Bernie Fratto Previews NFL Wildcard Weekend, Biggest Headlines & Much More!

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Don't listen to Fox Sports. Well, that's right, you heard
the man. It's that time a week. My name is
Bernie Friday. We were coming to you live from the
tiract dot com studios here in Las Vegas. Tirac dot com.
We'll help you get there an unmatched selection, fast, free shipping,
free road hazard protection, and over ten thousand recommended installers

(00:22):
tirac dot com. The way Tiger buying should be huge.
Absolute jam pack show tonight as we head into the
Super wild Card Weekend, new format, new overtime rules, We're
gonna go over all of that. We've got some NBA
stuff to get to Mark Mdina top of the hour. Uh.

(00:42):
We are going to later in the show quickly reflect
on the Georgia Bulldogs or place in history. What in
the wide wide world of sports is going on with
Lamar Jackson? The uh perhaps the diabolical Lamar Jackson. We're
gonna dive into all of that, but first in four
most the NFL regular season is in the books. Super

(01:04):
Wildcard Weekend is here. Fun with numbers. You know, this
is the year of parody in the National Football League.
There were two hundred and three games that were decided
by eight points or less. There's only two games played,
so the vast majority, perhaps the vast majority, were extremely competitive.

(01:26):
Perhaps and by the way of the ten new head
coaches this year, five made the playoffs. So there's that.
Sixties six different quarterbacks started National Football League games this year.
We've even got a Mr. Irrelevant and I say that
with a term of endearment starting a playoff game. The
last player picked prior to that, the lowest player, River
picked t J. Yates. Impress your friends as you're having

(01:48):
a cream ment at the bar with that one some night.
The Vikings third team and four and they did it
somehow cumulatively with the point differential with minus three prior
to the out the lowest performing point differential for a
thirteen and four team where the Green Bay Packers seen
but they were plus sixty three. Interesting thing about the

(02:09):
wild card weekend all sixteen or check that, all six
wild card games this week, our rematches, all of our rematches.
I'm gonna get into that in just a minute. By
the way, we talked about sixties six different quarterbacks starting
thirteen teams started three quarterbacks this year and Tom Brady

(02:30):
at forty five years young, don't tell me he can't
play his mechanics or pristine. He gets the ball out,
he's got great velocity and this is not a great
Tampa Bay team, But once again he wills him in
to the playoffs, and I want to I'm gonna have
some strong opinions about that game. You know, Dallas since
two thousand and one is a franchise. They have three
total playoff factories. Tom Brady thirty five playoff factories. By

(02:55):
the way, he's seven against Dallas all time, three and
o against DAC five and one. Is a Tampa Bay
buccaneer quarterback. He threw the ball seven thirty three times
this year. It's the most in the league. Yeah, he's
not washed. How's that working out for you? By the way,
since the start of the two thousand five NFL playoffs,
there have been twenty five instances of teams when you've

(03:19):
got the same division facing off in the postseason, underdogs
have very much had the edge in those matchups fourteen
and ten against the number, covering by an average of
three points, and samples are small. When I get it,
wh doesn't necessarily mean that all underdogs are going to
continue to cover, but it's interesting to know what they've
really overperformed. So keep an eye on that. Laying a

(03:42):
ton against Seattle. I'm not involved in that game, but
I would only look at the dog you've got. The
vikings will check that. That's not a divisional games. Cincinnati
and Baltimore. Baltimore, I believe is very live. I'm not
saying they're gonna win the game. That's a lot of points.
And even Miami, who played it much tougher schedule. You
got the quarterback issue. You gotta be careful with that one.

(04:03):
I'm not involving that either, but getting two touchdowns in
a playoff game in a divisional game, I don't know. Man,
you gotta be careful when the balls in the air.
You know who the books are gonna need, so tread
very lightly. This isn't as easy as it looks. The
one game. Uh. There there are two games that I'm on,
so actually three games. I'm gonna get to a minute
why at Tampa Bay Dallas. But uh, as far as

(04:25):
the forty Niners game, I'm on the under. I got
it at forty three and a half last Tuesday. It's
dropping like an anvil in a bugs Bunny cartoon. If
you don't get that, just google it. The bottom line
is this is that turns out there's gonna be rain
and win and boy that that I like that when
it comes to a under. But hey, it's just like
we drew it up. I know, our good buddy Jason
Stewart hates that State is saying, but just like we

(04:47):
do it up. Right. Who we told you last augustly
would be Brock Purty versus Gino Smith. Yeah, so sure
enough you have it. Put him on a rainy field
and in a chopped up turf, two defensive minded teams. Um, yeah,
I think it's think it's going under the Vikings. Look,
here's what's interesting about this game. The Vikings are laying
three against the New York Giants. Please don't call in

(05:10):
the New York Football Giants. There hasn't been a baseball
New York Giants team since the mid fifties. Why don't
you call the New York Football Jets who want to
be cute? All right? I want to go back into
that rant. I did that a few weeks ago. These
two teams just played three weeks ago and Minnesota was
minus four and a half. So there's value right there.
Minus three. What what changed? There's better value now. And
by the way, when you handicap and I know there's

(05:32):
a lot of mixed messages into this game, right. The
Vikings faced five fellow playoff opponents this season. They were
outyarded in all five games by an average a hundred
and sixty yards per game. That's not good. But what's
interesting is in the Vikings. I know, I'm not gonna
call the frauds, but we're gonna find out at thirteen
and four if they can continue to defy the odds.

(05:56):
Because if you're thirteen and four and your point differential
is minus one and it's really kind of unheard of.
And if you if you all eleven, you know, one
score games fall your way, you really define the odds.
That's not to say they can't win this weekend and
beat the Giants. In fact, I think they are. There
are a couple of things that drive me to that conclusion.
Believe it or not, we know we both know that

(06:16):
the Vikings defense has not been stellar this year. But
believe it or not, in the last ten weeks, the
rushing defense ranked second, and they have an a lot
of rusher for more than ninety yards in a single game.
But when you handicap, when you handicap, you look for
strengths versus weaknesses, and one I think I found that's
really going to matter now. The New York Giants, as

(06:38):
good as they have been, they rank thirty second overall
dv o A when guarding tight ends well, the Vikings
have a pretty good tight end and t J. Hockinson.
I expect him to have a big day while the
Giants try to keep a clamp on Justin Jefferson limited him. Finally,
one other trend in that game. One other trend in
this game, and this is important. Daniel Jones making his

(06:59):
first ever playoffs start against Kirk Cousins, who's one and
two in the playoffs. But whenever you have a situation
where a quarterback is making his first ever playoffs start
and he's facing a quarterback who has been in the
playoffs before, the quarterback who's making his first start in
the playoffs against the spread, that's Daniel Jones. I actually

(07:22):
like the Vikings to win this game, by the way,
And again the wild card tran last six years, wild
card underdog sixteen and seven six and you've got again
the three divisional matchups for the third time. But one
final thing about wild card betting, just pick winners. If
you can pick the winner, the winner has a point

(07:42):
spread of fifty point spread, a TS performance of fifty
four seven and one. It's in the last sixty two
NFL playoff games. What does that really mean. It means
the number doesn't come into play eighty eight percent of
the time. So if you just pick the winner, you're
probably gonna cover. What does that mean. It means, well,

(08:04):
maybe Buffalo does beat Miami by seventeen, and maybe they
beat the Seahawks by fourteen, and so the number doesn't
come into play. I'm not betting on that. This is
a little weird this year. We've got a new format,
We've got backup quarterbacks. It's just just a little different
this year. So that may be a trend without much
of a context. One thing you need to keep in

(08:26):
mind this year, we have different overtime rules for the playoffs,
all right, There are no coaches challenges and overtime. You
know that all replay reviews are going to be initiated
by the replay official. Each team will get three time
outs the intermission between the end of the regular time
and overtime period is no more than three minutes. There's

(08:47):
gonna be a two minute intermission between each overtime period.
What does this mean? So we all saw it happened
last year in Kansas City, and the NFL wants to
avoid that whereby in overtime Patrick Mahomes scored and Josh
Yallo never got the ball back. That's not gonna happen anymore.
Both teams are guaranteed a possession in overtime. Unless the

(09:10):
team receiving the kickoff is dump for a safety, the
game is over. That's a rule that could happen over
times are gonna be fifteen minutes. But here's an interesting rule.
Let's say that, Okay, just for giggles, let's say that
the Vikings and UH and the Giants go overtime this weekend,

(09:30):
and the Giants get the opening kickoff, or they get
the kickoff in overtime, and they go down the field
and they score touchdown and they use up you know,
eleven minutes, and so there's only four minutes left on
the clock. Well, if the drive, the ensuing drive for
the Vikings is still alive and the clock runs out,
but the drive was alive they're gonna play an additional

(09:54):
overtime period. That's the way it's gonna work. So I
know this is going to This is kind of a
welcome cha age, I think, because again the guaranteed possession
rule that's going to take effect make sure that both
teams get to possess the ball at least once, even
if the team who gets in first scores a touchdown.
But again there's a coveyat here right that if there's

(10:14):
a safety the team receiving the initial possession, the game
is over right in the statistics bear out that this
makes sense because since two thousand ten, teams who have
won the coin toss in overtime and took the ball
her ten and two and seven of those ten winners
included a sudden death touchdown on their opening drive. So

(10:35):
it doesn't make any sense to not allow both teams
they have the ball and by the way, to score. Again,
it's still tied at the end of it overtime period.
This is important or if the team's the second team,
their initial possession has not ended, the teams will play
another overtime period and player is going to continue regardless
of how many overtime periods are needed for the winner

(10:55):
to be determined. So I hope there is at least
one overtime game because I think it will be a
lot of fun to watch. So look, no, when everybody
every everything's gonna be fine. You know they'll get through this.
These are these are professionals. Um. You know. There was
a playoff game back in one Christmas Day between the
Chiefs and Dolphins. It went double overtime. They played a

(11:17):
total eighty two minutes and forty seconds. Both teams failed
to convert a field goal in the first overtime, but
finally Miami's Garry premian uh He redeemed himself. He kicked
the thirty seven yard field goal midway through the second
overtime for the Dolphins to beat the Chiefs twenty seven
twenty four in advance to the Super Bowl, which they
lost the following year. That was that team that when

(11:40):
seventeen oh no, they were undefeated and got to the
Super Bowl and won it. We've got a ton of
stuff to get to tonight, where you're going to have
a little walk down memory lane for some notable things
that happened in the two NFL season this year. We're
certainly going to you know, have a heavy duty breakdown
of all the games this weekend, dive into the Lamar

(12:02):
Jackson situation. We're gonna talk to some NBA. I want
to give Georgia their love. I'm gonna thrash the Cowboys
pretty good. Here's the spoiler alert. I love, I don't like.
I love Tampa Bay to win this game. Well, here's
another quick trend for you on that Tampa Bay Dallas game.
Teams who lose their final game in the season by
more than fourteen points and still advanced to the wild

(12:23):
card route. It's only happened fifteen times in the history
of the National Football League. Those teams that do that,
they're one in fourteen. In their first wild card game,
that would be the Dallas Cowboys. Sorry to be so
harshare ladies and gentlemen, But Mike McCarthy and playoff choke jobs.
They go together like peanut butter and jelly. And you
know what I say about you know what I say
about Dak Prescott. He's really good. It's pretty good when

(12:46):
it doesn't matter, and it matters. Monday night, Hey football fans,
be sure to tune into Fox Sports radios countdown to
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on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio appresented

(13:08):
by bet mg M. Coming up the mall show of
VISN we talk about the Raiders and take our victory lap.
We look ahead to the weekend's playoff games. I'm Bernie Frado.
We're come to you live from the Las Vegas tire
Act dot Com studio is a Fox Sports Radio, So
keep it locked right here. You're listening to the Bernie
Frado Show on Fox Sports Radio. Fox Sports Radio has

(13:28):
the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all
of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot Com and
within the I Heart Radio app search f s R
to listen live. Al right back on the Bernie Fadder Show,
Fox Sports Radio Comedy live from the tire Act dot
Com studios here in Las Vegas at this time. You
welcome and a gentlemen. You heard him with this on

(13:49):
August and then mid season and tonight is we take
our victory lap on the Raiders say hello to them
all show I'm all, how are you, buddy? Great? Great? Thanks,
great to be with you. Bernie. Yeah, I appreciate you
staying up. Final thoughts on the Raiders. We don't need
to gloat. We saw this coming. What are your final thoughts?
And even if Tom Brady were to come here, and

(14:10):
I hope he doesn't because I don't think this team
is ready to win even with him, what are your
thoughts in the whole situation as we move ahead. Well,
first of all, you know, I had question marks about
Josh McDaniels coming in. You know, I still pointed the
fact that this guy decided to go and draft Tim Tebow.
That was a concern for me when he was in Denver.
Didn't see the affinity for him coming in. And you
look at the Belichick coaching treat which one of the

(14:32):
coaches do you point to that set a ton of success.
We've seen Charlie Weiss, Romeo Cornell, Bill O'Brien, Josh McDaniel,
none of these guys too. Particularly well, this defense is
still a major problem. You can bring in all the
offensive talent you want, like a Davante Adams, but until
you learn to stop somebody. It won't matter how many
points you can score offensively. I think there's still a
long way away from where they want to be. I

