5/7/24 - The Mo Egger Show

Joe Burrow is Back!

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
He's in PESPN fifteen thirty Stone Statements, Meet your new Bengals to Cincinnati Bengals
select Stone Statements. Make a statementwith your calorie tops presented by Riverside Electric.
Never feel powerless. Now Here's moechWith the second of their two third
round picks in the twenty twenty fourNFL Draft, the Bengals took another defensive

(00:24):
tackle to go along with second roundselection Chris Jenkins. McKinley Jackson was taken
by the Bengals out of Texas Aand M in round three. He was
a team captain in each of thelast two seasons, and scouts point out
how he uses his low center ofgravity to gain leverage against blockers, Plus
he has an ideal body type fora nose tackle. There are those who

(00:44):
wonder if Jackson has the moves neededto be an effective pass rusher, and
scouts would like to see more snapto snap consistency. But by joining a
Bengals team in need of defensive linedepth, Jackson will get plenty of chances
to make an immediate impact. Meetsdefensive tackle McKinley Jackson. MO has more
on ESPN fifteen thirty. The officialHome of the Bengals, ESPN fifteen thirty.

(01:14):
Hey there, what's up. Goodafternoon, bag or ESPN fifteen thirty,
appreciate you listening. Hopefully you're havingan unbelievable Tuesday afternoon. I had
to mentally check and see what dayit is, neglecting the fact that like
four feet away is a guy who'shere on Tuesdays, Paul Danner Junior,
is here to basically carry me throughthe hour. Yeah, I mean,

(01:34):
I'm just your I'm your calendar rightnow. I'm here to I'm ready.
I'm ready, I'm I'm fully strengthened, I'm energized. I could take by
our Joe Burrow press compass. Sohere we go, get a good cup
of Joe today, and you're readyto go feed the peasants there with the
bread that they need. We needour Burrow nuggets. Look, I can
be cynical, guy, I canbe jaded. Guy. I could I

(01:57):
could try to wear those hats.I will be the first to admit to
you that yesterday and today, everypiece of Twitter video of Joe Burrow throwing
footballs having his hat knocked off bythe blocking dummy, I'm here for all
of that yes. I mean,I'm not gonna pretend that I'm not better
than the alternative of him not beingout there. Correct us talking about how

(02:19):
he's not throwing or whatever it is. Yeah, No, it's a it's
all good. It's all it's it'sgood. It's good to see that happening
right now and everybody. Bengals fanshave been happy to share their excitement with
the internet. Yes, which isgreat. It's been great. Paul Danner
Jinder covering the Bengals four uh,the Athletic dot Com, the the podcast

(02:40):
The Growler, which live in personon on on site. Yeah deal.
Last week Kitchen and Bar and betMGM was awesome, big success. It
was big success. Mike Potts wasgreat. Although your knicks lost, they
came back and got it. Gotthe win after that to advance and so
I got and I got to watchyou suffer in person. You did.

(03:01):
Yeah, that was a tough Ihaven't lost. I haven't lost since.
I haven't lost since. So hereyou go. Yeah. I at the
end of the night, I gohome and my wife says to me,
how was the podcast? And Igo what? Because of all the other
stuff that had been going on,it really it was really good and check

(03:23):
that out, as we say,where you get your podcasts. Joe Burrow
talked today, We'll have some ofthat for you a little bit later on.
Did he say anything interesting? Yes, I thought so. I thought
he said one of the more interestingthings that he's ever said. We we
have spent a lot of time heretalking about what's next for Joe Burrow and

(03:46):
discussing how did this guy stay healthy? What are you going to you know,
is this going to be something thatfollows him and the lessons of last
year with setbacks with the calf andand all the stuff that went on last
year and the risk and this,that and the other. I thought him
talking about the kind of the selfreflective accountability that he took on himself of

(04:13):
admitting I gotta be better at admittingwhen I'm not all the way there,
and not trying to push through everyinjury and not trying to push through every
day, and and discussing that kindof with the training staff and being more
honest about the need to do that. I think this is an critical evolution

(04:33):
of Joe Burrow's career. I mean, you can tell this is a guy
who you know, he says he'saddicted to being better with one of the
things that he said today, andI for him right now, getting better
is about understanding when why his bodyfeels the way it does sometimes and not
pushing his way through that because he'she's wired differently. Right, Everyone's gonna

(04:56):
say that's we know this, he'she is this crazy compet, never wants
to miss a rep every day isinsanely important to him. That's how he's
made his life, That's how he'sgotten to this point, having to rewire
himself to understand that it is thereis a pert there's an important part of

(05:18):
his process, and that is he'sgot to find ways to stay out there
all the time and not be soconsumed with showing that he's superman or he's
immune the setbacks, or he's thisinvincible hero. I think he's felt that
way a little bit right and understandthat he's saying, I'm learning from that.
I'm learning to evolve that way.And it's you try to learn something

(05:42):
every year. This is me thisyear telling you I'm trying to be better
at that. I'm trying to bebetter at listening to those around me,
not pushing myself too much. Nothaving what happened last year happen again because
partially in some of his own decisionsin that regard, And so I thought
that was huge. I thought hewas really good on that and really honest

(06:06):
about how hard that is kind ofto do when you're built the way he's
kind of been built. And Ithought that was a big step. And
I gotta say, not something Inecessarily expected to hear from him today.
I thought it was a little bitfurther than I thought he would go.
All right, so he talked,but then he threw. He practiced that
happened too. What was that like? That was very normal? I mean

(06:30):
I thought, you know, hethrew deep, he threw short, he
threw off platform, he kind ofran around a little bit. That didn't
that looked normal enough. You know, he's obviously going through it still where
he feels stuff in his wrist,he's on the tail end, still in
the he's not fully clear, notfully clear. He's clear, but not
cover contacts. So he's not allthe way back, and he admits here,
there's probably gonna be, you know, more of that as he goes

(06:53):
forward, and there's an unknown natureto what is actually gonna happen when he
gets to the next two three,four months. But for now, I
mean, look for where he's atfor the first day of OTAs. Take
it out there, throwing the balldeep, throwing deep outs, throwing doing
whatever like like, Yeo, that'sit. That's what you wanted to see.
That's box checked as far as I'mconcerned. Yeah, I mean,

(07:14):
if you would have told me thatThursday night in November when he gets hurt
against the Baltimore Ravens, that youknow, the first day on the field,
I'll see video of him chucking itdownfield. Sign me up for that,
and then we'll go from there.Very good step in the right direction.
Yeah, And and I thought thefact that he was kind of doing
every throw was great. There wasno limitations of hey, just keep it

(07:34):
tight inside twenty five yards or don'tdo this, or don't run around and
do try you know, he wasagainst the grain, kind of flicking of
the wrist back the other direction.You know, that's all. That's great
stuff to see. If you gotit behind the back pass. You got
that, you got behind the backpass, that's the next step, right,
forget everything else. He's gonna throwit two to three behind the back

(07:57):
passes per game. This is thenew Joe had a compression sleeve on.
Yeah, have to document that.No headband, no headband, backwards hat
today. Yeah, now there isa The national sports talk radio host Colin
Cowherd famously doesn't like backward hat quarterbacks. Okay, I just thought i'd mentioned
that. Yeah, well, Idon't know why. I mean, now

(08:18):
that Joe's not associated, I don'tlike his right. This is his rebellion.
This is rebellion from those days.There are only a handful of us
who can pull off backward hat.He can't. I I like I head
backward hat today because I do backwardhat when I mean business. Really,
when I'm like that's how we knowwhen I'm really busy and I'm and I'm

(08:41):
writing, that's the into it.My hat goes around. I don't know
why. It's just something that's happenedto me. I have a hat on.
I go that's the uh kind ofit's kind of like a message to
anybody else, like, please don'ttalk. That's what I need in the
office. Yeah, you kind ofalways have that, right, No,
because I come in and sit downand it's like, you know, we
got to relitigate last night sporting event, that sort of thing. Yeah,

(09:03):
and get everybody, I get everybodyelse's talk show. What I can do
is now start wearing the backward hat, which I've always admitted I really can't
pull off. Yeah, and maybethat'll be the sign that, hey,
look for now I'm grinding away preparinga show. Yeah, maybe you get
a hat that says not now exclamationpoint, turn it around backwards, and

(09:24):
so maybe that's a clearer message.That's a clear message. Now I'm not
now hat. Yeah, but Imean that's that's That's as far as I
go with with backward hat. I'mnot a I tend to not be a
active backward hat guy, but ithappens. Yeah, I'll wear a backward
hat. I just think I lookgoofy wearing it, but I doesn't.
Doesn't bother look at me, youlook kind of goofy in a forward hat.

(09:46):
I like, just goofy. Yeah. Have you seen me with it
off? Right? I know?Which, By the way, we're not
both wearing hats today. This iskind of a change for us. Talk
about turning over a new lead.Usually we both end up in the same
thing, either either bald or hat. It's really sort of peak off housing
though. That's why. Yeah,that's true. Follow Paul Danner Junior on

(10:07):
Twitter at Paul Danner Junior. He'sthere till four covering the Bengals for the
Athletic. We have a slew ofthings to get too. I'm here Toll
six. Red's play tonight. Ithink the worst of the bad weather is
behind us. The Diamondbacks are intown. TJ. Friedel's off the injured
list, Frankie Montas is off theinjured list. It's been a busy day
of Reds transactions. We'll get toall of that coming up in the four

(10:28):
o'clock hour show. Preview video isavailable on x at moegar. Thanks to
our friends at Emery Federal Credit Union, your credit Union with heart since nineteen
thirty nine. Gond EMORYFCU dot Org, a Bengals executive, Turntowns a chance
to be at gm I. We'llget to that and so much more with
Paul Want Me Come Back on ESPNfifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station, The ESPN

(10:50):
fifteen thirty Moegger, Paul Danner Juniorfrom the Athletic and the Growler Podcast is
here with us till four o'clock JoeBurrow talks today. We'll have some of
that for you coming up in onehour. Can I just one more thing
on Joe Burrow speaking today? Canyou guys shout your questions as an outlet
I'm usually kind of kind of abooming voice, as an outlet that carries

(11:16):
these press conferences, that carries thesemedia sessions. I'm We've done this for
a long time. I don't knowwhy it just bothers me now, but
I mean, can can we figureout a way for us to hear your
questions? If the Bengals aren't gonnaprovide you with a microphone or a podium
or something, can you do usa favor and just start screaming as loud

(11:37):
as you can your questions? Ibelieve yeah, I'll go ahead. I
mean, I usually feel like Ihave a decent decent you project well,
you project weg That's just the natureof my voice, and I'm usually sitting
right up there front, so Ifeel like it gets picked up. Pick
it up. I'll get even louderfor it. I need you to set
an example for the people that aren'tquite as good. For the folks in

(12:00):
the back for the people who youknow, maybe don't speak as loudly to
just if you start kind of makingan example of we need to yell for
the broadcast outlets, including the BengalZone streaming their YouTube or Twitter whatever other
social media platforms. I just I'mtrying to listen to Joe Burrow today on
our air, and I'm I'm like, I can't what are the questions?

