Fire Everyone: NBA Playoffs, the NFL Draft & a Mets Meltdown w/ Rick Garcia and Corey Nathan

Rick Garcia and Corey Nathan dig into an NBA playoffs that's already serving up some genuine surprises, break down an NFL Draft that had the Rams pulling off organizational-level misdirection, rage through a Mets/Phillies collapse that somehow has both teams at 9-19, and close out with the Savannah Bananas, Russell Wilson, and a very vocal cameo from Bentley the dog.

---

Find Us On

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Follow Rick Garcia: @RickGarciaNews on X (Twitter)

Follow Corey Nathan: @coreysnathan on Substack, Threads, Instagram, X & more

---

Key Takeaways

1. NBA Playoffs: Surprises, But the Chalk Is Mostly Holding

OKC swept Phoenix and is waiting on whoever survives the West. The Lakers are nearly done with Houston despite being shorthanded. Boston's up 3-1 on Philly. The real eyebrow-raisers: Minnesota leading Denver without key pieces, and Orlando looking like a well-oiled machine against Detroit — 20 steals in one game, beautiful offensive movement. Corey is rooting hard for Orlando in the East.

2. Knicks-Hawks Tied 2-2 and Corey Is Nervous

He never expected a sweep, but this is closer than comfortable. Game four was encouraging: the Knicks went up 7 after one, 14 at half, 21 after three — consistent effort for 48 minutes. KAT needs to stop complaining and start playing. Bridges and Hart were basically invisible offensively in game three. They can't carry two starters not producing. Game five is a must-win in tone, even if not in math.

3. NFL Draft: Giants Build the Trenches, Rams Play 4D Chess

New York went defense (Arvell Reese, #5 overall, Ohio State) and offense (CC Mauigoa, #10, right guard, Miami) — both trench picks to protect Jaxson Dart. Corey's happy with it, though the Caleb Downs debate is real. Rick's Rams took Ty Simpson at 13, and the internet collectively lost its mind. Turns out McVay and Simpson had been meeting secretly for weeks; the "upset McVay" at the draft presser was deliberate misdirection. Corey says check back in five years. Also: sixth-round WR CJ Daniels out of Miami has OBJ-level one-handed grab potential.

4. Mets and Phillies Are Both 9-19 and Everyone Is Suffering

The Phillies fired Rob Thomson. The Mets are being managed by a ghost. Corey was already calling for change before they got swept by a team that lost 119 games last year. He's now in full scorched-earth mode — fire everyone from the manager up to David Stearns. Rick's theory: it's fine if the hot streak comes in May or June. His warning: just don't let it come in November. The one flicker of light is a true center-field prospect getting promoted from AA to AAA, and the trade-deadline pieces if May and June don't go the right way.

5. Pop That Culture: The Savannah Bananas, Russell Wilson, and Bentley

The Savannah Bananas drew 40,000 to Yankee Stadium. Russell Wilson stepped in to play a game with them and got thrown out at first. Rick asks: is it time to hang it up? Corey says yes — his Pittsburgh and New York years said everything that needed to be said. Rick counters that quarterbacks are so protected now, Wilson could theoretically come off the couch in a pinch. Corey prefers Tom Brady's chances of a comeback, mostly because of the chin dimple. Also: Bentley the dog had opinions and we kept it in.

---

The playoffs are heating up, the draft is in the books, and the Mets are somehow making the Phillies feel better about themselves. See you next week.