December 19, 2025 • 46 mins
In the first hour of the show, the guys discuss the Hornets and Seahawks wins from last night, give you the Gameday Ws for the Panthers-Buccaneers and tell you how much grace the Panthers have built if they were to lose out down the stretch.
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Only off Sports Radio ninety two point seven half m
got with u fn.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Zay fine, he's the Western Walker Show.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Even a crowd knows what's coming there.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
You got a jam pack no rules Friday edition of
Western Walker Sports Radio ninety two to seven WFNZ. We'll
bring you updates on Bowl games Western Michigan, kinnisas state
from murder Bates.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Baby, we got a bunch going on right behind us
and right in front of us with the Panthers Tampa
Bay Buccaneers game at the Bank. It's a big one
NFC South title on the line. Who buddy, We got
a lot to get to on Western Walker Sports Radio
ninety two to seven WFNZ. And just as a reminder,
we are broadcasting live from the Chandler vaulta studio CV
Injury Law dot Com. CV Injury Law dot Com one
(00:59):
called that's all the Carolina's personal injury lawyers.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
And if you want to write in you can FanDuel.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Text line seven oh four five seven oh ninety six ten,
seven oh four five seven oh ninety six ten. The
answer to NASCAR Brad's question on the FanDuel text line
is yes, you can get a birthday shout out Happy Friday,
Happy birthday to a p one, to a loyal listener,
to our guy NASCAR Brad, Happy birthday to you many today.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Yeah, man, we're here to sell. We're here to celebrate
your birthday.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
I do have a question for yous before we pull
up to the scene and open up the doors and
get off the bus and all of that. How jealous
are you right now that you're not covering the Myrtle
Beach bowl? Yes, that'd be you know what your fine.
I know the land very well. You know, I could
have driven down there. I could have been rolling around
doing my thing, you know. So, uh, those guys are
having a good time. But you know, someone be here
before you know it. What are back on the beach?
(01:51):
I want to know what Myrtle Beach is to everyone.
That's the question that I want to know, Like, what
is it to you? Because to me, it just represents
a degenerate, earlier time in that one.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Oh yeah, no, I see that meaning that to you
because I was going to tell you too that at
the at the place that we stayed, they told us
how the Currys used to come there for every summer
and they used to always stay there as well.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
They become multiple summers. Sounds like a pretty bougie place.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Man. It sounds like remember Jelly Road was staying in
our hotel. It sounds you know what, that's right, because
we have this conversation every once in a while. Yes,
we've upgrade, We've come a long way. We definitely use
Myrtle Beach as a barometer of how far we've come
because when we used to go, we used to stay
in you know, the hotels that had the pictures that
look good, but then you get in there and it's
not that great. And then some of the a lot
(02:38):
of people that stay in there you kind of you know,
a little seedy, you know what I mean. But now
you know, we stay in a place where you know,
valet every time we pull in, and it's very nice.
They know us by you know, we have great relationships
with the workers there.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
That's that.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Uh oh, those are the Boogie Bryant. Yeah, grand deal.
That's right.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Then tease me about my cars when I'll pull up,
because I've had different ones pretty much every year.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
And y'all call me, how is this my reputation? How
I stayed here? I stayed at the reef and I
stayed at the Sea Dip, and there's also a time
now I did make a big stink about it with
the buddies because there's just no way that we should
have stayed there for longer than what we did. But
I did stay at the Super eight Motel in Myrtle Beach,
(03:23):
and it was the worst place by far. There's not
a close second. It was the worst spot of all
time that I've ever stayed going on a trip Super
eight Motel where there was a stain on the mattress
that was to the side of what the actual bed was.
And then we felt like the Sea Dip. Okay, the
Sea Dip was a monster upgrade. I mean it might
(03:45):
as well have been. We might have well stayed at
the Biltmore on Myrtle Beach the way that that was
an upgrade and the reef and it wasn't bad. But
those are the places I stay. So the Myrtle Beach
means very very different things to both them.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Std Island. Yeah, we stay on the Marina and the
Marina and Grand Doome. It sounds extremely nice, it sounds
it sounds very nice, but dirty Myrtle fun rocking rope trips.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
All right, So I need to know what Myrtle Beach
means to you. D two Kicker says, I absolutely love
Myrtle Beach. Started going there as a kid. I did
a couple of rounds of spring break down there. See
your weeks there. I went as a junior and as
a postgrad and always had a blast.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Have not been in a while. It means golf for
plaque typo. Yeah, I've taken a It's a vibe place
to me too, though, like Miami. When I go to Miami,
it's just a vibe when you can get that. Myrtle
Beach is the same way Moody Panther. It's just dirty
Myrtle to me, fair enough and just keep it simple.
Wesley says, Myrtle Beach is the initial party spot for everyone.
(04:49):
Joey from Huntersville, Dirty Myrtle. Give me Pauley's Island or
Cherry Grove. Cherry Grove popular spot North Myrtle for sure.
And I did go on a golf trip one time
and it was quite nice. That was awesome, And there's
something for everybody, whether you're going on a family trip
with kids or an adult or whatever the case may be.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
There's a little something for everybody. PSL. Smith.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
North Myrtle's not bad. South Myrtle is trash. Yeah, it's
funny because North Myrtle it's it's nice enough. It just
feels like such a big difference from the further south
you go. It's like, oh man, this really is the
nicest of establishments that exist around the area. So let
us know, because Senior Week is what it means to me.
(05:30):
All of the graffiti shirts where people are just acting
an absolute fool out there on the beach, in the streets,
nobody given a damn.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
You guys know what it means to me.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
I think I think most of the people, including Mac
apparently with some of those drops. I don't know anything
about STD Island. Yeah, I don't know anything about that
side of a tough expance, A fun but probably tough expance.
Fun on the front end, yeah, a little disappointing on
the back end, buddy. I mean, anyways, let's move on.
Let's pull up to the scene, clean, open up the doors,
(06:01):
no rules, Friday, Let's get off the bus. Flound dog,
go ahead and hit a bus driver.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
We looked good getting off the bus.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
We have come to find bad football games and good
football games, bad and good games period in sports, as
either a stinker or a stinker, and last night, Thursday
Night Football gave us an absolute stinker one for the ages.
In fact, I saw this on Twitter floating around my timeline.
Is it the best Thursday Night football game of all time?
(06:35):
I think it's up there. It's in contention for it.
The fact that the Seahawks had to score a couple
of touchdowns and two to two point conversions, one of
which was absolutely bonkers, only because Zach Charboney decided to
pick up a football after the play was blown dead.
By the way turns out of one dead, turns out
it wasn't. But Nicola does not agree with you, No
(06:55):
he doesn't. And he needs to stop tweeting. He needs
to stop doing anything on the internet right now. Pookah,
Like my man, you just went and he probably feels
invincible after the crazy week he had, and then he
goes for two twenty five of a couple of touchdowns.
Either way, he needs to stop going to social media.
But it was a wild game with Matthew Stafford playing well,
Sam Donald playing bad and then extremely well and then
(07:17):
you see with everything on the line to get the
number one seed in the entire conference between two division
rivals in that stadium where it's always loud. The fact
that the Seahawks pull off the upset with a victory
on a two point conversion to end the game in overtime.
To me, I'll always remember this game as it pertains
(07:37):
the Thursday night football ust.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
To me, this is the game of the year.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
I said last night, I said, I can only hope
that the Super Bowl would be this entertaining.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
You had a little bit of everything.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
You had controversy, you had big plays, you had just
all types of stuff, defensive plays. It was just all
encompassing in this matchup. I mean, what an environment, what
a game it was. I mean, I tweeted during the game,
Sam Arnold going sam Donnald after he threw a second
pick to the wake Forest Demon dickon one time. Though
for Kobe Turner. They did lose, But my man has
(08:07):
turned into an absolute monster on the interior of the
defensive line. He's looking like an all pro Pro Bowl
whatever you want to say. But other than that, I mean,
Matt Stafford was a phenomenal last night, the way that
he was playing. But despite those stats, he had some
empty jobs late in the game where they couldn't get
it done, and the Seahawks they just showed a lot
(08:27):
of resolve. And it's great because they've won now and
then when the forty nine ers beat them next week,
then the forty nine ers would get the one seeds.
The kudos to the Seahawks, Baby, well, enjoy it while
it last, because it's going to end next week. Well,
forty nineers don't play the Seahawks next week, I know,
but they have them at coming up.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
So well, the Panthers.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Play the Seahawks next week, which is where I want
to bring this local because does this mean anything for Carolina?
The fact that Seattle got such an emotional win.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Yeah, I'm cheering for the Panthers too. Let's go, baby,
this is well, you've become Panther West.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
I'm just kidding. You have, not, absolutely not with the
hate that you have every once in a while. But
with the Panthers playing the Seahawks next week, how much
does the win for Seattle matter? Do you take anything
from that result and apply it to the game, Because one,
we still have a game to play this weekend for Carolina.
Monster matchup between Carolina and Tampa Bay with a bunch
on the line between those two teams also, But depending
(09:23):
on what happens here against Tampa, because Carolina could be
coming off of.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
An emotional win or an emotional.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Loss either as possible, does it bode well for Carolina
at home where you have a similar kickoff time like
you had.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
With what the Rams had with it being ten am.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Is there a chance that you might have another upset
where maybe the Panthers beat a couple NFC West Division
opponents at the bank when they're looking to become the
best team in football. I just wonder if that's going
to help the Panthers at all. Yeah, I mean, it
potentially could.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
And that's another one of those games where people will
look at it as the Panthers having no chance and
they get into this game and mess around, get an upset,
but they've got big, big business to take care of
first and foremo.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Yeah, I'm hoping Panthers can capitalize on that, but they
have to capitalize on the Tampa Bay game this weekend first,
and so we'll get to some of that. But there
was another game that happened last night that was a
lot of fun. It might have been the best Hornets
performance that we've seen all season long. If we got
the best Thursday night football game last night, we also
got the best Hornets performance last night. All of them
are healthy, All the I guess pillars of the organization
(10:27):
were healthy. We still don't have Colin Sexton. That's kind
of frustrating because he's supposed to be an important piece.
But LaMelo he returned and we actually got distressed asset
point guard edition of Hornets Hawks last night with both
Trey Young and LaMelo Ball playing in this game, and
clearly Lamello was the better basketball player by far coming
(10:47):
in on what was supposed to be a minutes restriction.
Don't know how true that was with him playing close
to thirty minutes, but he bawled out last night. Wes
eight three pointers made, He had seven. I believe in
the first half. He was absolutely Redics went cold a
little bit shooting, just didn't shoot nearly as much. Being
cold implies that he shot and missed a lot. He
just didn't take a lot of field goal attempts until
(11:09):
the very end of this game, where he scored the
last seven for the Hornets to put this game on ice.
And that's alongside thirteen assists. That's alongside con continuing to
never miss. It's alongside Brandon Miller, who looked the part.
He came up with close to thirty points last night.
That trio on the floor by far the best offensive
performance specifically that we have seen from Charlotte to this point.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
And that's what makes you sick right there.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
That's what keeps pulling me back, like CHINGI, I just
can't quit this freaking team. I can't quit LaMelo, especially
if we talk about him morphing into what his best
self is, facilitating at a high level, playing like a
natural point guard that can take over at times and
did with the seven point run that he went on himself.
