Aaron Torres & Jason Martin Preview the College Football Playoff Semifinal Games, Talk NFL Coach Carousel & More!

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Welcome in, Welcome in everybody, Fox Sports Radio, Fox Football
Saturday Ertors Jayson Martin. We are broadcasting live from the
Fox Sports Radio studios. Yes, we are live eleven pm
Eastern Time. We got two NFL games in the books,
San Francisco and Seattle just went final Carolina and Tampa

(00:28):
earlier in the day, Jay mart we get to talk
a lot of college football in this show, but I
think we're gonna be pretty NFL heavy this evening. My man,
what's going on?

Speaker 3 (00:38):
How are you just like I'm good man that just
like we all drew it up at the beginning of
the season, Sam Darnold number one seed in the NFC.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Number one seed in the NFC, and go, how about
this going into a win for the number one seed
in week eighteen. You know, you can't say he was
like amazing, but it was certainly better than last year.
Gets Detroit in the same spot. First of all, it's
great to be with you. Second of all, I did
mention we do talk a lot of college football. Jason

(01:08):
and I were on for were in excuse me for
Jason Smith and Mike Harmon on New year's night four
hours of wall to wall college football. So if you
missed any of that content, or if you just want
some college football, find the Jason Smith and Mike Harmon
Show from Thursday night. We were on air during that
Sugar Bowl thriller. Old Miss Wins obviously talked the other

(01:32):
three quarterfinal games in the College Football Playoff Jason and
Mike Thursday Night, make sure to check it out. But tonight,
j Mart, let's start exactly what you where and with
what you just said. Number one seed on the line,
NFC West on the line again. A year ago, Sam
Darnold in the same situation winner gets the number one

(01:54):
seed in Week eighteen, did not go well against Detroit,
certainly went much better. Tonight. Seattle goes to San Francisco
and wins thirteen to three. Like I said, I don't
think you could say Sam Donald played great, but part
of it was you're on the road, you're playing a
division rival. But he certainly played well enough. Twenty of
twenty six, one hundred and ninety eight yards, no touchdowns,

(02:15):
but no crucial mistakes. The Seattle Seahawks win. They are
your not only NFC West champs, but again the number
one seed in the NFC. Take it away, j Martin.

Speaker 3 (02:26):
Look, I mean, it was impressive that Seattle defense just
kept San Francisco in checked. Most of the night, Party,
who had come off maybe the two best games of
his career, just couldn't get anything going. Even McCaffrey couldn't
get anything going. They shut down Kittle, They did everything
that you would want. They put Sam Darnold in a

(02:46):
position where it wasn't all on his shoulders, and that's
really all they had to do in this case. The
offense didn't have to go out and score forty. He
didn't even have to go out and score twenty to
win this game. So yeah, the games tonight, the whatever
that was in the NFC South in the Monsoon, neither

(03:07):
game featured a team that scored twenty points. And yet
the Seattle Seahawks are very much one of those teams
that you look at and you're just like, man, they
may not get to the Super Bowl, but it's not
gonna be easy to beat them because they they have
some multi they have multiple ways they can beat you.

(03:28):
They can run it again, that's gonna help Sam Donald
as well. But Jackson Smith and Jigba catches everything that
is within I would say a ten foot radius around him.
It seems like he's gonna make the play. He's gonna
bail out Donald, if Donald's a little high, if Donald's
behind him, He's still gonna make the play. They just

(03:48):
they have some dudes, and they they are playing with
a whole lot of confidence. And throughout this season, I've
been waiting to see the skyfall on this team and
it has not happened yet. And you look around the
rest of the NFC and you're like, I'm not sure
how I feel about Philadelphia. San Francisco is a team
that I like, but I'm not quite sure about what
they're going to do in the playoffs. The Rams are

(04:10):
going to have to go on the road. I don't
know how I feel about that. The Bears have never
been here before. I mean, Seattle has to walk in
here feeling pretty good, not just the being the one seed,
but they're actually kind of built to be a really
tough out in the postseason.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
Well that was kind of my thought too, And you know,
we uh not to take people too far behind the
curtain we were planning on doing. And I think there's
gonna be too much to talk about but we were
planning on doing kind of like a Super Bowl pretenders
and contenders category, And I think you could also I
think you can absolutely make the argument that, certainly with
Kco Josh Allen banged up all of the variables that

(04:50):
we know that are at play. I think you can
argue the group of teams that could hypothetically win it
seems to be much bigger than it has been in
recent years. But I think you can also argue that Seattle, well,
it doesn't necessarily wasn't necessarily the team that we were
all expecting in the preseason. They look the part man,

(05:12):
you know, they really do. Sam Darnold right now, not
making mistakes at the quarterback position. The one thing that
stood out to me, you know, felt like the Seattle
Seahawks ran the ball very effectively today, one hundred and
eighty yards on the ground, four and a half yards
per carry. They're going to have home field advantage. And
I think the other variable is, you know, like you said,

(05:35):
who do you feel confident is going to go to
Seattle and be able to beat them? The San Francisco
team that just lost to them in the same exact spot,
only in San Francisco. Do you trust the Eagles, who
you don't know what you're gonna get out a day
to day, week to week basis Chicago, who not only
to your point, has never been here, but also would
again have to go on the road in a high

(05:57):
leverage playoff situation. So yet, you know, it's not just
that they want to get the number one seed, it's
that it really does feel like this Seattle team, which
has now won six games in a row, their last
loss in LA well over a month ago. At this
point it was actually before Thanksgiving, feels like they're peaking
at the right time. They now get not only a bye,

(06:17):
a little bit of an extended by having played here
on Saturday. And I do think, you know, it's not
just the number one seed, but in a wide open
NFC where I don't think there's this huge variance between
the top five to six teams, having that home field advantage,
having the week off I think is going to serve them.

Speaker 3 (06:33):
Well, yeah, no question, And I mean again, it's just
kind of making things a little easier, a little less
pressure on Darnold. The crowd's going to be with him.
You know, he's not gonna face a real hostile environment.
We already know how difficult it is to win in
Seattle generally because of the noise. So you add to
that the confidence the defense has been lights out most

(06:55):
of the year. You have weapons on both sides. I
will say, people are going to think I'm an idiot
for saying this out lot. Oh no, but I was
thinking about this all night long. If I'm in a
game like this for the division, I'm probably wearing my
regular uniforms.

Speaker 2 (07:12):
Okay, okay, at home too.

Speaker 3 (07:15):
Yeah, Like I like they look good. I'm not. I'm
not saying they look bad. I just want everything to
feel familiar, sure interesting, even even from the Seahawks perspective
that they're looking at it and they're like, like, it
just looks different. The optics are different. When I'm looking
at a team that I'm familiar with, but they're wearing
these uniforms, I don't know that. I don't know that

(07:35):
this is the night where I'm gonna go all artistic
out there and do this. And again, the uniforms were interesting,
and maybe this was all decided long ago, and I
get all that, But if if the division is on
the line, I'm gonna wear the usual duds so that
my quarterback sees what he's used to seeing. Everybody on
the field is not having to kind of get used

(07:57):
to something that they haven't been used to. This this
is just not the week where I would have pulled
those out.

Speaker 2 (08:02):
That's just it's interesting.

Speaker 3 (08:03):
You may think that's insane, but that's just something I
was thinking about. It's just like, I want things to
feel normal for my football team in a game like this,
and your rock party and you haven't seen these jerseys
all season long, and now you're throwing the guys wearing them,
and they're wearing darker helmets, everything about it. I just
I would want everything to feel just as normal and
natural and buy the book as it possibly could in

(08:25):
a scenario like this.

Speaker 2 (08:27):
Very that's actually a very interesting theory that I had
not really thought about. Yeah, I hadn't really thought about that.
I don't know that I have any really strong takes
on that. It does feel. Listen, I know you didn't
intend to make this like a take or a talking
point for you know, a seven or eight minute stretch here,
but I will say like, and I'm not trying to

(08:48):
sound and maybe I do sound like old man on
the lawn and I didn't know this is where we
were going to potentially go. You know, alternate uniforms do
feel a little gimmicky. I'm just gonna say it, like right,
and you think about it, it's like, okay, it's either
like a weird Oregon recruiting tool or and I was,
I forget what Thursday night game I was watching the

(09:08):
other day, but I remember I was like, probably.

Speaker 3 (09:10):
The Patriots game when they were wearing the whites.

Speaker 2 (09:12):
Well, yeah, I was like, I was just thinking about
chebre remember remember color Rush jerseys and that was oh yeah, yeah, yeah,
it was like a Thursday night think and it was
kind of weird and it was kind of gimmicky, but
it was four Thursdays and I was like, I'm so
glad we don't do that anymore. And so to your point,
the all blacks when you have the very what's the

(09:34):
right word, historic isn't the right word, but it's like
you wear the red and gold when you are the
San Francisco forty nine ers in San Francisco. Again, it
probably means nothing. And maybe everyone's gonna call me an
idiot for sort of agreeing with you, But I will
say alternate uniforms do feel a little gimmicky. By the way,
whenever you wear black for a big game, it's kind

(09:55):
of like that weird you know you're going to your
own funeral, but you're going to you know you're bringing.
I actually think it's an interesting point. It's not why
San Francisco lost the game thirteen years no, no, no, it's
an interesting I just.

Speaker 3 (10:06):
Want everything to feel routine for brock Perdy. Like if
I'm a San Francisco fan, I want him to see
what he has seen all season long. I don't think
this is the night where he needs to kind of
it takes him an extra quarter of a second for
his eyes to like fully get used to it. I mean,
if you looked at the numbers, even the font was
different on the numbers, like everything about it just looked different.

(10:27):
And that would irritate me as a quarterback. Even if
it's a split mill to second, it would take just
a little bit longer to process, at least early in
the game, and that can be enough in a game
like this. Again, that's not why they lost, but it's
just something that bothered me the whole game. It's just like,
why would you do that tonight? Did you have to
do that tonight? If you're gonna do it, do it

(10:49):
week ten. Don't do it with the division on the line,
real quick and the number one seed on line?

Speaker 2 (10:54):
Yeah, real quick. I was gonna ask so San Francisco. Obviously,
they themselves had been played very well down the stretch here. Now,
you know, you can look at some of the wins.
They beat the Browns, they beat the Cardinals, they beat
the Colts obviously with whatever their quarterback situation is, did
beat the Bears a couple days ago. But did think
it was interesting They referenced multiple times during the broadcast

(11:15):
Kyle Shanahan basically publicly acknowledging like this is kind of
our mini super Bowl, with the insinuation being if we
win this game, we do not have to get on
a plane or even a bust the rest of the year.
Now they're gonna have to go on the road somewhere,
you know, obviously we kind of know who the division
winners are, where they could be headed. What do you

(11:37):
make of them, especially by the way, it feels like
a typical Kyle Shanahan team, but banged up again, Gonna
have to go on the road now. Obviously they might get,
you know, the advantageous NFC South champion or whatever, but
just thoughts on the San Francisco forty nine ers overall.

Speaker 3 (11:53):
Yeah, I mean, I don't know, the defense has been inconsistent.
I've enjoyed or I've thought this. Saula has done a
pretty good job, but it's definitely been inconsistent. The injuries
that you point out. Obviously that's gonna be the X
factor at any time. But I really it's gonna sound

(12:13):
pretty cliche, but I just think it comes down to
what version of rock Party you get. Like I think
it comes down to how good the quarterback can be
on the road. And we've seen really good stuff from
him just as of late. But that's what it's gonna take.
Like it's gonna come down to him. Like I think
you can trust a McCaffrey. I think you can trust

(12:34):
a Kittle as long as he's healthy, for example. But
Brock Party's the one that's gonna have to make the throws.
He's gonna have to be the one to make the
right decisions as opposed to throwing it to the opposite jerseys,
and on the road, it's just not as familiar and
sometimes you are more prone to make mistakes from that position,
So I think that's what it comes down to. I
think they're good enough to reach the Super Bowl, as

(12:57):
they usually are, but is Party gonna be good enough
in this postseason because he's going to have to play
well for them to have a chance.

Speaker 2 (13:06):
We'll see what happens with seating and everything. San Francisco
heading on the road. It is worth noting again they
themselves Seattle is now on a six game win streak,
but San Francisco was on a six game win streak
coming into tonight, including that Sunday night thriller against the Mayors. Unfortunately, though,
they will now go on the road to open the playoffs,

(13:27):
we'll find out who obviously by the end of the day. Tomorrow.
Fox Sports Radio Air Tours Jason Martin. We are broadcasting
live from the Fox Sports Radio studios. We will come
back talk about the other big game on Saturday, Tampa Bay, Carolina.
I'll tell you what didn't really make the NFC South

(13:47):
picture any cleaner, actually made it a little confusing. We'll
give you all the scenarios next. Fox Sports Radio. Hey,
this is Jason McIntyre.

Speaker 4 (13:58):
Join me every weekday morning on my podcast Straight Fire
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Speaker 2 (14:13):
You win big at the sportsbook, and all the best guests.

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Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with
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Speaker 2 (14:41):
Welcome back Everybody, Fox Sports Radio. Jmark just tell America.
You know Alex Sischert is working tours in Martin. When
what happens?

Speaker 3 (14:51):
Jmart when Everybody wants to Rule the world, brings us
back in our first break because he knows it's my
favorite song and so I always get it early. I
might have a few more requests.

Speaker 2 (15:07):
I'm going to drop him, I said on this one tonight,
I said on the UH when we filled in for
Jason Smith and Mike Harmon the other night, I don't
have a daughter, and Alex Tysher has spoken for but
that's the kind of man that you would want your
daughter to date. So yes, Tysha, I told you what.
My favorite song is not appropriate for the radio. No,

(15:28):
I'm kidding, it's not really my favorite song.

