July 16, 2026 • 39 mins
Rob King joins to talk Steelers and Pirates. The List to start the hour, the Last Word to end the hour.
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Speaker 1 (00:13):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
So I'm driving back from Columbus today and you have
those delays where one lane merges into two because of construction,
and people merge way before the merge point. It's like
they're in a hurry to get into the one lane,
and that totally defeats the purpose of the merge point.
(00:37):
Let it be two lanes as long as possible. That
keeps the traffic moving quicker and better. So, hey, idiots
who merge before the merge point.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Guess what you just made the list?
Speaker 1 (01:01):
The list brought to us by the Steelers Pro Shop.
Get it direct from the team at.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
The Steelers Pro Shop shop dot Steelers dot com. We
got Rob King at the bottom of the hour. Get
your calls in now A three three four one two WXDX. Okay,
staying with that merge point, then what's worse is I
did it. I merged too soon because I'm a lemming
(01:28):
when I drive, except when I run red lights, which
I do all the time. And then once I realized
I was stupid, I pulled back out and drove unimpeded
to the merge point, and then got the stink guy
from people who are like, what are you doing? Why
are you driving past us, we merged already. Uh, speaking
(01:52):
of pulling out, did you ever notice that when traffic
that has been compressed into one lane that's merged. Do
you ever notice that when one lane traffic goes back
to being two lanes after the construction area? Did you
(02:14):
ever notice that that's very orgasmic looks and even feels
very orgasmic, Like just this release and you errupt forward.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
You might even sign relief.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
A little bit, maybe even moan, and I bet from
an aerial view like a helicopter even looks like an orgasm.
Keep in mind, I'm recounting all this from very very
vague memories eight three three four one two WSDX. The
(02:48):
SBIs were last night. I hesitate to talk about them. Oh,
you know a movie I watched, I'll talk about that
for a second instead. Has anybody seen The Long Walk?
I watched lengthy segments twice, not the whole movie, but
you know, just on HBO it's last year. Cooper Hoffman
(03:10):
stars in it. That's Philip Seymour Hoffman's son, the late
and great Philip Seymour Hoffman, one of the best actors
of his or any other generation. And it's an adaptation
of Stephen King's first novel ever, the first one he wrote.
It wasn't published for years, and when it was it
was under the name Richard Backman, which was his occasional
(03:31):
non di plume. But it's about each year in this
dystopian militaristic society.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Which we're headed more and more towards.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Fifty young people males between the ages of it seemed
to be eighteen to twenty five, one from each state,
chosen by lottery. They go on this walk. It doesn't
have a finish line. You just walk and walk and walk,
(04:06):
and you have to maintain a speed of three miles
per hour or over. If you don't, you get warned.
You get warned three times. If you stop, you get
warned and have to immediately start walking again. And after
three warnings, if you get the fourth warning, you get
(04:26):
shot in the head, because you're accompanied by this military escort,
including this major played by Mark Hamill, who's just this
sadistic tyrant who has presented this long walk in the
name of patriotism and helping the winner but killing the
other forty nine.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
And it goes on and on, this long walk until.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Only one person's left alive and that person gets a
huge cash prize and one wish. It's really an intriguing movie,
very much reminiscent of the Purge franchise. I really liked that.
I'm gonna watch the movie. It's an entirety just from
what I've seen. The Hoffman kids incredible, Cooper Hoffman. It's
(05:16):
just and Mark Hamill is the major the Star Wars
guy and he's killing people. It's just it's a great
psychological thriller, like like the Purge movies. I would suspect
when I see this movie and it's in its hole,
that I will think it's better than the Purge movies.
It's probably better acted, probably probably a little better paced
(05:37):
and more.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Dramatic, but yeah it is.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
And like the walk goes on for like days and
hundreds of miles and and and all the Walkers are
in good shape, but stuff happens, like twisted ankles, and
and you know they get frustrated or you know they
just can't. I mean, it's just it's a great movie.
So watching don't watch The Spies ever unless Norm McDonald
(06:02):
comes back, because his monologue some how many years ago,
I don't know, like decades ago, is the greatest moment
in not only esp sp history but ESPN history, but
enormous sadly left us. But anyway, the sb's were last
night that kip In that won the NBA title for
the Knicks won Best Play of the Year over the
(06:24):
sudden death gold medal goals for US men's and women's hockey.
Because ESPN is always going to be big market first,
and in particular New York City, ESPN sometimes is a
New York City infomercial. Elica Leu won Best Breakout Star
the Olympic figure skater, not Drake May, not Fernando Mendoz,
(06:47):
and not the guy who should have won a Macklin
Celebrity because again, ESPN carries hockey, has some great hockey people,
but deep down hates hockey.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
I mean, who cares about the Olympic figure skater? Yes,
we suck.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
In short, the Savannah Bananas did a pathetic song and
dance act to open the show.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
WWE was all over it.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
ESPN is America's biggest televised house of prostitution.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Now, on a side note, did you know the players.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
On the Savannah Bananas, who are very popular, they get
paid only about one hundred k year. Now it's fun obviously,
get to travel and play baseball and meet people, probably
a lot of sex on the road. And all these
Savannah Bananas players are obviously not major league caliber, but
they're minor league level. But you know, one hundred K
(07:41):
to a minor league baseball player, Yeah, why what? You're
not going to make that plan for the Washington wild Things,
that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
But these guys draw big money.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
For example, they had one hundred and two thousand people
at Texas A and M in the football stadium. That's
a live gate of over three point five million dollars.
So in terms of percentage, these guys get peanuts. But
they or else would they go to play baseball? Back
to the Frontier League and b anybody with minor league
(08:14):
baseball talent can learn to be part of that act.
You need some charisma, some agility, you need to learn.
But I would think just about anybody with minor league
baseball skills could do it. So I just find it
interesting that I think they're way underpaid compared to how
much money they bring in.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Wait, I paid fairly rather well. I need to go
home and sleep.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
I'm tired from the drive back from Columbus they're underpaid
compared to percentage of what they bring in, but for
minor league baseball players they're overpaid. All right, get more
calls in. I'm tired of talking. Eight three three four
one two WSDX. I'm amazed we got like. See, here's
what I do not like the turn that my industry
(09:02):
locally has taken. If you just do Steelers pirates BS,
who should they get, who should they trade? Who should
start a quarterback? Blah blah blah, you will get all
kinds of buying the obja thing that you can't make
a hundred million dollars. Last with NBA guys chiming in
and Kyle Cosma refuting, that's interesting talk. That's where where
(09:24):
society meets sports, that kind of disconnect. But it ain't simple,
it ain't stupid. So you guys don't lap it up
because honestly, you're simple and stupid.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
What can I say?
Speaker 2 (09:33):
You've proven yourself that to me in the long run,
But it would make for an easier show on my part.
But I won't play ball. I won't do that. I
mean I have done the switch Ruta will Howard because
I feel that he's gonna be the guy and probably
should be. But that's as far as I'll go in
terms of talking about it all the time. What about
(09:54):
the World Cup Final? Who you like, Spain or Argentina.
Spain just play rock solid, the best team of this
tournament to be sure, didn't give France a chance? Or
the legend of Lionel Messi, what do you think eight
three three four one two wxdx. We got rob King
at the bottom of the hour one oh five.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Nine Regina.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Rob King at the bottom of the hour from sports
and at Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Yet this stuff where the athletes are.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Saying that the millions they make isn't enough and real
people don't understand. Know it's that the athletes don't understand
real people. This Sebastian Telfair who said it was impossible
for him to build generational wealth. Yo, do you think
you're be enough basketball player to build generational wealth? Do
you think everybody who who dribbles shouldn't have to work
(10:52):
the rest of his life, that your kids and your
kids kids shouldn't have to work for the rest of
your life.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
I don't understand that kind of thinking at all, but
actually I do.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
These guys are entitled they've been put on a pedestal
since they were in high school, some even before that.
I remember Terrell Pryor and Jeanette the way he grew up,
could get away with anything, even when he was like
in junior high because everybody knew he was gonna be
the next big thing for Jeanette athletics. And even beyond
no wonder he's had the checker career and checkered life
(11:26):
that he's had. Probably not a bad guy, and we're
all responsible for our own actions, but nonetheless the voice
of reason is Kyle Cozma. I think that's how I
pronounce his name. Place for the Milwaukee Bocks. He's gonna
make twenty million this coming season. And he said about
(11:47):
these guys like Beckham and Telfair and the guys who
think that millions eight millions, He said, quote, the problem
isn't the system, it's the life style. No one told
you to live like a king by five cars or
move with the ten person entourage. Modesty is allowed. Amen
(12:10):
to that, absolutely Amen.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
This guy just hung up.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
I was gonna talk to him, he asked. He was
gonna ask me why I've changed my mind on Will Howard.