(14:53):
get you're not gonna slow down Patrick Mahomes. You. You
may be able to impede him a little bit, but
they've got to get better offensively before they can really compete. No,
I I agree with thousand percent, and we'll revisit that.
We'll have you on again and next year I'll be
here before you know it. But we've got Super Wildcard
Weekend with the new format. Why don't we have a
little fun and do a little lightning round with each

(15:16):
of these games? We start with Seahawks forty nine. Is
the interesting thing about this game, a mall. This will
be the first team that brock Purty has seen twice,
so they've got him on film. Bad Weather. I've already
played the under at forty three and a half. There's
no way I'm laying nine and a half in a
playoff game. But I'm not granted either. Who do you
like here? Well? You know you you bring up a

(15:36):
good point, Bertie. It's always tough to lay this type
of number in a playoff game. Third time, both teams
facing off against each other. I think the one thing
that would championshist goes. This is a team that gets overlooked.
They've won ten in a row, and eight of those
ten games they've won by double bits. They've been dominant.
I'm just not convinced Seattle is as good as their
record was during the regular season. Uh, this team kind

(15:57):
of lipped down the stretch a little bit. I like
the Niners here. This is a little bit of a
big number. You mentioned the weather going to be a
factor up in Santa Clara, rain today, rain tomorrow, so
that could be a bit of a challenge here in
this game. But I think Perty's mobility gives them the
better play than they had with Trey Lance only for
a short duration of course, Jip Garoppolo during the season,
and I still think San Francisco from a talent standpoint,

(16:19):
minus the quarterback is just talented as anybody in the
National Football League. I like the Niners here, big number,
But on wild card weekend, if you look over the
last five years, pick the team to win the game
and they're generally going to cover the spread. That's right
of the time. The number, the number just not coming
to play and you know you're not wrong here. If
Santranisco wins this game by two touchdowns, it would not

(16:41):
surprise me. I'm only on the under. I think points
you're gonna be the premium seat. Interestingly enough, there's some
tens out there often, um all, do you see a
game where the side is ten in the total is
forty one? You're absolutely right and very very correlated in
that sense in terms of not as high scoring or
not participating being a high scoring game. And you know,

(17:02):
the one thing is you look at the two times
these two teams met the Seahawks at the back door
touch sign. In the game in Seattle it was six
to make final. The first time in Santa Clara, the
Niners dominant, winning that game seven seven. So this would
be an interesting match up here. I think you're Seattle,
You've got to get off to a fast start. If
the Niners were able to dictate it and play the
game on their terms, I think it's gonna be tough

(17:24):
on the Hawks. Let's jump to the Saturday night game.
Resident genius, Uh, you know, Brandon Staley does it again,
charger short favorite on the road. I think you gotta
throw out that thirty into ten game week four, that
that was when Herbert had the bad ribs. Be that
as it may. I can only look to the Jaguars
in this spot. Your thought. Yeah, I think it's a

(17:44):
tough game without Mike Williams in the line about it's
a big blow to me. That's that's coaching now practice
to be the decision that was made in Denver last
week to play Williams. Now he's out with a fracture
and his lower back. Um, that's a big blow for
this Chargers offense. This is an interesting match up here,
a revenge game to the Charges who that embarrasses you
alluded to earlier at so far this year back in September. Um,

(18:07):
you know, I thought when you look at the Tennessee game,
they had a pretty good game plan. Uh the call,
I don't know if you want to see the call
it went against him, But the play that went against
them really crucial there. I thought, if Tennessee runs the ball,
they might have won the game evening if they don't
get a first down there. But this would be an
interesting matchup. Want to see how Trevor Lawrence stairs early
on this one. I'm gonna stay away from this game

(18:27):
I think it's a tough one, but the good in
game opportunity to like betting in game uh in the
NFL talking with the mall Shaw of Visan So we
looked at the Sunday triple header slate. I love this
new Super wild Card weekend when it was great last year.
The opening game on Sunday, Miami visits Buffalo. If it

(18:48):
wasn't enough for the emotion riding high and Buffalo one
of the hottest teams Dolphins Scots Scott starts Skyler Thompson
and they're not gonna have where he mostred. Well, it's
baked into the line, Buffalo laying thirty and a half.
What's your analysis of this game? Yeah, I think the
Bills win this game fairly comfortably. Do they cover fourteen
remains to be seen. High number, But when you look

(19:10):
at this team with Skyler Thompson under center, I think
they're gonna be challenged offensively. You know, they realistically put
up nine points against the Jets to get a safety
at the end of the game. Um. The other thing
is they were aided by that um horse collar tackle
penalty late against the Jets. I think it's gonna be
a real challenge to contain this Buffalo offense. You mentioned

(19:30):
it without mozart Um. You know, Skyler Thompson, to me,
the guy the bigger question is when I watched him
at Kansas State. I'm still in shock that he's on
an NFL roster. But now you're making a road start
in Buffalo, It's gonna be a real challenge here. I
just think Buffalo's offense, which had over four yards in
both games against the Dolphins this year, this, this one
could get out of hand pretty quickly. Good call on

(19:53):
Skyler Thompson. He's a tough minded kid who has the
respect to the locker room. But yeah, this is a
little bit of tough again. You've got a situation, another rematch,
three divisional rematches, all six games of rematches, which we
didn't talk about yet. But the bottom line is, uh,
I think you're right. When you don't have your all
your weapons in that environment, it's gonna be it's it's

(20:16):
gonna be a tough one, all right now. I'm not
gonna lie, and you may be on the opposite side
of me, but there are several reasons I have actually
fired on the Vikings minus three. I don't think They're
gonna botch this up real quickly as we handicap. And
you know this as well as anybody. You look for
strength versus weaknesses. The Giants are only number ranked thirty
two d V away when came to covering tight ends.

(20:36):
They're gonna have their hands full with Justin Jefferson. I
think that opens the door for t J. Hockinson to
have a big game and Daniel Jones starting his first
ever playoff game. When a when a quarterback starts their
first ever playoff game against the a quarterback who's got
experience in the playoffs, he's only against the number. That's
my take. Where are you weigh on this game? I agree,

(20:58):
and you bring up a great point about t J.
Hawk From the first time these two teams, Madi at
thirteen catches for a hundred and nine yards, had a
tremendous game. You know that game was a little bit misleading.
I was on the Giants plus the four in that game,
and to a certain extent, I might argue there was
a bit fortuitous um now that the Vikings did have
a block punt which changed the game around him and
Joseph hit the sixty one yard field goal to win it.

(21:20):
But this is a game where I think Minnesota deserves
some respect. You're at home there only laying three. I
know this Giants team was nine seven and one. Uh,
they were two and three down the stretch in their
last five games of the season. I'm just not as
big of a believer in this Giants team as maybe
some other people are. Uh. You know, when you go
through the schedule, you look at some of the wins

(21:40):
early on, they were impressive, but to have some concerns
and question marks. And now Daniel Jones, guy to me,
if you can contain say Klon Barkley, I think Minnesota's
in great shape. You know. The one thing with Justin Jefferson,
He's a tremendous player, in my opinion, as good as
any receiver in the league. But people forget how good
and impactful Dalvin Cook is. So this is gonna be
a challenge here. I'm gonna go with the home team.

(22:02):
I think the Vikings. You know, when you're at thirteen
and four, Yes, you can have a lot of late
min and wins, but knowing how to win matters, and
I think this team is comfortable and confident in doing
that in any situations. You know, people forget what an
incredible win they had a Buffalo earlier this year. So
I think this team is in good hands in a
good matchup for them at home to open against the Giants.
I'm an agreement. I like the Vikings in this spot.

(22:25):
And I'm glad you brought up that you grabbed the
four and four and a half when they played three
weeks ago, because when I looked at the line, I
said to them, all, all right, the Vikings were laying
four and a half three weeks ago. They're only laying three.
Now what changed? There's real value. They're grabbing the three
verses the four and Bernie, you bring up a great point,
and not just for this game, but just for in general,

(22:46):
kind of stowed away in the back of your mind
for people from a betting angle. You know, you're absolutely right.
What has really changed. This is a similar matchup, but
now all of a sudden, you're getting Minnesota at a
better price at home. Uh you know to what you
esther and plied minus one one and a half points
less than it was previously, and you know three is
a great number. Could like the Vikings here? Uh mall,

(23:10):
can I call an honorable here, we've got to go
to an update. Could you hand with us a few
more minutes? Absolutely great. We'll continue on with Ravens Bengals
and Cowboys Buccaneers and we'll get a Mall's Best Bet.
But first let's go to our guy, Kevin Figgers with
the ladies. All right, Bernie will start. In the NBA
from Friday night, you had Denver handing the Clippers their

(23:30):
seventh loss in their last eight games. A one fifteen
to one h three victory in Los Angeles for the Nuggets,
Jamal Murray leading the team with twenty four points. They
were without Nicole Yokich, who missed the game as it
continues to manage and injured risk, and they have won
five games in a row. Kings are five games over
five five hundred for the first time since two thousand
and six. They notched a one nine fourteen win over

(23:51):
Houston Laurie Market and scored twenty eight points for Utah
to lead them over Orlando. Golden State defeated San Antonio
to one thirteen in front of an NBA red sixty
eight thousand plus at the Alamo Dome. You also had
victors from Minnesota, Oklahoma City, and the Knicks. In college basketball,
third Ring Perdue beat Nebraska seventy three to fifty five.
In the NFL, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson out against Cincinnati

(24:13):
on Sunday. His backup, Tyler Huntley is questionable with the
shoulder elements charges with Siver. Mike Williams will miss Saturday's
wild card game at Jacksonville with a back injury. Back
to Bernie Freddo. All right, thanks Kevin, and we get
back to the mall shot. We pick it up. We
did the aforementioned Baltimore Ravens visit Cincinnati. That lion is
grown to Cincinnati lane nine and a half. No, Lamar Jackson, Uh,

(24:38):
I am not on this game, but believe it or not,
I could only look to the dog. Here your thoughts.
I loved Baltimore in this spot. I think it's too
many points division foe. And I'll tell you the one
thing that historically you look at the Ravens, especially under
John Harbaugh, they've always done a great job when they're
either underestimated or underdogs. Just number it seems too high

(25:00):
to me when I look at these two teams, the
matchup you're telling me Cincinnati and they're very good football team.
I put them on the same pace or same page
in the San Francisco forty Niners. But now you're telling
me the Ravens are the same team as the Seattle Seahawks.
I don't think so. I get you maybe have Gino
Smith your starting quarterback, and I'm not trying to suggest
that Tyler Huntley is a great quarterback. But I think

(25:23):
this is too big of a number here. I like
the Ravens plus nine and a half. I'm with you,
And uh, Cincinnati, I think you're paying a Cincinnati tax
here as well, because they were in the super Bowl
last year, but the super Bowl loser the following season.
He's only six and fourteen against the number in their
playoff openers. I think you're paying a bit of a

(25:44):
attacks here. Finally, Monday Night, now this might be my
favorite play. I cannot lie. I grabbed the Buccaneers money
line on Tuesday. Since two thousand one of them all,
Brady's got thirty five playoff win the entire Cowboys franchise
three playoff wins. I could give stats all day long,

(26:06):
but to me, Mike McCarthy and Choke job to go
together like Peanut butter and Jelly, I cannot fire on
Dallas here. Your thoughts, well, I'm very biased. I have
the Buccaneers at thirty want to win the Super Bowl.
I don't believe they're gonna in the Super Bowl. But
this was a hedge play that I have. So I'm
looking at the buccaneer was winning this game, and then
I'll hedge the following week, depending back to day face

(26:26):
off again, I just don't trust Dak Prescott. You mentioned
Mike McCarthy. You know there are guys in coaching, whether
at the professional level of the collegiate level, and left
scratching my head wondering how they have head coaching job.
Mike McCarthy would be one, A, B or C on
that list continuously when I look at him and some
of the failures that he's had throughout his tenure or

(26:47):
whether in Green Bay or Dallas, I think it applies
one more time. I understand Dallas was in the toughest
division of the National Football League this year, but still
going up against Brady the experience. When you look at
the quarterbacks in the NFC, Jalen Hurts had the best
year of any of the quarterbacks in the NFC. However,
the guy that you're still going to trust the most
is in Tampa. And even though they didn't play great,

(27:09):
I still believe nobody wants to face off against Brady
Evans Godwin and that team very capable of doing damage.
And if Leonard for neck and run the ball at all,
I think Dallas dream and serious trouble here. No, I'm
in agreement. And when we talk about McCarthy, I still
can't un see what we saw on the final play
of the playoffs last year when they try to run
for fifteen yards and they mismanaged that whole play. McCarthy

(27:31):
said they worked on it in practice. Well, you know
you saw what the net result was. And it's just
something about them in big games. And I'm glad you
brought up Doc fifteen interceptions in twelve games, his decision
making his really regrets. What are you seeing there with
Dak Prescott. You know, I've never been to Dak Prescott man.
I always thought Dan Moans was a great play color

(27:52):
when he was at Mississippi State, and when I look
at the situation, in doubt he's a solid quarterback. But
the reality of it is he gets a lot more
credit than he deserves because he plays for America's team.
He's got great town around him. When you look at
the guys, see Lam Michael Gallop. Uh. You know, the
running game has been solid, maybe not consistent, but I
have never been a big death press Scott guy. I

(28:13):
think you can play well enough. Thing. I thought you
brought up a great point, Bernie, which is when you
look back at the game against the Miners last year,
I was ecstatic when I saw the Cowboys run the
ball in that spot. I'm like, they're not going to
get it off. You know, practice it is completely different
than it is during a game. You don't have the
defense basically slowing it down a little bit in terms
of getting up off of you. All those things are
a factor. And I just think that this team will

(28:35):
be tight, and I think they'll find a way to
botch it. And I think the Buccaneers move on. Yeah.
And Dallas's defense has been no prize in the last
month and a half either. In the last five weeks,
are allowing almost twenty eight points per game and Gardner
minsh you dropped thirty four on him. So even the
defense who was solid earlier in the year has regressed
as well. We're in complete agreement. I want to digress

(28:57):
just for a second, back to the Ravens Bengals, and
I'm gonna agreement with you that Baltimore is the right side.
John Harbaugh has won more road playoff games than any
than any NFL coach in history. But I want to
talk about Lamar Jackson as we wrap it up. Look,
he was offered the two fifty million dollar deal, but

(29:18):
only a hundred and thirty three million is guaranteed. Uh um.
While I think the days of two and fifty million
dollar quarterbacks is gonna come to an end. We saw
what happened with Russell Wilson, we see what's happening with
Deshaun Watson. You're really taking a risk. I think this
is craziness. But what are you seeing with Lamar Jackson.
I don't want to accuse him of being part of

(29:38):
a diabolical plot here, but something isn't adding up to me.
I just believe that if he'd gotten that contract at
the beginning of the year, he'd be playing Sunday. I
completely agree with you. I think that's a situation where
the players kind of taking, you know, what's in the
best interests of his future in hand over the team's need.
But look, I'm not going to criticize somebody for that.
But here's burning how I look at the contract was offered.