(11:56):
I mean being at the game watching the Hornet score
eighty points in the first half West That was a
record for most points scored at home in the first
half in franchise history. That's the kind of thing that
makes you a sick Hornets fan.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
It is, and it's such a fun team when you
look at them on paper, and then when you see
them come together and play games like this, Like you said, Walker,
it does make it tough to quit him because you
got the best of LaMelo. You saw Konko Nipple at
the height of his powers. You saw Brandon Miller. I mean,
everybody looked great last night. I mean that's one of
those games. If you had never seen a Hornets play
in your life and you came to watch them, You're like,
(12:30):
oh my god, this team is phenomenal.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
That you show the aliens that make it to Earth.
Who is this team? Team?
Speaker 4 (12:37):
It's fantastic. But Brandon Miller dunking on Cats. They made
clutch plays late, they got big defensive stops late as well.
And the biggest thing too, is that you could see
the intensity on their faces, the intensity in the way
in which they went about their business. I know on
one of the late possessions when Brandon Miller was checking
Jalen Johnson, I mean he had that look on his
face like a pit boll ready to chew through something.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
He was ready to go.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
And so you know, for this team, That's why I
also have not completely given up, especially when you presented
the scenarios for playing and where they are. I'm like,
if this team can just get healthy and get into
a little bit of a rhythm, I just feel like
that they have the pieces that they can do a
little something man, especially with kan Ko Nipple emerging as
what's looking like a superstar, Like he's not just looking
(13:21):
like a star man, he's looking like he's going to
be a superstar, and especially in relative terms to this
city and what he could mean to this city.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
I don't have any more words for Con. I really don't.
I don't know what to say anymore.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Just even if he's not hitting three pointers every Eric
Collins said it best, everything he touches turns to gold.
There are two possessions last night where Con made a
mistake flat out.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
It wasn't supposed to go his way.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
And what happens is he shoots a heave because of
a terrible offensive possession, and then it ricochets off of
the rim, hits Jalen Johnson goes out of bounds, The
Hornets keep the possession and they score three off of it.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
That's one.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
The second time Con throws a bad lob to Miles
Bridges and Con sticks with it after Jalen Johnson gets
the steal, and then he steals it back.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
It just doesn't matter.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
If he's gonna make a mistake, he sticks with it,
and then he turns a mistake into a positive.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
I really don't have any words. It's wild what we're
watching you.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
You hate to use the term because it's so used,
but he plays the game exactly how it should be played.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
It's crazy. I really don't have words. I'm a radio host.
I'm supposed to have words for you. I'm gonna try
to find him during the break and then we can
come back and I'll tell you what words I found.
We'll also get to the game day dubs, the who,
the what, the when, the where, the why? Who does
this game mean most to? Between the Panthers and the Buccaneers.
I think there are a lot of figures to choose from.
We'll tell you all about it coming up next. West
(14:40):
and Walker Sports Radio ninety two to seven WFNZ. I'm
(15:06):
letting this ride just because anytime Flounder plays this, it
never fails. We get somebody on the Fandel text line
to ask, Hey, what did y'all play? It always feels
good when you get that they're pulling a West Bryant
on the Fandel text line. They do well, you do it?
You used to do it for the one song every
single time. Who's this you would start off every segment?
(15:27):
I think it happened, and I don't want to exaggerate
it at least happened three I think probably four times. Yeah,
it was like he who plays this? Yeah, I would
hit what's that killer Mike new album? Man? That's big Crid.
By the way, Crid, who also is coming out with
a new album. Is that I have not I'm honest.
Why you said you was on sav But this is
what I do. Because I'm about to go to Indianapolis
on Monday. I'm doing the show on Monday, so we'll
(15:49):
recap the Panthers Bucks game. Can't miss a Monday show
for a big game like this. So I'll be doing
the show and then right after the show, high tailing
it straight to the airport and I'll have a couple
of albums that I'll digest. That's the issue, man, is
that sometimes I try to download the pods that I
want to listen to to get ready for it. But
we got some new music. You said Conway dropped. It's
(16:10):
been a while since I've enjoyed a Conway record. Don wait, Twitty,
that's right Conway Twitty. Maybe you know they posthumously is
him having released an album, So shout out to Conway
Twitty and Conway the Machine very different, very different genres.
But I need to check out Conway and then Big
Crit who Big krits the guy that I love and
(16:32):
just don't make an effort to go listen to his
music for no rational reason at all. I think people
maybe be able to relate to this with TV shows.
If we're doing a no Rules Friday on top of
a football Friday, let us know, what's the show that
you enjoy but you just don't go back to as
much as you should for no good reason.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Time gets away?
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Is there a TV show that matches that description for you,
something that you think is legitimately good, but you just
never go back to seven oh four five, seven ninety
six to ten. That's Big Crit to me. Everything he
puts out, Dirty South, that swaying, he's funky. I love
it and I just need to go. I'm gonna do
it for.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
You, Wes. Yeah, you got to check it out. I
think you'll like it a lot.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
It's got a cool little theme about it, and I
think there's a lot of stuff on it you would like.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
All Right, I'm gonna do it. I'll let you know.
I'll give you a recap afterwards. Of Conway twenty as well.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
I mean, sorry Conway the machine seven oh four five,
seven oh ninety six to ten. That's the fandual text
line people writing it about the Hornets a little bit
here before we get to the game day dubs Meyrin
Goodman said, Walker, any NBA starter playing less than thirty
minutes is no doubt on a minute's restriction. Yeah, he's
clearly on a little bit of a minute's restriction. What
I don't know is if it was the twenty five
(17:39):
minute restriction that he was on at the beginning of
his return from the other other injury, or if it
was the thirty minute restriction that he eventually graduated to
at the end of the other other injury. So really
just to clarify that, don't know what it was like,
but it was close to thirty, so it was winning
time and LaMelo showed up during winning time. UH Tourism
(18:01):
tax says, if you look up the video of LaMelo
in high school calling out his teammates for not being
able to guard him, the kid in the hoodie is
the one he hit the late three on last night
Full Circle. That's right. Nyekka kung Wu and LaMelo were
teammates in high school. The famous video of LaMelo in
high school. Hey, he really can't guard me. Turn the
camera around. I was looking for that video to tweet
it out, couldn't find it and I needed to pay
(18:23):
attention in real time, so it just abandoned the tweet.
But somebody got to it, and of course it went
viral because it is hilarious how full circle it is.
And by the way, Nyeka, it might have been all
fun and games at the beginning of the game, but
then Nyeka got real mad at LaMelo.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
It felt like because.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
LaMelo was plucking him, yeah, straight up, hit threes in
his face, and then he hit a shot at the
cup right next to a kong Wu and then he
mean mugs him, flexes on him, and a kung Wu
turns to the ref and points to him like, hey,
can you get what.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Are you doing on? Kane said's kind of stop please
can you tell me?
Speaker 4 (18:58):
I mean, it was hilarious to see that moment come
fullser Yeah, it was, man, And it's just fun to
see LaMelo playing well because with all of the talk
that's been going on with him, you wonder if he
hears any of it. You wonder if he, you know,
is feeling some of it, and hopefully he does to
the way that just making him play better like this,
I mean, twenty eight with thirteen assists. You can't ask
for more than that. And the way that he shot
(19:19):
the ball. So that's the biggest thing I was glad
to see last night was just LaMelo out there being
the LaMelo that we love and that we don't want
to see leave.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yes, that and to me, he can morph more than
John Morant can, more than Trey Young can because he
can shoot. The other two they can't shoot. And the
weird thing is trade Trey just I tweeted this out
last night too. Okay, Trey Young's returning Hawks for the
most part, had been better without him. They've been sliding
a little bit, but we'll see if Trey Young kind
(19:48):
of eases himself into the offense. First shot of the game,
it's a forty footer, Yeah, from the parking lot. That's
what he's gonna do. Five from distance. By the way,
was Trey Young, Lamello. He was excellent, and he was
excellent in a way that seems sustainable where he gets
everybody else involved. And LaMelo said the right stuff. Last night.
You pointed it out before we hopped on the mic.
(20:09):
He said, it's a lot of fun I had. He
mentioned that a couple times. I had a ton of
fun out there on the court. You could see it.
And he said, I wasn't pressing, I wasn't forcing up shots.
I trusted to my teammates. I think that's very different
from what we've seen when he's playing the G leaguers
and what we're seeing now with Con and Brandon out
there just passing up He still has some step back threes.
(20:32):
That's okay, Like that makes you dangerous. People have to
pay attention. You pay attention to you on that stuff.
But he's also go back and watch. He's finding open
shooters in the corner. He's passing up open shots, two
fine guys in the corner. That's what drives me crazy
about the hole. He's too selfish little ball hockey last year,
but I thought there was a reason for the ball hoggedness.
(20:54):
The fact that he was playing selfless and turning on
the selfishness when he needed to. That's the stuff that
gets me all hot and bothered. Man. It's why I
don't want to trade him. It's why I understand trading him.
If he's just going to sit out all the time,
I get it. It's a worthwhile conversation. He can't not play,
and then you just hold on for dear life to
the dream. But the dream I saw it last night
(21:17):
and that's why we hold on. And that's why he's
box office as well. That's what we got to see
last night, because that's the number one reason I would
not want to see him go. Now we have another player,
Like I said, this box office in his own way.
But as far as La mellow Ball, he's a seat filler.
We've talked about it all the time. People when he
goes to other arenas, they want to see him play.
And so when he's healthy and when he's playing and
when he's you know, happy in his element. Man, Like
(21:39):
I said, there's not many other players that are as
fun to watch as he is. Monroelera saying it's nice
to see him playing well. It's just nice to see
him playing well at all. Yeah, no doubt about it.
Buck had said. Also, all of his threes, they were
all on two feet, right, but it's been on ten
toe ten toe threes.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
That that's the fact that.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
One of the great commercials from LaMelo Ball back when
he was box office all the time. Let's get to
the game day dubs. I got a lot. It's we're
doing about five different shows at one time. That's what
makes No Rules Friday great. The who, the what, the win,
the where, the why. Let's start with the who here West?
Who does this game mean most? To some people on
the text line just going all encompassing saying Tampa Bay.
(22:21):
I think was Greg who had it saying it means
the most to Tampa. I was looking at an individual figure.
I'll go first. I think there are plenty of guys
that you can choose, but I won't eight mile it.
I think it's Todd Bowles. I think after that rant
that he went on with his team free falling in
the second half of the season, where you do have expectations,
and what he's been doing. He's been treading water in
(22:43):
a week division for quite some time, where the most
wins that he has as a division winner is ten
throughout the regular season. He even won the division as
an eight to nine ball club. You just feel like
this was supposed to be the team that graduated into
a space where they were a division no matter what
division you'd put him in, and they still have to
rely on a weak NFC South surrounding them in order
(23:07):
to get the job done. The fact that you've lost
to every good team, now you've lost to a couple
of bad teams in Atlanta and New Orleans. Baker, may
you have talent. We're gonna do the top ten. A
lot of Buccaneers on my list, man, they got talent.
I think if they continue to free fall the way
that they are, and this is a big time game
(23:27):
that if Tampa loses man Todd Bowles, he's gonna be
on the hot seat this offseason.
Speaker 4 (23:31):
If we were to go with which team, I would
go with Tampa only because it's a win. They're more
in win now than the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers, as
we keep saying on here, not necessarily supposed to be here,
not necessarily a team we thought, you know, was going
to be in a position like this at this juncture
of the season. But if you want to go individual,
I will go to coach Dave Canalis. We've been talking
(23:52):
about it. He's had a couple of opportunities this year.