I'll answer without talking to him. I'm thinking big picture.
I haven't changed my mind.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
On Will Howard.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
I still think the Steelers season is over if Rogers
gets hurt and Howard has to play, and they would
have a better chance to salvage this season if Mason
Rudolph was the number two. But they're not going to
come close to winning a super Bowl this year with
or without Mason Rudolph is the backup. Heck, even when
that Aaron Rodgers play seventeen games there, they're nowhere close.
(12:49):
Although I think they will do better under McCarthy. But
I'm thinking big picture. I don't know that Howard could
be the guy in the long run. I rather doubt it.
I don't know that Drew Aller can be the guy
in the long run. I have higher hopes for him.
I do know for sure Mason Rudolph ain't the guy
(13:10):
in the long run. So again, when I say Keith
Will Howard over Mason Rudolph, I am thinking bigger picture,
and I'm thinking from the perspective that if Rogers gets hurt,
the season screwed.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Anyway.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
We could have such good talk today and you guys
just won't participate unless it's not Elementary Pittsburgh one oh
one crap. Could have talked about Antonokramarti's fourteen kids by
different women. Could have talked about the Savannah bananas? Are
they underpaid? Could have talked about it why ESPN sucks?
(13:47):
There's so much we could have done, and you abandoned
me like you so often have. Let's go to Robbie, Robbi,
you're on with double M.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
Hey, Mark, can you hear me? Be having problems with
the phone.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
I can't hear you.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
Okay, great?
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Uh right, Mike McCarthy, would you agree that he's kind
of developed Aaron Rodgers into the great quarterback?
Speaker 5 (14:12):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah, now I can't hear you? Hello?
Speaker 4 (14:16):
Would you agree that Mike McCarthy could develop Will Howard
or and.
Speaker 5 (14:20):
Through Hour into a great quarterback?
Speaker 1 (14:22):
I couldn't make that out one more time.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
Can Mike McCarthy help Will Howard become a great quarterback?
Speaker 5 (14:30):
Howard?
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Who? What?
Speaker 5 (14:31):
What? I mean?
Speaker 1 (14:32):
What are you talking about? I can say it again.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
Can Mike McCarthy develop Will Howard? Do you think he
could developed Will Howard like he developed Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Okay, I'm gonna have to cut off Bobby and see
if he's dumb enough to call back and get played
like that again. Let's go to uh, Chuck blabbermouth. That's encouraging, Chuck.
What's what's up?
Speaker 5 (14:56):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (14:57):
What's up? You're on the air.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
Oh no, I just wanted to say something. Okay, that's all.
Turn your phone.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Down, Turn your phone down, turn your phone down. I
mean your radio got them? Goodbye? Rob king up next
one oh five to nine.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Whether you want to talk Buccos, whether you want to
talk Steelers. Rob King of sports Net Pittsburgh is demand
to do it with, So we'll do a bit of
both today. Kinger, I want to go to the Bucks first.
How legit do you feel the Pirates are? How far
are they away from being a team that can get
a wild card?
Speaker 6 (15:29):
Berth Well, I think they need They got to figure
out the bullpen, Mark, that's the number one thing. I mean,
they've gotten their time for the best offense in baseball.
They've done such a complete reversal from a year ago.
Last year they were third in the in the league
and e RA, and the two teams ahead of them
first and second. The two teams are behind them, fourth
and fifth. They won ninety games. You think you just
(15:52):
get the offense a little bit better. The offense has
gotten better, the pitching has moved back to her just
below the middle of the pack. I think they need
a little more from their starting pitching. One young guys
maybe showing some signs coming on. Bubba Schanner's pitch better,
Jared Jones's pitched better, Paul Skeins pitch better, backs and
Ashtraft has been great. If those guys can continue to trend,
(16:13):
and they either need to, you know, go get somebody
in the bullpen or get more from the bullpen that
currently exists, that's what's necessary.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
Those things happen. They're a legitimate playoff contender, for sure.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
I want to stay with the starting rotation for second.
I got no problem with Skeins, Ashcraft, Jared Jones, especially
the way Jones is pitched lately. I wouldn't get the
other guys in the rotation, Keller and Chandler and say, okay,
you each got two more starts. Whoever does worse. I
put Malegenski back in the rotation. I think that rotation
needs a shake up, and I think Leginski needs more.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
What do you think, well, you know.
Speaker 6 (16:50):
He's Beginsky is such an interesting guy because he's and
I understand exactly what you're saying, Mark, and that is
certainly one thing you could do.
Speaker 5 (16:58):
Because Maginsky, you know, proved this year to be.
Speaker 6 (17:03):
A solid starting pitcher, right Like, that's what I would
call him, a good, solid starting major league pitcher, you know,
and you never know, maybe there's more in there. He's
still very inexperienced at it. He's so good out of
the bullpen that I that I hate to, you know,
I hate to take what is already an area that
has not been a strength and make it weaker. However, look,
(17:24):
the starters are gonna you know, they're gonna pitch sixty
percent of the inning, So you want your best guys
doing that. So I understand what you're saying. I think
it brings up another point Mark. You know, when you
talk about.
Speaker 5 (17:35):
What's gonna what it's gonna take, they need to stay
healthy too. I mean, I'm knocking on what as I'm
saying that.
Speaker 6 (17:39):
Because nobody's really emerged as that sixth, seventh, eighth starter.
You worry about some of these guys, you know, first
year starters, How are they going to be in September?
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Are they Are they going to be able to hold up.
Speaker 6 (17:51):
Is there somebody right behind them that could step up?
And right now, the answer is that there really isn't
anybody other than the Jinsky who can give you that
seventh eighth starter depth that they You know, again, if
you stay healthy, you won't need it.
Speaker 5 (18:08):
If you have an injury, you could have an issue.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Now, I agree that the bullpen's the biggest concern, and
I don't think it can just it just needs a
little Tweakking or I think they got to go get
like an eroald As Chapman.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
The problem with that is Boston.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Has crept back into the wild card race in Boston
just in the American League, just a half game behind.
And that happens I talked about this earlier. When you
have six playoff teams in a fifteen team league, twelve
or thirteen of those teams will stay in the race
for a wild cart until the very end, and that
(18:43):
kind of limits the pool of who you can get.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
Who's going to be a seller?
Speaker 6 (18:48):
Yeah, it becomes It definitely is a seller's market, and
it's going to be a seller's market this year. Now,
of course, things could change in the next couple of weeks.
Some team could go on a losing skid decide they're
going to sell. You know, the Mets have a guy like,
you know, like a Luke Weaver, you know, who's not
a closer, but suddenly, you know, very very good reliever.
(19:09):
Now suddenly he might be commanding, you know, closer type
or turn.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
In a deal.
Speaker 6 (19:14):
You might have to give up something more than you
would feel comfortable giving up to your point mark to
be able to get a guy like that, because there
might be seven or eight other teams bidding for that
pitcher and he's not you know, you know, I'm bringing
up a guy's a good, solid reliever. The Mets are
one of the few teams we're out of it. I
could see him being in high demand. And you know,
(19:35):
you would still that would that's not a role as Chapman,
that's not a that's not a closer. You would still,
you know, maybe Soto goes back, and maybe Soto becomes
your closer and he becomes your eighth fitning guy. Majinski
becomes you know, if he stays in the rotation, becomes
you know, a guy that can carry a couple of
innings for you, perhaps close some games as well. But
your point's a good one. They you know, it's going
(19:57):
out and trying to trying to improve that bull pinned
by a trade is gonna be tricky because so many
teams are still in it.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Uh yeah, and staying with that, if there's only a
few guys out there, can you really picture the Pirates
being the high bidder, like there's only two or three
legit relievers available because there are so few sellers. I
don't know if the Pirates have that kind of trade capital.
I don't know if they have the desire to add
payroll that they need.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
Yeah, I mean, do you have the capital. You do
have the capital.
Speaker 6 (20:31):
Uh, But I mean I think if you're if you're
the Pirates, you're definitely taking Seth Hernandez obviously off the board.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
I mean, the team would jump at him.