(30:01):
I get you want to have more guaranteed money, but
is a risk verse the reward? And I see this
constantly and they go, well, the guys bet on themselves.
It's like with Aaron Judge. You know, we can reads
this during the baseball season. But I said, if I
were the Yankees, do you have the guts and the
Ravens didn't have the guts to tell Joe Flacco after
they won the Super Bowl, thank you, but you're not
that good. Let us walk away from you. Very teams
do a very few two teams do this. St. Louis

(30:23):
did it with their Albert pool Holts, and that's why
they were smarter for it. To me, if I were
the Ravens and said, hey, this is our best offer.
You're not a guy that can stay healthy, Lamar bet
on himself, and in my opinion, I didn't think the
risk was worth the reward. Okay, you would have gotten
more guaranteed money. But let me ask you this question, Bernie,
what if the difference between a hundred and thirty three
million and two hundred million guaranteed. Yes, on the surface,

(30:44):
you're gonna say sixty seven million dollar difference. However, in
terms of the grand scheme of life, you're not spending
that much money. Take the sure thing instead of gambling.
I always said this, if I have a lottery ticket,
I'm not taking that ticket and holding out in a
hurricane to see the blows out of my ants. And
to me, I I just don't think the risk is
worth the reward here. It just makes no scent from
a business standpoint, And to me, the risk wasn't worth

(31:07):
the reward. And this is gonna be a bad divorce here,
I think at the end of the day. And the
other thing is I think Lamar doesn't realize John Harbaugh.
The one thing when you look at coaches like Bill Belichick,
Mike Tomlin, John Harbor, who have had great tenures at
their respective programs, they do a great job of catering
to their personnel as good as any coaches in the
National Football League. And I think the Baltimore Ravens had

(31:30):
given Lamar a lot of leeway on a lot of
rope because the one thing you have to point to
with him, is his inaccuracy in terms of throwing the
ball is still a detriment to their long term success.
And maybe the Ravens eventually look to move on and say, hey,
he's a great individual talent, but when you get to
the postseason, you're playing against quarterbacks like Josh Allen, Patrick
Mahomes and Joe Burrow. And as good as Lamar is,

(31:51):
he's not on the same level of those guys in
terms of throwing the football and can't we win? And
Joe Burrows in the third year, You're looking at a
guy for another ten years who's gonna be a serious
in the a f C North. And is Lamar Jackson
the guy to get you over the hump against the
guy like Joe Burrow? Yeah, you know, the drill poortman.
Want to be rich, Richmond, want to be king. And ironically,

(32:11):
if he is able to fulfill the length of his
contract due to performance and not you know, not getting injured,
then Lamar Jackson would actually collect the full two fifty
million dollars, But he doesn't see it that way. All right,
final thought, m all, do you have a best bet?
Who's the one bet you've got this weekend? That is
your best bet. You know, I like a couple of

(32:34):
plays here. I like the Ravens plus the nine and
a half, and then I like the Niners. I think
the Niners are complete football team. Bernie. You know brock
Purty to me, I liked him when he was in
Iowa State, just didn't have necessarily the size and the
arm strength. Was an experienced player there. For Matt Campbell,
the thing that I think that gets overlooked with him
is number one is his mobility. But the other thing

(32:54):
is with San Francisco, I can make the argument and
you saw it with four guys making me all protein.
They've got about six players and that roster that are
a B or c as the best in the league
at their position, Trent and Williams, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel,
Christian McCaffrey, Fred Warner, and of course Nick Bosa. I
think this team is just a little bit too talented.
Kyle Shanahan one of the best play callers in the

(33:16):
National Football League. I think he's able to take advantage
of Seattle, and I think we'll see what Gino Smith is,
which is a solid quarterback, not a great quarterback on average,
quarterback in this game, and I think the Niners win
this game by a score about Yeah, you may not
be wrong at all. And Gino Smith, who threw for
about two sixty five per game on averages year, struggled

(33:39):
to throw for two fifteen per game each each of
the contests against the Niners. Amal. Tell folks where they
can find you on visa in Yeah, absolutely on there
every day from eleven to one specific time and catchus
on I Heart Radio, are on YouTube, Brennie. Love being
on with you, and I'm not being biased because you
and I tend to agree on a lot of points
of view. But looking forward to this wild Card weekend

(33:59):
and to it was fun coming out with you. Great
to have you. We'll do it again soon. Thanks them all,
Thank you some all Shaw of vis In. Thing I
like about them all he doesn't equivocate. You asked him
a direct question, he gives you a direct answer. Coming up,
I'll give you my best, certainly my favorite bet of
the weekend, and I've hinted at it a couple of times. Uh,
here's a teaser. If you are Mike McCarthy fan, you

(34:23):
might want to plug your ears earmuffs as Vince Vaughan
said in old school, I'm Bernie Frader. Where coming to
you alive from the Las Vegas Fox Sports Radio Studios,
the tire Act dot Com studios. So keep it locked
right here here listening to the Bernie Fradder Show on
Fox Sports Radio. Hi, this is Jay Glazer. And you
may know me for the world of football or fighting

(34:45):
raven shows like HBO's Ballers. Oh you don't know is
for my entire life. I have lived in something I
refer to as the gray depression anxiety. So now I'm
coming out with a new podcast, Unbreakable, a mental health
podcast with Jay Glazer where each week, well we talked
about mental health. I hope to describe it, give it words.
Listen to one Breakable with Jay Glazer on the I

(35:06):
Heart Radio, Apple Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
They're right back at the Bernie Fatto Show. Come to
your live from the Las Vegas tire Act dot Com
Studios of Fox Sports Radio. Here in Las Vegas. Again,
that's the Department of Redundancy Department. Take you have to

(35:28):
two am Pacific, five am Eastern. A lot of stuff
to get to coming up top of the hour talk
a little NBA with our guy Mark Medina, always a
ton in the news. Sixty thousand people at the alum
will during tonight. We'll get into that among other things.
All right, Cowboys and Buccaneers. Yeah, yeah, So some people

(35:49):
think Dallas will go down. And when I'm gonna have
to go ahead and disagree with you there, Bill Lumberg,
I've said it twice. Why not say the third time?
My McCarthy and Dak Prescott and playoff choke jobs go
together like peanut butter and jelly. The only question is
whether or not the annual postseason collapse comes this week

(36:10):
against the Buccaneers are in a subsequent round, but it
is coming. I'm betting it's gonna be this week against
Tampa Bay and Tom Brady. You know, Brady's only got
thirty five playoff wins since two thousand one the desk,
the entire Cowboys franchise three wins cumulatively since two thousand
one of the playoffs. Tom Brady seven in all time
against Dallas in the playoffs three and o versus DAC

(36:33):
five and one in the playoffs as the quarterback for
the Buccaneers. And here's an interesting trend. Cowboys lost by
a ton Week seventeen against the Commander's Week A team
teams who enter the wild Card Round having lost their
final season game by more than fourteen points one in
fourteen overall. Heading into Tampa Bay Monday night, truth be told.

(36:54):
You could, you could, You could argue that the Dallas
swoon has already begun. But because they lost in very
embarrassing fashion last week. As I just mentioned to the
Washington Commanders and won't call them the low League Commanders,
they compete, but they're not a playoff team. They're under
five hundred. Now McCarthy. He leads the Cowboys into Tampa
Bay against the most clutch quarterback in NFL history. And

(37:17):
let's listen throughout the you know you can people say
you throw out the records come playoffs. No not, you
don't throw out these records. The bottom line is the
Cowboys are a far cry from the dominant team they
were earlier in the year. Particularly on defense. They've struggled
down the stretch. In the last five weeks. The Cowboys
have allowed just under twenty eight points per game in

(37:41):
the final five weeks of the regular season. Add to that,
you know it's not like they've been facing elite offenses
that have been carving them up. In Week sixteen, the Eagles,
remember Gardner Minshew started that day. He dropped thirty four
points on them. And if Darius big play slay, you
don't how to call him big play because teams make

(38:02):
big plays against him. Well, Philly could have easily won
that game. They put up thirty four points on on Dallas.
Dallas also struggle struggled quite a bit in Week seventeen
against Titans offense led by Josh Dobbs that was missing
Derrick Henry. And it's not like we're just overreacting to
one or two games because they got carved up by

(38:24):
Sam Howell in his NFL debut. Here's the fifth round player.
I like Sam how By the way, they account of
for two touchdowns, two hu and four yards. So Josh Dobbs, Gardner, Minshew,
Sam Holle. Yeah, that's a far cry from Tom Brady.
Not get it. The Bucks are not what the Bucks
were a couple of years ago, but they've hit their
strad on offense in recent weeks. Okay, Brady was in
vintage for him in Week seventeen, he was thirty four

(38:46):
or forty four hundred thirty two yards, three touchdowns. The
Brady Mike Evans connection is heating up. And as Gene Katie,
a Produe once said, it's not who you play, it's
when you play him. This is not a good time
to be playing Tampa Bay. In their last game when
it mattered weeks seventeen, they connected. Brady and Mike Williams
connected ten times for two hu in seven yards and
three touchdowns. It feels like the Cowboys and Bucks they're

(39:09):
on a collision course that we knew this week, This
weekend matchup, this wild card matchup was coming for a while,
and it's gonna be a real dog fight for the
Dallas Cowboys. Again, the early lion Tampa it was catching three.
It's not down to two and a half. I don't
think it's going to matter. I feel like the Tampa
Bay Bucks went out right. There is simply no way

(39:31):
I can back Dallas in this situation. You know, anything
I say at this point, I'm simply repeating myself and
again when it comes to when it comes to the
wild card round, just pick winners. Because in the last
sixty two NFL wild card games, the number hasn't come
into play fifty five of those sixty two games. So

(39:53):
just pick winners and I'm picking Tampa Bay coming out.
Keep it locked, Mark Benina Joints. This says the Bernie
Frattle Show on sports Radio. You heard the man. The
Bernie Fratder Show keeps rolling right along. My name is
Bernie Frattterware Company Alive from the tire act dot Com Studios.
Tire act dot Com. We'll help you get there and
unmatched selection, fast, free shipping, free road hazard protection and

(40:14):
over ten thousand recommended installers. Tiract dot Com Go away
tire buying should be Well, here we go. It's midnight
and it's that time. Yep, time for some Medina magic.
Mark Medina, NBA writer for NBA dot Com, are Fox
Sports Radio NBA Guru and as is per the case,

(40:37):
as usual, always a ton of stuff to unpack. Mark,
once again, thanks for staying up late, buddy, Bernie, I
always sat play for you, my friend. Appreciate that so much. Hey,
real quickly before we get into a lot of things
to unpack. Tonight fifty anniversary of the San Antonio Spurs,
sixty thousand strong at the Alamo Dome, the Warriors get

(40:59):
a w But at the halfway point there one four
and sixteen on the road, coming off three straight home
losses to the Sounds, Magic and Pistons. But I totally
five points. Just what the hell is there a major malfunction? Mark? Yeah.
I mean they've been dealing with this identity issue for
basically the entire season, and I think that we were

(41:22):
expecting to see some growing pains as they're you know,
releasing the training wheels off for the young guys and
getting them more playing time, uh, and knowing that they
lost some key veterans in the off season, you know,
for financial reasons. But I didn't know would be this
inconsistent where you see the Dynasty Warriors when they're playing
in San Francisco and then the Warriors of old when

(41:43):
they used to be at laughing stock in the NBA
when they played on the road. It's just very telling.
I think it's also telling ended a mid season survey,
you know, talking to different beat writers around uh, the NBA,
and I think it's very telling that when it all
saysn't when it's all been said and done, only half
percent of those voters think that the Warriors are gonna
make the NBA Finals and I got zero votes, zero

(42:06):
votes for the Warriors to fend their NBA championship. I
did not see that coming at all. No, I'm I'm
with you because they have essentially the same roster they
wanted all last year, and you would have thought they could.
I'm not saying it's autobout after run it back. It's
a story we're going to continue to watch. But at least,
as we talked about last week, Steph Curry got back
on the floor, which leads just I want to talk

(42:27):
quickly about the Lakers and Mavericks from a couple of
different angles. Uh. The Lakers continued to compete very entertaining game,
went to overtime against the MAVs last and actually went't
double overtime. Uh. And Lebron is am I reading this wrong?
Or is he very subtly taking shots at management? What

(42:47):
you're taking that? Yeah? I think it seems like after
every performance he's making some subtle jazz because you know,
even if you know, particularly against the Mavericks late in
the game, his legs wearing down, he's still been playing
at a very high level. And you know, the Lakers, uh,
as of late, have played better certainly than they were before.

