August 7, 2025 • 41 mins
Brian Noe is in for Ben Maller and talks about conflicting opinions about Shedeur Sanders' standing within the Browns organization after he was listed as QB4 on the depth chart, but also slated to start their first preseason game, the NFL banning team distribution of smelling salts, and much more!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, thanks for listening to the Ben Maler Show podcast.
It's me Ben. Be sure to catch us live every
weeknight from two to six Eastern eleven pm to three
am Pacific right here on Fox Sports Radio. You can
find your local station for the Benmler Show over at
Foxsports Radio dot com, or stream us live every night
on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Oh what is going on? I hope your late night
hours are going swimmingly? Well, my goodness, it's a party tonight.
You know. Oreo, the neighborhood cat, just jumped up on
a chair. She's like, let's go sports radio, fill in,
let's get after it. So she looked at me with
intensity in her eyes.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Right there. Love that.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Okay. So there are a lot to get to, plenty
of things, a little bit of hoops tonight, a little
bit lots of ball. We are ramping right up to
the beginning of the football season, college football andfl lots
of training camp storylines and a little bit later on
(01:11):
the show. I want to get to the training camp hype.
This is the season of hype. What do you buy?
What do you sell? In terms of what's actually real,
what's going to translate to the regular season. So I'll
get to that as the show goes along, but I
want to start with this. You know, there's a story
(01:34):
with Shador Sanders starting the first preseason game for the
Cleveland Browns, and like, big picture, I've got all this sound,
all these angles, all this stuff. But before we get
to any of that, right before the show, I just
kind of paused and I thought about, I'm really just
trying to get to the truth of things, you know,
(01:56):
for the most part, from topic to topic, I really
just want to try to figure out what the truth
actually is. And I think that's important because in this
day and age, there's a lot of stuff where you
get these I don't know, like these look at me
type takes where you know you're gonna get a reaction
(02:18):
and you know people are gonna eat it up, and hey,
that might be good on one side in terms of,
you know, your relevancy and maybe your paycheck and all
that stuff, but that might get you further away from
the truth. I never want to stray so far away
from the truth that I don't understand what it even is,
(02:40):
you know. So with the Shador Sanders story starting with
the Browns on Friday night, They're at the Carolina Panthers.
It's a weird story. We'll start with the depth chart
was released a little bit earlier this week. Chaduur is
QB four. He's looking up at Dylan Gabriel, another fellow rookie,
(03:02):
Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco. So Shadour is QB four and
at least for this preseason game on Friday, he's QB one. Okay,
it's not unprecedented, but a little odd, little odd right there,
So you take that into account. Now, the audio I
want to play this could not be more different. The
(03:25):
first piece of audio you'll here is from ESPN's Lewis Riddick,
and he was on Get Up and he's got his
view on man Chadeur is in a really rough spot.
And then you'll hear from Mary Kay Cabot, who has
covered the Browns for a long long time, has done
a great job over the years, and their two opinions
could not differ more So. First, let's start with Lewis Riddick.
(03:48):
He's basically saying, like, man, what are the Browns doing here? Exactly?
Starting Shaduur, he hasn't gotten many reps. It's an uphill battle,
so forth and so on. Here's Lou and what he
says about Shadoor.
Speaker 5 (04:00):
I'm afraid he's gonna get on the field in preseason
games without a lot of practice reps, and then they're
gonna ask him to perform these heroic casts in order
to prove that he's worthy of being a starter when
he hasn't had enough reps to really get comfortable. That's
the kind of battle he's dealing with right now. I
know I've seen it, Dom, You've seen it. We've been
in these camps. We know how that goes. You don't
get enough reps. They play a whole half of a game,
(04:21):
and then all of a sudden, coaches are going, why
are you making that mistake? Why aren't you making that check?
Why are you doing that technique? Well, damn, coach, I
never was in there in practice. You never even talked
to me during practice, But now you expect me to know.
That's what they're gonna expect of him. But if anyone
can get it done, it's this kid, because he's been
trained the right way. But I'm telling you, he is
ice skating uphill. He just is and every time you
(04:42):
hear this organization talk, you get that feel.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Hmm okay, interesting take. He's basically calling you know, it
is set up. Maybe it's as far as sabotage, right
with a little Beastie Boy's reference right there. Now, this
is Mary Ka Cabot again cover the Browns for a
long time. Listen to what she says about should dour
starting on Friday.
Speaker 6 (05:06):
I do think that they are doing this the right
way with him and making sure that he is successful
as he comes up the learning curve. And they're flying
in the face of what everybody wants them to do.
But they have stuck to their guns and they're not
succumbing to media pressure and public pressure and fan pressure.
They're not doing that. They're doing what's right for should
(05:28):
Door and people have to understand that they're doing what's
right for the football team and for Should Doure.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Uh huh oh okay, Like listen, I don't know that
might be her real opinion, that might be her real report.
I mean, I just got to call it like I
see it. That just sounds like you're carrying the water
for the Cleveland Browns, does it not? That whole I
don't know how long that was. That was about twenty
(05:56):
eight seconds from Mary Kay Cabot. If you typed out
every word she just said and you handed it to
the Browns organization and they proof read it, and they're like, okay,
doing everything doing Yep. They won't succumb to public pressure.
That's right.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
All these people are like, don't play Chador.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Are they take it?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Eat?
Speaker 3 (06:16):
No, no, no, no, We're not gonna cave the public
pressure out. We're gonna play the guy. We're gonna do
what's right. Yep, like it, thumbs up and checking every box.
That just seems like the Browns would have signed off
on everything she just said, so it could not be
more polar opposite views of what's going on with the
Browns and Shadeur Sanders. Here's what I think.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
I think that.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
I think that lou is onto a little something but
took it too far. That's what I think. Where Shador
is in a tough spot. Let's just cut to that point.
Chador is in a rough spot. Think about it. They've
got five quarterbacks in camp right now for the Browns.
They signed Tyler because Chaduur and Kenny Pickett, some of
(07:03):
the quarterbacks are dealing with injuries, so they signed another
quarterback and they're dividing up the reps even more. Saw
a screenshot of the reps in practice on Wednesday. They
had stats for five guys. They had all their I
couldn't believe it. The QB Tracker training camp on Wednesday,
August sixth, Flacco is eight for thirteen, Shaduur is four
(07:26):
for seven, Pickett is five for seven, and so forth
and so on.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
I can't do it. I can't break down all these numbers.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
But the point is Shaduur Sanders is not getting a
ton of reps. He's not getting many reps with the
first string offense. That puts him in a rough spot
to start a game in the preseason. So let's just
recognize that before we go any further. Now, when lou
loses me, even though Shadur is skating uphill, he makes
(07:56):
it sound like that's what the organization wants. They want
to put him in a spot where he doesn't have
as much seasoning as he should. Maybe they throw him
in the deep end of the pool before he's ready,
and he's gonna have to do something heroic to earn
a starting job. Or to earn more reps, to earn
more preseason starts. He's gonna have to do something that
(08:17):
he's probably not ready to do, and that's the position
that they want to put him in. They basically want
him to fail. That's what Lewis Riddick is saying. I
don't agree with that at all. I think some organizations
are just dumb. That's what I think. The truth is,
some organizations are just dumb. The Browns are the poster
(08:38):
child for a dumb organization. They've done so many dumb
things over the years. You know the famous jersey that
has all the names of all the failed quarterbacks throughout
the years. They've had a lot to do with those failures.
They've made a lot of horrible decisions. And I don't
(08:58):
think that they want should or saying to fail. What's
the gain? How did they benefit from that? That just
doesn't make any sense to me. I don't see how
they gain anything by doing that. I just think that
they've got this clunky situation where they have five quarterbacks
in camp, the reps are getting divided up. Instead of
(09:18):
having fewer quarterbacks, with more reps and you get more seasoning, right,
more training, all it's training camp, right, and they don't
have that for Shaduer. But it doesn't mean they want
him to fail. You could look at many other organizations
and say they did things pretty clunky. Doesn't mean they
want the quarterback to fail. A good example to me
(09:41):
is the Indianapolis Colts. Now I'll expand on this a
little bit later, but look at what the Colts have
done with Anthony Richardson. Anthony Richardson threw fewer than four
hundred passes in college. That's nothing. He didn't play very
much in college. He should sat his entire rookie season,
(10:02):
and yet they threw him in the fire right away
and guess what, Shockingly, he wasn't ready for it. So
I thought that was a dumb decision by the Colts.
