Our financial manager Leonard Raskin goes for a long walk down the money trail of golf and how the PGA wound up ruled by the government of Saudi Arabia.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
money, baseball, golf, talk, year, week, sports, good, hit, game, bp, ball, homerun, griffey, nba, throwing, saudis, nhl, wear, ravens
SPEAKERS
Nestor Aparicio, Leonard Raskin
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
wn st Towson, Baltimore. Baltimore positive. Weโre positively into summer time, summer time. Look, Joe is going to be in Owings Mills all week long for all things ravens related. They have a legitimate mini camp was one year ago this week that I got thrown out. After asking my final question, Lamar, do you want to be a raven for life? Heโs here youโll be throwing through Odell Beckham Of course. Oriole Park at Camden Yards alive with Al East action this week. Luke will be down there and this guy is back from a long short weekend in Florida. Ready for some more real baseball ready for some PGA live golf in the US Open this week. Ready for the French Open and Roland Garros? We got the Stanley Cup The NBA This is one of the more active weeks of the year Leonard Raskin and you love sports so itโs itโs itโs itโs heavy on the remote control this week. I think right there you
Leonard Raskin 00:53
go. Itโs a wear out the thumb. Itโs get the carpal tunnel going into thumb this weekend to to or this week to go back and forth the whole thing so we like you said we got the NBA. Final Denver Nuggets. Is that Is that who it is? No. No Denver Nuggets? Right. What is the what is the Denver Nuggets? And then and then you flip over to the NHL and we got the Vegas? Golden Knights. I mean, I guess you could have gotten to Vegas a year ago and bet on this first time first time NBA NHL championship kind of what would it be called? Would that be called a fringe? What do they call that? When you bet something thatโs really bizarre.
Nestor Aparicio 01:44
Ah, well, itโs called a future is what itโs called. Now it
Leonard Raskin 01:47
is I mean, rods prop bets or bets exotic wagering patriotic thatโs what I was looking for.
Nestor Aparicio 01:54
Exotic to say that Iโm gonna take the Vegas knights at 50 to one or whatever they would do,
Leonard Raskin 01:58
but Iโm saying what if you could have bet could you have bet Vegas for the NHL? And
Nestor Aparicio 02:04
oh, like itโs like an exact
Leonard Raskin 02:06
exactly. I would
Nestor Aparicio 02:08
like like a pair of pants. Wow. That No, thatโs like a parlor parlay. There
Leonard Raskin 02:12
you go and said these two are going to be the champions. Next June. That would have been some better bet. And
Nestor Aparicio 02:20
the bet be right now if youโd like the Orioles to win the World Series and the ravens to win the Super Bowl, and then it would actually happen
Leonard Raskin 02:26
a bit a bit. Those odds are dropping, dropping. But but a look all all things are possible. And boy we are. Weโre rockin Camden Yards away. I think the young ones the young ones are taking over. Yeah, Iโm just I was waiting and thinking, you know, these guys are getting crazy. Ridiculously stronger. And and over the weekend. Iโm thinking to myself, Okay. After we saw it. I always said for the Ravens. And I know Iโve met him. I mean, weโve had good times together. Good fun. Justin Tucker. Right? He is a if youโve never met Justin, just look at him. Heโs a little guy. I mean, as as football players go, heโs heโs not a big guy. But he swings that leg. And that ball. 65 yards just is like nothing. Well, the other thing we
Nestor Aparicio 03:24
have going now and I did a big golf segment this week with Ed Miller over classic five. You want to pick up golf and you and I were on the golf course last week we were talking about before the live PGA Saudi and all that. But we were just talking at a charity it turned out last week that if you want it to get better at golf, and thatโs the one thing any of us can go play that you get a lesson but more than that, the video the simulators. Yeah, they that you can get your swing. Top Golf. Totally. You can do any of that. Right now as a golfer. I mean, baseball we see that sort of with Elias and Britain with pitchers in the science of all of this. Yeah, like for for the same thing with Justin Tucker, for anyone that does a repeatable act. Yep, that can be measured. You can get better at it. And you can get better than youโve ever been able to get at it because a diet science, a technique
Leonard Raskin 04:18
technology man technology. Exactly. So Iโm, Iโm watching and, and Iโm thinking wow, I went to a game. We talked about this a couple few weeks ago, watched Otani hit a home run that just missed. Just missed the boob, the boots, barbecue sign, the hardest home run Iโd seen hit in a long time. And then bam. Gunnar Henderson hits a ball, that on a bounce hits the second story of the warehouse. And Iโm thinking to myself, is somebody going to hit that building? Soon And these guys are, like you said they, they got simulators they got batting practice whenever theyโre getting stronger. Somebodyโs gonna hit that thing. Itโs, Iโm pretty sure from from what they said over the weekend, this was the longest one, right? Right.