Speaker 3 (15:30):
So well, apple bottom jeans, Yeah, yeah, it.

Speaker 2 (15:33):
Brings me back to you know, I I can still
remember the first place where I was the first time
I heard that song. And actually that actually does bring
back a lot of good memories because I was young,
I was single, I was out.

Speaker 3 (15:49):
I don't know, it's good to say it's good memories
when I was single. It's when you're a happily married man.

Speaker 2 (15:56):
Well, I mean, I mean my wife would say she
had fun before she met me.

Speaker 3 (16:00):
Like, it's not like I like to believe that my
wife was miserable until the day that I came into
her life. And I know that I'm wrong.

Speaker 2 (16:10):
I would guess that you elevated her life experience, and
my wife has elevated my my wife my life experience.
And to be clear, and it's funny, I was actually
just talking to Martin Weiss about this while we were
changing over the studio. I actually like working on Saturdays,
because you know, I would be I am very much
a homebody now that would be sitting at home watching

(16:31):
these games anyway. And so it's just nice to just
get paid to do it. But yeah, so that song
without Tysha, I want you to look this up, Apple
bottom jeans, that was I think what was I don't
even know if it was tea paint or not. Two
thousand and nine? Was it two thousand and nine that
it came out? Teha is your I mean, verify, but
I think you're right. I think it was because I

(16:52):
could tell you I was visiting my buddy in Boston.
We're out with with him. I was out with him
some of maybe you know, his female friends at the time,
and we we had a good time. We were out,
you know, and Boston's a really fun city too. Have
you spent time in Boston? We got to get to Bucks, Panthers.
But have you spent time in Boston?

Speaker 3 (17:14):
Do we really know? Actually I have not. That's one
of the few cities in the country I have not.
I don't even think I've been to Boston at any
point in my life.

Speaker 2 (17:23):
All Right, I was way off. It's October seven, so
I was off by a year. But no, Boston is
a really fun city, especially when you're young, because it's
a very chill like it's not like you have to
get dressed up to go out on a Saturday night.
It's a lot of bars, it's a lot of pubs,
it's a lot of stuff like that. And I just remember,
I remember it was really cold, and I remember, you know,

(17:44):
you're wearing you know. It was just growing up in
the Northeast. It was like, you know, growing up in
Connecticut specifically, it's like when you like went to see
your friends, like you either go to New York or Boston.
And New York is like you're going to a club
and you're spending way more money than you have to
spend and you're dressing up and you gotta have the
nice shoes and the shirt. Yeah, and Boston is just

(18:05):
like throw on some jeans, you know, and just go
have a good time. And that's what we used to
dock in.

Speaker 3 (18:14):
Remember our old pale Our friend Klay Travis used to
tell me in the mornings when we were doing the
morning show here on FSR that all you have to
know to be the greatest wedding DJ of all time
is this song because I was a wedding DJ. I
did it a few times for some friends. He was like,
just play off the bottom jeans, you'll be the greatest
because everybody just hits the dance floor. Yes, I think

(18:36):
I would add to that, don't stop Believing. You gotta end,
sweet Caroline. Yeah, so don't stop got everybody covered, all right,
So we're now just going through my entire early to
early twenties experience.

Speaker 2 (18:48):
But at Yukon, the big bar that every went to
on Thursday was called Husky surprisingly enough, and don't Stop
Believing was always the last song that they played before
they closed it out. So both very good memories but
very bad memories. It was like the we're having a
great time, but you gotta get the heck out of here.
So those are my memories that don't stop.

Speaker 3 (19:08):
That's it. I think that's actually what Tampa Bay was
trying to say to Carolina.

Speaker 2 (19:12):
Yeah, maybe you should.

Speaker 3 (19:13):
Actually I think that I think mother Nature was saying,
both of you get out.

Speaker 2 (19:18):
Yes. By the way, random thought, and I know that
you and I fundamentally just disagree on this, but my
whole argument about the college football Playoff having one G
five team I'm like, yeah, we have lousy division winners
make the NFL playoffs every single year, and nobody's like, well,
Tampa's not one of those whatever would be fourteen best teams.

(19:41):
You can't put them in. It's like, no, we just
acknowledge that every division gets a spot. Whatever. Let's talk
about it. Final score in Tampa Bay sixteen to fourteen,
and frankly, if we're gonna be honest, it really wasn't
that close because Carolina excuse me, scored with what about
four or five minutes to go to cut into that lead.

(20:02):
But it was an ugly game in the weather. As
you said, Tampa Bay.

Speaker 3 (20:08):
I think, by the way, I think the leading rusher
for Carolina was Rico Dowdell because I looked at the
I looked at the stat line right at the end
of the game. I think he had seven carries for
ten yards.

Speaker 2 (20:18):
That is one hundred percent accurate. Chuba Hubbard also had
five carries for ten yards, so.

Speaker 3 (20:22):
Nice a little more efficient there.

Speaker 2 (20:25):
Yeah, it was Uh, it was a game that was
definitely played. I don't know that we'll tell our grandkids
about it. But Tampa Bay with the win, has now
set up a scenario where we could have a three
way tie in the NFC South. Come Sunday, Atlanta plays
New Orleans, and the scenario is this, J mart.

Speaker 3 (20:45):
O, boy, this is ridiculous.

Speaker 2 (20:47):
If New Orleans without Chris Lave, who does have a
serious health condition, we hope he's okay without Alvin Kamara.
If New Orleans beats Atlanta, the Tampa Bay Bucks go
to the playoffs. If Atlanta beats New Orleans, it will
be the Cara Line of Panthers as your NFC South champion.
Give me your seven biggest takeaways from this game, go ahead,

(21:09):
not kidding.

Speaker 3 (21:10):
I mean if you already had any takeaways because of
the downpour. I thought I felt like, if you look
at it, I mean like Bryce Young played all right,
and I do think he has kind of shown this
year that he's taken some steps. He's still not you know,
number one pick material or anything like that, but I've

(21:31):
enjoyed at least watching him continue to fight and earn
his way through where he's finding himself. But like, I
don't feel good about either one of them. The winner
of the division is going to have a losing record,
go into the playoffs and host a playoff game is
what it is. That's the that's the way the cookie
crumbles in that way. I mean, I think that you

(21:51):
look at a guy like Raheem Morris and what the
Falcons were expected to do. That's a huge disappointment for
them and a division that when you really get down
to it, they could have won just based on the
record alone. And I think it's kind of amazing that
Tampa Bay, after beating Carolina now has to kind of
just sit there and become the biggest Tyler shuck fans.

(22:13):
Oh yeah, imaginable, we all talk in order to find
their way kind of back door into the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (22:19):
It's it's unbelievable what is given where we where. This
was early in the season with Baker Mayfield. We were
talking about him as a potential MVP candidate and this
team in general. Yeah, yeah, I don't know that I
have a ton other than this. Neither team is playing well.

(22:41):
Tampa had lost four straight coming into today. Carolina has
now lost three of four after today. I think you
and I talked about this a little bit when we
were filled in for Jason and Mike the other night.
I think Tampa, probably because of Baker, gives you the
best chance to hypothetically pull off an upset. But I
don't feel very good about either of these teams. And yeah,

(23:04):
somebody's got to win the division. Yeah, I really don't
have much else. I'd love to for our listeners in Tampa,
Bay and Charlotte. I'd love to give you, you know,
another hour of breakdown. I don't think even you guys
necessarily want that, but anything else before we move on
to the rest of what's what we're gonna see at
Week eight Team.

Speaker 3 (23:21):
No, I think I think that pretty much covers the
events of the afternoon. It was definitely a football game
that was played on Saturday and a team won it,
and we'll find out whether or not that team ends
up in the playoffs or not.

Speaker 2 (23:33):
Well, well, one of them is again Tampa needing New
Orleans to beat Atlanta on Sunday. If Atlanta wins, the
Carolina Panthers will be your NFC champs. Fox Sports Radio
Ertoris Jason Martin, broadcasting from the Fox Sports Radio Studios,
should mention a lot of games with impact and meeting
in Week eighteen, and for the best pregame show every weekend,
be sure to tune into Fox Sports Radios count Down

(23:54):
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Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Well come back.

(24:15):
We will look ahead to Week eighteen some of the
games of significance, especially that Sunday night game in the
AFC North. Before we do that, let's get it over
the news desk Stave de Seger. What is trending?

Speaker 6 (24:27):
By the way, hey, there the Rams schedule this year.
They did in back to back weeks, played Tampa Bay
and Carolina killed the Bucks and then somehow lost at
the Panthers not that long ago. It could be the
Rams moving up to the five seed and playing at
Tampa Bay or Carolina in the first round of the
playoffs next weekend. And you mentioned Rico Dowdell, the running

(24:50):
back for Carolina in this loss at Tampa Bay. Going
into the game he needed seven yards from scrimmage for
a million dollar bonus in his contract because it would
put him over thirteen fifty from scrimmage for the season.
He had, as you mentioned, seven carries ten yards rushing.
He did have two catches for twenty yards, so bonus

(25:12):
achieved and a good take on the uniforms. San Francisco
was wearing the all blacks you mentioned in segment one.
For the record, it was August when the forty nine
Ers unveiled these alternate uniforms, saying, hey, we're going to
wear these down the road part of the Nike Rivalries
uniform series, which apparently eight total NFL teams are in on.

(25:34):
But they did announce when they said we're wearing these
that were not debuting them until the final game of
the season against Seattle. Who knew, especially as the season
went along with all the Niners injuries, that this game
would be the game for the NFC's number one seed,
which Seattle loans the NFC West champions. Seattle finished eight

(25:55):
to one on the road this season after the win
at San Francisco tonight to three, a fourteen and three
record for the Seahawks this regular season. Kenneth Walker sixteen
carries ninety seven yards at Tampa Bay in the rain,
the Bucks beat Carolina sixteen to fourteen. Each team finishes
eight and nine. The Bucks will win the NFC South

(26:16):
if Atlanta loses on Sunday. If Atlanta wins Sunday, Carolina
takes the division. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker committed to Oklahoma State,
transferring from North Texas to go where his head coach
just went in the NBA. Seventy six Ers won at
New York won thirty to one nineteen Tyrese Maxi another
thirty six points. At Dallas, Mavericks ended a four game

(26:37):
losing streak, beating the Rockets one ten, one oh four
despite thirty four points from Kevin Durant. Houston star center
Alpa and Shnguon left early with an ankle injury.

Speaker 3 (26:47):
There are just.

Speaker 6 (26:48):
Two late games at Golden State, Utah, and the lead
early third quarter against the Warriors seventy four to sixty eight.
Steph Curry returned. He did not play Friday due to
an ankle injury. Curry has fourteen points. Jimmy Butler back
in the lineup, he has nine points. Warriors trail at
home in the third and they're just about to go
to halftime in LA. The Celtics are leading the Clippers

(27:10):
sixty nine sixty three. On to college basketball, SMU defeated
number twelve North Carolina ninety seven eighty three. UCF upset Kansas.
Arkansas beat Tennessee, Missouri, a winner over number twenty two
Florida tonight seventy six seventy four. In the NHL. Another
Colorado victory five to three at Carolina. Tampa Bay won

(27:32):
seven three at San Jose, and Columbus ended the Buffalo
Sabers ten game winning streak five to one. Minnesota has
tied it at LA. It's four to four late in regulation.
The Toronto Blue Jays are signing Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto,
reported lead to a four year deal. Once again. Seattle
is the one seed in the NFC. It was a

(27:53):
dominant victory. If you didn't see it, you probably see
the final score thirteen to three.

Speaker 2 (27:58):
Wow.

Speaker 6 (27:59):
Pretty only on the scoreboard was this close. In fact,
there was a stat The Niners just in the first
half had eight misstackles according to Pro Football forcus and
the Seahawks defense had none in the first half. Brock
Purty in the first half attempted only one pass thrown
beyond five yards, and so the Niners when trailing at

(28:19):
halftime have lost nine of ten amazingly under this coach
Kyle Shanahan, when down seven points or more at the half,
the Niners record is three and thirty, including tonight lose
by ten. Back to you, thank you very much, Steve
de Seger.

Speaker 2 (28:36):
This is Fox Sports Radio, Fox Sports Saturday Air Tours,
Jason Martin broadcasting live from the Fox Sports Radio studios.
By the way, shout out to Jason Diamond who said
Apple Bottom Jeens actually came out in October eight. It
was the remake of Low, which came out in October

(28:57):
of seven. Torres nailed it with his music trivia. I
knew it was a fall of eight because I knew
where I was and what was going on in my
life at that time. He also asked us, what is
our takeaway from Mark Davis saying this roster is a
Super Bowl contender next season. I'll tell you what, JAMRT
In just a few minutes, we'll come back and talk
Max Crosby and the Raiders. First, really quick, we had

(29:18):
two games with playoff and seeding implication on Sunday night,
very quickly, and we'll preview this game more in depth later.
But actually, let me ask you this before we even
get to it. Your Denver Broncos clinch the number one
overall seed in the AFC on Sunday with a win
over the Los Angeles Chargers. Chargers, we know, the deal

(29:39):
totally banged up. Obviously. The Chargers actually could have been
in position to win the division and potentially the number
one seed, but they lost last Saturday to the Houston Texans.
Any concern, any fear, any worries about this game in Denver.

Speaker 3 (29:56):
Not necessarily. I just want to see this team look
good for four quarters. I don't want to see it
be a cardiac kind of performance. I mean, you're in
a situation where you win, you're the number one seed.
You lose, the New England wins, they're the number one seed.
If both those two teams lose, Jacksonville's.

Speaker 2 (30:13):
The number one crazy, right, unreal?

