The Kyle Bailey Show H2: The First Playoff Rankings Revealed

In the 2nd hour, Kyle reacts to the biggest audio in sports with What Did You Say?!?! and Ryan McGee drops by to talk NASCAR, as well as the first reveal of the college football playoff rankings.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
You were listening to the Kyle Bailey Show powered by
Victory Chevy Charlotte, where just nineteen dollars down could put
you in a brand new Chevrolet.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Today our number two sports Radio ninety two to seven
wf N z emanating live from the Chandler VAULTA Studios,

(00:29):
the Carolina's personal injury lawyers. One call, that's all. Go
to Cvinjurylaw dot com. That is Cvinjurylaw dot com. If
you would like to win a family four pack of
tickets to Game three of the MLS Playoffs, specifically Charlotte
FC NYCFC, text the word zaha as in wilf all right.
Text Zaja Zaha and only Zaha to the FanDuel text

(00:53):
line to get in to win that family four pack
of tickets. You have until five point thirty to register.
At that point the registration closes, Moke will press the
magic button and somebody we'll win a four pack of
tickets to Game three of the playoffs here at the
bank coming up on Friday. A lot of good stuff
on the text line. I do want to mention that
I thank the listeners. In the previous segment, our digital guru,

(01:14):
Scott Gottlieb came in the studio to tell us that
we had just Monster on demand and download numbers podcast
numbers for the month of October. He has sent me
the numbers specifically, he wants me to let you know
we were up thirty eight point six percent in the
month of October and just gratitude, man, thank you all
for that. Really appreciated. We got a loaded show. Ryan
McGee ESPN College Game Day contributor, senior writer. He's back

(01:38):
in twenty five minutes. Roman Harper, two time Pro Bowler,
Super Bowl champion, former Alabama New Orleans Saints in Carolina
Panther safety is back at five o'clock. But right now
we welcome back. A little later then we thought we
got our wires cross, but that's okay. We got Tom
Bogert with US of the Athletic He covers Major League
Soccer and the US national team. He's one of the
leading authorities on all things soccer. And excited to have

(02:00):
him to talk about a big opportunity for Charlotte FC
coming up on Friday. Tom. We appreciate you, buddy. How
are you.

Speaker 3 (02:06):
Let's go on, guys, thank you for having me. Yeah,
sorry about the little delay, but hey, we're here now.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
It's all good. I do have to mention too, just
as a man who grew up with a dad who
rocked a legendary mustache, you've got a great mustache, man like.
I know, that's a weird way for me to start
this conversation, but that's one of the When I told
people earlier today I got Tom Bogert on the show.
Two of the three people immediately said, man, that guy's
got a great stash. So I just wanted to let you.

Speaker 4 (02:28):
Know that.

Speaker 3 (02:30):
I appreciate that. It's my entire personality, Chap, so every
compliment is is well appreciated. I promise you that.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
I bet it is a hell of a conversation starter.
I bet it is all right. Well, anyway, it's glorious,
So we appreciate you bringing the stash to the conversation.
In all seriousness, still give it. Give me your thoughts
on the first two matches in this series and what
we take away from it.

Speaker 3 (02:51):
Yeah, it comes down to these are two teams that
are both quite good, and they are very similar in
terms of their quality. So it is not surprising in
any way for this to be going to three games.
The way that we got there, of course, as it
always is in sports, is never quite straightforward. It was
the game one with no Wilford Dad, Charlotte looks really
constipated going forward, quite honestly. But then this team has

(03:14):
been resilient, the team under Dean Smith in particular, they fight,
they got dogs. So them going on the road and
being able to grid out a result against City with
Christian Kalinas standing on his head like he kind of
did in the shootout, like that is the way that
we got here is interesting. But Game three I think
I would have very very safely bet on before the
series started.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
Yeah, that makes sense. Game two at Yankee Stadium, Charlotte
held n y CFC scoreless through ninety minutes one via
penalty shootout, despite ny CFC dominating possession. What does that
tell you, maybe if anything, about Charlotte's mindset and adjustment
after Game one.

Speaker 3 (03:52):
Yeah, I think that that. I think that they tried
to do that in Game one as well, and they
depended well in Game one. It's yin. There was really
a really moment of brilliance by Alonso Martinez for n
YCSC was an individual moment. Alonso is a really really
good player, but a lot of his goals come from
good service and his movement and his technique is so
so top in this league. We haven't seen him do it.

(04:12):
He did to Charlotte in that game that was that
was an outlier that was really really impressive. But other
than that show it depended well and NYCFC, to their credit,
they get that goal. They know Charlotte isn't going to
really be able to break them down with no Daha,
no pet Bil, those are the two guys that are
unlocking the door for this team, so they kind of
sat in and made it difficult. Charlotte didn't really threaten.
They had a couple a couple of little moments, but

(04:33):
nothing kind of sustained. So going into game two, I
figured that they were gonna sit deep again defend harder
because they're on the road. YCFC has to make the game,
but they should have been able to threaten more in
transition with with Zaha back. So game three I'm expecting,
and maybe I'm just really hoping, that Charlotte are going
to kind of take the game by the scruff of
the neck and say no, no, no, we want to get

(04:53):
on the ball. We don't need to defend a hittry transition.
We're gonna do that too, but like, hey, we're good
enough that we're just gonna break it down and we
don't need to try to wait for you to get
give us moments a transition. So I'm very curious to
you how that'll go. It's a big, big day for Wilverda.

Speaker 2 (05:07):
Charlotte's been strong defensively for much of the year. In
your opinion, who deserves more credit the back line itself,
Christian Kalina in goal or Dean Smith's system.

Speaker 3 (05:17):
It'll be a boring answer, but it's always a combination
of the three. Dean Smith's system first and foremost, like
when he took over that that was kind of the
driving force. Christian Kalina wins Goalkeeper the Year last year,
completely well deserved.

Speaker 5 (05:30):
I voted for him.

Speaker 3 (05:32):
I thought was clearly the best goalkeeper in twenty twenty four.
Along the way, you have a dilsent Milanda going from
a you know, it's really talented, interesting young player to
like oh Man like he's one of the best defenders
in the league. You have a couple central misfielders actually Westwood,
Brant Brownekolk whatever role he's playing. They are really diligent
runners and smart and cautious in the right way to

(05:54):
not leave the back line exposed. So I think it
all comes down to a combination of those of those three.