Nestor Aparicio 05:20
Told me hit a home run off of Messina a generation ago. Right? And that was going down. But thatโs against, but there was not science there was eyeball and markers and whatever, especially with trajectory, how high the ball went right fast when exit Vilo exit velocity. I mean, these are things that Luke Jones talks about you watching Major League Baseball network, these are tip of the tongue, baseball. Itโs part of the
Leonard Raskin 05:46
database, right? And the stats now like we said, you watch the game, and as soon as it struck, and itโs out, they have all of that they have launch angle, they have exit velocity, they have everything about it. With with technology that just tells you everything where it hit how long it was. And you know, I love watching Monday night, ESPN Sports Center with Scott Van Pelt and midnight or whatever when he I donโt know when heโs on anymore. Heโs on like once a year now or something.
Nestor Aparicio 06:21
But he let him on whenever the gameโs over maybe if they want to. If he wants
Leonard Raskin 06:24
to if he wants to work, but but he and his producer Stanford Steve, though, those show some big homeruns and he always asked Steve give me give me a distance. He says 580 80 feet and then it comes in at like 392 or something in the stats. But they stay shows a monster home runs and gunner crushed that ball. I have I think it was Ken Griffey Jr. Right. Heโs the only guy to hit the warehouse. And that was during that was
Nestor Aparicio 06:57
wondering, well, the Home Run Derby letโs talk about the Home Run Derby that was during a game. But letโs talk about the Home Run Derby, shall we? Because I was I was a real media member back then. Not like I am now like a fake media member. But I was a real media member in 93. And, you know, I was really close with the team. Then I traveled with the team was a young reporter in 1993 was 30 years ago, right? Yeah. So during that year, I always I love the game, and I love the coaches and any of the coaches Chuck Cottier from that era, tick. Bosman was the pitching coach of that era. Johnny Oates was the manager who didnโt always understand me, but understood my last name was Aparicio and I cared about baseball, the hitting coach of those team, the 93 teams, a guy named Greg biagini. Beautiful guy, great guy never played in the big leagues, but was any died a very, very tragic death. He was sort of the right hand man for Johnny Oates. But he died of cancer. Oh, man, Greg. Greg left us 20 year over 20 years ago. But Greg was a wonderful guy. He died in the prime of his life and heโs just such a vibrant, wonderful guy. And he would stand behind the cage, right like youโre the old sage. Right? And I and the guys on the team, then are Cheeto Martinez Sandborn. Chris Moyles. Yeah, like this is before the team was even good before and hadnโt even screwed it up. Angeles didnโt even own the team yet. Okay, so this is in June and July of 93. My buddies wanted tickets for the all star game as probably you did. Everybody wanted to go to the game. Remember the big Free Willy sign and
Leonard Raskin 08:31
I had John Crocketts tickets I was I was ready. I had my tickets in hand,
Nestor Aparicio 08:37
Chris Moyles. If anybody sees Chris up in New York, Pennsylvania, Chris got me four tickets at face value that I gave to my buddies. Kevin act, John RAF elitist, Mike fountain, they all got to go to the game. And they sat up at section 388 all the way up on the roof five rows down because of Chris Moyles is generosity. Greg be a genie and I forged a relationship because I was always at the cage. Itโs funny chats do throw me out because I didnโt care enough. I was literally the guy at the cage, talking to about the science of hitting with Rick down. And who was the hitting coach after Greg right. Because he came in with with Davey Johnson with that group. Right. So Iโm at the cage and Greg vicini and I had a great friendship. And he would, we would sit there and watch BP watch BP. And then the All Star Game happened. And the week before he talked to me a little bit about it. Heโs like, Iโm gonna he was pitching BP he threw BP in a home run derby. That was Juan Gonzalez, Griffey, all that Maguire they were involved in that home run derby. Be Jeanne said to me when it was all over with, because you remember, Juan Gonzalez hit a couple into the second deck. Yep. Into the club level, which ainโt never been done, right. And