(12:22):
I hear the answers, but theanswers need the proper context of a question.
Maybe I should just approach the deskand say it into his microphone.
Fine, just start walking forward,Okay, right, and just whatever I
be taken, we all just takea turn walking up there. Yes,
it does seem like it shouldn't betoo difficult to get a doesn't have to

(12:43):
be a handle might but just onethat's just picking up sound amongst the in
the area. Okay, So here'swhat I'll drawl upon my experience. Okay,
back in the day, one ofmy odd jobs at the radio station
was on Mondays and Wednesdays go downto the press conference and hold a boom
microphone and sort of hold it overthe head of who was ever it was

(13:07):
asking the questions. So we atleast on this radio station could hear the
questions. We don't have that personanymore like that version that me back then.
We don't have a guy that's justbeing assigned to odd jobs holding the
boom microphone. But also we're nolonger the only outlet that's carrying these press
conferences. So could the Bengals hirean intern to get one of these big

(13:31):
boom microphones, borrow one from NFLfilms They used them all the time during
hard knocks, and just hold themover the head of the person asking the
question. They have them, I'veseen them because don't use them. I
don't. I don't, I don'tknow. I've not I've not heard,
I've not addressed it. I don'tknow. I do know that the boom
mike exists and they have lots ofcontent. People now, yes, So

(13:54):
I feel like I feel like thisis in play. M hm. You
know, maybe if maybe if youaddressed a little softer and in an email
or something instead of shoe over theairwaves, you might have got to be
authentic to myself. I have tomake it a whole big thing. I
need content. It's may the Redsaren't very good right now. Okay,

(14:16):
I get it. I'm gonna geta whole nother segment in the five o'clock
hour on are the Bengals too cheapto hire a boom mic operator? Also
at UC press conference, is nowyour your colleague? Your buddy? Jay
Morrison said he doesn't want this,but I go to the U S press
conferences and they pass something I don'tlike, pass the night don't like,
but then then come up with somethingelse. Boom microphone would be fineo boom

(14:37):
microphone anything silence and a and aplayer or a coach answering questions that we
can hear. I just think amicrophone that's out amongst us in the middle
would pick up a lot that youwould get it fine or boom mic boom
mic persons. Why not just havelike a like you've ever seen, like
a board of education meeting, wherethere's like a microphone and people line up

(14:58):
and you take turns asking your question. I think this would be a good
idea for two reasons. Number one, you would ask one question then go
to the back of the line.You'd have to wait, so no no
two parts write no hog in themicrophone. Number two, we could hear
the questions. Yeah, I don'tlike the line I gotta say, not
a big line up on the side. Guy. No, it happened.

(15:20):
I've I've been a part of timeswhen it has happened before. I've seen
I prefer not not to do that. But you know, in just for
you, Yeah, no for ouraudience, I know, I know.
But yes for me, of courseyou mostly for me. Everything I do
is self serving. Yes, mostlyfor me. We call it the mo
mic, the moment microphone. TheBengals asked me, not that many years

(15:41):
ago, if I would give themsuggestions on how to better engage fans,
and I typed out an email.Here you go, here's some ideas.
Never gotta thank you. Uh soperhaps a was that in there? No,
that was about the stadium experience.Oh okay, and I just I
added some suggestion for new email,and so now it's a new email.
Can you make our job easier carryingthese press conferences that were contractually obligated to

(16:07):
carry by allowing the audience to hearthe questions and in the absence of that,
just needs you to shout I'm gonnaI'm just going to approach people and
talking to their microphones. Like Lean, Do it like casual Lean, No
problem, you know, yeah,bring a megaphone, Oh, hysterical,

(16:29):
a megaphone. We'll just break thewhole thing out. I love it.
I look forward to that and thenext press conference. The news came out
this week the Patriots are still lookingfor a general manager and they reached out
to to Trey Brown, who worksfor the Bengals, and Trey said,
no, thanks, I'd rather workfor the Bengals. I think that's a
name that a lot of people arenot familiar with. Yeah. I had

(16:52):
him actually on the Growler of theweek of the draft talking with his background
because he's his backgrounds really, Imean, he he started he's former player,
but he started in personnel in NewEngland and obviously plenty of winning there
Philadelphia winning their Super Bowl, andactually he was a GM in the XFL

(17:14):
for a year and then came hereand they start have been winning. He's
kind of been surrounded by winning hiswhole year. He's kind of been a
quick riser. He's been He's beenin a lot of these circles of conversations
about GM jobs. He's been anincredible asset to the Bengals. They have
really, you know, liked everythingthat he's done over there, and he's
had a big impact. So yeah, he's a when you're when you're a

(17:37):
small staff like they are, everybodycarries a lot of weight. But Trey
has come in and really quickly carrieda lot of weight. And I think
his his arrow is up. He'ssomebody who will be a GM someday and
I think he probably has bigger rolesin this organization in line for him if
he wants them, and that's probablypart of the reason why he'd be wanting
to stay here. It's not somethingyou associate with the Bengals, which people

(18:02):
being poached for front office position.Yeah, obviously the coaching staff has,
but it's not that's the front officethe executive role. Somebody getting a chance
on her front office elsewhere for apromotion is just typically not something you associate
with this franchise. It's so weird, you know, I have not quite
understood why there hasn't been more opportunitiesfor some of their top staffers that have

(18:23):
been here. I mean even foreven for promotions, not to be GMS,
but just to be director of playerpersonnel or some other because they've done
such a nice job of building here. They've got you know, other you
see Brian Callahan now and the othercoach. You see coaches start to get
jobs. You know, there reallyshould probably be more attention paid to some

(18:44):
of the people on that staff becauseyou know, they're also doing more than
most places, and maybe that getsused against them in the same way they
kind of like Burrow got used againstthe coaching staff for a while. Well
you got Burrow. Well it's differentwhat you're doing there. You're doing so
many things. It's that's not theway we want to operate, So we're
not interested in your I'm surprised bythat. You would think there would be

(19:06):
more love, uh for for someof some of the people that are on
the personnel staff there. And you'reright, you don't see this one of
the first times that you really feellike you've heard them in that regard.
So, but maybe that will changejust off season. I don't know,
but you know, you think thatthat's coming create more positions, and in
the NFL, there's a well documentedhistory of people ascending to high profile roles

(19:27):
by sort of starting by doing moremenial tasks, and that's where the boom
mic operator can come in could bethe key, that's right, that's I
didn't know if you were going tomake it to the top except that one
year on the boom Mical, thatfoot in the door. You're operating the
boom mic, but you're around it. Eventually they give you some other stuff

(19:48):
to do, and you know you'rethe GM right, right, Yeah,
that's I mean, the way someNFL teams operate, wouldn't be implausible to
imagine that being a scenario team herewhere it felt like that might be what
happened. Twenty eight minutes away fromfour o'clock, Paul Danner Junior's here.
I need his take on the definingissue of our time as it relates to

(20:11):
the Bengals. We'll get his thoughtson Tyler Boyd officially leaving for a new
team. If you haven't seen,he is joining the Tennessee Titans. A
first look at some interesting camp battlesand storylines, and the roast. We
have a lot to get to.The roast, the roast, the Tom
Brady Roast. Sure did you watchit? I've seen enough clips, okay
to got a feel for it.Between now and four o'clock on ESPN fifteen

(20:33):
thirty Cincinnati Sports Station SINCY three sixtywith Tony Pike do we want to move
on? The doctor keep going?And Boston Elmore, I think you should
continue to Let me keep going thereSincy three sixty tomorrow which twelve News on
ESPN fifteen thirty Sports headlines are aservice of Kelsey's Chevrolet Home of Lifetime power

(20:55):
train protection and guaranteed credit approval fromtheir family to Yours for Life, Kelsey
chev dot Com. TJ. Friedelis back activated from the injured list.
He is leading off for the Redstonight in center field as Cincinnati host the
Arizona Diamondbacks first of three at GABP. Frankie Montas is also back. Red's
taking on righty Zach Gallen, yourother roster moves. Connor Capel is up.

(21:19):
He was batting two sixty eight withseven homers at Louisville. Nick Martini
has been sent to Louisville, BubbaThompson has been sent to Chattanooga, and
Ian Jabo has been transferred to thesixty day injured list. Let's see if
Tonight's Reds lineup is made well thanksto Madewell restoration, Friedel and center Elliott
Short steer and left field. Stevensonis catching and batting fourth. Freeley is

(21:41):
dhing ces at first base, Indiabatting seventh at second base. Candelario is
at third base in the eighth hole, and Will Benson's in right field,
batting ninth again six forty tonight onseven hundred WLW. Joe Burrow practiced today.
He held a press conference today,and Tyler Boyd signed with the Tennessee
Titans today. Good luck to Tylerjoining Brian Callaghan. Yeah, the latest

(22:07):
going down there. I mean CheetahBay Woozy a Tennessee boy. There's a
couple of coaches. Yeah. Imean when you need if you're doing if
you're doing something new down there,you need somebody to install your system,
your culture, all that stuff aswell. I was gonna say, if
you can't beat them, join them. But if you can't beat them,
sign them. But the Titans beatthe Bengals. They did, that's true.

(22:30):
I like what they're doing in Tennessee. I think that they're I think
they could be good. Quick.You got you got Bill Callahan and some
to go with Brian and that linethat they've put together now adding jac Latham
in there. If Will Levis isn'tgreat. You can always run the ball,
you know what I mean? Andif you got that to lean on,

(22:51):
it makes everything a lot easier foryou. When's the schedule coming out?
I don't know how many times didI get that question? A lot.
I think, you know, itwas thought that it would be Thursday.
But you know then when you havepeople who work at NBC saying I
don't think it's going to be Thursday. Yeah, I tell you know.
I guess that means where they'll pushit back. It's you get into this

(23:12):
where you've got all of these networks. There is a lot yep on the
line for these networks getting the rightgame and fighting over these games, and
then so that if you make oneadjustment, well that's a domino that affects
everything. I think this happens everyyear where it's like I don't know they're
gonna get it, and all ofa sudden you snap your fingers in there
and it comes out like you thoughtit was going to. But this one

(23:33):
feels like it might be different becauseit doesn't normally get this late into the
proceedings where we're still wondering. Manyhave speculated that the fact that they're going
to play on Christmas, which isa Wednesday this year, screwing things like
that's just great? Right, ofcourse it is, of course it is.
Of course it is Why why whyare we playing games on Wednesday?
And why do we have to playon Christmas? I agree? Why are
we doing this? I agree?I just am so I'm so over all

(23:56):
of this stuff. The holiday.It's the first thing that I look at
when the schedule comes out is howbad is the holiday situation? Right?
And you know, like Christmas evenFoxborough? Right, that was nice two
years ago? Yeah, that wasa well not going to that one.
I mean, look, I'm hereto go to every game, but you're
not going to take Christmas Eve withmy kids. So I go to Foxborough?