(43:09):
But he has often you know, offered subliminal messages that
aren't so much subliminal about how he doesn't want to uh,
you know, end his career, you know, still not winning
basketball games and uh and all that, and you know,
he it's been very clear from the get go that
when he signed this extension last summer, you know, it

(43:30):
was with assurances that the Lakers would be going all
in it want to be about giving him a farewell
tore And since then, you know, they've essentially done nothing
with the roster. And you know, we've talked a lot
about this of you know, the Lakers don't want to
just give up their first round picks for any deal
because they only got one shot at it. And what
are the actual trades that are available in this time,

(43:53):
Really there hasn't been a lot. And they want to
also be uh financially flexible for you know, say that
amazing move that puts them into championship contention, whether it's
getting a Bradley Beald type of town or Kevin Durant.
But I think what has happened here, Bernie, is that
while I do understand the lakers reluctant and really inability

(44:16):
to make a deal given their lack of assets and
the climate that they're in their trade market. I think
it also exposes, though, the fallacy of their thinking of
not making a deal last summer, because they were talking
about last summer, Hey, we're gonna unless it's a superstar
kind of contending move, we're gonna hold on tight with
what we have because as long as Ross and a

(44:39):
d and and Lebron can stay healthy and play more games,
will be fine. We've seen that hasn't happened with Anthony
Davis obviously. We've seen even with Russell Westbrook playing an
improve version of himself, it still hasn't been significantly enough
to get wins. And we've seen with Lebron James Plan
at all time level it's still hasn't moved the needle.
And so I do understand that the Lakers aren't in

(45:01):
a position to make a deal, but it really exposes
they should have done it last summer because they would
have at least been able to fulfill positional needs with
role players so that they're at least in the playoff picture. Yeah, no,
I'm with you. February ninth, Thread around the Corner and
I never thought we'll be there as it may. We'll
deal with it here and now and see what happens.
But let's look at the other side of the court,

(45:23):
the Dallas Mavericks. And I watched that game with real
interest because I keep waiting for the mass to break
out and there are stretches where they look like a
championship team. And you talked about Christian Wood, and I
have an interest in Christian Wood. I covered him. I
did a show here in Las Vegas called Rebel Extra
pre and Post for you know, you run a rebel

(45:43):
basketball and Christian Wood was here and I always saw
that potential. And it looks like pair it up with
Luca done. The two of them are working out quite
nicely together. Yeah. Look, uh, you know the Mavericks have
struggled finding that, you know, sidekick for Luke at the
choch I mean, uh, Chris stop forzinghis didn't have the

(46:03):
best chemistry with him. He had told me earlier this season.
You know, it wasn't a great fit with Luca. He
didn't exactly say why, but uh, he basically admitted later
on the interview, Hey, now that I have the ball
in my hands and in Washington, I feel a lot
more comfortable. Jalen Brunson was a great sidekick, but hey,
the Mavericks did not do what it took to keep him,
and he winds up in New York and so I know,

(46:25):
talking to the Mavericks center Mark Cuban, he said about
Christian Wood that he gives us a dynamic that we
haven't had in a long time. Now. I think it
is a stretch to think, hey, he is that definitive
star that Luca needs and that's it. I think the
MAVs still need to have another signature piece and at
least more depth. But I think that Christian Would has

(46:46):
really been that the dependable co star because not only
is he uh complimented Luca with some complimentary scoring, but
he's really gotten after defensively and really embraced it. And
that's that was one of the knocks that he had
throughout his career that he wasn't a guy that played
defense really well. He had become a an NBA journeyman
partly because of that, and then became cyclical. He had

(47:08):
been on losing teams and now that he's in a
winning environment, enough of that of a team that's you know,
going to be competitive in the playoffs. I think that
it's really held him accountable as far as building good habits,
as well as having to, you know, answer for teammates
as far as his effort level. A guy who was
in Dallas and a gentleman who I happen to see

(47:31):
uh in the NBA Summer League here several years ago,
that I liked. I thought he was extremely skillful and
had real game. I was a little concerned about his
body type of Christaps for singers. You had a minute
to sit down with him. He's no longer with Dallas,
but he's onto the Wizards. He had some thoughts about
playing with Luca don Chet as well. Yeah, well, I
mean credit to KP. He not only gave me a minute,

(47:52):
he gave me like twenty twenty five minutes and multiple
interviews recently and uh, you know, he mentioned, uh, it
wasn't the right fit with Luka Dontrich and I thought
that that was very telling because when I talked with
KP last season, he felt like that they had the
potential be one of the most dominant duos in the league.
And now. In fairness, Porzingis's injuries have always derailed his plans,

(48:17):
whether it was in Dallas or New York. But when
it came from XS and Knows, you know, I really
wondered why, uh he didn't feel like this was gonna
work out long term. Now, he didn't want to go
into it too much in detail. I think just out
of respect for who Luca Dontrich is. I mean, he
called him a superstar, but I think it was very telling.

(48:37):
The next question I I mentioned him was that, you know,
Clippers coach Tyler was one of many voices around the
league that feel that Porzingis is a lot more effective
this season in Washington because he has the ball in
his hands, and he mentioned, yeah, I am a much
different player when I have the ball in my hands more.
I can make plays, he can be a decoy, can
be a post up guy, he can pick and pop,

(48:59):
and so clearly, you know, the Wizards have had their
own sets of issues with struggles, namely because of Bradley
Beal's ongoing injuries. But from a statistical standpoint, Christos Porzingis
has really brought to another level. And I think more importantly,
while he hasn't had an entirely clean bill of health,
it's been a lot better than it has been in
recent seasons, and part of that's been, you know, his

(49:21):
off season training regiment with losing some weight and doing
a lot of preventative work, as well as the Wizard's
training staff with trying to uh, you know, take care
of him and uh, you know, make sure that he's
not over extending himself when he does, you know, feel
these NIX and nexs. Wrap it up with Mark Medina
NBA dot Com or Fox Sports Radio Guru. Mark, I

(49:42):
can't in this segment without our weekly update on Anthony Davis.
What's the latest. Yeah, it's still fluid. He's obviously out.
I know that I do expect that he's going to
have a formal evaluation sometime this week. But I think
the listeners had to really be aware that this formal
evaluation isn't about, Hey, when is he going to come
back to play. It's gonna be when is he going

(50:03):
to start doing some on court work and some practice work,
you know, for what it's worth. The Lakers have said
that they're very encouraged with his progress and they're hearing
good medical reports about it. But the reality is he
hasn't done full practices yet. So I think that's where
the clarity of when he'll start being able to do that.

(50:24):
But if you add all this time up, I still
think it's gonna be, you know, a few weeks away
before he comes back. So I want to be surprised
if maybe shortly before the All Star Week or after that,
that will actually see Anthony Davison the Lakers uniform. Yeah,
that's and that may even be optimistic. My great concern
has always been his size and the fact it's his

(50:44):
is a weight bearing injury. Yeah, I mean you have
to say you can't take that lately a d has
had his injury history. I think the encouraging part as
they said that, uh, you know two things, he didn't
need to have surgery or any kind of procedure, and
that he doesn't feeling pain anymore. He hasn't been any
sort of walking boost, he hasn't had to have any crutches.

(51:06):
But you know, knowing how his injuries have always taken
a life of its own, I'll wait and see until
I actual see him on the court before you know,
feeling encouraged, I am. And then when he gets back
on the court, there's no guarantee that he you know,
continues on the remainder of the season into April into
the playoffs healthy. So I mean, I don't want to
cast this versions, but I've past his prologue. I don't

(51:27):
have high holts. Yeah, and it's a shame because I think,
you know, prior to this last injury, he was playing
really dominant basketball. I think that he was an All Star, uh,
that that was deserving. Um. So, while this is uncontrollable
to some degree requires some luck, it's also body type
and durability and anthy Davis historically has not been able

(51:49):
to be on the winning side of the No, you're
exactly right, Mark, Thanks so much. Let's get you on
next week and maybe Saturday night. Might that work? Ah? Yeah,
let's do it. Sign me up, all right? Sounds good Mark.
We'll be talking him soon. Thanks so much, buddy. As
Mark Medina NBA dot Com. He uh Lakers Beat as
well as our Fox Sports Radio NBA and Guru coming up,

(52:11):
switch cares quickly. One last look. The Georgia Bulldogs repeat
and they do it and find Federal to seven over
a very good TCU team. I'm not gonna bash teth you.
They were a very good team that was just simply
gonna be George's night. What is their place in history?
When I'll share it with you, including some interesting status
for Georgia folks. I'm Bernie Frado or come to you

(52:31):
live from the tire Act dot Com studios here in
Las Vegas. Keep it locked. This is the Bernie Fratto
Show on Fox Sports Radio. You're back on the Bernie
Frado Show. Come to you live from the tire Act
dot Com studios here in Las Vegas, Fox Sports Radio.
That's right for you first time listeners. You get Motown
bumper music. We are exclusively Motown Bumper Music. Follow me

(52:56):
on Twitter at Bernie Fratto. Give it up to the
Georgia Bulldogs. Their place in history is secure. They want
a second straight national title sixty five to seven over
a TCU team that I think the moment just got
too big for them. If you looked at their body
language on the sidelines. I know it's against the law
to practice psychology without a license. They just looked overwhelmed.

(53:20):
And this is where Georgia lives. Uh, this is a
you know, the lights were too bright there, maybe the
crowd was too big. But regardless of great year for
TCU and very deserving one over Michigan. You know it
was not a fluke. They beat Michigan's but you know,
resting for almost a hundred yards more, uh you two
pick six is why? Because their dbs are fast and athletic,
and they jumped throughout and TCU turned the ball over

(53:42):
five three times too. Michigan just couldn't take advantage to
for fifteen on third downs, kept getting to the red zone.
You can't bring field goals to a touchdown fight. That's
bringing a pie shooter to a knife fight. Michigan couldn't
score Froment's had the two. Why because TCU was more physical.
Look when Donovan Edwards got caught from behind the first
play of the game, I said, tc is gonna win

(54:02):
this game. They're faster than Michigan. Following play, Roman Wilson
catches a ball in the flat, tries to turn the
corner against Iowa, against Illinois, against Michigan State, against Maryland.
That's a touchdown, not against TCU. They caught him, but
you don't beat that as it may. I digress Georgia
is the best programming for college football right now, and

(54:24):
that was maybe a little uncomfortable for Nick Saban. While
David Pollock was running his mouth, But find a lie.
Find a lie when you have two straight titles and
uh in all the you know, first round draft picks
are producing. Nick Saban, I will agree, is the best
college football coach in history. But Kirby Smart, who happens
to be Sabans protege, has got the best team in

(54:47):
college football right now. This I already can't wait for
next year because I really want to see Georgia and
Alabama get on the field and squared up. Now, a
couple of takeaways. How do you evaluate Stetson Bennett's career? Jeez,
he was only respond table for six touchdowns Monday night.
This guy was once a walk on, now has two
national championships. Wasn't even a starter to begin the season,

(55:09):
isn't widely considered a top prospect at the next level?
Who do you compare him to Ken Dorsey, A J. Mccarroen,
Craig Crenzel. Look, he's gonna end up in somebody's camp,
and I think he'll probably be drafted later rounds And
I would not bet against this guy. And I want
to hear this speeches about size, any of that stuff.
He's proven to be a dynamic playmaker and clutch when

(55:31):
it matters most. Let's just see what happens. I would
not bet against him. Now I just mentioned you look
ahead to schedule next year. Georgia could three pete again.
I mean, they gotta go to Tennessee. That's gonna be tough.
But they're already the betting favorite right now in the

(55:53):
way too early top. And you know, college football title
history is a little messy. No team has ever finished
number one on in the A P Pool three straight seasons. Well,
I guess maybe you have to go back to the
nineteen thirties University of Minnesota. The Gophers had a big
run in the mid thirties. But but I digress, So

(56:13):
I would say this, Uh, Georgia will be They're gonna
They are to a point where they're just reload. And
their schedule next year is not easy. Uh. They played
multiple top ten teams in the top twenty teams. They
gotta play l s U who uh who will be
ranked in the top five. You gotta play Florida State

(56:34):
will be ranked in the top ten in Week one,
and again you gotta go to Tennessee. And I think
the Valls are are angry. Uh. You know, they had
as they had a great season going and Georgia clipped
him last year and then their quarterback got hurt. And uh,
by the way, George is also gonna have to play Texas.