so after itโs over with BJ and he sees me week after thing, we get the talk and heโs like, those baseballs were in the oven. Like they literally heated The Baseballs up. He said they were the same baseballs. Right, right. He did the baseballs up so that they pop there and BP. Thatโs how that warehouse got hit. And BJ and he says, Look, dude, and beachy and heโs very like, and heโs long gone. So he canโt bear food, right? But Iโll never forget the conversation we had. Like, heโs like, he called me nasty, because thatโs what he called me write nasty. Iโm in BP in this stadium at times a year since that opened a year and a half ago. So Iโve watched BP here 150 times. Iโve never seen anybody, anybody. And Iโve seen Sam horn tried to hit that warehouse, do everything he could do other than hit the baseballs off to hit the warehouse. Good. And he canโt do it. It canโt be done. And heโs like what Griffey did what Gonzalez was doing. I think Cecil fielder was a part of that. That circus that year. You said they came out here for 20 minutes and did stuff that Iโve been watching Brady and all of these really strong men Chris Moyles, tried to do just for fun like hitting a golf ball, right. And heโs like, You canโt it canโt be done. So this Griffey thing that you have in your mind, I want to undo that and reel that back in 30 years later, Iโll tell you, the guy who threw the baseball is the guy that controlled batting practice how to
Leonard Raskin 11:26
wear how to wear mittens, so he didnโt burn his hand
Nestor Aparicio 11:29
told me the baseballs were juiced. So hey, just so you know what Andersen did? I donโt know if that balls juiced if the game whatever theyโre playing with.
Leonard Raskin 11:37
surprise me if theyโre still doing that because they that homerun Derby night on ESPN is a big thing and those guys crush those balls made it for television. Thatโs exactly right. Itโs a itโs a made for television thing. And I wouldnโt be surprised if theyโre doing something similar today. You know, throwing him What is it a Super Bowl, a super super bowl wrapped in in Canvas.
Nestor Aparicio 12:05
Letter Raskin is here Iโm wearing the shirt lettered manages the American Dream manages money and expectation for a lot, a lot of folks, you can find them at a Rascon global as well as the Baltimore positive. We talked about the ads talking about the money and all that. But at heart your sports guy you youโre measuring homerun distances, but the Griffey thing I just I donโt poupee legend. I just want to let people know as Iโm a Iโm a purveyor of truth here. The truth is that I donโt have insight into rigged knowledge. It was rigged. It was rigged. It was rigged. Well, look,
Leonard Raskin 12:34
I donโt know that. I donโt think theyโre rigging balls in the game and think it was 460 some feet. I mean, that ball was and he says when he gets his max rank, youโll be able to hit it further. Right, right. And I was gonna say whatโs he 18
Nestor Aparicio 12:49
Now heโs 21 Pardon, but
Leonard Raskin 12:53
heโs 21 Right? He was actually able to get a drink to celebrate If he drinks you know, after the game he could celebrate
Nestor Aparicio 12:59
with a chotto came up he wasnโt old enough to drink either. Right. Lamar Jackson You famously was 21 now so for you with football and and expectation because I do want to talk a little bit of football out this week and we will talk football for the next six weeks probably not right certainly with the way the baseball teams go in the golf tournament like all these things happen. But for you with football because itโs still everybodyโs primary around here. I know the numbers that the managing of expectations for this offseason itโs been a wild offseason in that there was so much turmoil in Lamar Athan that now weโre having a really normal mini camp and everybodyโs healthy at least for now and hopefully itโll have a linebacker wind up with a drug death next week like they did a year ago. But it feels like thereโs a calm about the organization that certainly didnโt exist for a good year year and a half during the
Leonard Raskin 13:50