(24:19):
Man, Okay, I do thepregame show at the Holy Grail,
which is a blast. But I'mgoing to have to go to the Holy
Grail on Christmas morning and solicit adivorce attorney if the Bengals play at one
o'clock on Christmas Day and I haveto announce to my family, to my
seven year old, yeah, hey, uh, Santa Claus was here.

(24:42):
Now I gotta go sorry, Igotta go to a pregame show Bengals are
getting ready to play the Browns.Yeah, yeah, man, I why
yeah. I mean it's just tryingto take over everything, you know,
and as they try to also tryto push me, yeah, and all
while trying to, you know,drop in eighteen games. How about we

(25:03):
get to that before the next CBA. I mean, I just see football
as family. Unless you have afamily, then screw you. No Christmas
for you, No Christmas for you. Yeah. So I don't know where
it lands. I am. Iam excited for it. I get excited
for the schedule every year. I'mvery much ready. I love doing the
mock schedule. Mock schedules one ofmy favorite exercises. If you take some

(25:26):
of the best concert tours, someof the best college games, knowing what
what away games are on the Bengalsschedule, will any of them cross paths?
Potentially? But I love we packagethe best weekend together. That's my
favorite part. And so now we'llhave to maybe off. Maybe we'll give
me more time to really check outthe landscape. Yeah, I love.
I love to pair weather with cities. I want to visit, with where

(25:49):
the Bearcats might be, with whatconcerts might be going on or is a
local baseball team also going to beplaying? Like I love to see what
I could pay with other stuff.Yes, the last couple of years has
been a little bit hard for me. I went to Cleveland. That was
miserable. The game stunk, theteam stunk, the weather stunk Cleveland,

(26:11):
the drive back stunk. None ofthat was fun. But I paired it
with U see at pitt which wasthe high point of the Barricad season.
That was fun. It was thehigh point. It was. Yeah,
So I'm I'm ready to see wherewe get. There's some good trips.
I love the Charlotte trip, andI enjoy Charlotte as a city as a
whole. Good weather potential, alot of other fun things to do,

(26:33):
potential for good college football games,and drivable distances down there that you could
hit up. So I'm I'm lookingforward to that as a potential. Where's
that gonna end up this year?Do you want to weigh in on the
big issue of the off season.I love to do that. What do
we got leaping tiger versus strive tobe at midfield? I mean, it's

(26:55):
stunning to me that there's this manyleaping tiger people out there. So as
an esthetic object, I prefer theleaping tiger to the stripe. B.
I will admit that if you putto it, if you said you could
paint one of these two things inyour yard, I would ask, like,
why do I have to do that? But I would prefer the stripe
or I would prefer the leaping tigerto the stripe B. That said,

(27:21):
when they had a leaping tiger onthe field so many years ago, I
recall there being no great affection oraffinity for the leaping tiger. Suddenly this
wave of I don't know if it'snostalgia or what it is. There's a
lot of people who love the leapingtiger that I don't recall being especially beloved
back in the day when it wason the field itself. Yeah, and

(27:45):
not exactly the most memorable of clubswith the leaping tiger. Here's I feel
like, I don't really care rightwhat ends up being there. I'm happy
to weigh in. Well, However, there's a difference between like a preference
and something I really care about.Yeah, here's I have an opinion on
it, though, and that isI think your midfield logo is kind of

(28:07):
your vision to the world of whoyou are. What is your core?
As afraid, this is us theCincinnati Bangals, right for Joe Burrow.
This is my point. I wantBurrow's face. Go ahead and use the
one, use the one with theglasses, whatever your favorite Joe Burrow face.
Just paint Joe Burrow's face at midfieldand that is your midfield look.

(28:30):
That is more who you are thanLeaping Tiger. He is more of an
avatar for the Bengals than anything else. Than anything this is who you are.
Put his face on the field.Maybe he could be wearing a Kroger
hat or whatever is whatever you're selling, or maybe it's pay Core or whatever.
Maybe that's what it is, maybeyou sell it. But either way,
I think that's what it is.It's just Burrow's face at midfield.

(28:52):
At this point, what is goingto be the increase of the sales tax
to enhance pay Corps stadium. Isit gonna be a half percent? Then
it could be a zero point fivepercent at midfield. Since we're gonna be
fighting over that for the next coupleof years, I look forward to that.
This radio show is gonna be asafe haven from that. It is
I am vowing to not stay outof it. Yes, okay, yes,

(29:15):
you have to be able to goplaces where you could just get away
from stuff like that. I willpride our show on being that place.
Yes, And I'm happy to beable to walk into that safe space here
because the only time I bring itup is it's gonna take over, Because
it's gonna take over before too long, and I mean already kind of has.
But you're gonna get into the thickof it here. Do you want

(29:37):
to do a thing two and ahalf months before a training camp where we
look ahead to interesting camp battles ordo you want to talk about the Tom
Brady roast, which you did notwatch. I'll leave it up to you.
I can do either. I'm happyto do either. Camp battles.
I feel like we've got time toget to those we do right, but
I feel like we run out oftime to talk about the Brady eros after

(30:00):
today. Okay, right here foryou, I would agree, it's your
show. I carried you through thebeginning party. I was a little flustered,
but that's okay. Now now you'reback in your we know you're my
guest, and I want to dothings like if you have someone over your
house, you do the things thatthey want to do that often doesn't happen.
No, I'm I'm happy to goon whatever ride you want to put

(30:25):
me on. If you want meto, you want me to ride the
Tom Brady Roast, we can wecan do that. I'm here for you.
Paul's thoughts on the Roast Next onESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Hey, Sarah here, Danner juniorof the Athletic. Where you've You've published
a couple of things that I thinkare are worth my listeners. While we
hear h during the draft and inthe immediate aftermath of the draft, we

(30:49):
hear from the head coach, wehear from the position coach. We hear
from Duke Tobin. Oftentimes we usuallydon't get a chance to hear from scouts,
and you got scouts to talk ingreat detail about the players the Bengals
took. I love these this storyevery year because I just these guys have
so many stories to tell about whyplayers pushed up enough for them to make

(31:12):
to make them the pick, becauseyou usually the reason they're taking them is
they were just they had them justa little bit higher than somebody else,
and it's usually in these details thatthey find over the course of their years
or multiple years scouting the plays,talking to people there and finding out how
they found those what they were andwhy they feel like that's what makes them
a fit for the Bengals. Ialways find fascinating. And they put in

(31:34):
so much work, so yeah,I mean, there was a ton of
good stuff in there. You know, whether it was Mike Pott's talking about
all the trades they were fielding whythey didn't move up, or the stories
of Eric Alls kind of some ofthe practices that they saw of him at
Iowa that that were really convincing toseeing the level of play that you get

(31:55):
from him on an everyday basis.And you know whether or whether you're just
talking about Josh fig Newton, Yes, isn't it, And we're talking about
not just his he had a legendaryspeech, which is a part of that
that set off TCU season, butthe fact that he came back. He
could have been a high pick,but he he felt so much like that
was his team and he was,you know, a part of that whole

(32:19):
thing that that loyalty he felt andthen made him want to come back and
it ended up hurting him. Heended up being three year unds later,
and you hear more about how thatloyalty that he showed. Maybe it hurt
his stock, but it kept himup there with the Bengals because they saw,
you know, the type of teamplayer that he is and how much
being a great teammate meant to him, on top of what they knew he
already to have the field. Allthose details kind of pieced together the puzz

(32:43):
a little bit more, I think, to kind of put one big bow
on the draft pens and then youwrote a separate piece. But I don't
think there's a player who's gotten morescrutiny in terms of off field stuff and
just the process that went into choosingto take him than Jermaine Bird. Yeah.
I mean, to me, itwas the most fascinating question to come
out of draft weekend, was was, Okay, how did you get to

(33:05):
this point where you were totally comfortablefor this guy that obviously you know was
multiple rounds below what his talent isand and what was that? How did
you do that? And I thought, you know, their their process of
doing that and him becoming comfortable withand then TJ. Hush Manzada's role in
at all, who tells this greatstory about how he's going to announce the
pick. And he's been close withBurton for years. They've been working together

(33:30):
and have really developed a close relationship. You talk about a guy who a
lot of people see. He'll tellyou a lot of people said a lot
of things about me coming out andprobably still do, who's never been afraid
to be confident in himself, butstill channel that onto the field. Sees
the same type of stuff that youcould have in Burton. But he's announcing
the pick, yeh. The Bengalscall Burton Burton immediate as soon as he's

(33:51):
done with that, his first callis to TJ, who I don't even
know if he knew was announcing thepick. And TJ's like, I know,
bro, and he shows him thecard. I gotta go announce it.
We can't talk right now. It'sa great story, and and you
know the fact that he is therethat first call. It didn't it was
a part of the process for theBengals. It certainly wasn't the whole thing.

(34:13):
They wouldn't take one person's opinion.But when you've got someone that has
been working that closely that you trustlike you would TJ for multiple years.
You know, it does go along way into feeling even more comfortable.
There will be or as TJ said, look, he better do the right
things off the field, because IAm going to be in his ear about
it every single day. That doesn'thurt. That doesn't hurt. You know,

(34:35):
they know what it's like to haveTJ in your ear every day.
Yeah, it is a very goodread. Get both those pieces and so
much more at the Athletic dot Com. What do you think of the roast?
I think it's great to see everyonefeeling uncomfortable about what's going to be
said about Bill Belichick and Tom Bradyand Robert Kraft. It's like these figures
that have they've all felt very untouchable, these and super you know, on

(35:00):
a different wavelength, and the restwas their immune to your normal sports conversation
because of all the titles. Yetfor the first time here they all were
in the same room and everyone justchopping each other down by the knees like
I'm here for that. With thattension just hovering over the entire event from
its beginning. That's one of thedynamics that made that just great television.

(35:22):
Yeah, And I mean also thefact that it was live, because there's
a lot of stuff that if itwasn't, hits the cutting room floor.
Well right, because you're gonna sayif you watch it later, like,
oh what got edited out? Bro? What there? It all is?
There? It all was, includinga lot of people looking uncomfortable. I
immensely enjoyed it, and maybe Tom. I feel like Tom Brady's goal in

(35:44):
this was to make himself be likea person. Yeah, you know,
like he's he worked trying to getinto media. It worked, and he's
never felt like a real person,right, and now it's like, okay,
everyone has now pointed and laughed atme. Can I be a real
person in the media now? Soif that's what he was going for,
good version. Think of athletes ofthat stature, that rare air. You

(36:07):
think Michael Jordan's gonna let his peersdo that? No, you think Tiger
Woods is, You think Lebron LebronJames might be more likely than the others,
but probably not. Do you thinklike a Derek Jeter's doing that?
No? No, So the factthat he did that, and just when
you do that, you're basically allowingyourself to be made fun of, which

(36:27):
not a lot of people do,especially in that stratosphere. I just think
it's awesome. Yeah, no,I totally agree, and I hope it.
Uh, I hope it feels likeit helped him. I don't know.
I certainly, I certainly enjoyed it. If you could have one person
subject themselves to what Tom Brady didthat you have covered or been around,
who would it be? Oh mygod, you pulling that out on me?