That doesn't mean they wanted him to fail. That's the
last thing they wanted. They just did something that, in
my opinion, was very stupid. That's what organizations do sometimes.
(10:24):
And also there are times where quarterbacks are in a
rough spot. It's not going to be ideal. It's not
going to be the perfect scenario, the perfect situation. You
might be facing an uphill challenge. That happens a lot.
That just comes along with the territory many times as
an NFL quarterback. I saw a little bit of Cowherd
(10:45):
show and I was thinking this, and then he led
with it. I'm like, freaking guy, he's reading my thoughts
over you know. So I don't want to give every
example Cowherd gave. But Baker Mayfield was in a rough spot.
He signed with the Rams on like a Tuesday and
was playing a game a couple of days later. I
think he had one practice. Hardly knows the playbook. They
(11:05):
ended up beating the Raiders. They had two scoring drives
at the end of the game, won the game. It
was insanity, but that was a very tough spot for
Baker Mayfield to be in, and he answered the challenge,
did a great job. But do you think because he
was in a tough spot that the Rams are like,
oh man, if Baker Mayfield would just blow this, this
(11:27):
would be amazing. No, of course not. So that's the thing, man,
I just don't think that the Browns, even though they're dumb,
I don't think they're crazy enough to be like, hey,
you know what, I got an idea. Let's ruin Shadure Sanders, right,
Let's throw them in as the starter of a preseason
(11:49):
game when he hasn't had many reps, when he's been
banged up along the way as well in training camp,
and man if he would just fail in front of millions,
that would be a amazing I just don't buy that
at all. But at the same time, I don't buy
what Mary Kay is selling either, which is like this
proud organization. They are doing right by Shador, They're doing
(12:12):
right by the team. You got all these you know,
outside voices that are like, do this and do that,
do bad things for Shador, And they're steadfast and they
bang the table and they say, no, we will not
do something that's bad for Shador. It's like, oh my gosh,
I just need the sappy music in a sports movie
in the background, you know what I mean, Like what's
(12:33):
going on over here? I don't buy that either. So
I think the truth is somewhere in between. I think
it's been a clunky training camp. I know Shador hasn't
had a ton of reps. I know he's not in
a great position to succeed, But this idea that what
are they gonna ask him to do in the game.
It's a preseason game. Are they gonna be like, all right, Shaduur.
(12:54):
You know they're gonna throw a play that he's never
ran in practice before, and they're like, all right, let's
just see how the kid handles this. Like, come on,
they're not gonna take it to the endth degree.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
They don't want to ruin him.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
It's just a weird path to him starting the first
preseason game. But this idea that they benefit by him
playing badly, they don't what's the game?
Speaker 4 (13:20):
I don't understand that at all.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
So interesting though, interesting storyline, and we'll see how he
plays on Friday, and I'm curious where it goes from there.
But yeah, Shauduur a QB four starting preseason game number
one for the Browns. It seems like only in Cleveland, right,
Can you see other organizations doing something like this? It
doesn't really seem like it. The Browns are just odd.
(13:45):
They're goofy, they're dumb a lot of times, but I
don't think they openly root for their own to fail.
Shauduur is on the team. I don't know how they
benefit by him stinking it up. But your thoughts are
more than well welcome. Militia was great to talk to
you yesterday. Had a lot of fun. So again, phone
(14:05):
lines wide open for you. I don't know if X
can be wide open, but feel free to tweet away
at the No Show is where you can find me
there eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox. Any thoughts
that you have in the sports world or beyond. We
love going outside the walls of sports from time to
time and getting a little goofy. But you know a
(14:28):
lot of sports thoughts tonight and yours are always welcome.
Lorena and Cooper here, they're ready to party as well.
That's right, there's a cameo from Lorena right there. Proof
it's not a SoundBite. I need to work on my
wall of Loraina sound you know, I don't have drops
of Lorena. I might have to chop I might have
(14:49):
to chop up some Delicious over there, you know, for
Delicious did a great job last night, amazing. That's a
good drop right there. That's a top shelf. Dropp knows.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
All right. I like it. We'll get some more as
the evening hours go along.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Coming up next. So weird story that's taken a very
odd turn? Can that be possible? It was weird to
begin with. It's even odder. Now I feel like we'll explain.
I'm Brian though in for Big Ben Maler. Keep it
locked right here on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Meller
Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven pm Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (15:37):
Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 8 (15:38):
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire
with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing
the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight
Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines,
accurate stats to help.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
You win big at the sportsbook.
Speaker 7 (15:56):
And all the best guests.
Speaker 8 (15:57):
Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with
Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you get your podcasts.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
It is Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
I'm Brian no in for Big Ben Malor. Yeah. So
there was an odd story on Tuesday, and I didn't
get to it when I was filling in for Big
Ben last night, but it's relevant again today because there
was a twist. So's it's dealing with smelling salts in
the NFL.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
So apparently players can use this stuff.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
After all, there was a memo sent out by the
NFL on Tuesday saying can't do it. Can't do it
like Mike Singletary back in the day. But the part
of the memo it said, beginning this season, teams are
prohibited from providing or supplying ammonia.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
In any form.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
So that includes ammonia capsules and Hailer's ammonia in a cup,
in any form of smelling star. And it also applies
to the entirety of a game. It includes pregame stuff, halftime,
applies to the locker room, and on the sideline.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
You just can't do.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
It, right, Like if you're like, what are smelling salts? Anyway?
Speaker 4 (17:15):
What is this?
Speaker 3 (17:15):
So? I've never used this before. I've never smelled the
smelling salts over the years of playing in much lower
levels of football than the NFL. But it's basically this,
you know, stimulant. You smell it, it smells god awful,
but it gives you a jolt. It's almost like a
monster energy drink mixed with red bull and it's just like,
(17:39):
whoa holy cow. It smells so but it's a total
guy thing. I don't know that female sports would do
this at all. Not a drug, right, not a drug.
Not a knock on the females. I'm just saying they're
smarter than us. It's a total guy thing to do.
Like here, smell this. It's awful and you take a
whiff and you're like, oh my gosh, wow, holy cow. It.
So the the whole reason for this was there's an
(18:03):
FDA warning. It was issued in twenty twenty four, and
part of the warning they're talking about ammonia inhalence okay,
otherwise known as AIS. I think AI is just taking
over everything. Now we got ammonia inhalence are also AI,
but the FDA noted potential negative effects from AI use.
(18:25):
AIS also have the potential to mask certain neurological signs
and symptoms, including some potential signs of concussion. And so
that's where you're like, oh, okay, this is why the
NFL is like, yeah, thumbs down on the quote unquote AIS.
You know, the ammonia inhalance because let's say you got
(18:48):
your bell rung right, Like you're on the field, you
got tackled hard, whatever, you got your bell rung, and
you go off to the sideline and you're seeing a
few stars. You know, you're shaking off the cop webs
and you get an aeumonia capsule or you get some
smelling salts that WHOA, I feel better, let's go, let's
get back after it over And so the NFL is like,
(19:10):
let's kind of cool it on that. They also put
in this memo to players. On Tuesday. As a result,
the NFL Headneck and Spine Committee recommended prohibiting the use
of AIS for any purpose during NFL play. So it
seems pretty clear like you can't do this anymore, right,
(19:32):
seems so clear that George Kittle, the forty nine Ers
tight end, he was on NFL Network on Tuesday. He
caught word of this memo, got all the details you
can't use smelling salts anymore. He was bummed about it.
Apparently he's deep in the game over here. George Kittle
is a huge fan of smelling salts. He was very bummed.
(19:53):
He jokingly talked about retirement. It's very distraught over Here's
George Kittle on NFL Network.
Speaker 9 (20:00):
I honestly just came up here to Eric Grievance. Our
team got a memo today that smelling salts and ammonia
packets were made illegal in the NFL, and I've been
just straught all day.
Speaker 7 (20:09):
Yeah, he even said he's not practicing anymore.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
I considered retirement.
Speaker 9 (20:13):
Yeah, we got to figure middle ground here.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Guys, help me out. Somebody come up with a good idea.
Speaker 9 (20:23):
Yeah, that's all I had to get out there.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Get that is it? Is it? Every before every drive?
Speaker 7 (20:31):
Every drive?
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Yeah? So Kittle uses this stuff every drive. I could see.
Could you not see George Kittle like, give me the
smelling salts before this drive?
Speaker 4 (20:41):
Oh my gosh, all right, let's go like it's.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
The total George Kittle thing to do. I love it.