yeah and look not only that like you said he he came to the voluntary OTAs right he showed up heโs heโs there throw it to his guys. You got you got what for their four quarterbacks in camp I think or if not more, you got you got Lamar throwing all over the place guy says he guys say heโs looking good. And I donโt know how theyโre managing expectations because everything I see and read says this is on paper the best team in the NFL. So so weโll find out and I think every team thinks are the best team has time youโre talking about us Iโm talking about national national NFL say and this is this is it. This is the team to beat and and I look at my homes and Allen and the bank gals and Iโm thinking wow thereโs thereโs some good teams out there. We got to beat
Nestor Aparicio 14:49
to put putting together a little thing the last couple of weeks. I went to Pittsburgh and I will graves last week just he covers the team. Iโm going to Cincinnati next week weโre going to talk to some folks there as well. is in Cleveland, Ohio riders coming on next week. Just talk about the expectations around the division because I think in all places, thereโs some reason to be bullish now. I think Steelers fans would say their defense is going to be better and theyโre going to win games Will Grayson. They expect to win games 24 to 17 old school, run the ball shorten the game to all play some old school football in a division where slowing down Lamar and slowing down Joe burrow is and eventually slowing down Deshaun Watson has got to be the game for these other three teams.
Leonard Raskin 15:28
Absolutely. Absolutely. And they got a young again another young stud quarterback thatโs coming up. Iโm gonna get better. Heโs gonna get his man strength. Right like itโs a good new line his man strength. When I get my man strength, maybe I can put better but Iโm out there putting Iโm practicing with the windmill. Iโm practicing with the clownโs mouth Iโm Iโm all good about it. Which beach season right now. Youโre ready for almost beach season. I was warming up getting ready for my free game. You gotta get a free game once at least once a year. I gotta get a free game.
Nestor Aparicio 16:04
Well, I want to bring you in on this a political conversation because you and I famously are we vote? Sure we believe differently. Literally. Even though we come together. We literally believe different things. Yeah, right. Yeah. About different things. Sure. In this PGA thing and the the blood money that the Saudis have come in with with, they literally can buy anything they want. And they theyโve targeted Olympics World Cup, they targeted Messi to walk from a billion and a half dollars. Yeah, right. I think there is a different mindset for different humans, right, whether itโs Rory or whether itโs Phil, Iโll take the money, give me the money. Messi says that Iโd rather go to Miami and play and I really want Saudi blood money for the PGA and for the lawyers involved in all of this, too. I mean, the PGA has been literally you served. This should be this amazing coming in and saying I want to buy the National Football League canโt do it, because itโs individually owned and whatever. But they they found a loophole that they targeted in the American law, where the PGA lawyers basically said, our laws wonโt allow us to fight with the Saudi money. So take the money, donโt be a fool, take the money. Everybody else is taking the money. Take the money. I donโt know what this means for America. I donโt know what it means for golf. I donโt know what it means for the majors. But I do know, the world economy and the the idea of sport. And the idea of we just we just played World Cup in Qatar, everyone in the world knows that. That was the filthiest dirtiest thing ever. And itโs all in the bag, and the Qatari King is dancing with the World Cup and hanging out with messy. I mean, theyโre getting everything they want by buying it, which is really an American tradition.
Leonard Raskin 17:49
I was just gonna say itโs a little capitalism and its best. And when you got the best and best and worst when you got it, you can use it. You know what, whatโs amazing is the guys that are on the PGA tour that didnโt jump and not just didnโt jump but follow their leadership at the PGA to say this is blood money. This is not fair. This is not golf. This is not good for the game of golf. This is all around terrible for our sport. Itโs not, not not and the leadership, put them there. The leadership said this is blood money. This is spitting in the face of the 911 families. This is this is not something that that we want you to do. Youโre not going to play on our tour till they got sued. And
Nestor Aparicio 18:39
the Saudis couldnโt come in and buy the XFL and start buying Tom Brady and Lamar Jackson. way the NFL.
