Nothing Personal with David Samson

Today’s word of the day is ‘commissioner’ as in Rob Manfred as in Adam Silver as in MLB as in NBA. Let’s start with baseball and what Rob had to say. He brought up expansion and salary caps and softball. What does it all mean? (15:50) Adam Silver then took the stage and he had some things to say: expansion, NBA Europe. (34:07) Review: Number One on the Call Sheet. (39:10) NBA playoffs are in full swing. The Lakers bounced back! Luka and LeBron were not going down 0-2. The Thunder and Grizzlies series is not a fair matchup. The Pacers and Bucks do not like each other and it shows. (41:40) Anthony Edwards keeps getting fined. He’s up to $370,000 in fines this year. Is this form of punishment just not working? (44:30) NPPOD. (46:00) The NFL draft is tomorrow from Green Bay! But we’ll focus on the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones teased a trade, but that was it. What does that mean? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘flop’ as in flail as in faking as in Knicks as in Pistons as in Jalen Brunson as in Mikel Bridges as in Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks lost a close one last night to the Pistons at The Garden. The internet is all over Brunson for flopping. Bridges and Towns were bad. The Pistons got its first playoff win since 2008! (12:45) Kawhi Leonard is healthy and the Clippers have a chance. This was the plan. The only way they could contend against the Nuggets and Jokic is Leonard. (16:00) NPPOD. (20:02) Nico Harrison sat in front of the cameras yesterday and had to talk. The things he said were just mind boggling. The miscalculation of the Luka trade by he and Patrick Dumont was… something. (36:45) Review: Becoming Led-Zeppelin. (40:01) The Academy announced a change to voting. All voters must watch the movies. How about that? (47:00) So You Wanna Talk to Samson!? Someone asked me about Spencer Strider and his hamstring injury and what will happen to the Braves now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We start today with the sudden death of Pope Francis at the age of 88. Just yesterday he sat down with Vice President J.D. Vance, made appearances on Easter Sunday. Today’s word of the day is ‘drubbing’ as in blowout as in huge win as in NBA Playoffs. The Thunder won by 51. The Nuggets won by 2. 7 of the 8 Game 1s were double-digits. Woof! (19:45) Jazz Chisholm found himself in some trouble for tweeting from the clubhouse after an ejection. He was suspended a game and is now appealing. (24:25) Ronald Acuna is hurt. Ronald Acuna took to social media and called out the Braves for not disciplining Jared Kelenic for something he did 6 years earlier. (35:15) Review: Eephus. (37:20) The Commanders return to DC could be coming soon. But, there is a catch. (43:45) Portland wants a Major League Baseball team. The state of Oregon just voted on a “jock tax” that would increase amount of possible income tax state would receive from MLB players. (50:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘42’ as in Jackie Robinson Day as in MLB as in honor. Let’s talk about what MLB does for Jackie Robinson Day. Let’s talk about what the White House has been trying to do. (5:03) Nico Harrison defended his trade of Luka Doncic yesterday. He also said Sorry, Dirk, I’ll do what I want. The fans are furious. The team doesn’t care. And there’s still a game left to play! (24:10) Does MLB have attendance problem right now? Numbers are down across the board. Rob Manfred thought it’d be up. (37:25) Review: The Last Five Years. (41:00) NPPOD. (46:00) The Baltimore Orioles do not look good. The pitching is bad. There was no replacement for Corbin Burnes. The young players haven’t been given extensions. They’re in last place. Panic? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘fourth’ as in the fourth month as in the fourth coach as in the Suns as in Mat Ishbia as in Mike Budenholzer. One season and he’s gone. Just like Frank Vogel. Most expensive team in the NBA and Durant, Booker, and Beal couldn’t make the play-in. Ishbia can’t help himself! (14:50) The Pelicans have fired David Griffin. He put all his eggs in the Zion Williamson basket and it failed. (23:15) World Baseball Classic time is here. Well, it’s next year, but Aaron Judge was just announced as captain of Team USA. This will be his debut! (35:00) Review: Princess Cyd. (38:00) NPPOD. (45:20) Messi is MLS. MLS needs Messi. US Soccer needs Messi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘bags’ as in under the eyes as in money bags as in the East Coasters trying to watch the NL West. It is a gauntlet. 