(56:55):
Texas will probably be on rank. But you know, they
they gave Bama hell of a tussle. If if if
quinn Ewers hadn't gotten hurt, hell, I mean, now Texas
might have won that game. And then you know, Texas
gave TCU a good battle to tc you handle them, right,
But so you've got you know, it's usual sus suspects

(57:18):
and we we we've got one year left of the
current playoff format. You know, four teams, which I don't like.
You had five power conferences and four teams, right, and
then let's let's not leave out Ohio State in Michigan
who both had good seasons, right O, how States they're
only two losses word of Michigan and to Georgia, and
they frankly had Georgia beat couldn't close it. Michigan I

(57:39):
think brings back maybe their best team. Uh that a
certainly under the hardball era next year and uh and
and you know I think Michigan will have something to prove.
But again, Georgia, I think is still Georgia is not
only still the class of the SEC and the class
of the country and have back to back titles to

(58:02):
prove it. But you talk about a e a treasure
trove of talent to choose from in the state of Georgia,
in the greater Atlanta area. I saw this stat earlier
this week, and this is a cool stat for Georgia folks.
And this really was a head turner. All right, wait

(58:26):
for it. A Georgia high school quarterback has started in
the last seven National Championship Games. This year made eight
Stetson Bennett this year, Stetson Bennett. Last year, Justin fields In,
Trevor Lawrence in Trevor Lawrence, Inen, Jake from and and

(58:57):
then Deshaun Watson started in the National champions Game in
Now you talk about an incredible sort of phenomenon where
you've got this talent and Georgia. Listen, those great USA
USC teams of the seventies and eighties, they kept their

(59:20):
great quarterbacks home in southern California. John Robinson recruited southern
California and Tom Is. It doesn't let anybody out of
East Lansing or Flint. Same with Georgia. One other thing,
and this really may have impressed me more about Georgia.
Even in their blowout over TCU there one point went
over Ohio State was the narrowest in college football playoff history.

(59:41):
There's never been a one point game. But the fifty
eight point win game over tc was the largest in
college football playoff history. And and let's also be fair.
I know there are people that like to bash the SEC.
I'm not one of them. And SEC team has appeared
in the College Football Championship Game sixteen in the last
seventeen years. And when you consider the beginning when the

(01:00:04):
whole BCS started, you've had Tennessee, l s U, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia,
and Florida all from the same conference win national championships.
So give it up to the Georgia Bulldogs. Give it
up to Kirby Smart. He got a ten million dollar
per year contract extension. You talk about paying off dividends,
My goodness, gracious, it is paying off dividends. Coming up,

(01:00:29):
some final thoughts now that the NFL season regular season
is in the books, and we'll take a quick walk
down memory Lane, because boy began with the bang and
ended with the bang. If you recall that opening kickoff
return to start the game Sunday in Buffalo. If that didn't,
you know, put a lump in your throat. I don't
know what does. But first, let's go back to our

(01:00:54):
Kevin figures with the latest. All right, Bernie, we'll start.
In the NFL, Miami will start quarterback Skyler Thompson it's
Buffalo in their wild card playoff matchup. Teddy Bridgewater questionable
and hopes to be available as the backup as he
battles a finger injury. If healthy. Tyler Huntley is in
line to start a quarterback for Baltimore against the Bengals,
but he is questionable and likely a game time decision

(01:01:14):
as he nurses a shoulder injury. In the NBA, Friday
Night and Nuggets winning their fifth game in a row,
a one fifteen to one oh three victory over the
Clippers in l A. Clips have lost seven of their
last eight. Sacramento got a triple double from Dematas Sabonis
in a one thirty nine to one fourteen victory over Houston,
who has lost nine straights sixty eight thousand three hundred
and twenty three were in attendance at the Alamo Dome

(01:01:36):
and they saw the Warriors beat the Spurs one to
one thirteen. Jordan Pool leading Golden States with twenty five
points off the bench, thirty four points for Jaylen Bronson
in a Knicks victory over Washington, Anthon Yetward scored thirty
one points from Minnesota, and a one to one sixteen
win over the Phoenix Suns. Back to Bernie Freddo Alright, Kevin,
thanks so much, buddy. So uh, we wait for it

(01:01:58):
every year, and every year it's a blur, but this
season was was really fun. U eighteen week season, seventeen games,
very much looking forward, where about thirteen hours away from
the beginning of the new playoff tournament. A little later
in the show, I will revisit how the new overtime

(01:02:20):
rules work. There are actually quite a few changes you
want to know about, but some things that stuck out.
You know what's interesting is and and I. The season
ended with the bang. You had the opening kickoff return
to start the game sunny in Buffalo versus the Patriots,
a team that's a team that really prides itself on
special teams. Excellent, there were two kick returns and this

(01:02:41):
is you know, that scene in Orchard Park was really uh,
the icing on the cake for the folks who uh
you know, we're celebrating the remarkable recovery recovery from Damar
Hamlin and it's great to see in you know. Look,
New England's the team had one. At one time they
were an elites, actual teams unit, and now they're sort

(01:03:01):
of enchambles. The Patriots are you know, they lost thirty
five to twenty three. They're eliminated. Uh and and you know,
I don't know, maybe hire an offensive coordinator or at
Patricia is a joke in multiple ways. Another guy I
think is an absolute joke. Brandon Staley lived up to
his decision. You know, his reputations. Hey, I'm the smartest
guy in the room. Just asked me, right, you know,

(01:03:23):
it's really hard. You've only got forty nine players and
forty eight how come other people can do it? And
thanks to you? Another you know, ridiculous decision. Um, you know,
I think I'm all Shaw called it coaching now practice.
They lose a key receiver, Mike Williams to injury in
the second quarter. There was no reason for him to
be in that game, especially considering his you know, his

(01:03:48):
his you know, proclivity, proclivity to be injured. And you know,
by the way, this year, the Chargers when Keenan Allen
and Mike Williams are on the field for at least
fifty percent of the snaps that Chargers were five and
old this year, So nicely done. Now, I'm not saying
the Chargers can't go down and beat Jacksonville. I don't
expect them to. I don't. I think you're catching Jacksonville

(01:04:10):
at a bad time. You can throw out that thirty
eight to ten game Week four, Uh, that was a
different situation. Jacksonville came to l A and stomped him
and you got a situation that day where, uh, justin
Herbert's hips hips were not good. But I'm not I'm
not buying into the Chargers, especially with Brandon Staley. The
guy bugs the hell out of me. And they've been listening.
I don't care since don Korey Yell coached the damn team.

(01:04:33):
This is their year. This is their yearout a nickel
for every time I was told this is finally the
year the Chargers breakthrough. Elon Musk would be boring Milon,
the Chargers are not going to break through. No watch
your make Laryers out of me. But I'm not buying it.
You only have fourty eight players that choose from, so
you have to go out there. You have to feel
a football team. Please, you're killing me. You're you're sucking

(01:04:53):
our world to live with stupid statements like that. By
the way, the Giants were in a similar situation Sunday
that already clinched the playoffs. He had nothing game, so
their top receivers played in Who played in snaps during
the regular season. Darius Layton, Richie James, and Isaiah Hodges
they played three combined snaps and week A team Yeah,
that I can live with. That's it. They use their

(01:05:13):
backups Kenny Golladay and Marcus Johnson. They carried the load.
That's what you do. The contrast the Charges, what did
they do? They stick with their four mainstay receivers the
entire game? Why? By the way, another highlight this year
or a low light, depending on your perspective. The Colts,
after team owner Jim Urs took his victory lap on

(01:05:35):
Twitter when Week ten Jeff Saturday made his debut and
beat the Raiders. The Colts went all in seven after that.
And how about the poor New York Jets. I I
enjoy the hell out of Mike Harmon and Jason Smith,
and Jason Smith just lives and dies with the Jets.
And you know, when the Jets started out with a

(01:05:58):
house of fire, they were seven and three. At that point,
they had about a seventy chance to make the playoffs. Boy,
they went off a cliff. And you talk about going
off a cliff. Uh you know, remember after week one
or week two, I think it was Robert or Robert
Salace and he's saving receipts for people who mocked the team.
Will They went seven and nine after that, And I

(01:06:19):
will say this, the Jets defense did improve very much.
It's a very good defense, and too bad they had
some injuries. But the offense not so much. And that's
gonna be a serious work in progress. By the way,
one other jab in the side of the New York Jets.
They started out seven and three and they announced a
large price increase in season ticket prices. Fore they lost

(01:06:44):
their They lost their next six games after that, Karma,
I don't know, you you tell me, But after the
Jets lost a eleven to six to Miami. Uh. He
was asked if Robert Salo was asked if Mike Lafleur
would return. He said, hey, you know what, I got
to go back and check things out and blah blah
blah blah bla. You know, Okay, all right, moving on,

(01:07:06):
We'll see you next season, New York Jets. So DeShawn Watson,
you know, very almost under the radar, returned. In his
first six starts with the Cleveland Browns, he was only
six and a half yards per attempt, seven touchdown passes,
five picks. His passer rating was seventy nine. Not good. Now,
if you are a Browns backer, are you exciting? Are

(01:07:28):
you excited about? With DeShawn Watson at the him he
could prove me wrong. I mean, he hadn't played football
in a couple of years and Cleveland. The Cleveland situation
isn't exactly, uh, you know, a stellar situation for anybody.
Just asked you, Davian Clowney, just asked Myles Garrett, You're
just just dysfunctional. It's just it's just shame. Right. So look,

(01:07:52):
I this was a huge story a couple of years. Uh,
while we were waiting to see if DeShawn Watson would
be back on the field, and then he got the
all time contract going to Cleveland. But hey, what's happened
since then? It's it's really sort of been on the radar,
under the radar, ironically, then you have I wouldn't call

(01:08:13):
it controversial, but certain at least some people raised their
hand when the NFL made a decision to make up
some new rules for seat in the playoffs after Buffalo
and Cincinnati and they, you know, they had to cancel
that game, and it seemed odd. There were already existing
guidelines in place that would have simply stacked the teams
by win percentage, but the people in charge, you know,

(01:08:34):
they just sort of decided to just ignore those guidelines,
I guess, and they were on the books, and uh,
you know, some team executives, I think behind the scenes
weren't weren't necessarily pleased with that just simply changing those
rules in the middle of the season. But you know,
I'm not really questioning these are the storylines that will
that will really sort of define when they write the

(01:08:56):
history books. You know, the Bengals were know the big
losers under the new format because they entered week eighteen
with Baltimore already ticked off and even more ticked off,
and you know they had the making of a Super
Bowl team and their quarterback and I'm gonna address this
at the top of the hour, what's up with Lamar Jackson?
And you know he hasn't played since December four And

(01:09:18):
you know, Baltimore has been has been a team, especially
when they got real Kwan Smith that really defensively is
superb and if they got their offense to come around,
they would be a short list to be the super
in the Super Bowl. And then you know, Cincinnati finds
himself in a situation where they, had they not beaten
Baltimore last Sunday, would have been a coin flip as

(01:09:40):
to where their playoff game would have been this week. Well,
that all became moot because Cincinnati won. What's up Also
with pack the rookie linebacker for Green Bay Kway Walker,
he gets ejected twice this season, and I mean he
shoves Alliance trainer and he also, I don't know what

(01:10:03):
do you what do you really say there? He apologized afterward,
but he cost his team a fifteen yard penalty. This
is a team that needed to win or loose or
go home, and the Packers did not win, you know,
give it up to the Lions. You know the path,
which I guess leads to another storyline. This year, the
Packers their their final season and he defeated home against
Detroit with a playoff berth on the line. That becomes

(01:10:27):
another major stain on the Aaron Rodgers legacy, I believe
because the Lions had now the Lions had nothing to
play for in terms of playoff was it positioning, But
I knew you were going to get max effort out
of Detroit. They wanted to go nine and eight. They
hadn't gonna been over five and six years. They wanted
to win and not Green Bay out of the playoffs
and get a divisional win in Green Bay. And Rogers

(01:10:50):
had diss the Lions earlier in the year. And what
you saw was an all around inspired team effort for Detroit.
And and you know what happens next year for either team,
I don't know. There's I think Aaron Rodgers will be
back in Green Bay and they'll be constant drama surrounding
him and their patients is gonna wear thin because it's

(01:11:10):
one thing if you're getting on field results. But it's
weird not seeing the Packers in the playoffs a little bit.
And I'm not necessarily a Packers fan. It's just one
of those things that's almost the write of passage right
with you go back what Too in the mid nineties
from from Brett Farve and then he hands the towards
to Aaron Rodgers. And they've had quarterback stability in Green

(01:11:32):
Bay now for twenty seven years for cry now two
super Bowls to show for it. Some think there should
have been more, but now they're not even not even
in the playoffs. Right. So here you have it. Um
coming up, I'm gonna give you my weekly Jim Harbaugh update.
We have some real updates this time. There's there's some
movement this week and people want to know it's hardball

(01:11:55):
going to the NFL or not. What's the latest? What's
happening back in Ann Arbor? When I was on the
phone with two my moals today and I will bring
that to you. I'm Bernie Fradder Work. Come do you
live from the Tire Act dot Com studio is here
in Las Vegas. Keep it locked right here. You're listening
to the Bernie Frauder Show on Fox Sports Radio. You're

(01:12:16):
back on the Bernie Fadder Show. We're coming to you
live from the entire act dot Com studios here in
Las Vegas to kept the two and Pacific five a m. Eastern.
All right, let's get back to the latest time. Jim Harball.
Talk to my buddy Fred Human, who is a fixture
in the Detroit media since the early nineties. Great guy
who ran into Jim Harball today in Lansing at a

(01:12:41):
at a camp. Were there with five of his assistants,
and then a little talk and so he's continuing to
do his job right and some updates since the last
time I brought up Harball. Another day, another dollar, another
layer of the Hardball saga. Turns out that Jim Harbor
was set to sign a contract with extension this past
week that would have made him one of the highest
paid coaches in the Big Ten Conference, and for some

(01:13:03):
reason things fell through. I don't know what went wrong,
but there I and I confirmed this with Fred. There
there appears to be a little bit of a disconnect,
a little tiff between Jim Harbaugh and his boss, the
athletic director Award manual. They go back along with their
actually teammates together at Michigan, played under Bosch Beckler. Michigan
has a new president. His name is Santa on No.