Leonard Raskin 18:46
I get it, I get it, but this is my point. And then these guys that didnโt take the big checks, sat on the sidelines and toe the party line. And and I donโt think although Iโm not 100% Sure, I donโt think the PGA golfers have a union. But just like Tiger Woods came along and literally transformed both the game of golf and the money of golf. Letโs face it, even when Jack Nicklaus was at his peak and paying 90% income tax to the federal government on dollars that he earned such that he quote said itโs not worth winning the money because I donโt get any of it. But Tiger came in and revolutionized what do you call it in golf the take the the the purse, you know? Yeah, the purse of what these tournaments pay out, and yet these guys all looked like chumps. For not going to live and taking Phil Mickelson Tiger was taking money and go over there
Nestor Aparicio 19:57
and make appearances say Tigers right? Yeah,
Leonard Raskin 20:00
but but but Phil got 200 And like you said Messi I think they offered did they offer Tiger a billion dollars? And he said no, Iโm gonna gonna stay here Iโm gonna fight with Rory. Is it Rory right Rory is the face of this? Oh yeah, fighting against live. And then their their leadership sold them out said weโre going to take the check. And weโre now going to be the winner weโre going to be the live PGA, the PGA live,
Nestor Aparicio 20:36
youโre gonna work literally at the pleasure of the Saudi King. I mean, like literally that with that way signed up for
Leonard Raskin 20:43
you, youโve paid and I saw recent just last couple of days. The guys that didnโt take the checks are gonna get like a signing bonus or something. somethingโs gonna happen. But yeah, they have
Nestor Aparicio 20:58
an unlimited amount of money. You shouldnโt believe me unless you feel bad about taking it
Leonard Raskin 21:02
right. And you can believe itโs dirty money. I get that. Absolutely. We can argue across sports. Not all
Nestor Aparicio 21:10
in America certainly looks at the money he started and who sponsors ya know
Leonard Raskin 21:15
what they say? You know, one of the things they say is if you want to see who controls you learn what you canโt speak. And, and if you look at the NBA, there are guys in the NBA that have spoken out against Chinese labor, and have been shut down by the League hard because they are a fortune, money machine in China. The fan base and the love of
Nestor Aparicio 21:45
the Chinese governmentโs not really different to Peter Angelos or Steve Bashaud. He they donโt like criticism
Leonard Raskin 21:50
and and theyโll shut you down. And the thing is, they canโt shut you down in the NBA except when a guy comes out and says something about China and he gets fired or blackballed. Or look at
Nestor Aparicio 22:04
the Brittney Griner situation, right, she goes over to Russia, she gets tortured, she comes back now she canโt walk into Dallas airport, because theyโre gonna scream at her. You know what I mean? Like, out of the airport, I hate to
Leonard Raskin 22:15
say it with regards to her and we can go back and forth here. The fact that she didnโt feel the national anthem mattered a whole heck of a lot when she was a player, before she was arrested in Russia and lost her freedom, and now recognizes that itโs the greatest country in the world and she couldnโt wait for the President to negotiate her release and get her back on US soil. I donโt find that too appealing about her. I would yell at her in an airport. I think thatโs pretty trashy. But I donโt think she deserves necessarily the accolades of of the world because she
Nestor Aparicio 22:46
made the point of this is the Russian government didnโt pick her because sheโs a rock star, like Pussy Riot. They didnโt pick her because sheโs a politician or a business leader. They bribed her because sheโs a six foot 10 African American womenโs basketball player, it sports and it creates a new they created a hostage.
Leonard Raskin 23:04
Thatโs exactly right. Thatโs exactly right. I get it. Iโm with you. 100%. And all Iโm saying is regarding her politics, you know, sheโs changed her mind about some things and thatโs, thatโs fine. But, but the Chinese and the NBA are deep in bed. And nobody, nobody is out there criticizing player. Well, some
Nestor Aparicio 23:24
first thing I saw when people are first thing I saw when I landed in Beijing was Yao Ming. 2000 was that era Yeah, Yao Ming was everywhere, everywhere, everywhere in Beijing and anywhere he wasnโt you know, who was there? Tiger Woods. Because they they believe? I mean, the Chinese believe in sport. I mean, no question. Heโs never had any interest in sports somehow until they could they can ride it.