The guy is the total energy. I could absolutely see
him doing that. So the twist comes from the clarification
on Wednesday. Turns out not banned at all, and it's like, wait,
what's go I thought it was word over that we're
not doing it. Turns out the NFL clarified with the NFLPA.
(21:08):
The Players Association reached out for clarification, like what's.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
Going on here? The NFL was like, no, players can
still use.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
Smelling salts during games this season, as long as they
just bring their own. Teams can't provide it. That's all
this is the NFL player is called responsible pretty much. Yes,
you don't exactly, that's right, Loraina. That's all what it
comes back to. It always comes back to the cash money,
right if something goes hey wire teams the NFL, they
(21:37):
don't want to be responsible. It's like, hey, players, if
you're you're free to do this. Just bring your own stash,
bring your own stuff here. That's exactly right. And I
love the NFLPA. They sent out a message on Wednesday
to the NFL players and this is beautiful.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
You cant make this stuff up.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
The first line is we were not notified of this
club pole change before the memo was sent out. That far.
Speaker 7 (22:04):
I love.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
The NFL doesn't even contact the NFLPA.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
They're just like, this is happening. There you go. So
the NFLPA is like news to us.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
And they also go on to clarify this policy does
not prohibit player use of these substances, but rather it
restricts clubs from providing or supplying them in any form.
The NFL has confirmed this to us, So hey, great
news for George Kittle. He just has to get his
(22:32):
own stuff, got to get his own ais his own
smelling salts on the sideline for every drive. He can
keep doing that. It's just the forty nine ers can't
supply him with any of that stuff.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
That's what this whole policy is about. Very strange.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
I don't know why the NFL would word it the
way they did. If you go back, like some of this,
they do word it correctly, where you know, according to
the memo beginning the season, teams are prohibited from providing
and supplying ammonia in any form. Okay, that's pretty clear.
But like most of these memos, there's so much information
(23:10):
that you kind of just remember bits and pieces or
the last thing in the memo, which is as a result,
the NFL Headneck and Spine Committee recommended prohibiting the use
of AI's for any purpose during NFL play. I'm just
like George Kittle and everyone, I'm like, all right, it's
over with. The NFL is like, no, not necessarily. We
(23:32):
just didn't word it very well. It's the clubs just
can't provide this stuff. That's all.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
You're like, Wow, what were all those words about?
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Then? That seems pretty easy to digest. I don't know
why they worded it that way. Very strange, but that's
where we are. George Kittle can celebrate again. Can use
the smelling salts. Very nice, by the way, Brian no
In for Big Ben Meller here on Fox Sports Radio, Coop,
I had a crazy idea, man, I wanted to run
(24:01):
something by you, and the NFL fan in me and
the curiosity in me would love to do this. But
it's only if you're on board, and it would be
a lot of legwork for me. Okay, but here's the deal.
We have differing views on Zach Allen. You call him
(24:23):
a star. I say he just doesn't have the notoriety
to be a star. Plays defensive line for the Broncos,
just got a contract extension. Eight and a half sacks
last season, He's productive. I just don't think he's a star.
So Koop and I disagreed last night. We won't rehash
the whole argument. But what I thought was if I
went just whatever on the strip here in Vegas and
(24:46):
did a little man on the scene, you know what
I mean, Like you know the street reports if you will, jeez,
I'm just curious. If you're not up for it, that's fine.
But if I asked ten people like NFL fans. That's
the prerequisite.
Speaker 7 (25:03):
Well, see, I mean that's that's how are you gonna
determine that?
Speaker 4 (25:07):
I mean, you got to go by their word?
Speaker 3 (25:08):
I mean, that's it can't just be this long, extensive quiz.
You know.
Speaker 7 (25:13):
I can already tell you that you're gonna it's that
they're not gonna know Zach Allen. Ten random people that
claim to be NFL fans on the the Las Vegas Strip.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
That's what I'm telling you.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
That's what I'm saying. Like even and I would say like, hey, man,
are you an NFL fan? Like really, you pay attention,
you love the NFL, you watch games every week like
you're legit. If they're like, oh yeah, absolutely, it's like,
all right, do you know which team Zach Allen plays for?
I don't know if any of the ten would get.
Speaker 4 (25:44):
That, right.
Speaker 7 (25:45):
I think they would if they if you asked that
prerequisite and they said yes, I would think that there
would be a number of the people out of ten
that would say that.
Speaker 4 (25:54):
What number do you think it would be?
Speaker 7 (25:57):
I don't know. I mean I think think they could.
Also there's a possibility they might say I don't know,
because he's just kind of recently on the Broncos the
last couple of years. Spent most of his career with
the Cardinals.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
Do you think they're gonna they're that deep in the game,
They're gonna be like, oh, the Cardinals, Zach Allen. You know,
as long as they prove in any way, shape or form,
who the hell this guy is, and that's good enough
for me. I don't need your current team if they're like, oh,
Boston College, Oh Arizona Cardinals is great, fantastic, you win,
you know, I don't think they would even get that.
(26:34):
I really don't.
Speaker 7 (26:36):
I think you'd have a few.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Maybe we do this when you're here in Vegas. Maybe
that's how we have a rock and good time. We
just go man on the street, you know, and we
ask about Zach Allen. I'm just curious, you know, I
really I feel strongly that most people would not know.
Speaker 7 (26:54):
How about you go into the sports book and start
asking people.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
I guarantee that that that's a spot where they might
know even less than random Honestly, yes, I completely believe that. Coop,
Like I do a show with Bill Krackenberger on Sundays,
It's Countdown presented by BETMGM and crack is amazing at
(27:18):
sports betting. He's made a ton of money over the years.
Very sharp guy. He's made a living. He literally makes
a living on sports betting. It blows. I don't know
how anybody makes a living off of sports betting. This
stuff is very tough to predict a lot of times,
especially NFL.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
These lines.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Lines are fine tuned and sharpened, and it's hard to
find edges and value. He finds a way, and he
makes a living off this makes money every single year.
And he's said on the show before, he's like, I
don't think I could name fifteen starting quarterbacks in the
league right now. He's he has no chance to know
who Zach Allen is.
Speaker 7 (27:56):
Well, so then he obviously just doesn't ever do prop bets.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
He does prop bets all the time that how can
he not name fifteen quarterbacks?
Speaker 2 (28:05):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (28:05):
You have to you see their names. You're making the
bet on them.
Speaker 4 (28:08):
I know, I don't know. I don't know, but I
don't know. I don't coop. I'm telling you, I believe it.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
It might maybe not the quarterback thing, but if you
just said, hey, crack, name name twenty wide receivers currently
in the NFL, even though he bets on these dudes
all the time, I doubt just off the top of
his head, he just rattle stuff off.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
And that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
Like a lot of these sharps, a lot of the pros,
the sports betters, like they look at the game from
a completely different angle, like maybe these like fantasy football players.
It's all on the offensive side of the ball ball
pretty much. Though they probably wouldn't know Zach Allen either.
I don't think anyone knows Zach Allen. That's the Vito.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
No one knows. No one knows.
Speaker 3 (28:55):
Maybe like a trainer, maybe a trainer for the Broncos
knows who Zach Allen is. I'm I'm not sure. I'm
not convinced of that, but uh, I think that's our
only hope.
Speaker 7 (29:04):
Coop.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
I don't think that.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Uh, you know, the random people on the street, I
don't do.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
The batting average would be low. Low.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
Of the ten people, I'd be floored if two of
them got it right. Floored you you go like three four?
Speaker 4 (29:22):
What do you think?
Speaker 7 (29:23):
Like you see you said? If you're asking them, you
are You're into the NFL. That's the that's the whole thing.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
You have to be like legit big fan, like I
pay attack I watch, you know, not just like oh
it's the Dallas. I always forget their neme.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
It's like you're out. You're out.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
I don't want to talk to you. You have to
know football, you have to watch, you have to love it.
Speaker 7 (29:43):
Yeah, I don't know, we'll see.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
I'm curious though, curious what that would end up being like.
And and listen, it's not a knock very good player,
productive player. I just he's not He's not a name,
you know, just not known, no notoriety. That happens, happens in.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
The end of it. We had the no name defense
with the Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
You know, just because you don't have no notoriety doesn't
mean you aren't incredibly productive. Like you could be very
productive and not have a name. By the way, I
saw a little interesting blurb here. I think it's from Yahoo.
They have a newsletter and this is an interesting trivia question.
So Kyron Williams with the Rams, they're running backs, just
(30:31):
got a contract extension three years, thirty three million dollars.