4 teams are over .500 right now. The Padres haven’t lost at home. The Dodgers are losing games. The Giants are surprising. The Diamondbacks are hot. The Rockies are… existing. (8:40) The Chicago Cubs got some bad, bad news. Justin Steele is done for the season. Counsell thought it was short-term and it’s not. Now what do the Cubs do? (14:05) Mike Trout got into a little situation with a fan on a play for a fly ball right on the edge of the stands. Interference or not? Doesn’t matter because Trout made the best of it and acknowledge he didn’t know the rules and then met with the fan after the game! (18:45) What just went down between Tennessee and Nico Iamaleava is exactly what the NCAA has created. A world of a mess. A QB wants more money. The school says no. And now he’s out of a job (?) and Tennessee is out of a QB. (35:50) Review: Novocaine. (38:30) Rory McIlroy finally got his green jacket. Almost was the same story as always with him, but he did it. (43:41) The NBA Play-in and Playoffs are here! A wild Sunday saw a bunch of teams change positions. The Warriors down to the play-in. Western Conference was wild. (50:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘groundbreaking’ as in Vegas as in the Athletics as in permits as in documents as in construction. What am I talking about? The Athletics said they are ready to break ground come June. For a stadium to open in 2028. Can it happen? What about the tariffs? (12:10) So You Wanna Talk to Samson!? Someone asked me about having a renewed interest in baseball, but none of the games are on national TV. Where can we watch that doesn’t cost extra? How can MLB grow the game this way? (20:10) What is going on with MLB TV though? Why are they looking to license it? (30:05) Review: Liza. (37:35) The NBA on TNT held a sendoff last night. Inside The NBA said goodbye to the regular season. Next season games move to Amazon and NBC. (40:40) NPPOD. (43:10) let’s talk about what happened at Pat McAfee’s live show. Just another bad moment for the Pirates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘$325 million’ as in Vlad Jr as in signing bonus as in Blue Jays as in MLB as in anger. Canada has to be conflicted by this deal. Why? Because Vlad’s signing bonus is taxed by Florida… where there’s no income tax. How will other owner’s and the MLBPA feel about this? (19:20) Luka Doncic went off in his return to Dallas. It was emotional. It was tough. And Nico Harrison was booed the whole time. (30:10) Review: True Romance. (33:15) The Phoenix Suns are done. Toast. Lights out. Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker. Max money and no playoffs. WOOF! (41:38) NPPOD. (44:00) Let’s talk about tariffs. Trump reversed course some and announced a 90-day pause on everyone but China. Jumps and dives and volatility is off the charts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘no pleasure’ as in fired as in Denver as in Nuggets as in Mike Malone as in winning. The Denver Nuggets decided to fire the head coach and GM with 3 games left in the regular season! WHAT!? The Nuggets president came out and released a statement and then went on TV and made a different statement! (16:01) Luka got ejected for trash talking a fan in the Lakers game last night. The ref took it personal. Why is this always happening? Why can’t refs get together and say “hey, we made a mistake here?” And now Luka returns to Dallas. (22:20) Tragedy struck in the Dominican Republic yesterday. At least 70 people died when the roof collapsed at a nightclub. Former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel died. Former MLB player Tony Blanco died. Nelson Cruz’s sister died. Just a horrible, horrible tragedy. (34:35) Review: October 8. (41:30) NPPOD. (44:30) Skenes Day in Pittsburgh was not great. He got shelled. And no fans were there. Under 9,000! (49:22) Caitlin Clark Effect is real. We have seen it. It continues. Are the residual effects happening? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WARNING: Today's show features a topic about suicide. If you or anyone you know are struggling please call or text 988 to speak with someone who can help! Today’s word of the day is ‘inflammation’ as in the Dodgers as in Blake Snell as in the White House as in big money as in replacements. Blake Snell said he’s been trying to tough it out through shoulder soreness but could not make it through a bullpen. First year of $182 million deal. Yikes. Except the Dodgers were all smiles at the White House, because their roster is stacked. (11:30) The Mayor of Anaheim wants the Angels to be from Anaheim. That’s what she said in a letter if the team wants to stay there with a new stadium. (18:00) Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox opened up about his struggles in a new documentary on Netflix. He spoke about his mental health troubles and a time where tried to take his own life. So many people and so many athletes struggle. Please call or text 988 if you need to talk. (30:15) Review: Black Bag. (34:20) The Detroit Tigers tried to fire an Assistant GM last week and he resigned before that. Why? He was sending lewd photos to female staffers. Rising star no more. (42:40) NPPOD. (47:40) Is Ted Leonsis primed to buy the Nationals? He owns the Wizards and the Capitals and he owns the local RSN. But the only way the Nationals get on his station… is if he owns them! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘astounding’ as in Blue Jays as in Vladimir Guerrero Jr as in new deal as in $500 million. Wow. The Blue Jays did it. Guerrero Jr gets his wish with a new deal with no deferrals and $500 million. (11:15) The Pirates messed up big time. They replaced a decal honoring Roberto Clemente with an advertisement for a vodka drink. Wow. (22:40) Rob Manfred spoke again about myriad of baseball items: torpedo bats, spending, broadcast deals, expansion, robot umps. (35:00) Review: White Lotus Season 3. (39:40) Alex Ovechkin is now the all-time leader in goals in the NHL. Wow. Never thought we’d see the day. (45:10) Ja Morant was fined by the NBA for his gun gesture celebration. (48:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘embarrassing’ as in winless as in Atlanta as in the Braves as in disappointing. What happened to the Braves? 0-7 to start the season. Last winless team. No team to start 0-7 has EVER made the postseason! (12:40) Alex Ovechkin is so close to making NHL history. He’s 3 goals away from passing Gretzky for most all time. Networks are doing everything to get the game that breaks it. 7 games to go! (19:30) The NHL just signed a huge deal with Rogers in Canada. 12 years for $7.7 billion! (32:40) Review: Companion. (35:00) What is going on with Ja Morant? Warned on Thursday about gun gestures during games and what does he do Thursday night? (48:00) We have another Tropicana Field update! Roof fixing is here. Is this just prolonging the inevitable? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘certainty’ as in tariffs as in money as in salary as in players as in Jackson Merrill as in Kristian Campbell as in many others. (7:30) The Padres gave Jackson Merrill a massive deal. They didn’t need to! They’ve been trying to shed payroll and now they are adding and now they have a core locked through 2033! Can they sustain that payroll? (17:20) The Red Sox gave Kristian Campbell a longterm deal. 5 games into his big league career. They did the same thing last year! (24:00) The Arizona Diamondbacks did something that I’m not sure why they did it. Ketel Marte got another extension. He was under contract for 2 more years and the team extended him! (34:15) Review: The Princess Bride. (38:40) Shohei Ohtani bobblehead night ended with a bang! Walk off homer! Let’s talk bobbles! (43:15) Timberwolves sale is now complete. Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore are now the owners. Just waiting on a vote. $1.5 billion and lawyers later, we have a deal. (50:00) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘diligently’ as in Rays as in St. Pete as in pursue as in the Trop as in relocation? What is happening with the Tampa Bay Rays? Right now the team is playing at the Yankees Spring Training facility. It’s a one year deal. And then what? Well a major deadline just passed and the Rays let it pass. (11:40) Randy Levine of the Yankees had a statement that is hard to believe. It wasn’t a normal statement. It was a Thank You letter to politicians. (18:08) Jerry Jones has found himself in another situation due to no one other than Jerry Jones. Micah Parsons wants a new deal. Jerry Jones went out of his way to disrespect Parsons agent. Fun! (32:24) Review: Adult Best Friends. (37:40) So You Wanna Talk to Samson!? Someone asked me about Roki Sasaki and his body language after struggling through 2 starts. Hmm. (46:00) NPPOD. (49:00) The St. Louis Cardinals continue to head in the wrong direction. The team underperformed, but the fans showed up. Now the team is just bad, and the fans aren’t showing up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ‘fool’ as in April Fool as in Jurickson Profar as in the Atlanta