Speaker 3 (30:17):
But yeah, I mean, you know, there's just there have
been some moments of inconsistency for this Denver team. I
want to see them finish the regular season strong because
then you're not going to play for a couple of weeks,
and you know, with the Chargers in the scenario that
they're in, you should be able to win this football game.
If you're Denver, you just don't want to go out

(30:38):
there and lay in egg early, put yourself in a hole.
Make it interesting. Like I kind of want this to
just be one of those boring games where a one
seed goes out there and dominates whoever they're playing, whoever
the Chargers put out there on the field.

Speaker 2 (30:49):
What about Sunday Night? Obviously, Pittsburgh Baltimore. Lamar Jackson will
be back. Obviously, you and I were on air during
the Ravens win over the Packers last week, which obviously
didn't even necessarily set up winner for the AFC North title.
Last week, obviously we needed the Cleveland Browns to beat

(31:10):
the Pittsburgh Steelers, which they did Pittsburgh with no DK Metcalf.
Do you think the Ravens take care business against the Steelers.

Speaker 3 (31:19):
Yes, I do. No Metcalf just kind of a reeling
Steelers team. Obviously the Ravens are not firing, But I
just feel like Lamar's going to go in and have
a game. I think that everything that he has dealt
with this season, I just kind of since he's gonna
go out there and play well, maybe the only time
he does it all season long, because he's not the same.

(31:41):
It doesn't feel like he hasn't been healthy all year long.
I don't know what his headspace is. I don't know
what the relationship is with him and the coaching staff
at present, but I think a mixture of him and
another performance by Derrick Henry. The Pittsburgh defense hasn't been
great against the run throughout much of the year, so
you've got Lamar Are whatever he's capable of doing from

(32:02):
a running perspective, but Derek Henry's coming off of a
four touchdown, two hundred plus yard game. So I just
I like the mixture there. And I mean, maybe I'm
a little biased in this case, but Baltimore was my
pick to win the Super Bowl, so it's kind of
hard for me to just bail out when they have
an opportunity to make the playoffs, despite the fact that

(32:22):
I don't like either one of them once we get
to the playoffs. But I just feel like the Steelers
have been trending towards being out of this thing, and
at the very least, I look at Baltimore and I
look at Lamar coming back, and it just feels like
one of those games. Now TJ's gonna play as well,
He's gonna be out for blood. There's no question about that.

(32:43):
I expect a very physical game, probably a really entertaining game,
and also probably a very low scoring game.

Speaker 2 (32:49):
Tell you what Jason did ask us about the Las
Vegas Raiders, and it is certainly an interesting time in Vegas.
The Max Crosby situation takes a new turn. We'll discuss
that next Erra Tours. Jason Martin, Fox Sports.

Speaker 1 (33:02):
Radio, don't listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 2 (33:09):
Welcome back everybody, Fox Sports Radio. Aeron Tours. Jason Martin
broadcasting live from the Fox Sports Radio studios. Not trying
to be funny this song. It actually brings back a
lot of good memories. If that makes me uh a
weird A weirdo, just makes me a child of the
uh the early two thousands as far as when I

(33:33):
was coming of age as a young man. J mart
We could go down the Torres early two thousands nostalgia
tour all night, But not a lot of nostalgia in
Las Vegas right now with the Raiders. Raiders stink in
position to get the number one pick after the Giants
of course beat them in Vegas last week. And I

(33:55):
would just ask you, there's obviously a lot going on
right now, but but you know, in addition, obviously the
Pete Carroll's future, and we'll get all to get to
that in an hour two. It is, of course the
future of Max Crosby. We know the situation. Wanted to
play Pete Carroll, wanted to let him keep playing. The
team basically set him out, and Diana Orsini basically reporting that,

(34:18):
you know, teams are kind of operating right now under
the assumption that he could potentially be available here during
the offseason. Just your quick thoughts on this situation. It's
clear he wants to stay. I actually got even say this,
and it's kind of the same with the Miles Garrett thing.
I understand being loyal, yeah, but you know, it's like

(34:41):
it's funny right Like in the NBA. I will readily
admit that I was one that complained when guys would
jump from team to team and James Harden would play
for four teams in six years whatever. But I almost
think with some of these guys in the NFL, there's
too much loyalty, where like Max Crosby. I get what
that organization means to you. Dude, you got another two

(35:02):
three years of your prime left, you know. I think
he's approaching thirty years old right, like, he doesn't have
a thirty year career that he can just grind it out.
I understand him wanting to stay. I get all that,
but I also just feel like, dude, you got a
small window to do special things in this sport. I
think it's crazy that he so adamantly wants to say.
I thought it was crazy that Miles Garrett wasn't, you

(35:24):
know what, was willing to stay in Cleveland last offseason.
Just big picture your thoughts on the state of things
with with Max Crosby.

Speaker 3 (35:33):
Well, I mean, I think that at this point, he's
already proven what a great player he is, and his
story is incredible. What he dealt with and then to
come back from that just a definite winning kind of
story for a losing kind of franchise, yep, And that's
frustrating to watch. He's a Hall of Fame level player

(35:55):
who's never even come close to sniffing anything that matters
when it comes to the postseason and being able to
make it to play in a Super Bowl, And I
think that as you get a little bit older, loyalty.
I think he's already proven that loyalty. Like I don't
think that there were a lot of hard feelings when
it was time for Matthew Stafford to become a ram

(36:17):
yep and leave that lion's dumpster fire, which of course
it's not what it was at that point, but we
all know what it used to be. Yes, it was horrifying.
So you look at all of those things, It's like, Max,
go play for a contender and go do what your
football skills, your effort, your energy level, all the stuff

(36:39):
that you do, go do it in a situation that matters,
because that's the only thing that's left in your career.
You don't have to prove anything to anybody. And I
can't imagine Raiders fans being too upsessed like you gave
them absolutely everything, And I think at this point you
should make it about you. Like at this point, it's like,
what do I want to do? What do I want

(36:59):
to ACCOMPLI what's out there for me? What's left for
me to do? Go join a team that has a
chance to win a championship that could use my skills,
in a way that gets them closer to a chip.
And that's what I want to see him do, because
he's just gonna end up being a guy that retires.
He's going to be an all time great raider, but

(37:21):
he's gonna have nothing to show for it except just
what we all saw in terms of what he was
as an individual on the football field.

Speaker 2 (37:28):
Let me ask you this. We don't have much time
left in the hour, but you know, in the NBA,
I do think there's something to derk Noovitski only playing
for one organization. You know, whoever, Kobe Bryant, the late
Kobe Bryant only playing for one organization unless you're a quarterback,
and even quarterbacks. Peyton Manning, like nobody takes away what

(37:49):
he did in Indye because he went to Denver, like
Tom Brady has already been celebrated in New England. It's
just again, I get it. I just don't feel like
with football player there's as much of a you know,
it really means something to start and finish your career
with one organization.

Speaker 3 (38:07):
Yeah, I mean I think is that fair?

Speaker 2 (38:08):
Like is that a fair thing to say?

Speaker 3 (38:09):
Yeah? It is. I mean, look, it's a it's a
great thing. It's also a rare thing, but it at
this point in time, I just don't think it matters
the way that it once did. And if you've been
somewhere for long enough, here's the thing we already know. Max,
if you stay with that organization, you're not gonna be
in a super Bowl. They're just not a good organization.
Maybe Brady's gonna help turn it around, but it's gone

(38:31):
in the wrong direction over the last year or so.
It's just nothing that they've done has worked out. You
at this point need to go somewhere that actually matches
your skills an organization because you can't win a championship. Max,
like you, yourself as one of eleven on the defense, are
not gonna win a championship. You're just not. There's not

(38:52):
You have to have more good players than the Raiders
currently do. You look at brock Bowers and you say,
man Bowers is all he could be an all time
great tight end. That's right. He's still new in his career,
so he can continue to be a Raider for a
little while longer. But for Max Crosby, it's time to
go somewhere else. It's not that they've disrespected him or

(39:12):
treated him poorly. He's just never been surrounded with talent
that could win a championship. And there are teams out
there that would crawl over broken glass to have a
guy like him on their defense, to go with a
high power to offense where they're a piece or two
away from being a legit contender, or maybe they're already
a contender, and he puts you over the top. I

(39:32):
mean von Miller eventually left. Everybody eventually leaves, and I
don't think that it's the betrayal that it used to
be seen as.

Speaker 2 (39:40):
Yeah, and I just think especially in football, one because
the windows so small. But two, I think when you're
with a losing organization, like you said, I think the
fans would understand. I understand what the organization means to you.
I get all that. But again, I don't think any
Raiders fan, you know, I don't mean to be like stereotipic,
like they're not burning jerseys in the streets when you leave,

(40:01):
they would understand the situation why you left. The Raiders
are kind of a dumpster fire, jaymar You know what
else is dumpster fire? WNBA. So there is a crazy
story out about the WNBA. They are currently in negotiations
on a new CBA. That sounds boring. You know what
doesn't sound boring though, the fact that they're very well

(40:23):
maybe a WNBA lockout. We're gonna discuss that next. Back
to the NFL lot to cover. We're on until two
am Eastern. Rators Jason Martin Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (40:34):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 2 (40:37):
Welcome he everybody, hour two towards Martin, Fox Sports Radio.
We are broadcasting live from the Fox Sports Radio studios. Yes,
we are live here at midnight Eastern. As de Segre
just told you, two Saturday NFL games are in the books.
Tampa Bay beats Carolina in a rain soaked finish in Tampa.

(41:00):
Sixteen to fourteen is the final score. The NFC South
will come down to the New Orleans Atlanta game on Sunday,
both teams playing spoiler. If New Orleans wins, that means
the Tampa Bay Bucks or your NFC South champs. If
the Atlanta Falcons win, Carolina will go to the playoffs.
And in the late game we spend hour one talking

(41:20):
about it quite a bit. The Seattle Seahawks go to
San Francisco win thirteen to three. The Seattle Seahawks are
your number one overall seed. The Seattle Seahawks or are
your NFC West Champions. And that is what happened in
the world of the NFL on Saturday. By the way,
I should mention, Fox Sports Radio has a new YouTube channel.

(41:42):
Just search Fox Sports Radio on YouTube and you'll see
our best videos from all of our shows. And don't
stop there. Hit that thumbs up icon and coming away.
Let us know whose takes you like and even whose
takes you don't like. Just search Fox Sports Radio on
YouTube and subscribe. Jaymart So, I will tell you.

Speaker 3 (42:04):
This was a story that.

Speaker 2 (42:04):
Slipped through the cracks, So.

Speaker 3 (42:07):
You're welcome.

Speaker 2 (42:09):
It's going to be entertaining. I'll tell you this so
so look, obviously, this time of year, the focal point
is football. College Football Playoff continues this week, NFL Week
eighteen is going on. This story is unbelievable, though, so
the WNBA WNBA for people who are not plugged into

(42:32):
the WNBA news cycle three hundred and sixty five days
a year.

Speaker 3 (42:35):
They're a pro basketball league with women.

Speaker 2 (42:37):
They are a pro basketball league with women who I
don't want to sit there and say that they're not
going to be a pro basketball league for very long.

Speaker 3 (42:45):
I'm getting closer.

Speaker 2 (42:47):
Well, i'll tell you what. It is an interesting week
and why we bring it up is because the WNBA
is actually in the middle of CBA negotiations. Now, a
lot of this happened in the last day or so,
but basically, the league has a January ninth deadline to

(43:08):
get a new collective bargaining deal done. It's January third,
right now. What is at stake for the WNBA, Why
are they arguing, and by the way, to backtrack collective
bargaining deal otherwise there will be a player lockout. I'm
gonna give you the specifics via ESPN. Now, strike a

(43:29):
strike a strike, Yeah, that's actually a very important difference.
The players will go on strike. So let me let me.
ESPN has a very good article. Obviously, both sides are
trying to present their side of the argument. So the
WNBA Players Association is arguing that they want thirty percent

(43:49):
of gross revenue and a salary cap of approximately ten
and a half million dollars. That's what they're asking for.
That doesn't sound like a lot. Here is the issue.
The owners say that if they meet the demands of
the players. The league could lose seven hundred million I

(44:12):
sound like doctor Evil here, seven hundred million dollars over
the totality of the deal. So obviously the players are
saying those numbers aren't right. And there's five new teams
coming into the league, and there's franchise fees that are
being paid, so we don't have to get into all
of the semantics here. But at the same time, it

(44:35):
is clear that if the players get what they want,
the league will go even further into debt. It very
much feels to me like the owners are finally saying, hey,
we have a little momentum, but how about we just
try to break even forget trying to turn a profit.
And so actually what the owners have proposed is basically

(44:56):
offering a situation where they would get fifty percent of
of net proceeds. So basically, once the bills get paid,
you get fifty percent of everything else that we make.
The players aren't happy with it. I could go back
and forth, wild story, and yes there could be a

(45:16):
WNBA strike that, depending on how you feel, very much
could put this entire season in jeopardy. Where are you
at on this story, Jmark.

Speaker 3 (45:28):
I'm in Nashville with my feet on the ground, and
so I have no choice but to say, this is
one of the dumbest things I've ever seen. Like that's
why I sent you the story. When you were saying,
where else do we want to go tonight? Past football,
it's like, well, there's this and the thing that's just
mind boggling. First off, you have a couple of other leagues,

(45:48):
like women's leagues, kind of like independent stuff that's sort
of floating out there. So that's also an option potentially
for some of these players if they wanted to keep
playing basketball all this.

Speaker 2 (46:00):
I should mention, just to throw it out there. Now,
I'm told the Fista Collier will need sir double ankle surgery. Yeah,
but she is the head of the players Association. But
also like I don't know if an investor is the
right word, but she's somehow financially involved with Unrivaled. So
that's exactly seems to be a major coplic of interest. Unrivaled.