Speaker 5 (06:00):
So I honestly, I.

Speaker 3 (06:02):
Probably lean with Dean Smith, though I do have some
colleagues who wish that he would do a little bit
more in terms of being aggressive going forward, but he
can't knock the results.

Speaker 2 (06:11):
Can you go back to Zaha for a second, just
in terms of I always like to do this. You know,
the entire season is a journey, not to be cringe
about it, but it is what it is, and like
you know it is, it's a journey, and so what
you expect in the beginning oftentimes isn't what you thought
you'd get, or sometimes it is, but it's different than
how you think you'd get there. Like, what do you

(06:31):
how do you reconcile maybe what you thought about Wilfrid
Zaha's arrival here versus what they've gotten so far.

Speaker 3 (06:37):
That's a really interesting question. It has been kind of different, different,
you know, chapters of the season. And I was speaking
with Charlotte Spois directors Ron Krnetta last week and he
kind of said, like, so Zaha, he kind of struggled
at the beginning, like he wasn't like leedly bad. It
wasn't like oh my god, like what like how do
they get out of this signing? Right? Like he had moments,

(06:58):
but he wasn't consistent enough man to get frustrated. Who
throw in a little bit to adapt and zor and
Frenetta wasn't like he brings that up to me and
says like, you know, every like I don't know, maybe
he didn't realize quite realize it and not not in
an unprofessional way, but just like this league is really
are on the field they are they are. It is
very athletic. There are combative players that is transitional. You

(07:20):
need to be able to stand up to the figure
of the physical riggers and then off the field, I
mean will for zahl An anyone almost an entire career,
their longest road trip is like a four hour trade
like that that might be charlete's shortest away match of
this season. You know. So there were things like that
that are difficulty to get used to. And he settled
into like this more creative role rather than feeling the

(07:44):
need to be more of a finisher, and I think
that really unlocked a lot of things to the team.
This is when Eaton Tooklamani was hitting his like scorching
red hot phase of scoring goals. So wilfrid Zog can
and should be expected to score as well, but he
kind of found his role as like, okay, like I
need to set up some other guys that like get
on the ball more rather than trying to beat out
of the last man forward and having the responsibility finishing off plays. No, no, no,

(08:08):
they need me to create. So I'm going to create
and really clips down during that winning creek down the
end of the season.

Speaker 2 (08:12):
Tom Bogert the Athletic covers Major League Soccer with us
hanging out here on a Wednesday afternoon. Two quick things
we'll get you back about your day. Tepper Sports and
Entertainment obviously owned Charlotte f C, also the Carolina Panthers.
I bring that up because, you know, as a sports
talk host, I am probably far more qualified to talk
about the organizational building of a team as it relates

(08:33):
to American football, and we do that every single day,
and really I am, but like you know, I'm fascinated
by you know, the first couple of years of Charlotte
Fee learning about how they do things. You mentioned Zoron Karnetta.
What do you think of overall their organizational philosophy, how
they've built this roster, how they're developing players. You know,
obviously this organization still very much in its infancy big picture,

(08:53):
but what have they done so far that you like
that maybe points toward a continued bright future for the organization.

Speaker 3 (09:01):
So it took them a couple of tricks on the
head coach, and one thing that I did appreciate was
it was super collaborative and they wanted to give like
full belief to their first head coach and did not
let sir long And same thing with their second head coach.
And I think that throughout that product, and they weren't
like awful at any point, but it was very clear
like the coaching changes were necessary. And you can give

(09:23):
critiques to the front office for hiring those people, for sure,
but I think it's the processes were right. And now
they have Dean Smith well, I think it's a good
manager and they've learned from a couple of those mistakes,
and no, they're not going to hit on every signing
and they haven't hit on every signing, But the good
news is is they've tried different strategies kind of all
at once. Like they haven't been like, hey, we're just

(09:43):
going to try to go after either aging stars or
you know, twenty one year olds from South America or whatever.
R like, they've tried all of these different things while
looking at the second team. The academy is obviously very
young North Carolina. This is going to be a team
that produces a lot of really good young players. It's
not going to happen immediately, like he says, as a
young clob so that's going to be part of the team.

(10:03):
But along the way they draft past the goadamnts, they
bring him into the first team. Andrew Privitt is somebody
who came through the second team. Like those are things
that teams that are this young don't often do this quickly.
So I think that they deserve a lot of credit
for that kind of scouting and that kind of developing.
They've showed ambition in the transfer market getting Wolf for Zahn.
Getting that signing right was really really important. Again, they've

(10:26):
gotten some wrong, like every other club in MLS has,
but they've gotten a lot right. Particularly over the last
eighteen months, so they've established a baseline here and again
I think things are at a really good spot with
the ownership group. They've got a lot of money. If
more and more of that comes as the oran out
of the front offices are clearly establishing that they know
how to spend the money correctly, I think that there

(10:48):
will be more and more of that to come. And
in soccer, I know MLS is really unique because of
the sound, the salary capitals and all the difficulties that
you can't just outspend everybody to win in global soud fucker.
The only core, like the strongest correlation is your wage
bill is pretty directly tied to where you finish in
the league. So the idea is that Charlotte are knocking

(11:09):
out these like cheaper signings that they have a Milando
wasn't a big time signing, right, You're going down the list, Okay, Well,
then the next time they have fifteen million dollars to
spend on a top of the line player, they get that, right.
That elevates everything. So I think that there's a lot
a lot of good year and this season is a
culmination of that.

Speaker 2 (11:27):
All right, last thing, real quick. Those guys don't have
the luxury of looking ahead, but talking heads like me
and writers like you do. If Charlotte FC gets pasted
NYCFC on Friday, Philadelphia awaits, what do you think about
the matchup?

