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This week, Matt dives into the 2025 NBA and NHL Drafts, and for once, he’s giving himself a little credit. The Utah Jazz surprised fans by drafting Ace Bailey at #5, trading up for Walter Clayton Jr., and grabbing John Tonje in Round 2. He breaks down each pick, roasts ESPN’s anti-small-market narratives, and celebrates a rare aggressive move by Utah’s front office.

Then it’s over to the ice, where Utah Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong pulls off a blockbuster trade for JJ Peterka and follows it up with two big draft-day hits in Caleb Desnoyers (Matt called it) and Max Psenicka. Matt hands out grades, praise, and a little friendly sarcasm along the way. (While still mispronouncing hockey players names...)

Finally, Real Salt Lake didn’t lose to Sporting KC, without Diego Luna! Is the team finally stabilizing? Or are we just in the calm before the (transfer window) storm?

Plus: A few Fourth of July jokes, Matt’s Canadian birthday, and a reminder to always read local over national when it comes to sports media.

👉 RATE, REVIEW & SUBSCRIBE — and keep spelunking!

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This week on The Matt Cave Podcast, host Matt Smith dives into the high-stakes world of draft strategy as the Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth prepare for back-to-back draft nights. With both teams holding top-5 picks, the pressure is on—so Matt’s breaking down what he thinks they’ll do versus what they should do.

🏀 For the Jazz, Matt predicts a predictable pick (hello, Trey Johnson) and calls out the team’s addiction to “upside” and inaction in trade talks.
🏒 For the Mammoth, he sees potential for a bold, franchise-defining move—maybe even a trade for a top-six forward.
📺 And yes, ESPN gets absolutely roasted for its lazy coverage of Utah’s sports scene.

Plus, Matt opens up about losing his day job and how that might impact game reviews going forward.

Subscribe, rate, and leave a review (especially on Spotify), and don’t forget to follow The Matt Cave on Facebook and Instagram.

📬 Email: themattcavepod@gmail.com

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Real Salt Lake finally ends their brutal winless streak — and they did it without Diego Luna.

With the Gold Cup underway, Matt breaks down the USMNT’s roster, their chances (spoiler: not great), and why Luna’s value keeps rising.

On the gaming front, Xbox’s showcase delivered big with Clockwork Revolution, Beast of Reincarnation (yes, from Game Freak!), and news of a Halo Combat Evolved remaster. Plus: Is the Xbox Ally handheld the console killer we didn’t know we needed?

Matt wraps with early impressions of Dune: Awakening, and what it offers for fans tired of traditional MMOs.

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It was a quiet week in Utah sports—but not without drama. In this episode of The Matt Cave:

🇺🇸 Diego Luna earns the start for the USMNT against Turkey and makes a strong case for next summer’s World Cup roster.

🏀 BYU extends Kevin Young after one season. Is it a savvy move or a leap of faith in the new NIL era?

💰 The NCAA’s pay-for-play shift is official—what it means for schools like BYU, Utah, and Utah State going forward.

🎮 And Summer Game Fest 2025… well, it happened. While most reveals fell flat, a few standouts (Mina the Hollower, Mouse P.I.) gave gamers a glimmer of hope.

Subscribe, spelunk, and stay informed—new episodes every Sunday.

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Real Salt Lake keeps finding new ways to disappoint, gifting the LA Galaxy their first win of the season in spectacular fashion. Meanwhile, the Utah Mammoth lock in two towering Russian prospects to bolster the blue line. And in gaming, Matt breaks down why Elden Ring: Night Reign flopped and how AAA studios are cashing in on your loyalty — again.

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In this Memorial Day weekend edition of The Matt Cave, Matt breaks down Real Salt Lake’s gut-wrenching 2-3 collapse against Vancouver and raises serious questions about the club's leadership, captaincy choices, and lackluster roster beyond Diego Luna.

He then celebrates Team USA’s exhilarating overtime win over Switzerland at the IIHF World Championship, led by Utah Mammoth stars Logan Cooley, Clayton Keller, Josh Doan, and Michael Kesselring.

Shifting gears, Matt previews the Mammoth’s exciting offseason—armed with the #4 pick, cap space, and a hunger for star power (hello, Mitch Marner?).

On the gaming front, he reviews Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (verdict: buy it!) and looks ahead to Dune: Awakening, Borderlands 4, and EA Sports College Football 26—while also dragging Randy Pitchford’s tone-deaf pricing comments through the mud.

Whether you're into soccer, hockey, or controller-clutching chaos, this week's spelunk through the Cave has something for you.

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In this week’s spelunk into The Matt Cave, the optimism surrounding Real Salt Lake has evaporated. Matt breaks down a rough two-game stretch, the scoring crisis plaguing the team, and the looming shadow of a rebuild that may be inevitable—yes, even involving Diego Luna.

Then it's off to the IIHF World Championship, where Utah Mammoth players are repping the USA, Canada, and Czechia with pride (and some serious stats). What does it mean for the club and the future?

Plus: a loaded dive into the world of video games. MLB The Show 25 gets dissected from "Road to the Show" to franchise mode quirks, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 earns a glowing 10/10, and Bungie once again finds itself in controversy—this time over alleged art theft in Marathon.

No fluff, no filler—just another real one from The Matt Cave.

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No intro music. No jokes. Just fire.

Matt breaks down the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery disaster—where the Jazz fell to 5th despite having the best odds—while Dallas, San Antonio, and Philly magically rose to the top.

He exposes the patterns, the hypocrisy, and the league’s blatant disrespect for small-market teams.

If you still believe the NBA Lottery is fair after this episode, you’re not paying attention.

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