(36:50):
Yeah, the last second? Oneperson? One. I don't know.
That's a hard one, you know. I'm tempted to say Chad because
there's so many stories out there,or maybe too just because there's so many,
but they already kind of do thatlike they're they're very much an open

(37:14):
book. Carson Palmer just only formerBengals. Yeah, to be there,
I don't know, I mean howmany, I don't know. Maybe that
would be one Marvin, maybe Marvinmaybe. I mean, I don't know,
I'd be here. I'd be herefor that. Follow go ahead,
I know, I don't. Idon't you even think about that. I'll

(37:36):
have to think about that. Maybecome back with another name next. Follow
Paul on x at Paul Danner Juniorto read him in the Athletic four o'clock
ESPN fifteen thirty. I'm Christine LeacyKevalier's again, maybe without one of their
starters for Game one of their secondround NBA Playoff series. Center defensive anger
Jared Allen questionable against Boston with arib injury. Maverick's at the Thunder Game

(37:57):
one, tonight, nine Eastern,ESPN Radio. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray might
be facing punishment from the NBA forhis actions during the Game two loss to
Minnesota. Murray on the bench secondquarter through a heating pad onto the floor
during live game action. Only oneoption for the league here, According to
ESPN NBA analyst Tim Legler, playerssafety was endangered. It was a reckless

(38:17):
and careless act, and it showedno restraint on your emotions in the moment.
You almost have to set a presidentif you're the league going forward.
You can't be throwing stuff onto thecourt if you're sitting on the bench,
I mean, period, it can'tbe. How else they get the pedalogy
Denver down two oh at Minnesota Gamethree Friday. NHL Draft Lottery Tonight,
six thirty Eastern ESPN Sharks best oddsat the number one overall pick, followed

(38:42):
by a second round Stanley Cup playoffdouble header Rangers Hurricanes in Game two than
the Avalanche Stars series opener. Ashumans, we like having options. One
option you might like is speaking witha real person when you call about your
credit card, which twenty four toseven live US base customer service from Discover.
Everyone can talk to a real personanytime, day or night. Incisions

(39:05):
of fly sometimes I have ever dotcom slash credit huner found Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen
thirty. What's up can afternoon?My legger, This is ESPN fifteen thirty.
Cannot thank you enough for listening,or thanks of course to our buddy
Paul Dater Junior, who I'm justgonna tell you Paul usually carries that hour

(39:29):
for reasons that I'm not gonna boreyou with. He carried me even more
that hour. Uh, perhaps oneday I'll explain. It's it's nothing scandalous,
there's nothing wrong. Just there arecertain days. There are certain days.
It's like I think in any job, right you certain days you can
give your attention pretty much full timeto your gig. You can give your

(39:54):
undivided attention to your job, andthen there are days where maybe you're pulled
in a different there's something going on, there's something that you can't wait till
after work to address. And that'snot anything bad, but just sort of
where I kind of have been todayand really the last two days. And
so I said to Paul, like, man, I've never felt less prepared

(40:15):
to talk to you, And itprobably came across and he still salvaged the
hour for us. So there yougo. By the way, I mentioned
this quickly to Paul, We're gonnajump into the reds here in in just
a second, whether you like itor not, whether I like it or
not, we are getting closer andcloser to what I think is going to
be the biggest topic in this city, and that's the future of the Bengals

(40:38):
in their current home, what it'sgoing to look like, whether down the
road they're gonna ask for a newone, who's gonna pay for the place
to be updated, and they're makingchanges to the stadium which are badly needed.
I said this last week. Forall of the attention that the midfield
logo got, what has been badlyneeded for a long time is for there

(40:59):
to be more more space and theplaza level on the side that faces GABP
that would be the east side,right. And I say that from the
standpoint if that's where I enter thevenue that formerly was known as Paul Brown
Stadium when I go to games orreally any other event, there hasn't been
enough room to move around. Andso they're making changes, they're making upgrades,

(41:22):
but we are We're getting closer andcloser to the expiration of the current
deal. Obviously, there are mechanismsthat the Bengals could use to keep the
current deal in place. But whetheryou like it or not, whether I
like it or not, one ofthe biggest topics in the city is going
to be what the relationship with theworking relationship between the Bengals in Hamilton County

(41:43):
is moving forward. I vividly rememberthe stadium vote in nineteen ninety six,
vividly because it was really the firsttime that whole thing was ongoing, you
know, the Bengals making threats tomove to Baltimore, which did happen,
and then the and Cleveland losing theBrowns, and then what are we going

(42:05):
to do if the Bengals leave allthat those for years. Those conversations were
occurring in public when I was inhigh school and in college and when I
was really developing an interest in talkradio and sports talk radio. And for
me, I can't recall anything thatmade me tune out quicker than stadium lease

(42:30):
talk. And so I know thatthere are going to be some really loud,
really emotional, maybe at times reallyeven mean spirited debates that happen in
the coming years when we talk aboutwhat the working relationship between the Bengals and

(42:51):
Hamilton County is going to look likemoving forward. I believe our show should
be a safe haven from that,and like it's it's a topic that very
much touches sports now. If there'ssomething extreme, like the very real threat
of the team leaving or something likethat, then we're gonna have no choice
but to talk about it. Butthe ins and outs of sales tax and

(43:14):
what it could cost and who couldpay, I just I have thoughts on
those things. I've never felt likean audience of a show like this is
really that interested, and so I'vealways said about our show, we pride
ourselves on being a safe haven frompolitics and from a lot of the stuff
happening in the real world, becauseI think those places have to exist.

(43:37):
We're going to be a safe havenfrom stadium talk. I feel pretty comfortable
in saying that that's going to bethe case and should be the case.
So there you go. We'll seeif the Reds play the game tonight.
Weather about three hours ago, Imean, it was like pitch black outside
here in Kenwood. After an offday yesterday, Reds was set to play

(43:58):
the Diamondbacks and reinforcements are coming.TJ. Friedel is back. This is
a good thing. The Reds arebetter with TJ. Friedle than they are
without TJ. Friedel. He's incenter field leading off. Bubba Thompson is
no longer here. He has beensent to Louisville. Nick Martini is no
longer here. He is being sentto I'm sorry, Bubba Thompson's been sent

(44:19):
to Chattanooga. Nick Martini has beensent to Louisville. Replacing Nick Martini is
Connor Caple. Connor Caple has playedin the big leagues before, most recently
last season with the Oakland A's,when he played in eighty six games and
batted two sixty eight over the courseof his brief big league career, he
has played in one hundred and fortyfive games and batted two to eighty with
three homers. This year at Louisville, he led the bats with seven home

(44:42):
runs and for what it's worth,a two to sixty eight batting average.
Connor Capele up, Nick Martini down, Bubba Thompson down, Ian Jabou to
the sixty day injured list, andFrankie Montass makes his return and gets the
ball tonight. This feels like abig series. I don't love must win.
It's early May. But you know, if you'd know what they have

(45:05):
coming up, if you understand thedifficulty in playing a bunch of games,
which the Reds are against the LADodgers, and you understand the difficulty of
navigating the West Coast, and youknow what the schedule has in front of
it. They still have just overthe course of the next month. Yeah,
they got games coming up against theChicago Cubs, a bunch of them,

(45:28):
and they got games coming up againstthe Milwaukee Brewers in about a month.
Good team, But you know,we've had very much a focus on
what's happening in May. And that'sagain seven games with Dodgers, three on
the road against Arizona three in SanFrancisco this weekend. Padres come here,
they get the Cardinals. They're inthe middle of a really tough schedule.

(45:49):
The Diamondbacks might still end up beingreally good, but they haven't gotten off
to a very good start. They'reten and fifteen. Zach Gallen, who
has been good in the past,has had a hard time pitch deep into
games this season. The Reds havelost five consecutive games. They're two under
five hundred. They have the benefitof time on their side, they have

(46:13):
the benefit of getting a guy backlike TJ. Friedel. They have maybe
to a degree, the benefit ofthe doubt on their side, because you
just assume this team is not goingto be as bad offensively over the course
of the season as it has beenover the last couple of weeks. But
there is a very real possibility thatthey struggle on this upcoming West Coast trip.

(46:35):
The schedule is not very forgiving comingup. The San Francisco Giants are
part of those teams they play.They're not very good. They're in the
middle of a four game losing skid. But you get at home an Arizona
team that has underperformed this year,you've lost five consecutive games. You get
a piece back like TJ. Friedel, you get an arm back like Frankie
Montas. You got to win thisseries. You just you gotta win series

(47:01):
overall, and it's been forever sincethe Reds have won one. You have
to go back. I mean thatthat Chicago series and then that Anaheim Series
that followed a week later. ThatAnaheim Series ended on April the twenty first.
I mean the NFL Draft was liketwo weeks ago, more than two
weeks ago, I guess two weeksago Thursday. That Angel Series was before

(47:27):
the NFL Draft. Been a while. Gotta win a series, Gotta win
a series at home and playing ateam that has struggled so far this season,
and you have gotten at least alittle bit healthier. We heard last
season often that the the Reds they'reahead of schedule. Remember that often last

(47:47):
year they're ahead of schedule. They'reahead of schedule, which is why you
know you don't need to make atrade at the deadline, or you know,
if they don't make postseason, that'sokay. They're ahead of schedule.
How many times did you hear thatlast season? How many times did you

(48:08):
say that last season. How manytimes did you think that last season?
H they're ahead of schedule or fartherahead than we thought that they would be.
Kind of true too, by theway they went from sixty two wins
in twenty twenty two to eighty twowins last year. They went from being

(48:31):
effectively eliminated by the end of Apriltwo seasons ago to being eliminated after game
one sixty one. Last year,they they came this close to making the
playoffs. So yeah, very muchahead of schedule. My question is has
the schedule caught up to them?We'll get to that next five one,

(48:54):
three, seven, four, nine, fifteen thirty and eight, six,
six, seven, h two threeand seven to six are our phone numbers.
You can send me a tweet onx at moeger thanks to a Delta
Dental. Delta Dental is building healthy, safe, vibrant communities for all.
Good to Delta Dental, oh dotcom. Has the schedule caught up to

(49:17):
them? That plush in about fifteenminutes. Well, here's some of U.
Joe Burrow who talked today and hepracticed. We have a lot to
get to between now and six onESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station is a
PESPN fifteen thirty Stone Statements. Meetyour New Bengals to Cincinnati Bengals select Stone

(49:40):
Statements. Make a statement with yourcountertops presented by Riverside Electric. Never feel
Powerless. Now Here's Moeger. Withtheir fourth round pick in the twenty twenty
four NFL Draft, the Bengals wentlocal, taking fairfield product Eric all from
Iowa. All is a tight endwho's started his college career at Michigan before

(50:01):
going to Iowa, where he ledthe Hawkeys and receiving last year despite missing
the last seven games. All isa very good athlete and a smooth route
runner who has great ball tracking ability. He's also a willing blocker, but
scouts say he needs to be morephysical in that part of the game,
and he's had issues dropping the football. All had a herniated disc that cuts

(50:21):
short his final season at Michigan anda knee injury that ended his season last
year at Iowa, but when hewas on the field at both schools,
he was productive and versatile. MeetBengals tight end Eric all Mo has more
on ESPN fifteen thirty, the officialhome of the Bengals. Fall's about twenty
five minutes away on ESPN fifteen thirty. You know, we've had a fair

(50:46):
amount of rain. Right rained onSaturday, A lot rained on Sunday,
at least where I live, Alittle bit rained. Yesterday rained, over
night, we had a downpour atleast here in Kenwood. Today high wins.
So a lot of rain means youryour grass is gonna grow. And
even when your grass grows, yougotta cut it. And in order to

(51:07):
cut it, you need a lawnmower. Now, you might have a lawnmower,
and that's cool. But if youdon't, or even if you do,
when you want a newer one,I can help you win one.
It's our mow your lawn contest.And not only that, not only you're
gonna win a new lawnmower. Ifyou win, you're gonna win tickets to
every River Bend show in twenty twentyfour. That's right, This is the

(51:28):
greatest prize of all time, abrand new lawnmower thanks to Backslit tractor,
and tickets to every River Bend showon the twenty twenty four calendar thanks to
Riverbend. Wow. Amazing. Well, how are you gonna win? You
can't win if you don't sign up. I get this all the time.
Man, how come I didn't winthe lawnmower? Did you sign up?