(46:22):
By the way, is the three on three league off
season whatever?

Speaker 3 (46:25):
Keep going, J Martin, Yeah.

Speaker 5 (46:27):
So.

Speaker 3 (46:29):
I understand you know how CBA's work and how look,
you're trying to get the best do you can and
all this other kind of stuff. The way they behave
is if they have all this leverage. I just don't
think they understand like they're more popular than they've ever
been because they have one unicorn who's making seventy eight
thousand dollars a year. When you look at what the
owners are wanting to take the max salary, which I

(46:52):
think was two hundred and fifty thousand and make it
like one point four mil or something like that, the
money is going to go up. But here's the problem,
Like this goes back to pay us what you owe us.

Speaker 2 (47:03):
That's right forgot Abo wearing.

Speaker 3 (47:04):
The T shirts on All Star weekend. The owners basically
can just turn right back around and say, well you first,
because let me give you a bill for how much
debt you've caused me over the last couple of decades.
And this is NBA owners. Now, Adam Silver can send
the same bill and be like, once you pay that back,
all right, then we can have a conversation. Because the

(47:26):
league's never turned a real profit, it has lost incredible
amounts of money. And so now the owners are like, hey,
we're going to offer you more money on a contract.
We're going to offer you I think it's fifteen percent
instead of thirty, which is what they wanted of gross
revenue and all this other kind of stuff. Despite the
fact that you've lost us money the entire time, we
do want to say, look, we understand the league's starting

(47:48):
to grow a little bit. We're hopefully going to take
advantage of this Caitlin Clark thing and at least maximize
this in the short term. The media seems to be
just like in the tank for us in terms of
the WNBA right now. They're all saying nice stuff. Whether
they believe it or not. You know, all this stuff
is happening, so we do want to show you. Look,

(48:09):
we're gonna meet you somewhere on this, and they're like nope, nope,
you're gonna give us this. They're asking for charter flights
and private flights and all sorts of other stuff. It's
like a concert writer for Katy Perry at some point,
but it's preposterous because Katy Perry can actually sell out
a building, and unless Caitlin Clark's playing, nobody in the
WNBA is coming anywhere near that. But the bigger issue

(48:31):
is just like, again, you are behaving as if you
are some kind of incredible commodity. And I hate to
tell you, but you're not. You're just absolutely not. And
here's the problem. If you strike and you put this
season in jeopardy, no one's gonna notice. Like zero point

(48:51):
zero one percent of the sports watching public might notice.
There will be a few articles written, there will be
a little bit of TV coverage on certain shows, and
that's gonna be it. If you go away, we're just
gonna remember that. I mean, we're just gonna move on
to other stuff that we were watching anyway, Like Brian

(49:14):
knows gonna be upset because Brian knows become a big
WNBA fan for gambling purposes. I believe mainly it's good
for him. It's fine to find new hobbies.

Speaker 2 (49:22):
By the way, he does host Fox Sports Radios count
Down to kick Off every single Saturday and Sunday. Should
mention this keep going, Yes.

Speaker 3 (49:28):
Make sure you do that. No. Just again, like when
baseball had it strike in ninety four, at least baseball
was America's pastime. You are America's I don't even know
what you would say, America's go away. Like no one cares.
The vast majority of people don't. Caitlyn Clark. Notwithstanding, she's

(49:51):
also saying, she's like, this is the most important time.
Her quote, you can find it her quote about this.
She's saying, this is the most important time in the
history of this league, and we're gonna do everything we
can to get the most that we can all this.
But then the last thing she says is, but we
also need to play basketball. And that's a key point here,
because if they don't play basketball, they're going to discover

(50:13):
that no one cares, and no one's going to beg
them back. No one's going to go to the owners
and say, hey, please pay them. We missed the WNBA
so much. Nah, man, we already have too much to watch.
We got backlogs of TV shows, backlogs of movies. There's
sports that are much more entertaining than you at all times. Basically,
there's no need for a women's professional basketball league, but

(50:37):
it's continued to exist because the NBA has propped it up.
And now when the owners are trying to do a
little something, but they're also saying, hey, let's actually work
together and make this thing profitable, you've decided that no,
that's not good enough, because you need to get yours now.
And that's when like, what's I don't see the owners

(50:58):
coming to the table and saying, Okay, give uncle. Why
would they do that? Like, I actually think this is
probably going to happen. And they had to vote, and
the vote was ninety eight percent to two percent. The
players voted to give the power to the union to
initiate a strike if necessary. So they've set the stage

(51:20):
and almost the entire league is behind it. I'm like,
are there anybody outside of that two percent? Is there
anybody in this league that is willing to set these
women down and explain how life, America, capitalism, entertainment, all
of those things work, because it seems to me that
everyone's forgotten about this, Like they just look at themselves

(51:40):
as superstars. You can call yourself a superstar all you want,
it doesn't make you one. And this league is full
of non superstars that are going after leverage that they
don't have. And I want to see the owners call
their bluff on this because I think a lot of
people listening right now would be just fine if the
WNBA was not so.

Speaker 2 (52:01):
And that's what it comes down to is I think
the most important part of what everything that you said
there and it was all incredible. Is like, listen, I'm
a little young to remember the ninety four baseball strike,
but I remember enough of it, and what I seem
to remember was, you know, it was the cliche millionaires

(52:22):
versus billionaires, but like everyone was heartbroken when it the
season was canceled. It was the first time the World
Series had been canceled since World War Two or whatever
it was, blah blah blah, and it was like, I
don't know, I don't think the league has built up
enough equity where they could just step away. And I

(52:42):
think there's two things. One and this is actually I
don't know if there's two things, but one I would
think the owners. Listen, I think for a long time
they subsidized things and it wasn't really that. I do
understand them saying, Okay, we have a chance to actually
become a real business here and not just a welfare system.

(53:02):
For lack of a better term, I hate to say it,
but it's the truth. We have a chance to create
a real business here, but you guys have to meet
us in the business and do something sustainable. You know,
I didn't even think of this until right now, But like,
what do we always talk about in sports like maybe
basketball more than anything is the sacrifices that the previous
generations made for the good of the league overall, you know,

(53:25):
the Magic Bird going from tape delay to what is
now the NBA. At some point somebody has to make
a sacrifice for the good of this league, and the
players aren't doing it. And then I also think that
once they're gone, they will have no leverage to come back.

(53:45):
And I like, again, I don't think this is ninety
four with the major leagues, or even twenty eleven with
the NBA, where it was like, no, we actually want
you back. Like I think people are gonna move on.
The WNBA has certainly become a nice something to talk about,
diversion conversation in June and July when there's nothing else

(54:06):
but guess what. Go back to last year. Kaylen Clark
has that weird injury, which by the way, nobody could
explain for about two months there. Angel Reese gets hurt,
and guess what nobody was talking about the league? You
go back to Kayln Clark's rookie year. I don't have
the numbers in front of me, but she got knocked
out in the opening round of the playoffs, the ratings
plummeted without her, and so I just think it is

(54:32):
a no way. Well, listen, they can do whatever they want.
And I think it speaks to the delusion of you know,
I don't know what percentage, but pretty much the vast
majority of these players of at some point you got
to turn this into a business. At some point you
have to turn a profit or there is no business.
And I've said what I had to say. You could

(54:52):
take wherever you want from that.

Speaker 3 (54:53):
Yeah, listen, if they go away, the reason you go
away is because you trust, you have faith that there
is going to be a groundswell of people to say please, please, please.
You want to be able to go and argue, Look
how much money you are losing by not paying us
what we're asking, by not giving us what we're asking.

(55:14):
Look how much you're sacrificing. Look how many people are
unhappy you Like all the pressure is on the owners.
There's not gonna be pressure on the owners. I don't
even know exactly when the WNBA season is supposed to
run from and two, but like, there's going to be
other stuff, There's not going to be this ground swell.
People are not going to be outside NBA arenas picketing.

(55:37):
I mean there might be a few, and again, look,
more power to you if you like the league. I'm
not here to tell you you can't like what you
want to like. I am here to tell you, however,
that if they go away, no one is going to
think about it, which means no one is going to
miss them, which means nobody is going to flood the
email boxes of all the various NBA owners and the
NBA offices and all this kind of stuff demanding that

(56:00):
the WNBA come back. They're not going to need replacement player.
Shane Falco is not going to be out there WNBA
style so that there are still women's basketball. Here's the thing,
We'll just watch women's college basketball with care that much
like most of the time, that's been what people have
watched at times, at least when they've been highs for

(56:22):
women's basketball much more. But I think he's been on
the college side than the pro side. The only thing
you're doing right now is blowing your unicorn chance with
Caitlin Clark. The longer you don't have her on the floor,
that's going to be a problem. But if you guys
go away for a year. It's not going to be
the owners that lose money. They're actually going to make money.
They're gonna make more money at least because they're not

(56:43):
going to lose out on all the quarter filled arenas
and all of those other kinds of things. You're going
to discover. And I think it's going to be a
rude awakening if you're this delusional, right, If it's not
just bluster, and the owners are gonna call their blood
and they're gonna come back down to reality and all
this other kind of stuff. It's gonna be a rude

(57:04):
awakening when you realize that the level of star you
think you are is nowhere near what reality is. Like,
these two things are not going to coexist well. And
it's going to be a massive hit to the ego
when you realize that no one cares that you're not there.

Speaker 2 (57:22):
It'll be very interesting to see. According to this ESPN article,
it could be January ninth when a drop dead decision
has to come. That is the deadline for a potential
w NBA strike again. According to ESPN, if the owners
give in to the players demands, they could lose up
to seven hundred million dollars.

Speaker 3 (57:45):
I mean, why would they do that? Why would anyone
do that? By the way, January the ninth, that story
isn't even going to be the top story in sports.
If you guys strike because there's a college football playoff
semi final that night.

Speaker 2 (58:00):
Well, I'll tell you what. Speaking of those college football
playoff semi finals, let's come back and talk about them.
We have Miami Old Miss on Thursday. We got Oregon
Indiana on Friday. We have an interesting situation brewing with
the Old Miss coaching staff. We're gonna discuss all that
next air towards Jason Martin, Fox Sports Radio. Welcome back, everybody,

(58:24):
Fox Sports Radio, Air towards Jason Martin, broadcasting live from
the Fox Sports Radio studios. Come back, by the way,
j Martin, little pivot. We're gonna do college football playoff
an hour three, But darn it, I teased it, so
we're doing it next.

Speaker 3 (58:38):
Got it.

Speaker 2 (58:39):
Before we get to it, though, let's get to the
news desk. Steve de Seger, what is trending?

Speaker 6 (58:43):
Seattle's defense was kind of impressive tonight in San Francisco.
The Seahawks clinch the one seed in the NFC and
the NFC West title with a thirteen to three victory
over the forty nine ers, who had entered with a
twelve and four mark this year. They had been five
and two at home, and George It'll play the tight end,
returned after the ankle injury. He had five catches twenty

(59:04):
nine yards. Tackle Trent Williams was out with a hamstring injury.
San Francisco wide receiver Ricky Piersall was out with knee
and ankle injuries. But the Niners were the best in
the league coming into tonight at third down conversions over
fifty percent, highest mark for any team in four years.
But Seattle has the best third down defense, and it
showed tonight. San Francisco two for nine on third down conversions,

(59:28):
their opponents only just under a third of their third
down say convert and on the road, the Seahawks finished
eight and one thirteen to three. The final at San Francisco,
Tampa Bay Bucks sixteen to fourteen winners over Carolina, each
team eight and nine. The Bucks will win the NFC

(59:48):
South with that record. If Atlanta loses on.

Speaker 2 (59:51):
Somebody's gonna win the NFC South with that record.

Speaker 6 (59:54):
And if Atlanta wins on Sunday, Carolina takes the division.
In the NBA, We've got two late games at Golden State.
It's just gone final. The Warriors got thirty one points
from Steph Curry and beat the Utah Jazz one twenty three,
one fourteen, despite thirty five points from Lowry markin and
of the Jazz. The late game in LA has the
Celtics now ahead of the Clippers one nineteen to one

(01:00:16):
oh one with about nine minutes to go. Jalen Brown
thirty nine points in thirty minutes on the court. Earlier,
seventy six Ers won at New York. Mavericks beat Houston
Houston Rocket Center Alpa and Shngon left with an ankle injury.
In college hoops, SMU defeated number twelve North Carolina UCF
upset number seventeen Kansas Missouri tonight beat number twenty two Florida.

(01:00:41):
NHL wins for Colorado for LA in a shootout, and
the Blue Jays are signing Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto,
reportedly a four year deal. We're sixty million dollars back
to you, Thank.