We want to see, are you a big game coach,
can you go in your bag in a big game
and get a big victory for the can of Panthers. Yes,
he's done it against the Green Bay Packers in the
LA Rams, but those are games where you were playing
with house money. Now we want to see you when
the pressure is on. We've seen you falter against the
New Orleans Saints, so we want to see you now
in a position division on the line. Yeah, you are
(24:14):
a little bit ahead of schedule, but can you show
us that you are a guy that Carolina Panthers fence
can look to in a future and say we're going
to win a game.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
Because of that guy.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
Five for twelve says if we sweep Tampa, Carolina Reaper
gets Bowls fired. Big Cat Dan agrees with you by
bringing up Dave Canalis as being the guy that this
game means the most.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
Too.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Now that we've already given our answer, just the other
figures that could be in play here. Baker Mayfield, with
the way that he's been playing. Bryce Young is another
name that you could bring up here. I think both
of those guys also are at play because of Baker's
disdain for Carolina and Bryce Young just continuing to need
to build his resume towards contract extension conversations. Okay, what's
(24:57):
the stat that matters most in this matter?
Speaker 3 (25:00):
Again? I got one for you.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
The Bucks defense has been eviscerated. This is from ESPN,
by the way, quote the Bucks defense has been eviscerated
by QB since Week twelve, allowing almost eleven hundred passing
yards and eight touchdowns, with Kirk Cousins just posting twenty
seven fantasy points against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense just
last week. They've been bad against the pass against a
(25:22):
team like Carolina, who doesn't put up the greatest passing
stats in the world outside of Atlanta. The second time around,
you had a great game passing against the Rams. But
even so, it's not like you look at the box
score and think that they looked like it was Kurt
Warner and Isaac Bruce out there. So is this a
game where you can be I don't know, towards the
(25:42):
top in passing production. Is this a game where you
can look at the box score and you can see, oh,
this is one of Bryce's highest passing totals that he's
had all season long. I think that's at play. I
think that's the stat I'm looking at first and foremost I.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
Would look at I'll flip it on the other side
when you talk about pass defenses, especially with the Buccaneers
having their full onslaught of weapons, Mike Evans, christgott On,
Jayla McMillan, the Makeup book are all healthy and playing
in this game, and the Carolina Panthers are twenty fourth
and opponents yards per completion. They've got to be able
to limit big plays because last week Bacon Mayfield complete
(26:15):
the more passes, the fifteen or more yards downfield than
he has in the previous six games. He's going to
be salivated looking at this Panthers second day, especially if J. C.
Horn is not able to play, Not that that would matter,
but he is going to be But he is definitely
going to be looking at this second day as one
day they can you know, almost kind of get right
(26:36):
and continue their momentum on. So that's what I'm going
to look at for this game from a stat perspective.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Just checking in on some texts, Lemon says, come on, man,
they've been injured all over the place. I guess he's
talking about Todd Bowles. He's going to be on the
hot seat because no one ever wanted him as a
coach to begin with. So or maybe this is is
this Dave he was the boy wonder type. Oh, if
he was the boy wonder type, I got you, man.
It's not great in Tampa right now.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
I don't think he's on a hot seat right now, though,
I think he's earning too much good will. I think
next year the seat will start to get hot. Oh.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
I think if he ends the season having not reached
the postseason, Oh, there are gonna be people that want
him fired.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
I I just don't think that they will not this year.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
I think I think that heat will travel with him
the next he'll be a man running with the volcano
lava behind him as he's sprinting down the line.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
I think we agree on it.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
If the Buccaneers missed the playoffs, that's a hot seat, yes,
and he'll still be sitting on it. But it's going
to be hurting his booty. Yeah, that's how hot it
is to get a brand. Let's fill in the blank
here for this win question is this is when blank
gets back on track. I'll take the low hanging fruit
here for my guy. I would like Tim Mac to
(27:47):
get back on track because you have seen the last
three games, he's just not been targeted as much. They
have been passing a whole lot, and when Bryce Showing
is passing, you have seen him go to Coker because
of some of the attention that t Mack is getting.
But this is a Tampa Bay by Years team. As
I just mentioned, they're allowing a lot of passing yards.
You have two rookie cornerbacks out there. Actually, what's been
under discussed is that they've actually been pretty good, the
(28:08):
rookie corners. They're good. But Team Act to me, hey,
if you are what Walker Male thinks you are, and
you are the rookie of the year, then it would
be great for you to go out and play like
it in a game where they need you. It would
be fantastic for Team Mac to go for big catches,
give us a touchdown, whatever, Just be productive, step up
when your name is called. I think this is the
(28:30):
game where all of the ingredients, all of the signs
are there for Team Act to get back on track.
And I have enough faith in his ability to believe
that he will do it. I will go in this game.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
I think this game has the potential to be high scoring,
and I know that Baker, they talked about his off
target percentages the last couple of weeks, his worst two
game stretch of the season. I know that AC joint
is probably banging and it doesn't take but one hard
throw to do it. But I do expect Backa Mayfield
to play well in this game, So I think that
it'll be and he gets back on track. But I
(29:01):
still that's not to say that I think Tampa will win.
But I do think that this is going to be
a gain that's going to have some fireworks on both sides, yet.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Not a lot of pass rush to hurt that AC joint. Yeah,
if they can, great, but you're not expecting the Panthers
to put a lot of pass rush to hurt that
AC joint. Where where are the biggest hurdles for each
team to clear? For both Tampa and Carolina, I'll go
to one specific category. I'll just go right there at
the red zone for both teams. For the Buccaneers, it's
(29:29):
the red zone defense. For the Panthers it's the red
zone offense. I'm cheating a little bit with the stats
that we just referenced a little while ago, but I
thought this one was important to note here Wes, the
Bucks once lauded red zone defense is surrendering over surrendering
over seventy two percent red zone efficiency rating two opponents.
That's the worst in the Bulls era as head coach
(29:49):
from twenty twenty three to twenty twenty five and defensive
coordinator from twenty nineteen to twenty twenty two. So this
is very uncharacteristic of a Todd Bowles led defense. The
fact that they are allowing so many touchdowns in the
red zone. In terms of drives, almost twenty seven percent
of drives have ended in touchdowns. That's also the worst
of the Bulls era and eighth worst in the league.
(30:11):
That number jumps up to thirty five and a half
percent in the fourth quarter. So to summarize, not only
are they allowing a lot of points once teams get
into the red zone, but they're allowing them at the
exact worst time in the fourth quarter. That's when they
all buckle, even when they weren't playing all that well
in the first three quarters. The problem is, do you
have faith that the Panthers can take advantage of it?
(30:31):
Because things are not going well offensively in the red
zone around here Wes. Panthers are twenty six in red
zone offense overall this season, scoring a touchdown on just
over fifty percent of the time in the last three games.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
It's even worse.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
How about twenty five percent touchdown rate over the last
three games. That's dead last in the league. What gives
this is weakness against weakness? Okay, who can actually prove
this to be a strength or who can take advantage
of the other team's weakness. Can it be the Panthers
offense that actually scores or can it be Tampa's defense
that actually stopped somebody once they get inside the twenty
yard line? Red zone offense slash defense gonna be a
(31:04):
big deal.
Speaker 4 (31:04):
Well, I'm gonna double up my pleasure as well on
the areas I'm going to go to. And it's both
of these teams running games. You look at Tampa Bay,
the twenty second in the NFL right now, one hundred
and thirteen rushing yards per game, and they've been doing
it by committee. And Sean Tucker has been a hot
running back. When you talk about getting the ball into
the end zone, he's been there, catalysts there and you
(31:26):
look at him, he's got five touchdowns in the last
seven games, but they've got to be able to have
a sustained rushing attack. And then I'm going to go
to the Carolina Panthers, who are statistically one of the
better rushing teams in the league. But this is a
copycat league, and the Panthers are coming off a game
against the New Orleans Saints in which Ric Godaldo only
reached three point one yards per carry and Tube Hubbard
only ran for three point six. So I think this game,
(31:48):
to a huge part of it is going to come
down to who can run the football better. Yes, it's
kind of an obvious stat to look at, but whoever
runs the ballweal can control the clock. Whoever runs the
ballwell can control the defense as far as what they
they want to do in the passing attack. So which
team is going to get their run game going in
this one?
Speaker 3 (32:05):
All right?
Speaker 1 (32:06):
We do have enough time for the why why is
this game so important? Both literally and metaphorically? Okay, literally,
it's important because the NFC South title is on the line.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
Facts, Just to update you.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
If the Panthers win, then the whole Cats having nine
lives thing comes to fruition. They give themselves another life
at the very end of the season. But the Panthers
have to win to give themselves another chance at the
NFC South title. If they lose, then they have to
rely on Miami, which I don't know about you. I
don't feel great about relying on Miami period, especially when
(32:41):
quinnyu Weers is just starting a quarterback. Yes, so you
have to have Miami beat Tampa if you lose this
game to Tampa in order to have a shot, and
even then you have to beat Tampa at the very
last game of the season. So that's what's literally on
the line. Metaphorically speaking, what's on the line A lot
respect for Dave canalis job security, to the tune of
(33:02):
not having to sit on a warm seat because it'll
be a little warm if you falter. And I had
somebody right in on the fandal text line here, Hey,
what happens to the Panthers if they lose all these
games to close out the season? Who buddy, you talk
about a four game losing streak. If you update your
resume every week in the NFL, and Dave Canalys's updated
resume going to the offseason is we lost the last
(33:22):
four games after winning seven, and that includes a loss
to the Saints when we could have given ourselves a
shot to get to the postseason. It's not going to
go great. He's not going to get fired. I just
want that to be clear. But there's a lot on
the line for Dave, there's a lot on the line
for Bryce. And if you just want to sum it
up with one word, it's respect. Respects on the line.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
And I think metaphorically too for the Panthers, can you
prove to yourself that you can win at a big spot? Again,
I bring out the fact that, yes, we know that
you are kind of new to this big game thing
because you are young, and because you're ahead of schedule,
But can you prove that you can do it? And
I think that's a big part of it too, because now,
as I said, you've had a few times. We talked
about the Saints again, we talk about the forty Niners
on Monday Night. Yes, the big games that you did win. Again,
(34:03):
you play with house money. People didn't expect it. But
now can you prove it to your sales and with
everything on the line, can you get the victory? It's
something to be said for teams that can do that,
and we know that the franchises. We know the franchises
and organizations that can do that. So can you prove
to yourself that you can start to become that. I
think this is the start of that right now.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
All right, no rules, great game day dubs, man, I
feel like that that was a game day dub. That
was a dub dubbage of a game day dubs. Let's
go to the final segment of the twelve o'clock hour.
But before we do that, let's send it to flound
DZ for what I assume basal neogenics college football injury report.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
What you got over there, flound.
Speaker 5 (34:45):
You would assume, right, walker, neogenics where all you have
to lose is the pain. Let's go to the game
availability report for tonight's game in the college football Playoff
for Alabama.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
Guy that will be out, Cameron Hayward.
Speaker 5 (35:01):
The defensive back linebacker Jean Marien Latham will not play
in this game.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Defensive back Drake Kirkpatrick Junior. What that makes you feel?
Speaker 3 (35:10):
Old? I don't know that one. That one hurts you
see it all the time. That one. I don't know.