Speaker 6 (20:39):
You're I'm I'm guessing you're taking Edward Florentino, your number
two prospect and one of the top thirty five or
so prospects in the game. You're probably taking him off
the board. And then you know, you had one of
the best systems in baseball beginning the season. You know
a lot of those guys that you know, Bobba Chandlers
now in the major leagues. Connor Griffin's now in the
major leagues. So you're right, do they have enough to
(21:01):
get them?
Speaker 5 (21:02):
I don't know.
Speaker 6 (21:03):
It's a good question, you know, and you have enough,
But if you take those guys off the board, do
you have enough? And and is somebody gonna say, listen,
we'll just give him a top fifty ranked prospect because
you're so desperate. Again, that's when you have that many
teams in the field looking to make a trade. That's
why that's when it becomes, you know, a seller's market. So, uh,
(21:25):
Market's a good question. It's you know, it's easy to say,
go fix the bullpen, but as you've underlined, not necessarily
as easy to do it as it is to say it.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
How much do you believe in Valdez given the short
sample size? And if you do, would you be open
to trading O'Neal cruise. I don't think there's a possibility
of that, but but I would.
Speaker 6 (21:49):
Oh boy, I mean I like Valdez, I really do.
I mean, he's twenty two years old, he's rocketed up
through the system. We can you know, as everybody's seeing,
he can really hit. You know, it looks like He's
got some baseball acumen as far as you know, if
the balls hit to him, he's gonna catch it, he's
gonna throw to the right bases. He's gonna do those
sort of things defensively. Obviously, he's not a burner. He's
a big guy.
Speaker 5 (22:09):
You know.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Cruise.
Speaker 6 (22:11):
Look, I know, I know fans sometimes get frustrated with
Cruse because everything the game looks so easy to him.
Speaker 5 (22:18):
But he is so dynamic.
Speaker 6 (22:20):
Mark, I mean, you know you have him and Connor
Griffin are just they are just such dynamic players. And
you know, we're kicking this around the office a little bit.
They just traded for Jacob Gonzales, a guy with some
offensive pedigree. We'll see if he if he pans out.
Maybe he was putting something together this year, former first
round pick. I mean, you just continue to try to
(22:40):
outscore teams, you know, you know, you don't want to
make you don't want to take a strength and make
it a weakness.
Speaker 5 (22:46):
So man, I I would be very reluctant.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Well yeah, let me.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
Here's Yeah, if you do trade Cruise and solve your
bullpen problems, and you could probably solve a little bit
more than that.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
But if you trade a Cruise.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
You still have Valdez, Reynolds, O'Hearn and Mangam in the oddfield,
and you can rotate one of them, not Manga, but
the other three through the d H spot.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Now, if somebody gets hurt, you know that that doesn't
bode well.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
But again, I feel like this is a team that
needs to make a bold move to make the playoffs.
Speaker 6 (23:19):
Well, that would be that would be a bold move.
You know, it is funny when I think about these
bold moves. I go back to hockey. I think about
you know, you talk about a guy who made bold moves,
Craig Patrick pack and the day I mean, you know,
training this Hall of famer for that Hall of Famer.
I mean, those were bold moves. The one other guy
that I think is is worth fans keeping an eye
on who's really started to heat up is Justinston Garcia,
(23:42):
another outfielder and a guy who can play center field.
Now I don't know if he's you know, profiles as
an everyday center fielder, which is something you know Cruse
Cruise was improving defensively. I know fans are gonna roll
their eyes. He was improving defensively before he got hurt.
He is that legit. You know, potentially, he's got the
skill set to be a defensive centerfielder. The other guys
(24:03):
that you mentioned outside of Mangum do not. And Mangum again,
I mean, centerfield is a very very it's like a shortstop.
It's a very difficult void to fill. I understand what
you're saying. I do think that the Pirates could wind
up making a bold move. Boy, I would have a
hard time for me seeing Cruz being part of.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
That bold move.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Let's call little Steelers king Er training Camp not that
far away. Everything I hear about Mike McCarthy and his
staff is good. What are you here? And I got
some specifics. I want to hear what you've heard first though.
Speaker 5 (24:39):
Yeah, and I've just heard.
Speaker 6 (24:40):
Look, you know it's a different it's a it's gonna
be a different viewpoint, right, So you know, Look, I
think that the the mini camps all went well, and
the and the offseason workouts, and I will start to
know a little bit more as we get into camp
and the way things go there. I think one of
the big things when you bring a new coach staff
in with new ideas is it also gives people it
(25:03):
gives certain players, you know, a fresh life. You know,
I thought about this, and I don't know how to
I don't know how to quantify this mark. But if
you have a fifty three man roster, there's probably gonna
be two guys who were adversely affected, two guys who
are positively affected, and then you know, you don't know
what's gonna happen with the other guys, like, for example,
a guy like Connor Hayward who's no longer with the team.
(25:24):
You know, I wondered, Okay, he was held in really
high esteem by the former coaching staff, and you could
see why. The more you saw him play, the more
you realize how many little things he can do well.
A new coaching staff may come in and say, that's great,
But I don't want somebody can do the little things.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
I want someone that that's.
Speaker 6 (25:38):
Got one thing that can hang their hat on, and
I'll move the pieces around beyond that. That's just one
exam I'm just throwing out an example, of course. So
I mean, I've heard, you know, obviously good things about him.
I'll be interested to see if say a Roman Wilson
or maybe somebody else in the roster might really benefit
from having fresh eyes on them as opposed to you know,
where they were perceived under an old regime.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Well, I think Roman Wilson at least has a chance
under McCarthy. Then again, I'm not so sure that Tomlin
was the problem with Roman Wilson. It might have been Rogers,
and Rogers is still there. I think Friarmouth benefits a
lot under McCarthy. Sure, although I don't see if. I
don't see a fit with Washington and the McCarthy offense.
But I'm told McCarthy likes him. That said, the big
(26:21):
picture thing I'm hearing is that McCarthy is very focused
and there's no time wasted. A lot of the bs
and the extraneous has been cut out.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
Uh, yeah, I have not. I mean, look, I really
haven't heard of comparison in that way.
Speaker 6 (26:38):
I appreciate the insight, and I'll be bringing that up
to the troll with me to check things out.
Speaker 5 (26:42):
I have not heard that.
Speaker 6 (26:43):
I would be making something up Mark if I told
you that I had heard that vibe. But I like
that I've heard it from you, and I will certainly
keep an eye on it. Yeah, and like you said,
Roman Wilson, I mean we'll see if he's the benefit,
and we'll see if overall scheme and changes. Look, you know,
things come out and players say, hey, we knew what
(27:03):
the Steelers were gonna do, and they become predictable, and
you know, look, you got a new coaching staff coming in,
and you know, is that is that is that other players,
you know poking at the Steelers?
Speaker 5 (27:14):
Is that sour grades from former players? I don't know.
Speaker 6 (27:17):
I don't know what the case is, but we're gonna
find out. Because it's a completely new staff. For the
most part, there's a couple of holdovers, but it's gonna
be a completely different way of doing things. It's gonna
be a completely different approach offensively, it's gonna be a
completely different approach defensively. One of the things Mike McCarthy
said that I like it as press conference Mark was,
you know, I think a lot of coaches come in
(27:38):
and they're gonna do things their way. I mean, there's
a sliding scale on things. But I think the guy
out in Denver, he's gonna rip things down to the studs.
Speaker 5 (27:45):
He's gonna build it back his way.
Speaker 6 (27:47):
Other coaches will say, Okay, well you give me these materials,
and I'm gonna try to maximize those materials. That's what
Mike McCarthy said. Listen, I've got a team here, and
I think I've got a very good team. I want
to coach to maximize their abilities, not to rebuild the team, uh,
completely in a way that I want. Again, obviously, their
influence is they're the way they want to coach. The
(28:10):
schemes that they want to run are going to be
affected by who they are. But I like the notion
of you brought up Darnell Washington. A guy like him
in specific, Okay, he's he's an interesting different football player.
How do we maximize a guy like that skills? And
of course all that's to you know, still just remains
to be seen.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
We are obligated by the FCC and the Supreme Court
to talk about the number two quarterback position, King her
and I am getting the impression that it's Will Howard's
job to lose, not that it's not an open competition
between him and Mason Rudolph, but all things being equal,
McCarthy would prefer the younger guy proves he can win
(28:50):
the job. Uh, what what have you heard? And I
got to tell you as somebody who kind of pooh
poohed the notion of Howard being number two, it's beginning
to make more more sense to me.
Speaker 6 (29:02):
You know, look as you take you know, as you
sort of take a you know, ten thousand foot view
of the thing.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
I mean this, yearers are clearly a roster that is
trying to win.