Speaker 3 (11:40):
I think that whoever again, like I think this for
sure that I know that was the question. But I
think the thread like CFC two, whoever gets through this series.
They are an absolute live dog. I respect the hell
out of Philadelphia Union, really love what they do. Historically,
particularly in recent MLS history over the last decades, teams
that play at Philadelphia Union stop. It's not easy to

(12:02):
do that through the playoffs. That's the style that is
much better in the regular season because the consistency, the combativeness,
the running, all that. Like anything can happen in a
one off game, of course, but you look back at
the recent MS Cup winners, the majority over the last
handful of years have been the Deathine Bay Seam, Thomas Crew,
and the LA Galaxy. The last two in particular, the
New York Red Bulls teams in the late twenty tens

(12:24):
or some of the best I've seen in the regular seasons.
They they always kind of fell short in the playoffs,
and that's probably unfair of the Phildelphia Union. But there's
still a team without attacking starts. There's still a team
that plays the system that we don't really see win
MLS Cup in these playoffs. So whether it's Charlotte or
whether it's NSCSC, they've got to be feeling like again,
they're only focused on on Friday night on game three,

(12:46):
of course, but you know Saturday morning comes around, whoever wins,
they're gonna be looking like, shoot, why not up?

Speaker 2 (12:51):
I love it, Tom. We appreciate the time, buddy, Thank you,
enjoy the game. We'll talk to you down the road.

Speaker 3 (12:57):
Thank you very much.

Speaker 2 (12:57):
Tom, bobt the Athletic hanging out with us here on
a Wednesday Charlotte FC NYCFC Game three in the playoffs
at the Bank on Friday. We are giving away a
four family four pack of tickets. Text zahas the AHA
to the fan duel text line to get in to win.
Right now, we go to smoke with the best audio
in sports.

Speaker 4 (13:15):
What did you say? You? What?

Speaker 6 (13:18):
What did you say?

Speaker 4 (13:19):
Hold up? Wait a minute? Send me way?

Speaker 7 (13:23):
What I mean by that?

Speaker 4 (13:25):
Hi?

Speaker 2 (13:25):
Buddy? What you got?

Speaker 8 (13:26):
All right?

Speaker 1 (13:26):
First off, Let's start by talking about some of the
stuff Dave Canalis said during his press conference about an
hour ago. First off, he was asked by Mike k
As you mentioned earlier, about bringing in the Sante Samuel
Junior for a visit, who just got cleared earlier this
week from his injury he sustained last year, So.

Speaker 6 (13:43):
I haven't watched him on the field working out.

Speaker 9 (13:45):
We brought him in to meet him, talk to him,
take him through the whole process, and you know, really
nice conversation with him. A fantastic player for the Chargers
for a while, has played in our scheme all those things,
and it's just it's part of our process. You know,
when there's guys out there that are coming back from
injury that are ready to go, you know, let's look
at all of them, and you never know, it's a
long season, so just keeping all of our options open.

Speaker 2 (14:07):
Does this tell us something about Carolina's intentions? And I
don't want I'm not trying to be overly dramatic or anything.
I'm just saying here we are at five and four.
They are not us. They're at five and four. We're
talking about this team being in playoff contention, which they are.
You didn't make a move at the deadline, but you're

(14:29):
pursuing a player that I mean, I think several teams
would really like to have. Well, as pertain to fact
that it's the first of three visits for Samuel Jenior, right,
I mean, they're gonna there's gonna be some competition. I
am not banking on Carolina landing him, but I have
been watching a little bit of the highlights that I've
seen Packers fans in particular, poll because they really want

(14:49):
him to and man, if he can get back close
physically to being the player that he was.

Speaker 1 (14:55):
And that's gonna be a big question because this injury
he's coming off of is extremely serious.

Speaker 2 (14:59):
It is, and it's a fair point to make, but
if he can get back to being some semblance of
the player he used to be physically. Somebody's getting a
steel here off the street, and I really hope it's
the Carolina Panthers. But what does it tell us about
how seriously they're taking their potential playoff candidacy that they listen,
you always want to have these conversations. I'm sure they're
going to downplay it. We always want to get better
and blah, blah blah. But you know, I'm sure they're

(15:20):
making a hard case to with Sante Samuel Junior inside
that building. Hey, we think we can go somewhere. You
might be able to help us get there. Yeah, and
I think that's a good point.

Speaker 1 (15:28):
Look, you know, Sante Samuel has been around these parts
and those what NFL is like due to his dad's history.

Speaker 8 (15:33):
And I think he also.

Speaker 1 (15:35):
Gets it too, like this is an opportunity for him
to get some tape out there to prove to people, Hey,
I still got some juice left in me, give me
a contract this offseason.

Speaker 8 (15:42):
So it shows that Carolina is wanting to win.

Speaker 1 (15:46):
They're wanting to make the moves that are also not
willing to jump ahead two spots.

Speaker 8 (15:50):
How much do it? How much?

Speaker 2 (15:51):
How much do we make of the fact that he's
visiting here first anything.

Speaker 1 (15:55):
I mean, you could make a little bit off of that.
That could also just be his agent setting him up.
That's just how they were set up, especially when you
considered the two teams after that are relatively close to
one another. Yeah, with Green Bay and Minnesota, I think
that could be more flight logs more than anything, but
could be a good thing. I don't know, all right,
what you got over there, all right? Keeping things with
Dave Canals. Also during the press conference, he addressed what

(16:18):
the future is going to be at right guard for
the remainder of the season.

Speaker 9 (16:22):
We expect Austin Corbett to come in at right guard
and play for us. You know, that's his natural position.
Made the center move because we asked him to, you know,
and has done a fantastic job of being able to
give us flexibility inside.

Speaker 6 (16:35):
It's always so valuable, you know.

Speaker 9 (16:36):
Even Chandler this offseason, we put the ball in his
hands and snapped him a bunch, just to continue to
develop those guys, the inside players who are available on
game day.

Speaker 6 (16:43):
You know, when you have flexibility.

Speaker 9 (16:45):
For a guy to play a guard or center spot,
it does help you a lot in those different situations.

Speaker 2 (16:52):
So I was thinking about this earlier today with all
the offensive line injuries they've sustained, having started seven different
combinations already throughout the course of the year, and understanding
that guys may get hurt again this week or the
week after. But if you're rolling into let's say that's
the beginning of the back half of the year, and
you've got an offensive line of left to right ikey Akwanu,

(17:15):
Damian Lewis, Cade May's, Austin Corbett, Taylor Mowten. But you'd
like to have Robert Hunt back for sure. Yeah, and
if it sounds like he's making progress. And if they
stay in the hunt no, punitip, What'd I do that?
If they stay in the mix? Okay, if they stay
if they stay in no, no, screw those guys.

Speaker 8 (17:33):
I'm kidding.

Speaker 2 (17:34):
I'm sure they're nice guys, but stay gone for the
rest of the year. But I mean you got to
feel okay about that. Right with that starting group across
the front of Ikwanu and Williams are Lewis, rather and
and May's and Corbett and Moten. That's a group that
you can absolutely win with. Well that Corbut's back to
a spot. As Dave said, he.

Speaker 1 (17:52):
Played right guard like he's been at his best when
he's been in right guard. He said they asked him
because he got hurt. When he came back from his injury,
he sustained. All this stuff goes back to that last
game in twenty twenty two, that sloppy win against New
Orleans when he got hurt. And I believe Brady Christensen
got hurt, but his injury was a lot more brutal,
and then he tried to come back from it. They

(18:12):
had the whole entire ir window period for him, and
then he gets hurt his second game back.

Speaker 8 (18:17):
Dan basically fought, well.

Speaker 1 (18:18):
We have to bring in a new center or a
new guard, and that's when they brought in Robert Hunt.

Speaker 8 (18:22):
It's kind of been an uphill battle.

Speaker 1 (18:24):
But if you can have Austin Corporate for the next
six to eight weeks play at right guard, I think
it'd be pretty good for him in the whole entire
offensive line. And I will say, where as bad as
the first two games were for Austin Corbett, I did
notice on Sunday, outside of that false start to start
the game, not great, he.

Speaker 2 (18:40):
Was pretty good. He was all right, what else you got?

Speaker 8 (18:42):
All right?

Speaker 1 (18:43):
Moving over to Boston College, it's not been a good
year for Boston College in the second year of Bill O'Brien.
They're one and eight, no chance of the bowl game.
They had a good fight against Notre Dame, but they
fell short. And well, it's gotten to Bill O'Brien, specifically
this one media member asking him questions.

Speaker 6 (19:01):
Coach, I'm wondering you've a message for the fans.

Speaker 3 (19:04):
Obviously losing to nor Name Catholic who school arrival one
in a out of the season BC, I've.

Speaker 8 (19:09):
Heard from a lot of fans. I just really yeah,
I'm really glad. You know, I'm glad. You're down.

Speaker 3 (19:14):
I'm not down.

Speaker 7 (19:15):
Nobody's down. We're fighting, we're competing. You know, it's the
second year of this program, Mike. You always come in
here with these down questions, like you show up like
once a month or something like that. You come in
here with these down questions.

Speaker 5 (19:26):
I'm not down.

Speaker 4 (19:27):
I don't know what.

Speaker 7 (19:28):
Year you graduated from BC. But this is a program
that we're building. Nobody hears down. We're positive. We're gonna
show up and play our asses off against smun You
can go out there in your dark, clouded world or
whatever it is and do what you want to do.
We're not down. The sun is up, and we're fighting.
That's my message to the fans.

Speaker 2 (19:46):
What's up, Trevor, what's up, Trevor? How long does that last?
You think at Boston College?

Speaker 8 (19:56):
I think at least in another year.

Speaker 4 (19:57):
No.

Speaker 2 (19:57):
I agree, they're not a place where you're gonna run
coaches out early and you know, throw crazy buyout money.
It's Boston College, after all, It's not exactly a hotbed
of college football fandom or talent. And I thought he
was a good fit and thought he did a pretty
good job there in his first year.

Speaker 8 (20:13):
Obviously, Yeah, and the caslanus gave up on the team.

Speaker 2 (20:15):
And that's what are the expectations for Boston College football
under Bill O'Brien. What does the university want from him?

Speaker 4 (20:22):
Like?

Speaker 2 (20:22):
Do they want Matt Ryan type runs? I mean, I'm
sure they want that, But do they expect I should say,
like what they had in the Matt Ryan era back
in the early two thousands, are.

Speaker 8 (20:32):
You I'm thinking probably seven wins, seven eight wins most years.

Speaker 2 (20:35):
Does Boston College play the nil game at all?

Speaker 4 (20:38):
What?

Speaker 8 (20:39):
That's what I'm saying, sill under sports or revenue sports?

Speaker 2 (20:41):
No, I just I think they fit interestingly into a
grander conversation about which jobs are quote unquote good in
this day and age. No, BC's never been looked at
as a great job. And I don't mean that to
be disrespectful, because they've had their their moments throughout the
course of a couple of decades. They of course gave
us Luke Keigley. Nobody's mad about that, But like, what
did people think that Bill O'Brien's going to do consistently

(21:04):
at Boston College? Does he need to make a bowl
game every year?

Speaker 8 (21:09):
He does?

Speaker 2 (21:09):
He have to win seven eight games a year at
Boston College to keep his job?

Speaker 8 (21:13):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (21:13):
I mean, we don't talk much about him, but Bill's
a pretty big name in the world of football, and
I thought he was a good hire. But sitting at
one and eight, it just makes you wonder, given the
fact that everybody's pulling the trigger on firing their head coaches,
do they lose patience with him too. I ain't gonna
keep an eye on him because they gave Notre Dame
a fight, and I think part of that was Notre
Dame was playing with their food a little bit.

Speaker 8 (21:31):
Yeah, but they're playing SMU this weekend, Kyle.

Speaker 1 (21:35):
I have them covering their ten and a half points
because it's the Red Bandana game.

Speaker 2 (21:38):
Okay, all right, that's.

Speaker 1 (21:40):
So you Finke s and SMU is all haul high
and mighty after the win against Miami.

Speaker 8 (21:44):
This is classic trap game.

Speaker 1 (21:46):
And whenever those players hear the story of the Red Bandana, it.

Speaker 2 (21:51):
Col you're not wrong about fight. No, no, you're not
You're not wrong about that. That's what did you say?
The best audio in the world of sports When we return?
Ryan McGee of ESPN, one half of Marty and McGee
College Game Day contributor Ryan McGee back next, Sports Radio
ninety two to seven WFNZ. Every time you play this

(22:24):
track coming back, I am so tempted to come back
with a y'all know me, still the same KB, And
then I realize how lame that is, but I still
want to do it anyway. I don't know if that's
the old man in me or not, but there it is.
We're back Sports Radio ninety two seven wfn Z, KB
and smoke here on a Wednesday. Roman Harper back in
thirty three minutes. He texted me earlier and said, all right,
anything I should know? I don't know, man, You tell me.

(22:47):
We got Roman and back in five. We'll talk a
lot of football. Both teams that he played for in
the National Football League, the New Orleans Saints and the
Carolina Panthers going at it on Sunday at the Bank.
Make sure to join us ten a m. Sharp Sunday
morning for out down to kick off the only Panthers
pre game coverage that you will ever need live from uptown.
Looking forward to it. But right now we talk a
little NASCAR and a little college football. Big news this

(23:08):
week in both Ryan McGee, ESPN senior writer, one half
of Marty and McGee College Game Day contributor, as well
as the SEC Network. He's back with us for his
weekly chat. What's going on? Ryan McGee? How are you, buddy?

Speaker 5 (23:21):
I'm good man, I see I probays appreciate your roll
on the schedule, But I like being on on Wednesdays
because I get to be on a head of HARP.
Right is every Friday, he and our own airplane together,
and obviously every Saturday we're on airplane together coming back
to Charlotte. But he is, we learn a lot from
each other. And uh, you know, I'm a nerd, right,

(23:42):
I'm the writer nerd, and I've always looked at HARP
and go, all right, how does this actually work? In
the locker room? And he always explains this to me.

Speaker 2 (23:48):
Yeah, he's actually told me that before and nothing. You know,
he's told me about some of those conversations and how
much he enjoys them too. So that's awesome. I want
to dive into this with you because I loved what
you wrote about the race Phoenix, the Larson Championship, how
it came at Denny Hamlin's heartbreaking expense. You know, I've
never been a Denny Hamlin, fan, nor's my dad. We're
a you know, Bill Elliott, Chase Elliott family. But I

(24:10):
was a Denny Hamlin fan on Sunday. I was rooting
for him to win that race. When the caution came out,
I had a sinking feeling in my gut, probably like
a lot of other people, and it ended up, of course,
Kyle Larson wins the title. I've read what what Kyle,
I heard what Kyle said after, I heard what William
Byron said after, and I encourage anybody who follows the
sport to read what Ryan has written in the aftermath
of all of this. But how did you ingest that

(24:32):
race and what it looked like at the end.

Speaker 5 (24:35):
It was crazy, but it was interesting, Kyle, because I
we got inside a ten laps and I actually I
tweeted something out when Denny was dominating the race in
the middle of the race and he was starting to
radio in that his clutch felt saw and I tweeted us.
So I remember Buddy Baker telling me. You know, for

(24:57):
folks that don't know it took Buddy, we always talk
about how long it took Ellernhart and Darryl Waltrip and
these guys to win the day total five hundred, and
it took Buddy Baker almost twenty years. And he was
a super speedway guy and went in nineteen eighty when
he was finally leading the race, the fastest five hundred
on the record always will be, and he said that
every single noise in that car sounded like a bang,

(25:21):
and every bump felt like an earthquake, Like he just
that's what it felt like. And so when Denny started
radioing about the clutch, I thought, man, that's what's happening
to him right now. And then he kept leaving her lap,
and when we got inside of ten laps to go,
I was like, all right, I think we've got it.
And then it just happened. And listen back when the

(25:42):
finale was a homestead, I was there every year, and
I remember Danny really the best chance he had, which
is gosh, almost twenty years ago, and he spun out
and went into the grass, and he was such a
young driver. And when I talked to him a week
ago because for USPN dot Conway was his preview and
tell me we can, I said, I said, so give me,
tell me about your mindset. And he said, the scars

(26:04):
of the past have finally healed because he had gone
to Homestead, gone that finale with so many chances, and
something happened and and I don't know this scar will
ever heal. And it was. It was crazy, but I
and I appreciate you bringing up the column. And what
I wrote in the column was, I've been doing this
a long time. Man, I cannot remember and I don't
think it's ever happened where the entire garage was unified

(26:29):
in their genuine sympathy for a guy. And and and
that included Kyle Larson. I taught to Kyle on Monday
morning and he just went and if you read that
piece about Danny Hamlin, all the quotes in it are
from the champions and all he's talking about is Denny Hamlin.
So what a what a what a crazy, crazy night.
And I don't think anybody's ever going to forget it.

Speaker 2 (26:50):
No, And when he said after the fact that you know,
in this moment I don't feel like ever, you know,
racing a car ever. Again, I understood where that came
from in the moment, and I told Smoke, I said, yeah,
just I hate to be I don't mean to be
crash or insensitive in any way, but you gotta let
some time pass. Let's see how he feels in a
couple of weeks, in a couple of months. And that's
still how I feel. But how do you feel about it?

Speaker 3 (27:11):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (27:11):
And and and if you watched them, I mean last
they had the you know, the NASCAR Awards were last night.
You know, it used to be be a couple of
weeks and now they've wisely decided, while they're in Phoenix
at one of these amazing resorts, it's going to have it.
So they had the they had the awards ceremony on
Tuesday night, and as painful as it was, he looked
like it was getting better. And what was crazy was

(27:34):
everyone in that top ten, everyone that had been in
the playoffs, that got up there and accepted their check,
they all addressed Denny, not the champ. They all addressed Denny.
And that included Kyle Larson and of course William Byron.
So it just was I've never seen a night like that,
and and I don't know that we ever will, but
but it was just it was But he's gonna get
back on a race car, but first he has to

(27:55):
sue the sport's right. That's coming December first. December first,
they're going to be in the courthouse unless they reached
the settlement in the next couple of weeks, which I don't
think is gonna happen. And uh and oh yeah, Oh,
by the way, you know, he and Michael Jordan are
sting NASCAR for antitrust and that starts in court on
December first. So normally that's when we would have the

(28:16):
awards ceremony. Back when I, you know, i'd go all
with Winston couple awards banquets in New York and in
Vegas and and you know, it would always be around
December first. And this year instead of you know, convenient
for the awards, they're going to be going to court.

Speaker 2 (28:30):
Ryan McGee, ESPN hanging out with us here on a Wednesday.
All right, college football playoff. The committee released their initial
rankings last night. I didn't see anything stunning in there.
Maybe maybe you can tell us if you did, But uh,
you know, I think the story, the narrative surrounding the
ACC how many teams they get in, is particularly relevant
around here. But I didn't see a ton of you know,
backlasher over the top reaction. What did you think?

