Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre

Latest Episodes:

The Inconvenient Truth About Odell Beckham Jr & NFL and College Football Best Bets Oct 22, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason kicks things off with a quick recap of the Los Angeles Dodgers' Game 5 victory over the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers were able to stave off playoff elimination for at least one day, but the bigger story to come out of that game was that our fearless leader absolutely botched a chance to get a game ball from Albert Pujols. What a Rookie. Later, Producer Rob G joins the show for a lengthy conversation regarding Odell Beckham Jr. The Cleveland Browns beat the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football, but OBJ was basically a non-factor yet again. When Beckham was with the New York Giants, he was on a career trajectory that would have placed him amongst the all-tie greats at his position. Since he's gotten to Cleveland, however, OBJ has had a mostly nondescript career. Given his off-field popularity, Beckham is still clearly a star, but is he actually good at football anymore? And if not, would a change of scenery be enough to unlock the potential we saw back in the Big Apple? The trade deadline is rapidly approaching so maybe we'll get our answer soon enough. Finally, Jason closes the show with his weekly NFL and college football weekend Best Bets.

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Dolphins Want Deshaun Watson, Tough Break for Tua & a Michigan-Michigan State Horror Story Oct 21, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason kicks things off with a deep dive into reports that a Deshaun Watson trade to the Miami Dolphins could be imminent. The timing of this whole thing almost feels like the Texans are sending up a weather balloon to the NFL to try and see if a suspension is on the horizon. If so, that could seriously derail any trade talks. Assuming Watson does get deal to Miami, though, what does that mean for Tua Tagovailoa? Whether you think he has the potential to be a franchise-caliber quarterback or not, you have to admit he hasn't exactly been given a fair shake to prove himself the last two seasons. Later, Jason explains why the Los Angeles Lakers have to be feeling just a little bit of regret about deciding to trade for Russell Westbrook rather than Buddy Hield. Can you imagine what the Lakers offense could look like with the sharpshooting Hield flanking LeBron James and Anthony Davis? Scary. Speaking of scary, have you heard Jason explain why the annual Michigan vs. Michigan State football game has always sent chills up his spine? Let us be the first to say: Thank God for AAA. Finally, Jason closes the show with a very special Cleveland Browns vs. Denver Broncos edition of the Best Bet.

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Rough Start for Russell Westbrook & Philly is Bungling the Ben Simmons Situation Oct 20, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason kicks things off with a very quick thought on the Milwaukee Bucks' beatdown of the Brooklyn Nets on opening night. Giannis and the Bucks played with a certain level of swagger that you only get after winning a championship and they should be a force this season. In the nightcap, Russell Westbrook had a night to forget in the Los Angeles Lakers' loss to the Golden State Warriors. LeBron James and Anthony Davis looked as good as ever, but Westbrook's play reminded us all why so many doubted whether or not the trio could actually fit together on the floor. Russ was so bad offensively that you could actually hear Lakers fans groan anytime he took a shot. The reality is that LeBron and AD are good enough on their own to get the Lakers to the NBA Finals, but they won't win a ring unless Russ takes a step back. Later, Jason explains why he believes the Philadelphia 76ers are completely mismanaging the Ben Simmons situation. The longer they let his discontent permeate the locker room, the worse things are going to get. As much as Joel Embiid would like to focus on winning basketball games, the reality is that the media won't stop asking about Simmons' season of discontent until he actually gets traded. Recent history (Anthony Davis, James Harden, Jimmy Butler) tell us if a star wants out of town, he'll do anything in his power to ensure that it happens; Ben Simmons is no different. At this point, the question isn't if the Sixers will trade their disgruntled superstar, but when. Timberwolves? Trail Blazers? Spurs? Only time will tell.