Speaker 6 (29:12):
Now, you know, get into the playoffs, win a game,
you know, let's see what happens after that. It's been
a while since they've won a playoff game, and so
that part of you says, well, uh, if they're without
Aaron Rodgers for four or five games, you know, do
you want to experiment with a rookie that you go
one and four with? Or you know, Mason Rudolph who
has a little bit more of a track record could
(29:33):
at least keep you in it. So that's that's the
view from above. Now again, I try, I try really
really hard, Mark not to be a scout. We all
have our own points of view, we all see things
in practice. But I'm not in scouting meetings. I'm not
in uh, you know, quarterback meetings. I'm not another in
other meetings, like you know, I'm not. However, I think
(29:54):
would have been very difficult to watch OTAs and not
have come away somewhat, at least somewhat impressed by Will Howard.
I think I think he looked sharp, he looked mobile,
he looked like he was making good, fast decisions. He
looks like he's got a good, solid arm. He's obviously
got the good height. I think it would be Again,
(30:15):
I'm not a scout, right, I'm not paid to be
a scout, but I think that if you were watching,
you'd have been you know, if you're there and an observer,
you'd have been impressed by Will Howard.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
And how great is it that we're gonna get to
see him actually play Drew Aller too in these exhibition games.
I don't think there's ever been more anticipation for preseason
games in Pittsburgh than to see Will Howard and Drew
Aller playing these three this year.
Speaker 6 (30:41):
Yeah, it's gonna be fun, Mark, I mean, and we
got robbed with that last year with Howard obviously with
the injury.
Speaker 5 (30:47):
I mean.
Speaker 6 (30:47):
The one thing about Mason Rudolph is that, I mean,
he's a pro. Evidently, you know, everybody says he's really
good as a teammate. You know, all those things that
really count. But you also have a really good sense
of what he can do. And you know, we'll see
what if if these guys are giving the opportunity to
beat him out and can't do it. Hey, listen, you
know you've got him. I don't know whether they'll be
(31:08):
given that opportunity. Maybe they're getting these opportunities because they
already know who the number two is gonna be. I
don't know, but I do agree with you that these
are gonna be really interesting.
Speaker 5 (31:19):
Games to watch.
Speaker 6 (31:19):
And I also think, you know, again just the numbers,
Mark tell you that it's gonna be hard to keep
four quarterbacks, but you know they're going to keep four quarterbacks. Job,
nobody does that, right, It's just not done anymore. And
I mean, you know, I think I think that question
has been asked and there's a well we like them all,
but I mean, realistically, it's hard to imagine four being kept.
(31:41):
And so, uh, you're right, it is going to be
very interesting because again, in the back of my mind
is still that notion of Hey, if you know, Aaron
Rodgers is a little older, if something happens like happened
last year, he get he gets banged up, a little.
Speaker 5 (31:55):
He's a really tough guy. But if he gets.
Speaker 6 (31:56):
Nicked up, I mean, look, uh, you know, uh, they
had every chance to win that game in Chicago with
Mason Rudolph as a starter. Of course they didn't win
the game, But again, who do you if you are
missing Rogers for a little bit of time, who can
hold the fort for you to get you into the playoffs?
Speaker 5 (32:14):
Because and then you see that.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Don't do it that way.
Speaker 5 (32:17):
I think.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
I think if Rogers gets hurt, they're not winning the
super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
In fact, they're not gonna win no matter.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
What, even if he's perfectly healthy for seventeen games.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
But I know Mason Rudolph's not the guy for the long.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Haul, and I don't care about the short haul, you
know what I mean. I think it's Rogers of Boston,
and then I'm looking big picture after that.
Speaker 5 (32:36):
Well, there's two kinds of injuries, Mark.
Speaker 6 (32:38):
There's the you're out for the year injury, in which case, yes,
I agree with you, now you've got problems, right, But
there's also the hey, he's gonna be out from week
eight through week thirteen, right, Maybe there's a buy in there,
and you got four games to play. Who's the best
one to keep you in it till he comes back.
So that that's more of the injury that I'm talking about.
(32:59):
That that's the hedging of the bets of Okay, so
let's let's right the ship. Let's get Aaron Rodgers back
in here again. I think all of these things that
we're that we're discussing, Mark, are all things that are
they're that they're thinking of, and they're all discussing and
trying to figure out. You know, if you feel really
comfortable listen, you're you may ascertain after watching these guys
(33:23):
in camp and in you know, in the preseason games. Look,
we think Will Howard is our second best quarterback. Okay,
then he's your second best quarterback.
Speaker 5 (33:32):
You know. Then that answers the question uh so again.
Speaker 6 (33:36):
But but that goes back to what you said, Mark,
it's gonna be really interesting to watch camp, and it's
gonna be really interesting to watch these preseason games, and
everyone's gonna be watching or hopefully listening to these games
as they unfold.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
King our great stuff. Thank you so much for taking
the time. We'll talk to you real soon.
Speaker 5 (33:54):
Looking forward to it as always, Mark, thanks for having
me on.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
That's Rob King you see if it's sports and at Pittsburgh,
and of course he is the radio voice of the
Pittsburgh Steelers on DVE. Up next, I wrote a column
for the trip about the upcoming labor dispute and baseball.
And there's some things that are non negotiable, not between
the players and the owners. But for you to understand
one oh five nine, it's Madden on the X. I
(34:20):
wrote a column at trip live dot com about the
upcoming MLB labor dispute and there's a few bullet points
that you need to get that you got to understand
that are non negotiable. This isn't workers of the world unite.
There is no proletariats. It's millionaires wanting to get more
out of billionaires. A cap would absolutely be good for
(34:42):
the fans in all but a very few MLB markets
Without a cap, smaller market teams can't keep stars. If
the NFL didn't have a cap, Patrick Mahomes would have
left Kansas City a long time ago. There are are
no good guys in this. You shouldn't pick a side.
(35:04):
The fans are a third side, and the fans can't
pick themselves. They're powerless. If you want a cap. I
guess you're on the owner side. A cap would be
bad for the top five percent among baseball players, the stars,
and be good for the other ninety five percent. This
(35:27):
is not collective bargaining. You always hear it called that,
but it's not. Collective bargaining determines a pay scale based
on seniority. Collective bargaining determines job security based on seniority.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
This is just greed.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
I personally can't wait till there's a lockout and no
baseball in twenty twenty seven to see these idiots indulge
their gluttony and narcissism at your expense.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
And at the game's expense. But then the minute they come.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
Back, you'll flock to the bullpen like carp at a spillway,
only not quite as smarts. Under the MLB proposal for
CAP one, Sodo could max ot at six years, two
hundred and sixty five mil his current deal with the
Mets his fifteen years, seven hundred and sixty five mil.
(36:18):
And at the All Star Game, Soto said, how that
would suck? Unquotes very articulate. I hope Sodo is on
the negotiating committee along with Paul Skins. Obviously, Soto could
never get by on two hundred and sixty five mil.
That's just not enough, asked OBJ after a certain amount.
(36:40):
With these athletes, with anybody, money isn't about need or
even greed. It's about ego. It's about penis waving. It's
about I make more like dipstick TJ. Watt and his
extra million, more than Miles Garrett, who is now off
to LA to win a super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Because these idiots could.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
Never spend all of it beyond wasting it, nor could
their kids or their kids kids. Their kids and their kids'
kids should get a job. We think these athletes are
smart because they're famous, and because we watch them on TV,
(37:24):
and because we wear their jersey.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
Listen to Skeimes talk.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
His IQ is about the same as his velocity. Conan
O'Brien did a great interview with Mick Jagger on Serious XM.
Very revelatory and yet conversational, good back and forth. I'm
jealous of an interview like that. Great guest and well
done and good questions and not fanboy slobber. Speaking of
(37:53):
Serious XM, Howard Stern is only going to do one
show a week now, one original show the rest of
the time will be filled from his mammoth archives. And
so since it's only won show a week, he fired
a lot of his longtime staff because he just doesn't
need as much content Stern could afford to keep on everybody.
(38:17):
But that's just on how he's wired. He's a money guy.
When mcavie got his new deal with ESPN, he gave
all his guys two hundred and fifty k in a bag.
Getting back to Stern, I've liked stern Show for years.