Speaker 2 (01:00:53):
You very much, Steve Seger, it says Fox Sports Radio,
Fox Sports Saturday into Sunday, depending on where you are
or towards Jason Martin, broadcasting live from the Fox Sports
Radio studios. Jmark, do you want to talk to college
football playoffs semi finals in a minute, you know, I'll
ask you this interesting sort of development with the ole
Miss Rebels. They were the last team to advance to

(01:01:15):
the semi finals. They of course won that New Year's
Night thriller. You and I were filling in for Jason
Smith and Mike Harmon when it happened. Bring it up,
because it's been a you know, certainly a narrative since
Lane Kiffin left for LSU that not only that he
was leaving, but that there was the original thought that
the offensive staff would not be allowed to coach. Then

(01:01:37):
they were allowed to coach. But it does feel like
we have now hit kind of like a critical mass
point for those coaches. Is that one for people don't
follow the college football calendar, the transfer portal has opened,
so basically roster building has begun for next season. Also,
and I think this is an important note. You know,

(01:01:58):
when ole Miss was getting ready for their opener against
Tulane and then obviously the semi the quarterfinal excuse me
against Georgia they had multiple weeks off between games. Ole
Miss goes back on the field this Thursday against Miami,
and so I just bring it up because it feels
like there's sort of this weird circumstance where LSU, I

(01:02:23):
don't know, has explicitly told guys that they can't really coach,
but they're sort of an understanding that we know what
we told you, but we'd really kind of like you
here to work on the portal. Pete Golding said, quote
earlier today, week in and week out. I don't dictate
whether they're here or not because they're not employed by me.
Up to this point. That's how it beent, and that's

(01:02:43):
how it's been, and that's my expectation. I'll just be
quick on this. It's an interesting scenario, and I kind
of actually do see both sides of it. I think
LSU is sitting there saying, look, we you know, certainly
didn't think you were gonna make it this far, but
we're trying to build for next year. You're getting paid
by us, You are an employee of Louisiana State University,

(01:03:07):
and you need to be here helping out, you know,
get ready for next year. And I think i'll Miss
this in there saying, well, you guys agreed to this.
It was your idea, or at least it was something
that you agreed to a month ago. It's not our
fault that we keep winning. Do you have any strong
opinions on what's going on with those old miss coaches?
As I believe all Charlie West Junior, the play caller,

(01:03:27):
is confirmed he will be at the Fiesta Bowl. I
think everybody else that was doing double duty is kind
of up in the air.

Speaker 3 (01:03:34):
Yeah, I mean, I understand your point, and I don't
necessarily disagree. My whole take remains the same. I just
keep looking at the football team, the guys that are
given they're all on the field, and I'm just like, gosh,
I feel like, you guys deserve better than this, right,
you know. I understand that it's difficult and all this,

(01:03:57):
but they didn't ask for any of this, and they're
caught in the middle and they have to go play
a very important game, most important game maybe in the
school's entire history, and they don't know who's going to
be on the sidelines with them. They haven't felt like
the guy that was coaching them throughout much of the
regular season was really there at least fully present at

(01:04:18):
the time and all this other kind of stuff. So
I'm sitting there looking at guys like Trinidad Chambliss and
just dudes that have put it all on the line.
And then you see, like I guess it's Ryan Clark, okay,
earlier this week saying that ole miss should be grateful
for Lane Kiffin and thankful for Lane Kiffin and basically

(01:04:38):
bow down because they'd be nowhere without him and all this,
And I'm like, one, lsu alum, Ryan Clark. Two, it's
just a bad take, Like, yes, of course Lane Kiffen
helped build that program into what it is. No one
is suggesting otherwise, but to say that now they need
to be just so grateful and basically keep their mouths

(01:05:00):
shut about the decision that he made, that everybody in
Oxford just needs to be thankful that he was there
in the first place and all this. I just I
can't get on board with that at all. And left
in the lurch is the football team that's competing for
a championship, And of course Golding's not in a good
situation with everything that he's trying to deal with, and
who's here and who's not and it's not his call

(01:05:22):
and all this. I certainly understand what LSU is would think,
and I understand what Lane would think. But I'm on
the old Miss side one hundred percent through this whole thing.
Lane can go do what he wants. He can do
whatever he's got to do. And if he says those
scantnotions that need to be with me the next line,
maybe don't fire out a tweet after they win their
game the other night and say, oh, this is so

(01:05:43):
much fun. Maybe two more huh, Like I think he
tweeted something to that effect, And it's just kind of
like they're just just just where the go to the
LSU women's basketball game. He was there, which you have
done with your with your wife. Go show up there
support the university that you're at. But stop this. No
one in Oxford wants to see you rooting for Ole Miss.

(01:06:05):
No one in Oxford really wants to remember you at all.
And I think that the football team at this point
needs to be the focus, and it would be almost
the first time all season where that could be the case.
We need to be talking about the brilliance of Trinidad Chambliss.
Also just an all time great football game that was
played between Ole Miss and Georgia a couple of days ago,

(01:06:26):
and again we're stuck here in the lurch of trying
to figure out who can coach and who can't, who's
right and who's wrong, and all of these things. I'm
not going to listen to the calendar argument. I'm not
going to listen to any of this. I'm just gonna
look at the Old Miss guys that are playing football
right now and say, you guys deserve better in this stinks.

Speaker 2 (01:06:44):
It does stink, And I do think a lot of
this is contingent, contingent on It sounded great on paper
on December ninth or whatever it was. I don't think
anybody thought, especially when the bracket came out and he
had to play Georgia, that they were actually going to
be in this position, which transitions nicely to uh, the
semi finals. The ole Miss does play the first semi final,

(01:07:07):
that is obviously on Thursday night. Tell you what, ty shirt,
why don't you give us a little music? Let's just
do some quick previews of these games.

Speaker 3 (01:07:16):
Wait, let me ask you one question on me.

Speaker 2 (01:07:17):
As a matter of fact, we'll bring an ian to
preview but go ahead, but go ahead, what's the question?
What do you got?

Speaker 3 (01:07:21):
I like that cut, by the way, that was fun.
So they so they're like, we didn't think you were
going to get this far.

Speaker 2 (01:07:28):
I don't think anyone said that publicly.

Speaker 3 (01:07:30):
I just know I know, but that that impression, right, idea?
Would that mean that your new head coach at LSU,
the one that was coaching at ole Miss, told LSU
that they're not going to be Georgia. Don't worry about it.

Speaker 2 (01:07:43):
No, I think it's more of a he was so
arrogant that he thought that they'll fall apart without me
one and certainly if I if they couldn't beat Georgia
with me, they'll not they won't be able to beat
them without me. That's more of the vibe that.

Speaker 3 (01:08:00):
I think. It's just another indicator though that he didn't
believe in his own football team.

Speaker 2 (01:08:05):
Now, I think it's fair, and you know, we talked
about this on our our Thursday night fill in with
Jason Smith and Mike Harmon of basically, you know, he
left LSU because he thought he had a chance to
compete for championships and there is no guarantee that he
will ever be in a better position than old Miss
currently is in, and frankly maybe could have hypothetically been

(01:08:28):
in with him. I know I said it a bunch.
You heard me say this quite a bit. But I
go back to the old Herm Edwards. You play to
win the game. You play to put yourself in position
to win a championship. Ole Miss does it and he
walks out.

Speaker 3 (01:08:43):
Okay, I just wanted to throw that out. Now we
can do the preview.

Speaker 2 (01:08:46):
All right, let's do it. Yeah, we'll bring you in.
Go ahead, give us, give us a little intro here.

Speaker 7 (01:08:52):
All right, let's start with the Thursday game January eighth,
got Miami taking on Ole Miss in the Verbo Fiesta Bowl.
Miami's favored by three and a half in this one.
But what do you guys think happens here? We'll start
with you, j Mart.

Speaker 3 (01:09:04):
What you got? Man? It's tough because after you watch
him against Georgia, you're impressed, but you also saw the
talent on the field for Miami, saying's not nearly as
fleet to foot or dangerous as Chambliss in a lot
of different ways. That's gonna cause Miami more issues. Is
this gonna be the game where Carson Beck does the

(01:09:25):
thing I didn't. I did not buy into him at all,
and that's why I picked Ohio State to win, and
win easily turned out to be entirely wrong. But I
don't look at the I still don't look at Miami
and think juggernaut. I understand they have a lot of talent.
The problem is, is be gonna be necessary or are

(01:09:46):
they just gonna run the ball really effectively all game long.
If they do, and those two just absolute monsters on
defense do what they did against Ohio State, then they're
gonna win that game. I think think ole Miss is
probably the better overall football team, but I think this
might be the moment where I will go with Miami.

(01:10:07):
I think I'm gonna pick Miami to win this game,
primarily because of Fletcher and Tony and what these guys
have been able to do running the football, and just
the relentless nature of the defense. Seems to be that
Scott has been in the right place a lot during
the course of the season, and when you look at
the trenches in this game, I think that's gonna favor

(01:10:29):
Miami because it's a Mario Cristoball team and that's what
he builds so I actually think I will pick Miami
to beat Ole Miss, even though I am pulling for
ole Miss, not because I hate Miami, but because it's
hard to pull against Ole Miss right now.

Speaker 2 (01:10:42):
Yeah, So I'll say this, It's hard for me to
pick this game only because I'm the guy that had
Old Miss getting blown out by Georgia. So I'm hesitant
to do this. I do like Miami. Listen, I I
think when you dominate Ohio State, and you dominate Texas

(01:11:04):
A and M both up front and oh by the way,
earlier this year you did dominate Notre Dame, it's just tough.

Speaker 6 (01:11:12):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:11:12):
Trinidad Chamblass, to your point, is a totally different quarterback then,
certainly Gunner Stockton and certainly Marcel Reid. But I just
I don't know. I don't know. And then the other thing, too,
like you said, is if Miami could just sit on
that run game and not make Carson Beck do too much,
I'm with you. I have a hard time. I think

(01:11:32):
this is where the road ends for Old Miss. It's
been an incredible year, incredible season, already proved people wrong
by beating Georgia. The other thing is, too, I don't
know that it really matters, but quick turnaround. You know,
less than a week they got to travel cross country.
They played that late late New Year's game. Miami, of
course had the game the day before. Don't know that
it really matters that much, but I will take Miami

(01:11:54):
to win that game, all right.

Speaker 7 (01:11:57):
Next up, the Chick fil a peach Ball got Oregon
versus Indiana. Indiana's favored by four points in this one.
What do you think Aaron will start with you on
this one?

Speaker 2 (01:12:06):
Yeah, rematch of a game earlier in Eugene. Both coaches,
by the way, were very like overly complimentary. Today they
had a dual press conference and it was like, who
can you know compliment the other one?

Speaker 3 (01:12:19):
St yes.

Speaker 2 (01:12:22):
One, obviously we know what Indiana just did. I do
think Oregon to me, I know, Dante Moore could literally
like potentially be like the number one, number two pick
in the draft. I feel like they're kind of a
year ahead of schedule, Like they lost everybody off of
last year, Dante Moore, first year starter, and you know,
even the Brandon Finney kid who was awesome against Texas Tech.
Like most of their impact players are on the younger

(01:12:45):
side and coming back. I don't know if Dante Moore
specifically will be back. Feels like they're a year ahead
of schedule. I don't think Indiana is gonna slow down,
as honestly, net he's a head coach, but it just
kind of feels like they're built for this year, peaking
at the right time. To their credit, no letdown after
that Ohio State game. I'll take Indiana to win.

Speaker 3 (01:13:03):
Yep, me too. I mean I don't have to repeat
much of what you did. I think Indiana right now
is the most complete team. I think they should win
the entire thing, not just because of what they did
to Alabama, because Alabama definitely was flawed, but the way
that they dismantled them, the way that they just kicked
them in the dirt and made sure they had absolutely
no room to breathe at all. Mendoza is just on

(01:13:25):
a level right now where he's just he's making almost
no mistakes at all. What they do on the offensive line,
what they can do defensively, to you how well coach
they are. I like Oregon an awful lot. I think
that this is going to be not as close as
their first matchup was. I just think Indiana is rolling.

(01:13:45):
They look the part of a champion. And I'll tell you, man,
if we get Indiana and Miami, that's going to be
one physical football game.

Speaker 2 (01:13:53):
One physical football game. Miami oll miss in the Fiesta
Bowl on Thursday night. Friday. Indiana and Oregon come back.
We will get to Steve de Sager's extended update. Goodness gracious,
cannot wait to hear what Disager has on a busy
day across the world of sports. Disaga up next, Fox

(01:14:14):
Sports Radio. Welcome back everybody, Fox Sports Radio Ertorris Jason
Martin broadcasting live from the Fox Sports Radio studios with
the new and improved iHeartRadio app, stream us wherever you are.
Catch all of your favorite shows live twenty four to
seven in that iHeartRadio app. All you gotta do just

(01:14:36):
search Fox Sports Radio in the app to stream us
live all day, every day, and be sure to select
Fox Sports Radio is one of your presets in the
iHeart app, so we'll always pop up at the top
of your screen. Let's get it over the news desk
every week round this time Steve Disaga with his extended update.

Speaker 6 (01:14:51):
Go ahead to Sager, Well, we've got a lot of
football to get to with the late game in the
NBA has just finished and the Celtics Jalen Brown scored
fifty points. Celtics beat a Clippers team that had won
six straight one forty six to one fifteen. And the
late game in college basketball men's is in double overtime.
San Diego State's just gone up by five midway through

(01:15:13):
the second OT against Boise State. The late NHL game
just final final seconds of overtime Boston Bruins goal wins
at three to two at Vancouver. You mentioned the college
football playoffs semi finals are on Thursday and Friday next week.
College Football's finale is in Miami on Monday, the nineteenth
quarterback Drew Mestemaker committed to Oklahoma State, transferring from North

(01:15:35):
Texas to go where his head coach just went. Oklahoma
State's record was one and eleven this past season, hadn't
won a conference game in the past two years, and
I read today that fifty nine Oklahoma State players are
in the transfer portal. Clemson will reportedly hire Chad Morris's
offensive coordinator he worked there over a decade ago. A
lot of NFL news, starting with the wins for Seattle

(01:15:58):
and Tampa Bay on this Saturday, the regular season ends
tomorrow night. Pittsburgh pass rusher TJ. Watt will play the
season finale against the Ravens. He's missed the last three
games with the lung injury. Ravens wide receiver Rashad Bateman
is out Sunday night due to illness. Today in the
rain at Tampa, the Bucks sixteen fourteen winners over Carolina,

(01:16:19):
each team eight and nine. The Buccaneers will win the
NFC South with a losing record if Atlanta loses its
finale on Sunday. If Atlanta wins tomorrow, Carolina takes the
division at eight and nine, and yes gets to host
a playoff game with a losing mark. Tampa Bay wins
even though Mike Evans today had two catches one reception

(01:16:40):
each for Chris Godwin and Ameca Abuka, who's been darn
near invisible the last month. Panthers are engaged this week. Congratulations,
that's why. Because once they got a couple receivers back boy,
did he go down the pecking order. Panthers early third
quarter missed a fifty four yard field goal attempt short
That was a few plays after the soul called lateral
the quick whistle. Did anybody see this this afternoon. They

(01:17:04):
had to talk to a pool reporter, that is, after
the game, talk to the referee, Brad Allen, that he admits,
though you know, the offense could have had a choice
to just replay that backward pass instead of a second
and ten. The referees mistake made it second and seventeen.
They didn't get much yardage on the next couple downs

(01:17:24):
and wound up with a fifty four yard field goal attempt,
and again it was short, and the Panthers wind up
losing by two. Panthers as a team fourteen carries just
nineteen yards rushing. Today Kate Ottenbucks tight end seven catches
ninety four yards and a score. The Bucks had lost
seven of eight but got the win here because they
were up ten to nothing after their first two drives.

