfect fit with the Atlanta Falcons, why drafting NFL quarterbacks is such an inexact science, why the litigation process could be necessary to get the full truth behind the Deshaun Watson sexual assault allegations and how the NFL could decide to put him on the commissioner's exempt list whether he's found guilty or not, how all the uncertainty and turnover surrounding the top teams in the NFC should greatly benefit the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, why Aaron Rodgers may not trust the Green Bay Packers front office, and much more!

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The Brooklyn Nets Can't Trust Kyrie Irving Apr 12, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason kicks things by sharing his thoughts on the Los Angeles Lakers shocking blowout victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night. One of the bigger storylines to come out of the game, outside of the Nets losing to a shorthanded Lakers club, was that both Kyrie Irving and Dennis Schroder both got ejected in the third quarter for barking at one another. On Sunday evening, we found out that Kyrie was set off when Schroder called him the n-word, after he went off on a social media rant about it. While this specific incident seems relatively mild given that the word wasn't said maliciously, apparently it was enough for Kyrie to take another sabbatical away from the team for 'personal reasons'. Kyrie is one of the most skilled players in the NBA, but his behavior and commentary the past year is puzzling. At this point, would you be surprised if he were to retire at the end of the season? Even worse, would you be surprised if he just didn't show up to a playoff game for 'personal reasons'? He's had almost everything an NBA player could ask for (a championship, All-Star appearances, a stacked Brooklyn Nets roster, generational wealth, etc.), and you'd have no idea based on his behavior the last two seasons. Kyrie's mental and emotional well-being should be the biggest subplot in the NBA Playoffs - and it could be ultimately what keeps them from winning the NBA championship.

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04/10/2021 – The Jason McIntyre Show Apr 10, 2021

Show notes

Jason McIntyre talks about the wild, wild Western Conference and which teams he has the most confidence in as the playoffs grow near. He sounds off on the all of the biggest NFL Draft headlines including the head-scratching potential moves that are expected to be made. He questions if the situation a quarterback prospect is drafted into is more important than the player’s talent level. Plus, conversations with SportsTalk 790’s Sean Salisbury, Falcons beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter, and NBA insider Frank Isola!

Catch the rest of FOX Sports Radio's weekend coverage by subscribing to FOX Sports Weekends!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fox-sports-radio-weekends/id1313512668

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Can't Blame Kevin Durant, Kobe > Magic? & LeBron's Trump Card in the GOAT Debate Apr 09, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason kicks things off with a quick thought on multiple reports suggesting that the San Francisco 49ers have settled in on Alabama quarterback Mac Jones as the #3 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. After the season, Jones was viewed as a fringe first rounder, at best - so what changed? Something doesn't quite smell right here. Later, Jason shares his thoughts on Kevin Durant's recent comments about his decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors in 2016. KD still gets ripped for the move five years later, but Jason argues that any criticism of Durant is unwarranted. He did what was best for him. He exercised his rights as a free agent and choose a location that offered him the best chance to win and played a beautiful brand of basketball. Producer Rob G joins in on the discussion to poke a few holes in Jason's argument, but also to point out that Durant's comments told an even bigger story: KD and Draymond Green knew they couldn't beat LeBron James without each other. It would take a Super Team to dethrone The King. And that may be LeBron's biggest trump card in the GOAT debate: Three separate Super Teams (2008 Boston Celtics, 2017 Warriors and 2021 Brooklyn Nets) have been formed specifically to combat LeBron. Not to be lost in all the KD-LeBron talk, Rob G also said in the midst of this discussion that he has Kobe Bryant over Magic Johnson in his all-time player rankings. Wait, what?!? Of course Jason pushed back, but it did lead to a fascinating discussion about two of the greatest players in NBA history.

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ESPN senior writer and author Seth Wickersham on Belichick, Brady & The Patriot Way Apr 08, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason kicks things off with a very quick thought on Kevin Durant's return against the New Orleans Pelicans. KD looked like the Durant of old, albeit against a depleted New Orleans Pelicans. Later, ESPN senior writer and author Seth Wickersham swings by to preview his upcoming book 'It's Better to Be Feared: The New England Patriots Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness'. In the interview, Wickersham discusses the difficulties of interviewing guys like Bill Belichick and Tom Brady before and during a pandemic, why Belichick's criticisms of his quarterback inside the Patriots locker room were partly the reason why Brady decided he had to leave (10:00), how Bill Parcells' coaching style with the New York Giants influenced Belichick's style with the Patriots, if we can expect to see a 'kinder and gentler' version of Belichick next season after his tumultuous season in 2020, why it's hard to determine how friendly Belichick and Brady are today, how Brady and Rob Gronkowski were able to adjust to football life outside of the 'Patriot Way', and much more!

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The REAL Top 5 NBA Players Under 25 + Sports media reporter Ryan Glasspiegel Apr 07, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason and Producer Rob kicks things off with an homage to ESPN's Top 25 NBA Players Under 25 list by revealing their own top 5's. The guys agree that top 3 in order are Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson and Jayson Tatum, and that Ben Simmons belongs somewhere in the top 5, but things start to get dicey after that. Jason stumps hard for Denver Nuggets sharpshooter Jamal Murray while Rob campaigns for rookie phenom LaMelo Ball. It was a fun debate, to say the least... unless you're a fan of Trae Young and Devin Booker. Later, sports media reporter Ryan Glasspiegel swings by to discuss how he was able to break the new that ESPN had fired former NBA All-Star Paul Pierce from their network and the reasoning behind it, why it appears that Pierce will be able to find a new gig rather quickly, why there's only a handful of former professional athletes or coaches (like Charles Barkley or Terry Bradshaw) who actually move the needle on sports television, how Shannon Sharpe has evolved into one of the few former athletes on daytime sports television who has been able to really cut through in the same way opinionists like Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith have, why networks tend to consistently overpay for big name game analysts like Tony Romo and Drew Brees, the impact he expects sports wagering to have on daily sports television moving forward, why you should expect more Substack-based platforms to pop up moving forward in an effort to help talent monetize their opinions, and much more!

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March Madness Ends with a Whimper, Was Gonzaga Ever That Good? & How Peyton Manning Doomed the NY Jets Apr 06, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason kicks things off by sharing his thoughts on Baylor's demolition of Gonzaga in the national championship game. Before the game, most of the focus was on Gonzaga's quest for the perfect season, but from the opening tip, it was clear that Baylor was superior team. Based on what we saw last night, if the Bears hadn't had their season derailed by COVID, maybe they're the ones who we're talking about as the Greatest Team of All-Time. Baylor was superior in every way, and they exposed The Zags' lack of top-tier athletes. Producer Rob G argues that it felt similar to the Denver Broncos-Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl from a few years back. One team came in with all the fanfare and the record-breaking numbers, and the other came in with a reputation as a good-but-not-great squad that stood in. Later, Jason shares his thoughts on the New York Jets decision to trade Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers. Darnold never really got a fair shake in New York, thanks in large part to the team's decision to hire Adam Gase to be his head coach; Peyton Manning sold the Jets on Gase as a great offensive mind, but he forgot to mention that Gase is an absolutely atrocious leader of men. Either way, it's hard to blame the general manager (Joe Douglas) and new head coach (Robert Saleh) for wanting their own guy at quarterback. On the Panthers front, if anyone can fix Darnold, it's Carolina head coach Matt Rhule and offensive coordinator Joe Brady. You heard it here first - the Panthers are a team to bet on in 2021.

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