Leonard Raskin 23:51
Somehow somebody chose that it was it. Letโs face it. Theyโre not doing this. It canโt be doing it for the money. Itโs just silly. Just pop it on there. Well raise the price of oil $1 A barrel it means nothing. Itโs nothing. Theyโre not doing this for the money. So somebody over there in the kingdom must show love golf, that theyโve made the decision for whatever reason. And I donโt know what it is. I have no background in this. They want into this
Nestor Aparicio 24:18
foot in the western world that they canโt have unless they they buy Taylor Swift
Leonard Raskin 24:22
Well, you know that might be coming who knows? I mean, sheโs sheโs only made a billion this year with $10,000 ticket seats in her shows that little girlโs fatherโs despairs a
Nestor Aparicio 24:32
lot of wants to be that said they werenโt gonna play in South Africa or playing Dobby right? Playing you know, I
Leonard Raskin 24:38
get it. These players get it. Hey, it used to be. It used to be you saved up your money. Your kids whole life until they were 1012 years old. And what did you do with all that money? You took them to Disney World. Now you save up all that money for your daughter till sheโs 12 or 15 years old and what do you do with that money? Take her under to see Taylor swift right? You get two tickets in the nosebleeds for 6000? No pardon. Itโs
Nestor Aparicio 25:04
for for you know, Barbara
Leonard Raskin 25:08
Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift for Taylor Swift tickets. So maybe the Saudis will entice her for a billion dollars to play a Saudi tour. Who knows where maybe
Nestor Aparicio 25:17
my baseball itโs been bad enough, havenโt Angeloโs by baseball here, so I canโt go any worse.
Leonard Raskin 25:22
The Oakland Aโs are trying to figure out if they can move to Vegas, I think Vegas, and I was I was talking to my wife Cathy and I were driving and she said, theyโre gonna have a baseball team in Las Vegas. She said, gambling and baseball. I said, Honey, you havenโt been paying attention. In the fourth inning. Theyโre betting on whoโs going to hit a home run in the next three batters and people are dialing up on their phone, the odds of whoโs hitting a homerun this inning or whoโs gonna strike out or is the pitcher gonna strike out more than 10. And whatโs the over under on into the time the number of foul balls that
Nestor Aparicio 26:00
run conversation is changing. wagering for sure. And
Leonard Raskin 26:03
thereโs Pete Rose going oh, Pete Rose is out there wondering why the heck his jersey is not in Cooperโs but maybe his jersey is, but why he is not in Cooperstown and he looks at this heโs got to be. You know, itโs a good thing. Heโs still alive. Heโs dead. If he was dead, weโd be saying heโs rolling over in his grave about this. Instead, he heโs P rose would
Nestor Aparicio 26:31
have no problem if the Saudis offered him money to go into the hall. He would take the money they
Leonard Raskin 26:35
bought the hall. If they bought the hall and said 10 million bucks. Heโd pay them 10 million bucks and theyโd give it back to him as a signing bonus when they own the hall.
Nestor Aparicio 26:47
Thatโs America letter asking can be found or asking global not just to talk in sports and fun and politics but managing money the right way. Taking your money and your future and the responsibility that seriously check them out or asking global weโll see you next week. I hope you have a good week. I mean by next week NBA NHL all that golfing, you know, itโll just be a baseball pennant race. Itโd be normal times.
Leonard Raskin 27:09
Thatโs it. Weโre on to the All Star game. Well,
Nestor Aparicio 27:12
thatโll be next weekโs argument how many all stars we have your Gunnar Henderson make a little case for himself as well. You can find letter Rascon out in front of Baltimore positive and at Rascon global always there to help you follow your American dream. I follow my American dream this week on the Maryland crab cake tour. Weโre gonna beat spirits West next Thursday. given away the Maryland lottery instant lottery scratch offs are friends of window nation, give me the fun floppy hat to wear as well. We are wn st am 1570, Towson Baltimore and we never stop talking Baltimore positive