05-12-25 KOA Sports Hour 1 with Nick Ferguson

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It was a very busy, busy sports weekend. It was
here in the Mile High City. Nuggets talk about Rockies, Broncos,
Rookie Mini Camp. I mean, all sorts of really good
things going on. I'm I'm glad to hear that you're hyped.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Well, why why is it that your energy is not
as high as mine?

Speaker 3 (00:21):
You gotta pay yourself, man, it's a long show.

Speaker 4 (00:22):
You know.

Speaker 3 (00:23):
You come in.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
If you come in with all the energy up front,
and then by five o'clock you're ready for a nap,
then it's just you know, see that sounds.

Speaker 4 (00:30):
Like what the Nuggets did the other night. You know
that you did for me and is all all through
the show.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
Okay, I dig that.

Speaker 4 (00:36):
I got my honey in my bag.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Yeah, it wasn't a long season for you. I dig
that day, my friend.

Speaker 4 (00:41):
Do you ever hear of a white cross? Do you
know what white crosses are?

Speaker 3 (00:47):
I'm afraid to answer, Go ahead what it is.

Speaker 4 (00:53):
That's why that's why Nick's energy is as high as
it is.

Speaker 3 (00:58):
Because of a white cross.

Speaker 5 (00:59):
It's a farmarmaceutical sort of thing. Oh okay, he knows.
I have no idea what he's about.

Speaker 3 (01:05):
Did it just become legally.

Speaker 6 (01:08):
It's sort of legal, not really in the NFL at
times if you want to get like like overly exuberant
about maybe the start of the game to where you're
like chewing through your lip exuberant.

Speaker 4 (01:23):
No, I'm good, Fellas, good.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
To see you too. So, as you mentioned, there's so
much to get to. We'll of course talk about Bud
Black being dismissed. You joined us last night for our
breaking news segment. We got into last night around six o'clock,
so thank you for that. Dave really appreciate that. And
we'll have Jack Corgan on at five o'clock. The Nuggets, though,
I think it is kind of where we have to start, though, Fellas.
I mean, it's amazing how Friday night the vibes were incredible.

Speaker 3 (01:47):
You're two and one, you win.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
In overtime, mister Nugget once again comes in clutch Aaron
Gordon unbelievable, sends him to overtime.

Speaker 3 (01:54):
They dominate that, they.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Win, and then yesterday's game is the exact opposite in
so many ways. You only get points in the first
quarter for crying out loud, and you closed in the
fourth quarter with eighteen. You end up losing ninety to
eighty seven, So, Dave, I don't know. Big picture for
the Nuggets are two and two. Some people would say
with this series, I would have taken that going into
this thing if there were two and two afterwards, Yeah,

(02:16):
I would have.

Speaker 4 (02:17):
Taken it going in.

Speaker 5 (02:20):
Because Oklahoma City was a prohibitive favorite seven hundred. And again,
if you wanted to bet one hundred dollars on the
Thunder winning the series, you had to risk seven hundred.

Speaker 4 (02:35):
That's a huge, huge favorite.

Speaker 5 (02:36):
That said really disappointing yesterday because the Nuggets had a chance,
like a really good chance to be up three to
one in the series, and you can say, well, two
of the three still remain in Oklahoma City, true, and
the Thunder would be favored in both of those. Thunder
has been favored every single game. But I think it
would have been really tough for the Thunder to beat

(02:59):
the Nuggets three consecutive games and you've got an eight
point lead in the fourth quarter and you can't you
can't throw it in the ocean. I mean you literally
can't throw it in the ocean. From that point you
miss free throws. So yeah, I was disappointing in that
I thought the Nuggets had a real opportunity. It's not

(03:21):
for lack of effort, but a real opportunity to sort
of seize control of this series. And now it's too
too and you still have to find a way to
win a game in Oklahoma City, which they're capable of
doing obviously, but they've chosen the harder path.

Speaker 4 (03:38):
Harder path they have chosen.

Speaker 2 (03:40):
Only eighty seven points, Like this is like the second
lowest total since the Nuggets been in the playoffs, Like
Game three against the Clipper is eighty three points. And
if you're Ellen and coach Allenman, you're looking at this game,
said okay, but what what went wrong? I mean the
first quarter eight points, fourth quarter eighteen point point.

Speaker 4 (04:00):
That third quarter, I mean.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
That was exciting to watch because I was like, okay,
well the Nuggets are putting it together. They're running their
zone and they're having some success, and this is the
quarter they're going to take over. They just have to
finish in the fourth quarter. And it never really happened.
And you got to tip your cap to Okay, see,
because they made the necessary adjustments. When you look at
both teams, they both look exhausted, right, and you said, well, okay,

(04:24):
see they had almost a week off, so they shouldn't
look as exhausted. But both teams look exhausted. And I
ask you, guys, do you think this is a problem
for the NBA meeting how close that they had both
of these games where they've actually given the right or
advantage to Okay see even though Denver plays in an altitude.

(04:45):
Can we look at it that way or is it
wrong to look at it from that standpoint?

Speaker 3 (04:50):
I don't know, David. It's a weird deal, you know,
like what a thirty six hour turnaround.

Speaker 1 (04:54):
You didn't know it was going to go to overtime
on Friday nights, right, Nobody had that knowledge. But we
we said going into this thing that the longer this
goes is going to favor OKC because of their depth,
and certainly that showed up I think in the fourth quarter,
specifically against the Nuggets yesterday.

Speaker 4 (05:09):
But I don't know.

Speaker 1 (05:11):
I do think that it would have been better for
the NBA product if they had to schedule this as
a Sunday night game, But that's more of an internal
look for themselves than anything. I don't know if they
look at this and feel any kind of regret by
deciding to go Friday night into Sunday afternoon.

Speaker 4 (05:26):
What do you think? I think what you said is true.

Speaker 5 (05:29):
I think I think the lack of rest favors the younger,
deeper team, and that's Oklahoma City. I mean the bench
yesterday or Oklahoma City. I scored the Nuggets thirty five
to eight. This has been an issue really since KCP
and Bruce Brown left. The Nuggets are a player or

(05:57):
a player and a half short in a series like this,
and the Joker has struggled a little bit offensively shooting
the ball, missed a couple of free throws. He just
didn't he didn't do that. So I mean I will
credit Oklahoma City in this regard. I think they're I
think they're determined on defense. I think they've been allowed
to get really handsy and very physical with the Nuggets.

(06:20):
I mean very physical with both Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic.
And if they're allowed to play that way, then I
think the advantage is to them. And I think you've
seen it from the Jokers offensive scoring the last three games.

(06:40):
I mean he's fighting off a lot of body contact
multiple defenders. And if you're allowed to play that way,
then Mark Diagnell the coach of the Thunder would be
stupid not to do that. That said, you know what,
and I said at the start of the series, I
think the Nuggets have a more than a hunter's chance.

(07:00):
I think it's a long series. I think this thing
is going to go seven games. I really do. But
doesn't this go back to the fact of.

Speaker 2 (07:09):
Looking at Okay see not their youth, but how they
played basketball. They were one of the better defensive teams
coming into the playoffs. Sure, so you're going to, you know,
get that nod because we know playoff basketball is different
than regular season basketball. So is the officiating, and sometimes
they let you get away with certain things like you.

Speaker 4 (07:30):
Know, being more handsy on Jamal.

Speaker 2 (07:33):
And Nicola Jokic. They're going to allow that because they've
done it all season long. And this is where well
they don't allow it on sg A. Well, once again,
there is some of the disparity. We know how this
works in the NBA is no different than when Mike
who played right Detroit Pristons, was only going to get
away with so many things until we.

Speaker 4 (07:52):
Got the Jordan Ruth. But as a superstar in the league,
so so's the so's the joker.

Speaker 5 (08:00):
And I would say, I mean, they're not they're not
letting people body SGA.

Speaker 4 (08:05):
Never more evident, never more.

Speaker 5 (08:08):
Evident than in the second quarter on the three point shot,
Shade drives the lane, initiates the contact on the Joker. Okay,
that's kind of what he does, falls back, whistle, throws
it up, it goes in.

Speaker 4 (08:22):
I'm sitting there thinking three point play.

Speaker 5 (08:23):
I'm sitting there thinking, okay, I guess that's that's a
superstar call.

Speaker 4 (08:28):
Not much contact.

Speaker 5 (08:30):
The very next possession, Joker has exactly.

Speaker 4 (08:35):
The same play.

Speaker 5 (08:38):
Nope, just a foul, but the bucket doesn't count, so okay,
So if we're going to.

Speaker 2 (08:44):
Do that, then you have to look at the scope
of everything, because there was a point where Caruso was
trying to get a ball that was going out of bounce,
and you can clearly see Yoki kind of uses off
hand and just kind of pushing right.

Speaker 5 (08:55):
But that's different than when you have the ball. That's
just totally totally different.

Speaker 2 (09:01):
But still, even even though he doesn't have the ball,
they're going for the ball.

Speaker 5 (09:06):
You can say that's a miscall is Joker extended his hand.
If you're gonna go, if you're gonna go, that deep. However,
then I'm gonna go back and look at there are
countless times that Oklahoma City is much more handsy than
the Nuggets. They're better there, they have been a better
defensive team.

Speaker 4 (09:24):
But dude, they are allowed. They have been allowed.

Speaker 5 (09:27):
Hey listen, I kid Ryan about lout dort lout dort
on Jamal. I mean, are are we serious? You might
as well you might as well. You might as well
let him. He might as well put a helmet on.

Speaker 2 (09:42):
It's not that serious because what we're talking about is
it taking place absolutely, so we might as well just
say what either you or I think or thinking at
this moment, Adams still in an NBA Are.

Speaker 4 (09:54):
They saying, you know what, Yeah, Joker has a couple
of m vps.

Speaker 5 (09:57):
But but why is now is the I don't know
if they're I don't know if if they're actually voicing
that message.

Speaker 4 (10:06):
Here's what I'm saying.

Speaker 5 (10:07):
I think the Joker has been officiated differently in this
series than a superstar player inside should be officiated.

Speaker 4 (10:18):
You know what I mean, Sga.

Speaker 5 (10:21):
I mean, he's a great player, but I mean, and
it's different because he plays on the perimeter. He's got
the ball, so you're you can't really do some of
the stuff to him, no matter who he is, that
you could do to a player that plays inside. I
get all that, but dude, there's a lot of contact
going on inside and lou Dort on Jamal lou dort

(10:45):
is a two and twenty pound he's a strong ass, dude.

Speaker 4 (10:50):
I mean he's being allowed.

Speaker 5 (10:51):
Just go back and look at some when he fights
over a pick. Now, to their credit, that's their mentality.

Speaker 4 (10:57):
They they've been. I mean, that's a hell of a
defensive team. We knew that going in. But but come on, man,
come on, it's it's it's not been called the same.
I don't think you're not.

Speaker 2 (11:11):
Gonna get those calls when you are not showing as
though you can be that defensive team game in a
game out.

Speaker 4 (11:17):
We've seen this one. What does that mean?

Speaker 2 (11:19):
When coach Malonem was here, right, they will lose a game,
he would chew them out and guess what, the next
game they'll turn up the volume on their defense.

Speaker 4 (11:26):
Only the following game they turn it back down. So
they're not really consistent. This is not their mentality. Here's
the deal.

Speaker 5 (11:32):
They've been a better defensive team. I must say, all
due respect to coach Malone. They've played better and more
interested defense under David Adelman than they did under Michael Malone.
Be better defense against Clippers, and they've played at times.
I mean, they have given unbelievable effort against the Thunder
on defense that that I didn't see on a consistent

(11:55):
basis in the regular season.

Speaker 4 (11:56):
But they don't play the style of defense. So what
does that mean? So we're talking about it?

Speaker 2 (12:00):
If I say, so, what well, it's one thing to
get your hands in a passing line, but it's another
thing to get your body into.

Speaker 4 (12:06):
Okay, let's let's just say I agree, so what well?

Speaker 2 (12:10):
That means that the Nuggets need to turn the volume
up and be that team consistently, because that's not their identity.

Speaker 5 (12:15):
I think they need a fair Listen, I just think
they need a I won't say fair. I think they
need a more consistent whistle. And I think Joker needs
a more consistent whistle inside part part.

Speaker 4 (12:27):
Of you know the game one when he put the
elbow on was it Caruso?

Speaker 3 (12:35):
No, that was on Dort Actually remember what he was
to the back of his head.

Speaker 4 (12:39):
Part of that, I think why.

Speaker 5 (12:42):
That happens is because man, I mean, you're getting jostled bumped.
It's like, hey man, if so you're not, you're not
going to call this okay, I'll take care of it.

Speaker 2 (12:54):
And see that's a problem right there day because we've
seen Nicola Jokig show his outrage in the playoffs in
years past.

Speaker 4 (13:01):
Needs a more consistent listen, and he's.

Speaker 2 (13:03):
Looking at the referees, clapping his hands and doing all
this and we've.

Speaker 4 (13:06):
Seen I'm not I'm not saying he's not griping too much.
I would.

Speaker 5 (13:09):
I would prefer if if I were trying to advise
and had any advice from me, but I would say, hey, man,
listen that, don't do that as much.

Speaker 4 (13:17):
Just play ball. But he needs a more consistent whistle,
he really really does, and so does Jamal. So does Jamal.
Jamal coming off the.

Speaker 5 (13:25):
Screen and lou Dort, lou Dort checks him to the
point that he snaps Jamal's head.

Speaker 4 (13:30):
That's a foul. This ain't this. Ain't you playing against
the Bagels, wid me. I'm saying you a safety.

Speaker 3 (13:38):
This is not you playing against the big first thirty
seconds Yeah, he said you're a flopper.

Speaker 4 (13:42):
Yes, no, no, no, I'm not a flopper.

Speaker 2 (13:44):
See than you.

Speaker 4 (13:45):
No in the NFL.

Speaker 5 (13:46):
In the NFL, there's as there's a penalty to pay
when you come across the middle.

Speaker 4 (13:51):
Even even now in nowadays game you still might get yoked.

Speaker 5 (13:55):
This this is not that, this is the NBA. I'm
just saying I would like to see him are consistent, Whistle.

Speaker 4 (14:01):
I'm not.

Speaker 5 (14:02):
You know what, Nuggets have dug themselves in a whole.
They gotta find a way to win a game in
Oak City.

Speaker 4 (14:09):
Don't let don't.

Speaker 5 (14:10):
Let the Nuggets, Ryan, Don't let the Nuggets fool around
a win tomorrow night.

Speaker 1 (14:15):
But you know, it's so funny you say that, and
I hope they do. I was thinking about you yesterday
in the fourth quarter.

Speaker 5 (14:22):
I almost texted you, and then I said, I'm gonna
jinx myself if I.

Speaker 1 (14:25):
Text you, because as you said, they were up eight.
They were up was the sixth going into the fourth quarter,
that's right, sixty nine sixty they got up by eight.

Speaker 4 (14:32):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (14:33):
And you said, this is I mean, for all that
had gone wrong, this is exactly what you want to do.
I mean everything.

Speaker 4 (14:41):
First quarter, they had it right there, they had.

Speaker 3 (14:43):
It right there. They couldn't make a basket. And then
you said the depth. The bench of the Oklahoma c.

Speaker 4 (14:52):
Was the bench. It wasn't Shaye No. I mean they're
they're up eight. Yeah, it was so long.

Speaker 5 (15:00):
Oak City comes back and scores six point lead. Nuggets
get fouled, miss one of two free throws. They're up seven.
Oaks City comes back, three pointer up four. Nuggets miss
Oak City fast break, three pointer up one. I mean
it went just like that. I mean that fast. I
mean so, I mean, Oklahoma City is a town. I

(15:22):
mean there's a reason they won sixty eight games. Man,
it's a young, talented team. I'm still saying I think
the Nuggets can get this done. Think about Alex Caruso, right,
that is a guy that day.

Speaker 4 (15:36):
Think about it. I thought, Oh, I see him play
plays for the Nugget. You're confused, I'd be too. I
would have loved to see him play. I love it
because his effort.

Speaker 2 (15:48):
He's a vettery tough yes, and he's getting myself and
the zone that the Nuggets are running, the ideas like
we're gonna clog the lane, we're gonna force OKC to
be a jump shooting team. And the first quarter, I
mean that it was horrendous. Only twenty five points. That's bad.
So the Nuggets they re cruising even though they only

(16:09):
scored eight points. But then when you had Wiggins, you
had Wallace knocking down those three point shots, and then
you saw the defense kind of rotate wherever Sga was.
I mean, it was always like a magnet. Everyone is
sliding towards him. Caruso is on a short corner. It
was almost like what the Clippers did to the Nuggets,

(16:29):
daring Russell Westbrook to make those three point.

Speaker 4 (16:32):
Shots and he knocked him down. Carusso is now that
guy for ok see.

Speaker 3 (16:35):
And meanwhile, Russ's I mean he can't hit any Yeah, hard,
hard offense. That's tough.

Speaker 1 (16:40):
You know, it's interesting you were talking about Nikola Jokich.
This was some interesting stats that I found as we're
coming into the show. In the last three games of
the series, and of course that includes sixty three Yeah, yeah, Tony,
he's averaging thirty from the field. He's made four of
his last twenty two three point attempts, averaging twenty one
points versus the twenty nine at point six he had

(17:03):
during the regular season. And he's averaging almost six turnovers
per game in the series. Would he averaged only two
in the regular season.

Speaker 5 (17:10):
Yeah, credit, I mean two things. I think Oklahoma City
is well coached. I think they've had a good plan defensively,
and they have been allowed to really be super aggressive
and physical with Jokic and with Murray.

Speaker 1 (17:29):
So the other thing really quick here, he's averaged only
five assists in this series when he averaged ten in
the regular.

Speaker 5 (17:34):
Season, and some of his sort of favorite passes have
not been available. You're talking in a long, athletic, defensive
minded team that they've they've done a good job.

Speaker 4 (17:45):
So he's got to And I.

Speaker 5 (17:47):
Mean, but he's effected the game in a positive way
in other areas. But if you're twenty one to sixty
three and you're you're the team's best player, and he
said after the game, I've got to be better now,
I think you will be right. I'm gonna bet on
the Joker every single time, even though he' said three
games that are subpar for the Joker.

Speaker 4 (18:08):
For the Joker.

Speaker 5 (18:10):
Where the issue for me is how do you sort
of piece meal together the bench? Who who does that mean?

Speaker 4 (18:20):
And can can they.

Speaker 5 (18:21):
Give you enough minutes not lose the lead or give
up points and still spell some of these starters that
are playing an enormous amount of time.

Speaker 2 (18:32):
See, Dave, everything you said is talking strictly to the officiating.
So at the beginning of the game, I'll say the
first five to eight minutes of the game will give
to tail because you talking. Maybe some guys from the
Nuggets talking. Maybe go speak to the officiating. Maybe maybe
it's gonna be a quick listen. But I'm gonna tell
you how a coach once told me stop complaining about

(18:53):
the damn ress and.

Speaker 4 (18:53):
Go out and play.

Speaker 5 (18:54):
Yeah, that's fine, That's that's the easy, easy thing to
say when or anybody brings up a point about the officials,
and I agree with it to an extent. Huh.

Speaker 4 (19:06):
I'm just telling you what I see.

Speaker 5 (19:08):
I see Oklahoma City being allowed and if allowed, I
would too to be uber uber aggressive and physical with
the Joker and Murray.

Speaker 4 (19:20):
There you go, if they allow you to do it.
Nobody's arguing on that point. You're gonna continue, so you don't.
So you think you think the Joker and Murray have
had a fair whistle, Is that what I'm hearing. No,
what I do think is okay, see is playing better
in your face.

Speaker 5 (19:35):
But that's not what that's not what I asked you.
You think the Joker and Murray I had a fair whistle.
That's a yes or no yeah based on defense that there.

Speaker 4 (19:43):
So this is real simple. We just have a different
way of viewing the NBA.

Speaker 1 (19:48):
We just have a.

Speaker 4 (19:51):
By nat I'm just saying. I'm just saying, I'm wearing
that defensive T shirt. No, no, no, I'm not mad
at you.

Speaker 5 (19:57):
But I'm a basketball guy by nature, and in this regard,
probably a homer, right. I mean, if I'm if I'm
doing the show in Oklahoma City, I say, hey, you
know what, We've played defense the way that we've played
defense the whole year. We've been allowed to play it.
And they up there not enough oxygen up there because
their brain, their brain sales ain't working. They're crying about

(20:18):
the officials. That's what I be saying.

Speaker 3 (20:21):
Before we get to the break, here we have he
and Rappaport joining us on the other side.

Speaker 1 (20:24):
This was a very interesting stat that ESPN threw across
their screen this afternoon, and I'm sure you saw Dave
as well.

Speaker 3 (20:30):
Most minutes played this postseason.

Speaker 1 (20:32):
Now, again, the Nuggets played the seven game series, so
you imagine this week the top four of five are
all Denver Nuggets. Four point fifty nine for Murray, four
forty one for Jokic, four twenty nine for Brown, four
twenty two for Gordon. Ananobi checks in at three sixty seven,
so he is fifth on that list. So once again
we talk about the depth, We talk about what the

(20:53):
Nuggets have to do. They are playing an extraordinary amount
of minutes for their top guys, but they have no
other choice. Yeah, and even after the game, David Adelman said, well,
maybe I should consider playing more guys.

Speaker 3 (21:04):
Well, maybe you should.

Speaker 1 (21:04):
I don't know, But I don't know if there's much
of a difference, because the fact is what you can
rely on you have to play them, and you don't.
I don't think you really do have a choice. Even
if you decide to put DJ in for a few minutes,
or play Julian Straw there a little longer, or play
Peyton Watson a little bit longer, those guys aren't showing
consistent anything, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Speaker 5 (21:23):
No, it's listen, it's I mean, there's a reason Vegas
doesn't get it right all the time. But most times
in Las Vegas, it's why those big buildings are built
out there for everybody that thinks they're smarter than Vegas.
The thunder They were seven hundred favorites in this series.
When I saw that, I'm like, damn. I mean, they're

(21:45):
not given the Nuggets like any chance to win. So
the fact that the Nuggets are two two, you're still
right in the thicket of things. You just got to
find a way to win a game in Oak City.

Speaker 3 (21:57):
Well, I we're off erly here on a Monday.

Speaker 1 (21:58):
Dave Logan, Ryan Edwards, Nick Ferguson in his Oklahoma City
Thunder gear.

Speaker 3 (22:02):
When we come back, Ian Rapport joins us.

Speaker 1 (22:04):
Next, we head out to the Kawi Commonsparate Health how
Land and bring on Ian Rapp before our NFL Network
Insider and he's powered by Chevron. Chevron the human Energy
company committed to our local communities and safely delivering affordable, reliable,
ever cleaner energy.

Speaker 3 (22:18):
Ian, good afternoon, my friend.

Speaker 4 (22:19):
How are you what's going on? How are you?

Speaker 1 (22:22):
We?

Speaker 4 (22:23):
Uh, We're doing fine. Appreciate appreciate your time. This time
of year.

Speaker 5 (22:27):
You look look at the Rookies Mini camp, and you
look at what happened after the draft and get ready
for OTAs what I want. I want to ask you
have have you heard anything? Have they decided exactly who
is going to have hard knocks this year? Or are
they going to have a hard knocks this season in
the NFL?

Speaker 7 (22:47):
I do you guys can hear me?

Speaker 4 (22:49):
Okay? Right?

Speaker 7 (22:49):
Just switched their Yeah, we got you excellent.

Speaker 4 (22:52):
Okay.

Speaker 7 (22:53):
We have not yet heard who the hard knock team
is going to be. Now a lot of times we
find out during the the spring league meetings, which are
coming up next week in Minnesota. We may find out then.
I think last year that was when we found out
that there were I think we found out about a
hard Knocks and then we found out about the entire
division of hard Knocks being on the AFC North. So

(23:17):
I believe we will find out that news probably pretty shortly.

Speaker 2 (23:23):
And when we think about some of these international games
that are going to be scheduled this year, how does
that continue to help brand the NFL? And the reason
I asked that question because when we think about sports
from international standpoint, the first thing that.

Speaker 4 (23:36):
Comes to mind is NBA basketball.

Speaker 2 (23:38):
So would these international games allow the league to kind
of take a little bit of branding away from maybe
the NBA?

Speaker 7 (23:48):
Well, I don't know if it's about taking branding away
from the NBA is as much as it is just
spreading the game as far as they can spread it,
you know. And I think one thing the NFL has
learned over the course of the last couple of years,
it is like the appetite for football seems to be,
you know, pretty endless. Honestly. You put put games on,

(24:09):
to put games anywhere, people will show up. They will
show up a lot, they will care about it a lot.
And I think that's been a really good thing. So
it's like until that starts to go the other way,
I guess, which, you know, I don't think that's gonna
happen anytime soon. I think the NFL is going to
continue to feed that appetite and we're going to continue
to see more games, more games, and different windows, more games,

(24:32):
different countries. And I kind of love it because it's,
you know, I like football anyway, and it's different venues
that maybe I didn't know existed, or different settings for games.
I think the whole thing has been really really cool.

Speaker 4 (24:47):
Ian.

Speaker 1 (24:48):
What was your take on the statement from Trey Hendrickson
today saying that the Bengals have cut off contract negotiations.

Speaker 7 (24:55):
Uh, you know, I don't think it was as much that, honestly,
I mean, they haven't cut off contact negotiation. I think
it was really you know, Trey Henderson being like there's
been no communication and I wish there was, which you know,
well due respect to Trannicks, I mean that was you know,
we knew that was the case around the time when

(25:16):
he talked to Pat mcavee, you know, a couple of
weeks ago. So I don't know that much has changed
in this situation. I think the only thing that really
has happened is he's getting frustrated. And you know when
I mean, you guys have dealt with this with various
Broncos players in the past. I know, for instance, you know,
Corland Sutton kind of was the most recent Bronco to

(25:38):
be like, hey, like I want a deal. Why haven't
they talked to me? Like, players in their mind have
a time frame and they want money and they get frustrated,
and it's all I understand that. And believe me, Trandison
deserves a lot of money. He is an excellent, excellent player.
But sometimes teams sort of exist on their own time frame,

(25:58):
and if you're a play you know, unless you have
significant the leverage you unfortunately exist on their time schedule.

Speaker 2 (26:07):
Well, Ian, over the weekend, we heard that news about
Derek Carr retiring after the labeling tear in the shoulder. Well,
I mean with the Saints, I know they they drafted
Tyler Shuck, but kind of where does this franchise go
long term?

Speaker 4 (26:21):
Because Derek Carr.

Speaker 2 (26:22):
Was the main stable when you look at his career,
I mean, an extraordinary quarterback. But if you are the Saints,
can you look at Spencer Rattler and Tylers Shake and say, well,
these are going to be our quarterbacks moving forward.

Speaker 4 (26:33):
That's going to possibly get us into the playoffs?

Speaker 7 (26:36):
You know, I think you have to, you know, I
think you have to look at Tyler Shuck and say
this is our guy. And you know, look, I mean
the situation wasn't settled, you know, by the draft or
the Saints, but I think they knew was a pretty
decent possibility either you know, Derek Carr was definitely not
going to play for him this year or there was

(26:58):
a real chance he might not. So they kind of
went into the draft thinking that they needed a quarterback,
they needed a franchise guy, you know, they were very
disciplined in how they did it because they didn't take
him in the first round. They might have. I don't
think anyone would have fallen to them if they had
made the same exact pick in the first round, but
they did. They rolled the dice a little bit. They

(27:18):
picked a really good player in Calvin Banks, and then
they took Stuck in the second round. So yeah, I mean,
I would say, if he's the best case scenario for
the Saints is they're done right. I mean, they got
a guy, he's their quarterback and they could just move
forward with this, you know. To me, the best thing
that happened with Derek Carl retiring was that he actually retired,

(27:40):
because if he had just said I'm having surgery, you know, hey,
I'll try to play next year, but knowing that he wasn't,
that would have cost him forty million dollars. Instead, he
actually gave back thirty million dollars, which helps their salary
cap immensely. In twenty twenty six. You never see a
player do that. That's what Carr did, and that, to

(28:02):
me is the most significant thing with the entire situation
last wee half.