He sold out. Stern became what he hated, a mainstream
and titled celebrity. But nobody ever had a better career
(38:39):
in radio or managed his radio career better.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
Okay, hit the.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
Music tomorrow is Motley Crue Day Motley, It's Starlink tomorrow night,
and I can't wait.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Good talk, see you out there. It's Madden on the
X
Okay.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
So I'm driving back from Columbus today and you have
those delays where one lane merges into two because of construction,
and people merge way before the merge point. It's like
they're in a hurry to get into the one lane,
and that totally defeats the purpose of the merge point.
(00:37):
Let it be two lanes as long as possible. That
keeps the traffic moving quicker and better. So, hey, idiots
who merge before the merge point.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Guess what you just made the list?
Speaker 1 (01:01):
The list brought to us by the Steelers Pro Shop.
Get it direct from the team at.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
The Steelers Pro Shop shop dot Steelers dot com. We
got Rob King at the bottom of the hour. Get
your calls in now A three three four one two WXDX. Okay,
staying with that merge point, then what's worse is I
did it. I merged too soon because I'm a lemming
(01:28):
when I drive, except when I run red lights, which
I do all the time. And then once I realized
I was stupid, I pulled back out and drove unimpeded
to the merge point, and then got the stink guy
from people who are like, what are you doing? Why
are you driving past us, we merged already. Uh, speaking
(01:52):
of pulling out, did you ever notice that when traffic
that has been compressed into one lane that's merged. Do
you ever notice that when one lane traffic goes back
to being two lanes after the construction area? Did you
(02:14):
ever notice that that's very orgasmic looks and even feels
very orgasmic, Like just this release and you errupt forward.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
You might even sign relief.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
A little bit, maybe even moan, and I bet from
an aerial view like a helicopter even looks like an orgasm.
Keep in mind, I'm recounting all this from very very
vague memories eight three three four one two WSDX. The
(02:48):
SBIs were last night. I hesitate to talk about them. Oh,
you know a movie I watched, I'll talk about that
for a second instead. Has anybody seen The Long Walk?
I watched lengthy segments twice, not the whole movie, but
you know, just on HBO it's last year. Cooper Hoffman
(03:10):
stars in it. That's Philip Seymour Hoffman's son, the late
and great Philip Seymour Hoffman, one of the best actors
of his or any other generation. And it's an adaptation
of Stephen King's first novel ever, the first one he wrote.
It wasn't published for years, and when it was it
was under the name Richard Backman, which was his occasional
(03:31):
non di plume. But it's about each year in this
dystopian militaristic society.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Which we're headed more and more towards.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Fifty young people males between the ages of it seemed
to be eighteen to twenty five, one from each state,
chosen by lottery. They go on this walk. It doesn't
have a finish line. You just walk and walk and walk,
(04:06):
and you have to maintain a speed of three miles
per hour or over. If you don't, you get warned.
You get warned three times. If you stop, you get
warned and have to immediately start walking again. And after
three warnings, if you get the fourth warning, you get
(04:26):
shot in the head, because you're accompanied by this military escort,
including this major played by Mark Hamill, who's just this
sadistic tyrant who has presented this long walk in the
name of patriotism and helping the winner but killing the
other forty nine.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
And it goes on and on, this long walk until.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Only one person's left alive and that person gets a
huge cash prize and one wish. It's really an intriguing movie,
very much reminiscent of the Purge franchise. I really liked that.
I'm gonna watch the movie. It's an entirety just from
what I've seen. The Hoffman kids incredible, Cooper Hoffman. It's
(05:16):
just and Mark Hamill is the major the Star Wars
guy and he's killing people. It's just it's a great
psychological thriller, like like the Purge movies. I would suspect
when I see this movie and it's in its hole,
that I will think it's better than the Purge movies.
It's probably better acted, probably probably a little better paced
(05:37):
and more.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Dramatic, but yeah it is.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
And like the walk goes on for like days and
hundreds of miles and and and all the Walkers are
in good shape, but stuff happens, like twisted ankles, and
and you know they get frustrated or you know they
just can't. I mean, it's just it's a great movie.
So watching don't watch The Spies ever unless Norm McDonald
(06:02):
comes back, because his monologue some how many years ago,
I don't know, like decades ago, is the greatest moment
in not only esp sp history but ESPN history, but
enormous sadly left us. But anyway, the sb's were last
night that kip In that won the NBA title for
the Knicks won Best Play of the Year over the
(06:24):
sudden death gold medal goals for US men's and women's hockey.
Because ESPN is always going to be big market first,
and in particular New York City, ESPN sometimes is a
New York City infomercial. Elica Leu won Best Breakout Star
the Olympic figure skater, not Drake May, not Fernando Mendoz,
(06:47):
and not the guy who should have won a Macklin
Celebrity because again, ESPN carries hockey, has some great hockey people,
but deep down hates hockey.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
I mean, who cares about the Olympic figure skater? Yes,
we suck.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
In short, the Savannah Bananas did a pathetic song and
dance act to open the show.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
WWE was all over it.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
ESPN is America's biggest televised house of prostitution.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Now, on a side note, did you know the players.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
On the Savannah Bananas, who are very popular, they get
paid only about one hundred k year. Now it's fun obviously,
get to travel and play baseball and meet people, probably
a lot of sex on the road. And all these
Savannah Bananas players are obviously not major league caliber, but
they're minor league level. But you know, one hundred K
(07:41):
to a minor league baseball player, Yeah, why what? You're
not going to make that plan for the Washington wild Things,
that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
But these guys draw big money.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
For example, they had one hundred and two thousand people
at Texas A and M in the football stadium. That's
a live gate of over three point five million dollars.
So in terms of percentage, these guys get peanuts. But
they or else would they go to play baseball? Back
to the Frontier League and b anybody with minor league
(08:14):
baseball talent can learn to be part of that act.
You need some charisma, some agility, you need to learn.
But I would think just about anybody with minor league
baseball skills could do it. So I just find it
interesting that I think they're way underpaid compared to how
much money they bring in.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Wait, I paid fairly rather well. I need to go
home and sleep.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
I'm tired from the drive back from Columbus they're underpaid
compared to percentage of what they bring in, but for
minor league baseball players they're overpaid. All right, get more
calls in. I'm tired of talking. Eight three three four
one two WSDX. I'm amazed we got like. See, here's
what I do not like the turn that my industry
(09:02):
locally has taken. If you just do Steelers pirates BS,
who should they get, who should they trade? Who should
start a quarterback? Blah blah blah, you will get all
kinds of buying the obja thing that you can't make
a hundred million dollars. Last with NBA guys chiming in
and Kyle Cosma refuting, that's interesting talk. That's where where
(09:24):
society meets sports, that kind of disconnect. But it ain't simple,
it ain't stupid. So you guys don't lap it up
because honestly, you're simple and stupid.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
What can I say?
Speaker 2 (09:33):
You've proven yourself that to me in the long run,
But it would make for an easier show on my part.
But I won't play ball. I won't do that. I
mean I have done the switch Ruta will Howard because
I feel that he's gonna be the guy and probably
should be. But that's as far as I'll go in
terms of talking about it all the time. What about
(09:54):
the World Cup Final? Who you like, Spain or Argentina.
Spain just play rock solid, the best team of this
tournament to be sure, didn't give France a chance? Or
the legend of Lionel Messi, what do you think eight
three three four one two wxdx. We got rob King
at the bottom of the hour one oh five.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Nine Regina.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Rob King at the bottom of the hour from sports
and at Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Yet this stuff where the athletes are.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Saying that the millions they make isn't enough and real
people don't understand. Know it's that the athletes don't understand
real people. This Sebastian Telfair who said it was impossible
for him to build generational wealth. Yo, do you think
you're be enough basketball player to build generational wealth? Do
you think everybody who who dribbles shouldn't have to work
(10:52):
the rest of his life, that your kids and your
kids kids shouldn't have to work for the rest of
your life.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
I don't understand that kind of thinking at all, but
actually I do.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
These guys are entitled they've been put on a pedestal
since they were in high school, some even before that.
I remember Terrell Pryor and Jeanette the way he grew up,
could get away with anything, even when he was like
in junior high because everybody knew he was gonna be
the next big thing for Jeanette athletics. And even beyond
no wonder he's had the checker career and checkered life
(11:26):
that he's had. Probably not a bad guy, and we're
all responsible for our own actions, but nonetheless the voice
of reason is Kyle Cozma. I think that's how I
pronounce his name. Place for the Milwaukee Bocks. He's gonna
make twenty million this coming season. And he said about
(11:47):
these guys like Beckham and Telfair and the guys who
think that millions eight millions, He said, quote, the problem
isn't the system, it's the life style. No one told
you to live like a king by five cars or
move with the ten person entourage. Modesty is allowed. Amen
(12:10):
to that, absolutely Amen.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
This guy just hung up.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
I was gonna talk to him, he asked. He was
gonna ask me why I've changed my mind on Will Howard.