Speaker 5 (28:52):
No, I think you're right, And my only my only
complain about it was I surprise Memphis wasn't in there,
like a surpriser, wasn't some representative. This is the first
time we've know that we did not have anyone from
a non power for conference in that first top twenty five,
and that that it bothers me because it is I've

(29:13):
talked to you about before. I love college football from
top to bottom, and you know, I love the fact
that they are given a chance. But part of that's
on them, you know. I was at Cincinnati last week
interviewing the quarterback for game day and they went to
Utah and later an egg and so you know they
I was a little just disappointed that there wasn't a
non power for representative, you know, in that top twenty five,

(29:35):
not even at the bottom. And so they have their chances,
but but you know, it was so much funnier ago
when boys he was in the mix and we weren't
just talking about kim Boys and made the playoff. It
was kim Boys to get a first round by which
they did. And so I just I like for those
teams to be in the mix. But no real complaints
about it. I mean, you know that that first poll.

(29:58):
Don't tell my bosses in Bristol. I said that. So
that first poll doarally matter? You know, it's a great
it's like the preseason magazines. You know, it's a great
conversation starter. But and it's a starting point. But the
reality is is that we have seen in that room before,
as opposed to the polsters with the associated press, it's
always seem to be reluctant to make big moves if
the team wins or loses. And what this is my

(30:20):
preseason four number four, I'm gonna drop them to twenty all,
we're gonna drop them out of the top twenty five.
And with that committee, they'll do it. They'll they'll make
big moves and so uh but yeah, I mean it's
it's all the usual suspects up front. I mean, if
you consider BYU and Texas Tech and uh, you know
Virginia usual suspects right that I.

Speaker 2 (30:38):
Mean that I got people telling me today, Hey, KB,
I think if Virginia and Louisville both went out, then
they'll both get in. I don't know about that. Virginia
beat them head to head. That was a big test
for them back then. I still think Virginia might run
into some issues. Chandler Morris doesn't look one hundred percent
healthy right now. But just your thoughts on those two
teams and the odds that the accs could still sneak

(30:58):
in two teams.

Speaker 5 (31:00):
Well, I think they need to root for a situation
like they had a year ago, which is SMU was
a team that everyone had watched all year and then
SMU loses to Clemson and Clemson gets in on the AQ,
but SMU still made it, and I think that's going
to be what the ACC needs. ACC officeds be rooting
for that, you know, which is you know, Virginia or

(31:21):
Georgia Tech or whoever gets on a heater and you
know they're an undeniable you know, top eighteen or whatever
when we get to the end of the year. But
then if they lose a close one in the ACC Championship,
then maybe you can get get two teams in. But
it's not great I mean, and look at o NC
State just wrecking everything, right, that's yeah, it's just just
what they do. But it's on. But it is fun,

(31:43):
you know, talking about Virginia and Georgia Tech because I'm
old school when I remember nineteen ninety when the two
of them played, and what I still think is might
be the greatest game in the regular season, the most
important game, regular season game we've ever had in the ACC.
So there's a chance. But it's it's interesting how that narrative, man,
because just a couple of weeks ago, uh, the ACC
is talking about a lot of teams with a chance,

(32:05):
and now they need to be hoping that they can
sneak a second one in there.

Speaker 2 (32:10):
I feel like we're doing a weekly check in on
the dumpster fires that are the seasons of South Carolina
and Clemson, and I'll focus on the Tigers this week.
They lose a shootout to Duke, and you know, Dabbo,
I think, is rightfully upset about a blown pass interference call,
and you know, every word he's saying this week is
being dissected and everyone is speculating again about how Dabo,
you know, how he's being received or how he's viewed

(32:31):
inside the program. I always stop at sixty million dollar
buyout and it kind of ends the conversation for me.
But I mean, just your thoughts on what happened to
them this week and the way the dabo's talking.

Speaker 5 (32:42):
Well, it's good. I mean we said this before, you know,
talking ear a week is that you know that stuff
plays great when you're winning, and it's hard to take
it from the podium every single week, whether you're a
fan or media member or a Clemson fan or whatever,
you know when things are going bad and you know, yeah,

(33:02):
there's a questionable passing inference called, but the reality is
you are so much better than Duke on paper that
that passing inference should call, shouldn't be shouldn't be determining
the football game because the reality is you should be
winning by two touchdowns in those games. And so if
you're not taking care of the games that you've always
taken care of in the past, then it's awful. It

(33:23):
just it comes off a little a little cranky, a
little disingenuous with the complaint from the from the podium.
So listen, this is the throwaway year. They know it's
a throwaway year. I don't have to tell you what
could possibly save it for both of these teams that
we're talking about is if they win that game on
Thanksgiving weekend, because you go into wintertime because not a

(33:44):
one of them probare gonna get a ball game. And
so now you're talking about going in the wintertime winning
the pal Metal Bowl, and you know that game, that
game can save all for both of those teams. And
you know this is from coming from a guy who
literally just transmitted a tuition check about ten minutes ago. Shot.

Speaker 2 (34:03):
I won't ask how much that check was, because I'm
sure it was very painful to write, even though I'm
sure you'd love to do it for that lovely daughter
of yours before.

Speaker 5 (34:09):
I yeah, I can almost see the South Carolina border
from my house, and yet I'm paying out of say tuition.
And I called everybody I knew.

Speaker 2 (34:17):
That, Oh god, oh god, any concerns about Texas A
and M going to Missouri this weekend.

Speaker 5 (34:24):
I mean, it's dangerous, It's totally dangerous. But I think
that A and M is I mean, no one, I've
never I can't remember a top five, now top three
team that no one's talking about like A and M.
And you know, and you know this. I went out
and talked to Marcel Reed a couple of weeks ago,
and the relationship between Reed and elcho is why they're
winning and uh and and you know they don't care

(34:46):
a thing about the history of A and M. But
but I think the reason they're under the radar is
we're all waiting on the collapse, right, We're all waiting
them to lose the game they shouldn't lose. And the
reality is people have kind of forgotten about Missouri, but
they are so dangerous, especially at home, and so so
it's gonna be they need to have their guard up

(35:06):
because they're already thinking. The danger of the CFP rankings
coming out now is you definitely know where you are,
and you definitely know where your chances are, and it
might cause you to take you off the ball at
the wrong time. So A and N leaves and I'll
do that.

Speaker 4 (35:19):
Ran.

Speaker 2 (35:20):
We appreciate you, buddy, have a great week. We'll talk
to you next week, all.

Speaker 5 (35:23):
Right, man, So harp I said, I'll send at the airport.