Speaker 3 (28:06):
Where Ian always appreciate the time.

Speaker 1 (28:08):
We have this discussion last week because the Broncos said
they were going to table negotiations with Zach Allen, Nick Benito,
John Franklin Meyers all one year deal including Courtland Sutton
as well. So I guess from your perspective or maybe
what you know, how do you think the Broncos will
view the priority with those guys? Maybe before the season

(28:28):
starts or maybe as the season rolls on.

Speaker 7 (28:31):
Yeah, I mean it's hard. It's hard to imagine the
deals happening as the sea in Rosannada. I guess you know,
teams have done it and you never know.

Speaker 4 (28:38):
It's just it's hard.

Speaker 7 (28:39):
Like if you're Nick Benito, you don't get a deal,
let's say, you know, eight sacks by week seven or something,
It's like, why would you do a deal?

Speaker 4 (28:48):
You you can?

Speaker 7 (28:50):
You know, teams can always make it worth a while.
But a lot of times if you start rolling like
you want to wait because you're looking towards free agency.
But you know, I mean, I think to me, Benito
is the one that's really interesting. Courtland Sutton obviously has
been paid a writing, he's gotten that big Heyday wants
another one. I think deserves it. But you know, he's

(29:11):
he's kind of been there, done that. Benito is the
one that you know is a rising star. He's a
big time playmaker. He's thrived in this system, and he
is going to make a lot of money. So to me,
that's kind of the one the guy who's getting paid
for the first time. That's kind of the one where
you say, like, not that that's the most important, but
like that's the kind of one to keep an eye on,

(29:33):
because these are the kinds of things that can you know,
set up a franchise for success, reward the guys who
deserve it. The locker room season, like, these are all
good ones that had wide ranging ramifications.

Speaker 3 (29:44):
Ian really appreciates the time. Man, We'll check you with
you next week.

Speaker 7 (29:47):
All right, look forward to it.

Speaker 4 (29:48):
Take care of guys. Sean, thank you. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (29:50):
I mean that's kind of on the lines of what
we talked about last week day. But I thought it
was an interesting point he brought up there. If you
sort of wait into the season and Nick Benito once
again is kind of awful running and he's having a
good season. I don't see any reason why he would
wait to or he'd want to do something. Then he'd
want to wait instead to say, my mark is going
to be amazing after the season ends.

Speaker 5 (30:12):
Yeah, I mean I think that's I think that's a
way to look at it. That is probably more right
than wrong. But if Benito's off to that kind of
start also and the Broncos, as you heard him say,
I want to sweeten the deal a little bit. You know, players,

(30:34):
I mean, players can bet on themselves and a lot
of times players can be right, but there are also
times that players are wrong. And so I think depending
on what that offer is, whenever the offer comes, you know, Nick,
Benito's a young guy. This, if he continues playing good football,
this will not be his last deal. So to me,

(30:57):
if I'm advising Benito, and again I'm assuming that the
offer would be, you know, not something where you just
like completely dismiss it, like okay, what are you guys serious,
We're not don't even don't send this to us. But
if it's if it's a realistic offer, if it's an
offer that is in the ballpark with some of the
other outstanding young pass rushers, that's money that.

Speaker 4 (31:20):
You can't get back if you say no, okay.

Speaker 5 (31:24):
But then if something happens at all where you either
don't have the second half of the season the way
you had the first half, or either's some sort of
injury or whatever. That offer then changes. So i'm i'm
I'm all for, especially with young guys. If the offer
you don't have to break the bank the first offer.

Speaker 4 (31:42):
You want.

Speaker 5 (31:43):
You want to be paid what's you're worth. You want
to make good money. And but Ito is one of
the I mean, really great young pass rushers we have.
But that's that's if the offer is right where or
close to where it should be, I'd take the offer
and then three years from now be the door knocking politely, politely.

Speaker 4 (32:04):
This is going to be a double pass. They throw it, completed,
throw back.

Speaker 5 (32:07):
To Richison, it's going to be intercepting, intercepting Putino, Putano
to there and so touchdown.

Speaker 3 (32:14):
Different fifty yards on the pick six. This place is
a madhouse.

Speaker 4 (32:21):
Nick Botto is flying well and I call it a
pick six.

Speaker 5 (32:24):
And really it was a fumble recovery, but he wanted
to You could see because it was it was it
was you know, around I think it was maybe midfield. Anyway,
our vantage point is on the south like forty five
yard line. It's it's a great vantage point for home games.
So when the quarterback took it and threw out immediately

(32:47):
you could just see.

Speaker 4 (32:48):
That's why I said this is going to be a
double pass.

Speaker 5 (32:51):
And then all of a sudden, here comes number fifteen
streaking in between in between the quarterback and uh yeah.

Speaker 4 (32:59):
That was that was huge, huge play.