(01:13:25):
He is a big hardball fan and he is very
interested in making sure that hardball stays at Michigan. Lots
of nall support, lots of support from the program, you know,
increased the pool the assistant pools salary, make him the
highest paid coach in the Big Ten. I understand the
offer was, you know, having to do with long you know,

(01:13:47):
long lines of nine and a half million a year
with incentives that could take up to twelve thirteen million.
Things were trending in the right direction. Contract was going
to be signed, but I don't know. Something happened between
board manual, the A D and Jim Harball. Okay, so
this is just to wait and see and watch in
the meantime. Yes, I do believe Harball will continue to

(01:14:10):
court the NFL and vice versa. If you haven't listened
to me, or you haven't followed this, know this that
Jim Harbaugh, probably more than anything in life, wants to
win a Super Bowl. He's always believed that's the most
coveted trophy and all of sports. You can't win a
Super Bowl in Ann Arbor. All right, you can't. Now,
I think he's also torn, but because this may be

(01:14:34):
Michigan's best team certainly under the Harbor and many many
years coming back. So it's got to be the right
situation now, I believe. Okay, I'll tell you what. Let's
start currently and work backwards. So Jim Harball had a
two hour zoom call Monday with the Denver Broncos, and
he's liked in Denver. There was a fan survey recently

(01:14:55):
of the fans in the Mile High City voted for
Jim Harball they'd like to see him as the next
Broncos head coach. Second place went to Sean Payton. He
only got of the vote. Hold that thought. A week ago,
Jim Harball talked to David Tepper, the owner of the
Carolina Panthers. He didn't deny that the team I'm watching

(01:15:17):
that I think will show up in a big way
is Jim Rcy and the Indianapolis Colts. This is the
one thing Hardball does not have with the Walton family,
who now owned the Denver Broncos, is the relationship that
he's got with the the Indianapolis Colts. Jim er Say,

(01:15:38):
the owner of the Colts, loves Jim Harball. Hardball was
a quarterback for the Colts back in the eighties. Played
four years and he was nicknamed by Jim Ursay as
Captain Comeback and in Seen. When the Colts head coach
at the time, Check Pagana was fired, any one percent

(01:15:59):
of the fans in a OL said they wanted Jim
Harball stay tuned. So when Frank Reich was fired and
Matt Patricia took go over, I've always I've never believed
that Patricia would be the coach in three and I'm
not so sure he really wants to. I just don't.
I'm just not sure. I always felt like he'd be
the nine week consigliari to report to Jim Rcy. You

(01:16:22):
know who to keep and who's who's here and who's
not here. And the beauty of it is Jim or Saken.
You know he's got money, right, He was paying Frank
right nine million a year. Belichick makes twelve, Sean McVeigh
makes fifteen. I think Harball could be in that range
if or wants it bad enough, and moreover, I think
he would give either. He's a control freak. Al right,
from what I understand Jim or say, but I believe

(01:16:43):
he would give Harball the type of control and autonomy
he would want to add that up to the history.
And remember the Colts last year, we're playing for a
playoff berth in week seventeen and spit the bit against Jacksonville,
so they're not really that far away. Now. Remember March nine.
This is uh back when Jim Harball then fifty eighties,

(01:17:04):
now fifty nine, he signed a new deal in Michigan
told his boss, his former teammate, athletic director Ward Manual,
that he would not revisit the possibility of the NFL
coaching again. Okay, sure, and by the way, you got
a five year, thirty seven million dollar extension. But why
is the buyout only three million this year? And it
it on a graduating scale, It shrinks and drops incrementally

(01:17:28):
every single year, all the way to seven fifty thousand.
And look, I realized that Jim Harball does love Michigan
and it lives next door to his dad, and he's
about as perfect a fit as Michigan as Bullshan Bunckler was.
And actually Jim Harball is very much a disciple of
Bullshan Buckler, and I realized I've been critical of Jim

(01:17:50):
Harball because he was hired to do three things. Beat
Ohio State, win the Big Ten, and get to the
college football Playoff. Now, after failing to do the at
for six years, he's done it the last two years.
So therefore his stock has never been higher at any
time Hardball could halt. This part of it is he
likes the attention and all that, but I really believe

(01:18:13):
until he is able to evaluate firm offers in terms of,
you know, the criteria, the money for his staff, the autonomy,
the control, the overall length of the contract, etcetera, etcetera,
we're not going to see a final decision. So he
could be at a quarterback camp today and Lansing. He
can be continuing to do his job and hold two

(01:18:33):
thoughts concurrently. Meanwhile, I think you're going to see the
Michigan president Santa Ona be even more aggressive over the
next week or two in a quest to keep Hardball.
So I've asked my malls and and put a gun
to my head. Right now, we think it's about a
sixty chance that Hardball does stay in Michigan, and we'll
just have to see how it how it plays out,

(01:18:55):
because he does want to win a Super Bowl. And
I know I'm repeating myself, but you can't do that.
And Ann Arbor come it up, speaking and staying, what
is up with Lamar Jackson? We unpacked this just a
little bit as he would not be playing in the playoffs.
Keep it locked. Well, you heard the man. The Bernie
Fradder Show keeps rolling right along. My name is Bernie
Frattterware coming to you alive from the tire act dot

(01:19:15):
Com studios here in Las Vegas. Tirac dot com will
help you get there an unmatched selection fast for your shipping,
for your road hazard prediction and over ten thou recommended
installers tirac dot com. The way tire buying should be
the Baltimore Ravens and their head coach John Harbaugh, who

(01:19:35):
has the distinction of having won more road NFL playoff
games in any NFL coach in history. Well, they're going
on the road to Cincinnati and it's gonna be tough
dute either catching nine and a half points. They're going
to be without Lamar Jackson and then maybe without Tyler
hunt Huntley, which means we'll have to go with Anthony Brown,
which means you're gonna need a tremendous defensive effort. Let's

(01:19:57):
unpacked this what is going on here? Is there more
to it and meets the eye? Everybody saw what DeShawn
Watson got, and I think there was some guffaws across
the league because just because Watson got that doesn't mean
other players are going to And I get Lamar Jackson's point.
He's been an m v P. Watson hasn't. He hasn't

(01:20:19):
been in trouble off the field. Watson was, but the
Ravens offered him two hundred and fifty million dollars, he
only guaranteed one thirty three And there in lies the issue.
And again, Poorman want to be rich, Richmond want to
be king. And ironically, if Jackson would have signed the
deal and all he's got to do is stay healthy
and compete at a level by which he, you know,

(01:20:40):
completes the contract, and he would have gotten the whole
two hundred fifty million. And I know that's maybe idealistic,
especially when you consider that Jackson did sprain his PCL
in his knee December fourth in their game against the
Broncos hasn't played since. Now this is the second straight
season that Jackson has has been you know, it's been
marred by injury, as it were, and he's up for

(01:21:01):
a new contract next season. It's unclear whether him and
the Ravens can agree on terms. Right I Just as
I just mentioned, he was offered to fifty one three
guaranteed and uh, if Baltimore wants to keep another season,
they can they can franchise tag him, right I would
say it would be an anathema for the Ravens to

(01:21:22):
see Lamar Jackson in another uniform. But long term, big picture,
where is it's really going? There are a lot of
questions around this situation and basically zero answers. That's just
a fact when for the past month now there you
you repeatedly ask about Lamar Jackson and has continued miss

(01:21:44):
practices and whether he can rule his quarterback out, whether
he's gonna play, and John Harbot just kept telling people
I don't have anything to add to that, no updates
to this time for a month. Now, I get it.
I get it from the injury standpoint in the into
the contract status and whatever impact is going on behind
the scenes. Jackson even going back and forth with fans

(01:22:07):
and social media. There's just all kinds of chaots and
all kinds of frustration, and there's no consistency, and this
kind of flies in the face of what the culture
of the Baltimore Ravens has been for twenty five years.
Very proud franchise. But this is a situation that I
think bull side are to blame. Both sides may have

(01:22:28):
botched this because the fallout has led to some questions
that people in the NFL are asking, I bet you
in twos and threes around the water cooler. Have there
been complications with Jackson spring pcl or is this one
of those quote you know, the no one holds out anymore.
It's called a hold in situation where you preserve your

(01:22:51):
health for the next contract negotiation. No one really knows.
Only the Ravens and Jackson could answer those questions. But
if you were to ask either I for an answer
of those questions, could you even believe either side? Because
when this whole thing started, it was I will never
really completely understand why the Ravens leaked contract figures, because

(01:23:13):
that's one of the real ways to poison your fan
base against the player on the flip side, it's impossible
to leave Jackson would hold back from a return to
the field because anybody that knows him as a football
player will tell you it's in his d n A
that he wants to compete. I love the guy coming
out of Louisville. I had his back, but I'm really

(01:23:34):
curious what the hell is going on right now. It
feels plausible because his reach showing us that when contract
issues start to break down and go bad, they go bad.
And this one has gone from bad to worse and
worse to whatever is worse than worse. And that's what
happens when the offseason and you have a failed contract
talk and then you have a season. It's really sort

(01:23:56):
of an even for the Ravens, And in hindsight, it's
starting to feel like this is meant to happen. This
is a situation now where you knew you were heading
towards this collision course. It's a tug o war. It's
two sides dug in from the start of the negotiation.
There's been very little information about what was going on

(01:24:20):
between Jackson and the Ravens after the contract was turned down.
Now early in the off season, several sources around the
league suggested that the issue was with the term of
the contract, meaning that Lamar Jackson wanted four years under
contract and the Ravens wanting at least five. Then when

(01:24:41):
DeShawn Watson got his five year, two hundred thirty million
dollar fully guaranteed deal with the Browns, all of a sudden,
this the the the the you know, the the bridge
as it were, the wall between the Ravens in in
Lamar Jackson was described as massive, no sudden that you
talk about a deep chasm here. Now, all of a sudden,

(01:25:06):
it wasn't a matter of the years or linked to
the contract, but more function of getting a deal that
made sure that Lamar Jackson would get every dollar guaranteed. Now,
there's been very little in the way of real legitimate
pieces of information that we can find out about the
inner workings in this negotiation, and frankly to agree, it's
none of our business. And but you know, there are

(01:25:30):
agents involved, there are team officials jockeying, there's Lamar Jackson's camp.
Of course, actually j Jackson really have an agent against
mom is his age, and maybe that's part of the problem,
but maybe not. I think the issue is when when
he saw Deshaun Watson's contract, he said, I want one
of those. How about if I get one of those?
I don't. I'm not in trouble off the field, and

(01:25:51):
I've actually been an m v P. But as we've
said before many times in life, it's not what happens,
it's it's how you react. And how Jackson has react acted.
It's a little a little bit botherish him. Again, There's
been some social media exchanges that you sort of had
to really decipher and all of a sudden it's being processed,
and they're they're sort of hiding behind the guys of

(01:26:11):
this injury, right, And I will never question if a
player says he's injured. And I will never question if
a player says, you know what their pain threshold. Okay,
you just can't do that. It's not right. I will
question this though, if, in fact, irrespective of the the
severity the injury, if Lamar Jackson had gotten that two

(01:26:37):
fifty million dollars fully guaranteed, and this whole conversation have
just had in the last seven minutes was mood, would
Lamar Jackson be playing this weekend? That's an imponderable. We're
never gonna know. Maybe this injury, injury is lingering so
long and longer than anybody expected that even with the contract,

(01:27:00):
you would have been able to go. But the last
month is it's not just now, this whole month has
been so cryptic. We are now talking thirty nine days,
no check that forty one days. Tomorrow, I'll be six
weeks since the injury. And again I'm not gonna second
guess the player. He says he can't go, he can't go.
I'm not gonna, you know, question pain threshold, question legitimate

(01:27:21):
legitimacy of an injury. Players on a national football league
play hurt though all the time. And you have a
situation here, what does leave you wondering? Is there a
hit an agenda here? Could Lamar Jackson play if he
really wanted to? Would he be playing if he'd got
in that contract? And somewhere inside of all this, you

(01:27:42):
look at a guy that grow ro Kuan Smith, right,
who was a great acquisition that the Ravens got from
the Browns. He doesn't have an agent either, and ro
Kuan Smith got himself a nice contract that sets a
new bar. And it was basically a negotiation that basically
featured Smith. Afterward, he complimented how the team and their

(01:28:04):
general manager, Erica cost to handle the process. That shows you,
on the face of it, a process can work. It
also shows you that you could piss off Lamar Jackson
because for some reason it isn't working with Lamar Jackson
and the Ravens. Now, maybe it's a little different dynamic.
We're comparing apples and oranges when you've got a franchise quarterback,

(01:28:26):
the face of the franchise who's been there what six
years now, and he wants to be paid, and he
made a case to be paid. And you see what
this Raven's offense looks like without him. So the Ravens
find himself in a hell of a rock and a
hard place again. We're just left to wonder why, what

(01:28:49):
is really happening? Uh? And it's pretty clear that Baltimore
is going to finish their season without Lamar Jackson on
the field. This has got to be very true, Bubbling,
So am I accusing Lamar Jackson being diabolical? No, but
it just feels like there is some underlying issues here

(01:29:11):
and coming up in a minute. We'll bring in the crew,
we'll get there, we'll get their thoughts on Lamar Jackson.
We know he's not playing this weekend, but what does
this mean on a go forward basis? Well, Lamar Jackson
basically get Will he win this tug of war? What
happens if they franchise him? Is he gonna be unhappy?
Is he gonna want to be traded? Where are the

(01:29:33):
Ravens going, you know, with this situation in their future?
And how flexible it might Lamar Jackson b and again
I'll ask him a tough question. Could Lamar Jackson play?
Do you think this weekend if you really would have
wanted to, or if he'd gotten the contract? This is real,
This is this is this is business man, this is
not This is a situation where with a full healthy team.