He made it to the league.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
He was still in Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
I'm sorry, you're right, that's a.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Crazy one, even for me.
Speaker 5 (35:25):
I remember Drake Kirkpatrick playing lt Overton the defensive lineman out,
that's a big one. Kevin Riley the running back, and
the defensive lineman Jeremiah Beaman. Meanwhile, tight end Josh Quavas
is listed as probable for this game, so that's a
big get for the Alabama Crimson Tide. For Oklahoma guys
(35:47):
that are out, Gentry Williams the defensive back, Kendall Dolby
the defensive back, another defensive back in Jeremiah Newcombe, so
that's an area that you might want to watch tonight.
An offensive lineman Troy Everett as well as offensive lineman
Jake mcoola, who is listed as doubtful so.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
It doesn't look like he's gonna play either.
Speaker 5 (36:06):
That's your Neogenics college football injury report. And by the way,
we do have an injury report coming up from the Panthers.
They officially put out their injury report, so why don't
why don't we bring it back from break with that
as you guys will find out who's available for this
game against Tampa and who won't be available.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
It's good producer, mine, that's a tease. That's what you
call teas in the business. Plenty more Western Walker Sports
Radio ninety two to seven WFNZ. Panthers head coach Dave
Canal is speaking with media right now. We'll give you
(36:48):
an injury report on Western Walker Sports Radio ninety two
to seven WFNZ. The Panthers' injury report is that Trevin
Wallace is going to miss this game. He is out
with a shoulder injury. Somebody that was injured maybe a
couple of games ago, came back starting linebacker. Of course,
now he's out. Will not suit up against Tampa, nor
will Turk Wharton with a hamstring injury. We saw Turk
(37:09):
was banged up with this hamstring injury, so he's going
to miss another game.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
Ikey Ekwanu is questionable.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
We expected this, Dave Canalis said, it looks like Ikey
is going to be a game time decision with that
knee injury that he suffered.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
Again.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
Terrible timing, just like we saw with the appendicitis now here.
We have terrible timing with Ikey Kwanu possibly missing this
game against Tampa with a knee injury, and David Moore,
who is questionable for this game. He was activated to return,
so he's questionable with that elbow injury. The blown up elbow,
as we discussed, a blown up most sounds terrible, looks
(37:45):
like ucl issue there again. Ikey was limited today at practice,
but Ikey Ekwanu, David Moore questionable, Trevin Wallace, Turk Wharton
out with their injuries. I think, outside of Vicky, which
we are ready discussed yesterday, if Icky misses this game,
it's big and it doesn't mean that he's the best
pass protecting left tackle in the world. It just means
(38:07):
that he's the Panthers best left tackle. And he has
had a good season outside of two of the last
three games and at the very beginning of the season.
Still I think a good player. The questionable stuff around him,
no pun intended with questionable. The questionable stuff around him
is how much money do you want to give him
to be your franchise left tackle? Don't want him to
(38:27):
be that. That's where the questions come in. But still
a good player. Turk Borton being out is a big
deal to me. I think you saw if Derek Brown
is getting all of this attention, you would like somebody
else to be able to eat inside, especially pass rush.
I think Ashon Robinson has had a nice year, but
I'd like to have that rotation of those four guys Ashan,
Derek Turk, Bobby Brown, and to not have one of
(38:50):
them a guy that you spend a lot of money on.
It's a big deal in a division rivalry game. Yeah,
like you said, that's the big.
Speaker 3 (38:56):
Thing is the depth.
Speaker 4 (38:57):
And he is a guy that can provide some flash
play on that defensive line, So you want that as well.
You know, anytime you got a cat that can get
into the backfield and cause a little bit of a ruckus,
you always welcome that. And then, like you said, the
depth man to be able to have guns, to be
able to get a rest during the game, especially if
the offense hits a spart where you know they're having
a tough go of things, you want to be able
(39:17):
to have some depth.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Linebacker issues are here too. I mean, we've known that
the linebacker position has been one of the biggest weaknesses
for Carolina all season longs I know Trevin Wallace. That
does mean that Claude and Chaerilists will start in place
of Trevin Wallace. We've seen some action from him already.
I think a pretty solid backup linebacker. You'd rather have
your starter. But in terms of hey, can we get
(39:39):
some solid play and can you still win with them?
I don't think substituting chaeritlist for Trevin Wallace is a
doomsday scenario where Okay, now I'm going to change my
entire opinion on this game Ikey. Not having an Ikey
out there might change your entire opinion on this game.
Left tackle, I don't know if you know this important
position on football. Fill it certainly is.
Speaker 4 (40:02):
And like you said, when you talk your backup having
such a severe drop off, it does alter a lot
of what you want to do. Like we talk about
how in Bryce's best games and when this offense has thrived,
you know, Bryce has had a high yards per attempt.
We talked about him being in a ten yards per
temp range against the Rams, also against the Falcons as well.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
And this is a Panthers team.
Speaker 4 (40:26):
When you talk passing yards per attempt, they rank near
the bottom of the NFL. And when you're missing a
left tackle with the team that obviously they have a
decent pass rush and that's certainly something they're going to
want to exploit. Well. That can affect how aggressive you
want to be when you've got a guy on your
left side, especially the quarterbacks blindside, that you do not trust,
and also a quarterback that you know of his flaws
(40:49):
that when he does get sacked, he does have a
propensity sometimes to cop that ball up.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
It's a great point, in the fact that I hate
hearing it, but it is a great point. Ball Yeah, yeah, Bryce,
hold on to it, you know, I will say it
has it seems like he's done a much better job
at holding onto the football lately, and it's because he's
been avoiding sacks.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
I actually saw it.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
I think I liked it to prep myself for today's show.
I actually was doing work for today's show. Shocker, Right,
I'm a professional. But there was a stat about quarterbacks
and what sacks they're responsible for. Right, A lot of
people consider sacks to be a quarterback stat. I think
it's both offensive line and quarterback stat. But you see, Yeah,
so there are four quarterbacks that are responsible for sixty
(41:31):
percent of their own sacks this season. It's Josh Allen,
It's Aaron Rodgers, It's Dylan Gabriel, and it's Kirk Cousins.
Where does Bryce Young fall on this list. By the way,
Bryce Young only responsible for thirty six percent of the
sacks that he's taken, pretty good mark. Compared to all
the other quarterbacks in the league. It is more towards
the bottom. So I think to me, that's a lot
(41:55):
to do with coaching. Where we know about Dave Canal
is preaching two things, being named the head coach of
the squad. It's all about the ball. We've heard that.
I'm sure they have that slogan all over the place,
like live laugh, Love's take care of the ball all
over there at Bank of America Stadium. And it's also
get the ball out of your hands every two and
(42:15):
a half seconds, like two and a half seconds, hey man,
that internal clock got to be ticking. Gotta be ticking,
get rid of the football. And I think that actually
one hurts Bryce's ability to progress. Like it's first read
check down scramble. You've seen him actually not hit his
second read. I saw that stat as well for Bryce.
So it's first read, check down scramble and he's just
(42:38):
not taken any sacks that are his faults. So just
some interesting like coach slash QB dynamics.
Speaker 4 (42:43):
For one, let me start and say that you've now
ruined that sign anytime I see it in someone's home.
I'm going to laugh now just thinking about that, because
it is kind of a cliche sign that you see,
live laugh love.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
Look, it's a safe space, people.
Speaker 1 (42:56):
Can you just go ahead and text us if that
sign exists somewhere in your yes, like it's okay.
Speaker 6 (43:01):
Because you probably more than likely weren't the one that
got it. It's and it's okay, it's and if you did,
I just want to know it's a safe space. Just
let me know if you have the live laugh Love
sign in your home seven oh four or five seven.
Speaker 4 (43:13):
And it's interesting because that's something I want to have
a discussion about because there's been a lot of chattering.
Speaker 3 (43:18):
Now, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (43:18):
I'm sure you probably saw the footage of Kirk Cousins
talking about coverages and progressions, and so it sounds to
me like, you know, Bryce Young is doing what Kirk
Cousins was talking about. What he's cutting the field down
in half and then he's looking at it in that
manner first read, check down or run to.
Speaker 3 (43:35):
Be able to do that.
Speaker 4 (43:36):
So I thought that was interesting you brought that up
because that's been a lot of chatter going on this week.
Speaker 3 (43:40):
Yeah, so just talked about it too.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
Yeah, I mean, and it's we're getting good answers from
qbs when they're asking about the philosophy on why QB
play has changed so much. We're not getting the gaudy stats.
That's the exactly way up I have that years ago.
So yeah, just it was I think it's San Francisco
if I'm not mistaken, but it was SF Data nine
ers on Twitter. You know, you can get a little
(44:04):
too lost in the sauce here, but I was feeling
extra staty on this Friday, so I brought a few
to the table. But you see Bryce Young when it
comes to throwing on his first read, which is by
far the overwhelming majority of what qbs do throw on
their first read. It makes sense, right, Bryce Young is
throwing on his first read fifty four percent of the time,
second read only three point seven. Like that is way
(44:26):
down there. I don't think it's dead last, but it's
way down there in terms of throwing to your second read.
But check down, he's doing that almost twenty percent of
the time, and he's scrambling almost twenty percent of the time.
I imagine the scrambles have gone up. He's been scrambling
a little bit more here recently. So just interesting in
terms of marrying that with Dave Canal is always preaching
get rid of the football. When you get rid of
the football after two and a half seconds, good things happen,
(44:48):
or more importantly, bad things don't happen. I think that
you're just avoiding disaster, which then I also think leads
to the counter of us asking Dave, let's.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
Open it up a little bit, man, let's take some chances.
Speaker 4 (44:59):
Right.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
If it's not a set your feet, drop back, throw
a go ball to the sideline, then the only other
deep plays that we get is when Bryce avoids pressure
and scrambles and plays point guard. Are there any other
deep plays in the bag or a part of the plan.
And if we don't have that, then sometimes you're susceptible. Yeah,
no doubt about it. And so we'll see in this game.
Speaker 4 (45:21):
But yeah, Bryce has been doing a much better job,
and so that does make the job of the left
tackle that much more important than this game.
Speaker 3 (45:27):
So hopefully I can go all right, we don't have
as many games.
Speaker 1 (45:30):
I do want to get to the campus corner, though,
we also have to read the Live Laugh Live participation.
Sweet Cheek says, I am a woman. That love Laugh
sign is not an our home. That type of home
decor is so cringe to me. Biggie Small says, Yep,
we definitely have it in our bathroom. Joseph and Rockhall says,
that was my dad's best man speech to my wife
(45:51):
eighteen years ago. Live Laugh Love. Tim and Statesville says,
a friend of mine's wife has a tattooed on her forearm.
Wow always with her in case you forgot.
Speaker 3 (46:01):
He's all in with it.
Speaker 1 (46:02):
You need to live, you need to laugh, and you
need to love everything. You go ahead, well just say
it if you forgot here it is on my fore Yeah.
Every day you just get hit with something new.
Speaker 4 (46:10):
And I just didn't expect the onslaught for uh have
laugh loved all right?
Speaker 5 (46:14):
You know?
Speaker 1 (46:15):
Camp we have laugh love during the break people Campus
counta come up next, West and Walker. Listen to the
West and Walker Show Sweeties from noon to three only on.