I'll answer without talking to him. I'm thinking big picture.
I haven't changed my mind.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
On Will Howard.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
I still think the Steelers season is over if Rogers
gets hurt and Howard has to play, and they would
have a better chance to salvage this season if Mason
Rudolph was the number two. But they're not going to
come close to winning a super Bowl this year with
or without Mason Rudolph is the backup. Heck, even when
that Aaron Rodgers play seventeen games there, they're nowhere close.
(12:49):
Although I think they will do better under McCarthy. But
I'm thinking big picture. I don't know that Howard could
be the guy in the long run. I rather doubt it.
I don't know that Drew Aller can be the guy
in the long run. I have higher hopes for him.
I do know for sure Mason Rudolph ain't the guy
(13:10):
in the long run. So again, when I say Keith
Will Howard over Mason Rudolph, I am thinking bigger picture,
and I'm thinking from the perspective that if Rogers gets hurt,
the season screwed.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Anyway.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
We could have such good talk today and you guys
just won't participate unless it's not Elementary Pittsburgh one oh
one crap. Could have talked about Antonokramarti's fourteen kids by
different women. Could have talked about the Savannah bananas? Are
they underpaid? Could have talked about it why ESPN sucks?
(13:47):
There's so much we could have done, and you abandoned
me like you so often have. Let's go to Robbie, Robbi,
you're on with double M.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
Hey, Mark, can you hear me? Be having problems with
the phone.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
I can't hear you.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
Okay, great?
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Uh right, Mike McCarthy, would you agree that he's kind
of developed Aaron Rodgers into the great quarterback?
Speaker 5 (14:12):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah, now I can't hear you? Hello?
Speaker 4 (14:16):
Would you agree that Mike McCarthy could develop Will Howard
or and.
Speaker 5 (14:20):
Through Hour into a great quarterback?
Speaker 1 (14:22):
I couldn't make that out one more time.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
Can Mike McCarthy help Will Howard become a great quarterback?
Speaker 5 (14:30):
Howard?
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Who? What?
Speaker 5 (14:31):
What? I mean?
Speaker 1 (14:32):
What are you talking about? I can say it again.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
Can Mike McCarthy develop Will Howard? Do you think he
could developed Will Howard like he developed Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Okay, I'm gonna have to cut off Bobby and see
if he's dumb enough to call back and get played
like that again. Let's go to uh, Chuck blabbermouth. That's encouraging, Chuck.
What's what's up?
Speaker 5 (14:56):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (14:57):
What's up? You're on the air.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
Oh no, I just wanted to say something. Okay, that's all.
Turn your phone.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Down, Turn your phone down, turn your phone down. I
mean your radio got them? Goodbye? Rob king up next
one oh five to nine.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Whether you want to talk Buccos, whether you want to
talk Steelers. Rob King of sports Net Pittsburgh is demand
to do it with, So we'll do a bit of
both today. Kinger, I want to go to the Bucks first.
How legit do you feel the Pirates are? How far
are they away from being a team that can get
a wild card?
Speaker 6 (15:29):
Berth Well, I think they need They got to figure
out the bullpen, Mark, that's the number one thing. I mean,
they've gotten their time for the best offense in baseball.
They've done such a complete reversal from a year ago.
Last year they were third in the in the league
and e RA, and the two teams ahead of them
first and second. The two teams are behind them, fourth
and fifth. They won ninety games. You think you just
(15:52):
get the offense a little bit better. The offense has
gotten better, the pitching has moved back to her just
below the middle of the pack. I think they need
a little more from their starting pitching. One young guys
maybe showing some signs coming on. Bubba Schanner's pitch better,
Jared Jones's pitched better, Paul Skeins pitch better, backs and
Ashtraft has been great. If those guys can continue to trend,
(16:13):
and they either need to, you know, go get somebody
in the bullpen or get more from the bullpen that
currently exists, that's what's necessary.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
Those things happen. They're a legitimate playoff contender, for sure.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
I want to stay with the starting rotation for second.
I got no problem with Skeins, Ashcraft, Jared Jones, especially
the way Jones is pitched lately. I wouldn't get the
other guys in the rotation, Keller and Chandler and say, okay,
you each got two more starts. Whoever does worse. I
put Malegenski back in the rotation. I think that rotation
needs a shake up, and I think Leginski needs more.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
What do you think, well, you know.
Speaker 6 (16:50):
He's Beginsky is such an interesting guy because he's and
I understand exactly what you're saying, Mark, and that is
certainly one thing you could do.
Speaker 5 (16:58):
Because Maginsky, you know, proved this year to be.
Speaker 6 (17:03):
A solid starting pitcher, right Like, that's what I would
call him, a good, solid starting major league pitcher, you know,
and you never know, maybe there's more in there. He's
still very inexperienced at it. He's so good out of
the bullpen that I that I hate to, you know,
I hate to take what is already an area that
has not been a strength and make it weaker. However, look,
(17:24):
the starters are gonna you know, they're gonna pitch sixty
percent of the inning, So you want your best guys
doing that. So I understand what you're saying. I think
it brings up another point Mark. You know, when you
talk about.
Speaker 5 (17:35):
What's gonna what it's gonna take, they need to stay
healthy too. I mean, I'm knocking on what as I'm
saying that.
Speaker 6 (17:39):
Because nobody's really emerged as that sixth, seventh, eighth starter.
You worry about some of these guys, you know, first
year starters, How are they going to be in September?
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Are they Are they going to be able to hold up.
Speaker 6 (17:51):
Is there somebody right behind them that could step up?
And right now, the answer is that there really isn't
anybody other than the Jinsky who can give you that
seventh eighth starter depth that they You know, again, if
you stay healthy, you won't need it.
Speaker 5 (18:08):
If you have an injury, you could have an issue.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Now, I agree that the bullpen's the biggest concern, and
I don't think it can just it just needs a
little Tweakking or I think they got to go get
like an eroald As Chapman.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
The problem with that is Boston.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Has crept back into the wild card race in Boston
just in the American League, just a half game behind.
And that happens I talked about this earlier. When you
have six playoff teams in a fifteen team league, twelve
or thirteen of those teams will stay in the race
for a wild cart until the very end, and that
(18:43):
kind of limits the pool of who you can get.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
Who's going to be a seller?
Speaker 6 (18:48):
Yeah, it becomes It definitely is a seller's market, and
it's going to be a seller's market this year. Now,
of course, things could change in the next couple of weeks.
Some team could go on a losing skid decide they're
going to sell. You know, the Mets have a guy like,
you know, like a Luke Weaver, you know, who's not
a closer, but suddenly, you know, very very good reliever.
(19:09):
Now suddenly he might be commanding, you know, closer type
or turn.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
In a deal.
Speaker 6 (19:14):
You might have to give up something more than you
would feel comfortable giving up to your point mark to
be able to get a guy like that, because there
might be seven or eight other teams bidding for that
pitcher and he's not you know, you know, I'm bringing
up a guy's a good, solid reliever. The Mets are
one of the few teams we're out of it. I
could see him being in high demand. And you know,
(19:35):
you would still that would that's not a role as Chapman,
that's not a that's not a closer. You would still,
you know, maybe Soto goes back, and maybe Soto becomes
your closer and he becomes your eighth fitning guy. Majinski
becomes you know, if he stays in the rotation, becomes
you know, a guy that can carry a couple of
innings for you, perhaps close some games as well. But
your point's a good one. They you know, it's going
(19:57):
out and trying to trying to improve that bull pinned
by a trade is gonna be tricky because so many
teams are still in it.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Uh yeah, and staying with that, if there's only a
few guys out there, can you really picture the Pirates
being the high bidder, like there's only two or three
legit relievers available because there are so few sellers. I
don't know if the Pirates have that kind of trade capital.
I don't know if they have the desire to add
payroll that they need.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
Yeah, I mean, do you have the capital. You do
have the capital.
Speaker 6 (20:31):
Uh, But I mean I think if you're if you're
the Pirates, you're definitely taking Seth Hernandez obviously off the board.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
I mean, the team would jump at him.
Speaker 6 (20:39):
You're I'm I'm guessing you're taking Edward Florentino, your number
two prospect and one of the top thirty five or
so prospects in the game. You're probably taking him off
the board. And then you know, you had one of
the best systems in baseball beginning the season. You know
a lot of those guys that you know, Bobba Chandlers
now in the major leagues. Connor Griffin's now in the
major leagues. So you're right, do they have enough to
(21:01):
get them?