Braves as in disaster. That’s right we have our first PED suspension of the big league season and Profar is done for 80 games. Fool! Can the Braves rebound from this dreadful start? (13:00 ) Rafael Devers still can’t hit. Still can’t make contact. Historically bad start. But the team did sign Garrett Crochet for a record deal! Happy! (21:25) Athletics played in Sacramento. Minor league ballpark. And they got crushed. And a drone stopped the game. And the media center is a tent. (33:00) Review: The Room Next Door. (35:13) Browns owner Jimmy Haslam finally admitted what we all know… the Deshaun Watson trade as a disaster. (42:40) Woody Johnson met the media and said the Jets moved on from Aaron Rodgers but wasn’t his choice! Also talked about buyouts for employees. Also mentioned the NFLPA being a joke. What a guy! (50:08) NPPOD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ’damn’ as in Damn the Torpedos are is Yankees as in baseball as in new bats. What do you think about these new bats? Aaron Judge doesn’t use them. A bunch of other Yankees who homered did. Is MLB going to get rid of these? (18:20) Max Scherzer is hurt. Max Scherzer told us he was going to get hurt. (24:40) Rafael Devers has been historically bad to start the season. Strike outs everywhere. Can’t hit. Can’t make contact. (34:21) Review: Reacher Season 3. (36:00) Let’s talk about what MLB did about Opening Day. They gave customers who missed out due to some tech issues a discount on merch. (42:40) NPPOD. (45:00) The Final Four on the men’s side is set. It’s all top seeds. (48:00) The Memphis Grizzlies fired its head coach with 10 games left. A 4/5 seed in the NBA. Why now? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ’undefeated’ as in who is rooting for a team that won yesterday? (Except the Cubs) Dodgers win again. Yankees started with a win. Juan Soto had a chance for the Mets and didn’t get it done. The Orioles looked hot. Baseball is back! (10:43) Vladdy Jr reportedly got a new deal offered to him by the Blue Jays. (18:20) MLB had a problem. Streaming was down. App was down. Uh oh. (23:30) The media problems never end! What about the Yankees and Comcast? More problems! (35:00) Review: Last Breath. (38:20) NPPOD. (43:00) Adam Silver had to meet the media yesterday and he had a lot to say. All Star Game problems. Expansion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ’holiday’ as in Opening Day as in baseball is back as in let’s go! There are so many great games today! Keep your hopes up! Your team has a chance! (9:08) Rob Manfred made his media rounds yesterday and had a lot to say about a lot. He commented on Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers, ESPN, and more! (17:20) MLB win totals! Let’s make some magic! (24:10) So You Wanna Talk to Samson!? Someone asked me about Rafael Devers, Alex Bregman, and the Red Sox decision making. (34:23) Review: The Killing Fields. (39:00) The Boston Celtics sale has hit a snag. Can Bill Chisholm not afford it? Is there too much private equity involved? (45:40) NPPOD. (47:20) LeBron went on the Pat McAfee show and let everyone have it. He spoke about MJ, his son, Stephen A, reporters. Everyone! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ’predictions’ as in Major League Baseball as in baseball as in Opening Day as in World Series as in MVP as in baseball! Let’s jump right into the biggest storylines! (16:00) What are the biggest storylines I’m following this year!? (27:25) Review: The Brutalist. (32:20) NPPOD. (37:30) Let’s talk division winners! (45:40) Wild Card time! (48:00) World Series time! (49:40) Award time! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s word of the day is ’bar’ as in raise the bar as in set the bar as in expectations as in Paul Skenes. He’s entering Year 2. Opening Day starter. Cy Young favorite. He spoke with a reporter about what he thinks of the Pirates. What he means to the team. (9:20) Andrew Miller spoke yesterday about salary caps and dynasties in baseball. He now works for the MLBPA. (18:40) The Minnesota Twins want to sell. The Twins owners want $1.7 billion. The Twins hold a ton of debt. The Twins will still sell. (26:01) So You Wanna Talk to Samson!? Someone asked me about the Giants and Red Sox approaches to the game and spending. Who will be right? (37:00) A national security failure already. What a world we live in. (43:55) NPPOD. (46:15) The college basketball transfer portal has opened up. A record number of players in there. The system is broken. It’s all broken! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices