Bernie Fratto Previews NFL Week 16

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Don't listen to Fox Sports. Well, that's right, you heard
the man. It's that time a week. My name is
Bernie Fratto. Where come and see alive from the tire
iraq dot com studio is here in Las Vegas. Tirerac
dot com will help you get there and unmatched selection,
fast free shipping, free road hazard protection and over ten

(00:21):
thousand recommended installers tirac dot com. The away tire buying
should be on this fiftieth anniversary of the Immaculate Reception
Pittsburgh Raiders and coincidentally, the two play each other Saturday
and has playoff implications. Later in the show, I will
be giving a tribute I remember it so the great,

(00:43):
the late great Franco Harris, who I got to spend
an afternoon with back at the National Sports Collector's Convention.
I'll tell the story. I'll tell the backstory of the
entire situation involving the Immaculate Reception and what happened. Save
that for a little bit later in the show. We
do have a heavy, heavy, heavy NFL centric show, Phassic

(01:03):
five and about fifteen minutes you'll be drinking through a
fire hose. We will have Mark Medina midnight Magic, Mark Medina,
Midnight Magic Media Magic at midnight, We've got to talk
to some NBA. The Phoenix Suns were sold a d
a very cryptic injury, plus a full slate of Christmas
h NBA games. But before we dive heavily into the

(01:23):
National Football League and all the playoff implications and the
Saturday trends, and the weather trends in the week sixteen trends,
and all the things you need to know to have
fun this weekend. Bottom line is I want to take
a quick look back at what we've seen just the
last few days, started with last night. Okay, it turns
out if you combine a Super Bowl winning coach in

(01:45):
Doug Peterson and a talented quarterback that is showing why
he was the rave before the Urban Meyer season, you've
got yourself a winning recipe. Believe it or not. Jacksonville
now has a fifty six point two percent chance to
make the playoffs after hammering the New York Jets ninety

(02:05):
three Thursday night. Meanwhile, the Jets their fans were so
upset they were chanting for former Gray Cup champion Chris Traveler.
Midway through the third quarter. They gotta but it didn't
work well. This just in Uh, it's not working out
real well with Zack Wilson. I don't this, gentleman, not
that he doesn't have armed count and physical ability. Somewhere

(02:27):
along the line, he is not prepared to play quarterback
in the NFL, and not in the National Football League
for the New York Jets in the City of New
York Department ever, your donency department, Wan Wan law I'm sorry,
it's come on. Trevor Lawrence. On the other hand, he
looks like a legit playoff quarterback. And some pretty brutal
weather last night. Not it was not easy. TV camera

(02:49):
hit a lot of it. Lawrence stroo for two or
twenty nine yards, scrambles for fifty one more yards, adds
a rushing touchdown. Jackson dly once three straight and five
of the last seven. Look now, but there are a
red hot team and they're legit. They're absolutely legit. So
it's Detroit. The Troits got a red hot run. They
had to Carolina, where a four straight win would beat

(03:10):
the Lions. Uh, would make the Lions playoff. I'm gonna
explain that in a minute. Because there are five NFL
teams in the NFC vying for two wild card spots.
The Seahawks are clinging onto dear life. They've lost four
their last five. Somehow, they're gonna have to upset the
Chiefs as double digit underdogs to boost their playoff chances,

(03:32):
which currently set at I don't like their chances. The
Washington Commanders, which lost their tiebreaker to the Lions way
back in Week two. They need an upset over the
forty Niners at seven point underdogs to up their playoff
odds to about to maintain their edge hold this stock
because this is boating well for the Lions. And by

(03:53):
the way, you still can't count out Bill Belichick on
to Cincinnati in the playoff hope there after last week,
another loss would pretty much kill their playoffs chances, but
they're still at six point nine percent. Now. Last week
was a wacky week. I don't care how you slice it.
Every time you say you've seen it all, you see
something new. The Minnesota Miracle two the Vikings. They turned

(04:17):
a thirty three to nothing halftime deficit into a thirty
nine thirty six overtime went over the Colts, the biggest
comeback in NFL history. NFL teams now by the way
if you're scoring a home there have been one thousand,
five hundred and fifty one games of this nature, or
a team is leading by thirty points at any time

(04:38):
during the game, and there's only two of those times
where the team lost. The other you won. So the
Vikings continued to find the odds top credit not picking
on you. You'll never hear me call them frauds. Ain't
gonna happen. I get it. You've heard my diet try
before that they're not profiling as an eleven and three
team because they're being outyarded and they're in differential and

(05:00):
last week they turned the ball over three times. If
you turn the ball over three times, you only went
about six percent of the time. But the Vikings continue
to define the odds. Will see what they do Saturday
against the New York Giants. Uh. By the way, spoiler alert,
I kind of like the Giants in that game, plus
the points that you know, the Vikes their thirty second

(05:21):
ranked defense and by the way, the Giants seven and
two against the spread under Brian Dable, But hold that
thought more insanity. The Raiders beat the Patriots after the
lateral play when horribly wrong leads to a pick six
with no time left on the clock. And that's a
Belichick coach team on the Cincinnati Literally, I'm Cincinnati. Meanwhile,
the Buffalo Bills, they cleansed their fourth straight playoff Berth

(05:41):
Saturday night last Saturday, amidst this globe. Like you know,
I don't know what's going on with the weather. I
don't live in Detroit anymore. I lived through seven of
these winners. I get fifteen inches of snow today, and
buff that I didn't stop Buffalo last week and those
were Buffalo conditions. And the Cowboys actually also clips the
playoff Berth thanks to the Giants winning. Believe it or not,

(06:02):
the Chiefs they squeaked past the Texans last week and
overtime to clinch their seventh consecutive AFC title. I think
you can call it Yeaston dynasty. Why not, they're legit.
I think they're getting to the super Bowl frankly, but
that's we'll save that for some shows down the road.
And I mentioned the Jaguars. Yes, they won again last week,
but they remember they had to overcome a deficit. And meanwhile,

(06:25):
the Bengals also had to come back from a seventeen nothing.
Uh you know deficit to the to the Buccaneers to
beat them. Here's a weird one for you. There's a
did you know there's a kicker in the league that
kicks for the Chargers. His name is Cameron Dicker. He
kicked his third game, the third game winning field goal
of the season. Not two of them have come with
the Chargers Week nine and then last week Week fifteen,

(06:48):
and one actually came when he played for the Eagles
back in Week five. Cameron Dicker getting it done. But
you didn't know that. Give it up to the Carolina Panthers,
who were gonna probably give the lines everything they can
handle Saturday. I'm gonna get to that game in the second.
The Panthers have not beaten the Steelers since they got
the monkey off their back. They had a chance to

(07:09):
end that curse Sunday, but they lost six year curse.
But the Panthers are still alive for a playoff. Berth
the Giants. Finally they beat the Commanders on Sunday Night Football.
The Giants had lost eleventh straight on Sunday Night Football.
That was wacky week Week fifteen. Let's now look ahead.
The Detroit lines have become an absolute darling and why
not everybody loved him On hard knocks. They started out

(07:31):
one and six. No team has ever gotten to the
playoffs after starting out one and six. Lions vine to
be the first team to do that. Here's what they
gotta do. They gotta get to play a wild card spot.
Because the Vikings have already clinched the division. Five teams
are essentially fighting for the final two wild card spots.
You got the Eagles, the Vikings, forty Niners, and Cowboys,

(07:52):
they've all clinched playoff Perth, the NFC South champ will
clinch another spot. So there's five spoken four. So got
the number six and number seven seeds. Those are up
for grabs. Here's what's what right now. The Giants who
are eight five and one and the Commanders who are
seven six and one, they hold the six and seven
spots in the NFC, respectively. And then right behind them,

(08:16):
you've got the Seahawks and Lions both seven and seven,
and the Packers six and eight. They're all on the
outside looking in. Five teams musical chairs two playoff spots.
But these teams actually have very different paths. I'll break
it out for you. If the Lions simply went out,
and the Commanders and Seahawks lose one of their final

(08:37):
three games. Detroit's in and this is the least complicated road.
That's why the Lions are to get to the playoffs.
If the Lions win and beat the Panthers this weekend,
that'll jump to s. By the way, if the Lions
beat the Panthers and the Commanders lose at San Francisco
and the Seahawks lose at Kansas City, by the time

(08:58):
you go to bed Sunday night, the Lions are now
the number seven seat and the Lions it's there right
in front of them. This is the Lions have covered
seven in a row now. The last time the Lions
covered seven in a row was that team was twelve
and four. They went to the playoffs. They beat Dallas
on uh January five to six. John Madden on the

(09:21):
call said, you're looking at the two teams in the nineties.
He was half right. The Cowboys went on to win
three Super Bowls in the decade of the nineties. The
Lions have not won a playoff game since in the
last thirty years. Thirty years almost on thirty one now.
In terms of three strength of schedule, the Lions have
the easiest path to the playoffs. The three teams they

(09:42):
faced too in the year, the Panthers, Bears, Packers. They've
got a combined record of fourteen and twenty eight. That's
why their projection is now. And we jump to se
on if if the Lions, your Lions beat Carolina, which
I just said, but again, they're gonna need the Commanders
to lose to the Seahawks, loose to Chiefs, and then
they jump right in there. New Year's Day, the Lions

(10:03):
are gonna face a barrass team they only beat by
one point on the road last month, and mobile quarterbacks
give the Lions defense issues and Justin Fields remains a threat.
So it's listen. They're right where they need to be.
And no, they're not the same old Giant Lions. You
heard Martin Wist's talk about that with Arnie span You're
a great show. No, I agree they're not. This team

(10:24):
is different, but they still gotta do it. And and
I don't think I'm concerned about Saturday's game against the
Carolina Panthers. And and I'll tell you why, because the
Lions are allowing almost five and a half yards per rush,
So I think this is a really tight game. But
Jared goff Uh, he's been everything is advertised, even though

(10:47):
he's not quite as proficient on the road, Lions evering
averaging eight teen points on the road versus thirty two
at home. Lions only convert thirty four percent of their
third downs on the road versus forty percent at home.
But golf has not turned the all over. In sixth
trade games. The Lions defense is stepped up in a
big way. Believe it or not, they were twenty nine
at the beginning of the year. They're now down. They've

(11:09):
fall into about eighteenth or nineteenth, but they've been playing
like a top eleven defense in the last six weeks.
By the numbers and by their opportunistic sort of as
it were, playmaking abilities. They're getting it done. They're gonna
have to get it done. This is a game physical
Carolina team who's also playing for their own playoff, right,

(11:30):
And it's funny how the as you know, the NFL
is a week to week league, and how it team
looks one week is not how they look the next week.
In Week fourteen, Carolina went to Seattle and pushed them around.
They physically manhandled Seattle Carolina did, and then they didn't
look so good against Pittsburgh last week. Teams who don't

(11:51):
look so good the week before have a tendency looked
much better. And the Lions, you know, give it up
that fourth and inches play. If the Lions make the playoffs,
that's the one they be talking about. The Troit. I
gotta tell you, I like the Jets in that game.
I'm gonna own it. And and they didn't even have
quinnin Williams and they held the Lions. The Lions did
not score an offensive touchdown until the final minute and

(12:13):
a half of the game, and that and you saw
what the result was. So look, can the Lions do it?
Absolutely they can, but they still have to do it.
You're gonna have to show me, don't tell me. And
this is why this NFL week is so chock full
of interesting story lines, playoff implications, Saturday trends. What if
I told you that in the last six years Saturday games,

(12:35):
if you blindly played the visiting team, you cover sixent
at the time. Look at all the weather games. We're
gonna get to that with FASIC at well. Because fat
weather effects totals. Weather can also affect sides. When the
ball gets below thirty degrees, they check that. When the
temperature gets below thirty degrees and the ball gets very hard,
it's hard to punt, it's hard to kick field goals.

(12:55):
You see less of that, so you see less scoring
the ball. The game becomes a a ball control field
position contest played between the twenties. Lots of chess match
chess pieces moving around this week that you'll have to
you know, we're gonna break it all down for you,
but there's gonna be a lot to digest. Football fans,
be sure to tune into Fox Sports Radio's Countdown to Kickoff,

(13:17):
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Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio at presented
by bet MGM. Coming up. You know him, you love
you can't live without him. Get your pens and papers ready,
and pencils. You're gonna be drinking through an NFL fire hose.

(13:40):
It's that time. It's time for the physic five. Keep
it locked right here. I'm Bernie Frito Wore coming to
you from the tire Act dot com studios here in
Las Vegas. You're listening to the Bernie Fratto Show on
Fox Sports Radio. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports
talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows
at Fox sports Radio dot com and within the I
Heart Radio a lot search f s R to listen live.

(14:03):
We're back on the Bernie Finer Show Fox Sports Radio,
coming you live from the Tirera dot com studios here
in Las Vegas. A heavy, heavy NFL Week sixteen, which
resumes here, oh a little less than eleven hours. What
better time? You know him, you love me, can't live
without him. Get your pens and pencils ready. You're about
to be drinking through an NFL fire hose. It's that time.

(14:25):
It's time for the Phasic five. Okay, fez a lot
to get to tonight one of our busier physic fives.
Let's just start with this before we get into the
game by game debates. Take a minute to pull back
the curtain and how the pros really bad NFL, especially
when you look at a game like Dallas Philadelphia, when
there's been major news. Yeah, so there's a perception that

(14:48):
to win betting the NFL, it's like studying for a
final exam. All you gotta do, gather all the information,
get all the injury reports, do all your work all
week long, and then bet at the end of the week.
And that's just out the way it's done. And the
reason being is that there is a such a short
window of opportunity often to get the very best betton,
to get the right number. It is much more like

(15:10):
a scavenger hunt, and there's not enough of the gold
coins to go around. So if you look at Philly Dallas,
by example, I can tell you what the pros haveing
their portfolio. The current lines four and a half. The
pros they got Dallas minus one minus two minus two
and a half, and they got the Eagles plus six
and plus six and a half. They bet Dallas when

(15:30):
they got wind that Hurts was going to be out
before it hit the widespread market, and then when Hurts
actually got reported out, the market overreacted and the line
went as high as six and a half, and at
that point they went ahead and grab the Eagles plus
the six half plus six. Now the current number four
and a half. We could have a nice discussion. Hey,
you know, experts are paid to have opinions and the like.

(15:51):
But the truth is, and I used to manage multiple
sports betting syndicates and the like. If you showed me
a ticket with Dallas minus for a half, I'd say,
this is bridge. What are you doing? And if you
told me to take it with Philly plus four and app,
I'd say the same thing because now the number, in
my opinion, is close enough to being right. And there
were great bets to be had all week long, but
not right now. Okay, that's well said, and it underscores

(16:14):
the major premise that pros manager risk and bet numbers.
And here's the key. You're holding a pretty good potential
middle there, and I guess that's what you're banking on, right,
And it's my understanding middles hit what about fourteen percent
of the time? Or am I wrong? Well, it depends
how good the middle is. If if you've got Dallas
at minus one and Philly plus six, you're gonna hit

(16:36):
that middle probably. But my point being is Dallas minus
one is a great bet because that's what the line
should be if Hurts is playing and Philly plus six
is a perfectly good bets. Not as good as Dallas
minus one, but it's I mean, certainly beating the market.
And Minshew is a very capable backup quarterback. Bottom line is,
I have the difference between Hurts and Minshew being four points.

(16:58):
So this line should have been Dallas pick him. Well
with the four point line, movie you'd say, well, it
should be four. It probably Bernie should be like just
under four by a tad because you're moving through the
key number of three. So if I had to choose,
I bet the Eagles plus the fourth FP. But I
don't have to bet the Eagles fourt F because I
got a whole bunch of Eagles plus six in my
back pocket, and I have Eagles plus six too. For

(17:19):
one simple reason, and I'd like you to address this,
I do not believe that Jalen Hurts is worth five
points to the betting line when you've got a capable backup.
We started twenty two games as a starter. This is
a topic we did beginning of last football season. Fas
you went down the line as to which quarterbacks were
worth the most of the line if they weren't starting,

(17:39):
where do you put Jalen Hurts. He's my number five quarterback.
I don't have him in front of me, but I
know he's number five. Bernie, He's he's two points better
than average quarterback. That doesn't sound like very much, but
he's the fifth best quarterback in the NFL. And I'll
beforeveryone starts screaming, wait a minute, he's you know, he
and Mahomes we're gonna be you know co m v ps.
He's the best quarterback in the NFL. No, he's in

(18:00):
the best quarterback year to date. But going forward, there's
no one, let me repeat, there's no one that's respected
that would possibly expect Hurts in his next twenty games
to be as good as Moms, even though his first
thirteen games obviously he was all good. Let's talk about
another team that's going from some bad weather to some

(18:21):
nice weather, and it's a de factol playoff game for
the Green Bay Packers. You have found an edge in
this game, go ahead and share it. I think the
rest advantage for Miami. It's a little sneaky and hidden,
and it's good so that the narrative is, oh, Miami's tired.
They had back to back West Coast games, then they
went to Buffalo now they're finally coming home. That's a

(18:43):
whole lot of travel. Well, they spent the whole week
on the West Coast, so that wasn't all that difficult.
And the fact that Miami got to play Saturday and
Green Bay played Monday night. So Miami is getting a
long week of eight days of prep time. Green Bay
is only getting six days. Further, I don't like, I
know it's only gonna be in the fifties in Miami.
Polar Arctic blast, yes, even in Miami. But the iguanas

(19:07):
are falling out of trees. Be careful out there walking
under trees in Miami. It's funny. They're like they're warn
people in Miami. It could be my forty and Sioux City.
No warnings then, but biguanas might kill you. Um. The
Green Bay is a long track history. When they go
to California or they go to Florida, they go to

(19:27):
good weather. They've had some real stinkers, and you've gotta
wonder living in Green Bay all year long. You know
this has been on the calendar. We get to go
to Miami and at least get out of the frozen tundra.
I don't think that's a positive on a short week
for the Packers. All Right, speaking of frozen, this Cleveland
Saints game is going to be abut fees. There hasn't
been a total of thirty two in seventeen years. Uh.

(19:50):
That that said, I'm not looking to bet the under
that's too low. But there'll be a lot of wind,
which means there could be some good props for running
games and goal props if you get my drift. Yes,
I like that drift as in snow drift um the
wind by you know, in terms, this is gonna be
a live betting bonanza because for all I can see

(20:12):
the wind which is gonna be like thirty miles an
hour with gus way higher is going to be um
not across the field, but going from goal post to
goal post, meaning whoever is the ball and anyone select
quarter is gonna have an enormous advantage moving the ball.
So if you can bet things like first halves and
quarters live, you should have a solid edge if you're
actually watching the game. In terms of actual props, I'll

(20:35):
pull back the curtain in games like this, pros typically
loved to bet longest field goal under umty four and
a half yards, although I'd much rather have a across
the field wind than the north south wind. Um things
that though like with a thirty two total. I can
tell you one prop that I love. They have a
prop on shortest touchdown over under one and a half.

(20:56):
Nothing could be no more random except this, Bernie. If
there's only gonna be three touchdowns in the game, it's
gonna be hard to get a one yard or so.
I played over one and a half for the shortest touchdown.
Fast coming up, we are going to get First of all,
you're gonna give the y as to some of these premises,
but we're also gonna go game by game. I want

(21:18):
to talk Bill's Bears, I want to talk Lions, Panthers,
certainly want to talk Packers, Dolphins, and the game will
probably spend the most time on the Eagles, Cowboys as
well as the rest of the late. But first let's
go to our guy, Kevin Figures with the ladies, say Kevin,
it's going on. In the NBA Friday Night Hornets holding
off a Laker rally. They not a one thirty four

(21:40):
to one thirty victory in Los Angeles. Lebron James had
thirty four in the loss for l A they have
lost three games in a row. Former Laker Kyle Who's
My thirty two points leading Washington over Sacramento Memphis, Molly
whopping Phoenix, one hundred twenty four points there for Jaren
Jackson Jr. Pelicans without Zai and Williamson notching overtime victory
over Oklahoma's Andy wins for Toronto, Chicago and the Nets

(22:02):
to defeat in Milwaukee for their eighth straight win. Fifty
points for Luca don Check in a Dallas victory over Houston.
Speaking of Houston, University of Houston with a Bowl victory
as well as Wake Forest Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts could
miss next weekend's game against the Saints as he continues
to nurse a shoulder injury. He's already been ruled out
for Saturday's game against Dallas. In the NHL, Alexandro Vetchkin
scoring his eight hundred and second career goal in the

(22:23):
Capitol's victory over Winnipeg, surpassing Gordya how for the second
most goals in NHL history. Back to Bernie Freddom. Thank you, Kevin.
All right, we get back to the physic five and Fez.
As you know, I fashioned myself as a spot player.
Let's send to Chicago and take a quick look at
that game. Bills laying eight and a half phills only

(22:43):
one and seven against the number their last eight. Their
turnover margin in that stretches minus too. Their allowing opponents
three and fifty eight yards a game that puts him four.
Do you have a side or thought on that game.
I have not grabbed the points, but it seems to
me that's where the value would be. All Right, I'm
gonna emphasize this right now. This might may get me

(23:03):
in trouble. I don't think there's a value on any
side on any game. There's not one play. I think
it's a play, and I'm probably gonna make more bets
than any of you tomorrow on prop bets. Example, Kareem
Hunt over thirty three rush yards. Um, you mentioned, we
mentioned that, you know the Browns, the Browns gonna running
the ball all game long. Bet prop bets, bets stuff.

(23:24):
That's just wrong. These numbers have been hammered in place.
The circus sports take hundred thousand dollars on NFL sides.
Do you think they're just sitting out there with a
weak number that you can just pick off? Having said
all that, if I had to bet the game, I
would look towards the Bears. That's what That's what I'm
talking about. You gotta remember, Fizz, that's contextualize this. You're
a professional and you bet numbers across the board, but

(23:47):
in an individual spot here and there, I do see
value not across the board. No one can beat the NFL.
If you play sides as you played every game, forget it.
You might as well just set your money on fire.
It will at least you'll keep you warm. But I'm
glad you. I'm glad you sort of contextualize that in
that way. In that game, the value theoretically would be

(24:08):
with the points continue on. Yes, I believe that they
played a hundred times that the Bears would cover more
than fifty of the time. I don't know if they
cover fifty four, but they probably cover fifty two. I
don't think the Bills are playing well at all, but
they have the reputation as being the best team still
in the A s C. And they're not. Kansas City
is the best team. I do think, Bernie, that there's
been a lot made about, oh what, don't overreact to

(24:30):
the weather, But when the weather hits zero like it's
going to be in Chicago, uh, and there's gonna be
some wind. You know what, I do think under fourty
and a half is still worth an investment. I do
think that that's a bet that you have the better
even laying a dollar ten. That is one of the
rare bets that I could actually advocate. I think is
being a good bet even at minus one. Ten says
I spent a little time on Eagles Cowboys. Here's why

(24:53):
I really like the Eagles in this spot. Again, I
got on a plus six. That number is long gone.
Eagles bring a number one defense in saxon interceptions dacks,
throwing seventeen interceptions in the last four games are checked
out in the last eight games. What's the moral of
the story in this spot? I feel like the Eagles
plus points are very there's real value your thoughts. I

(25:17):
think your analysis is spot on them. From my power
rating perspective, the Eagles absolutely have all the value. However,
I'm going to disagree about it being a good spot.
Eagles have everything wrapped up. They with their magic numbers
one to clinch home field throughout all the playoffs, and
the vikings are probably gonna lose twice before the seasons.
Over Where I'm going here is that, UM, the the

(25:38):
Eagles don't need this game at all, and Dallas, after
a poor effort, needs the game. UM, and the game
is much more important after having already lost the Eagles
by nine points earlier in the year. And so I
would argue it's a bad spot for the Eagles. UM,
it's possible that they feel that they're um not being
respected what they're seeing themselves at the four and app

(25:59):
point underdog. But still, UM, like I said, I bet
Dallas minus one and Philly plus six and a half.
I got no interest in all right, So let's let's
let's stay on this game for just a second, because
this is not just a theoretical conversation. Jacksonville put up
five three total yards on Dallas last week and ran
for seven point one yards on the ground. Dallas has

(26:20):
banged up defensively. The Eagles defense ranks number one in
saction interceptions. Gardner Minshew has had twenty two starts. By
the way, he's got an a lead offensive line, He's
surrounded by skilled playmakers. Where am I going with that?
I covered a National football league for ten years Nobody
ever goes into a game saying we don't need this game.
That's a media narrative. That's a group think echo Jamber narrative.

(26:41):
Teams don't say that they're gonna play their butts off
and for because they don't have a gun to their head.
They might play more relaxed, which we're never gonna know.
That's my counterpoint to your point. You have the last
word on this, all right. If you if you go
back in the NFL database and you blindly bet on
teams that had a winning percent or higher, they have
an atrocious I'm sorry, I don't have the exact numbers,

(27:03):
but it's just simply atrocious, like against the spread record.
Is it because those teams suck? No, those teams are great.
It's just that the point spread tax that you're paying
on those teams assumes they're gonna be paying at premium effort.
And the truth is thirteen and one teams are great, Bernie,
but they tend to coast. Examples New England sixteen team,

(27:23):
greatest team in the history of the NFL. They stunk
against the spread because the tax was too high. We've
seen that example time and time again. That really premium
teams simply don't cover in December when they're coming in
with zero or one losses. Great research by you. The
Eagles have a ning percentage. In the history of the
National Football League, there's only been thirteen times where a

(27:45):
team of the ning percentage in December was an underdog.
And yes, I believe it or not, there were only
two and eleven straight up in those games. But the
Eagles don't have to win, they can lose by a field.
Go all right, let's move on. Really good debate about
the game. Another game that's got me intrigued are the Packers.
The plus four and four four point five is long gone.

(28:06):
It's down to three and a half. Here's the situation again. Situationally,
the Packers rank six defensively against the pass over the
last eight weeks and Miami's passing attackers falling off San
Francisco show the blueprint the jam their speedy receivers at
the line of scrimmage and it took away in the
middle of the field. Plus Matt Lafleur nine and one
against the number as a field goal dog or more.

(28:28):
I like the Green Bay Packers in this game. Your thoughts,
I think your fundamentals are spot on. I would say
you said situations. I would call those fundamentals and I agree,
I think, and that's why we're seeing all the money
on the Packers, and the pros are betting the Packers.
Like you said, this spread was four and half and
now it's down to three, and so the pros agree
with you. So I'm in the minority here. I'm gonna

(28:48):
argue that the scheduling spot favors Miami with the team
from green Bay traveling to Miami. A team in green
Bay that stows a playoffs shot, no doubt about it.
But I think they deep down they know they're not
a playoff contender. And like I said, I love late
in the year a team with two extra days of
rest prep time, which the Dolphins happened. Well, remember this too,

(29:10):
that the Dolphins can lose Saturday. As long as the
Dolphins beat the Jets and Patriots in their final two games,
they hold their fate. The Dolphins would advance to the playoffs.
Green Bay, frankly, must win Saturday or they're done. Speaking
of two teams that also must would even know the
Raiders only have a two percent chance to make the playoffs,
Raiders Pittsburgh on the fiftieth anniversary fays of the of

(29:33):
the Immaculate Reception. Break Down that game from your standpoint. Yeah,
so the Raiders obviously have revenge for the Immaculate Reception.
I'm gonna keep this really simple. I have the Raiders.
I live in Vegas. I'm not a homer. Uh. It's
a super soft um Southwest team that has to travel

(29:53):
to freezing Pittsburgh and ten degrees. The Steers are always
better at all. The Steers are playing much better UM
with their their edge rusher back and with their better
quarterback option. I could see the Raiders huddling on the sideline.
What the heaters going? And uh the rate? No team
has been luckier than the Raiders with all their overtime
wins this year. Pittsburgh probably wins by field. But I

(30:15):
think there's if I had to bet one game all
on this card US one ten, you can lay two
on Pittsburgh and even some minus one to have that
would be the game. I bet. I'm with you, I am.
I think Pittsburgh wins that. I can give you nine
other reasons that are all you know this amateur psychology
reasons with you know Gardner Minshew coming back from having
eulogized part of the eulogy team from Mike Leach, You've

(30:37):
got the anniversary. Franco Harris's number was going to be, uh,
you know, retired Saturday, and let's just agree to agree
that it's gonna be Pittsburgh, all right, fas one one
game where a ton of money is coming one sided.
The Tampa Bay Arizona line. Tampa Bay visits Arizona. The
line open at three. I think it's now at nine.

(30:57):
I'm not getting involved in that game. But to tell
you that, Ruth, if you had a gun to my
head and actually lay the nine your thoughts, you know,
I will. Amazon is total dead team walking and they
have no home field advantage. They played worse on the
road at home than they have on the road. You know.
But having said all that, I gotta tell you, I
look at this line. Tampa Bay stinks. Tampa Bay is
no good. Tom Brady's watched, um. They don't look like

(31:20):
they look like a team that's going to be forced
to make the playoffs, and they're not even happy about it.
I could not lay the the you know, the the
eight points and seven half points with Tampa Bay. But
it's not a game I'm going to invest in fair enough,
all right? New England truly is on the Cincinnati after
last week's debacle. Believe it or not, the Patriots are

(31:41):
still the number eight seed in the a f C playoff,
but they must close off the season. And when they
gotta beat you know, the Bengals, they gotta beat Miami,
they gotta beat Buffalo. It's not gonna be easy. But
some sharp folks I know that I trust, actually grabbed
New England at home plus the three points. Where are
you awaiting on this one? I'm gonna I'm gonna come
Circuit agrees with you, because Circu right now, you can't

(32:03):
bet New England plus three it's a dollar twenty. So somebody,
some big money came in on New England plus three,
But I'm gonna make the case it wasn't sharp money.
And here's why nothing's changed in this game. There's no
changes and injuries, there's nothing significant has happened. You had
all week to take New England plus three and a
half all week on could have been a hundred thousand dollars,
So how sharp can it be to grab plus three?

(32:26):
I go back again. I managed big betting syndicates. All right,
If you showed me a New England plus three that ticket,
I'd say, fine job, steak dinner expensive to the syndicate.
If you showed me a ticket with New England plus three,
I'd just literally start screaming at you, like, what are
you doing right now? We've been over this, big fellow,
your your spot on. Don't put two stamps on an
envelope when it only needs one. If you don't get

(32:48):
the best of the line, you don't know what you're
doing you. But having said that, you know you still
get plus three even money in town, and that won't
be there tomorrow morning. So if you're awake and you
want to bet, William Hill is open right now. If
you've bet New England plus three even money, I have
no problem at all. That's close enough. You know what
you're you're putting a stamp in another two cents on
that stamp. Don't put two stamps in play plus three.

(33:08):
Lay a dollar ten if you want to take two
extra cents to mail that letter, I'm fine with it.
Fays last game on the card that I want to
reference tonight. The New York Giants now catching four visit
the Minnesota Vikings and their thirty second ranked defense, who
are being out yard at seventy four yards per game. Meanwhile,

(33:28):
Brian Dable and the visiting Giants seven and two against
the number this year, I feeled again the side is
the dog New York Giants catching four Minnesota Your thoughts,
So the two most overraged teams in the NFL play
each other. Whoever wins, I'm gonna bet against the next week. Um.
By the way, both prediction the Vikings will lose their
last two divisional games on the road after this game.

(33:51):
I don't know if they're gonna lose this game. If
I had to bet it, I play the Giants because
I think the Vikings are the even more overrated team.
But I'll go ahead and hold back the curtain. I
bet this game over forty I simultaneously gave it out
to my clients over literally ten minutes after I gave
this game out, I went to forty eight and a half.
When a well respected guy in the industry, Adam Turnoff,

(34:12):
gave this game out over forty eight and a half.
You know where I'm going, Bernie. This game is now
at forty nine and a half. And when it lands one,
I don't know who's gonna win. Um, that's a game
you gotta win. You certainly can't be a total that
you lose when you play over. So all two important,
forty nine does hits. Um the value has been sucked

(34:32):
out of the total. So um, I really have nothing
on this game, tiny lean over, Maulleen Giants, Fast great
Stuff is always Merry Christmas to you, and your family
will see you and you get a couple of weeks.
Real important, Bernie. If you really want to win and
you're gambling, stop following NHL, NBA, NFL Bowl games. Pick
one sport, dive into it. Only do that, and believe me,

(34:55):
you'll start getting the very best numbers on these games.
You try to do all the sports, you're gonna be
peanut butter. It's spread to a thin and you you
will not win playing that way. Fast great Stuff. There's
a free Christmas gift for everybody. I know a buddy
in ton here that bets only mac football. Mac football
only makes six figures. The more you specialize great stuffs,

(35:18):
thank you that, ladies and gentlemen. Is Steve fi five,
the only two time winner the prestigious Hilton Now Westgate
Super Contest coming up. Hey, Raider fans, listen up clothes.
There's actually a path to make the playoffs. I'll tell
you what it is. That Plus, all right, we're talking
Week sixteen, but there are three weeks of regular season
games yet. And I'll tell you one trend that's been

(35:39):
pretty solid six in the last twenty years. I'm Bernie Frader.
Will come to you live from the Entire Act dot
Com studios here in Las Vegas. Keep it locked. You're
listening to the Bernie Fradder Show on Fox Sports Radio.
Back on the Bernie Fradder Show, Fox Sports Radio Comedy
Live from Entire Act dot Com studios here in Las Vegas.
Heading into an NFL Week sixteen weekend. By the way

(36:02):
top of the hour, Mark Mdina Medina Magic. So much
to get to in the NBA again this week, Mark,
I'll have it all four you alright? I teased it,
Raiders fans, Yes, you can still make the playoffs. Two
point one percent chance. All that has to happen is
this the Chargers or the Dolphins. One of the two

(36:25):
must lose two of their final three games. Either the
Jacksonville Jaguars check that the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New
York Jets most both must lose one more game. The
Jets did that Thursday night. Now they just need the
Jaguars to lose one more game. The New England Patriots

(36:47):
need to lose one more game. And they have three left,
and I don't expect the Patriots to win all three.
But then here's the way for it. Here's the kicker.
The Raiders must win their final three games. We'll revisit this.
And I know that the Raider Nation maybe the best
fan base of all time, no joke, And I've talked

(37:08):
about that. Why in previous shows they left Oakland, they
went to l A, they came back to Oakland and
left Oakland again. Now they come to Vegas. The Raider
Nations stuck with them. They've been there, they're international, they're
they're phenomenal, and they never give up, right, and they
would like to see the Raiders in the playoffs. And
I why do I get this feeling that if the
Raiders lose the next three games, They're still gonna be

(37:28):
looking for that scenario for the Raiders to make the playoffs.
All right, I'm being silly, by the way, Seashell Pipes.
I appreciate that you listen to my show. I know
you do, and I appreciate it. So he checks in
about half an hour, go, what was his name's Fez?
You just just find that out. He's only been a
legend in his town for a decade and a half.
And he asked me if I've heard the Fez by
Steely Dan. Of course, you just channeled the mid seventies

(37:50):
seashell Pipes. Good on you, Steely Dan, Donald Fagan, Denny
d S. Yeah, pretty good band. And they asked me
if I know what it meant. Yeah, it meets condom.
That's so wonderfully cute, nicely done. Yeah, so you want
to compare fest to econom now that not tonight, maybe
another night. Not maybe not in the unit. But I
appreciate you listening seshow Pipes in Google Steve Fez. That

(38:11):
keeps a legend here in Las Vegas. All right, the
last three NFL regular season games, there's an interesting trend. Now.
You know how much I hate double digit favorites. I
will never lay a double digit favorite in a National
Football League game blindly bet against him. In the last
few years, about however, NFL Home teams favored by double

(38:32):
digit games, but check that by double digit lines in
the final three weeks of an NFL season, if they
have a divisional opponent, they're thirty eight and three straight up,
fourteen against the number. That six in the final three
weeks of this season. Going back ten years, a lot
of times you have a team at home that they

(38:54):
needed for, you know, the game to they want to
win big, to maybe get a buy what ever the case,
maybe the value has really paid off. There aren't any
games that fit that criteria this week, But next week
the Chiefs host the Broncos, and I bet you they're
gonna be laying double digits. Something you may want to
take a look at again. Final three weeks of the season,

(39:15):
double digit favorites, fourteen against the number if they're playing
a divisional team coming up mark Mdina Medina Magic. Keep
it locked right here. This is Bernie Fratto on Fox
Sports Radio. Hey, I'm Doug Gottlieb. The podcast is called
All Ball. We usually talk all basketball all the time,
but it's more about the stories about what made these

(39:35):
people love their sport and all the interesting interactions along
the way. We talked to coaches, we talked to players,
We tell you stories. You download it, you listen to it.
I think you like it. Listen to All Ball with
Doug Gotlieb on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast,
orherever you get your podcast. Be sure to catch live

(39:57):
editions of The Jason Smith Show with Mike harmon weekd.
He said ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific. Nuggets defeated
Portland one to one oh seven. It was Memphis one
and Phoenix one hundred fifty points for Luca don check
has Dallas defeated Houston, Joel and Beat scored forty four
points at the seventies Sixers overcame a twenty point deficit
to beat the Clippers one, nineteen to one. Fourteen wins

(40:19):
for Indiana, Chicago, Brooklyn, and the Celtics, who got thirty
six points from Jalen Brown in a win over Minnesota.
And NFL news. Tyler huntly questionable but is expected to
start for the Ravens today against Atlanta. Patriots running back
Romandre Stevenson likely to play, while Damian Harris is a
game time decision. Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker listed as
questionable with ankle and back ailments, but is expected to

(40:40):
suit up against Kansas City in the NHL. Alexandro Vetchkin
passed Gordya Howe for second place on the all time
goal score list. Washington defeated Winnipeg four to one. I'm
Kevin Figgers. Well you heard the man. That Bernie Frawders
showkeeps rolling right along. We are broadcasting live from the
tirerac dot Com studios tirac dot com. We'll help you
get there and on match selection, fast free shipping, free

(41:02):
road hazard protection and over ten thousand recommended installers tirac
dot com the way tire buying should be. We switched
gears temporarily because yes, it's that time. Mark Medina and
Medina Magic as always. There is so much to talk
about the National Basketball Association as we head into Christmas,

(41:25):
and Mark's got it all four us. Mark welcoming again.
Good to have you. Bernie, always good talking basketball, even
if it's a lot of soap opera nonsense. Sometimes sometimes
it's that way. And we'll get to the Sunday Christmas
slate and the Phoenix Suns were sold this week. We're
gonna get to that as well. But the news of
the day, what a shocker Anthony Davis out indefinitely. Mark,

(41:48):
let me see my piece and you respond, I am
more concerned about this report than other people. Here's why
they didn't really say whether it was a soft tissue injury,
a bone issue, a fracture. All I know it involves
a stress injury on a foot. The foot is a
weight bearing injury. Demand is seven feet tall. My gut
tells me he could be out a lot longer than

(42:09):
people want to see your thoughts, Yeah, without a doubt.
I mean there's a lot of information vagueness here. I
mean a stress injury and a right foot can mean
a lot of things. I think you know what we
know so far. It's not an injury that, as of now,
is something that Anthony Davis plans to have any sort
of surgery or procedure on. I think, you know, the

(42:30):
eyes often tell you things for what it's worth. He
hasn't been wearing any protective boot when he was at
shoot around. He's just been in street clothes and no
crutches anything like that. So those are the positive elements.
But the negative elements is this indefinite timeline that can
mean a lot of things. Number one, number two whenever
there's another formal evaluation period that might just be to

(42:51):
clear him to start actually rehabbing and doing some practice
work as opposed to actually returning onto the court to
playing games. And then the third part is Anthony Davis
his own injury history. Whenever there's any sort of injury,
it always seems to prolong much more than projected. And
so when you couple all those things down with the
fact that the Lakers have been struggling mightily, including a

(43:14):
pretty bad lost tonight against the Charlotte Hornets, you can't
help but think and wonder is this the end of
the season, Like and it's only December, the day before Christmas,
and you think, hey, this is a possibility of the
turning point that you know the Lakers season is finally done.
Talking with Mark Medina NBA dot Com our Fox Sports
Radio NBA guru, Mark, Look, we're both word guys. Word

(43:39):
Smith's journalistic guys. When I hear things, I over analyzed them.
The Lakers I'm hearing are trying to avoid a procedure,
so they're taking a weight and see there's a lot
of problem here. I I hope I'm wrong, but it
would not surprise me if we don't see Anthony Davis
before April. Yeah, I mean, we don't know. There is
optimism that he could come back in January. But again,

(44:03):
this indefinite timeline can mean a lot of things. I mean,
I gotta stress that this is no one attached the Lakers,
but when you talked to some people around the league,
like they've heard third hand that maybe after the All
Star break. So the bottom line is there's a lot
of scattered information. And while there is that optimistic scenario,
there's also that worst case scenario. And so look, I

(44:24):
don't think it's a matter of the Lakers that Anthony
Davis trying to avoid a reality. I mean, in fairness,
adies Salt team doctors as well as outside medical experts,
and that explains why it took them a week for
them to provide an official update on his injury. But
I think to your larger point, knowing that there's so

(44:45):
much vagueness here in Anthony Davis's injury history, it's totally
fair to wonder is this the end of his season
and subsequently the end of the Lakers season. And you know,
I think another subplot to this is just how it
affects how the Lakers front office makes decisions because they
were already you know, uh, dating back to last offseason,

(45:07):
drawing lines in the sand of hey, we don't want
to mortgage the future. And I know even before you
know this injury news came out officially today. Earlier in
the week, you know, poking around with the Lakers, it
was made very clear to me that while they're open
for trading draft picks, it has to be for a
player that will put them in championship contention. And when

(45:29):
you connect all these dots here, there's no such a
scenario that exists. They might want to Kevin Duran or
Bradley Beal, but they don't have the assets to make
that happen and the interests from the other teams to
make that happen. And when you're down a player of
Anthony Davis's caliber, the Lakers aren't a position of negotiating weakness.
So with that, I want to be surprised at this further,

(45:52):
UH crystallizes in the Lakers mind, there's no point in
making some sort of deal because the seasons lost. And
while I understand that line of logic, it also I
think exposes there UH a logic point of view in
the last offseason that if they traded Russell Westbrook to
get better depth and rotational players, maybe it wouldn't be

(46:13):
if be had been such a fight even before Anthony
Davis got hurt to be competitive and even onwards. So
it's a lot of bessiness for them to sort out.
And that's and that's really the larger narrative here. I'm
talking about the subtext. You're talking about the context of
the Lakers season. I think you're spot on. What through
me And the reason I went off on a tangent

(46:34):
is when they put that little sentence in their quote,
they're trying to avoid a procedure, right. You know, we
talked on the phone earlier today and if you said, Mark, Bernie,
how you doing, Mark, I'm trying to avoid a procedure. Okay, Well, yeah,
that's that's usually reeks of being in denial. Right. Well,
it's cryptic. It can mean a lot of things. So
we'll move on and listen. You'll be a fixture on

(46:55):
the show for for you know, quite a while, and
so this story, he's not going away. We'll see what happened.
Speaking of another big story earlier in the week, Robert Sarver,
who owned the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury bought
both of them from about four hundred million twenty years ago,
is selling to a guy in f Mary with due
to my days in Michigan Matt Ishpia who helped fund

(47:17):
melt Tucker's contract in Michigan state, four billion dollars the
Phoenix Suns are being sold for. How does that, how
does that, you know, play out around the league? Mark Well,
I think that, uh, you know, the NBA is very happy,
obviously because it shows that they can make even more money.
And when you look at this four billion dollars sale, yes,

(47:37):
there's some contexts that Mattish as well as his brother,
they're buying more than of the Suns and the Mercury,
so it's about two billion that they're putting down. But
still that's a lot of money, much more than Robert
Starver put down to own the Sun. So it shows
that the NBA isn't a good financial state, and there's
a lot of interest in buying teams because it's just

(47:59):
a cash cow and knowing how the league works, it's
revenue sharing. So this is going to make the rest
of the twenty nine other teams a lot richer and
I think to cap this in a bow, remember when
Donald Sterling was forced to sell the team, um Steve
Bamber bought it for two billion and that was in

(48:19):
eight years later, you see a team double and value
and so you can't help. But wonder if it ever
gets to this point of other franchises going up for sale,
how much more they can sell for. But I think
you know it's a larger point. I love to hear
your two cents, but I've heard nothing but Matt. Nothing
but good things about Matt Shpia as far as his

(48:40):
track record with the United Hostel Mortgage, not only is
uh he made a fortune there, but he's really run
a good business and I know talking to people as
well as reading his background, he's really been about trying
to have a good workplace environment with empowering employees and uh,
you know, showing their value with what they're worth in
terms of or paycheck, but also how they're treated. And

(49:02):
I think knowing the allegations that Robert starb Uh faced
when it came to making sexist, racist and inappropriate comments
and a lot of examples of terrible workplace culture, uh,
this is a breath of fresh air. And so the
more positive owners that represent the right things in any league,

(49:23):
especially the NBA, is always a good thing. Well in
the matt Ishpia was a walk on at Michigan State
on the two thousand team to beat Florida for the
National Championship. You got to play. He's gonna bring a
Mark Cuban type energy. Remember when Cuban first bought the
Mavericks and how he got He got the arena sell
out before any of the goofy has happened later on.
And I interviewed Mark Cuban once what he calls his

(49:45):
war room many years ago, and he had love for
basketball because he got cut in high school. Shpa actually
played at Michigan State. So you bring up a good point.
I think he'll be good for the league in Phoenix,
uh have. And but one other thing, I'm glad you
brought this up because when it was announced that Starver
was gonna sell the team, Forbes in Sportico valued the
Suns at about three billion, and they still for four billion.

(50:08):
So at year point, it's got to be well received
real quickly. A couple of other things before I get
to the Sunday slate. The Warriors lost to the Nets
the other night by thirty one. Third team Nets scored
ninety one points in the first half. Two things I
wanted to talk about. The Nets have had a nice
little run recently, but I'm still not buying into the Nets.
I do not think they're contender. Meanwhile, Golden State fifteen

(50:31):
and eighteen just went one in five on this last
road trip. I feel there are some real bad vibes
with the Steph Curry injury. Talk about both of those
teams juxtaposed them. Yeah, Well, with the Nets, the reason
why they're on a winning streak, it's uh, it's kind
of self explance horror. Jacques Vauna has been a better
coach than Steve Nash. Kevin Durant's healthier, more effective. Ben

(50:54):
Simmons is finally showing what made him a coveted All
Star player before all the US in Philadelphia during those
final chapters, and Kyrie Irving. He's gaining attention for the
right reasons. It's all about basketball and his availability as
well as his ability to produce. Now, I'm with you
that I don't put them in the contending status for
two reasons. One, I think the Boston Salis and Milwaukee

(51:16):
Bucks from a basketball standpoint, have more talent and depth
across the board, even with how cop heavy the Nets are. Secondly,
I feel like it's inevitable that even if you know
the good holiday uh spirit vibes are working around Brooklyn
these days, it just feels inevitable that's something else is
gonna pop up. I don't know what that is, but

(51:36):
it could be something injury later or it could be
something off the court related, because that's just been their
m O the last few years. Um, So I'm with
you there. As far as the Warriors go, yeah, no doubt.
There's a lot of struggles. Steph Curry being out, you know,
Andrew Wiggins has been out, Klay Thompson's trying to get
back into pre injury form. You know, James Wiseman hey
thirty point performance against the Nets, but it's kind of

(51:58):
in garbage time. He's shown up and downs as well
as some of the other young guys. Jordan Poles shown
flashes of greatness, flashes of inconsistency. So what does this
all mean. It's a sort of mess. I talked to
an opposing team's executive earlier this week and he was
with me about you know, how concerned you should be
about the Warriors because it's very disjointed. But then that

(52:19):
person's ultimate conclusion was, you know what, being against the
Warriors is foolishes being against Lebron because there is still
a pathway for things to start hitting right with Steph
Curry eventually returning. We don't know when that will happen,
but you know, I've been told that he's going to
be evaluated sometime next week. That could at least clear
him to start doing some on court work. Um and

(52:42):
if he comes back at whatever that is, he'll presumably
be fully healthy. Some of these growing paints the young
guys are going through, Uh, that's not gonna all of
a sudden get them prepared to carry the team during
the postseason. But you know, I could see it being
enough for them to, you know, be able to play
ten twelve solid minutes with some of the all star

(53:04):
players in the playoffs. So I want to put them
as any of the favorites in the West. Certainly unlike
last season, but I don't think there's season's lost. It's
not like the Lakers, but they have a lot of
work cut out for ahead of them. But if anyone
can pull this off, it is the Warriors because of
Steph Curry, because of the culture that they have, as

(53:24):
well as how it's managed buff walk Away and see,
it's a lot of things how to sort out. Fortunately,
there's there should be enough time left in the season
when he returns. All right, let's look this, Sunday Christmas
Day has been a marquee event for the NBA for years.
They showcase their star power. Unfortunately, no Steph Curry, no
Anthony Davis. You do get Lebron, and you do get Luca,

(53:45):
and you do get Boston. Uh, Boston and Milwaukee. But
don't want to ask you a question. Do you think
the NBA would ever consider flexing Christmas Day games? Because
let's say the Cavaliers and Pelicans got to play Sunday
even you know, and we know the schedule was released
before Donovan Mitchell was traded. But can you imagine that

(54:06):
might bring some real eyeballs versus some of the matchups
they have? Well, he look, I would be very skeptical
if they do that. I know the NBA has the
flex TV scheduling in other cases, but I think here's
where there are differences outside of Christmas Day. The NBA
does flex scheduling because there's so many different games beyond
just the national TV games. And so if there is

(54:29):
a team that's having this unexpected run and is catching
lightning in a bottle and a team that's was previously
previously schedule a national TV that's struggling, uh, it's easier
to do that here. They always ONWLYS schedule five games
on Christmas Day, and they're always on national TV. So
if you're gonna swap a matchup for another one that's

(54:50):
not on national TV, that's gonna, you know, result in
a scheduling nightmare in terms of the domino effect of
how that affects the rest of their travel schedule onward.
Um So, I I don't see that happening. There is
a sense of, you know, you kind of had to
project ahead of time, and oftentimes you're right, but in
some cases you're wrong. I think in other cases. Uh,

(55:11):
the NBA also leans toward Hey, there's no harm in
lean in on the big markets, right, you know, New
York and l A will always have a big, big draw,
and sometimes those seams struggle, but at least it will
be eyeballs. Um So, I understand, you know, the head
scratch of hey, maybe the Nets should be on TV,
or the Pelicans or the Calves. But you know, I
think for the most part, the schedule the game should

(55:33):
be pretty enticing, and I think most importantly that Box
Celtics game. It's gonna be an Eastern Conference preview and
it's gonna be musty TV. And I think all the
other games are good, but that one in particular, I
think it's something that NBA fan should, uh, you know,
put a time out of their Christmas Day schedule to
tune in and watch. Mike, we just got about a minute.
We never talked about the Knicks, but let's do it now.

(55:55):
Their December NET rating is pretty good. It's plus eleven.
I like their starting five, They rebound, they shut they've
got shut down defense, and they're playing a strong seventy
sixers team. That'll be a great matchup Sinday. Here's the
question for you. Might the Knicks actually be good? Yeah?
I mean they've won a lot of games in a row,

(56:16):
and look, I posed this question. I did a round
table recently with you know, some of the broadcasters at
Doris Burke and Mike Breen and Jeff and Gundi, and
they really honed it on why this turnaround happened because
Tom Thibodeau tightened his rotation that allowed a lot of
cohesiveness and chemistry. There was a real focus on having
guys that could play really good defense and rebound the

(56:37):
ball and and really instill that tough identity. And so
I think it is a fair question to wonder, Okay,
how long is this sustainable? I think, you know, an
extended winning stream looking that the Knicks had in eight
games might be too much. But I think that they've
really turned a corner. Uh. Not to say that they
are the favorites in the East, but you know, I
think that's a team to be a record within the

(56:59):
playoff us I could at least get to the second round.
It's still gonna be Bucks and Celtics versus everyone else.
But I think keivin where the next were at the
beginning of the season and last season. Uh, it's a
pretty dramatic turnaround. Mark always great stuff, Mary, Christmas to
you and your family. Will see you get in a
couple of weeks. H. Merry Christmas to Bernie and appreciate
you and uh talk to us in all right, thanks

(57:20):
Palett's Mark Madina NBA dot com. He's our Fox Sports
Radio NBA guru. You're hum and it's this slot pretty
much every other week, and it's just amazing, uh forty
hours before it hit. There's always new news that manages
to make the cycle. So he actually is really reporting
the headlines in addition to his journalistic commentary. It's Mark

(57:43):
Medina Medina Magic. Coming up, we go back to the NFL.
I got lots of more, many more NFL tidbits as
we head into the continuation of Week sixteen. Coming up
at the bottom of the hour, I'm gonna dive deeper
into the NFC playoff picture and go team by team.
Top of next hour, I give a tribute to Steelers

(58:05):
Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris, who just passed
three days ago on real the immaculate reception. Uh fifty.
You know it's had its fifty year anniversary Friday, and coincidentally,
the Lakers at the Lakers excuse me, the Raiders play
the Steelers Saturday night in again they'll have playoff implications
in a game where Franco Harris would have had his

(58:29):
jersey retired. Can't make this stuff out, folks. I'm Bernie Frido.
Where compy a line from the tirac dot com studios
here in Las Vegas. Don't go away. You're listening to
the Bernie Fratto Show on Fox Sports Radio. Back on
the Bernie fradd Show, Fox Sports Radio company a line
from the entire act dot com studios here in Las Vegas.

(58:49):
By the way, not for nothing. It's college football bowl season,
and I mentioned this last week. College football military academies.
You know, Army air for worst Navy when they are
in a bowl game fourteen and three against the spread.
In the last several years as an underdog, they've had
three outright wins. That was heading into last night. Air

(59:11):
Force beat baylors Or three and a half point underdog outright.
It's not fifty and three against the number with four
outright wins. By the way, the most heavily bet Bowl
teams so far in terms of tickets Georgia minus six
and a half, Michigan minus seven and a half in
Kansas State plus three and a half against Alabama. Three
great matchups. Next Friday night now Saturday, you typically will

(59:34):
hear My Show eleven pm to three am Pacific Saturday night.
Because it's Christmas Eve. The powers to be have decided
to go dark, and you enjoy your Christmas. I was
ready to work, but hey, I respect the powers to be. Uh,
Aaron and UH Jason will take up to eleven Pacific,
but Santa Claus will becoming I guess I don't want
to get in the way. So but we'll be back

(59:55):
with the vengeance next Friday eleven PM. And will will
be heavily talking college football. Some interesting tidbits bottom of
the yard. I'm gonna really get into the NFL playoff
picture in answer just about every question you could have. Uh.
And and by the way, if you feel like wait
and in to night, why not one, seven, seven, nine
and nine on Fox. Just let me know. My man
Ethan Miller, will take your calls, will get you on

(01:00:17):
if you have something you want to say. The coal
has arrived, and I talked about Saturday trends. I talked
about weather trends in the NFL. In the last ten years,
Saturday home teams have only covered about percent of the time.
When you add the cold and it's below thirty and
it stays below thirty and a lot of the games
are gonna be eleven degrees minus eleven degrees. The football

(01:00:40):
gets very hard, so there are less punts. There are
less field goals, less field goal attempts, which leads to
less scoring. You might say, well, the punts have to
do with that. Well, if you're on a team's forty
yard line and it's fourth and two, you're probably gonna
go for it's supposed to punning into the wind and
netting ten yards. And the truth of the matter is that, uh,

(01:01:00):
you know, this becomes a ball control, field position game,
and they're simply they're simply less scoring because of the
cold weather and speaking a wind. Wind affects totals more
than anything else, more than rain, more than snow. Uh,
you name it wind. If you get over twenty one
hour in the last thirty years, when you have a

(01:01:21):
situation and an NFL game is played in the wind
is north of twenty one miles an hour, typically if
the total is over thirty eight at games going under
seventy two at the time. Now there is one game
that's gonna fit that category. In Cleveland. The Saints play Cleveland,
the wind is gonna be about twenty seven miles an hour,
but the total is currently thirty two. If it stays
at thirty two, that will be the lowest total in

(01:01:44):
seventeen years. I do not advocate playing the under if
the total is thirty two, because even with wind and look,
there can be blocked punts, there can be fumble returns.
Pick six is all kinds of things that What happened
in the line game of the pick six last week,
uh that game was projected by the math to land
at about thirty four. There's no value in playing the

(01:02:04):
under of thirty two. You just you don't want to
do that. The Lions have covered the spread and seven
consecutive games. Really can't wait to see that game that
kicks off in about nine and a half hours from now.
The Lions haven't covered seven straight games since actually checked
that from heading into into twenty eleven. It took two
back to back seasons. The last time the Lion Detroit

(01:02:26):
Lions covered seven games in a row was one that
was a very good team. They were twelve and four.
They had to buy the first round of the playoffs
to beat the Dallas Cowboys for their only playoff win
since ninety seven. January five, Lions, thirty eight. Jimmy Johnson's
Cowboys six. John Madden on the call, he said, these

(01:02:46):
are the two teams of the nineties. Madden had a
half right. Dallas went on to win three Super Bowls.
The Lions still have not one. Another playoff game coming up,
we take a deep deeper dive into the n f
E NFL playoff fixture. I'll break it down for you further,
but first let's go back to our guy, Kevin figures

(01:03:07):
with the latest. All right, Bernie will start in the
NBA Hornets handing. The Lakers are third consecutive lost Friday night.
One thirty four to one thirty was the final score.
Twenty nine points from Nicola Yochi for Denver. They defeated
Portland one oh seven. It was Memphis one five and
Phoenix one hundred. Luka Dodgers scored fifty points as Dallas
defeated Houston. Joel Embiad scored forty four for the seventies Sixers,

(01:03:29):
who overcame a twenty point deficit to beat the Clippers
one nineteen to one fourteen. You have victories for Chicago, Brooklyn, Indiana,
and the Celtics, who got thirty six points from Jaylen
Brown and a victory over at Minnesota, an NFL news
titled huntly questionable, but is expected to suit up for
the Ravens against Atlanta today. Patriots running back from Dre
Stevenson likely to play, while Damian Harris is a game
time decision. Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker questionable with an

(01:03:52):
angle and back ailment, but is expected to play against
Kansas City into the NHL. Friday night, Alexandro Vetchkin passing
Gordy how for second place on the all time goals
scortless as Washington defeated Winnipeg four to one. Back to
Bernie freddo Man, thanks so much, Kevin, appreciate you man likewise, Bernie,
all right, let's do this. Let's go out to the
phone line search scratch Off wants to talk Jalen Hernson

(01:04:14):
the National Football League. What do you got, buddy? Well,
first of all, you gotta hear this. Okay, I take
the world your shows anymore. I slow want to listen
to you because just some of the stuff going on
in the path. But now I'm let's team more. Frida
Night said, Jones has gone no more pro star and
whatever was I win? But you just break ever something
down and you're doing what I like to do. That's

(01:04:36):
why they call me search scratch off because I'm a
big gambler of scratch off cards and stuff. But I
like how you breaking stuff down and makes a lot
of make it worth while. You understand. What I try
to do is play the hits. All right. We have
a ton of talent on the Fox Sports radio airwaves
because of the time, slide them on and certainly we
are heading into the National Football League. I know what
people want, and don't worry, we'll spice it up with

(01:04:57):
plenty of humor and hijinks. But during of ball, this
is what you gotta, play the hits. If you get
my drift, go ahead, you got the floor. Yeah. And
I've been here twenty years on all night long with
twenty five driving. But here in the show twenty years.
Some of these shows get stuck in the same thing
all the time and it just gets boring. Buddy, I
I talked to this one in my ticket out of Jonesboro.
But that's it, man, you know, and I like it.

(01:05:18):
I like it different, different look of stuff, you know.
But anyway, here's what I got, you know, l A
ram Fast and Nike seven. I watched him go up
and down. But when I get down where I can't
get in, I like to find somebody and just kind
of watch what's going on. I watched Jen and Hurts
at Bama, how they did him, and how he kind
of did real good and with the Oklahoma Nags in
the NFL, and I told you, boy, I love these guys.

(01:05:40):
That's his phone roys do good to me. But I
would love to see Tula and Hurts had to play
one game against each other, whoever wins get to the playoffs,
because I just think Hurt is got it. I think
Hurt's gonna be okay, but I hate he's broke down
right now because he's going ahead twenty m v P.
He's gonna be okay. My moms telling me Hurts is
a okay. He was throwing dimes earlier in practice this week.

(01:06:03):
It's purely a precautionary Remember two is in the a
f C, and uh and and and Hurts is in
the NFC. I think the world of Jalen Hurts because
of the way he conducted himself after what happened in
Alabama went on to Oklahoma. The man's gonna win the
Super Bowl. Someday might be this year you get the
final word, and I appreciate that, buddy, And it's just
one of the things. Man. You gotta watch these kids.

(01:06:24):
You gotta play more by the Little League, and I
let more guys played because you can't play one person
all the time. Everybody's gotta have a chance. But brother,
you have a good ho ho ho, and all the
night drivers everywhere and all everybody happy, Marry Christmas. All right,
spread the word. They're big fella. We want more listeners
and people are welcome to call on the Friday Night Show.
Thanks so much, um real quickly, the NFL playoff picture

(01:06:47):
is starting to come into full focus. It's starting to
These are the Locks, the Bills, that Chiefs, the Eagles
of Vikings and forty Managers and Cowboys. Philly got a
nice boost obviously when Dak Prescott through that pick six
and they lost to Jacksonville. If the season ended today,
the Bengals, Titans, Ravens, Chargers, Dolphins, Bucks, Giants and Commanders

(01:07:07):
are in. That's if it ended today, things can change
and there are bubble teams the Patriots, Jet, Seahawks, Lions.
We're gonna get to this in just a second here,
because I find this to be very fascinating. All Right,
So with the end of the regular season, we've got
three regular season weeks. Okay, last week in the National

(01:07:29):
Football he was very eventful. He had overtime results, you
had crazy games, you had crazy finishes. How about Detroit
fourth and inches. They had not scored an offensive touchdown
the entire game against No woven against the Jets without
quinnin Williams Amen. At forty nine on fourth and inches,

(01:07:51):
they dial up a brilliant play, fifty one yard touchdown
passed from Jared Goff to Brock right there tight end
who had just dropped right had just dropped a touchdown
pass right Then the Jets drive the Lions forty yard
line to set up a potential fifty eight yard field
goal from you know, Greg's airline, but New York couldn't
connect and there was bad clock management. The Lions, I

(01:08:13):
think are for real. We're gonna get back to them
in a second. You know what they need to do.
They have a fifty percent chance of making the playoffs.
They really do need to beat Carolina. Their chances would
go to and they're remaining three games. The Lions ponents
A fourteen and cumulatively alright, Philly. He got all could
handle on this trip to Chicago. They overcome two first

(01:08:34):
half picks from Jalen Hurts. They're human, but they win
to twenty. That's the thing. Nolan Ryan once said. The
mark of a champ is when you beat the opposition
you don't have your best stuff. The Eagles have just
too many weapons in my opinion. A J. Brown caught
nine balls, Devanta Smith, you name it, Jalen Hurt's great

(01:08:54):
offensive line. I will not be surprised if Gardner Minshew
and the Philadelphia Eagles beat Dallas. I talked about that
game at length earlier, and I for the record, I'm
not telling you to do this, but I agreet and
it's not available anymore. I had the Eagles plus six
points earlier in the week. It was an overlay when
it was announced that there was an overreaction and an

(01:09:17):
overlay when it was announced that Hurts wouldn't play and
the line moved five points. The Vikings look, they they've
been on a roller coaster right all season. They come
back from a thirty three point deficit over the Colts.
How long can the Vikings continue? To defy the odds.
You will not hear me call the Vikings frauds. It's
not fair. They're eleven and three, but they don't profile

(01:09:39):
as an eleven and three team because they're being outyarded
by seventy four yards per game. Their point differential is
what plus eight for the year, and they got eleven victories.
Do the math. They've had their tenant oh and one
score games. When you contextualize at it basically tells you
that they're they're playing against p out time. And when
the Vikings get to the playoffs and place and face

(01:10:01):
a complete team, a playoff caliber team, they're gonna have
to find that extra gear because they're not going to
be able to get away with what they got away
with against teams like the Coals the forty Niners. They
keep their winning form on a Thursday night road win
at Seattle a week ago, the Niners faced the Commanders
at home, laying a touchdown. Brock Purty has proven he

(01:10:24):
can manage an NFL offense. So position, you play with
your eyes and receive the ball, you make your your reprogressions,
and you execute there. He doesn't have to do a lot,
but he's pretty capable, and he's he's not a whirling dervish.
He doesn't he's not improvisational. He runs the offense. And
you combine that with Christian McCaffrey and that lockdown. I

(01:10:47):
don't know they use lockdown as a term in the
National Football League. It may be the best defense in
the National Football League. That could be enough to get
the Niners into the Super Bowl. We'll see Tampa Bay
there six and eight. My goodness, I do I finally
expect him to flex their muscle and roll up on
the road at Arizona. They're nine point favorites. Tom Brady

(01:11:09):
three for three in twelve yards last week, but with
three touchdowns, but he also had a couple of picks
and a couple of fumbles. And what they don't happen
to this Buck's defense. They have a lot of like
seventy points over the last two weeks. Here's the beauty.
It's mama, let your babies grow up to play. In
the NFC South, both Atlanta and Carolina could have actually
moved into a tie for first with wins, but they

(01:11:30):
they lose to the Saints and Steelers, respectively. So no
matter how you slice it, they're gonna you know, Tampa
Bay is going to win the division. They're probably gonna
host a team with a better record at home, which
could be the Cowboys. Okay, We've been talking about the
Cowboys defense all year, justifiably because they've been rock solid.

(01:11:51):
But they got carved up last week by Trevor Lawrence
and your Jacksonville Jaguars. They allowed the most points. Cowboys
allowed forty points land week. That's the most they've allowed
in three years. And given last week's near loss to
the hapless Texans the week before, you might start to
get a little concerned about Dallas. Still, the Cowboys have

(01:12:13):
clinched the playoff birth when the Giants beat the Commanders
on Sunday night, that you know that put the playoffs.
The Cowboys into the playoffs. Now I've got the Christmas
Eve matchup at home Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles. I
like the Eagles in this game. There are multiple reasons why,

(01:12:34):
but I will tell you that you have to be concerned.
If you're Dak Prescott, you're Dak Prescott backer, and he's
throwing seventeen interceptions in the last eight weeks. The Eagles,
in their number one defense fifty five sacks, fifteen interceptions
come to town. Gardner Minshew has twenty two starts under
his belt. He's a Hammond Egger to some people, but
not to me. And I think this is one of

(01:12:55):
those spots where he balls out and the Eagles get
behind him. And yeah, it's best mentioned earlier to the
Eagles need to win this game. No, but that's not
the way National Football League teams approach it. Not not
teams like the Eagles who have designs on going to
the Super Bowl. You're gonna get Max Effort out of Philadelphia.
I actually kind of expect him to win. I really do.
I think Dallas is scuffling. And I also think this

(01:13:17):
that based on the the the injuries that the Dallas
defense has, among other things, I think Philadelphia will be
able to take advantage and and you, I think it's
gonna be an interesting game and in Dallas is trending
in the wrong direction. Let's go back out to the phone.
Tongu from Minnesota. He wants to talk about the Minnesota Vikings.
What you got, Tom, Hey, Tony, I'm sorry, they apologized,

(01:13:43):
they do, they typed out, tong Good to have you
go ahead. So, uh, the thing I want to say,
is I understand why people call Minnesota frauds because of
the point differential and everything like that. But I'm not
one of them. By the way, I'm not telling no
I get at and and here's I'll tell you. Forty
years in my life, I've watched all of the bad luck,

(01:14:04):
and we just seem to be having all of the
good luck this year, and so we'll take it. But
the other part of this is, you know, they brought
in a three four coordinator, Donna Tell, who uh his
scheme is pre event and it's it's soft zone, and
that hasn't worked. And so a lot of this is
the defense has personnel and a bad scheme and and

(01:14:25):
Kevin O'Connell has has been forced to address this in season.
And I think they hired Donna Tell to be the
veteran coach because you're hiring a do guy offensive mind.
The offense has the weapons and the defense has the talent,
but it's more of a four three talent and we
need to put hands on receivers. If you look at
the games that they've lost, they've lost the talents teams,

(01:14:45):
but they got picked apart because of the soft zone
and so if if they find a way to address that,
I think the Vikings are as talented as any team
in the race, and they certainly have the veterans, right,
that's what That's how they've held together, that's how they've
come back all year. And so obviously I'm an internal
optimist being the Vikings fan, because I've gotten my heartbroken

(01:15:06):
every single time. But I think that anybody this year,
You're not wrong, Tony, and they're gonna get a home
playoff game to prove it. And again, it's one of
those situations where it's the old saying, don't tell me,
show me, But we know they have plenty of offensive talent.
And uh, there are a couple of teams I secretly,
quietly wink wink, not not would really love to see

(01:15:27):
get to the super Bowl. One of the Buffalo Bills,
two of the Minnesota Vikings. I spent a ton of
time in the Minneapolis St. Paul area. I like that
area a lot, trust me, I know it well. My
Saturday show I always open with my signature in Minnesota
City and I'll never forget. Now, the last time the

(01:15:47):
Vikings were in the Super Bowl was V seven. They
lost to the Raiders thirty two to fourteen, and that
was the fourth time the radios had checked that, the
fourth time the Vikings had been to a Super Bowl
in the decade of the seventies, they lost to Hank
Stram's Chiefs in nineteen seventy. They went four times and

(01:16:07):
they were owing four And here's what's distinctive about that.
Their legendary quarterback Fran Tarkington hosted Saturday Night Live in
mid January ninety seven, the week after the Vikings lost
to the Raiders in Super Bowl eleven, and he opened
up as opening monologue like this, as high I'm Fran Tarkatin,
quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings. We've been to the Super

(01:16:31):
Bowl four times in the last several years and lost
all four. And you know what, We're going back next
year and we're gonna lose again. Of course he was joking.
The Vikings have not been to the Super Bowl since,
and they've had a lot of bad luck, including the
kick the Atlanta Falcons. I know, you remember when they
lost to the Dirty Birds. Unreal, we don't need to

(01:16:51):
go down that road. Coming up top of the hour again,
I gave a tribute to Steelers Hall of Fame running
back Frank o'h Harris, the immaculate reception, the backstory, and
things you may not have known. Keep it locked right here.
I'm Bernie Frado, were coming to you live when the
tire rack dot Com studio is here in Las Vegas.

(01:17:12):
You're listening to The Bernie Frado Show on Fox Sports
Radio through a two am Pacific five AM Eastern. I
did get it tweet from v smack forty four. Yes, sir,
I certainly am aware the Bengals have clinched a second
straight playoff bid. Why well, when the Jets lost the
Jaguars that enabled the the Bengals to clinch the playoff

(01:17:35):
birth Birth Thursday night the Bengals, But don't don't tell
me they backed in. Know they earned it? Okay. The
Bengals are ten and four. They head to New England Saturday.
When that game actually kicks off in a little over
nine hours now. The Bengals are three point favorites. Very
impressive because the season after advancing to the Super Bowl
is a team that the reigning an f C champions

(01:17:56):
almost beat the Rams in the Super Bowl. So first
time since Natie has had back to back trips to
the playoffs since going five straight years from and I
know they were whispers and there were doubters because remember
the Bengals started their season oh and two and Joe Burrow,
would you know, he's only a year removed from knee

(01:18:17):
surgery and Joe Burrow had the situation with the appendeck
to me me in the preseason and yeah, you see,
that's no big deal. If you don't have to deal
with it, it's no big deal to you. But he did.
They're breaking in a brand new offensive line. We had
people on this network making fun of seattles or Cincinnati's
offensive line in the first month, and justifiably so. They

(01:18:37):
were getting you know, they had a bunch of lookout blocks.
But what you know, look at Cincinnati, they're not one
of the hottest teams in the National Football League. They
won sixth straight heading into Saturday's game in New England,
and when you consider the emerged from their own two hole,
teams don't do that. Man, That's why you gotta take
Cincinnati very seriously. Since let's see the last ten twelve years,

(01:19:02):
teams that start out oh and to only make the
playoffs about eleven percent of the time. And I think
it's only been done a couple of times in the
last five years. Uh, the the the Seattle Seahawks did.
I'm pretty sure the Texans did it. Everybody forgets one
of the one year they made the playoffs with the
Shawn Watson, but they did it. They started going too.

(01:19:22):
And frankly, the game against the Patriots has playoff implications
as well, because, first of all, the Bengals still have
a chance to win the a f C North, not
just being the playoffs, but when the f C North
and back to back years. And oh, by the way,
the Patriots their playoff hopes are still alive as well.
They might be faint, but in New England lost coupled

(01:19:44):
with the Jets losing Thursday, all of a sudden, that
Usher's Balton, the Baltimore Ravens back into the playoff picture
and the Chargers need that as well. And if you
followed all that, you're better than I am. Will continue
to talk about these things, as you know, continues coming up.
Steal It's Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris dies
at seventy two, fifty year anniversary, the anniversary of the

(01:20:06):
Immaculate Reception. I break it down for you. Keep it
locked right here. You're listening to the Bernie Fratto Show
on Fox Sports Radio Audio. Well, that's right, you heard
the man. The Bernie Fratto Show keeps rolled in right
along with take up to two o'clock uh Pacific five

(01:20:28):
am Eastern. We are coming to you alive from the
tire act dot Com studios here in Las Vegas. Tireract
dot com will help you get there and that match
selection fast for your shipping, for your road hazard protection
and over ten thousand recommended installers. Tiract dot com the
way tire buying should be. Steelers Hall of Fame running

(01:20:51):
back Franco Harris passed at the age of seventy two
three days ago. Of course, he was the author and
protagonist of The Immaculate Reception, a famous football game played
in Pittsburgh. December. It's become iconic and Friday was the
fiftieth anniversary of the incredible Immaculate Reception game between the

(01:21:14):
Raiders and Steelers in Pittsburgh, and ironically again were of
the most iconic games ever played in the National Football League.
Almost wasn't even played. Why well, Raiders owner Al Davis
approached Commissioner Pete Roselle, who was there that day, and
asked that the game be rescheduled because the field was
quote a sheet of ice. Roselle looked at Alan said, out,

(01:21:37):
it's the same field for both teams. Of course. Al
Davis looked back at Commissioner Rosalen says, you didn't want
you talking about Pete. They've got a bunch of mutters
and we've got a team of world class sprinters. It's
not fair. Well, you know what happened next. The game
became famous and infamous for the Immaculate Reception. Conclusion. Now

(01:21:58):
frank O Harris. He used the Hall of Fame running
back whose heads up thinking produced the Immaculate Reception, again
considered by most of the most iconic playing national football history.
He's died at age seventy two, two days before the
fiftieth anniversary of the play that provided. That play provided

(01:22:19):
all the jolt that basically lit the fuse for Chuck
Noll Steelers and vaulted them from also rands into the
National Football League's elite in the seventies, and three days
before he passed, the Steelers were scheduled to retire Franco
Harris's number thirty two at a ceremony at halftime of

(01:22:41):
the game against the Raiders Saturday night. The game will
kick off eight fift Eastern. Now, I had a good
fortune of spending some time with Franco Harris one afternoon
at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Anaheim, California's I
was part of the promotional team with the late legendary
Mike Burkis, father of Nate Burgas. Franco Harris was a

(01:23:06):
very elegant man. He was a gentleman. He looked in
the eye and he was much I guess. Let me
put it to you this way. Franco Harris was a
much larger than life version of think of Gabe Kaplan
and Welcome Back had her fame. That's what he looked like.
But I digress. Hall of Fame folks. Historians will tell

(01:23:26):
you that Franco his football story will live forever because
he was not only great on the field, he was
great off the field. And anybody who ever encountered him
would say the same thing, and they will. But it
wasn't just that Franco Harris ran for over twelve thousand yards,
won four Super Bowl rings in the seventies. That was

(01:23:49):
a dynasty that basically began when Harris that game was done,
that the Steelers were trailing seventy six against the Raiders.
Terry Bradshaw just told the story today that Art Rooney
had headed down to the locker room. He wanted to
congratulate the Steelers on an excellent season. I thought the

(01:24:09):
game was lost, heard the roar of the crowd. Didn't
know they had won. Harris plucked the ball off the turf.
I don't know if I did the turf, I'm never
gonna know. Kept running last second heave Terry Bradshaw takes
it to the house forty yards and again the game
was fourth and ten from their own forty yearline. Was

(01:24:30):
actually sixty yard touchdown pass and Bradshaw was was hit
so hard by he didn't even see what happened either.
Frenchie Fuqua a running back, he was the intended receiver.
I'm told that that Franco Harris's assignment was to block.
Didn't block anybody, just the way that they to play,

(01:24:53):
you know, ferreted out and when Frenchie Fuqua and and
Jack Tatum, the assassin for Oakland, collided, the ball careem
back toward midfield in the direction of Franco Harris. Now
everybody was watching I think the collision. Harris caught the
ball and no one knew what to think but Harris's legs.

(01:25:13):
He said, I'm just gonna keep running. He snatches the
ball an inch off the turf near the raiders forty
five yard line. He had to out run several Raiter
defenders who were stunned, but they all reacted and believe
it or not, here's another significant factor. The immaculate reception
game that gave the Steelers their first playoff victory and

(01:25:35):
the franchises forty year history. That play started the fuse
for the great Steelers dynasties all of the seventies, and
when the NFL had the feature of their hundredth anniversary
season in it was voted the greatest play in NFL history. Now,

(01:25:56):
not for nothing. The Steelers went on next week to
lose to Miami in the n FC Championship Game. Pittsburgh
was on its way. That was becoming v dominant team
in the seventies because they won back to back Super
Bowls twice. They won in seventy four and seventy five,
then again in seventy eight and seventy nine. The seventy
nine season game was actually played January four, ninety Uh

(01:26:21):
maybe it was January. I let one of those uh dates.
It was Super Bowl four team between the Rams and
my beloved Rams. I was living in southern California at
the time. The game was played at the Rose Bowl
Vince Ferragamo. The Rams were eleven and a half point underdogs.
Steters won and covered thirty one to nineteen. But to
think about it, all began with the player that shifted

(01:26:43):
the fortunes of the franchise and even the entire region
in the city of Pittsburgh. And apparently Harris was just
you know, Franklin Harrips was just asked about not just
a few days ago, and he basically said, it's hard
to believe it's been fifty years. That's a long time.
But Franco Harris was was quite a man. Came out
of Penn State, six to two hundred and thirty pounds.

(01:27:06):
He was in the center of it all. And uh
he actually when when the Steelers got their first Super
Bowl victory over the Vikings. We talked about the Vikings
earlier reign for a hundred and fifty eight yards. He
was m VP and in three he scored at least
one touchdowns and three the four Super Bowls he played
in had almost four hundred yards rushing. But here's the deal.

(01:27:26):
Guys like Tony Dungee and the Guy who have also
met these elegant men. Here's a quote from Tony Dungee.
Franco Harris was one of the kindest, gentlest men I've
ever known. He was a teammate of Harris Is in
Pittsburgh in the late seventies. He was a great person,
a great teammate, Hall of Fame player, but so much
more than that, and a tremendous role model for me.
I can co sign on that. I can tell you
in July spent a good hour with him. It's just unreal.

(01:27:51):
You know, you're in the presence of greatness and there's
my buddy Dick Shappy's to tell me the bigger the
star the night. So they are. It was true. What's interesting, though,
is I Franco Harris was not exactly heralded at Penn State.
He was basically the blocking back for Lidel Mitchell, and
he joined the Steelers. He was a high draft pick,
but he joined the Steelers and that was when the

(01:28:14):
Steelers were rebuilding, completely rebuilding under Chuck Noll, and he
saw something. Chuck Noll really saw something in Franco Harris,
and when he drafted Franco Harris, he he kind of
intended Franco Harris to be the heart of the offense.
He gave it. The Franco Harris was like a combination
of discipline and desire and when he looked then, but

(01:28:37):
by the time you add in guys like Lynn Swan
and John Stalworth, that's when the the uh, the Steelers
really became the Steelers and almost impossible to stop. And
in the minute, by the way franko' harris, you know,
began his tenure in the NFL. He was an instant hit.
Franco Harris was the NFL's Rookie the Year in nineteen

(01:28:59):
seventy two. He ran for a little over a thousand yards,
which was a team record, and rushed for ten touchdowns
and not only led the Steelers to the playoffs, of course,
but that was only the second time the Steelers that
ever made the playoffs in their history. Here's what I
also remember about Franco Harris because I am Italian, I'm

(01:29:21):
Italian list in my name Frattle Calibres. Well, there is
a very large Italian American population in Pittsburgh and they
absolutely embraced Franco Harris immediately. There are a couple of
local businessmen and they founded what was called quote Franco's
Italian Army, and it was a nod to his roots.

(01:29:43):
Franco was the son of an African American father but
an Italian mother. And when the Immaculate Reception hit, it
made Harris an instant star. But Harris was not the
type of guy that act like a star. But Franco's
Italian Army was real. It was a real thing, even
Frank's and I Cora said at the time, I like
to be a member of Franco's Italian Army. Franco was

(01:30:06):
not only an individual star on the team, but the
consummate team player. He'd always stick up for his teammates.
He made a habit of of, you know, not being
afraid to get in the middle of things that you remember.
You may remember the legend Thomas Hollywood Henderson once, you know,
when after Terry Bradshaw on on on a legal hit

(01:30:27):
that was well after the whistle, and this was actually
in the Super Bowl, and Harris basically demanded that Bradshaw
gave him the ball in the next play. And what
did Harris do. He ran right at Henderson, knocked him onus,
took us spreading up the middle two yards. That was
a touchdown. It gave the Steelers an eleven point lead.
They didn't relinquish it. That's who Franco Harris was. Now.

(01:30:51):
Harris did not end his you know, he did not
end his career in Pittsburgh, as is the case with most.
He actually ended up with the Seattle Seahawks. And he
only ran for like a hundred seventy eight yards or
not even that in eight games before he finally got released.
But when Franco Harris was released by the Seahawks, his legend,

(01:31:11):
his legacy was secure. He retired. At the time, Franco
Harris was the third time all time leading rusher, behind
Walter Payton and Jim Brown. But asked many years later,
even though you know he finished his career with the Seahawks, Uh,
he says, listen, I'm all black and gold, and and
what's really cool is Franco Harris continued to remain and

(01:31:34):
live in Pittsburgh Following his retirement, he opened a bakery
and he was involved in several charities, including a major
charity in Pittsburgh called the Pittsburgh Promise. He was the
chairman of that charity, and what that charity does is
provide college scholarship opportunities for a lot of Pittsburgh school students.

(01:31:55):
All I can say is rest in peace, Franco Harris.
It's that's a shame, you know. I I don't like
when people say the untimely death. When is it ever timely?
You know? What do you hear? Yeah you hear Joel
Blacks died last week. Yeah it was time he was
do good timing. No, you don't hear that. It's always untimely.
But to imagine, two days before the fiftieth anniversary of

(01:32:15):
the Immaculate Reception, the player that lit the fire for
the seventies dominant Steelers first playoff whenever became the most
iconic play in the history of the National Football League,
Franco Harris. When you'll see his number being retired Saturday
night at halftime in Pittsburgh, hoping he was there, he
will be there in spirit. Just think for a minute,

(01:32:36):
what a great man, what a great player. Franco Harris
was in the National Football League and I'm all the
better for having spent one hour with him in my life.
Back coming up, I want to give some Final World
Cup thoughts because I thought it was the greatest World
Cup Championship game in history. This deserves mentioning. We're bringing
the crew to and see what they thought. I'm Bernie Fratto.

(01:32:56):
We're coming to you alive from the Tairack dot Com
st Radio is here in Las Vegas. Keep it locked.
You're listening to the Bernie Fratto Show on Fox Sports Radio.
That got the Bernie Fratdle Show Fox Sports Radio come
to your life from the tire Act dot Com studios.
I want to remind you football fans be sure to
tune into Fox Sports Radio's Condown the Kickoff presented by
bet MGM every Saturday and Sunday morning three hours before kickoff.

(01:33:20):
Tune in Saturday morning ninem Eastern, Sunday morning TENNY and Eastern.
It would take your live all the way to kick
Off on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio
app presented by bet m g M. Final World Cup
thoughts and what I believe will go down is the
greatest World Cup Championship game in history Argentina. They had
to overcome a personal hat trick by frances In Bobwe

(01:33:43):
Killian in Bobwe Unreal. Argentina also got two goals from
Lionel Messi, including one an extra time to help get
past France, who was trying to be back to back champions. Look,
this game had storylines galore, and this is why I
think it's the greatest. You know, when I was mentoring
under Dick shap I wrote a an article once called

(01:34:06):
the Canadian Football League syndrome. Nothing wrong with the Canadian
Football League except most people watching don't know the significance.
Who's playing? Why? What it means? No one you know?
You know it's not Ohio State Michigan. It's not Red
Sox Yankees. It's the Rough Riders playing the Rough Riders.
Who's playing? I don't know why there's no significance. Americans
need that kind of context. Well this game gave them context,

(01:34:28):
Lionel Messi. Listen, There's been a lot of great players
who've never won a championship, from Tony Gwyn to Charles Barkley,
rock Patrick Ewing right on down the line. It was
gonna eat it messy for the rest of his life
if he never won a World Cup, He's argued is
the greatest of all time. By the way he won
the Golden Ball at the twenty two World Cup, that
cements him as I believe the best player in the
tournament and kill him and Bopwey won the Golden Ball

(01:34:49):
for the most goals scored, the Golden Boot or whatever
the hell they call it. This game was incredible. A
billion people watching, no no pressure, not onceoever and it
goes extra time and it is to a shoot out.
I don't think I'm being hyperbolic when I say I
believe that the World Cup ended in Qatar last Sunday
with the bank no one could have ever seen coming

(01:35:11):
between two proud nations. You saw a million people or
three million people attend Argentinas celebration. Let's bring in the crew,
Kevin uh your thoughts on the World Cup specifically the
final game? That final was absolutely amazing. I watched it
from a start to finish. And if as someone who
was not a traditional soccer fan, you know, I get

(01:35:31):
involved in the major you know, the MLS Cup, I'll
watch specifically at a vested interest this year with l
A f C being involved against Philadelphia and then in
the World Cup. But that was absolutely amazing to the
the ebbs and flows where you thought that Argentina was
gonna win convincingly, then mbop A dominates and comes back
and they forced to extra time. It was I don't
have as much context in terms of the history of

(01:35:53):
the World Cup to be honest with you, as far
as the great game is being played in World Cup history,
but just as a sports fan, it is that was
one of the great individual sporting events that I have
ever witnessed. It was absolutely amazing. And the World Cup,
you know, with all the controversy surrounding to get and
whether or not it should have been a guitar, you know,
undoubtedly watching that final match, I mean it was. It

(01:36:14):
was absolutely incredible and uh it was. It was worth
waking up early for if you were on the West
coast and having to watch that game because it was
absolutely spectacular. Hey, I did it too, man, I signed
off at three am and got back up. I was
not gonna miss this because we knew who was playing.
Because he mentioned that you'll follow soccer, the l A team, Philadelphia, etcetera.
Because you identify as your particular athlete on those teams

(01:36:37):
that you like. Well, just the l AFC in general,
they're one of the newer franchises of and and of
play so and then Gareth Bale, who actually pat the
one of the biggest you know, goals in the championship
match against Philadelphia, so he was a big deal when
they first signed him over before the season started, had
some issues injuries, political issues wherever they were on the
team and didn't play for a while and came up

(01:36:59):
in one of the biggest more went in the Carlos
Vela is one of the probably the face of l
A f C over the last couple of years. Uh
I didn't have the greatest season himself this past year,
but certainly one of the better players internationally over the
years and one of the faces of l A f
C and this UH emergent run they've had these first
couple of years and being in existence. So I'd say
just the LFC being a new and exciting UH pro

(01:37:20):
format or a new exciting team in Los Angeles, along
with the star power of Vela and you adding Gareth
Bale and the drama in the MLS Cup was spectacular
and of course Gareth Bill played for Wales in the
in the World Cup as well. Hold that, I thought
we're gonna come back to that, Ethan Miller. Your thoughts,
Am I over selling it? I thought it was the

(01:37:40):
greatest World Cup game ever. No, honestly, I thought it
was one of the greatest sporting events of all time,
just in general. Um, I played soccer growing up. I
must admit I don't watch soccer. I'll watch it every
four years at this point, I'm I'm fake. I'm a
fake soccer fan. But I we did. I thought it

(01:38:00):
was a great to watch. It was a great experience
to be a part of. I thought the greatest part
of it was that um Messa and bop A just
kept going back and forth. It was like people really
got what they tuned in for, and it was just
great to see. It wasn't like people didn't get to
see the two greatest players go at it. These two

(01:38:22):
guys went at it, and it was just the match
of the ages and it's just gonna go down in
the history books. And I'm just glad we all got
to experience and got to watch it, and and to
be honest, when it was to nothing. I went because
I was coming in I was coming to work that
morning at thirty and I got out of the shower
and it was too too and I'm like, how did

(01:38:42):
that happen? And I'm like looking on Twitter doing that
whole thing. But no, it was. It was a great
It was a great thing to watch and I was
happy I could I could be a part of it
at seven am. Here, So here's the key, because I'm
glad you guys mentioned in Bompwey and Messy. We knew
what the story lines were heading into this final game.

(01:39:02):
France were the defending champions and Bob already had one.
At age nineteen, He's already being compared to a young Pale. Meanwhile,
La Messi said this would be his last World Cup
thirty six years old. He scored seven hundred goals. He
passed Pale. There are arguments who was the greatest of
all time? Is that Messi is? At plee A billion
people were watching in the pressure of the world was

(01:39:24):
on Argentina. And not only does Messy score two goals,
including one an extra time, but in Pope matches it
gets a hat trick and then they both lead off
in the shootout and both put the ball in the net.
So we knew what the storylines were going in between
the two countries, Argentina and France. There hadn't been a
repeat champ since Brazil in nineteen sixty two, and I

(01:39:45):
think Italy did it in the thirties. That was one storyline.
Could France do it or would Messi get his first
right like the Cubs in sixteen or the Boston Red
Sox when they broke it back in twenty four. And
there have been a lot of eight athletes as I mentioned,
Tony gwyn, Dan Marino, Patrick Viewing, Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley,

(01:40:06):
folks who never won, Barry Bonds, Carl Malone. Messy was
gonna have to wear that and it was gonna be
very difficult for him. All right, So here comes the question, Well,
guess what the World Cup We've got to wait for
for four years, But it's gonna be right on our soil.
I'll be played in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, Boston,

(01:40:31):
New York, and Philadelphia. Also Toronto, Vancouver, also three cities
in Mexico, including Mexico City. Guys games will be played
in Los Angeles, your home city, Kevin, because of what happened,
Does that cause you to pay closer attention to soccer
heading into Absolutely, because no one that it's gonna be
in my own backyard. I'm gonna see if I can

(01:40:52):
find a way to make it to a couple of
these matchups. I I actually had the opportunity to go
to that historic Women's World Cup which has stained took off,
and I didn't go. And I didn't go, Bernie. I
was a kid at the time. I was at a
sports camp and they gave us free tickets and I
was like, I don't want to see soccer. Talking about
one of the biggest regrets of my life. I could

(01:41:12):
have witnessed history and didn't do it. Now I have
an opportunity to witness the World Cup in my own backyard.
I'm absolutely not missing that opportunity. So I will be
covering it very closely and I will find a way
to make sure I make it to a mattre or
two when it's here. Good stuff, And the reason I asked,
I have a specific reason, and that's because in the
World Cup came to the United States, the finals played

(01:41:33):
in the Rules Bowl, but there were four games played
at the Pontiac's Overdome. It's my first year in radio
June nine four w t K and Ann Arbor, Michigan's
flagship station. I'll covered two huge events that month. One
was the O J Chase and the other was the
Bronco Chase, and the other one was World Cup soccer.
And there was genuine excitement. And the question was with
that excitement carry it into It didn't, So I'm glad

(01:41:56):
you mentioned that because even that excitement didn't carry. But
this time I think it actually has a chance to
based on what happened and the fact that everybody knows
who Messi and in Bampa are, and the and the
backstory of these games. It took on a feel of
like a Super Bowl right between like Buffalo and Minnesota.
We know what the back back story is, all right, Ethan,

(01:42:17):
you got the last word. Will there be momentum based
on what happened heading into here in the in North
America with the World Cup coming to North America for
North America? Yes, for Ethan Miller. No, I'm gonna get
through American football first, and then maybe I'll decide and
watch the other football by the way that it will

(01:42:37):
be played in the summer, then too, it won't be
in Qatar. It's like two degrees every day there in
the summer, so they couldn't do it in the summer.
But they will go back to summer, you know, scheduling
here in and so they believe that will add to
the viewership. But anyway, all good stuff, all right, coming up.
World Cup may be done, and we've been talking about

(01:43:00):
it all year. We can hardly wait till the USA
and the game I'm after the day after Thanksgiving between
USA and England. It's all coming gone. But that doesn't
mean the world of soccer is coming on gone. But
we're gonna get to that in just a second. Was
Chris Perfett. But first let's go back to our guy,
Kevin Figures with the latest. All right, well, speaking of
American football, Ethan's Philadelphia Eagles will be without quarterback Jalen

(01:43:23):
Hurts today. He's been ruled out with a shoulder injury
against Dallas, but there's also uncertainty as to whether or
not he'll play next weekend against the Saints. Philadelphia and
he's just one win in its final three games to
clinch the top seed in the NFC. Elsewhere, the forty
Niner is activating defensive lineman jovn kin Law from i R.
He will be available to play against Washington's. The Ravens

(01:43:43):
will start quarterback Tyler Huntley against Atlanta as he continues
to battle shoulder sore. In this Seattle running back Kenneth
Walker is expected to play against Kansas City Friday night.
In the NBA, Luca Doctor scored fifty points to leave
the Mavericks over the Rockets. Boston snapped a three game
skit and a victory over in Minnesota. Brooke went has
won eight straight after defeating Milwaukee. Charlotte defeating the Lakers
one to one. Thirty Sixers get forty four points from

(01:44:06):
Doyle and beat in a one nineteen to one fourteen
victory over the Clippers. Alexandrovetchkin scored two goals to surpass
Gordy Howe for second all time and goal scored in
NHL history, as Washington defeating Winnipeg four to one. Back
to Bernie freddo All thanks so much, Kevin. All Right.
As we mentioned, the World Cup may be done, but
soccer continues. The Gold Cup is coming next year. We'll

(01:44:27):
have the World Cup here in four years, and of
course soccer around the world will continue to be played.
It doesn't end. That's why at this time of week
return it over to a little feature we call Chris
Perfett's World of Soccer pretty much sums it up, uh,
and I'm in agreement with all Chris said there. Uh.

(01:44:47):
This game will go down in history. Is one of
the greatest, perhaps is Eathan said sports contests of all
time because there is true historical perspective, there is true context. Uh,
there's there were athletes people could identify with who would
now maybe become household names. There you haven't. It makes

(01:45:08):
you see you can't really wait for next time's World Cup.
We will be here in the United States. Gotta wait
four years, so we'll see what happens between now and then.
The world of soccer will continue. Every week. Coming up,
we wrap up the show the Detroit Lions and their
coach Dan Campbell. I remember it was a tight end
on the team in two thousand and seven when I
was still doing Lions pre and post. From oh eight,

(01:45:28):
they become media darlings. The Lions have a very good
path to the playoffs, which resumes in about eight hours
and twenty minutes against the Carolina Panthers, but they're vying.
There are five teams and only two spots left in
the NFC. I'll break it down for you. Coming up,
I'm Bernie Fratto. We're coming to your line from the
Tirac dot Com studios here in Las Vegas. Keep it locked.

(01:45:50):
You're listening to the Bernie Fratto Show on Fox Sports Radio.
Back on the Bernie Fratto Show, Fox Sports Radio, coming
to you live from the Tirac dot Com studios here
in Las Vegas. Merry Christmas to everybody. Before I go
any further, as we wrap up the show, I want
to thank my broadcast team back in Los Angeles, Kevin
Figures and his dulce of tones on the updates. Great

(01:46:12):
job as always, Ethan Miller, outstanding a job tonight. And
I want to thank special thanks to Mark Ramsey who's
taking over for Chris Perfett. Outstanding job tonight. These guys,
this is not easy. The goal is to make it
look easy. A lot of things happen to happen, have
to happen behind the scenes for a radio show to

(01:46:34):
progress smoothly, as they like to call it, flying the plane.
Great job flying the plane market job Ethan. Guys onward
and upward with our team. All right, the Detroit Lions
a team near and dear to my heart. Obviously, I
worked on that media market seventeen years CBS Detroit covered
at all Lions prem POSTD eight saw it all right.

(01:46:58):
My last year, My first year was Barry Sanders last year,
my last year was Rod Marinelli going oh in sixteen,
and I saw everything in between. Trust me, I haven't
got time. I'd have to take three more hours to
tell it all. The Lions have a path to the playoffs,
but they still have to leap frog teams like the
Giants and Seahawks. So let's break this down right. They
are essentially in the NFC five teams fighting for the

(01:47:22):
two wild card spots that are available. The Eagles, Vikings,
Fort Dinners, and Cowboys. They've all clinched playoff berths, and
then this wacky NFC South will be decided the next
three weeks. Assuming it's Tampa, let's see, so that will
clinch the fifth playoff spot. However, then you've got the
number six and number seven seeds. Those are up for

(01:47:43):
grabs right now. Off the season ended today, which it doesn't.
The Giants at eight five and one in the Commanders
at seven six and one, they respectively hold the number
six and number seven seeds in the National Football League
NFC Conference, with the Seahawks at seven and seven. They're
at Kansas City this weekend, the Lions seven and seven

(01:48:03):
they're at Caroline, and the Packers six and eight at Miami.
Those three are on the outside looking in. But here's
the kicker. They all face very different paths to the playoffs.
See if the Lions went out and the Commanders and
Seahawks lose one of their final three games, Detroit's in.
So that is frankly the least complicated road for any

(01:48:24):
of these teams. It would also mean if this happens,
the Lions would in the year winning nine of their
final ten games. That's nothing short remarkable, although they haven't
done it yet, so let's not get too far ahead
of ourselves. Remember the line started one in six. No
one in six team has ever made the playoffs. And yes,
there is still a scenario where the Lions can make

(01:48:47):
the playoffs without a loss, or checked that with the loss,
but let's not go down that road tonight. I don't
have time. The Lions currently have a fifty eight percent
chance of making the playoffs part of the red and
that that that that there that that their percentage chances
at highs because in theory they have the easiest path

(01:49:10):
to the playoffs. There are three teams they faced at
the end of the year. Of course, we are at
the end of the year, three weeks to get to
go the Panthers, Bars, and Packards. Those three teams have
a combined record of fourteen and twenty eight. That's why
the projection of the Lions being given a fifty eight
percent chance of making the playoffs is the second highest
among the five remaining teams. Now, if the Lions beat

(01:49:32):
the Panthers Saturday game kicks off here in a little
over eight hours, that would be massive for Detroit because
then their playoff ods would climb froment to seventy. However,
the Lions lose, they dropped so this week in particular, though,
appears to be the best chance for the Lions to

(01:49:53):
truly make a real push. Year's why. If Detroit beats
Carolina later today and the Commanders loose to the forty
Niners this weekend, and the Seahawks loose to the Chiefs.
Not unreasonable. The Chiefs are ten point favorites, or they
are double digit favorites over the Seahawks, and the Commanders
are catching a touchdown against the forty diners. It's not

(01:50:13):
unreasonable to assume. You can't assume, but it's not unreasonable
to at least speculate that the Commanders go to San Francisco,
get beat and the Seahawks loose to the Chiefs, and
if if being the operative word, that happens, and Detroit
pats Carolina. When you wake up Monday morning, the Lions
will have taken control of the number seven seed in

(01:50:34):
the NFC, which should be courted kind of a Christmas
miracle on its own when you consider where the Lions
have come from this year and in past years. But
this is the National Football League. Okay, there's my great
buddy Jim Leland used to say, they get scholarships. On
the other side as well. Panthers, they're still fighting for
the NFC South crown. They're playing hard for their coach

(01:50:56):
who's currently their interim coach, Steve Wilkes. They've got enough
playmakers that can cause problems and will. By the way
the Lions are given up almost five and a half
yards on the ground, But the Lions are favorite for
a reason. You're the better team on paper, even though
it's a road game. By the way, in New Year's Day,
the Bears will host the Bear. The Lions will host
a Bears team the only beat by one point on
the road last month, and mobile quarterbacks have given the

(01:51:20):
Lions defense issues all years, so I expect Justin Feels
to be a threat in that game. We'll see. I
don't think what he's doing is sustainable, but that's a
conversation for a different day, and you've heard me talking
about it before. Quarterbacks the position you play with your eyes.
You default mechanism can't be to run every time. But
you've also got Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay looming. They
haven't given up yet. The Lions will have them in

(01:51:41):
Week seventeen, they get him at home. But if the
Packers win their next two games before facing the Lions
and week A team, that could be a game that
could decide a playoff spot. Right, not for nothing? How
did this all happen? When the Giants beat the Commanders
Sunday that it did playoffs for their own playoff odds,
or it did wonder for their own playoff odds. The
Giants New York Giants, believe it or not, their percentage

(01:52:05):
chance to make the playoffs is seventy eight percent and
they're closing. The Giants faced the Vikings Saturday, and you've
heard me talk about this earlier in the show. The
Vikings in their thirty second ranked offense getting out yard
at seventy four yards per game. There are points per game,
their their point differential is what eight for the entire season,
whatever the case may be. It's not sufficient and a

(01:52:26):
road game against the Vikings is gonna be difficult for
the Giants, but it's winnable. And I'm not a fan
of this Vikings defense. And they continue to defy the
odds during the ball over three times last week had
to come back from thirty three points to win the Commanders. Yes,
you can't count them out yet either, And technically you
can't count the Seahawks either, although their Week fifteen loss

(01:52:48):
to Washington is probably the most damaging of anybody in
their grand scheme of things. Had the Seahawks won that game,
they have about a sixty percent chance of making the playoffs. Basically,
they got about a nineteen percent chance. And then of
course the Green Bay Packers. They've visited the Dolphins, uh Sunday.
I think the Packers are live to win that game.
Then they got the Vikings and Lions as well. We

(01:53:10):
shall see what happens. A long way to go, but
there you have it, Lions fans, you've got a real
path to the playoffs. It's legit. They've covered seven or
ow haven't done that since the year they won the
last playoff game. That's gonna do it. For this week's
edition of The Bernie Frauder Show, Merry Christmas, everybody, keep
it locked up. Next our buddy Jason Martin,

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