Speaker 3 (46:24):
Sports Radio ninety two point seven FM ufn C
Speaker 4 (46:28):
The official home of the Charlotte Sports Fan
Only off Sports Radio ninety two point seven half m
got with u fn.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Zay fine, he's the Western Walker Show.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Even a crowd knows what's coming there.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
You got a jam pack no rules Friday edition of
Western Walker Sports Radio ninety two to seven WFNZ. We'll
bring you updates on Bowl games Western Michigan, kinnisas state
from murder Bates.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Baby, we got a bunch going on right behind us
and right in front of us with the Panthers Tampa
Bay Buccaneers game at the Bank. It's a big one
NFC South title on the line. Who buddy, We got
a lot to get to on Western Walker Sports Radio
ninety two to seven WFNZ. And just as a reminder,
we are broadcasting live from the Chandler vaulta studio CV
Injury Law dot Com. CV Injury Law dot Com one
(00:59):
called that's all the Carolina's personal injury lawyers.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
And if you want to write in you can FanDuel.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Text line seven oh four five seven oh ninety six ten,
seven oh four five seven oh ninety six ten. The
answer to NASCAR Brad's question on the FanDuel text line
is yes, you can get a birthday shout out Happy Friday,
Happy birthday to a p one, to a loyal listener,
to our guy NASCAR Brad, Happy birthday to you many today.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Yeah, man, we're here to sell. We're here to celebrate
your birthday.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
I do have a question for yous before we pull
up to the scene and open up the doors and
get off the bus and all of that. How jealous
are you right now that you're not covering the Myrtle
Beach bowl? Yes, that'd be you know what your fine.
I know the land very well. You know, I could
have driven down there. I could have been rolling around
doing my thing, you know. So, uh, those guys are
having a good time. But you know, someone be here
before you know it. What are back on the beach?
(01:51):
I want to know what Myrtle Beach is to everyone.
That's the question that I want to know, Like, what
is it to you? Because to me, it just represents
a degenerate, earlier time in that one.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Oh yeah, no, I see that meaning that to you
because I was going to tell you too that at
the at the place that we stayed, they told us
how the Currys used to come there for every summer
and they used to always stay there as well.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
They become multiple summers. Sounds like a pretty bougie place.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Man. It sounds like remember Jelly Road was staying in
our hotel. It sounds you know what, that's right, because
we have this conversation every once in a while. Yes,
we've upgrade, We've come a long way. We definitely use
Myrtle Beach as a barometer of how far we've come
because when we used to go, we used to stay
in you know, the hotels that had the pictures that
look good, but then you get in there and it's
not that great. And then some of the a lot
(02:38):
of people that stay in there you kind of you know,
a little seedy, you know what I mean. But now
you know, we stay in a place where you know,
valet every time we pull in, and it's very nice.
They know us by you know, we have great relationships
with the workers there.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
That's that.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Uh oh, those are the Boogie Bryant. Yeah, grand deal.
That's right.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Then tease me about my cars when I'll pull up,
because I've had different ones pretty much every year.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
And y'all call me, how is this my reputation? How
I stayed here? I stayed at the reef and I
stayed at the Sea Dip, and there's also a time
now I did make a big stink about it with
the buddies because there's just no way that we should
have stayed there for longer than what we did. But
I did stay at the Super eight Motel in Myrtle Beach,
(03:23):
and it was the worst place by far. There's not
a close second. It was the worst spot of all
time that I've ever stayed going on a trip Super
eight Motel where there was a stain on the mattress
that was to the side of what the actual bed was.
And then we felt like the Sea Dip. Okay, the
Sea Dip was a monster upgrade. I mean it might
(03:45):
as well have been. We might have well stayed at
the Biltmore on Myrtle Beach the way that that was
an upgrade and the reef and it wasn't bad. But
those are the places I stay. So the Myrtle Beach
means very very different things to both them.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Std Island. Yeah, we stay on the Marina and the
Marina and Grand Doome. It sounds extremely nice, it sounds
it sounds very nice, but dirty Myrtle fun rocking rope trips.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
All right, So I need to know what Myrtle Beach
means to you. D two Kicker says, I absolutely love
Myrtle Beach. Started going there as a kid. I did
a couple of rounds of spring break down there. See
your weeks there. I went as a junior and as
a postgrad and always had a blast.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Have not been in a while. It means golf for
plaque typo. Yeah, I've taken a It's a vibe place
to me too, though, like Miami. When I go to Miami,
it's just a vibe when you can get that. Myrtle
Beach is the same way Moody Panther. It's just dirty
Myrtle to me, fair enough and just keep it simple.
Wesley says, Myrtle Beach is the initial party spot for everyone.
(04:49):
Joey from Huntersville, Dirty Myrtle. Give me Pauley's Island or
Cherry Grove. Cherry Grove popular spot North Myrtle for sure.
And I did go on a golf trip one time
and it was quite nice. That was awesome, And there's
something for everybody, whether you're going on a family trip
with kids or an adult or whatever the case may be.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
There's a little something for everybody. PSL. Smith.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
North Myrtle's not bad. South Myrtle is trash. Yeah, it's
funny because North Myrtle it's it's nice enough. It just
feels like such a big difference from the further south
you go. It's like, oh man, this really is the
nicest of establishments that exist around the area. So let
us know, because Senior Week is what it means to me.
(05:30):
All of the graffiti shirts where people are just acting
an absolute fool out there on the beach, in the streets,
nobody given a damn.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
You guys know what it means to me.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
I think I think most of the people, including Mac
apparently with some of those drops. I don't know anything
about STD Island. Yeah, I don't know anything about that
side of a tough expance, A fun but probably tough expance.
Fun on the front end, yeah, a little disappointing on
the back end, buddy. I mean, anyways, let's move on.
Let's pull up to the scene, clean, open up the doors,
(06:01):
no rules, Friday, Let's get off the bus. Flound dog,
go ahead and hit a bus driver.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
We looked good getting off the bus.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
We have come to find bad football games and good
football games, bad and good games period in sports, as
either a stinker or a stinker, and last night, Thursday
Night Football gave us an absolute stinker one for the ages.
In fact, I saw this on Twitter floating around my timeline.
Is it the best Thursday Night football game of all time?
(06:35):
I think it's up there. It's in contention for it.
The fact that the Seahawks had to score a couple
of touchdowns and two to two point conversions, one of
which was absolutely bonkers, only because Zach Charboney decided to
pick up a football after the play was blown dead.
By the way turns out of one dead, turns out
it wasn't. But Nicola does not agree with you, No
(06:55):
he doesn't. And he needs to stop tweeting. He needs
to stop doing anything on the internet right now. Pookah,
Like my man, you just went and he probably feels
invincible after the crazy week he had, and then he
goes for two twenty five of a couple of touchdowns.
Either way, he needs to stop going to social media.
But it was a wild game with Matthew Stafford playing well,
Sam Donald playing bad and then extremely well and then
(07:17):
you see with everything on the line to get the
number one seed in the entire conference between two division
rivals in that stadium where it's always loud. The fact
that the Seahawks pull off the upset with a victory
on a two point conversion to end the game in overtime.
To me, I'll always remember this game as it pertains
(07:37):
the Thursday night football ust.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
To me, this is the game of the year.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
I said last night, I said, I can only hope
that the Super Bowl would be this entertaining.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
You had a little bit of everything.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
You had controversy, you had big plays, you had just
all types of stuff, defensive plays. It was just all
encompassing in this matchup. I mean, what an environment, what
a game it was. I mean, I tweeted during the game,
Sam Arnold going sam Donnald after he threw a second
pick to the wake Forest Demon dickon one time. Though
for Kobe Turner. They did lose, But my man has
(08:07):
turned into an absolute monster on the interior of the
defensive line. He's looking like an all pro Pro Bowl
whatever you want to say. But other than that, I mean,
Matt Stafford was a phenomenal last night, the way that
he was playing. But despite those stats, he had some
empty jobs late in the game where they couldn't get
it done, and the Seahawks they just showed a lot
(08:27):
of resolve. And it's great because they've won now and
then when the forty nine ers beat them next week,
then the forty nine ers would get the one seeds.
The kudos to the Seahawks, Baby, well, enjoy it while
it last, because it's going to end next week. Well,
forty nineers don't play the Seahawks next week, I know,
but they have them at coming up.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
So well, the Panthers.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Play the Seahawks next week, which is where I want
to bring this local because does this mean anything for Carolina?
The fact that Seattle got such an emotional win.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Yeah, I'm cheering for the Panthers too. Let's go, baby,
this is well, you've become Panther West.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
I'm just kidding. You have, not, absolutely not with the
hate that you have every once in a while. But
with the Panthers playing the Seahawks next week, how much
does the win for Seattle matter? Do you take anything
from that result and apply it to the game, Because one,
we still have a game to play this weekend for Carolina.
Monster matchup between Carolina and Tampa Bay with a bunch
on the line between those two teams also, But depending
(09:23):
on what happens here against Tampa, because Carolina could be
coming off of.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
An emotional win or an emotional.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Loss either as possible, does it bode well for Carolina
at home where you have a similar kickoff time like
you had.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
With what the Rams had with it being ten am.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Is there a chance that you might have another upset
where maybe the Panthers beat a couple NFC West Division
opponents at the bank when they're looking to become the
best team in football. I just wonder if that's going
to help the Panthers at all. Yeah, I mean, it
potentially could.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
And that's another one of those games where people will
look at it as the Panthers having no chance and
they get into this game and mess around, get an upset,
but they've got big, big business to take care of
first and foremo.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Yeah, I'm hoping Panthers can capitalize on that, but they
have to capitalize on the Tampa Bay game this weekend first,
and so we'll get to some of that. But there
was another game that happened last night that was a
lot of fun. It might have been the best Hornets
performance that we've seen all season long. If we got
the best Thursday night football game last night, we also
got the best Hornets performance last night. All of them
are healthy, All the I guess pillars of the organization
(10:27):
were healthy. We still don't have Colin Sexton. That's kind
of frustrating because he's supposed to be an important piece.
But LaMelo he returned and we actually got distressed asset
point guard edition of Hornets Hawks last night with both
Trey Young and LaMelo Ball playing in this game, and
clearly Lamello was the better basketball player by far coming
(10:47):
in on what was supposed to be a minutes restriction.
Don't know how true that was with him playing close
to thirty minutes, but he bawled out last night. Wes
eight three pointers made, He had seven. I believe in
the first half. He was absolutely Redics went cold a
little bit shooting, just didn't shoot nearly as much. Being
cold implies that he shot and missed a lot. He
just didn't take a lot of field goal attempts until
(11:09):
the very end of this game, where he scored the
last seven for the Hornets to put this game on ice.
And that's alongside thirteen assists. That's alongside con continuing to
never miss. It's alongside Brandon Miller, who looked the part.
He came up with close to thirty points last night.
That trio on the floor by far the best offensive
performance specifically that we have seen from Charlotte to this point.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
And that's what makes you sick right there.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
That's what keeps pulling me back, like CHINGI, I just
can't quit this freaking team. I can't quit LaMelo, especially
if we talk about him morphing into what his best
self is, facilitating at a high level, playing like a
natural point guard that can take over at times and
did with the seven point run that he went on himself.