Speaker 5 (21:02):
I don't know.
Speaker 6 (21:03):
It's a good question, you know, and you have enough,
But if you take those guys off the board, do
you have enough? And and is somebody gonna say, listen,
we'll just give him a top fifty ranked prospect because
you're so desperate. Again, that's when you have that many
teams in the field looking to make a trade. That's
why that's when it becomes, you know, a seller's market. So, uh,
(21:25):
Market's a good question. It's you know, it's easy to say,
go fix the bullpen, but as you've underlined, not necessarily
as easy to do it as it is to say it.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
How much do you believe in Valdez given the short
sample size? And if you do, would you be open
to trading O'Neal cruise. I don't think there's a possibility
of that, but but I would.
Speaker 6 (21:49):
Oh boy, I mean I like Valdez, I really do.
I mean, he's twenty two years old, he's rocketed up
through the system. We can you know, as everybody's seeing,
he can really hit. You know, it looks like He's
got some baseball acumen as far as you know, if
the balls hit to him, he's gonna catch it, he's
gonna throw to the right bases. He's gonna do those
sort of things defensively. Obviously, he's not a burner. He's
a big guy.
Speaker 5 (22:09):
You know.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Cruise.
Speaker 6 (22:11):
Look, I know, I know fans sometimes get frustrated with
Cruse because everything the game looks so easy to him.
Speaker 5 (22:18):
But he is so dynamic.
Speaker 6 (22:20):
Mark, I mean, you know you have him and Connor
Griffin are just they are just such dynamic players. And
you know, we're kicking this around the office a little bit.
They just traded for Jacob Gonzales, a guy with some
offensive pedigree. We'll see if he if he pans out.
Maybe he was putting something together this year, former first
round pick. I mean, you just continue to try to
(22:40):
outscore teams, you know, you know, you don't want to
make you don't want to take a strength and make
it a weakness.
Speaker 5 (22:46):
So man, I I would be very reluctant.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Well yeah, let me.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
Here's Yeah, if you do trade Cruise and solve your
bullpen problems, and you could probably solve a little bit
more than that.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
But if you trade a Cruise.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
You still have Valdez, Reynolds, O'Hearn and Mangam in the oddfield,
and you can rotate one of them, not Manga, but
the other three through the d H spot.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Now, if somebody gets hurt, you know that that doesn't
bode well.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
But again, I feel like this is a team that
needs to make a bold move to make the playoffs.
Speaker 6 (23:19):
Well, that would be that would be a bold move.
You know, it is funny when I think about these
bold moves. I go back to hockey. I think about
you know, you talk about a guy who made bold moves,
Craig Patrick pack and the day I mean, you know,
training this Hall of famer for that Hall of Famer.
I mean, those were bold moves. The one other guy
that I think is is worth fans keeping an eye
on who's really started to heat up is Justinston Garcia,
(23:42):
another outfielder and a guy who can play center field.
Now I don't know if he's you know, profiles as
an everyday center fielder, which is something you know Cruse
Cruise was improving defensively. I know fans are gonna roll
their eyes. He was improving defensively before he got hurt.
He is that legit. You know, potentially, he's got the
skill set to be a defensive centerfielder. The other guys
(24:03):
that you mentioned outside of Mangum do not. And Mangum again,
I mean, centerfield is a very very it's like a shortstop.
It's a very difficult void to fill. I understand what
you're saying. I do think that the Pirates could wind
up making a bold move. Boy, I would have a
hard time for me seeing Cruz being part of.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
That bold move.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Let's call little Steelers king Er training Camp not that
far away. Everything I hear about Mike McCarthy and his
staff is good. What are you here? And I got
some specifics. I want to hear what you've heard first though.
Speaker 5 (24:39):
Yeah, and I've just heard.
Speaker 6 (24:40):
Look, you know it's a different it's a it's gonna
be a different viewpoint, right, So you know, Look, I
think that the the mini camps all went well, and
the and the offseason workouts, and I will start to
know a little bit more as we get into camp
and the way things go there. I think one of
the big things when you bring a new coach staff
in with new ideas is it also gives people it
(25:03):
gives certain players, you know, a fresh life. You know,
I thought about this, and I don't know how to
I don't know how to quantify this mark. But if
you have a fifty three man roster, there's probably gonna
be two guys who were adversely affected, two guys who
are positively affected, and then you know, you don't know
what's gonna happen with the other guys, like, for example,
a guy like Connor Hayward who's no longer with the team.
(25:24):
You know, I wondered, Okay, he was held in really
high esteem by the former coaching staff, and you could
see why. The more you saw him play, the more
you realize how many little things he can do well.
A new coaching staff may come in and say, that's great,
But I don't want somebody can do the little things.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
I want someone that that's.
Speaker 6 (25:38):
Got one thing that can hang their hat on, and
I'll move the pieces around beyond that. That's just one
exam I'm just throwing out an example, of course. So
I mean, I've heard, you know, obviously good things about him.
I'll be interested to see if say a Roman Wilson
or maybe somebody else in the roster might really benefit
from having fresh eyes on them as opposed to you know,
where they were perceived under an old regime.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Well, I think Roman Wilson at least has a chance
under McCarthy. Then again, I'm not so sure that Tomlin
was the problem with Roman Wilson. It might have been Rogers,
and Rogers is still there. I think Friarmouth benefits a
lot under McCarthy. Sure, although I don't see if. I
don't see a fit with Washington and the McCarthy offense.
But I'm told McCarthy likes him. That said, the big
(26:21):
picture thing I'm hearing is that McCarthy is very focused
and there's no time wasted. A lot of the bs
and the extraneous has been cut out.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
Uh, yeah, I have not. I mean, look, I really
haven't heard of comparison in that way.
Speaker 6 (26:38):
I appreciate the insight, and I'll be bringing that up
to the troll with me to check things out.
Speaker 5 (26:42):
I have not heard that.
Speaker 6 (26:43):
I would be making something up Mark if I told
you that I had heard that vibe. But I like
that I've heard it from you, and I will certainly
keep an eye on it. Yeah, and like you said,
Roman Wilson, I mean we'll see if he's the benefit,
and we'll see if overall scheme and changes. Look, you know,
things come out and players say, hey, we knew what
(27:03):
the Steelers were gonna do, and they become predictable, and
you know, look, you got a new coaching staff coming in,
and you know, is that is that is that other players,
you know poking at the Steelers?
Speaker 5 (27:14):
Is that sour grades from former players? I don't know.
Speaker 6 (27:17):
I don't know what the case is, but we're gonna
find out. Because it's a completely new staff. For the
most part, there's a couple of holdovers, but it's gonna
be a completely different way of doing things. It's gonna
be a completely different approach offensively, it's gonna be a
completely different approach defensively. One of the things Mike McCarthy
said that I like it as press conference Mark was,
you know, I think a lot of coaches come in
(27:38):
and they're gonna do things their way. I mean, there's
a sliding scale on things. But I think the guy
out in Denver, he's gonna rip things down to the studs.
Speaker 5 (27:45):
He's gonna build it back his way.
Speaker 6 (27:47):
Other coaches will say, Okay, well you give me these materials,
and I'm gonna try to maximize those materials. That's what
Mike McCarthy said. Listen, I've got a team here, and
I think I've got a very good team. I want
to coach to maximize their abilities, not to rebuild the team, uh,
completely in a way that I want. Again, obviously, their
influence is they're the way they want to coach. The
(28:10):
schemes that they want to run are going to be
affected by who they are. But I like the notion
of you brought up Darnell Washington. A guy like him
in specific, Okay, he's he's an interesting different football player.
How do we maximize a guy like that skills? And
of course all that's to you know, still just remains
to be seen.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (28:30):
We are obligated by the FCC and the Supreme Court
to talk about the number two quarterback position, King her
and I am getting the impression that it's Will Howard's
job to lose, not that it's not an open competition
between him and Mason Rudolph, but all things being equal,
McCarthy would prefer the younger guy proves he can win
(28:50):
the job. Uh, what what have you heard? And I
got to tell you as somebody who kind of pooh
poohed the notion of Howard being number two, it's beginning
to make more more sense to me.
Speaker 6 (29:02):
You know, look as you take you know, as you
sort of take a you know, ten thousand foot view
of the thing.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
I mean this, yearers are clearly a roster that is
trying to win.