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The Bills Were Right to Go For It, NBA Best Bets + Professional sports bettor Preston Johnson Oct 19, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason kicks things off with a few thoughts on the Tennessee Titan's improbable victory over the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. Facing a 4th-and-1 inside the five yard lines with only seconds left in the game, the Bills decided to go for it rather than kick a game-tying field goal. Josh Allen was stopped short and the Bills ultimately lost, but it was the right call. Every advanced stat says you go for it in that situation; Only coaches who are stuck in the stone age would settle for the field goal. What’s more, Buffalo is already the class of the AFC, and the decision to act aggressively is only going to help them later in the season. Later, professional sports bettor Preston Johnson swings by to discuss why disgruntled superstar Ben Simmons has to play during the regular so the Philadelphia 76ers can raise his trade value, why James Harden MVP and scoring champion prop bets have serious value, why he's buying stock on the new-look Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference, why he believes Luka Doncic has the potential to finish his career alongside Michael Jordan and LeBron James in the GOAT conversation, why it's so hard to envision the New Orleans Pelicans winning 40+ games without a healthy Zion Williamson for most of the season, why he's expecting a big regression to the mean for the Los Angeles Clippers' shooters, why the clunky roster construction around LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook almost ensures that the Los Angeles Lakers will finish under their projected regular season win total, and much more! Finally, Jason closes the show with his preseason NBA Finals, MVP and Rookie of the Year Best Bets.

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Dak Prescott is a Superstar, the Browns Need a Leader & Mahomes Feels Like Favre 2.0 Oct 18, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason kicks things off with an ode to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. After throwing a game-winning touchdown pass in overtime to beat the New England Patriots on the road, it's clear that Dak has elevated himself from 'game manager' to 'superstar'. The Cowboys are clearly the Beasts of the NFC East, but now that Dak has taken the leap, you could actually argue that they're a legitimate threat to make the Super Bowl coming out of the NFC. On the flip side, if Dak Prescott is playing the best football of his career, you can argue that Patrick Mahomes is playing the worst football of his. Producer Rob G argues that there was a case to be made as recently as last year that Mahomes was on track to become the greatest quarterback in NFL history. In the last 15 games, however, Mahomes has looked more like Brett Favre 2.0 with the way he keeps turning the football over. Sticking in the AFC, is it time to hit the panic button in Cleveland? Not only did the Browns get demolished by the still-undefeated Arizona Cardinals, but they may have also lost quarterback Baker Mayfield to a shoulder injury. With Mayfield, Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Odell Beckham Jr. and both of their starting tackles all dealing with various health issues, the Browns are desperate for someone to step up and steady the boat. Finally, Jason closes the show with a very special Buffalo Bills vs Tennessee Titans Monday Night Football edition of the Best Bet.

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Dodgers Keep Dancing, Basketball Hall of Famer Grant Hill + NFL and College Football Best Bets Oct 15, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason kicks things off with a quick thought on the Los Angeles Dodgers' thrilling Game 5 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Max Scherzer got the first save of his legendary career - albeit on a very controversial call - to push the Dodgers into the NLCS. Tough way to end one of the best divisional series in recent memory. Later, Jason recaps the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles got the backdoor cover, but this game was never really in doubt. Tom Brady and the Bucs were cruising for most of the game before they took their foot off the gas late. On the Philadelphia side, it's clear that Jalen Hurts isn't the long-term answer at the quarterback position. The Eagles should either tank the rest of the season for a high draft pick or make a move for Desahun Watson. Plus, Basketball Hall of Famer Grant Hill swings by to discuss his expectations on Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks this season after they made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, why the Milwaukee Bucks provide something of a blueprint for other teams and the importance of being patient, how difficult it must be for the Brooklyn Nets to navigate Kyrie Irving's vaccination soap opera, how the Player Empowerment Era has changed the landscape of the NBA, the work he's doing now to help minority-owned small businesses, and much more! Finally, Jason closes the show with a very special NFL and college football weekend edition of the Best Bet