That's it, you know, Like this idea of Saquon Barkley
was amazing. Last season, Derrick Henry was awesome last season. Hey,
maybe the running back market now it's still in the
toilet comparatively speaking, you know, I think this was like
(30:51):
twenty three million. That's right, twenty three million dollars guaranteed.
And the trivia question is, like Kyron Williams has had
twenty six rushing touchdowns over the last two seasons. That's
a lot. He's tied for the fourth most in the league.
And so the question is, can you name the other
(31:12):
three players who have more rushing touchdowns over the last
two years than Kyron Williams. So when you start thinking
about this, I mean immediately I start thinking running backs.
Speaker 4 (31:24):
Okay, like.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Saquon Barkley doesn't score a ton of rushing touchdowns, Derrick
Henry does. He's got to be on the list. And
then it gives a hint and it says two are quarterbacks.
Two of the three guys that have had more rushing
touchdowns than Kyron Williams over the last two years, they're.
Speaker 7 (31:46):
Quarterbacks Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts.
Speaker 3 (31:49):
There you go, that's the list right there, Coop. Jalen
Hurts has the most twenty nine. Then Derrick Henry with
twenty eight, Josh Allen with twenty seven, it's pretty wild,
and then Kyron Williams with twenty six. He's right there,
He's right there neck and neck with those guys.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
But yeah, how amazing is that.
Speaker 6 (32:09):
That?
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Again, I don't want to rehash the whole Jalen Hurts argument,
where a lot of these what was it like the
dudes at sports books that come up with the lines
and all that, They asked those guys the book makers, Hey,
how many points against the spread are these quarterbacks really worth?
So the odds makers, twelve of them were asked this question,
(32:32):
and somehow Jalen Hurts ended up at six point three.
He's worth six point three points against the spread, whether
he's playing or the backup is playing. I just don't
buy that. Man. Like again, Josh Allen's got twenty seven
rushing touchdowns as well on top of all the passing touchdowns,
and they're separated hardly by anything. So Josh Allen is
(32:55):
that Let me see the list. Sorry I said I
wasn't gonna rehash this, and here I am rehash. Josh
Allen is at six point nine points against the spread.
That's what he's worth compared to a backup Jalen Hurts
is at six point three points against the spread. Really,
Jalen Hurts has two more rushing touchdowns than Josh Allen
(33:16):
does over the last two years, and Josh Allen I
have to look, but the amount of passing touchdowns that
Josh Allen has more than Jalen Hurts over the last
two years, and yet it's like point six difference points
against the spread between Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
That's outrageous. That's crazy talk right there.
Speaker 3 (33:39):
No way, I don't buy that at all, but I
said I wouldn't rehash it, so I'm not going to Hey, Militia,
you're more than welcome to check in here.
Speaker 4 (33:46):
Feel free to do so.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
Eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox is your number.
Also on X if you want to reach out to me,
there also available for you for all your tweets at
the no show up Next, there's one NFL team that
might not be as successful as you think they will be.
(34:07):
I'll throw that your way coming up, I'm probably no
in for Big Ben Mallor.
Speaker 4 (34:10):
This is Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Mallor
Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven pm Pacific.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
It is Fox Sports Radio. I'm probably no in for
Big Ben Malor. Okay, so a team that you might
be high on this season, but man, I don't know,
could go south. I think that's the Los Angeles Rams.
So the news here on Wednesday. This was tweeted out
(34:38):
by Ian Rappaport. He just tweeted sources. Rams quarterback Matthew
Stafford is dealing with an aggravated disc and has received
an epidural to help him deal with it. Los Angeles
has called him week to week, being cautious, but with
plans for him to be ready for week one. A. Man,
(35:00):
I don't know this thing when we're talking about an
aggravated disc and it's a back issue, and this just
seems to be getting worse. The news just seems to
be getting progressively worse. Because at first the Rams were like, yeah,
you know, we're gonna hold him out of training camp.
We're just being smart. He'll probably be back next week.
(35:22):
And then they were like, yeah, not next week either,
he'll be out that next week as well.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
We're just we're just being smart, just being cautious.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
And now the next thing you get is, oh, we're
talking aggravated disc epidural back issue. It's like, and this
is Matthew Stafford. Matthew Stafford is tough his nails, but
this dude has taking taken a freaking beating over the years,
and I just don't know that his body is gonna respond.
(35:50):
So if Matthew Stafford is not upright for seventeen games
in the playoffs or you know, maybe you know, maybe
they have their spot locked up and he sits the
last week, but the point is injury. If he's not
ready to go for I don't know. Let's say it's
a handful of games. Let's say it's somewhere between like
(36:13):
two to five six games this season, and you got
Jimmy G over there ish, Hey, I don't know, man,
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (36:23):
About that one.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
And by the way, not to completely change the subject,
but isn't it funny how not that long ago Jimmy G.
He was brock Purty before Perty came along. Right in
terms of just being like the toast of the league,
Jimmy G just wins. There were Jimmy G defenders left
and right, and then he left the forty nine ers
(36:47):
left a really great supporting cast went to the Raiders
and wow, what do you know? He didn't produce hardly
at all. And now he's a backup. Now he's in
journeyman status where you're looking at it and you're like, man,
if Stafford gets hurt, you got a resort to Jimmy
g You it's like he's got cooties. We're back on
(37:08):
this on the playground as kids. You Jimmy g Oh.
They didn't take long for Jimmy g to you know,
come back to Earth. That supporting cast matters, It absolutely matters.
But I mean, don't think the same thing wouldn't happen
to Purty. That's all I'm saying right here is if
(37:30):
he goes to the Raiders leaves the Niners and he's
not he's not a difference maker with a supporting cast
that's not nearly as good. That's that's just the truth
about Purty. Nothing personal, But I would be I'd be
skeptical of the Rams. You know, I had high helps
for them coming into this season. I think they're a
really good team. I think the defense is getting better,
(37:51):
it's improving. It's a young defense. Jared Verse could be nasty.
I think they've got some playmakers over there, a little smaller,
little undersized, like they got punked by the Eagles every
time they played him. Saquon Barkley is just on these
joy rides to the end zone, you know, sixty seventy
yards no problem. But they picked up Poonaford right nose tackle,
(38:15):
trying to get a little more stout against the rush
and if healthy. I like what they have here when
you've got Puka Nakua, DeVante Adams there, Tyler Higbee has
been productive, Kyron Williams running the ball. Matthew Stafford's still
a good quarterback. The question isn't about production. I think
it's mostly about health. Maybe he's dealing with back issues
(38:37):
and epidurals already.
Speaker 7 (38:39):
Man.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
I just don't know if that's gonna be a good
situation this season. Something to keep in mind while you're
getting your season win total bets in there. By the way,
shout out to Craig. He hit me up on X
and just said some nice things like glad you're in tonight.
He's looking forward to the Seahawks season and looking forward
to darn Old, Cooper, Cup, Bobo, all those guys. So
(39:01):
he's fired up for it. It's funny because I almost
turned this into a who am I in honor of
big Ben Mallard, Right, It's what he does around this
time every show. I couldn't quite figure out how to
do it, and I thought it was forced, and so
I'm like, yeah and ask screw it, I'm not gonna
do that. But you ever go on Pro Football Reference
(39:24):
and I love the website, and they'll just have the
left corner they'll have like twelve pictures, twelve head shots
of random NFL players, and I love doing that. You know,
each day I'll try to guess as many of the
head shots as possible, Like how many of these dudes
can I actually name? Like one I can tell today
(39:44):
is Kyle Yueschek, for sure. But of these twelve, I
might get two, maybe three. It looks like Jerrod Mayo.
Speaker 4 (39:52):
I'm not cheating.
Speaker 3 (39:53):
You can scroll over it and see the names, you know,
just leave the cursor there so I can get two.
I don't know they know any more of these. But
the point is a couple of days ago I did
the same thing and it was the old Seahawks receiver
Ricardo Lockett.
Speaker 4 (40:08):
And I've never.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
Done this before, but I was just looking at his
stats and it blew my mind. So you might remember
Ricardo Lockett where in the Super Bowl between the Seahawks
and the Patriots when they didn't give the ball the
Beast mode and the Patriots won. Right like that Super Bowl,
Russell Wilson was throwing to his number three, number four
receivers like Chris Matthews had a day he had four
(40:30):
catches for one oh nine in a touchdown. Ricardo Lockett
had three catches for fifty nine yards. And I never
looked at their career numbers. It stunned me. Now, I
know these are like three and four receivers, but I
didn't know they did only this, like over four seasons.
Ricardo Lockett he had twenty two catches in his NFL career.