(51:51):
No? Well, man, Idon't know what to tell you. Or
I want to win the lawnmower.Okay, sign up? All right?
Who do I do that? Well? This is simple. Good to ESPN
fifteen to thirty dot COM's contest page. And if you want like a just
a real quick link to it.I've posted the link on my I got

(52:15):
social media. I got x slashTwitter at Mullager, I put it on
Instagram at Mulgar, I even putit on Facebook. I have a personal
page that's been overrun by people thatI don't know, and then I have
a professional one which I don't updateas much as I should. But the
link is on any of those,and go there and sign up. We're

(52:37):
going to announce the winner on thisshow we got some time May twenty fourth.
But don't be one of those folksthat when you hear us announce the
winner, you're like, man,I wish I would have won that boy,
if only I would have signed up. Sign up today and you're good
to go. O your long contestthanks to a Baxla Tractor and Riverbend Music

(52:57):
Center. U five three, sevenfour nine fifteen thirty is our phone number.
So I asked this before the break, and I'm I'm not making excuses
for the Reds. I've maintained andI can only speak for myself. I've
maintained since the end of last season. I think the Reds are going in

(53:20):
the right direction. I think theirfuture is very, very bright. In
terms of what to expect in twentytwenty four, I don't know. I
believe that in February. I thinkthat thirty four games in, I don't
know. I my guess, andit was a guess without a lot of

(53:42):
conviction, was that the Reds wouldfinish somewhere in the range of seventy nine
to eighty three eighty four wins somewherein there. That it would be unsurprising
if they won ninety and unsurprising ifthey lost ninety. I don't know.

(54:06):
I gotta be honest with you.I still feel that way. I can
give you a little bit more surprisingif they won ninety, just kind of
based on where they are and mathematicallyit's not like they've gotten off to a
killer start. But I don't thinkthis is going to be the worst batting
team in baseball all season long.I do think we're gonna see continued individual
improvement from the starting pitchers. Someof the guys offensively who have underperformed are

(54:30):
going to play better. I'm nottoo worried about that. So, but
at the end, like I don'tknow, my question all off season was,
if you believe last season that whilethis team's well ahead of schedule,
it's hard to stay ahead of schedule, no matter what you're doing, it's

(54:52):
hard. It's hard to stay aheadof schedule. If you're I don't know,
on a road trip and you're makinggreat time and you're beating the g
it's just it's it's hard sometimes tomaintain that pace. Maybe that's not the
best analogy, but it's hard todo. So. Last year's team kind
of didn't. Kind of it dramaticallyoverperformed relative to everybody's expectations. And when

(55:15):
you do that, you do adjustexpectations for for what's next. I get
that that's how it works. Butif you believed that last season the Reds
were ahead of schedule, wasn't itat least sort of to be expected that
at some point the schedule was goingto catch up to them. I asked

(55:37):
a poll question on July first,twenty twenty two, on social media,
and I got fifteen hundred people torespond, and the question was, on
July first, twenty twenty two,well the Reds be above five hundred on
July first, twenty twenty four.Eighty seven percent of people who responded said

(55:57):
no. Now I get how itworks. The Reds on July first,
twenty twenty two were terrible, hadone of the worst records in baseball,
historically bad season, a year thatended with them losing one hundred games.
It was awful in every respect.But still, if I would have said
to you on July first, twentytwenty two, the Reds are going to
be above five hundred on July first, twenty twenty four, you would have

(56:21):
said, there's almost no chance.Well, now it feels like if on
July first, twenty twenty four,they don't have more wins and losses,
that's going to be a dramatic disappointment. Not entirely sure, it should be
not I understand it's always disappointing whenyour team loses more than it wins.
But if last season they were aheadof schedule, didn't you build in the

(56:44):
expectation that they weren't going to stayahead of schedule for very long, that
at some point the schedule was goingto catch up to them, and that
maybe things would kind of steer backto the original timeline, which didn't feel
like it included winning big in twentytwenty four. Now I'm I'm not throwing

(57:13):
away the season. I'm not excusingsome of the things that have happened that
have put the Reds in a placewhere they've they're two games under five hundred,
whether they're on the field or inthe front office. But there was
a part of me, you're gonnahear people say if this continues, you'll
hear people say, right now,God, you know what, they haven't
lived up to expectations? Well,can you fail to live up to expectations

(57:35):
if none of us really knew whatthe expectations were, and should we have
had huge expectations for this season,if we acknowledged that last year they were
ahead of schedule and knew at somepoint the schedule was going to catch up
to them, I throw a lotout there just now. Five point three,
seven, four, nine, fifteenthirty is our phone number, and

(57:55):
again it's it's it's not at allexcuse making Like watching this team over the
last couple of weeks has not beenfun, and there's been some frustration with
how the roster has been put together, fair and justified. Been some frustration
with how the lineup is constructed,fair and justified. Been some frustration with

(58:16):
individual maneuvers like sending Sam Mall toLouisville. I don't get it, not
adding Mike Ford to the roster.Don't care that much. But Okay,
there's been a lot to be frustratedabout. But if you look at this
team and go, god, they'vethrough thirty four games, which is still
not even a quarter of the season, They've failed to live up to expectations.

(58:39):
What were our expectations? Like legitimately, because for the first time in
a very long time, I don'twant to say that I didn't have hope.
I have a lot of hope.I still have a lot of hope,
but I really didn't have expectations becausepart of me thought the schedule might

(58:59):
catch up to him. Part ofme also knew they had a lot of
young guys and what they're trying todo is hard, which is develop players
while trying to do better than theydid last year when they won more games
than they lost. So I'll throwit out there to you five one three
seven four nine, fifteen thirty andwe'll get to you here. Well,
we're gonna hear Joe Burrow in asecond. If if there really were no

(59:21):
expect and maybe I'm wrong, maybethere were expectations. But I asked often
during the during spring training, likewhat do we think? What do we
expect? And it was like,I think a lot of folks had a
hard time wrapping their brain around whatto expect, as did I. But
I can't be that mad about failingto live up to expectations if I,
frankly never really had any can I? Five one, three seven four nine,

(59:45):
fifteen thirty is our phone number?Joe Burrow talked earlier today the quarterback
of the Cincinnati Bengals look good onsocial media throwing footballs. How did he
sound? You'll hear him next sincehe's ESPN fifteen thirty on headlines are a
service of Kelsey Chevrolet, Home oflifetime powertrain protection and guaranteed credit approval from

(01:00:08):
their family to yours for live Kelseychev dot Com, Red's and d Backs
tonight, weather permitting six forty thisevening seven hundred wl W. Frankie montass
is back from the injured list.He gets the ball tonight for the Reds.
TJ. Friedel is back from hisrehab assignment at Louisville. He is
leading off in center field six fortythis evening on seven hundred w l W.

(01:00:30):
Hopefully Tonight's Reds lineup is made wellthanks to Madewell restoration. Starting line
at this evening Friedel and center Elliottshort Steer and Lef Stevenson is catching Freiley
as Dhingces is at first base,India's at second, Candelario's at third base,
batting eighth, Will Benson in rightfield. Let's see Conor Caple's also

(01:00:52):
up from Louisville who was batting atwo sixty eight with seven homers for the
bats. Nick Martini sent down toLouisville, but Thompson option to Chattanooga and
Ian Jabo added to the sixty dayinjured list. The Tennessee Titans have agreed
to a one year contract worth justnorth of four million dollars with former Bengals

(01:01:14):
wide receiver Tyler Boyd and Joe Burrowtalked today. This was carried for you
live on ESPN fifteen thirty earlier thisafternoon. Quote back to the Bengals practicing.
It was open to the media today. Lots of good viral video.
Joe Danneman, our buddy from Foxnineteen, the dean of Cincinnati television sportscasters,

(01:01:35):
had some very good Joe Burrow video. Go check that out. First
of all, so a lot ofconjecture about the NFL. We have no
idea when the schedule is going tocome out, but we do know the
league. Roger Goodella said this,said this at the draft, they won
an eighteen game regular season. Isthe eighteen game regular season going to get
here before the expiration date of thecurrent CBA? I don't know. Here's

(01:01:58):
Joe today asked about the possibility ofhaving to play eighteen regular season games.
Yeah, that's definitely something that we'vewe've thought about. Uh, you know,
eighteen games is definitely a big ask. That's that's not easy adding that
extra game. Obviously it'd be greatfor revenue, but I feel like adding

(01:02:19):
that that bye week if you're goingto have the eighteen games schedule is pretty
critical for our bodies because if youkeep that first bye week and then you
know some teams have the buy weekfive, week six, and then you're
going twelve thirteen games in a row. That's that's not easy. Probably a
Thursday night game thrown in there too, so that's that's never easy. So
those two buys are are pretty critical. Maybe you could do something like the

(01:02:46):
first buy is kind of how wehave it now in the second by everybody
has it at once, and youmake it like the Pro Bowl week or
something like a like an All Starbreak for the NBA. I don't know
people with that get paid a lotof I need to have those discussions and
make those decisions, but we'll seehow it plays out. I don't want

(01:03:07):
a week off, like I getit. If you're going to add the
eighteenth game for the players they needand are going to almost demand the added
bye week. Do we want aweek in the middle of the season where
there are no football games like baseballtakes an All Star break. It's also
in the summertime, in the deadof winter. You want a week without

(01:03:31):
football? College football? You thinkthe NFL cares about college football? I
mean, like I get it andmaybe maybe with the added playoff that you
could do it there. But Imean the playoff race is heating up,
and we're just going to take aweek off in December. Joe, I
love you. I love that he'sthinking of ideas. Don't love this one

(01:03:53):
Christmas time? Yeah, maybe maybetake a week off for Christmas, Christmas
and New Year's I don't know.All right, here's Joe talking about the
wrist injury and the off season workhe was able to do in spite of
the risk injury. You know,this was a difficult injury. It's been

(01:04:13):
a tough several months, but physicallyit's not the worst injury that I've had.
You know, I've been through muchmuch tougher things physically, and so
that's been a positive. I've beenable to really lift and continue my off
season program kind of the way thatit always has been. You know,

(01:04:34):
by the time that came around,I was pretty much able to lift and
do everything that I needed to inthe weight room and conditioning. Why so,
you know, physically and conditioning wise, I feel really good. There's
Joe Burrow talking about being able todo his normal off season work in spite
of the wrist injury. So he'sat practice and he's throwing and he looks

(01:04:55):
good. He was also asked ifhe is dealing with any discomfort or pain
when he throws. I'll keep that. I'll keep that to myself. We
listen to that closely, because,as you probably know, when the Bengals
have a press conference, we airthem, you can't hear the questions.