(01:29:56):
I think the Ravens would give Joe Burrow and the
Bengals everything they could ask for. Uh, they're getting not
at a half point favorites and people I trust still
like Baltimore. Still think it's gonna be They're not predicting
the win, but I think it's gonna be a very close,
very tight game when you consider that. By the way,

(01:30:17):
Baltimore thirteen and two against the spread against same season
de ven Division revenge. So I think Baltimore keeps it
close and one will be left to imagine if it's close.
But their quarterback play was suspect. People who are gonna
be left raising questions. She'sh what might have happened? And
Lamar Jackson played in this game? But I'm getting ahead

(01:30:38):
of myself. Hey, football fans, be sure to tune into
Fox Sports Radio's Countdown to Kickoff, presented by bet MGM,
every Saturday and Sunday morning, three hours before kickoff. Tune
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I Heart Radio a presented by bet MGM. Coming Up,

(01:30:59):
we chopped up with the crew the Lamar Jackson Saga.
I'm Bernie Fraudo, coming to you live from the tireract
dot Com studio is here in Las Vegas. Keep it
locked and listening to the Bernie Frauder Show on Fox
Sports Radio. All right back on the Bernie Frawder Show,
coming you live from the tire rac dot Com studio
is here in Las Vegas, Fox Sports Radio talking about

(01:31:20):
Lamar Jackson. He will not play out and played since
December four has the knee injury, which raises some questions
from the standpoint, is there more to it that meets
the eye here? Could Lamar Jackson have played? Would he
have played if he had the contract? I'm not accusing
Lamar Jackson to being diabolical, but when you have observed

(01:31:43):
what's happened in the last forty one days, it's simply
raises questions. Kevin figures, let's start with you. What are
you seeing here? Yeah, it's difficult to gauge to your point,
and you never want to question whether someone is actually
injured or not. But judging from the frustration that John
Hardball I showed over the last couple of weeks, he
seems to believe, or I seem to interpret that he

(01:32:05):
believes that Lamar Jackson probably could play if he really
wanted to. Now we'll say, you know, with the with
the PCL injury like Lamar has, and someone who's so
reliant on using his legs, you know, you wonder if
he actually would be a detriment to the team if
he actually did play at less than because we know
he's not proficient as a pocket passer. Uh So, It's
a very difficult situation, and I don't know if there's

(01:32:27):
a right or wrong on either side. Bernie, to be
honest with you, if you Lamar Jackson, yes, you you
you owe something to your teammates into the franchise, but
you owe it to yourself as a penny free agent
to make sure that you're not jeopardizing your future earnings.
That certainly makes sense. And if you're Baltimore, you know
you don't want to necessarily commit a large amount of
money to someone who has been injury prone, who's really

(01:32:47):
not come close to matching the production of his MVP season,
and especially if he's not willing to, if you interpret
it this way, give his all in the biggest game
of the year going into the wild card round. So
so I certainly understand both sides of it. Do you
think this is a possible hold in situation where hey,
if you really needed to, we could play, but he's
not going to take the chance because he's not getting

(01:33:09):
the contract he wants. Is that you think this is
one of those quote this is the new term now
will hold in? Is that? Is that what's happening here? Maybe?
I think so? I believe that's the case. I believe
if he had signed an extension this past offseason and
we're in the same situation right now, he probably gives
it a go. No. I appreciate your candor. I kind
of feel that too, and I want to I want,

(01:33:31):
I want to adopt that position without sun and accusatory.
But it's just, uh, it's just when you add it
up and read the tea leaves, it feels like that's
where this is for me. Uh. Ethan Miller your thoughts. Yeah,
I'm on board with you, guys. I think this is
definitely a hold in situation. Um I here's the thing.
Throughout the last couple of seasons, him and the Ravens

(01:33:53):
haven't really um found agreements when it's come to the money.
I kind of think this is of like a a
screw you. You know, I'm Lamar Jackson type um an
m v P. You know, no my worth. But at
the same time, you know, I don't want to say,
you know, like k fakes talking about I don't want

(01:34:15):
to say the guys not injured. I do definitely think
he's injured, but I think there's pain tolerance and I
think he could play tomorrow. Um and and that's really
just my opinion. I don't think he'll be in Baltimore
next season at this point. Well, you know, they can
franchise him. I don't think they trade him. Well, the
only way, the only way he stays if he if
he gets if he gets a serious, serious amount of money,

(01:34:38):
Well the franchise would would would be thirty eight million
or something long it we would be a serious amount
of money, but it wouldn't be the long term deal
that he wants to SPITCHCS real quickly. One of the
rule changes that I think we all agree uh that
will be a rule change for the better is that
through our new overtime rules for the NFL playoffs, you

(01:34:59):
gonna have overtime periods this year. They're gonna be fifteen
minutes long. Play is going to continue until there's a winner, right,
So if the score is tied at the end of
an overtime period, this is the key. This is the
one that really caught my eye. So let's say a
team kicks off and they score touchdown and the responding
team their initial possession has not ended, and you've come

(01:35:21):
to the end of the overtime period. The teams are
gonna play another overtime period, and play is going to
continue regardless of how many overtime periods are needed, and
they're gonna be fifteen minutes. There will be two many
intermission between each overtime period. There will not be a
halftime intermission. After the second period, the captain who lost
the first overtime coin toss can choose to possess the

(01:35:43):
ball or select which goal is team will defend. Some
of the stuff stays the same, but no coaches challenges.
You will get to three. You know each team will
get three time outs. The point of the matter is
really sort of takes away this sudden death expect and
eliminates what happened in Kansas City last year whereby Mahomes

(01:36:05):
got the ball and over time took it right down
the field thirteen seconds and Josh Allen wasn't able to respond.
If you would have been able to no one like that.
So we've got a situation now which I find interesting,
But it's it runs deeper than just both teams get
a chance to get the ball. Kevin, have you had

(01:36:25):
a chance to look at the overtime rules? What's your take?
Not in depth, but I do believe on its surface,
I think it's a good role, especially we all referenced
last year's game between Buffalo and Kansas City. I also
find it difficult, and I'm glad that the NFL only
did this for the postseason. And I think this is
something that Troy Aikman to a certain degree, was alluding
to earlier this week when you say you care about

(01:36:45):
players safety, yet you're adding extra periods and and giving
more time on the field for these guys to play.
But this is obviously the playoffs. None of the players
are gonna complain about having an opportunity to be able, uh,
to win and compete in a playoff game. So just
based off the last season as a results, which is
a bit of an anomaly, but neither here nor there,
I think. I think it's I think it's for the best,
for the betterment of the game, uh to see more offenses,

(01:37:08):
to get to give everybody a chance to be able
to possess the ball multiple times, to score touchdowns, and
you know, have more exciting playoff playoff games. So I
I'm all for it. Yeah, I mean too. I think
it's listen, it's decided on the field and a much
more equitable fashion as opposed to this sudden death nature.
You know, you go back to two thousand and ten,

(01:37:30):
the league had us you know, modified sudden death overtime,
which no longer allowed a team to win with the
field goal right on your opening drive. You gotta touchdown,
it was over. And then two seasons later the NFL
expanded the rules to cover regular season games. But now
we're in the playoffs and overtime is you know, and

(01:37:50):
I guess you know, there may not even be any
overtime games this year, but if there are, at least
we have a little bit more clarity now and it's
a little bit more equitable ethan. What are your thoughts
on you over time? UM, I'm definitely gonna now throw on. Um,
an overtime game to happen in the playoffs is a
wild car weekend. So I'm gonna do that. Um, I'm

(01:38:11):
gonna fade you there, Bernie, out of respect that well,
I don't know, I don't know that there's gonna not
gonna be when I'm just saying there might not be
wanting to be mood. History tells us there's gonna be
at least one, probably this weekend. Yeah, so we'll see,
But no, I didn't get to look at to look
at it too hard, but um, I do think it's
a great move from what you guys were saying. You know,
Buffalo Kansas City last year, that was one of the

(01:38:33):
best playoff games I've ever watched in my entire life.
It was back and forth the entire time, and it
was sad to see that Buffalo didn't get that last
chance at the end of the game. So, UM, it'll
be good to see that UM teams will get that
last chance, that second chance to go down the field
if if they get scored on first and one. One

(01:38:53):
side note, if a team kicks off and the receiving
team finds themselves backed up and uh, there's a safety,
the game is over the only way both teams wouldn't
get a possession. No, that's actually part of the rule book.
Here's some need, here's some details for people to know
about overtime in the playoffs. And and obviously we have
the new playoff format this year. There are four team

(01:39:16):
teams instead of twelve teams, no coaches challenges in overtime.
I don't know if I like that one. I'll be
honest with you. All replay reviews will have to be
initiated by the replay official. Again, I'm not so sure
I like that one. Now each team will get three
time outs, uh, as opposed to two time outs in

(01:39:36):
overtime during the regular season. What's the point of having
no challenge? What do you think they did that? I don't,
I don't know. I don't, I don't. I don't have
a coaching answer to that. I would just say this, Uh,
most likely they're gonna review everything. They already review every
scoring play, so I would imagine any any fumble, any
sideline play is going to be reviewed automatically as part

(01:39:59):
of the It was part of the protocol. So I
don't think it's gonna be It's not gonna be a discretionarything.
It'll be handled and we'll have to see how plays
it plays out, right, would well, we'll just have to see.
Maybe maybe it's a matter of time where the you know,
the replay booths are already replaying everything. One thing I
don't like, I've never liked about the replay system is

(01:40:21):
the length of time that it takes to execute. So, um,
that's that to me is not great. Uh, there's gonna
be an intermission between the end of regular time in
the first overtime period, it's three minutes. They're gonna dive
right back into it. You're talking about fifteen minute overtime
periods in the postseason, and uh, there'll be it. If

(01:40:41):
there's more than one overtime, to be a two minute
intermission between each overtime period, and at the beginning of
the third overtime period, the captain who lost the first
overtime car over time coin to us can either choose
to possess the ball or select which goal is team
will defend. There's a lot to unpack here. Now, look,

(01:41:02):
could history repeat itself? Back in one on Christmas Day
the Dolphins played the Chiefs. They wouldn't double overtime, The
game was actually eighty two minutes and forty seconds, and
the Dolphins and their kicker Gary of premier and hit
the thirty seven yard field goal midway through the second
overtime to win twenty seven to twenty four. Again, I
think this is a better solution to what we had

(01:41:25):
in the past. We've come a long way. This is
the most equitable it's ever been, so the game will
be decided on the field. Michael, Can you imagine had
Kansas City and Buffalo just kept going back and forth
and back and forth. There could have been more than
one overtime, and it takes away again the sudden death
aspect of it, which which I think is is a
good thing. Alright, coming up the other football. We've been

(01:41:47):
doing this now for sixteen months. The world of soccer
with Chris Perffett. The World Cup maybe over, but the
world of soccer is not, and the news surrounding soccer
is not. There are always things happening, and we catch
you up in this report. But first, before we get
to that, let's go back to our guy, Kevin Figures
with the ladies. All right, Bernie? What it is? Wild
Card weekend in the NFL. A couple of games on

(01:42:09):
the slate today. The nightcap featuring the Chargers in Jacksonville
and l A will be without one of its main targets,
as receiver Mike Williams will miss the matchup with a
back injury. On Sunday, Lamar Jackson ruled out of Baltimore's
matchup with the Bengals. Backup Tyler Huntley questionable what they
showld their injury. Miami will start rookie Skylar Thompson that
quarterback against Buffalo and hopes to have Teddy Bridgewater healthy

(01:42:31):
enough to be the backup. Rams head coach Sean McVeigh
announced that he will return for to the team for
his seventh season as head coach in the NBA. No Yokich,
no problem for the Nuggets. They win their fifth straight
one fifteen to one or three the final score as
they beat the Clippers in Los Angeles. John Collins the
game winning put back to Lee Atlanta to a one
thirteen to one eleven win. In Indiana, Warriors had eight