(40:52):
Chris Matthews had sixteen catches over three seasons. That's it crazy.
Are we get to buying or selling training camp pipe
Hey, thanks for listening to the Ben Maler Show podcast.
It's me Ben. Be sure to catch us live every
weeknight from two to six Eastern eleven pm to three
am Pacific right here on Fox Sports Radio. You can
find your local station for the Benmler Show over at
Foxsports Radio dot com, or stream us live every night
on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Oh what is going on? I hope your late night
hours are going swimmingly? Well, my goodness, it's a party tonight.
You know. Oreo, the neighborhood cat, just jumped up on
a chair. She's like, let's go sports radio, fill in,
let's get after it. So she looked at me with
intensity in her eyes.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Right there. Love that.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Okay. So there are a lot to get to, plenty
of things, a little bit of hoops tonight, a little
bit lots of ball. We are ramping right up to
the beginning of the football season, college football andfl lots
of training camp storylines and a little bit later on
(01:11):
the show. I want to get to the training camp hype.
This is the season of hype. What do you buy?
What do you sell? In terms of what's actually real,
what's going to translate to the regular season. So I'll
get to that as the show goes along, but I
want to start with this. You know, there's a story
(01:34):
with Shador Sanders starting the first preseason game for the
Cleveland Browns, and like, big picture, I've got all this sound,
all these angles, all this stuff. But before we get
to any of that, right before the show, I just
kind of paused and I thought about, I'm really just
trying to get to the truth of things, you know,
(01:56):
for the most part, from topic to topic, I really
just want to try to figure out what the truth
actually is. And I think that's important because in this
day and age, there's a lot of stuff where you
get these I don't know, like these look at me
type takes where you know you're gonna get a reaction
(02:18):
and you know people are gonna eat it up, and hey,
that might be good on one side in terms of,
you know, your relevancy and maybe your paycheck and all
that stuff, but that might get you further away from
the truth. I never want to stray so far away
from the truth that I don't understand what it even is,
(02:40):
you know. So with the Shador Sanders story starting with
the Browns on Friday night, They're at the Carolina Panthers.
It's a weird story. We'll start with the depth chart
was released a little bit earlier this week. Chaduur is
QB four. He's looking up at Dylan Gabriel, another fellow rookie,
(03:02):
Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco. So Shadour is QB four and
at least for this preseason game on Friday, he's QB one. Okay,
it's not unprecedented, but a little odd, little odd right there,
So you take that into account. Now, the audio I
want to play this could not be more different. The
(03:25):
first piece of audio you'll here is from ESPN's Lewis Riddick,
and he was on Get Up and he's got his
view on man Chadeur is in a really rough spot.
And then you'll hear from Mary Kay Cabot, who has
covered the Browns for a long long time, has done
a great job over the years, and their two opinions
could not differ more So. First, let's start with Lewis Riddick.
(03:48):
He's basically saying, like, man, what are the Browns doing here? Exactly?
Starting Shaduur, he hasn't gotten many reps. It's an uphill battle,
so forth and so on. Here's Lou and what he
says about Shadoor.
Speaker 5 (04:00):
I'm afraid he's gonna get on the field in preseason
games without a lot of practice reps, and then they're
gonna ask him to perform these heroic casts in order
to prove that he's worthy of being a starter when
he hasn't had enough reps to really get comfortable. That's
the kind of battle he's dealing with right now. I
know I've seen it, Dom, You've seen it. We've been
in these camps. We know how that goes. You don't
get enough reps. They play a whole half of a game,
(04:21):
and then all of a sudden, coaches are going, why
are you making that mistake? Why aren't you making that check?
Why are you doing that technique? Well, damn, coach, I
never was in there in practice. You never even talked
to me during practice, But now you expect me to know.
That's what they're gonna expect of him. But if anyone
can get it done, it's this kid, because he's been
trained the right way. But I'm telling you, he is
ice skating uphill. He just is and every time you
(04:42):
hear this organization talk, you get that feel.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Hmm okay, interesting take. He's basically calling you know, it
is set up. Maybe it's as far as sabotage, right
with a little Beastie Boy's reference right there. Now, this
is Mary Ka Cabot again cover the Browns for a
long time. Listen to what she says about should dour
starting on Friday.
Speaker 6 (05:06):
I do think that they are doing this the right
way with him and making sure that he is successful
as he comes up the learning curve. And they're flying
in the face of what everybody wants them to do.
But they have stuck to their guns and they're not
succumbing to media pressure and public pressure and fan pressure.
They're not doing that. They're doing what's right for should
(05:28):
Door and people have to understand that they're doing what's
right for the football team and for Should Doure.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Uh huh oh okay, Like listen, I don't know that
might be her real opinion, that might be her real report.
I mean, I just got to call it like I
see it. That just sounds like you're carrying the water
for the Cleveland Browns, does it not? That whole I
don't know how long that was. That was about twenty
(05:56):
eight seconds from Mary Kay Cabot. If you typed out
every word she just said and you handed it to
the Browns organization and they proof read it, and they're like, okay,
doing everything doing Yep. They won't succumb to public pressure.
That's right.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
All these people are like, don't play Chador.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Are they take it?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Eat?
Speaker 3 (06:16):
No, no, no, no, We're not gonna cave the public
pressure out. We're gonna play the guy. We're gonna do
what's right. Yep, like it, thumbs up and checking every box.
That just seems like the Browns would have signed off
on everything she just said, so it could not be
more polar opposite views of what's going on with the
Browns and Shadeur Sanders. Here's what I think.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
I think that.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
I think that lou is onto a little something but
took it too far. That's what I think. Where Shador
is in a tough spot. Let's just cut to that point.
Chador is in a rough spot. Think about it. They've
got five quarterbacks in camp right now for the Browns.
They signed Tyler because Chaduur and Kenny Pickett, some of
(07:03):
the quarterbacks are dealing with injuries, so they signed another
quarterback and they're dividing up the reps even more. Saw
a screenshot of the reps in practice on Wednesday. They
had stats for five guys. They had all their I
couldn't believe it. The QB Tracker training camp on Wednesday,
August sixth, Flacco is eight for thirteen, Shaduur is four
(07:26):
for seven, Pickett is five for seven, and so forth
and so on.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
I can't do it. I can't break down all these numbers.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
But the point is Shaduur Sanders is not getting a
ton of reps. He's not getting many reps with the
first string offense. That puts him in a rough spot
to start a game in the preseason. So let's just
recognize that before we go any further. Now, when lou
loses me, even though Shadur is skating uphill, he makes
(07:56):
it sound like that's what the organization wants. They want
to put him in a spot where he doesn't have
as much seasoning as he should. Maybe they throw him
in the deep end of the pool before he's ready,
and he's gonna have to do something heroic to earn
a starting job. Or to earn more reps, to earn
more preseason starts. He's gonna have to do something that
(08:17):
he's probably not ready to do, and that's the position
that they want to put him in. They basically want
him to fail. That's what Lewis Riddick is saying. I
don't agree with that at all. I think some organizations
are just dumb. That's what I think. The truth is,
some organizations are just dumb. The Browns are the poster
(08:38):
child for a dumb organization. They've done so many dumb
things over the years. You know the famous jersey that
has all the names of all the failed quarterbacks throughout
the years. They've had a lot to do with those failures.
They've made a lot of horrible decisions. And I don't
(08:58):
think that they want should or saying to fail. What's
the gain? How did they benefit from that? That just
doesn't make any sense to me. I don't see how
they gain anything by doing that. I just think that
they've got this clunky situation where they have five quarterbacks
in camp, the reps are getting divided up. Instead of
(09:18):
having fewer quarterbacks, with more reps and you get more seasoning, right,
more training, all it's training camp, right, and they don't
have that for Shaduer. But it doesn't mean they want
him to fail. You could look at many other organizations
and say they did things pretty clunky. Doesn't mean they
want the quarterback to fail. A good example to me
(09:41):
is the Indianapolis Colts. Now I'll expand on this a
little bit later, but look at what the Colts have
done with Anthony Richardson. Anthony Richardson threw fewer than four
hundred passes in college. That's nothing. He didn't play very
much in college. He should sat his entire rookie season,
(10:02):
and yet they threw him in the fire right away
and guess what, Shockingly, he wasn't ready for it. So
I thought that was a dumb decision by the Colts.
That doesn't mean they wanted him to fail. That's the
last thing they wanted. They just did something that, in
my opinion, was very stupid. That's what organizations do sometimes.