(11:56):
I mean being at the game watching the Hornet score
eighty points in the first half West That was a
record for most points scored at home in the first
half in franchise history. That's the kind of thing that
makes you a sick Hornets fan.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
It is, and it's such a fun team when you
look at them on paper, and then when you see
them come together and play games like this, Like you said, Walker,
it does make it tough to quit him because you
got the best of LaMelo. You saw Konko Nipple at
the height of his powers. You saw Brandon Miller. I mean,
everybody looked great last night. I mean that's one of
those games. If you had never seen a Hornets play
in your life and you came to watch them, You're like,
(12:30):
oh my god, this team is phenomenal.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
That you show the aliens that make it to Earth.
Who is this team? Team?
Speaker 4 (12:37):
It's fantastic. But Brandon Miller dunking on Cats. They made
clutch plays late, they got big defensive stops late as well.
And the biggest thing too, is that you could see
the intensity on their faces, the intensity in the way
in which they went about their business. I know on
one of the late possessions when Brandon Miller was checking
Jalen Johnson, I mean he had that look on his
face like a pit boll ready to chew through something.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
He was ready to go.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
And so you know, for this team, That's why I
also have not completely given up, especially when you presented
the scenarios for playing and where they are. I'm like,
if this team can just get healthy and get into
a little bit of a rhythm, I just feel like
that they have the pieces that they can do a
little something man, especially with kan Ko Nipple emerging as
what's looking like a superstar, Like he's not just looking
(13:21):
like a star man, he's looking like he's going to
be a superstar, and especially in relative terms to this
city and what he could mean to this city.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
I don't have any more words for Con. I really don't.
I don't know what to say anymore.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Just even if he's not hitting three pointers every Eric
Collins said it best, everything he touches turns to gold.
There are two possessions last night where Con made a
mistake flat out.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
It wasn't supposed to go his way.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
And what happens is he shoots a heave because of
a terrible offensive possession, and then it ricochets off of
the rim, hits Jalen Johnson goes out of bounds, The
Hornets keep the possession and they score three off of it.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
That's one.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
The second time Con throws a bad lob to Miles
Bridges and Con sticks with it after Jalen Johnson gets
the steal, and then he steals it back.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
It just doesn't matter.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
If he's gonna make a mistake, he sticks with it,
and then he turns a mistake into a positive.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
I really don't have any words. It's wild what we're
watching you.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
You hate to use the term because it's so used,
but he plays the game exactly how it should be played.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
It's crazy. I really don't have words. I'm a radio host.
I'm supposed to have words for you. I'm gonna try
to find him during the break and then we can
come back and I'll tell you what words I found.
We'll also get to the game day dubs, the who,
the what, the when, the where, the why? Who does
this game mean most to? Between the Panthers and the Buccaneers.
I think there are a lot of figures to choose from.
We'll tell you all about it coming up next. West
(14:40):
and Walker Sports Radio ninety two to seven WFNZ. I'm
(15:06):
letting this ride just because anytime Flounder plays this, it
never fails. We get somebody on the Fandel text line
to ask, Hey, what did y'all play? It always feels
good when you get that they're pulling a West Bryant
on the Fandel text line. They do well, you do it?
You used to do it for the one song every
single time. Who's this you would start off every segment?
(15:27):
I think it happened, and I don't want to exaggerate
it at least happened three I think probably four times. Yeah,
it was like he who plays this? Yeah, I would
hit what's that killer Mike new album? Man? That's big Crid.
By the way, Crid, who also is coming out with
a new album. Is that I have not I'm honest.
Why you said you was on sav But this is
what I do. Because I'm about to go to Indianapolis
on Monday. I'm doing the show on Monday, so we'll
(15:49):
recap the Panthers Bucks game. Can't miss a Monday show
for a big game like this. So I'll be doing
the show and then right after the show, high tailing
it straight to the airport and I'll have a couple
of albums that I'll digest. That's the issue, man, is
that sometimes I try to download the pods that I
want to listen to to get ready for it. But
we got some new music. You said Conway dropped. It's
(16:10):
been a while since I've enjoyed a Conway record. Don wait, Twitty,
that's right Conway Twitty. Maybe you know they posthumously is
him having released an album, So shout out to Conway
Twitty and Conway the Machine very different, very different genres.
But I need to check out Conway and then Big
Crit who Big krits the guy that I love and
(16:32):
just don't make an effort to go listen to his
music for no rational reason at all. I think people
maybe be able to relate to this with TV shows.
If we're doing a no Rules Friday on top of
a football Friday, let us know, what's the show that
you enjoy but you just don't go back to as
much as you should for no good reason.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Time gets away?
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Is there a TV show that matches that description for you,
something that you think is legitimately good, but you just
never go back to seven oh four five, seven ninety
six to ten. That's Big Crit to me. Everything he
puts out, Dirty South, that swaying, he's funky. I love
it and I just need to go. I'm gonna do
it for.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
You, Wes. Yeah, you got to check it out. I
think you'll like it a lot.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
It's got a cool little theme about it, and I
think there's a lot of stuff on it you would like.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
All Right, I'm gonna do it. I'll let you know.
I'll give you a recap afterwards. Of Conway twenty as well.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
I mean, sorry Conway the machine seven oh four five,
seven oh ninety six to ten. That's the fandual text
line people writing it about the Hornets a little bit
here before we get to the game day dubs Meyrin
Goodman said, Walker, any NBA starter playing less than thirty
minutes is no doubt on a minute's restriction. Yeah, he's
clearly on a little bit of a minute's restriction. What
I don't know is if it was the twenty five
(17:39):
minute restriction that he was on at the beginning of
his return from the other other injury, or if it
was the thirty minute restriction that he eventually graduated to
at the end of the other other injury. So really
just to clarify that, don't know what it was like,
but it was close to thirty, so it was winning
time and LaMelo showed up during winning time. UH Tourism
(18:01):
tax says, if you look up the video of LaMelo
in high school calling out his teammates for not being
able to guard him, the kid in the hoodie is
the one he hit the late three on last night
Full Circle. That's right. Nyekka kung Wu and LaMelo were
teammates in high school. The famous video of LaMelo in
high school. Hey, he really can't guard me. Turn the
camera around. I was looking for that video to tweet
it out, couldn't find it and I needed to pay
(18:23):
attention in real time, so it just abandoned the tweet.
But somebody got to it, and of course it went
viral because it is hilarious how full circle it is.
And by the way, Nyeka, it might have been all
fun and games at the beginning of the game, but
then Nyeka got real mad at LaMelo.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
It felt like because.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
LaMelo was plucking him, yeah, straight up, hit threes in
his face, and then he hit a shot at the
cup right next to a kong Wu and then he
mean mugs him, flexes on him, and a kung Wu
turns to the ref and points to him like, hey,
can you get what.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Are you doing on? Kane said's kind of stop please
can you tell me?
Speaker 4 (18:58):
I mean, it was hilarious to see that moment come
fullser Yeah, it was, man, And it's just fun to
see LaMelo playing well because with all of the talk
that's been going on with him, you wonder if he
hears any of it. You wonder if he, you know,
is feeling some of it, and hopefully he does to
the way that just making him play better like this,
I mean, twenty eight with thirteen assists. You can't ask
for more than that. And the way that he shot
(19:19):
the ball. So that's the biggest thing I was glad
to see last night was just LaMelo out there being
the LaMelo that we love and that we don't want
to see leave.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yes, that and to me, he can morph more than
John Morant can, more than Trey Young can because he
can shoot. The other two they can't shoot. And the
weird thing is trade Trey just I tweeted this out
last night too. Okay, Trey Young's returning Hawks for the
most part, had been better without him. They've been sliding
a little bit, but we'll see if Trey Young kind
(19:48):
of eases himself into the offense. First shot of the game,
it's a forty footer, Yeah, from the parking lot. That's
what he's gonna do. Five from distance. By the way,
was Trey Young, Lamello. He was excellent, and he was
excellent in a way that seems sustainable where he gets
everybody else involved. And LaMelo said the right stuff. Last night.
You pointed it out before we hopped on the mic.
(20:09):
He said, it's a lot of fun I had. He
mentioned that a couple times. I had a ton of
fun out there on the court. You could see it.
And he said, I wasn't pressing, I wasn't forcing up shots.
I trusted to my teammates. I think that's very different
from what we've seen when he's playing the G leaguers
and what we're seeing now with Con and Brandon out
there just passing up He still has some step back threes.
(20:32):
That's okay, Like that makes you dangerous. People have to
pay attention. You pay attention to you on that stuff.
But he's also go back and watch. He's finding open
shooters in the corner. He's passing up open shots, two
fine guys in the corner. That's what drives me crazy
about the hole. He's too selfish little ball hockey last year,
but I thought there was a reason for the ball hoggedness.
(20:54):
The fact that he was playing selfless and turning on
the selfishness when he needed to. That's the stuff that
gets me all hot and bothered. Man. It's why I
don't want to trade him. It's why I understand trading him.
If he's just going to sit out all the time,
I get it. It's a worthwhile conversation. He can't not play,
and then you just hold on for dear life to
the dream. But the dream I saw it last night
(21:17):
and that's why we hold on. And that's why he's
box office as well. That's what we got to see
last night, because that's the number one reason I would
not want to see him go. Now we have another player,
Like I said, this box office in his own way.
But as far as La mellow Ball, he's a seat filler.
We've talked about it all the time. People when he
goes to other arenas, they want to see him play.
And so when he's healthy and when he's playing and
when he's you know, happy in his element. Man, Like
(21:39):
I said, there's not many other players that are as
fun to watch as he is. Monroelera saying it's nice
to see him playing well. It's just nice to see
him playing well at all. Yeah, no doubt about it.
Buck had said. Also, all of his threes, they were
all on two feet, right, but it's been on ten
toe ten toe threes.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
That that's the fact that.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
One of the great commercials from LaMelo Ball back when
he was box office all the time. Let's get to
the game day dubs. I got a lot. It's we're
doing about five different shows at one time. That's what
makes No Rules Friday great. The who, the what, the win,
the where, the why. Let's start with the who here West?
Who does this game mean most? To some people on
the text line just going all encompassing saying Tampa Bay.
(22:21):
I think was Greg who had it saying it means
the most to Tampa. I was looking at an individual figure.
I'll go first. I think there are plenty of guys
that you can choose, but I won't eight mile it.
I think it's Todd Bowles. I think after that rant
that he went on with his team free falling in
the second half of the season, where you do have expectations,
and what he's been doing. He's been treading water in
(22:43):
a week division for quite some time, where the most
wins that he has as a division winner is ten
throughout the regular season. He even won the division as
an eight to nine ball club. You just feel like
this was supposed to be the team that graduated into
a space where they were a division no matter what
division you'd put him in, and they still have to
rely on a weak NFC South surrounding them in order
(23:07):
to get the job done. The fact that you've lost
to every good team, now you've lost to a couple
of bad teams in Atlanta and New Orleans. Baker, may
you have talent. We're gonna do the top ten. A
lot of Buccaneers on my list, man, they got talent.
I think if they continue to free fall the way
that they are, and this is a big time game
(23:27):
that if Tampa loses man Todd Bowles, he's gonna be
on the hot seat this offseason.
Speaker 4 (23:31):
If we were to go with which team, I would
go with Tampa only because it's a win. They're more
in win now than the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers, as
we keep saying on here, not necessarily supposed to be here,
not necessarily a team we thought, you know, was going
to be in a position like this at this juncture
of the season. But if you want to go individual,
I will go to coach Dave Canalis. We've been talking
(23:52):
about it. He's had a couple of opportunities this year.