(01:42:51):
players scoring double figures. They steamrolled the Spurs in front
of more than sixty eight thousand fans in the Alamo Dome.
The Knicks defeated at Washington once twelve to want a
wait to fight forty points from Kyle Kuzma. New York
has won six of their last seven victories for Sacramento,
New Orleans and the Oklahoma City Thunder back to Bernie
Freddo alright, buddy, thanks Kevin. Alright? Uh. This time every

(01:43:12):
week we bring you a feature unique to this program.
We've been doing it since before World Cup during World
Cup and it will continue. Is there is always news
to report in what is the frankly most popular sport
in the world. I may not believe it, but it's true.
It's time we bring you Chris Perfett's World of Soccer.
The greatest goals, the thrilling finishes, the international drama. It's

(01:43:48):
all here in this report from the World of Soccer.
We are back in full swing in cup season, Bernie,
as the continuing rounds of many of the cups in
European leagues continues, and I feel this is a good
time to talk about the idea of the cops such
the f A Cup or the e FL Cup or
the Coulpa Italia in regards to what the NBA has

(01:44:12):
wanted to put together now for a couple of years,
and they seem to be on the verge of doing
for next year's season. So what what do we mean
when we talk about cups. Well, a cup is not
part of the season for a domestic league in Europe. Rather,
it is a tournament that runs often alongside the regular

(01:44:32):
season the domestic season for a given league, and it
is open to a lot more teams, not just the
teams the top tier. For instance, the Coppa Italia is
open to not just Siria the top tier, but B,
C and D as well, Whereas in England they have
two different cups. They have the e FL Cup also
knows the Caraball Cup the sponsor, which includes the top

(01:44:54):
four tiers of English soccer, which includes the Premiership and
the rest of the English Football League. But then there's
also the f A Cup. Now, the f A Cup
is huge and it's very special because it's huge. What
do I mean huge? I am talking that we're including
all those teams that play in the e FL Cup,
those top four tiers, and you add six more tiers

(01:45:16):
for the rest of the Football Association on down to
the national league. Whereas the COPA Talium might have only
forty four teams and the e f L Cup has
ninety two, the f A Cup on any given year,
depending on entries, could have over seven hundred and thirty
teams competing. It's a tournament predicated on the idea that
anyone can win it with the right power. Now, however,

(01:45:38):
in practice, in the one and fifty plus years the
f A Cups history, only one non top league team
has ever reached the quarterfinals. So as as much as
it's open, it leads itself out and the big dogs
usually end up prevailing at the end of the day.
But that's why we give importance to markers along the way.

(01:46:00):
In the f A Cup, for instance, Wrexham, yes, the
Wrexham from welcome to from FX is welcome to. Wrexham
took down second tier English Championship side Coventry City not
long ago. That's huge for them. That would be celebrated
for a very long time that someone as far down
as the National League, fifth tier and lower was able
to beat a team that's on the doorstep of the

(01:46:22):
Premier League itself. It matters in that regard, it matters
for pride, but the problem is that it's pride at
the end of the day. Some some cups, some competitions
do have certain rewards for them. For instance, the e
FL Cup, the CARAVL Cup, like I mentioned earlier, now
includes an automatic bid for the Europa Conference League. In

(01:46:44):
UEFA international play now, that's the third tier of international
play though, so unless unless you are someone who is
still kind of on a lower end, it's not that
great of a prize and that's kind of been the
problem long a little unspoken when it comes to these cups. Bernie,
and it's something I think the NBA should keep an
eye out for as well as they plan their own

(01:47:05):
in season tournament. I know that the end season tournament
for the NBA looks very different. They want eight teams
to advance a single elimination final in December, while twenty
two teams continue with the regular season. But it's a
matter of reward, like, for example, Manchester City just recently
lost to nil to Southampton in the quarterfinals the Carabout Cup.

(01:47:28):
Now Manchester City, granted, is already playing in the Champions League,
why do they care about going to the Europa Conference League.
It's a matter of what each club will prioritize. And
quite frankly, in this new modern era of these top
tier leagues having as much power as they do, the
cups have lost a lot of their importance. And for
over ten years now I've seen in red pieces from

(01:47:51):
writers bemoaning the fall of the f A Cup and
moaning the fall of the e FL Cup, the Coppa Italia,
the the tournaments in in Van. These aren't taking importance anymore,
and I think that's a lesson for the NBA. What
is going to be the carrot that really gets your
players to come to the table to play in this

(01:48:12):
mid season tournament, because right now cups that have been
running for over a hundred years, their cynicism creeping into
One of those teams who won't be able to prioritize
anything is Chelsea. And I feel like I've been wanting
to talk about the fortunes of Chelsea for a minute,
because once upon a time, not long ago, only a
couple of years ago, Chelsea was the toast of Europe.

(01:48:33):
They had won the Champions League, they were always contenders
to win the Premier League title. They had some of
the biggest names across Europe, and they had just a
load of money to buy all the players they really
needed to to compete. And now that seems to have
all been but erased. Chelsea currently sits in the very

(01:48:54):
middle of the Premier League table right now, completely out
of play for Europa League, europe A Conference League, forget
Champions League. They're out of play of everything, and it's
it's baffling on how we got here. We have to
wind back the clocks a bit. Two of all places
the War with the Russia and Ukraine, which caused a

(01:49:15):
lot of sanctions upon Russia, including against Roman. Roman Abramovich,
the owner of Chelsea at the time, a Russian natural
and a Petro oligarch who was a very big supporter
of Vladimir Putin. When Britain put down these new sanctions,
it forced Abramovich to sell. At the same time, the
club was starting to experience a dive in its performances.

(01:49:38):
They had spent well that season on Romella Lukaku and
his play did not really appear in Chelsea. The club
was sold to Todd Bully, a American businessman investor with
ties to the Dodgers, and one of the things UH
Bully did was higher Graham Potter as the manager, Graham
Potter who had previously done I work at Swansea City

(01:50:01):
and Brighton and Hove Albion. Now, however, it's it's it's
important to note that under Abramovich Chelsea went through managers
like we might go through underwear. Every time there was
a problem in the club, UH the players would take
precedent and the manager would be fired very quickly, and
usually for Chelsea this seemed to have a working effect. Now, however,

(01:50:24):
under the Bully regime it's been a reversal of that.
Chelsea is apparently preparing to stand by Graham Potter even
as he stays under pressure and they're trying to move
on from underperforming players, according to report from The Telegraph,
which is kind of hard in soccer sometimes because you
need that second side to tango. You need someone to

(01:50:44):
take those players off you. And if they're underperforming then
I don't know who's really buying one of those who's
not going to be on the block. According to Potter,
Christian pulisits captain America himself, he's been dealing with another
knee injury following last week's to feet to Manchester City
and he is expected to be sidelined for about two

(01:51:05):
months now. Graham Potter, it says, there's no chance of
him leaving, however, something to keep in mind as Chelsea
tries to move into a new selling phase, which usually
in the world of soccer is not to be taken lightly.
And finally, one last quick note here, Bernie, we say
happy trails to Gareth Bale, who has announced his retirement

(01:51:25):
from professional soccer at the age of thirty three. I
would like to do the same as well, if I'm
being completely honest here. However, Gareth Bale While he may
be saying farewell to Wales, to his long career and
professional soccer which is spanned from Tottenham to l a
f C to his beginnings in Southampton in two thousand
and six, he has always been known as someone who

(01:51:45):
really has enjoys golf and in indeed we might have
seen last time Gareth Bale will take the pitch but
not the green. He has been offered a spot in
the Legends Tour and he is considering becoming a pro golfer.
And that's the world of soccer, all right. Always chock
full of information. Christopher Fette, he reported at lenked on

(01:52:07):
Gareth Bale in a previous World of Soccer a few
months back, as he was getting ready to part company
with Wales ended up with l AFC. Didn't see this
retirement coming, but that's why we do this feature. There's
always news in the world of soccer coming up. We
waved goodbye to the NFL regular season and we usher

(01:52:28):
in the super wild card weekend. I'm looking very much
forward to a doubleheader later today Saturday, first kick off Giants.
Check that Forts Seahawks just under twelve hours from now.
All five wild card games are rematches all five check

(01:52:50):
that all six games are rematches teams that played each
other earlier in the year. We'll bring you some additional
uh bits of information as we head into Super wild
Card Weekend. Coming up, I'm Bernie Fratto. Were coming to
you live from the Las Vegas tire Ract dot Com studios.
Keep it locked right here. You're listening to the Bernie
Fratto Show on Fox Sports Radio. Wrapping it up on

(01:53:14):
The Bernie Fratto Show. Where coming to you live from
the tire Act dot Com studios here in Las Vegas, Nevada,
were less than twelve hours away from the twenty two
season version of wild Card. Super wild Card Weekend. Before
I go any further, I want to thank my broadcast
team back in Los Angeles. They have been with me

(01:53:34):
since eleven pm Pacific on Saturday night. That would be
Kevin Figures on the updates, Mark Ramsey and of course
Ethan Miller. A great job, guys, good teamwork. As always.
Some interesting things to note as we delve into the playoffs.
I find this somewhat incredible. There were ten new coaches

(01:53:54):
hired this past offseason. Five of them have made the
playoffs right like it first year Brian Dable for the
Giants Kevin O'Connell Minnesota. Course. They face off against each
other this weekend Doug Peterson at Jacksonville, Mike McDaniel Miami,
and Todd Bowls in Tampa Bay. Another interesting thing, all
six wild Card games this weekend our rematches. Now three

(01:54:18):
of them are divisional rematches. San Francisco, Seattle, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Buffalo, Miami.
These divisional underdogs in history have gone fifty eight percent
when they play for the third time. By the way,
in the history of the wild Card, you look at
the dogs the wild Card trend the last six years
Dogs sixteen and seven and UH. One of the things

(01:54:39):
interesting about the about the wild Card from a betting
standpoint is if you just pick winners, you cover because
in the last sixty two playoff games in the wild
Card round, the outright winner has a point spread UH
success rate of eight, meaning the number doesn't really come
into play. So all of the six games this week,

(01:55:03):
I believe at least two hundred dogs will win. I
certainly believe I like the Jacksonville Jaguars, AN absolutely believe
Tampa Bay will win. And I gave my reasons earlier
in the show. As I mentioned, you know, Mike McCarthy
and Dak Prescott and playoff choke jobs go together like
peanut butter and jelly. But I digress. It's been a
fun NFL season. It's been a competitive season of great parody.

(01:55:27):
There were two hundred and three games this year. They
were decided by eight points or less. There's only two
seventy two total games played, So that shows you right there,
there's a lot of parody. Part of that maybe the
quarterback play. There were sixty six different quarterbacks who started
teams started games for in the National Football League this year,
and and thirteen of those teams actually started three quarterbacks.

(01:55:49):
And how about Tom Brady unreal seven hundred and thirty
three past attempts this year at age forty five. Unreal. Um,
he's not washed up, far from it. His mechanics or pristine.
The ball gets out of his hand. His numbers are good.
He's forty five. He's back in the playoffs. By the way,
you know the Cowboys visit. If I could only watch

(01:56:12):
one game all weekend, it would be the Cowboys Tampa Bay.
For obvious reasons, the storylines come on since two thousand one,
Tom Brady's won thirty five playoff games by himself. The
Dallas Cowboys is a franchise in that same period. Since
two thousand one, they've won three. Brady's also seven and
all time against the Cowboys in the playoffs three and

(01:56:35):
oh with against Stack five and one as a starting
quarterback for the Tampa Bay Bucks. I love I love
the Bucks Monday Night. I also like Minnesota. Believe it
or not. Three weeks ago that line was four and
a half. Flacks were laying four and a half and
one by three announced down to three. What really changed? You?
Look what you look for are what I would consider

(01:56:58):
I would phrase it this way. You look for strength
versus weaknesses when you're handicapped. And the one strength versus
weaknesses stands out to me is the New York Giants
when it comes to defending tight ends, are ranking thirty
two lasting the league d v O A well. The
Vikings have a tight end by the name of t J. Hockinson,
who had a big day against them last time. And
while the Giants are trying to keep Justin Jefferson and

(01:57:21):
an advice, I think you're gonna see t J. Hockins
and have a big day. Also, by the way, first
time starting quarterbacks in a playoff game, that would be
Daniel Jones. If they're going up against the quarterback who
has playoffs starts. Now Kirk Cousins has had three playoffs starts.
He's one and two. It doesn't bode well for the
first time quarterback. They only cover percent of the time.

(01:57:44):
So you look at the dogs, right, So it's two
thousand five five instances of teams from the same division
matching up in the postseason. You've you've got that three
times this weekend alone, the underdogs, they've had the edge
in these matchups. Be that as it. Maybe you've got
some backup quarterback, you've got some weather issues. Be careful
tread lately, do not endanger your bankroll. Super wild Card

(01:58:07):
weekend is upon us and I can't wait. That's gonna
do it for the Bernie Fraudle show back on these
airwaves of loving PM Pacific Saturday night. The meantime, keep
it locked. The Great Anthony Gargana up next.

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Bernie Fratto Previews NFL Wildcard Weekend, Biggest Headlines & Much More!