(10:24):
And also there are times where quarterbacks are in a
rough spot. It's not going to be ideal. It's not
going to be the perfect scenario, the perfect situation. You
might be facing an uphill challenge. That happens a lot.
That just comes along with the territory many times as
an NFL quarterback. I saw a little bit of Cowherd
(10:45):
show and I was thinking this, and then he led
with it. I'm like, freaking guy, he's reading my thoughts
over you know. So I don't want to give every
example Cowherd gave. But Baker Mayfield was in a rough spot.
He signed with the Rams on like a Tuesday and
was playing a game a couple of days later. I
think he had one practice. Hardly knows the playbook. They
(11:05):
ended up beating the Raiders. They had two scoring drives
at the end of the game, won the game. It
was insanity, but that was a very tough spot for
Baker Mayfield to be in, and he answered the challenge,
did a great job. But do you think because he
was in a tough spot that the Rams are like,
oh man, if Baker Mayfield would just blow this, this
(11:27):
would be amazing. No, of course not. So that's the thing, man,
I just don't think that the Browns, even though they're dumb,
I don't think they're crazy enough to be like, hey,
you know what, I got an idea. Let's ruin Shadure Sanders, right,
Let's throw them in as the starter of a preseason
(11:49):
game when he hasn't had many reps, when he's been
banged up along the way as well in training camp,
and man if he would just fail in front of millions,
that would be a amazing I just don't buy that
at all. But at the same time, I don't buy
what Mary Kay is selling either, which is like this
proud organization. They are doing right by Shador, They're doing
(12:12):
right by the team. You got all these you know,
outside voices that are like, do this and do that,
do bad things for Shador, And they're steadfast and they
bang the table and they say, no, we will not
do something that's bad for Shador. It's like, oh my gosh,
I just need the sappy music in a sports movie
in the background, you know what I mean, Like what's
(12:33):
going on over here? I don't buy that either. So
I think the truth is somewhere in between. I think
it's been a clunky training camp. I know Shador hasn't
had a ton of reps. I know he's not in
a great position to succeed, But this idea that what
are they gonna ask him to do in the game.
It's a preseason game. Are they gonna be like, all right, Shaduur.
(12:54):
You know they're gonna throw a play that he's never
ran in practice before, and they're like, all right, let's
just see how the kid handles this. Like, come on,
they're not gonna take it to the endth degree.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
They don't want to ruin him.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
It's just a weird path to him starting the first
preseason game. But this idea that they benefit by him
playing badly, they don't what's the game?
Speaker 4 (13:20):
I don't understand that at all.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
So interesting though, interesting storyline, and we'll see how he
plays on Friday, and I'm curious where it goes from there.
But yeah, Shauduur a QB four starting preseason game number
one for the Browns. It seems like only in Cleveland, right,
Can you see other organizations doing something like this? It
doesn't really seem like it. The Browns are just odd.
(13:45):
They're goofy, they're dumb a lot of times, but I
don't think they openly root for their own to fail.
Shauduur is on the team. I don't know how they
benefit by him stinking it up. But your thoughts are
more than well welcome. Militia was great to talk to
you yesterday. Had a lot of fun. So again, phone
(14:05):
lines wide open for you. I don't know if X
can be wide open, but feel free to tweet away
at the No Show is where you can find me
there eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox. Any thoughts
that you have in the sports world or beyond. We
love going outside the walls of sports from time to
time and getting a little goofy. But you know a
(14:28):
lot of sports thoughts tonight and yours are always welcome.
Lorena and Cooper here, they're ready to party as well.
That's right, there's a cameo from Lorena right there. Proof
it's not a SoundBite. I need to work on my
wall of Loraina sound you know, I don't have drops
of Lorena. I might have to chop I might have
(14:49):
to chop up some Delicious over there, you know, for
Delicious did a great job last night, amazing. That's a
good drop right there. That's a top shelf. Dropp knows.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
All right. I like it. We'll get some more as
the evening hours go along.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Coming up next. So weird story that's taken a very
odd turn? Can that be possible? It was weird to
begin with. It's even odder. Now I feel like we'll explain.
I'm Brian though in for Big Ben Maler. Keep it
locked right here on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Meller
Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven pm Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (15:37):
Hey, this is Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 8 (15:38):
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire
with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing
the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight
Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines,
accurate stats to help.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
You win big at the sportsbook.
Speaker 7 (15:56):
And all the best guests.
Speaker 8 (15:57):
Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with
Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you get your podcasts.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
It is Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
I'm Brian no in for Big Ben Malor. Yeah. So
there was an odd story on Tuesday, and I didn't
get to it when I was filling in for Big
Ben last night, but it's relevant again today because there
was a twist. So's it's dealing with smelling salts in
the NFL.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
So apparently players can use this stuff.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
After all, there was a memo sent out by the
NFL on Tuesday saying can't do it. Can't do it
like Mike Singletary back in the day. But the part
of the memo it said, beginning this season, teams are
prohibited from providing or supplying ammonia.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
In any form.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
So that includes ammonia capsules and Hailer's ammonia in a cup,
in any form of smelling star. And it also applies
to the entirety of a game. It includes pregame stuff, halftime,
applies to the locker room, and on the sideline.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
You just can't do.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
It, right, Like if you're like, what are smelling salts? Anyway?
Speaker 4 (17:15):
What is this?
Speaker 3 (17:15):
So? I've never used this before. I've never smelled the
smelling salts over the years of playing in much lower
levels of football than the NFL. But it's basically this,
you know, stimulant. You smell it, it smells god awful,
but it gives you a jolt. It's almost like a
monster energy drink mixed with red bull and it's just like,
(17:39):
whoa holy cow. It smells so but it's a total
guy thing. I don't know that female sports would do
this at all. Not a drug, right, not a drug.
Not a knock on the females. I'm just saying they're
smarter than us. It's a total guy thing to do.
Like here, smell this. It's awful and you take a
whiff and you're like, oh my gosh, wow, holy cow. It.
So the the whole reason for this was there's an
(18:03):
FDA warning. It was issued in twenty twenty four, and
part of the warning they're talking about ammonia inhalence okay,
otherwise known as AIS. I think AI is just taking
over everything. Now we got ammonia inhalence are also AI,
but the FDA noted potential negative effects from AI use.
(18:25):
AIS also have the potential to mask certain neurological signs
and symptoms, including some potential signs of concussion. And so
that's where you're like, oh, okay, this is why the
NFL is like, yeah, thumbs down on the quote unquote AIS.
You know, the ammonia inhalance because let's say you got
(18:48):
your bell rung right, Like you're on the field, you
got tackled hard, whatever, you got your bell rung, and
you go off to the sideline and you're seeing a
few stars. You know, you're shaking off the cop webs
and you get an aeumonia capsule or you get some
smelling salts that WHOA, I feel better, let's go, let's
get back after it over And so the NFL is like,
(19:10):
let's kind of cool it on that. They also put
in this memo to players. On Tuesday. As a result,
the NFL Headneck and Spine Committee recommended prohibiting the use
of AIS for any purpose during NFL play. So it
seems pretty clear like you can't do this anymore, right,
(19:32):
seems so clear that George Kittle, the forty nine Ers
tight end, he was on NFL Network on Tuesday. He
caught word of this memo, got all the details you
can't use smelling salts anymore. He was bummed about it.
Apparently he's deep in the game over here. George Kittle
is a huge fan of smelling salts. He was very bummed.
(19:53):
He jokingly talked about retirement. It's very distraught over Here's
George Kittle on NFL Network.
Speaker 9 (20:00):
I honestly just came up here to Eric Grievance. Our
team got a memo today that smelling salts and ammonia
packets were made illegal in the NFL, and I've been
just straught all day.
Speaker 7 (20:09):
Yeah, he even said he's not practicing anymore.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
I considered retirement.
Speaker 9 (20:13):
Yeah, we got to figure middle ground here.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Guys, help me out. Somebody come up with a good idea.
Speaker 9 (20:23):
Yeah, that's all I had to get out there.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Get that is it? Is it? Every before every drive?
Speaker 7 (20:31):
Every drive?
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Yeah? So Kittle uses this stuff every drive. I could see.
Could you not see George Kittle like, give me the
smelling salts before this drive?
Speaker 4 (20:41):
Oh my gosh, all right, let's go like it's.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
The total George Kittle thing to do. I love it.
The guy is the total energy. I could absolutely see
him doing that. So the twist comes from the clarification
on Wednesday. Turns out not banned at all, and it's like, wait,
what's go I thought it was word over that we're
not doing it. Turns out the NFL clarified with the NFLPA.