(01:17:47):
It was sixteen to seven late in the game Panthers
with three turnovers, Bryce Young two TD passes in the loss,
one interception two hundred and sixty six yards. The Seattle
Seahawks finished fourteen and three this season after the win
at San Francisco tonight. It was a dominant thirteen to
three final should have been more, but Seattle on red

(01:18:07):
zone tds went zero for three Christian McCaffrey and defeat
eight carries twenty three yards rushing. He did have six
catches thirty four yards on top of that, but the
San Francisco offense eight drives nine first downs Seattle twenty
three first downs. So Seattle gets the NFC's number one seed.
They win the NFC West title. San Francisco could be

(01:18:29):
falling to the sixth seed. We know green Bay will
be number seven. Green Bay will be playing at the
two seed wild card weekend, and it could be green
Bay at Chicago in their playoff opener. Seattle has clinched
the not only division, but number one overall. What about
San Francisco five or six seed? It depends on whether
the Rams actually lose to Arizona in La tomorrow, but

(01:18:51):
the Rams can move up to the five seed, and
it's likely Chicago gets the two seed. They get it
with a win against Detroit tomorrow or with a fill
Ladelphia loss against Washington, and Philly is resting some starters
in the AFC. Denver can only be a top three seed.
They'll clinch the number one in the AFC and the
first round by and the home field advantage throughout with

(01:19:13):
a win over the Chargers, who are resting starters, and
Chargers running back o'mari and Hampton is out with an
ankle injury. By the way, Eagles tight end Dallas Goddard
is out with a knee injury. Giants wide receiver wan
Dale Robinson is on ir with a rib injury. There's
a host of teams that could finish with the number
two overall pick. Obviously, it's most likely that the Raiders

(01:19:34):
draft number one overall because, of course we had the
game that was just about for all the marbles.

Speaker 2 (01:19:39):
Those two awful stink.

Speaker 6 (01:19:41):
Giants Raiders matchup last weekend, which the Giants dominated.

Speaker 2 (01:19:47):
The Raiders are in position to get the number one
pick because they stink, Thank you very much, Steve said.

Speaker 6 (01:19:51):
And they'll be watching Oregon in Indiana.

Speaker 2 (01:19:54):
Yes, they will be watching Oregon in Indiana for protection
beat them. You think Indiana could beat It's pretty good.
It's a stupid argument, but signetty, don't doubt them. Fox
Sports Radio towards Jason Martin will come back. We gotta
talk Seattle. Number one seed, what does it mean for
the playoff picture? That's xbost So for.

Speaker 1 (01:20:14):
You you're listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (01:20:19):
Welcome in everybody, hour three towards Martin Fox Sports Radio.
We are broadcasting live. Yes, we are live one am
Eastern Time from the Fox Sports Radio studios. We are
on for another hour. Bernie Freddo of the Bernie Fratto
Show will follow us. I always say it, but Bernie's
always got the goods. So much to discuss in the

(01:20:42):
world of sports, Bernie Fratto one hour from now. Before
we get to Bernie, though, we got a lot to unpack.
We're gonna talk about what should be a crazy Black
Monday in about twenty minutes from now. Before we get
to it, though, let's talk a little bit about what
happened on the field on Saturday. Two games that had

(01:21:06):
major playoff implications. Let's start with the big one. It
was in San Francisco. De Seger just did give you
the details, but the forty nine Ers hosting the Seattle Seahawks.
The winner gets the number one seed in the NFC.
The winner, of course, wins the NFC West and a
year after Sam Darnold on a different team, basically, did

(01:21:29):
you know what down his leg as a member of
the Minnesota Vikings, he comes up big. The Seahawks come
up big. They dominate this game from start to finish.
Final score thirteen to three. Seattle Seahawks are your NFC
West champs and they have the home field advantage in
the NFC throughout the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (01:21:49):
It's impressive. I mean, it's impressive that this is where
they finish. It was as the season went along, they
were just like, all right, when's this going to come
back down to reality a little bit? I mean, they're good,
but how good really are they? And they just kept
on winning and they beat teams that were, you know,
some pretty heavyweights along the way. And I think the

(01:22:10):
most important thing for you if you're a Seahawks fan
tonight is even though Sam Darnold was nothing spectacular in
this game, he still kind of did what he had
to do and the defense carried him. And there have
been times when it's been the opposite, but the defense
has been pretty dog on good most of the season.

(01:22:31):
But Donald at the end of the year, this is
often where it falls apart for him. So for him
to be doing the postgame interview on the field on
television at the end of it, that should give you
a little bit more confidence. Plus, I mean, it's gonna
be in your building, and it's one of the loudest
places that you can watch a sporting event anywhere on Earth,
So that's going to help you as well. It's a

(01:22:51):
place no one wants to have to come in order
to make it to a Super Bowl. So Seattle has
done the thing. They've done exactly what you would want.
And look, Darnold was the guy that was cast off
last year in Minnesota. Minnesota right now doesn't know what
they've got at quarterback. They're not in the playoffs, and

(01:23:13):
the Seahawks have won. Gino went to the Raiders, didn't work,
hasn't worked at all. There. You pick up Darnold, you
bring him in and Jackson Smith and Jigba really showcases
what we saw at Ohio State really blossoms into one
of the premiere players in the NFL this season. You
can run it, you can play solid defense, you can

(01:23:33):
turn the ball over from other teams. They've done a
lot right this year. It's just been a great story
for the Seahawks.

Speaker 2 (01:23:42):
By the way, very random, and I want to get
back to the game itself in a second, But I
don't know if you know this, guys, Do you know
Softy Mallord at all. He's like legendary Seattle radio host.
We'll have him on the show at some point if
the Seahawks make a run. He just tweeted they have
had what the two teams in Seattle, this being the

(01:24:03):
Mariners and the Seahawks for fifty years. This is the
first time that both teams won their division in the
same year.

Speaker 3 (01:24:10):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (01:24:11):
Yeah, meritors of course, making the ALCS as the al
West champs and of course now the NFC West Champs
in the Seattle in Seattle with the Seahawks. Yeah, Softy
is the best. And this guy, you know, like you
know those like local guys that just love the local
teams to the point that you're like you were born

(01:24:31):
to do local sports talk radio. Softy is the best.
And he just tweeted it out really quickly with Seattle.
And it's kind of a maybe obvious question because you know,
because they're going to have home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Are they the most complete.

Speaker 3 (01:24:50):
Team to you?

Speaker 2 (01:24:51):
Or are complete? Isn't the right word that I'm looking for.
I don't know the exact word I'm looking for, but
I would say that I do think and part of
it is the home field advantage that I do think
I trust them more than anybody in the NFC. San
Francisco has injuries, They're gonna have to start on the road.

Speaker 3 (01:25:09):
You know.

Speaker 2 (01:25:10):
The Rams have just these weird games, like Monday Night
in Atlanta. Philly has been up and down all year.
Chicago has been consistent, but clearly nobody for the most
part in that building has ever been on a stage
like what they'll be on these next few weeks. I
don't know if I like gun to my head like
that cliche and like Seattle is winning the NFC, But

(01:25:35):
I kind of think Seattle's winning the NFC given who
they are, where they'll play, and the fact that I
do kind of feel like they're probably the most complete
team in the NFC.

Speaker 3 (01:25:46):
I mean, I think that there's an argument for that.
I think that the Rams. I like the Rams makeup,
and I like the youth and their defense and what
they're able to do on that side. And you know
what Stafford in that offense can do when Puka is
firing on all oders and Kyra Williams running the ball
and all this. I don't like them New as much
when they have to go on the road as much
as they're going to have to now that that would

(01:26:10):
worry me in terms of picking them to go to
the Super Bowl Now. I felt like they were the
best team maybe in the league a month ago, and
they're still among that. San Francisco is another one they're
going to now. Not be able to stay home the
entire way, you know, being able to host everything if
you're Seattle, that's a help. And the other thing is
they don't need Sam Darnold to be Josh Allen to win. Yep,

(01:26:35):
Buffalo needs Josh Allen to be Josh Allen in order
to win. And I mean from start to finish, including
you know the two point conversion throw that he missed,
Like he's not allowed to miss anything. He's got to
be perfect all the time. Seattle won tonight against San Francisco.
You know, they scored thirteen points, but it was enough

(01:26:57):
because the defense just flummoxed San Francisco's offense all night long.
They can beat you in different ways. Charbonnet and Walker
can run the ball. Yes, obviously Darnald to Injigbo or
even aj Barner at times. This year has been stellar
for them when it comes to just being a tight
end they can step in and make a good play,
keep the chains moving, but you're never re lying on

(01:27:19):
Darnald to go get you four hundred yards and four
touchdowns to win. And so many teams are over reliant
on one way to win. And I think that might
be the best way of saying they might be the
most complete because they can beat you on both sides
of the ball, and they can beat you even if
their quarterback throws for you know, one eighty and a touchdown,

(01:27:39):
because they can run it and a lot of times
they don't turn the ball over. And I think that's
gonna be the key if you're Darnald. If Darnald has
one of those performances in the divisional round against their
first opponent, whoever it turns out to be, and he
throws three interceptions, then that's it's not gonna matter. So
he's still gonna have to dodge at We saw that
against the Rams year in the playoffs, where he just

(01:28:01):
kind of detonated in Minnesota and just had an awful performance.
He can't do that, but he doesn't have to go
win you the game every time. He's capable at times
of doing that, but you're not gonna have to call
his number at all times in order to advance, like
a lot of these other teams that are so quarterback reliant.

Speaker 2 (01:28:21):
Very interesting stuff. The other game, by the way, any
San Francisco takes, by the way, feel free to drop
your San Francisco uniform. Take that you dropped an hour one.
But other than that, any takeaways from the forty nine
ers lost. They are now going to get a wild
card in the NFC.

Speaker 3 (01:28:39):
Oh well, I mean, you know, you had the chance
to potentially go straight on through staying in your own
building all the way through the Super Bowl, but now
you're not going to have that. Party had two great
games in a row. Seattle's defense just had their number.
McCaffrey made an made the kind of error that you
just don't see from him, didn't look the ball all

(01:29:00):
the way into his hands, flipped out of his hands
and then ends up being intercepted. And that was a
play that was you know, inside the ten yard line,
and that catch, if it had been a catch, would
have been you know, probably first and goal from about
the two or somewhere in that neighborhood. So it just was.
It was a bad night for them, But it's gonna
make their their path harder. And if you're San Francisco,

(01:29:21):
you did not want You don't want that anyway. But
San Francisco is banged up as they've been and what
they've had to do during the course of the season,
they're the kind of team that really could have benefited
from being that one seed in this situation. My take earlier,
just in case you missed the first hour of the show,
it certainly you can podcast it wherever you get your podcast,

(01:29:41):
Please do download it, rate it, review it, all that
good stuff. It was just that, and I know the
decision was made earlier, but with the division on the line,
I'm pulling back on the wearing the different alternate jerseys
with the different fonts. I'm especially doing so when I
was watching you watching the broadcast. From a media perspective,

(01:30:04):
is somebody that's called, you know, some high school games
and some state championship games and all this kind of stuff.
The most annoying thing of the world is the dark
on dark wood, you can't actually see the numbers. But
it's not as much about the media. It's about what
is your quarterback seeing when he's looking down the field.
There's a certain thing that he's looking for. He's gotten

(01:30:24):
used to the way that Juwan Jennings moves, for example,
But he also has gotten used to looking at a
red jersey or a white jersey with a certain kind
of numeral pattern. All this kind of stuff, this recognition,
this routine, that's what he practices, that's what he's seen
all season long, and tonight with the division on the line,

(01:30:44):
you're wearing the blacks with the deep red with the
gold trim on the outside, you've got black helmets on,
and then your quarterback. It may not have an effect
on him, I have no idea, but it would have
an effect on me. I think even if it was
a half second of a bit of a delay or something,
it's just a little bit off because it was harder
to know who was on the field tonight just watching

(01:31:05):
it on the broadcast. So I imagine it's got to be
the same way for the quarterback who has gotten so
used to how things look. And I'm not trying to
change that up when the division and the number one
seed in the playoffs are on the line. I know
they had to make the call a long time ago,
and I figured that was a case in DISAEGA verified

(01:31:26):
that earlier in the show, but I would not do
that again. Now. Did they think this was going to
be for the division? Probably not, But I'm probably not
rocking an alternate jersey in the last week of the
season if I have playoff aspirations when I have to
make that decision, if I have to make that decision earlier.