Speaker 6 (29:12):
Now, you know, get into the playoffs, win a game,
you know, let's see what happens after that. It's been
a while since they've won a playoff game, and so
that part of you says, well, uh, if they're without
Aaron Rodgers for four or five games, you know, do
you want to experiment with a rookie that you go
one and four with? Or you know, Mason Rudolph who
has a little bit more of a track record could
(29:33):
at least keep you in it. So that's that's the
view from above. Now again, I try, I try really
really hard, Mark not to be a scout. We all
have our own points of view, we all see things
in practice. But I'm not in scouting meetings. I'm not
in uh, you know, quarterback meetings. I'm not another in
other meetings, like you know, I'm not. However, I think
(29:54):
would have been very difficult to watch OTAs and not
have come away somewhat, at least somewhat impressed by Will Howard.
I think I think he looked sharp, he looked mobile,
he looked like he was making good, fast decisions. He
looks like he's got a good, solid arm. He's obviously
got the good height. I think it would be Again,
(30:15):
I'm not a scout, right, I'm not paid to be
a scout, but I think that if you were watching,
you'd have been you know, if you're there and an observer,
you'd have been impressed by Will Howard.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
And how great is it that we're gonna get to
see him actually play Drew Aller too in these exhibition games.
I don't think there's ever been more anticipation for preseason
games in Pittsburgh than to see Will Howard and Drew
Aller playing these three this year.
Speaker 6 (30:41):
Yeah, it's gonna be fun, Mark, I mean, and we
got robbed with that last year with Howard obviously with
the injury.
Speaker 5 (30:47):
I mean.
Speaker 6 (30:47):
The one thing about Mason Rudolph is that, I mean,
he's a pro. Evidently, you know, everybody says he's really
good as a teammate. You know, all those things that
really count. But you also have a really good sense
of what he can do. And you know, we'll see
what if if these guys are giving the opportunity to
beat him out and can't do it. Hey, listen, you
know you've got him. I don't know whether they'll be
(31:08):
given that opportunity. Maybe they're getting these opportunities because they
already know who the number two is gonna be. I
don't know, but I do agree with you that these
are gonna be really interesting.
Speaker 5 (31:19):
Games to watch.
Speaker 6 (31:19):
And I also think, you know, again just the numbers,
Mark tell you that it's gonna be hard to keep
four quarterbacks, but you know they're going to keep four quarterbacks. Job,
nobody does that, right, It's just not done anymore. And
I mean, you know, I think I think that question
has been asked and there's a well we like them all,
but I mean, realistically, it's hard to imagine four being kept.
(31:41):
And so, uh, you're right, it is going to be
very interesting because again, in the back of my mind
is still that notion of Hey, if you know, Aaron
Rodgers is a little older, if something happens like happened
last year, he get he gets banged up, a little.
Speaker 5 (31:55):
He's a really tough guy. But if he gets.
Speaker 6 (31:56):
Nicked up, I mean, look, uh, you know, uh, they
had every chance to win that game in Chicago with
Mason Rudolph as a starter. Of course they didn't win
the game, But again, who do you if you are
missing Rogers for a little bit of time, who can
hold the fort for you to get you into the playoffs?
Speaker 5 (32:14):
Because and then you see that.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Don't do it that way.
Speaker 5 (32:17):
I think.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
I think if Rogers gets hurt, they're not winning the
super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
In fact, they're not gonna win no matter.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
What, even if he's perfectly healthy for seventeen games.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
But I know Mason Rudolph's not the guy for the long.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Haul, and I don't care about the short haul, you
know what I mean. I think it's Rogers of Boston,
and then I'm looking big picture after that.
Speaker 5 (32:36):
Well, there's two kinds of injuries, Mark.
Speaker 6 (32:38):
There's the you're out for the year injury, in which case, yes,
I agree with you, now you've got problems, right, But
there's also the hey, he's gonna be out from week
eight through week thirteen, right, Maybe there's a buy in there,
and you got four games to play. Who's the best
one to keep you in it till he comes back.
So that that's more of the injury that I'm talking about.
(32:59):
That that's the hedging of the bets of Okay, so
let's let's right the ship. Let's get Aaron Rodgers back
in here again. I think all of these things that
we're that we're discussing, Mark, are all things that are
they're that they're thinking of, and they're all discussing and
trying to figure out. You know, if you feel really
comfortable listen, you're you may ascertain after watching these guys
(33:23):
in camp and in you know, in the preseason games. Look,
we think Will Howard is our second best quarterback. Okay,
then he's your second best quarterback.
Speaker 5 (33:32):
You know. Then that answers the question uh so again.
Speaker 6 (33:36):
But but that goes back to what you said, Mark,
it's gonna be really interesting to watch camp, and it's
gonna be really interesting to watch these preseason games, and
everyone's gonna be watching or hopefully listening to these games
as they unfold.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
King our great stuff. Thank you so much for taking
the time. We'll talk to you real soon.
Speaker 5 (33:54):
Looking forward to it as always, Mark, thanks for having
me on.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
That's Rob King you see if it's sports and at Pittsburgh,
and of course he is the radio voice of the
Pittsburgh Steelers on DVE. Up next, I wrote a column
for the trip about the upcoming labor dispute and baseball.
And there's some things that are non negotiable, not between
the players and the owners. But for you to understand
one oh five nine, it's Madden on the X. I
(34:20):
wrote a column at trip live dot com about the
upcoming MLB labor dispute and there's a few bullet points
that you need to get that you got to understand
that are non negotiable. This isn't workers of the world unite.
There is no proletariats. It's millionaires wanting to get more
out of billionaires. A cap would absolutely be good for
(34:42):
the fans in all but a very few MLB markets
Without a cap, smaller market teams can't keep stars. If
the NFL didn't have a cap, Patrick Mahomes would have
left Kansas City a long time ago. There are are
no good guys in this. You shouldn't pick a side.
(35:04):
The fans are a third side, and the fans can't
pick themselves. They're powerless. If you want a cap. I
guess you're on the owner side. A cap would be
bad for the top five percent among baseball players, the stars,
and be good for the other ninety five percent. This
(35:27):
is not collective bargaining. You always hear it called that,
but it's not. Collective bargaining determines a pay scale based
on seniority. Collective bargaining determines job security based on seniority.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
This is just greed.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
I personally can't wait till there's a lockout and no
baseball in twenty twenty seven to see these idiots indulge
their gluttony and narcissism at your expense.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
And at the game's expense. But then the minute they come.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
Back, you'll flock to the bullpen like carp at a spillway,
only not quite as smarts. Under the MLB proposal for
CAP one, Sodo could max ot at six years, two
hundred and sixty five mil his current deal with the
Mets his fifteen years, seven hundred and sixty five mil.
(36:18):
And at the All Star Game, Soto said, how that
would suck? Unquotes very articulate. I hope Sodo is on
the negotiating committee along with Paul Skins. Obviously, Soto could
never get by on two hundred and sixty five mil.
That's just not enough, asked OBJ after a certain amount.
(36:40):
With these athletes, with anybody, money isn't about need or
even greed. It's about ego. It's about penis waving. It's
about I make more like dipstick TJ. Watt and his
extra million, more than Miles Garrett, who is now off
to LA to win a super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Because these idiots could.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
Never spend all of it beyond wasting it, nor could
their kids or their kids kids. Their kids and their kids'
kids should get a job. We think these athletes are
smart because they're famous, and because we watch them on TV,
(37:24):
and because we wear their jersey.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
Listen to Skeimes talk.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
His IQ is about the same as his velocity. Conan
O'Brien did a great interview with Mick Jagger on Serious XM.
Very revelatory and yet conversational, good back and forth. I'm
jealous of an interview like that. Great guest and well
done and good questions and not fanboy slobber. Speaking of
(37:53):
Serious XM, Howard Stern is only going to do one
show a week now, one original show the rest of
the time will be filled from his mammoth archives. And
so since it's only won show a week, he fired
a lot of his longtime staff because he just doesn't
need as much content Stern could afford to keep on everybody.
(38:17):
But that's just on how he's wired. He's a money guy.
When mcavie got his new deal with ESPN, he gave
all his guys two hundred and fifty k in a bag.
Getting back to Stern, I've liked stern Show for years.
He sold out. Stern became what he hated, a mainstream
and titled celebrity. But nobody ever had a better career
(38:39):
in radio or managed his radio career better.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
Okay, hit the.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
Music tomorrow is Motley Crue Day Motley, It's Starlink tomorrow night,
and I can't wait.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Good talk, see you out there. It's Madden on the
X
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