Speaker 5 (33:01):
He's he's I think there's some question when he first
got here in terms of whether or not physically he
was going to be able to hold up at that position.
He's always had really good pass rushing skill, but I
think his rookie season he just looked like a smaller guy,
like when he sets the edge, that's going to be
an issue.

Speaker 4 (33:20):
He came back his second year, he looked, he looked
completely different. Yeah he did. He definitely did. For me,
it was the jump to this point had a lot
to deal with confidence, and you know how this works.

Speaker 2 (33:33):
The more experience you get, the more confident you can
in your skill set. And that was a question for
Nick Benito coming in, could he be in every down guy?

Speaker 4 (33:41):
And for me, yeah, he's on maybe more of the
smallest side.

Speaker 2 (33:44):
But I look at the athleticism and the reason he
made the huge jump is how he uses his hands,
because you can get a guy who's bust larger than
you pulling, but if you know how to maneuver past
him and just kind of swim in and make plays.

Speaker 4 (33:59):
That's a huge different. But the one thing that I
have a problem with, and.

Speaker 2 (34:02):
You said it, Ryan make Benito wants that play against
the Cults to be considered an interception.

Speaker 4 (34:08):
For me, my problem is how can we call it
a double.

Speaker 2 (34:10):
Pass but not call it an interception because he.

Speaker 4 (34:14):
Did take it out of the air. He didn't scoop
it off the ground. They call it the lateral, but
did he did he scoop it off the ground? No,
he caught it mid air, jumped in, picked six, right,
pick six.

Speaker 1 (34:27):
I understand, well, recovery. I understand you're gripe, But Dave
just quite literally told you the rules. The defensive player
would assume that you understand this.

Speaker 2 (34:35):
Listen, I know what the rules say in the rule books.
But my eye said he caught it, he didn't scoop it.

Speaker 5 (34:42):
Well, that's what my eyes said too, because that's how
I you know, that's how I called it. Well while
the player was going on, So I agree, I mean,
I that looked like a pick six and he wanted.

Speaker 3 (34:53):
It to be a pick six. He even said after
the game, I thought it was a pick six. Ed
why because it.

Speaker 4 (34:58):
Had had two in the season and that matters as
far as dollars making sense.

Speaker 3 (35:02):
Yeah, it does, and it might have mattered.

Speaker 1 (35:04):
I mean again, Patserdanden did a winning defensive Player of
the Year, but it might have mattered if we were
talking about, Hey, thirteen and a half sacks and two
pick sixes versus a fumble recovery.

Speaker 3 (35:13):
For it does change that, especially for an edge rusher.
You'll never see that.

Speaker 4 (35:18):
I remember when Vic Fangiel had Von Miller dropping in coverage.

Speaker 2 (35:21):
I'm like, what are we doing the rust that guy?
He can't drop in coverage. You got to understand the
concept in patter reed he feels like.

Speaker 3 (35:27):
A must pay guy. I mean to it two Ian's point, they've.

Speaker 4 (35:30):
Got a Super Bowl ring up on his ear. He
can't quite hear you. What what did you say?

Speaker 1 (35:38):
Yeah, Nick Dixon just feels like a must pay guy.
I understand for some Broncos fans out there that would
like to see the production replicated. I mean, I don't
even know if I need to see another thirteen and
a half SAX season. I think a pencil meant for
a double digit SAX season.

Speaker 4 (35:53):
I'm good.

Speaker 1 (35:53):
Like the ascension is what it is, and you pay
young ascending players. And I love his point, by the way,
very quickly about what it means to the locker room
for a homegrown guy to get paid. When a guy
takes steps every single year forward, those are the guys
you want to take care of.

Speaker 5 (36:09):
Yeah, I agree with everything he said, and I think
Benito's gonna make gonna make a buttload of money just
a matter of win. I'm not I wouldn't put as
much stock in how the locker room views, like air
quote home grown guys. I think they view guys that
are players that make plays, and when they make plays

(36:32):
and have seasons like that, does the team take good
care of them?

Speaker 4 (36:36):
I think I think those things matter.

Speaker 5 (36:39):
I'm not sure the homegrown guy to me, at least
from a player standpoint in the locker room.

Speaker 4 (36:46):
That that may be down the list a bit five six.

Speaker 3 (36:49):
Six nine zeros are ka commons spirit health. That's fine, Okay, So.

Speaker 4 (36:53):
You get defensive guys in the house and they tend
to break stuff.

Speaker 3 (36:56):
How many interceptions do you have in your career?

Speaker 5 (36:58):
Butterfingers anyways, really said and he said he said it
with his chest now too.

Speaker 4 (37:04):
Yeah, that was. That was like multiple syllables with the
word tend like ten. Yeah, it turns you a little red.

Speaker 3 (37:17):
It was about nine more than I expected after watching it.

Speaker 4 (37:19):
We got leaven in the room. We gotta we got
a leaven in the room.