We want to see, are you a big game coach,
can you go in your bag in a big game
and get a big victory for the can of Panthers. Yes,
he's done it against the Green Bay Packers in the
LA Rams, but those are games where you were playing
with house money. Now we want to see you when
the pressure is on. We've seen you falter against the
New Orleans Saints, so we want to see you now
in a position division on the line. Yeah, you are
(24:14):
a little bit ahead of schedule, but can you show
us that you are a guy that Carolina Panthers fence
can look to in a future and say we're going
to win a game.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
Because of that guy.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
Five for twelve says if we sweep Tampa, Carolina Reaper
gets Bowls fired. Big Cat Dan agrees with you by
bringing up Dave Canalis as being the guy that this
game means the most.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
Too.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Now that we've already given our answer, just the other
figures that could be in play here. Baker Mayfield, with
the way that he's been playing. Bryce Young is another
name that you could bring up here. I think both
of those guys also are at play because of Baker's
disdain for Carolina and Bryce Young just continuing to need
to build his resume towards contract extension conversations. Okay, what's
(24:57):
the stat that matters most in this matter?
Speaker 3 (25:00):
Again? I got one for you.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
The Bucks defense has been eviscerated. This is from ESPN,
by the way, quote the Bucks defense has been eviscerated
by QB since Week twelve, allowing almost eleven hundred passing
yards and eight touchdowns, with Kirk Cousins just posting twenty
seven fantasy points against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense just
last week. They've been bad against the pass against a
(25:22):
team like Carolina, who doesn't put up the greatest passing
stats in the world outside of Atlanta. The second time around,
you had a great game passing against the Rams. But
even so, it's not like you look at the box
score and think that they looked like it was Kurt
Warner and Isaac Bruce out there. So is this a
game where you can be I don't know, towards the
(25:42):
top in passing production. Is this a game where you
can look at the box score and you can see, oh,
this is one of Bryce's highest passing totals that he's
had all season long. I think that's at play. I
think that's the stat I'm looking at first and foremost I.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
Would look at I'll flip it on the other side
when you talk about pass defenses, especially with the Buccaneers
having their full onslaught of weapons, Mike Evans, christgott On,
Jayla McMillan, the Makeup book are all healthy and playing
in this game, and the Carolina Panthers are twenty fourth
and opponents yards per completion. They've got to be able
to limit big plays because last week Bacon Mayfield complete
(26:15):
the more passes, the fifteen or more yards downfield than
he has in the previous six games. He's going to
be salivated looking at this Panthers second day, especially if J. C.
Horn is not able to play, Not that that would matter,
but he is going to be But he is definitely
going to be looking at this second day as one
day they can you know, almost kind of get right
(26:36):
and continue their momentum on. So that's what I'm going
to look at for this game from a stat perspective.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Just checking in on some texts, Lemon says, come on, man,
they've been injured all over the place. I guess he's
talking about Todd Bowles. He's going to be on the
hot seat because no one ever wanted him as a
coach to begin with. So or maybe this is is
this Dave he was the boy wonder type. Oh, if
he was the boy wonder type, I got you, man.
It's not great in Tampa right now.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
I don't think he's on a hot seat right now, though,
I think he's earning too much good will. I think
next year the seat will start to get hot. Oh.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
I think if he ends the season having not reached
the postseason, Oh, there are gonna be people that want
him fired.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
I I just don't think that they will not this year.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
I think I think that heat will travel with him
the next he'll be a man running with the volcano
lava behind him as he's sprinting down the line.
Speaker 3 (27:25):
I think we agree on it.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
If the Buccaneers missed the playoffs, that's a hot seat, yes,
and he'll still be sitting on it. But it's going
to be hurting his booty. Yeah, that's how hot it
is to get a brand. Let's fill in the blank
here for this win question is this is when blank
gets back on track. I'll take the low hanging fruit
here for my guy. I would like Tim Mac to
(27:47):
get back on track because you have seen the last
three games, he's just not been targeted as much. They
have been passing a whole lot, and when Bryce Showing
is passing, you have seen him go to Coker because
of some of the attention that t Mack is getting.
But this is a Tampa Bay by Years team. As
I just mentioned, they're allowing a lot of passing yards.
You have two rookie cornerbacks out there. Actually, what's been
under discussed is that they've actually been pretty good, the
(28:08):
rookie corners. They're good. But Team Act to me, hey,
if you are what Walker Male thinks you are, and
you are the rookie of the year, then it would
be great for you to go out and play like
it in a game where they need you. It would
be fantastic for Team Mac to go for big catches,
give us a touchdown, whatever, Just be productive, step up
when your name is called. I think this is the
(28:30):
game where all of the ingredients, all of the signs
are there for Team Act to get back on track.
And I have enough faith in his ability to believe
that he will do it. I will go in this game.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
I think this game has the potential to be high scoring,
and I know that Baker, they talked about his off
target percentages the last couple of weeks, his worst two
game stretch of the season. I know that AC joint
is probably banging and it doesn't take but one hard
throw to do it. But I do expect Backa Mayfield
to play well in this game, So I think that
it'll be and he gets back on track. But I
(29:01):
still that's not to say that I think Tampa will win.
But I do think that this is going to be
a gain that's going to have some fireworks on both sides, yet.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Not a lot of pass rush to hurt that AC joint. Yeah,
if they can, great, but you're not expecting the Panthers
to put a lot of pass rush to hurt that
AC joint. Where where are the biggest hurdles for each
team to clear? For both Tampa and Carolina, I'll go
to one specific category. I'll just go right there at
the red zone for both teams. For the Buccaneers, it's
(29:29):
the red zone defense. For the Panthers it's the red
zone offense. I'm cheating a little bit with the stats
that we just referenced a little while ago, but I
thought this one was important to note here Wes, the
Bucks once lauded red zone defense is surrendering over surrendering
over seventy two percent red zone efficiency rating two opponents.
That's the worst in the Bulls era as head coach
(29:49):
from twenty twenty three to twenty twenty five and defensive
coordinator from twenty nineteen to twenty twenty two. So this
is very uncharacteristic of a Todd Bowles led defense. The
fact that they are allowing so many touchdowns in the
red zone. In terms of drives, almost twenty seven percent
of drives have ended in touchdowns. That's also the worst
of the Bulls era and eighth worst in the league.
(30:11):
That number jumps up to thirty five and a half
percent in the fourth quarter. So to summarize, not only
are they allowing a lot of points once teams get
into the red zone, but they're allowing them at the
exact worst time in the fourth quarter. That's when they
all buckle, even when they weren't playing all that well
in the first three quarters. The problem is, do you
have faith that the Panthers can take advantage of it?
(30:31):
Because things are not going well offensively in the red
zone around here Wes. Panthers are twenty six in red
zone offense overall this season, scoring a touchdown on just
over fifty percent of the time in the last three games.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
It's even worse.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
How about twenty five percent touchdown rate over the last
three games. That's dead last in the league. What gives
this is weakness against weakness? Okay, who can actually prove
this to be a strength or who can take advantage
of the other team's weakness. Can it be the Panthers
offense that actually scores or can it be Tampa's defense
that actually stopped somebody once they get inside the twenty
yard line? Red zone offense slash defense gonna be a
(31:04):
big deal.
Speaker 4 (31:04):
Well, I'm gonna double up my pleasure as well on
the areas I'm going to go to. And it's both
of these teams running games. You look at Tampa Bay,
the twenty second in the NFL right now, one hundred
and thirteen rushing yards per game, and they've been doing
it by committee. And Sean Tucker has been a hot
running back. When you talk about getting the ball into
the end zone, he's been there, catalysts there and you
(31:26):
look at him, he's got five touchdowns in the last
seven games, but they've got to be able to have
a sustained rushing attack. And then I'm going to go
to the Carolina Panthers, who are statistically one of the
better rushing teams in the league. But this is a
copycat league, and the Panthers are coming off a game
against the New Orleans Saints in which Ric Godaldo only
reached three point one yards per carry and Tube Hubbard
only ran for three point six. So I think this game,
(31:48):
to a huge part of it is going to come
down to who can run the football better. Yes, it's
kind of an obvious stat to look at, but whoever
runs the ballweal can control the clock. Whoever runs the
ballwell can control the defense as far as what they
they want to do in the passing attack. So which
team is going to get their run game going in
this one?
Speaker 3 (32:05):
All right?
Speaker 1 (32:06):
We do have enough time for the why why is
this game so important? Both literally and metaphorically? Okay, literally,
it's important because the NFC South title is on the line.
Speaker 3 (32:16):
Facts, Just to update you.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
If the Panthers win, then the whole Cats having nine
lives thing comes to fruition. They give themselves another life
at the very end of the season. But the Panthers
have to win to give themselves another chance at the
NFC South title. If they lose, then they have to
rely on Miami, which I don't know about you. I
don't feel great about relying on Miami period, especially when
(32:41):
quinnyu Weers is just starting a quarterback. Yes, so you
have to have Miami beat Tampa if you lose this
game to Tampa in order to have a shot, and
even then you have to beat Tampa at the very
last game of the season. So that's what's literally on
the line. Metaphorically speaking, what's on the line A lot
respect for Dave canalis job security, to the tune of
(33:02):
not having to sit on a warm seat because it'll
be a little warm if you falter. And I had
somebody right in on the fandal text line here, Hey,
what happens to the Panthers if they lose all these
games to close out the season? Who buddy, you talk
about a four game losing streak. If you update your
resume every week in the NFL, and Dave Canalys's updated
resume going to the offseason is we lost the last
(33:22):
four games after winning seven, and that includes a loss
to the Saints when we could have given ourselves a
shot to get to the postseason. It's not going to
go great. He's not going to get fired. I just
want that to be clear. But there's a lot on
the line for Dave, there's a lot on the line
for Bryce. And if you just want to sum it
up with one word, it's respect. Respects on the line.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
And I think metaphorically too for the Panthers, can you
prove to yourself that you can win at a big spot? Again,
I bring out the fact that, yes, we know that
you are kind of new to this big game thing
because you are young, and because you're ahead of schedule,
But can you prove that you can do it? And
I think that's a big part of it too, because now,
as I said, you've had a few times. We talked
about the Saints again, we talk about the forty Niners
on Monday Night. Yes, the big games that you did win. Again,
(34:03):
you play with house money. People didn't expect it. But
now can you prove it to your sales and with
everything on the line, can you get the victory? It's
something to be said for teams that can do that,
and we know that the franchises. We know the franchises
and organizations that can do that. So can you prove
to yourself that you can start to become that. I
think this is the start of that right now.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
All right, no rules, great game day dubs, man, I
feel like that that was a game day dub. That
was a dub dubbage of a game day dubs. Let's
go to the final segment of the twelve o'clock hour.
But before we do that, let's send it to flound
DZ for what I assume basal neogenics college football injury report.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
What you got over there, flound.
Speaker 5 (34:45):
You would assume, right, walker, neogenics where all you have
to lose is the pain. Let's go to the game
availability report for tonight's game in the college football Playoff
for Alabama.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
Guy that will be out, Cameron Hayward.
Speaker 5 (35:01):
The defensive back linebacker Jean Marien Latham will not play
in this game.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Defensive back Drake Kirkpatrick Junior. What that makes you feel?
Speaker 3 (35:10):
Old? I don't know that one. That one hurts you
see it all the time. That one. I don't know.
He made it to the league.