Speaker 2 (35:26):
There you go. Ryan McGee ESPN senior writer, one half
of Marty and McGee College Game Day contributor with us
each and every week seven oh four five, seven ninety
six ten hit us up on the fan duel text
line wolf Pack James with an evil laugh, saying the
reckoning is coming, baby spelled reckoning with a W by
the way, the Spoiled Sportsman saying it absolutely was past interference.
I don't think you're going to get much disagreement from

(35:46):
people on this on this show.

Speaker 1 (35:48):
Yeah, two straight plays of pass interference and you know
only one of them got called oh oh.

Speaker 8 (35:52):
Oh Simson fan that doesn't want to mention that.

Speaker 2 (35:54):
Boh yeah, yeah, that says the Duke fan, and then
Panther t Dog and a few others begging us or
just the Panthers out loud to please sign a Sante
Samuel Junior. We had somebody a couple of minutes ago
saying we need to deploy everyone to the stadium to
barricade a Sante Samuel in do not let him leave
the building. Sign Panthers couch GM. I mean I kind

(36:15):
of feel the same way I do. Can we go, Like,
can we go let the air out of his tires,
make sure he can't get to the airport, what not
while he's in the car. I'm just saying, like you know,
like an extra forty five minute hour delay to get
triple A. There, give Dan Morgan and Dave Canalis some
time to do their work, and you know, maybe Tep
stops by and you know his smooth is a little bit.
Let's just let's just keep it Santa Samuel Junior in

(36:38):
the building. That's all I'm saying, if we can manage it. Okay, Look,
I'd like to have him too, but I'm not willing
to do any of that. Plus, let the process play out.
If he wants to go somewhere else, let him go
somewhere else. That's his prerogative, you know.

Speaker 1 (36:49):
But you're going full de Andre Jordan Clipper situation here.
And how did that work out for the Clippers?

Speaker 8 (36:56):
Kyle?

Speaker 2 (36:57):
Well, not awesome that the aspirations fell short. Oh, I
see what you did there, Thank you. I see what
you did there. Let's go to smoke on the headlines.
Press the button. I'm trying to find out why.

Speaker 8 (37:08):
There we go?

Speaker 3 (37:12):
All right.

Speaker 1 (37:12):
As we mentioned during the college football playoff discussion with
Ryan McGee, only four ACC teams in and none of
them were in the top ten, Virginia and Georgia Tech.
I believe we're right beside each other at sixteen seventeen
Miami around the same spot. Big The biggest uh when
I guess you could say for the ACC, was the
fact that pitt who has not been a part of
the AP top twenty five I think for out the

(37:33):
whole year, snuck in at twenty four. Is Pitt's one
of those teams We're gonna have to keep an eye
on cop because they do play Notre Dame in a
couple of weeks.

Speaker 2 (37:40):
I guess. So, Like, I didn't think we'd have to
be nothing. It pains me, but I didn't think we'd
really be talking about Pittsburgh, especially after their loss to
West Virginia earlier of the year. Yeah, I didn't think
we'd be talking about these guys at this stage in
the season. But you know, here we are. Well, the
ACC standings are.

Speaker 1 (37:57):
Just it's like we've taken a time machine back to
two thousand and five, because there's this ACC is not
comically bad, and I think this ACC has more depth
than last year.

Speaker 8 (38:07):
It's just there's no top dog.

Speaker 2 (38:08):
I mean, the top five teams in the conference are Virginia,
Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Louisville, and SMU in the standings, four
of the top five are ranked teams. There are five
total ranked teams. Miami is still number eighteen in the country,
but Virginia, Georgia Tech, PITT, Louisville SMU a couple of
those teams you thought might be up near that range, right,

(38:30):
I mean Georgia Tech, we thought they'd be pretty good.
We thought Louisville would be pretty good.

Speaker 1 (38:34):
Yeah, Louisville's bender standard eight to ten win teams under
Jeff Broms, So for.

Speaker 2 (38:38):
We thought SMU would be good. Now they haven't gotten
there in the mann that we thought they'd get here.
It's six and three overall, but they are four and
one in conference coming off the upset win over Miami.
I don't know, Like, what's your gut tell you just
one ACC team in the playoff.

Speaker 1 (38:51):
Yeah, and it's what's gonna happen is we'll probably get
the automatic qualifier that makes the playoffs and it'll be
to Notre games benefit if Notre Dame wins out. Now
they they the schedule they say was easier after that
first two lost stretch. The USC game US he is
a pretty good team this year, and Pitt's turned into
a pretty good team.

Speaker 8 (39:10):
That could be a very tough game.

Speaker 1 (39:11):
I remember Pitt's Gaven given Notre Dame in a lot
of trouble over the years.

Speaker 8 (39:15):
So keep an eye out for that game.

Speaker 1 (39:17):
But as long as Notre Dame take cares of business,
they'll take essentially, what was that second acc spot last year?

Speaker 2 (39:22):
All right, well come back, we'll tell you who bought out.
We'll take some phone calls. Roman Harper in sixteen minutes
Sports Radio ninety two to seven w fn Z.

Speaker 4 (39:38):
Sety, get on your feet, hello, good.

Speaker 8 (39:45):
Protections for the years.

Speaker 3 (39:50):
Came up to the buck.

Speaker 1 (39:51):
He's got a good coming on the back to USh
running into the area.

Speaker 8 (39:57):
It'll pass toward.

Speaker 3 (40:00):
Oh brads for.

Speaker 4 (40:03):
Down.

Speaker 2 (40:12):
It's time for who balled out? Powered by High Performance
real Estate Advisors and the biggest dad gumballer of them all,
Thomas L. Rod. Go to high Performance real Estate dot
com and they'll see you at the closing table. Smoke
would you bring for the people?

Speaker 1 (40:23):
Well, I'm going to go down to the Spectrum Center
where Slim aka Isaiah Evans balled out for Duke in
his hometown. Twenty three points was the offensive sparked the
Blue Devils needed, specifically in the first half as the
Blue Devils won the Dicky V Classic seventy five to sixty.