(21:08):
The Players Association reached out for clarification, like what's.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
Going on here? The NFL was like, no, players can
still use.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
Smelling salts during games this season, as long as they
just bring their own. Teams can't provide it. That's all
this is the NFL player is called responsible pretty much. Yes,
you don't exactly, that's right, Loraina. That's all what it
comes back to. It always comes back to the cash money,
right if something goes hey wire teams the NFL, they
(21:37):
don't want to be responsible. It's like, hey, players, if
you're you're free to do this. Just bring your own stash,
bring your own stuff here. That's exactly right. And I
love the NFLPA. They sent out a message on Wednesday
to the NFL players and this is beautiful.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
You cant make this stuff up.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
The first line is we were not notified of this
club pole change before the memo was sent out. That far.
Speaker 7 (22:04):
I love.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
The NFL doesn't even contact the NFLPA.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
They're just like, this is happening. There you go. So
the NFLPA is like news to us.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
And they also go on to clarify this policy does
not prohibit player use of these substances, but rather it
restricts clubs from providing or supplying them in any form.
The NFL has confirmed this to us, So hey, great
news for George Kittle. He just has to get his
(22:32):
own stuff, got to get his own ais his own
smelling salts on the sideline for every drive. He can
keep doing that. It's just the forty nine ers can't
supply him with any of that stuff.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
That's what this whole policy is about. Very strange.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
I don't know why the NFL would word it the
way they did. If you go back, like some of this,
they do word it correctly, where you know, according to
the memo beginning the season, teams are prohibited from providing
and supplying ammonia in any form. Okay, that's pretty clear.
But like most of these memos, there's so much information
(23:10):
that you kind of just remember bits and pieces or
the last thing in the memo, which is as a result,
the NFL Headneck and Spine Committee recommended prohibiting the use
of AI's for any purpose during NFL play. I'm just
like George Kittle and everyone, I'm like, all right, it's
over with. The NFL is like, no, not necessarily. We
(23:32):
just didn't word it very well. It's the clubs just
can't provide this stuff. That's all.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
You're like, Wow, what were all those words about?
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Then? That seems pretty easy to digest. I don't know
why they worded it that way. Very strange, but that's
where we are. George Kittle can celebrate again. Can use
the smelling salts. Very nice, by the way, Brian no
In for Big Ben Meller here on Fox Sports Radio, Coop,
I had a crazy idea, man, I wanted to run
(24:01):
something by you, and the NFL fan in me and
the curiosity in me would love to do this. But
it's only if you're on board, and it would be
a lot of legwork for me. Okay, but here's the deal.
We have differing views on Zach Allen. You call him
(24:23):
a star. I say he just doesn't have the notoriety
to be a star. Plays defensive line for the Broncos,
just got a contract extension. Eight and a half sacks
last season, He's productive. I just don't think he's a star.
So Koop and I disagreed last night. We won't rehash
the whole argument. But what I thought was if I
went just whatever on the strip here in Vegas and
(24:46):
did a little man on the scene, you know what
I mean, Like you know the street reports if you will, jeez,
I'm just curious. If you're not up for it, that's fine.
But if I asked ten people like NFL fans. That's
the prerequisite.
Speaker 7 (25:03):
Well, see, I mean that's that's how are you gonna
determine that?
Speaker 4 (25:07):
I mean, you got to go by their word?
Speaker 3 (25:08):
I mean, that's it can't just be this long, extensive quiz.
You know.
Speaker 7 (25:13):
I can already tell you that you're gonna it's that
they're not gonna know Zach Allen. Ten random people that
claim to be NFL fans on the the Las Vegas Strip.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
That's what I'm telling you.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
That's what I'm saying. Like even and I would say like, hey, man,
are you an NFL fan? Like really, you pay attention,
you love the NFL, you watch games every week like
you're legit. If they're like, oh yeah, absolutely, it's like,
all right, do you know which team Zach Allen plays for?
I don't know if any of the ten would get.
Speaker 4 (25:44):
That, right.
Speaker 7 (25:45):
I think they would if they if you asked that
prerequisite and they said yes, I would think that there
would be a number of the people out of ten
that would say that.
Speaker 4 (25:54):
What number do you think it would be?
Speaker 7 (25:57):
I don't know. I mean I think think they could.
Also there's a possibility they might say I don't know,
because he's just kind of recently on the Broncos the
last couple of years. Spent most of his career with
the Cardinals.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
Do you think they're gonna they're that deep in the game,
They're gonna be like, oh, the Cardinals, Zach Allen. You know,
as long as they prove in any way, shape or form,
who the hell this guy is, and that's good enough
for me. I don't need your current team if they're like, oh,
Boston College, Oh Arizona Cardinals is great, fantastic, you win,
you know, I don't think they would even get that.
(26:34):
I really don't.
Speaker 7 (26:36):
I think you'd have a few.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Maybe we do this when you're here in Vegas. Maybe
that's how we have a rock and good time. We
just go man on the street, you know, and we
ask about Zach Allen. I'm just curious, you know, I
really I feel strongly that most people would not know.
Speaker 7 (26:54):
How about you go into the sports book and start
asking people.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
I guarantee that that that's a spot where they might
know even less than random Honestly, yes, I completely believe that. Coop,
Like I do a show with Bill Krackenberger on Sundays,
It's Countdown presented by BETMGM and crack is amazing at
(27:18):
sports betting. He's made a ton of money over the years.
Very sharp guy. He's made a living. He literally makes
a living on sports betting. It blows. I don't know
how anybody makes a living off of sports betting. This
stuff is very tough to predict a lot of times,
especially NFL.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
These lines.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Lines are fine tuned and sharpened, and it's hard to
find edges and value. He finds a way, and he
makes a living off this makes money every single year.
And he's said on the show before, he's like, I
don't think I could name fifteen starting quarterbacks in the
league right now. He's he has no chance to know
who Zach Allen is.
Speaker 7 (27:56):
Well, so then he obviously just doesn't ever do prop bets.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
He does prop bets all the time that how can
he not name fifteen quarterbacks?
Speaker 2 (28:05):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (28:05):
You have to you see their names. You're making the
bet on them.
Speaker 4 (28:08):
I know, I don't know. I don't know, but I
don't know. I don't coop. I'm telling you, I believe it.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
It might maybe not the quarterback thing, but if you
just said, hey, crack, name name twenty wide receivers currently
in the NFL, even though he bets on these dudes
all the time, I doubt just off the top of
his head, he just rattle stuff off.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
And that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
Like a lot of these sharps, a lot of the pros,
the sports betters, like they look at the game from
a completely different angle, like maybe these like fantasy football players.
It's all on the offensive side of the ball ball
pretty much. Though they probably wouldn't know Zach Allen either.
I don't think anyone knows Zach Allen. That's the Vito.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
No one knows. No one knows.
Speaker 3 (28:55):
Maybe like a trainer, maybe a trainer for the Broncos
knows who Zach Allen is. I'm I'm not sure. I'm
not convinced of that, but uh, I think that's our
only hope.
Speaker 7 (29:04):
Coop.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
I don't think that.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Uh, you know, the random people on the street, I
don't do.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
The batting average would be low. Low.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
Of the ten people, I'd be floored if two of
them got it right. Floored you you go like three four?
Speaker 4 (29:22):
What do you think?
Speaker 7 (29:23):
Like you see you said? If you're asking them, you
are You're into the NFL. That's the that's the whole thing.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
You have to be like legit big fan, like I
pay attack I watch, you know, not just like oh
it's the Dallas. I always forget their neme.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
It's like you're out. You're out.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
I don't want to talk to you. You have to
know football, you have to watch, you have to love it.
Speaker 7 (29:43):
Yeah, I don't know, we'll see.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:46):
I'm curious though, curious what that would end up being like.
And and listen, it's not a knock very good player,
productive player. I just he's not He's not a name,
you know, just not known, no notoriety. That happens, happens in.
Speaker 4 (30:04):
The end of it. We had the no name defense
with the Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
You know, just because you don't have no notoriety doesn't
mean you aren't incredibly productive. Like you could be very
productive and not have a name. By the way, I
saw a little interesting blurb here. I think it's from Yahoo.
They have a newsletter and this is an interesting trivia question.
So Kyron Williams with the Rams, they're running backs, just
(30:31):
got a contract extension three years, thirty three million dollars.
That's it, you know, Like this idea of Saquon Barkley
was amazing. Last season, Derrick Henry was awesome last season. Hey,
maybe the running back market now it's still in the
toilet comparatively speaking, you know, I think this was like
(30:51):
twenty three million. That's right, twenty three million dollars guaranteed.