(01:05:18):
Give me the answer again, Tarren, I'll keep that. I'll keep that
to myself. So he really couldhave been answering anything like Joe leaping Tiger
or striped b I'll keep that.I'll keep that to myself. Would you
like for t Higgins to get acontract extension from the Bengals? I'll keep

(01:05:42):
that. I'll keep that to myself. Do you think the Red should have
optioned Sam All to Louisville? I'llkeep that. I'll keep that to myself.
The internet is a twitter, soto speak with rumors that you are
now single? Is that true?I'll keep that. I'll keep that to
myself. Do you plan Joe thisto catch any concerts? I'll keep that.
I'll keep that to myself. Doyou believe the Indiana Pacers were victimized

(01:06:06):
last night by a tough whistle.I'll keep that. I'll keep that to
myself. Uh. Many wondered whyyou weren't invited to the Tom Brady roast.
I'll keep that. I'll keep thatto myself. Do you wish Brian
Callahan was still here to be theoffensive coordinator? I'll keep that. I'll
keep that to myself. Do youthink the Bengals should trade for Justin Jefferson.

(01:06:28):
I'll keep that. I'll keep thatto myself. Do you wish the
Bengals would have drafted a wide receiverin round one? I'll keep that.
I'll keep that to myself. See, because they don't have the microphone going
around the room, we have noreal idea what the questions are. Thankfully
we have the magical ears of TarumBland. But in the absence of being
able to provide the proper context forthe answers, we're allowed to fill in
whatever questions we want, and sothat might be a thing all year long.

(01:06:53):
I'm just I'm here to tell you, by the way, some of
the questions I wrote down to askJoe, We're not gonna do because I
don't want to get fired. Joe, are you excited for Brennenman and Jones
on baseball. I'll keep that.I'll keep that to myself. Did you
add the uh? That is thata new part of it? Did you
add that? Yeah? Uh?Some days the show just exists for me

(01:07:25):
to amuse myself. It's twelve minutesaway from five o'clock. This is ESPN
fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station PNfifteen thirty. Oh Oh, Taco Tuesday.
Guess what day? Yes, itis dudesesday. See, but it's

(01:07:46):
not not not today, not atmy house. Take a nize, no
taren. I make a handful ofthings that are really really good. I'm
great with a smoker. I'll doa pork shoulder better than anybody. I
make awesome wings. Witness that I'ma grill master. If we take the

(01:08:09):
cooking inside, I make the greatestmeat sauce on the planet. But you
gotta make it the night before.And so I celebrated last night's New York
Knicks Game one victory over the IndianaPacers by making my meat sauce. So's
it's meat sauce Tuesday at my house. You gotta let the meat sauce sit.
Perhaps one day I will share myrecipe. It's the five o'clock happy

(01:08:32):
hour. It is a service ofour friends at michelob Ultra. If you're
headed to the ballpark tonight, youmight need an umbrella, but you regardless
can get a michelob Ultra. That'snot going to keep you dry. We'll
keep you refreshed. Michelob Ultra perfect, perfect for any time of year,
specifically perfect for baseball season. Redswill getting some good news today. The

(01:08:53):
Reds are better with TJ. Friedlthan without TJ. Friedel. He is
back and he's leading off today wherehe should be. Frankie Montoss is back,
I think relative to that Sunday afternoonwhen he took that liner off his
right arm when most of us fearedthe worst. The fact that he is
back and good to go. We'llsee how effective he is. It's pretty

(01:09:15):
damn good. It was two anda half weeks ago we feared the worst,
and now he's going to start atthe beginning of a three game series
against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Connor Capleis up. Connor Caple did a nice
job, I guess at Louisville bouta two sixty eight with seven homers.
He is a guy who, ina very limited number of Big League at
bats, mostly with the A's ahandful with the Cardinals, has hit two

(01:09:38):
to eighty not for much power,three homers in those one hundred and forty
five at bats. But he hasbeen added to the team. Why not?
Nick Martini has been sent to Louisville. Bubba Thompson been sent to Chattanooga.
Ian Jabo has been added to thesixty day injured list. Pole question
is up and running on X atMoegger, a service of my friends at

(01:10:00):
United Heartland Insurance. I want youto predict the ultimate outcome for the Reds
over the course of the rest ofthe regular season. This is a big,
big series, man. This schedulegets really tough. They're gonna be
on the road for ten games.They got a bunch of games against a
terrific Dodgers team. The Arizona Diamondbacksstill may be quite good. Zach Allen

(01:10:23):
pitches tonight. He has not gonevery deep into games all season long.
You're at home, You've just lostfive in a row. You've lost a
bunch of series in a row.You're getting a boost by freedom coming back.
You're getting a boosed by Montas comingback. You gotta win a series,
man Like I hate to put alot of pressure on any one early

(01:10:43):
season series, but this the Redsaren't done, not by any stretch of
the imagination, not thirty four gamesin Now. They got problems, and
they got problems that are impossible toreally figure out right now because Matt McClain's
not coming back anytime soon and Noelfe Marte is not coming back for weeks.
But this does feel like it couldget away from them a little bit

(01:11:10):
if they don't get things going rightnow. I'll go back to last season.
Now. The standard of excellence isnot last season. Last season they
won eighty two games. But evenbefore the Reds started calling up guys like
Andrew Abbott and Elie de la Cruzand Matt McClain, there was a series

(01:11:34):
in April last year. The Redshad just lost four straight on the road
in Pittsburgh, and offensively they lookeda lot like they have over the last
six to seven games. Before theseries against Pittsburgh, they were shut out
at home on consecutive dates by theTampa Bay Rays. In fact, they

(01:11:59):
lost by the exact same score eightzip. So they're seven and fifteen.
At the end of that stretch,they get beat by the Pirates. They
lose two straight to Tampa Bay.And I remember that Monday, April the
twenty fourth. Now, mind you, this is pre all those guys that

(01:12:20):
got called up, and I remembera good Texas team came to town,
the team that ended up winning theWorld Series. And I remember that day.
Putting it in slightly different terms,it was I kind of feel like
David Bell needs a good series.I kind of feel like David Bell can't
afford to get swept. I kindof feel like this is a series at

(01:12:41):
home they got they gotta get thingsturned around here. The Reds swept the
series. They then went to Oaklandand won the next two. And while
they weren't totally out of the woodsagain this is late April. The team
really didn't get going until a fewweeks later, but it kept things from
get out of control too early.I mean, go back to two years

(01:13:04):
ago. The Reds were three andtwenty two, and I know we're a
little bit past that, but theywere three and twenty two, and they
never stopped things from, you know, just totally unraveling. They never stopped
things from getting out of control andthey never recovered. We're not quite there.
But given the schedule, given thefact that the guys the Reds are

(01:13:28):
playing with aren't around, given whoyou're playing, given where you're playing,
given what has just happened, givenwho's been added to the team, Reds
need a series win. This tome feels a little bit like that series
against the Rangers last year where Ididn't think they needed to sweep it.
I didn't think they could sweep it. But that stretch again, it was
the same thing. It was asix game losing streak. They weren't hitting.

(01:13:51):
They scored zero runs against the Rays, zero runs against the Rays,
then three runs, then two runs, then one run, then zero runs
against the Pirates. They looked alot like the Reds have over the last
couple of weeks. Sitting there atseven and fifteen, A good team comes
to town, you're at home,a very brief three game homestand I remember
it vividly. Just it felt likethey got to get this thing and keep

(01:14:14):
it from spiraling out of control.That's what this series against the Diamondbacks feels
like. Think of all the consecutiveseries they've not won. Do you want
to add to it before you haveto go to California? Do you want
to add to it before you goon the road for ten games. I
don't think the answer is yes.I think this team badly needs a series

(01:14:38):
win. You don't get it ifyou don't hit. Look, social media
is interesting. Social media is notreal life. Here's where I feel like
most Reds fans are because this iswhere I am, and you can tell
me if I'm wrong. Frustrated bywatching this team hit, a little bit

(01:14:58):
disappointed with how they've played recently,Frustrated that they haven't been able to take
advantage of what was at one timea good start, Understanding that this team's
got a lower ceiling when you arewithout the guys they've been without. Still
excited about the future, still holdingout hope that this team this season could

(01:15:21):
be pretty decent, maybe even aplayoff team. Now you go on social
media and it's just everybody has oneopinion, and it's usually extreme. I'm
I'm kind of right there in themiddle, and I feel like that's where
most of us are. I sortof feel like I mirror this, mirror's
modern politics. Right, there's theloud five percent all the way over here,

(01:15:45):
there's a loud five percent all theway over here, and then most
Americans are kind of right there inthe middle. That's where ninety percent of
people are. Maybe it's not ninety, but I feel like most of us
are pretty moderate. That's It's kindof how I feel about the Reds.
I don't think this has been anunmitigated disaster. I don't think that is
impossible to recover from. I thinkit's a mild disappointment, but not totally

(01:16:06):
unexpected. I feel like the franchiseis very much going in the right direction.
I feel like this season could stillbe a successful one. But amid
all that, you'll find some folksthat will say, well, look,
without the guys they don't have,what do you want to do? You
can't get mad. Look, man, at the end of the day,

(01:16:29):
it is up to all parties involvedto figure out a way to get through
when you don't have the guys thatyou don't have. We talked yesterday about
why the Reds were not involved inacquiring Luisa Rise, who was traded two
time batting champion, two time AllStar, traded by the Marlins, who
have punted on the season, tradedby Miami to the San Diego Padres.