Speaker 2 (40:40):
I'm going back to World Series Game seven because more
numbers coming out late last night early this morning. Game
seven of the World Series average fifty one million viewers
combined across the US, Canada, and Japan, making it the
most watched MLB game in thirty four years since Game
seven of the nineteen ninety one World Series. A game

(41:02):
that are a series rather that you know, the Atlanta
Braves fans would rather forget, but that one went seven games.
Fifty one million people tuned into Game seven combined US,
Canada and Japan. And again that's just where we remind
you that because one of the teams was from Toronto
in Canada, the domestic ratings of twenty seven I think

(41:22):
an average of twenty six and a peak of thirty
one and a half only includes American viewership. Twenty five
to thirty percent of the entire country of Canada was
tuned into this game, and then in Japan itself, it
was the most watched game in the history of Japan,
but overall the most watched game in thirty four years
since Game seven of the nineteen ninety one World Series,

(41:43):
World Series bawling out seven oh four, five, seven oh
ninety six.

Speaker 8 (41:46):
Ten.

Speaker 2 (41:47):
I look down and a five oh seven number, said Asante,
Samuel Junior is going to Minnesota. And my heart leapt
for a minute because I thought he was reporting that
it's happening, and he might be right about that. But
then I remember, no, he's got to like still be
in Charlotte right now. So unless he signed a deal
from you know, Charlotte with Minnesota, I don't it's just
his guess. He's clearly just guessing that he'll end up

(42:09):
in Minnesota. If you're just tuning again, a Sante Samuel June,
you're visiting with the Panthers today, a guy who was
started forty seven of his career fifty games in the
NFL coming back from a spinal fusion surgery. So that's
rather serious, especially as it relates to a support like football.
But you know, if he can become close to the
player that he was prior to the injury, somebody's going
to get a really good player off the street. And

(42:32):
I really hope that the Panthers get him, and I
hope they don't let him leave without a contract. Now,
you know, if his agent's smart, he'll leave and go
talk to other teams and start a bidding war. And
I'm sure there's already a bidding war for this guy
among teams who believe that they're playoff contenders. But man,
you know, have you thought beyond just like signing him,
what that would mean. I can't imagine he's coming in

(42:53):
off the street and playing, you know, top shelf football,
so we'd probably be on a pitch count initially. I
can't imagine it would change the starting lineup, but I
wonder if.

Speaker 1 (43:01):
It'll be kind of similar to how they used Stefan
Gilmore because they let Stephan because he was coming off
of an injury when they traded for him in twenty
twenty one. I wouldn't be shocked if it'd be one
of those things where they kind of do a couple
of weeks and by the time early December rolls around,
maybe against that game against the Rams or coming off
the buy, he'll be fully ready. Okay, be one of
those situations, Okay, I could see something like that. Like,

(43:24):
I just don't want to get people's hopes up too much,
because I remember when they signed Josh Norman off the
street Rember. We were like, oh Jay now, and they
didn't even use him because he was basically break glass
in case of emergency. He was so you know, out
of it that they couldn't even put him on Mike
Evans when Keith Taylor and CJ. Henderson were getting worked
on in that game against Tampa Bay. Yeah, when it

(43:46):
was to the facto NFC South Championship game. So yeah, okay,
I just don't expect him to play immediately, especially coming
off of this injury.

Speaker 2 (43:54):
Yeah, let's see we have Texters right again. First of all,
complainer in Chief won the recently for the most obnoxious
w F and Z caller, and it is well earned.
He is asking a ridiculous question, says, can we trade
for Kyler Murray to give Bryce some competition since y'all
have a fetish for small quarterbacks?

Speaker 8 (44:12):
Lol?

Speaker 2 (44:13):
Yeah, Yes, we have a fetish for small quarterbacks. That's
that's what's going on here. That's it. We have a
fetish for small quarterbacks.

Speaker 1 (44:22):
Now, I want I want Kyler to actually go do
what he should have done to begin with and go
to the EMAILB Baby, let's go. You still got that.
They still got that contract for him. Right, he was
a top ten pick. Let's go, you're comparing you to
Ricky Henderson. I need to see him in A's Regelia
in the next couple of weeks. It's over for him
in the NFL too, But don't way as a starter,
like as a franchise quarterback, it's done. They announced that

(44:45):
he was going to be benched. Jacoby versets now to
starter and now he's been put on ir What.

Speaker 2 (44:50):
You think he's done as a starter forever, not as
a starter forever, because justin he's done as a starter
in Arizona's what you mean?

Speaker 4 (44:56):
Yeah? That?

Speaker 2 (44:57):
And I think his days of being a franchise guy, well,
what's difference. I mean, he'd still had no matter what,
he'd still have to go prove it. Like he's he's
only he's only a quote unquote franchise guy because of
where he was drafted and what they expected from him.

Speaker 8 (45:08):
You know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (45:08):
Contra he gave out to him fair fair you know,
you know I take that back. You're right, you know
guys that made come back. I just I don't know,
he doesn't have the mindset. I don't think. No, that
part that's the problem is that even with the smaller stature,
the speed, the arm strength, the baseball background, like a
lot of it was was, you know, tantalizing when it
came to Kyler Murray. We saw the fun things he

(45:29):
did in college. We thought a lot of it could
translate to the NFL. You know, the game had been
changing more offensively inclined rules. He'd be fine, He's.

Speaker 8 (45:37):
But it just I don't know.

Speaker 1 (45:39):
I think if he had the mindset of Bryce, he
would have been fine. I really do think. I don't know.

Speaker 2 (45:43):
Him like that, but yeah, it reports would indicate that.

Speaker 1 (45:46):
He how awkward that whole entire draft process was for him.
An interview with Dan.

Speaker 2 (45:50):
Patrick and his dad intervening, Yeah, the whole thing was weird.

Speaker 1 (45:52):
So I I just think, you know, Kyler, if he
had a better mindset and he had the mindset of
let's say Bryce Young, with his talent, he he he'd
be perfectly fine, and we wouldn't have me having this
discussion right now.

Speaker 8 (46:03):
But that's not the case.

Speaker 1 (46:05):
It's over for him essentially in Arizona, and the last
five to six years have been stuck in neutral for
the Cardinals at this point. But good for Jacoby Brissette
keep on getting in paychecks and proving that he's a
good enough quarterback to be a stopgap. Happy for him,
but luckily for Kyler living up to the stereotype. All
this stuff happens right when Black Ops seven comes out.

Speaker 2 (46:26):
All right now our number three next. Roman Harper awaits
on the other side. Sports Radio ninety two seven wfn
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