And the trivia question is, like Kyron Williams has had
twenty six rushing touchdowns over the last two seasons. That's
a lot. He's tied for the fourth most in the league.
And so the question is, can you name the other
(31:12):
three players who have more rushing touchdowns over the last
two years than Kyron Williams. So when you start thinking
about this, I mean immediately I start thinking running backs.
Speaker 4 (31:24):
Okay, like.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Saquon Barkley doesn't score a ton of rushing touchdowns, Derrick
Henry does. He's got to be on the list. And
then it gives a hint and it says two are quarterbacks.
Two of the three guys that have had more rushing
touchdowns than Kyron Williams over the last two years, they're.
Speaker 7 (31:46):
Quarterbacks Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts.
Speaker 3 (31:49):
There you go, that's the list right there, Coop. Jalen
Hurts has the most twenty nine. Then Derrick Henry with
twenty eight, Josh Allen with twenty seven, it's pretty wild,
and then Kyron Williams with twenty six. He's right there,
He's right there neck and neck with those guys.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
But yeah, how amazing is that.
Speaker 6 (32:09):
That?
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Again, I don't want to rehash the whole Jalen Hurts argument,
where a lot of these what was it like the
dudes at sports books that come up with the lines
and all that, They asked those guys the book makers, Hey,
how many points against the spread are these quarterbacks really worth?
So the odds makers, twelve of them were asked this question,
(32:32):
and somehow Jalen Hurts ended up at six point three.
He's worth six point three points against the spread, whether
he's playing or the backup is playing. I just don't
buy that. Man. Like again, Josh Allen's got twenty seven
rushing touchdowns as well on top of all the passing touchdowns,
and they're separated hardly by anything. So Josh Allen is
(32:55):
that Let me see the list. Sorry I said I
wasn't gonna rehash this, and here I am rehash. Josh
Allen is at six point nine points against the spread.
That's what he's worth compared to a backup Jalen Hurts
is at six point three points against the spread. Really,
Jalen Hurts has two more rushing touchdowns than Josh Allen
(33:16):
does over the last two years, and Josh Allen I
have to look, but the amount of passing touchdowns that
Josh Allen has more than Jalen Hurts over the last
two years, and yet it's like point six difference points
against the spread between Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
That's outrageous. That's crazy talk right there.
Speaker 3 (33:39):
No way, I don't buy that at all, but I
said I wouldn't rehash it, so I'm not going to Hey, Militia,
you're more than welcome to check in here.
Speaker 4 (33:46):
Feel free to do so.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
Eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox is your number.
Also on X if you want to reach out to me,
there also available for you for all your tweets at
the no show up Next, there's one NFL team that
might not be as successful as you think they will be.
(34:07):
I'll throw that your way coming up, I'm probably no
in for Big Ben Mallor.
Speaker 4 (34:10):
This is Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Mallor
Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven pm Pacific.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
It is Fox Sports Radio. I'm probably no in for
Big Ben Malor. Okay, so a team that you might
be high on this season, but man, I don't know,
could go south. I think that's the Los Angeles Rams.
So the news here on Wednesday. This was tweeted out
(34:38):
by Ian Rappaport. He just tweeted sources. Rams quarterback Matthew
Stafford is dealing with an aggravated disc and has received
an epidural to help him deal with it. Los Angeles
has called him week to week, being cautious, but with
plans for him to be ready for week one. A. Man,
(35:00):
I don't know this thing when we're talking about an
aggravated disc and it's a back issue, and this just
seems to be getting worse. The news just seems to
be getting progressively worse. Because at first the Rams were like, yeah,
you know, we're gonna hold him out of training camp.
We're just being smart. He'll probably be back next week.
(35:22):
And then they were like, yeah, not next week either,
he'll be out that next week as well.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
We're just we're just being smart, just being cautious.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
And now the next thing you get is, oh, we're
talking aggravated disc epidural back issue. It's like, and this
is Matthew Stafford. Matthew Stafford is tough his nails, but
this dude has taking taken a freaking beating over the years,
and I just don't know that his body is gonna respond.
(35:50):
So if Matthew Stafford is not upright for seventeen games
in the playoffs or you know, maybe you know, maybe
they have their spot locked up and he sits the
last week, but the point is injury. If he's not
ready to go for I don't know. Let's say it's
a handful of games. Let's say it's somewhere between like
(36:13):
two to five six games this season, and you got
Jimmy G over there ish, Hey, I don't know, man,
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (36:23):
About that one.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
And by the way, not to completely change the subject,
but isn't it funny how not that long ago Jimmy G.
He was brock Purty before Perty came along. Right in
terms of just being like the toast of the league,
Jimmy G just wins. There were Jimmy G defenders left
and right, and then he left the forty nine ers
(36:47):
left a really great supporting cast went to the Raiders
and wow, what do you know? He didn't produce hardly
at all. And now he's a backup. Now he's in
journeyman status where you're looking at it and you're like, man,
if Stafford gets hurt, you got a resort to Jimmy
g You it's like he's got cooties. We're back on
(37:08):
this on the playground as kids. You Jimmy g Oh.
They didn't take long for Jimmy g to you know,
come back to Earth. That supporting cast matters, It absolutely matters.
But I mean, don't think the same thing wouldn't happen
to Purty. That's all I'm saying right here is if
(37:30):
he goes to the Raiders leaves the Niners and he's
not he's not a difference maker with a supporting cast
that's not nearly as good. That's that's just the truth
about Purty. Nothing personal, But I would be I'd be
skeptical of the Rams. You know, I had high helps
for them coming into this season. I think they're a
really good team. I think the defense is getting better,
(37:51):
it's improving. It's a young defense. Jared Verse could be nasty.
I think they've got some playmakers over there, a little smaller,
little undersized, like they got punked by the Eagles every
time they played him. Saquon Barkley is just on these
joy rides to the end zone, you know, sixty seventy
yards no problem. But they picked up Poonaford right nose tackle,
(38:15):
trying to get a little more stout against the rush
and if healthy. I like what they have here when
you've got Puka Nakua, DeVante Adams there, Tyler Higbee has
been productive, Kyron Williams running the ball. Matthew Stafford's still
a good quarterback. The question isn't about production. I think
it's mostly about health. Maybe he's dealing with back issues
(38:37):
and epidurals already.
Speaker 7 (38:39):
Man.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
I just don't know if that's gonna be a good
situation this season. Something to keep in mind while you're
getting your season win total bets in there. By the way,
shout out to Craig. He hit me up on X
and just said some nice things like glad you're in tonight.
He's looking forward to the Seahawks season and looking forward
to darn Old, Cooper, Cup, Bobo, all those guys. So
(39:01):
he's fired up for it. It's funny because I almost
turned this into a who am I in honor of
big Ben Mallard, Right, It's what he does around this
time every show. I couldn't quite figure out how to
do it, and I thought it was forced, and so
I'm like, yeah and ask screw it, I'm not gonna
do that. But you ever go on Pro Football Reference
(39:24):
and I love the website, and they'll just have the
left corner they'll have like twelve pictures, twelve head shots
of random NFL players, and I love doing that. You know,
each day I'll try to guess as many of the
head shots as possible, Like how many of these dudes
can I actually name? Like one I can tell today
(39:44):
is Kyle Yueschek, for sure. But of these twelve, I
might get two, maybe three. It looks like Jerrod Mayo.
Speaker 4 (39:52):
I'm not cheating.
Speaker 3 (39:53):
You can scroll over it and see the names, you know,
just leave the cursor there so I can get two.
I don't know they know any more of these. But
the point is a couple of days ago I did
the same thing and it was the old Seahawks receiver
Ricardo Lockett.
Speaker 4 (40:08):
And I've never.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
Done this before, but I was just looking at his
stats and it blew my mind. So you might remember
Ricardo Lockett where in the Super Bowl between the Seahawks
and the Patriots when they didn't give the ball the
Beast mode and the Patriots won. Right like that Super Bowl,
Russell Wilson was throwing to his number three, number four
receivers like Chris Matthews had a day he had four
(40:30):
catches for one oh nine in a touchdown. Ricardo Lockett
had three catches for fifty nine yards. And I never
looked at their career numbers. It stunned me. Now, I
know these are like three and four receivers, but I
didn't know they did only this, like over four seasons.
Ricardo Lockett he had twenty two catches in his NFL career.
(40:52):
Chris Matthews had sixteen catches over three seasons. That's it crazy.
Are we get to buying or selling training camp pipe
Host
Ben Maller
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