(01:31:46):
But I'm San Francisco, I assume I'm going to make
the playoffs, but that last game might actually be important
to seeding. So that's not where I'm going to debut
these things. So I just didn't like that because it
would have made me feel less comfortable if I was
brock party, just because it's not what I'm used to.
I'm having to look at things a little bit differently,

(01:32:09):
and especially against a team like Seattle, that's just not
what I would have wanted.

Speaker 2 (01:32:14):
Really quickly, an he takes on Tampa sixteen Carolina fourteen
very quickly. That was the early game, and for people
who did not hear Disaga at the top of the hour.
With the win, Tampa now needs the New Orleans Saints
to beat Atlanta on Sunday. They would be the NFC

(01:32:34):
South champs at that point. If the Atlanta Falcons beat
the New Orleans Saints, Carolina would be your NFC South Champs.
Any big picture takeaways on this one?

Speaker 3 (01:32:47):
Jamartin Yeah, it was the second most recent NFL game
that I've seen. That's really my take on it. Look
the rain. It's hard to take anything away when you've
got the monsoon out there. That didn't look like it
was fun to play in at all. But Tampa Bay
wins it at home. It's a close ball game. Neither

(01:33:07):
one of those teams is anything that you're going to
be particularly threatened by in the playoffs. I think that
the Panthers, if they were to actually get in, I
think that'd be a great story because it almost looked
like their quarterback was a bus two years ago, and
they've worked with him and he's done a lot of
work as well to at least, you know, kind of

(01:33:28):
get himself to a much better baseline as a player,
and I think Dave Canallys has actually done a pretty
solid job as head coach there. They've been better than
I think anybody felt like they would be, and you
could kind of see it blossoming a bit down the
stretch last year. Then they kind of hit a wall
and this year they were able to actually do it,
So that's more than I probably expected. I was going

(01:33:49):
to say about the game, it's just, you know, somebody
has to win that division, and that team's going to
host a playoff game, and I would assume I'll have
to look, we'll have to see exactly you know, what
we're looking at there. But that's one that you could
look at and say, yeah, that home team may be
upset because I just don't think out of one of
those two teams is ready yet for this moment. I

(01:34:13):
feel like Tampa Bay they lost the mojo halfway through
the season, dealt with a ton of injuries, and I
think the Panthers feel a little ahead of schedule.

Speaker 2 (01:34:22):
So that was gonna be my only takeaway is I
don't really think either team realistically is going to get
a win in the playoffs, even with you know, clear
home field advantages as the division winner. I do think
Tampa just because a Baker, I would give them a
puncher's chance against whoever they may face. The counter to
that is I do care kind of like the Carolina story.

(01:34:43):
I mean, everybody on this network, everybody in sports media
was talking about Bryce Young being done as an NFL quarterback,
him bouncing back by the way, little inside stuff. But
Teto McMillan when he was going through the draft process,
I have a buddy who covers Arizona that basically I
don't know who it was or why, but there were
people trying to slander t mac and he basically has

(01:35:05):
been unbelievable. I think they said first Carolina receiver ever
with a thousand yards as a rookie. I could be
mistaken on that stat but cool story. Canalis is a
cool story, remember too, remember too, J Martin. I know
you know this, but they went through all those coaches,
Frank Reich, Matt Ruhle. So I like the story. I say,
I like the story. And then it's gonna be the

(01:35:26):
Saturday game next week and we're gonna have to talk
about it when they lose by thirty to the Rams
or something like that. So you know, we'll see what
ends up happening. But yeah, so again to reset, Carolina
needs the Atlanta Falcons to beat the New Orleans Saints.
They would win the NFC South if that happens. The
Tampa Bay Bucks need Atlanta to beat New Orleans or

(01:35:47):
they need New Orleans to beat Atlanta. Excuse me either way,
both New Orleans and Atlanta have been eliminated. They're only
playing spoiler on Sunday. Fox Sports Radio, Era Torres Jason
Martin broadcasting live from the Fox Sports Radio studios. Week
eighteen means a final set of regular season games. It
also means that Monday we should see some major movement

(01:36:10):
on the coaching carousel. Who's staying, who's going. We're gonna
discuss it all next. Fox Sports Radio, Welcome back, everybody.
Fox Sports Radio Ertors Jason Martin broadcasting live. Yes, we
are live at one twenty five Eastern time from the
Fox Sports Radio Studios. So Week eighteen, what do we got?

(01:36:35):
Three games? Technically in the books? Was that No, there
was no Thursday night game this week, So two games
in the books, which means, if my math is correct,
we'll have fourteen games on Sunday and Monday or just Sunday.

Speaker 3 (01:36:47):
Again.

Speaker 2 (01:36:47):
Not very good at this, but what it also means
is come Monday. Listen. You hate to say, you know,
you hate to talk about another man's job, but if
you're not good at your job, you need to be replaced.
And so obviously, in football circles, we know it as
Black Monday, and producer Ian was grinding today and he said,

(01:37:09):
you know, we should do a stay or go fired
or not fired segment on who we expect to go
or who we think should go and what the argument
would be.

Speaker 7 (01:37:18):
So I'll tell you what Tys should give us some Yeah,
before you could even finish the seventh I'm gonna say
this is the kind of music you walk in.

Speaker 2 (01:37:25):
You're like, oh, crap, I'm getting fired. I can't say
the word on air, but sh I hockey stick, I'm
getting fired. Yeah, all right, Ian, let's go coach by
coach of the realistic ones that we think are on
the hot seat and J Martin I'll kind of give
our opinions on if they will be back next season
or not.

Speaker 7 (01:37:44):
Yes, sir, yeah, I saw this one in the news
just this morning. But Kevin Stefanski of the Browns, would
you guys personally fire him or retain him?

Speaker 2 (01:37:53):
So I'll go first. You know, very interesting resume to say,
the least two playoff appearances for losing seasons. Outside of that, now,
one of the seasons was eight and nine, So whatever.
I think the big question for me is he clearly
doesn't believe in Shadoor Sanders. I don't think Deshaun Watson

(01:38:13):
is the future. So what are we doing at quarterback?
And is he the best person to develop that person?
And I, by the way, I think that's gonna be
a lot of the theme of this conversation. A lot
of the coaches that are on the hot seat don't
have the long term answer quarterback. I actually have no
strong opinion on this. I guess my question would be,
does Jimmy Haslam think Shadoor Sanders is the long term answer?

(01:38:35):
Clearly Kevin Stefanski doesn't believe in him. If he doesn't think,
if he doesn't want Shador to be the long term answer,
then what is the answer. I would actually lean with
bringing back Stefanski personally, But to Ian's point, earlier reports
are that it's likely. I think Diana Rossini said that
people are operating under the expectation that he might not

(01:38:56):
be back next year.

Speaker 3 (01:38:58):
Yeah, he strikes me as the kind of guy that
probably gets an opportunity pretty quick somewhere else. Maybe it's
just this is just kind of run its course, and
maybe just as much for him as the organization, like
it just hasn't long term it just hadn't worked the
Deshaun Watson situation, and now you've got Sanders and Gabriel

(01:39:21):
and you're you're just not right now. You're just not
a competitive team in the way you need to be.
And he is supposed to be a really prolific offensive mind.
You've seen it at times, but it's not like he's
not beating down Kyle Shanahan's door or anything like that
at this point. So I think he's going to be
elsewhere next season. I think they'll move on. I think

(01:39:44):
he'll be fine, though maybe he's an OZ for a
year or it takes a year off, but he's a
guy that will get another opportunity because he's still really
well respected in the NFL circles. He's just I mean,
you're with the Cleveland Browns. That's a place where dreams
go to die.

Speaker 2 (01:40:00):
Yeah, probably a good call. That probably should have been.
My answer is he probably will get let go and
somebody will probably scoop him up.

Speaker 7 (01:40:07):
Ian who's next? How about Pete Carroll? Guys, is he
gonna be a one and done here with the Raiders?

Speaker 3 (01:40:10):
What do you think? That's a tough one man, Like,
it's tough to say, because I mean, he's been a
very successful head coach. But man, this is this is
just this has gone worse than anybody could have imagined.
And I don't know that that organization is particularly patient

(01:40:32):
based on recent history. I think they want to be good,
but I also think that they need to kind of
almost tear it down to the studs and rebuild. I
I think he's done. I don't think they're bringing him back.
I think one year Pete Carroll is going to be
right back listening to Green Day, back at home.

Speaker 2 (01:40:52):
I believe he and he's a professor at USC in
the one year, so he'll be back in the classroom.
So I actually, to me, so a couple things. One,
I do get the notion of the fact that TEI
Sha where the music go I need the music.

Speaker 3 (01:41:11):
Wasn't on loop, he didn't hit repeat.

Speaker 2 (01:41:13):
I need to repeat. I need some music. Put us
in the mood. Thank you all right, Pete Carroll. So
what I would say is this, I actually think to me,
it's a no brainer. On the one hand, I understand
the Raiders have had five coaches, including obviously in terms
with Rich Bassaccia and Antonio Pierce, who then became the

(01:41:34):
full time head coach, but five head coaches since twenty
twenty one. There's two reasons why I think that Pete
Carroll should be fired. He's clearly not the long term answer.
And you are gonna have the number one overall pick,
you need to go get Fernando Mendoza and no different
than Ben Johnson with Caleb Williams, no different than even

(01:41:55):
David Canalis. I know he wasn't there year one for
Bryce Young. Go get the next young offensive guy and
maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. But Fernando Mendoza is
not or Dante Moore or whoever you take it, quarterback
is not going to be the best version of themselves
with Pete Carroll quarterback at coach. Excuse me, I actually
think it's relatively a no brainer. Let's do one more

(01:42:17):
then we'll get over to the news desk for de Seger.
Who's up next to you next.

Speaker 7 (01:42:21):
I have seen reports that this guy's job is safe,
but might be more of a hypothetical then, But Aaron
Glenn of the Jets, what do you guys think?

Speaker 2 (01:42:28):
Is he gonna be a one and done or no?
What do you think? Jmartin?

Speaker 3 (01:42:32):
I think he's back I mean like he's certainly, but
then the Jets are so bad the quarterback situation is
I don't even know what to make of that. But
nothing is good there almost It hasn't been good there
in a very, very long time. It's hard to point
at Aaron Glenn and say he's the issue, just like
honestly pointing it at Robert Sala and saying he was

(01:42:54):
the issue. I think he's gonna get another year, and
I think he'll be fired next year because I don't
think they're gonna be good next year either.

Speaker 2 (01:43:04):
All I'll say my only concern he's a defensive guy.
It's worked outing by the way. The Lions defense fell
apart last year, but thirtieth in scoring defense this year,
twenty third in total defense. But part of that is,
of course, he traded Quentin Williams, traded Sauce Gardner.

Speaker 7 (01:43:18):
You traded a lot, don't forget zero interceptions too. Yeah,
so you know, I don't think he's the answer, but
you are not. I guess my question is you're not.
What is the quarterback situation going? It's next year, and
are you just gonna fire another head coach to bring

(01:43:39):
in another you know, you know, to bring in another
head coach without a coordinate, without the quarterback. I almost
think by default, especially when you traded away so much
at the trade deadline, I.

Speaker 2 (01:43:51):
Kind of feel like you owe it to him to
give him another year. Listen, I'm not gonna be crying.
You know, I'm not gonna be bawling on air if
Aaron Glenn is not the Jets head coach by the
next time that we're on air. As Ian said, he's
expected to be back, and I think that he probably
will be got a couple more names to run through,
including the big names in the AFC North. Is the
loser of the winner go home game in the AFC

(01:44:15):
North tomorrow on Sunday, Week eighteen. Is he also headed
for the unemployment line. We'll discuss that next before we
do the final time this evening for our show, Steve
Disaga was trending Hello again. We'll get to the NFL
in a moment.

Speaker 6 (01:44:27):
The late game in college hoops is done in triple
overtime at San Diego State the Aztec Speed Boise. He
stayed one ten to one oh seven. Earlier in college hoops,
SMU defeated number twelve North Carolina Duke won a close
one at Florida State ninety one eighty seven. UCF upset
number seventeen Kansas, Arkansas, i beat Tennessee, Missouri over number

(01:44:50):
twenty two Florida. Tonight, seventy six seventy four Iowa beat UCLA.
Georgia won in overtime against Auburn one oh four to
one hundred. In women hoops, Number one, Yukon won its
thirty first straight game, beating seat in all eighty four
forty eight. Number four UCLA dominated seventeenth ranked USC eighty
to forty six, and Utah beat number eight TCU in

(01:45:13):
women's hoops in overtime eighty seven seventy seven. To the NFL,
the Seattle Seahawks clinch the NFC's number one seed tonight
with a win at San Francisco thirteen to three. Seattle
is NFC West Champs Jackson Smith in Jigmo six catches
eighty four yards. Seahawks have won seven in a row.
Their last home playoff game was twenty twenty no fans

(01:45:35):
in the stadium, they lost it, but Seattle has won
its last ten home playoff games with fans in attendance,
third longest home winning streak. In NFL playoff history. They
have home field advantage now and the Seahawks are a
one seed in the playoffs for the fourth time in
franchise history. Every time the Seattle Seahawks have been a

(01:45:57):
one seed, they have made the Super Bowl all in
the last ten twelve years. San Francisco could fall to
the sixth seed. Green Bay will be number seven. That's
locked in San Francisco twelve and five on the season.
They did get tight end George Kittle back from the
ankle injury. At five catches twenty nine yards, Christian McCaffrey
eight carries twenty three yards rushing, Kenneth Walker sixteen carries

(01:46:21):
ninety seven yards for Seattle, and Zach Sharbinha had seventy
four yards rushing In a score. San Francisco's offense eight drives,
nine first downs, Seattle on red zone tds zero for three.
It could have been worse, thirteen three Seattle. The final,
Tampa Bay and the Rain beat Carolina sixteen fourteen Panthers
with three turnovers. It was sixteen to seven late in

(01:46:42):
the game. Baker Mayfield one touchdown, one interception, his ninth
interception in the last eight games. Chase McLoughlin three for
four on field goals. This Bucks team had lost seven
of eight, and yet they could be NFC South champs.
If Atlanta loses on Sunday and Panthers each eight and nine,
one of them is going to be that division's champ.