(01:16:56):
The Padres gave up and Miami kickedin some money. Padres gave up some
prospects and a relief pitcher. Youwill find people who think the Marlin's got
a really good return, and you'regonna find people who feel like it's just
a collection of dudes. But theMarlins have given up on the season,
which if you're a Miami fan,is gonna be frustrating that you had a
team that last year made the playoffs, made the playoffs last year. They've

(01:17:25):
been really bad this season. Thechange general managers, they didn't extend the
Manager of the Year, Skip Schumacher, didn't extend his contract through ten and
twenty seven, and before we getto Mother's Day, they're hitting the eject
button on the season. So itwas asked yesterday why didn't they get involved
in acquiring Luisa Rise? And Idon't have the answer to that. But

(01:17:48):
if you look at Miami's team,I'll credit the guy that we work for,
because he texted me this last night, Dj Hodge. One are the
Reds gonna trade for Jazz Chisholm.Now, if you don't know Jazz Chisholm
is twenty six years old. Heis not having a great year, but
there's still some talent there. Hisoverall statistical profile isn't awesome, but he

(01:18:11):
was an All Star in twenty twentyfour. He's got some positional versatility.
He's mainly playing In fact, he'sonly playing center field this year. He's
primarily an alfielder, but he's spentsome time in the middle and field positions.
That's how he came up. WhatI think would be interesting is you
can't go back in time and acquireLuisa Rise, but could you kick the

(01:18:32):
tires on Jazz Chisholm. Now maybehe doesn't do it for you, that's
fine, he would do it forme. There's still some development, developmental
stuff there. There's still a prettyhigh ceiling. He's two years removed from
being an All Star. But ifyou want the Reds to like be proactive,
you can't wave a magic wand andask for Matt mcclaan to get better.

(01:18:55):
You can't wave a magic wand andundo the fact that Noelve Marte took
PDS. And you can't wave amagic wand and hope Some players who don't
have much of a track record suddenlystart performing better. What you can do
is decide we're going to be aggressive, and we're not going to wait till
July first, So the first placeyou would look would be at a team
that has already decided we're punting onthe season. I wonder what it would

(01:19:18):
cost to get Jazz Chisholm to cometo Cincinnati. Now if you want a
team to avoid going on a huntfor the best possible offer, Because if
I'm running the Marlins, I wantto get teams involved in a bidding war.
You're going to have to really givethem a reason to not want to
get into a bidding war. You'regoing to have to give them a reason

(01:19:39):
to say, yes, we'll tradethe guy right now. We're not going
to see what other teams are willingto give. What I want to know
is if you want Nick Crawl tobe aggressive and if that is a player
that you go, yeah, Iwould like to have him. And you
understand the Reds would have to giveup a lot given the fact that last

(01:19:59):
summer it felt like nobody wanted theReds to give up anything of value?
Would we change our mind in themiddle of May the following year, like
we could talk all we want aboutwell that the Red's got to be aggressive.
Nick Krawl needs to do something.Well, being aggressive and doing something
are gonna mean got to give somethingup of value. I think you can

(01:20:19):
give something up of value and stillnot totally screw up your future. But
boy, last summer it was likethis NonStop conversation, do you want the
Reds to go for it or not? If you want the Reds to go
for it, are you willing togive up something? And then we would
start talking about pieces that folks mightbe willing to give up, and there
a whole lot of people would shaketheir head at nearly every name that was

(01:20:40):
thrown out there. So you wantNick Crawl to do something, chances are
you're nodding along. Yes. Doyou want Nick Crawl to be aggressive?
Chances are you're nodding along. Yes. Do you want Nick Krawl to not
wait until late July? Chances areyou're nodding along. Yes. I don't
know if you're nodding along, yes, it jes Chi's them. I would
take them like, dude, giveme a twenty six year old guy that

(01:21:02):
could play a couple of different positionsthat's recently been an All star that I
could still work with still develop.You want to be young and exciting.
He's young and exciting. He alsohas blue hair. Sign me up for
that. Are you willing to jumpto the front of the line with a
high end package to get a guylike that? Is everybody nodding along?

(01:21:30):
My guess is the answer is no. And so here's where things at some
point are gonna have to change.And I say this based on last summer
because we talked about this every dayfor weeks. Want the Threads to be
buyers? Yeah, okay, howmany guys do you have that are untouchable?
And then the list would be likethirteen fourteen guys. If we want

(01:21:51):
the Threads to be aggressive, we'regonna have to expand our willingness to trade
away assets that have a lot ofpotential. Specifically who those assets are I
don't know. I don't know ifEdwin Arroyo is less attractive now because he's
out for the season. I don'tknow who from the big league roster right

(01:22:12):
now would would compel another team towant to pull the trigger. I don't
think they're really interested in trading RentLouder, but they have a lot of
really good young starting Pitchers. Butif we want the Reds to be aggressive,
there really can't be an extremely longlist of guys that we're not willing

(01:22:33):
to be okay with the Reds tradingaway? Right, I'm always amused by
this want the Reds to be aggressive? Okay, well, how about trading
this guy? Nah? How aboutthis dude? No? How about him?
Uh? Uh okay? How aboutthis guy? She? No?
Okay, how about this guy?No? Well, then we can't be

(01:22:55):
aggressive here. It's like if you'regood to go shopping and you know you're
gonna get a whole new wardrobe,right, all right, you're gonna you're
gonna you're gonna be willing to payto pay the price. You look at
the price tags. I'm not buyingthat. I'm not buying that. I'm
not buying that. I'm okay,Well, you're not gonna have a new
wardrobe. Again. Maybe not thebest analogy, but still so, do

(01:23:18):
we genuinely want the Reds to beaggressive? If the answer to that is
yes, then you want them tostart thinking about deals they can make now.
And if you want them to dothat, well, then you want
them to give up something of value. Last summer, did this every single

(01:23:40):
day, talked to a whole lotof people who didn't want to see the
Reds give up something of value.Twenty one after five uh, five point
three seven, fifteen thirty is ourphone number. We'll get to you here
in just a few minutes. Votingour poll question at Moeggar. We're here
till six. Esp IN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station, casting today from

(01:24:02):
the ESPN fifteen thirty studios, poweredby a greater Cincinnatis roofing and exterior restoration
Expertsmadewell Restoration dot Com. Your homedeserves to be made well five fifteen thirty.
It's the Michaelobultra Happy Hour, fiveo'clock Happy Hour on ESPN fifteen thirty.

(01:24:25):
I dropped the mouse. I droppedthe mouse. I need to put
phone calls on the here. Weused to just use a phone. Got
whould you like to put on there? Uh, let's do Dave, Dave
go ahead, Tarren, thank youwhile I get the mouse. Dave,
You're on ESPN fifteen thirty. What'sgoing on? Hey? Mo? I
was just thinking about how I justI'm reading their level set expectations. Is

(01:24:45):
it unrealistic? Is it unrealistic?To just hope to see a lineup that's
got nine guys hitting at least twohundred minutes with this team at this moment.
No, I mean literally every everytime I I look at it,
I'm okay with like one or twoguys, but like it's like it's it
crushes the will to live. Yeah, it's one thing. If it's if

(01:25:10):
it's players who don't have good numbers, who are who have a track record
right or or who you think aregoing to be a part of what this
team is doing moving forward. Soif if you look at Cees and his
numbers aren't very exactly, you canyou can live with that. It's it's
really hard, and I know he'sbeen sent down when you're seeing Nick Martini
be run out there every day,or that you have to watch Santiago Espinal

(01:25:32):
be run out there every day,who are just just looked entirely overmatched,
or a guy in Jamiel Jamier Candelariowho represents the big acquisition of the offseason
and he can't his way out ofa out of a box right now.
Those those are the ones that frustrateme. When we get to the point
where the you have more hitting undertwo hundred then or than the opposite is

(01:25:59):
just you know, you get tothe point where it's hard to get excited
when you're looking at the lineup.I think it was Sunday. I think
it was Sunday they had five guyshitting below two hundred. Yeah, good
times. Yeah, it's frustrating.We're on the stake, Dave, thank
you. No, I mean,if you and again do what you want
with batting average as a statistic,but I mean, look across the board.

(01:26:19):
It's not like a lot of thesedudes are posting huge on base percentages
or big ops numbers cs Benson,Candelario, Espinal, Fairchild and mainly six
guys on the roster right now battingbelow two hundred. That doesn't even include

(01:26:42):
Bubba Thompson and Martini, who haveboth been sent down. So that's eight.
Add to it Spencer Steers batting likea buck thirty over the last two
and a half weeks. Add toit Stevenson's hitting two eleven. Add to
it India's batting two nineteen. Imean, it's again, do what you
want with batting average as a asa metric that tells you who the most

(01:27:06):
effective batters are. Jake Frayley's battingtwo ninety two and obviously missed a lot
of time because he was sick.Jake Frayley's batting two ninety two. Ellie
de la Cruz is at two seventyone. And as much as love Ellie,
uh, he is really struggling.There's not a hitter on this team
that you would say right now ishitting really really well. Ellie's at two

(01:27:30):
seventy one, and then there's thedrop off, goes to Steer two forty
six, and then everybody is twotwenty and below. And so but like
all right, Martini's gone, BubbaThompson is gone. None of these other
guys are gonna go right Like Imean in Charnassi on Strand isn't isn't gonna

(01:27:58):
be sent down or shouldn't be sentdown? Would say the same about Benson,
Candelario ain't going anywhere because of themoney they're paying them. Stevenson's not
going anywhere. India ain't going anywhere. Steer's not going anywhere. There's a
lot of guts. Now. Thegood news is this I and again we're

(01:28:20):
just using batting average. The goodnews is I think most of us would
be willing to bet that a monthfrom now there are not going to be
six players on the roster who arebetting below two hundred, and that the

(01:28:41):
numbers put up by Elie Steer,Cees India, even Jamer Tyler as well
will be better in a month.The question is by the time those guys
start hitting, what kind of holethe team dug while they're not hitting?

(01:29:04):
The Reds used to have Jerry Naaronand Lance McAllister would do an awesome Jerry
Naron impersonation of Jerry and as deepSouthern draw assuring Marty in the pregame show
that this team's gonna hit, andyou might say that by the end of
the season. Look, he couldhave been right. He's going to be
right. He was right. It'snot are they going to hit or put

(01:29:28):
up good numbers by the end ofthe season or by the All Star break.
It's between now and when they starthitting. How much more of a
hole do they dig? And that'skind of where I am right now with
the schedule. It's why I emphasizethis series right like how many more games
are you going to lose before youstart playing well? And then how much

(01:29:51):
ground do you have to make up. How big of a hole do you
have to dig out of when youstart playing well? You know again,
last year's team could could perhaps beused as an example. Great feel good
summer. Awesome, feel good summer. They finished this close to making the

(01:30:14):
playoffs. As a team, theywere awesome, excuse me, in one
run games. They have not beenthis year. They were really good against
bad teams. They were terrific onthe road, they were awesome and extra
inning games. They even had avery good record at the All Star break.