Speaker 2 (35:19):
He was still in Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
I'm sorry, you're right, that's a.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Crazy one, even for me.
Speaker 5 (35:25):
I remember Drake Kirkpatrick playing lt Overton the defensive lineman out,
that's a big one. Kevin Riley the running back, and
the defensive lineman Jeremiah Beaman. Meanwhile, tight end Josh Quavas
is listed as probable for this game, so that's a
big get for the Alabama Crimson Tide. For Oklahoma guys
(35:47):
that are out, Gentry Williams the defensive back, Kendall Dolby
the defensive back, another defensive back in Jeremiah Newcombe, so
that's an area that you might want to watch tonight.
An offensive lineman Troy Everett as well as offensive lineman
Jake mcoola, who is listed as doubtful so.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
It doesn't look like he's gonna play either.
Speaker 5 (36:06):
That's your Neogenics college football injury report. And by the way,
we do have an injury report coming up from the Panthers.
They officially put out their injury report, so why don't
why don't we bring it back from break with that
as you guys will find out who's available for this
game against Tampa and who won't be available.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
It's good producer, mine, that's a tease. That's what you
call teas in the business. Plenty more Western Walker Sports
Radio ninety two to seven WFNZ. Panthers head coach Dave
Canal is speaking with media right now. We'll give you
(36:48):
an injury report on Western Walker Sports Radio ninety two
to seven WFNZ. The Panthers' injury report is that Trevin
Wallace is going to miss this game. He is out
with a shoulder injury. Somebody that was injured maybe a
couple of games ago, came back starting linebacker. Of course,
now he's out. Will not suit up against Tampa, nor
will Turk Wharton with a hamstring injury. We saw Turk
(37:09):
was banged up with this hamstring injury, so he's going
to miss another game.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
Ikey Ekwanu is questionable.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
We expected this, Dave Canalis said, it looks like Ikey
is going to be a game time decision with that
knee injury that he suffered.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
Again.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
Terrible timing, just like we saw with the appendicitis now here.
We have terrible timing with Ikey Kwanu possibly missing this
game against Tampa with a knee injury, and David Moore,
who is questionable for this game. He was activated to return,
so he's questionable with that elbow injury. The blown up elbow,
as we discussed, a blown up most sounds terrible, looks
(37:45):
like ucl issue there again. Ikey was limited today at practice,
but Ikey Ekwanu, David Moore questionable, Trevin Wallace, Turk Wharton
out with their injuries. I think, outside of Vicky, which
we are ready discussed yesterday, if Icky misses this game,
it's big and it doesn't mean that he's the best
pass protecting left tackle in the world. It just means
(38:07):
that he's the Panthers best left tackle. And he has
had a good season outside of two of the last
three games and at the very beginning of the season.
Still I think a good player. The questionable stuff around him,
no pun intended with questionable. The questionable stuff around him
is how much money do you want to give him
to be your franchise left tackle? Don't want him to
(38:27):
be that. That's where the questions come in. But still
a good player. Turk Borton being out is a big
deal to me. I think you saw if Derek Brown
is getting all of this attention, you would like somebody
else to be able to eat inside, especially pass rush.
I think Ashon Robinson has had a nice year, but
I'd like to have that rotation of those four guys Ashan,
Derek Turk, Bobby Brown, and to not have one of
(38:50):
them a guy that you spend a lot of money on.
It's a big deal in a division rivalry game. Yeah,
like you said, that's the big.
Speaker 3 (38:56):
Thing is the depth.
Speaker 4 (38:57):
And he is a guy that can provide some flash
play on that defensive line, So you want that as well.
You know, anytime you got a cat that can get
into the backfield and cause a little bit of a ruckus,
you always welcome that. And then, like you said, the
depth man to be able to have guns, to be
able to get a rest during the game, especially if
the offense hits a spart where you know they're having
a tough go of things, you want to be able
(39:17):
to have some depth.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Linebacker issues are here too. I mean, we've known that
the linebacker position has been one of the biggest weaknesses
for Carolina all season longs I know Trevin Wallace. That
does mean that Claude and Chaerilists will start in place
of Trevin Wallace. We've seen some action from him already.
I think a pretty solid backup linebacker. You'd rather have
your starter. But in terms of hey, can we get
(39:39):
some solid play and can you still win with them?
I don't think substituting chaeritlist for Trevin Wallace is a
doomsday scenario where Okay, now I'm going to change my
entire opinion on this game Ikey. Not having an Ikey
out there might change your entire opinion on this game.
Left tackle, I don't know if you know this important
position on football. Fill it certainly is.
Speaker 4 (40:02):
And like you said, when you talk your backup having
such a severe drop off, it does alter a lot
of what you want to do. Like we talk about
how in Bryce's best games and when this offense has thrived,
you know, Bryce has had a high yards per attempt.
We talked about him being in a ten yards per
temp range against the Rams, also against the Falcons as well.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
And this is a Panthers team.
Speaker 4 (40:26):
When you talk passing yards per attempt, they rank near
the bottom of the NFL. And when you're missing a
left tackle with the team that obviously they have a
decent pass rush and that's certainly something they're going to
want to exploit. Well. That can affect how aggressive you
want to be when you've got a guy on your
left side, especially the quarterbacks blindside, that you do not trust,
and also a quarterback that you know of his flaws
(40:49):
that when he does get sacked, he does have a
propensity sometimes to cop that ball up.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
It's a great point, in the fact that I hate
hearing it, but it is a great point. Ball Yeah, yeah, Bryce,
hold on to it, you know, I will say it
has it seems like he's done a much better job
at holding onto the football lately, and it's because he's
been avoiding sacks.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
I actually saw it.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
I think I liked it to prep myself for today's show.
I actually was doing work for today's show. Shocker, Right,
I'm a professional. But there was a stat about quarterbacks
and what sacks they're responsible for. Right, A lot of
people consider sacks to be a quarterback stat. I think
it's both offensive line and quarterback stat. But you see, Yeah,
so there are four quarterbacks that are responsible for sixty
(41:31):
percent of their own sacks this season. It's Josh Allen,
It's Aaron Rodgers, It's Dylan Gabriel, and it's Kirk Cousins.
Where does Bryce Young fall on this list. By the way,
Bryce Young only responsible for thirty six percent of the
sacks that he's taken, pretty good mark. Compared to all
the other quarterbacks in the league. It is more towards
the bottom. So I think to me, that's a lot
(41:55):
to do with coaching. Where we know about Dave Canal
is preaching two things, being named the head coach of
the squad. It's all about the ball. We've heard that.
I'm sure they have that slogan all over the place,
like live laugh, Love's take care of the ball all
over there at Bank of America Stadium. And it's also
get the ball out of your hands every two and
(42:15):
a half seconds, like two and a half seconds, hey man,
that internal clock got to be ticking. Gotta be ticking,
get rid of the football. And I think that actually
one hurts Bryce's ability to progress. Like it's first read
check down scramble. You've seen him actually not hit his
second read. I saw that stat as well for Bryce.
So it's first read, check down scramble and he's just
(42:38):
not taken any sacks that are his faults. So just
some interesting like coach slash QB dynamics.
Speaker 4 (42:43):
For one, let me start and say that you've now
ruined that sign anytime I see it in someone's home.
I'm going to laugh now just thinking about that, because
it is kind of a cliche sign that you see,
live laugh love.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
Look, it's a safe space, people.
Speaker 1 (42:56):
Can you just go ahead and text us if that
sign exists somewhere in your yes, like it's okay.
Speaker 6 (43:01):
Because you probably more than likely weren't the one that
got it. It's and it's okay, it's and if you did,
I just want to know it's a safe space. Just
let me know if you have the live laugh Love
sign in your home seven oh four or five seven.
Speaker 4 (43:13):
And it's interesting because that's something I want to have
a discussion about because there's been a lot of chattering.
Speaker 3 (43:18):
Now, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (43:18):
I'm sure you probably saw the footage of Kirk Cousins
talking about coverages and progressions, and so it sounds to
me like, you know, Bryce Young is doing what Kirk
Cousins was talking about. What he's cutting the field down
in half and then he's looking at it in that
manner first read, check down or run to.
Speaker 3 (43:35):
Be able to do that.
Speaker 4 (43:36):
So I thought that was interesting you brought that up
because that's been a lot of chatter going on this week.
Speaker 3 (43:40):
Yeah, so just talked about it too.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
Yeah, I mean, and it's we're getting good answers from
qbs when they're asking about the philosophy on why QB
play has changed so much. We're not getting the gaudy stats.
That's the exactly way up I have that years ago.
So yeah, just it was I think it's San Francisco
if I'm not mistaken, but it was SF Data nine
ers on Twitter. You know, you can get a little
(44:04):
too lost in the sauce here, but I was feeling
extra staty on this Friday, so I brought a few
to the table. But you see Bryce Young when it
comes to throwing on his first read, which is by
far the overwhelming majority of what qbs do throw on
their first read. It makes sense, right, Bryce Young is
throwing on his first read fifty four percent of the time,
second read only three point seven. Like that is way
(44:26):
down there. I don't think it's dead last, but it's
way down there in terms of throwing to your second read.
But check down, he's doing that almost twenty percent of
the time, and he's scrambling almost twenty percent of the time.
I imagine the scrambles have gone up. He's been scrambling
a little bit more here recently. So just interesting in
terms of marrying that with Dave Canal is always preaching
get rid of the football. When you get rid of
the football after two and a half seconds, good things happen,
(44:48):
or more importantly, bad things don't happen. I think that
you're just avoiding disaster, which then I also think leads
to the counter of us asking Dave, let's.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
Open it up a little bit, man, let's take some chances.
Speaker 4 (44:59):
Right.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
If it's not a set your feet, drop back, throw
a go ball to the sideline, then the only other
deep plays that we get is when Bryce avoids pressure
and scrambles and plays point guard. Are there any other
deep plays in the bag or a part of the plan.
And if we don't have that, then sometimes you're susceptible. Yeah,
no doubt about it. And so we'll see in this game.
Speaker 4 (45:21):
But yeah, Bryce has been doing a much better job,
and so that does make the job of the left
tackle that much more important than this game.
Speaker 3 (45:27):
So hopefully I can go all right, we don't have
as many games.
Speaker 1 (45:30):
I do want to get to the campus corner, though,
we also have to read the Live Laugh Live participation.
Sweet Cheek says, I am a woman. That love Laugh
sign is not an our home. That type of home
decor is so cringe to me. Biggie Small says, Yep,
we definitely have it in our bathroom. Joseph and Rockhall says,
that was my dad's best man speech to my wife
(45:51):
eighteen years ago. Live Laugh Love. Tim and Statesville says,
a friend of mine's wife has a tattooed on her forearm.
Wow always with her in case you forgot.
Speaker 3 (46:01):
He's all in with it.
Speaker 1 (46:02):
You need to live, you need to laugh, and you
need to love everything. You go ahead, well just say
it if you forgot here it is on my fore Yeah.
Every day you just get hit with something new.
Speaker 4 (46:10):
And I just didn't expect the onslaught for uh have
laugh loved all right?
Speaker 5 (46:14):
You know?
Speaker 1 (46:15):
Camp we have laugh love during the break people Campus
counta come up next, West and Walker. Listen to the
West and Walker Show Sweeties from noon to three only on.
Speaker 3 (46:24):
Sports Radio ninety two point seven FM ufn C
Speaker 4 (46:28):
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The Burden
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.