(01:47:04):
If Atlanta wins Sunday, Carolina takes the division. Bucks tight
end Kate Outen had seven receptions today, ninety four yards
in a score Bucky Irving eighty five yards rushing. Meanwhile,
the Panthers as a team fourteen carries just nineteen yards
rushing on third down conversions. Carolina one for eight, Tampa
Bay eight four fifteen. The Bucks were up ten nothing

(01:47:26):
after their first true drives held on at the end
on the rainy day. Ravens wide receiver Rashad Bateman is
out Sunday night due to illness. The season finale is
Pittsburgh against the Ravens, and pass rusher for the Steelers TJ.
Watt will play. He's missed the last three games with
the lung injury. Jets running back Brease Hall is out
with a knee injury. Bill's quarterback Josh Allen returned to

(01:47:48):
limited practice yesterday, should start Sunday. Vikings QB JJ McCarthy
will start after the broken hand, but running back Aaron
Jones is out with a hip injury. Dolphins running back
to Von Hen was listed as down full with a
shoulder injury after missing practice all week. On to injured
reserve two Cowboy running backs Javonte Williams and Malik Davis,
they'll be at the Giants. Giants' best wide receiver, Wondale

(01:48:10):
Robinson is on ir now with a rib injury. Quarterback
Justin Herbert will not play their finale at Denver, and
Chargers first round running back O Marion Hampton out tomorrow
with an ankle injury. The Rams will play their starters
on Sunday, regardless of the weekend outcome of games. Wide
receiver Davante Adams was limited in practice Friday with the
bad hamstring. The Rams did activate tight end Tyler Higbee.

(01:48:34):
While the college playoff semi finals are Thursday and Friday,
news today that quarterback Drew Mestemaker committed to Oklahoma State,
transferring from North Texas. In the NBA late game, the
Celtics got fifty points from Jalen Brown in a win
at the Clippers one forty six to one fifteen, Celtics

(01:48:54):
winning with a dominant second half against a Clippers team
that had won six straight. Warriors thirty one points from
Steph Curry and beat Utah Dallas over Houston despite thirty
four points from Kevin Durant, Houston center Alpera and Shannguon
left with an ankle injury, and the seventy six ers won.
At New York won thirty to one nineteen, again a

(01:49:14):
win for the Seahawks and a one seed as the
forty nine er offense is almost a complete no show,
and remember they'd had those shootouts the last couple of weeks.
In particular, they've been averaging about thirty five points a
game during this six game winning streak. No touchdown tonight,
just three points against the Seattle defense.

Speaker 2 (01:49:33):
Back to you, thank you very much, Steve Sagre, have
a great evening, Disagrea, be back on Sunday. Fox Sports
Radio Air Tours Jason Martin broadcasting live from the Fox
Sports Radio studios. Ian. Let's keep it going, ty Shirt,
give us some sort of me o. Hoh, my goodness
already and I teased it. Who we get into next?

Speaker 7 (01:49:53):
All right, let's move over to the Steelers Ravens game.
How about Mike Tomlin? You think he'll be there with
the Steelers after this long, long.

Speaker 2 (01:49:59):
Time he's had. Yuh, I'll go first, Ye start with you, Aaron?

Speaker 3 (01:50:04):
My bad?

Speaker 2 (01:50:05):
No, no, no, it's okay. I think he'll be back.
If I was running the Steelers, this sounds this is
probably gonna sound weird. I would want to know what
Aaron Rodgers is gonna do first, because I think Aaron Rodgers,
if he wants to come back, has earned another year,

(01:50:26):
and I don't see the point in making the inevitable
coaching change. But I do think if you're going to
have to draft a quarterback or bring somebody in new
or next year is going to be some sort of
weird bridge year, then just go ahead and pull the
plug on Mike Tomlin. He will be the head coach
of the Pittsburgh Steelers next year. But that is how
I would approach it if I was Steelers' ownership, I think.

Speaker 3 (01:50:48):
We'll be back to all the indicators are they're not
considering getting rid of him. If I'm Mike Tomlin, I'm
gonna take it from a different perspective. Oh, if I'm
Mike Tomlin. I'm considering pulling a Kyle Whittingham, a stepping down,
stepping away from it, because like the Giants will probably

(01:51:10):
go right after him. Like a bunch of teams would
love to have Mike Tomlin in the building, especially ones
that have dealt with some discipline issues and things like
that on their team. You know, he's still got a
ton of respect, even though his teams haven't won a
playoff game in like nine years or something like that,
but just as a ton of respect, and I think
he gets another opportunity if he wants it. I mean,

(01:51:31):
that'd be up to him, but I would consider walking
away if I didn't think that next year was going
to be significantly different. And to your point, the Aaron
Rodgers decision plays into that. If I'm the Steelers, I'm
not sure why I keep doing the exact same thing,
except that I don't think a new coach is going
to be the answer next year. There's some bigger things
that need to change in Pittsburgh, and I'm not sure

(01:51:53):
Tomlin is really the issue, and I don't think they
think so either, So I think he'll be back.

Speaker 2 (01:51:57):
I'll tell you what, Rather than rushing through the last
couple names. I'm having fun doing this, so we'll come
back talk John Harbaugh's future if the Ravens do not win,
Zach Taylor, what is gonna happen with him? Jonathan Gannon,
He's gotta go right Black Monday Coming air, Tors Jason
Martin making our predictions. Next, Fox Sports Radio, Welcome back everybody,

(01:52:20):
Fox Sports Radio, Aer Tors Jason Martin broadcasting live from
the Fox Sports Radio studios. Hey, if you missed any
of today's show, you're gonna wanna check out the podcast.
Just search Fox Sports Radio wherever get your podcast. Right
after the show, today's podcast will be posted. Be sure
to follow the podcast right at five stars. You can
even try a review. You heard the man do it.

(01:52:41):
Just search Fox Sports Radio wherever you get your podcasts,
and you'll find today's full show posted right after we
get off air. What do they need to do? Ty Shirt?
There we go the pod. You know what we need
to do. We need to finish our thoughts on the
coaching care sol Week eighteen ME fourteen playoff spots will
officially be clinched tomorrow and also mean some coaches could

(01:53:05):
be gone. We talked about Mike Tomlin if he were
to lose the game on Saturday or Sunday, if he
should be back, I think we're gonna go to John
Harbonugh next, is that right?

Speaker 3 (01:53:15):
Ian? Go for it?

Speaker 2 (01:53:17):
How about John Harba? Do you think he's with the
Ravens next year? I'll give it to you, Jay mart What.

Speaker 3 (01:53:21):
Do you think I think he is? I think that
this season's been It's been rough, no question about that.
I just I can't get on board with the narrative
that either the Ravens or the Steelers are cutting bait
on those guys. They usually don't make super rash decisions.
Not that this hasn't been something you would think about

(01:53:43):
for a while, potentially, I just kind of those two guys.
I just don't feel like this is the year. I
think that if Baltimore were to come back next year
and do this again, maybe we have this conversation. But
John Harball, what he's meant to that franchise, the amount
of wins that they've had, and they've been better than
Pittsburgh in recent years. If I think Tom Win's coming back,

(01:54:04):
I have to think Baltimore is going to take the
long the long game here and give him another year
to kind of, you know, show that this year just
didn't work out.

Speaker 2 (01:54:13):
Yeah, I'd be kind of surprised that this narrative has
kind of emerged over the last couple you know, weeks
or whatever. Listen. I understand, especially early in the year
when Lamar was healthy, they weren't playing well. They started
one to three overall with Lamar in the lineup, losses
to Casey, Detroit and Buffalo. The counter to that is,
I don't like, I don't think the coaching is like

(01:54:38):
so bad that whatever. Like, I don't think now is
the time that you cut bait. If Lamar clearly regresses
again next year and it's not injury related, he's just
getting worse than I think, it's a different conversation. I
could be wrong. I don't feel like he's lost the locker.

Speaker 3 (01:54:57):
Room or anything.

Speaker 2 (01:54:57):
I mean, you know, listen, it was a weird you
dealt with the Lamar injury early in the middle of
the season. You ripped off five straight wins. Yes, there
were some struggles starting around Thanksgiving Day, But I don't know,
to me, this feels like a great sports talk radio
topic that I just don't feel like is anywhere close
to being something that is actually gonna happen. So I'm
with you. I think he's back next year.

Speaker 7 (01:55:19):
Well, we've done most of the rest of the division.
So let's go over to Zach Taylor of the Bengals.
You think he's with the team next year, And let
me add I have seen the Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase
and t Higgins have all put their support behind him internally.

Speaker 3 (01:55:32):
Well that's true, then yeah, he'll be back. I think
that's the whole point is they sit down with Joe
Burrow and Jamar Chase are probably the two big wins
with maybe all three, and they just say, hey, do
you want him back? And if the answer to that
question is yes, and I mean behind closed doors where
they can actually say what's on their mind, if their
answer is yes, especially Burrows, then he's back. This whole

(01:55:55):
franchise rests on Joe Burrow, and obviously his health is
part of that. He's gotta be happy and that's been
a bit of a question mark over the last six
seven weeks or so. So I think that's what it
comes down to. I think he's back as long as
Joe Burrow gives him the thumbs up, and that's what
he's at least doing publicly. Again, I don't think he's
gonna get him a thumbs down publicly, so we got

(01:56:16):
to make sure that's what's behind closed doors. But I
tend to think Zach is probably safe if the guys
are behind him.

Speaker 2 (01:56:23):
Yeah, you know, maybe I'm just not doing my job.
I actually did not see that either, So great job
Ian on that. Yeah, I don't. I don't think there's
much else to add Joe Burrow, especially given some of
the recent comments about not being happy. You know whatever,
you gotta keep him happy, and so yes, I think
it's almost no brainer if they want him. The organization

(01:56:46):
is also very historically cheap, so that probably helps. I
would assume he's back. We got time for one more
touching up, but we got we got time for a
one or two. We got time. Okay, we got time.
Who's up the back show? Let's run it back, all right?
Bernie Fraddle is gonna be mad if we don't get
to him in nine minutes, but he and who we
got real quick.

Speaker 7 (01:57:01):
Next up, let's get to Jonathan Gannon of the Cardinals.
You guys think he's back with the Cardinals next year,
And now start with you j Martin.

Speaker 3 (01:57:07):
I think that that was trending in the right direction
for him, and then it has taken a bit of
a nose dive. They're a mess trying to figure out
what that offense is going to be. The Kyler Murray
thing is something that they're going to have to work
their way through. Jacoby Brissette has been has done a
really nice job for them. I feel like Wilson's been
a real fine for them as well. He may have

(01:57:29):
actually supplanted Harrison Junior at least in the short term,
as the one that the quarterback trusts the most. But
the defense has been terrible. When Jonathan Gannon, if I'm
not mistaken, was the defensive coordinator in Philadelphia, which you
know got him that job, and the defense has been
absolutely dreadful. I think he's done. I mean, some of
these coaches have got to be done. I'm trying to

(01:57:49):
be nice as I'm going through this. I feel like,
but I think I think the Cardinals. The Cardinals are
a team that don't get a whole lot of time,
and so I look at that and I say, Gannon's
probably done.

Speaker 2 (01:58:01):
Yeah, this one actually does feel pretty obviously, pretty obvious
to me. As well that I think he's done as well.
Is it right? Is it wrong? I have never been
a Kyler Murray guy. And it's not even a knock
on Kyler Murray. It's just he's a five to ten
quarterback that runs around. It's hard to survive in this
league doing that. And so I just bring it up

(01:58:22):
because year three for Jonathan Gannon, yet to make the playoffs,
yet to have a winning record. I do also think
there is something too, like what do you do at
the quarterback position? But to answer your question, I think
he's out as well. I think we got about thirty
seconds left for one more. Who we got Todd Bowles?

Speaker 1 (01:58:42):
Yeah?

Speaker 7 (01:58:42):
How about Todd Bowles of the Tampa Bay Bucks. You
think he's back in Tampa Bay next year?

Speaker 2 (01:58:46):
So I think it partially depends on I guess, probably
what happens tomorrow if the New Orleans Saints win. I
guess if Atlanta wins. I forget the scenarios, We've gone
over them a million times. If they're in, I can't
see them letting him go.

Speaker 3 (01:58:59):
It is worth.

Speaker 2 (01:58:59):
The last year was weird where they tried to keep
Liam Cohen like as a coach and waiting kind of thing.
So it feels like Todd Bowles has been up for conversation,
but he's made the playoffs every year. I can't see
him being out.

Speaker 3 (01:59:13):
Yeah, I kind of think so. Although, man, you talk
about a team that fell apart and that that Thursday
game that they lost is still going to weigh heavily,
I think. But yeah, I think he. I think he'll
be back next year. They're gonna need to make the
playoffs though, especially if they miss out this year.

Speaker 2 (01:59:29):
Tell you what we gotta get out of here one?
I think the Crew Alex Ty shirt, the rare Saturday
appearance on the board. Ian Martin, Steve de Sega from
my partner Jason Martin.

Speaker 3 (01:59:37):
I'm Air Tours.

Speaker 2 (01:59:38):
We appreciate everybody listening. Make sure to download the podcast
wherever you get your podcast. It will be up shortly
after we get off air. Bertie Frados Next, This is
Fox Sports Radio.

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