(01:30:36):
They were nine over five hundred.But they dug themselves such a hole
that the work that they did inthe middle of the summer wasn't good enough.
I mean, it's the most eloquentway that I could put it.
This team won twelve games in arow in June of last year. I'm

(01:30:56):
sure you remember that, twelve gamesin a row. At the end of
the twelve game winning streak, theywere only six above five hundred. Now
they were in first place because thedivision stunk. Also this year, the
division doesn't stink. The Brewers stilllook formidable. The Cubs look good.
You know, this team in theygo to Chicago and sweep the Cubs they

(01:31:19):
go to Boston, win two ata three. The first two add up
to a six game or five gamewinning streak, and at the end of
that five game winning streak they're threeunder five hundred and again, like last
year, they were aided dramatically bythe fact that the National League Central stunk.
The National League Central might not begreat. I don't think anybody's really

(01:31:42):
good enough to run away and hide, but it does look like it's a
better division at the top than lastyear. The Pirates have held their own.
They've won three or four in arow, so yeah, they're going
to hit. I fully believe thatthere's to be a time where we look
at some of these guys statistically andwhat they are right now is a distant

(01:32:04):
memory. But by the time thathappens, how many more games will they
have lost? Because offensively, thisteam can't do anything. It's gotta change
soon. We are late twenty fiveaway from six ESPN fifteen to thirty Cincinnati's
ESPN fifty sports headlines of service Kelseychevala home of lifetime power tramp protection and

(01:32:26):
guarantee credit approval from their family toyours for life kelseyshev dot Com Red's and
Dbacks, whether Permitting's supposed to startin one hour. Frankie Montas is back.
Zach Allen throws for Arizona. TJFriedel is back, activated from the
injured list, will make his twentytwenty four Big League debut tonight, leading
off in center field. Outfielder ConnorCaple up from Louisville. Nick Martini down

(01:32:50):
to Louisville, Bubba Thompson option toChattanooga. Ian Jibo transferred to the sixty
day injured list. Red starting lineupa service of made well. Hopefully tonight's
lineup is made well. Go toMadewell Restoration dot com. Freeda leading off,
Elie de la Cruz at shortstop,Spencer Steer in left field, Tyler

(01:33:10):
Stevenson catching, Jake Fraley is dhingCees at first base, India second,
Candelario at third, Benson and Wrightagain. Zach Allen throws for Indiana six
forty tonight on seven hundred WLW.Tyler Boyd is back with Brian Callahan,
the former Bengals offensive coordinator now thehead coach of the Titans. Tyler signs

(01:33:31):
with Tennessee a one year contract worthroughly four and a half million dollars.
Tyler Boyd had a really good career, just absolute quintessential secondary target, ideal
number two his first few years whenAJ Green was still here and then really
settled nicely into the number three widereceiver role with T Higgins and Jamar Chase

(01:33:56):
and when he was kind of askedto go it alone. You know,
you think about that twenty nineteen seasonwhere AJ Green didn't play basically because he
chose not to play. Half theseason, he had over a thousand yards
with a combination of Andy Dalton andBrandon Miller and Ryan Findley. I for

(01:34:21):
Brandon Allen, Brandon Miller, BrandonAllen, I forgot the name of those
quarterbacks. And Tyler Boyd had athousand yard season. He had a thousand
yard season the year before in onlyfourteen games. A really really good career.
You know, when he signed hissecond contract, it was like quintessential
number two wide receiver deal. AndI think still has some gas in the

(01:34:42):
tech had he been with the Bengalsthis year, just purely from a football
perspective, forget the money for asecond. I don't know that I would
have had a major objection to that. I think Tyler can still help a
team. His numbers last year werenot you know, they don't jump off
the page. They're not going tojump off the page when you're in his
role. But still he caught sixtyseven balls, had over six hundred and

(01:35:03):
sixty yards. I think Tyler boycan still play. I did not see
because I didn't write it down,but one of the Bengals accounts I follow
asked, is he going to bein the Ring of Honor? I think
the most interesting question about the BengalsRing of Honor moving forward. And I'm
sure there's gonna be another round ofvoting. Hopefully Dave Lapham goes in this

(01:35:26):
year and then the other spot,Corey Dillon or whoever. But who's gonna
end up being like the best player, who's not the best Bengals player,
who's not in the Ring of Honor. Not everybody who had a good season,
not everybody who had a great season, not everybody who had a good

(01:35:48):
long career, not everybody who wasa part of a Super Bowl team is
going to be in the Ring ofHonor. I think Tyler Boyd might be
that. I think Carson Palmer isgonna end up that guy like I could
totally understand why he wouldn't be inthe Ring of Honor. I could totally
understand why it would be. Idon't know that I put Tyler Boyd in.

(01:36:10):
I'm not gonna like protest or pickit outside the stadium if he does
get in. But like I thinkyou could have the same conversation about the
Red's Hall of Fame. Reds aregonna have a whole bunch of dudes who
in recent years have retired or aregoing to retire, Like you think of
that whole collection of guys late twothousand's, early twenty tens, Vado Arroyo
went in last year, Phillips,Jay Bruce, I would argue Todd Frasier,

(01:36:33):
I make that argument. People getmad at me, Johnny Quato,
like they have a lot of guyswho get in. Somebody has to be
the best player to not get inthe Hall of Fame. Somebody also has
to be the worst Hall of Famer. Tyler Boyd might be a candidate to
be the best player not in theBengals Ring of Honor. We have a
poll question thanks to our friends atUnited Heartland Insurance. It's our United Heartland

(01:36:57):
Insurance ex Pole question. Thanks tomy friend United Heartland Insurance, you could
save MO money on your personal businessand life insurance. Get a free quote
online at uhi ns dot com andwhen you do that, tell him you
want to save MO money. Uh, simple one. Today. It's based
on the most likely Red's regular seasonoutcome, win the National League Central,

(01:37:19):
earn a wild card, have awinning record but missed the postseason, or
have a losing record. Right now, the majority of you say winning record,
no playoffs. I could get there. I could get there. Two
and a half percent of you saywin the National League Central U five three,

(01:37:43):
fifteen thirty, Mike, who sentme nine emails during the Knicks Pacers
game last night? You're on ESPNfifteen thirty. What's going on? Sorry
to be a pain in the lumpusAs they say, Well, it gives
me an opportunity. It gives mean opportunity, of Mike, I don't
know why I'm hearing myself back then, it gives me an opportunity, Mike
to say this about that game lastnight. I know we have Indiana Pacers

(01:38:05):
fans in our audience. The Pacersare geographically the closest NBA team to Cincinnati
and I like the Pacers. Ilike going to Pacers games. If they
win this series, I'm going toroot for them to beat the Boston Celtics.
I love Obi Toppin. Rick Carlisleseems like a good guy. But

(01:38:28):
the Nixon Pacers had a pretty bigrivalry back in the nineties. They played
in the playoffs against each other ninetythree, ninety four, ninety five,
ninety eight, ninety nine, andtwo thousand. Indiana won three of those
series. One of the series theywon was the nineteen ninety five Eastern Conference
Semifinals. The signature moment of thatseries, aside from Patrick Ewing missing a
finger roll at the buzzer in Gameseven, Reggie Miller scores eight points in

(01:38:49):
nine seconds. In Game one,he makes two threes and a couple of
free throws. The second of thetwo threes tied the game before he caught
and stole the pass. The inboundspass, he shoves Greg Anthony offensive foul
by Reggie's own admission, shoves GregAnthony. This happened twenty nine years ago

(01:39:10):
today. For the last twenty nineyears, if you're a Knicks fan and
you complained about this, Pacers fanswould tell you two things. Number One,
hey, look, man, itshouldn't have gotten to that point.
You should have figured out a wayto not be in that position. Number
Two, they will say, hey, man, it was only game one.
You had plenty of chances to comeback. Okay, Well, late

(01:39:30):
twenty nine years later, I'll saythe exact same things. Do I think
last night the Pacers got screwed bythe officials? Yes, I haven't even
looked at the NBA's last two minutereport. It doesn't matter. I think
in the last minute of the gamethere were two calls, the kick ball
and the illegal screen. Those werebad, bad calls. If we're gonna
have reviews, you should review kickballsand that illegal screen that they whistled Myles

(01:39:54):
Turner for is called fifty times agame. Those were bad, bad calls.
But if twenty nine years ago Iwas padded on the head and told
it shouldn't have come to that.Your team should have done more to win
the game, and hey, look, buddy, it was just game one,
I get to use the same thingnearly three decades later. Might go
ahead. That was a rant tobeat rants. Very nicely done, mo,

(01:40:18):
By the way, I think Indy'sgonna win the series. I'm convinced
of this after watching last night.They're deeper and they're playing at their pace,
which the Knicks cannot do. They'restill relying on one or two guys.
Offensively, Brunson was unbelievable last night. But if they're going to play
at that pace, Indy's got nineguys. The Knicks have six and a
half. I think Indy's gonna winthe series. Yeah, I did too.

(01:40:40):
I just think they're going to wearthem outs. It's gonna run the
death mo unfortunately, because they'll beplaying as hard as they can. But
guys, darn it, they're unions. You can only do so much.
I want to bring up something aboutthe Reds that you've brought up several times
in the last several months, andthis is the paraphrase you what could it
hurt for the Reds to trade ayoungster or two to acquire I can't recall

(01:41:10):
if you said a veteran, mayberight handed power hitter or something, but
remember remember you said that several times. I completely agree with you. What
the whole organization is going to shutdown if you farm out a couple of
these hot shots? Well, Iasked this. I asked this often last
summer when the debate was, youknow, do you go all in,

(01:41:32):
do you trade away a piece forthe sake of winning right now when your
future is so bright, when you'reso young. And my question at the
time was, and I never gotan answer, what realistic trade would they
make that would take all the workthat they have done to building a sustainable
team for the future and undo it. I never got an answer. Now,

(01:41:55):
you know, could you trade awaysomeone and then watch them succeed elsewhere
and it hurt? Sure, that'salways a possibility. You've got to be
comfortable doing that. And if youreally have this depth and wealth of young
players that you believe you should bewilling to deal from that surplus, there
is going to be a time.The example that I always use is twenty

(01:42:15):
eleven, twenty twelve, the Redsweren't a position to go for it.
They dealt from a surplus. Theyhad two high end catching prospects, Meseraco
and grand All. They traded grandAll. They had two first basemen,
Yonder Alonso and Joe Evado. Theytraded Joe Evada. They felt good about
their starting pitching staff, so EdinsonVolcez was expendable. They felt good about
their bullpen, so Brad Bocksberger wasexpendable. They traded those four guys,

(01:42:39):
three of whom became All Stars,and got Matt LATAs. Now you might
think Matt lay TOAs is a clown. I agree with you. But he
was a big reason why the Redswon ninety seven games in twenty twelve.
He was a big reason why theReds got back to the playoffs in twenty
thirteen. And so to acquire himyou had a deal from a surplus.
The time is gonna come where theReds are going to have to show a
willingness to do that. It ismom or else they're not serious about what

(01:43:04):
they're claiming to be serious about.One more quickie, there's five teams in
the MLV that are over six hundredwinning for change to Phillies, the Dodgers
and the O's, the Yanks andthe Guardian. And look at those sneaky
little Guardians. Yeah, they're eighthand hitting and eighth and pitching and thirteenth
and team batting average. And lookat those sneaky little Guardians will continuing to

(01:43:29):
happen. Not only that, Mikethank you look at how good the America
League Central is because the Guardians,Twins, and Royals each playing above five
eighty baseball. We have to gotalk to you tomorrow three to oh five.
Thanks to Tarran for producing, Thanksto you for listening. Have a
great night. This is the ESPNfifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station.