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Kyrie Irving, Kirby Smart, Ben Simmons & The Importance of Trust Oct 14, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason uses a handful of high-profile sports figures to make a bigger point about the importance of trust. Now the Ben Simmons has officially ended his holdout and reported back to the 76ers, should we trust him to actually play hard for Philly? Simmons never wanted to play for the Sixers to begin with, and now after an offseason of malcontent, we're just supposed to believe that his intentions are pure? Doubt it. Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are the top-ranked college football team in the country. But, if and when Georgia and Alabama meet in the SEC Championship game, can we really trust him to knock off his mentor Nick Saban? We'll see. Finally, now that Kyrie Irving has doubled-down on his plan to be a 'voice for the voiceless' and not get the COVID-19 vaccine, can we trust that he's reading the right information? Kyrie has been a contrarian without a cause for some time now, contradicting himself on more than one occasion, but we're supposed to trust him now? No thanks. Later, Jason closes the show with a very special Thursday Night Football Buccaneers-Eagles edition of the Best Bet.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kyrie Irving Continues to Lose Credibility + NFL Network reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala Oct 13, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason kicks things off with a deep dive into the Brooklyn Nets' decision to keep Kyrie Irving away from the team as he refuses to adhere to vaccine mandate ordinances in New York. The Nets are trying to build a culture, and they decided they don’t want a part-time player. Kudos to Brooklyn for realizing that it's better to be without Kyrie altogether than to essentially force themselves to have 2 fundamentally different approaches to the season if they had kept him. What's more, Kyrie lost all credibility when he leaked to the media that his reason for not getting the jab was because he wanted to be the ‘voice for the voiceless’…. without ever actually putting his name on it. This man continues to confound. Later, NFL Network reporter and podcast host Aditi Kinkhabwala swings by to discuss how they both got started in the sports media world and how it has evolved over the years, why the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers should provide the blueprint for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season, how the Steelers' refusal to address the offensive line has proven to be a massive mistake, why she likes the Buffalo Bills as the best team in the AFC right now, why Jon Gruden's e-mail leak is the probably just the tip of the iceberg and why she expects more details to come to light surrounding the Washington Football Team investigation, why most candidates can't be too choosy when it comes to head coaching vacancies, and much more!

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Jon Gruden Was Collateral Damage for the Washington Football Team Investigation Oct 12, 2021

Show notes

On today’s episode, Jason and Producer Rob G do a deep dive into the controversial e-mails sent out by Jon Gruden that ultimately led to him having to resign as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Unlike most sports stories, there isn’t a clear right or wrong in this scenario; there’s a ton of gray area and context that needs to be considered. On one hand, what Gruden said in those e-mails was highly inappropriate and extremely embarrassing for the NFL as it tries to preach a more inclusive atmosphere around the League. On the other, the e-mails were sent from his private accounts and only became public due to the League’s investigation into the Washington Football Team workplace scandal. Speaking of which, how is that of 650,000 e-mails that were turned over as part of the investigation, the only ones that got released came from Gruden? Is it possible that the NFL is trying to protect one of its owners – Daniel Snyder – and letting Gruden take the shrapnel instead? There’s something very suspicious about the whole ordeal. Moreover, how should we expect the Raiders to perform on the field now that their head coach and de facto general manager is out on the street? And, now that the Raiders gig is officially up for grabs, are we sure it's even more attractive than, say, the New York Giants head coaching job?

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Chiefs are 5th Best in the AFC, Justin Herbert for MVP & The Browns Don't Trust Baker Mayfield Oct 11, 2021

Show notes

On today's episode, Jason kicks things off with a deep dive into the Buffalo Bills' beatdown of the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. Josh Allen and the Bills are playing like the best team in football overt the past month, but the big story here is what's going on in Kansas City. The Chiefs defense has been leaky for awhile, but now they have a sloppy offense to go along with it; Kansas City is barely a top-5 team in the AFC right now. Later, Jason goes in on what was easily the game of the day between the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Chargers. The Browns seemed to have the game in-hand until head coach Kevin Stefanski decided to take the ball out of Baker Mayfield's hands altogether down the stretch. Is it fair to say that Mayfield doesn't have the trust of his head coach? On the flip side, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is playing like at worst the 2nd best quarterback in the NFL. If we were to handicap the MVP race right now, is there anyone you would take ahead of Herbert? Doubt it. Finally, Jason closes the show with a very special Monday Night Football edition of the Best Bet.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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