8/15/24 - The Mo Egger Radio Show

Broadcasting live from the Cincinnati Open!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Bengals and Bears get it on in the Windy City.
Coverage begins Saturday morning at nine on ESPN fifteen thirty,
the official home of the Bengals.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
What's Up?

Speaker 3 (00:09):
It's a five act for three ESPN fifteen thirty. M. Moleger,
thank you for joining us today. One of my favorite
broadcasts of the year is starting right now. We are
in Mason at the Cincinnati Open. We've got a cup here,
so every time I call it by the tournament's old name,
I gotta throw.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
A dollar in the Cincinnati Open.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
And this is like, I think the eleventh or twelfth
straight year we've broadcast. If you are around the grounds,
if you're coming for the latter part of the afternoon session,
stop by the Western and Southern Fan Experience booth. Please
come by and say hi. I'm not sure I'm going
to be very good if you asked me for directions,
but you could say hello and come check out what
the folks at Western and Southern have going on. We

(00:52):
were here a year ago, and let's face it, we
were excited for the tournament, but we were dealing with
this cloud of uncertainty. Gonna lose it? Is it gonna
come back. What's gonna happen? And not only have we
kept it, we're keeping it. The grounds are awesome, We've
had record crowds. The tournament has been terrific. The weather
has cooperated. We have overcast, guys, but we've stayed dry.

(01:17):
And last year I had a chance to sit in
this booth and chat with Todd Martin. So like one
of those like tennis figures of my youth. And when
I say that, people go, while you're making me feel old.
Now I've got Luke Jensen. This is big. This is huge.

Speaker 4 (01:31):
From the state to the north Michigan can't say that,
say it.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
I'm not an Ohio state guy. Man, we're good smoked.

Speaker 4 (01:38):
Earlier today, I understand God's headlock came off the top rope. Really, dude,
and you got the chocolate shake coming. I do very impressive, mo,
very impressed.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
We're impressed that you're here. Well, I love Cincinnati. I
might be coming here forever.

Speaker 4 (01:52):
Right, one hundred and twenty five years was the tri
States and it moved through the years. I played it
when it was here, and I used to just hammer
Skyline chili.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Like you wouldn't believe you never want it.

Speaker 4 (02:03):
Well, that's the reason we didn't win it, honestly, because
we put in more rides at King's Island on the
beef than any other player on tour. They were practicing
and we were getting our gam on at King's Island.

Speaker 3 (02:16):
This is look I said a second ago, a year ago,
I'm doing this show and man, we don't know what
the future of this tournament involves. And are we gonna
lose it or are we gonna get a tournament that's
not quite as good and it's gonna expand up to
a larger field next year.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
The grounds look awesome.

Speaker 3 (02:33):
There have been so many improvements, some of which the
public sees, some of which maybe the public doesn't, but
the players enjoy it is awesome.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
Well, this is the Grand Slam.

Speaker 4 (02:43):
We have four majors in our in our tour, on
our tour, so it's the Australian. You've got the French Open, Wimbledon.
The US opens in two weeks. But forever, as a
Midwest kid, this was the tournament we went to. We
couldn't afford or we were in school when the US
Open hit, but we were going to Cincinnati and we
would come down here and we'd see Connors and McEnroe

(03:03):
and Board and everybody. The difference is this model that
we have in professional tennis is best when men and
women are together. Back then it was just guys, and
now that it's together, the fans have shown we love this.
They come from all over the world, but more specifically
the Midwest. They make it a point to be here
in Cincinnati. The values unbelievable for your ticket price. You're

(03:25):
out here for twelve thirteen hours and you're doing tons
of I mean, number one in the world egosfy Tech
is fifteen feet away from a sign, an autographs, taking pictures,
answering questions. It's that kind of coolness at this tournament.

Speaker 3 (03:37):
And nothing against any other tournament, certainly nothing against any
Grand Slam. But I've told this story on this show
before twenty twelve. I'm like, you know what, I'm crossing
the US Open off my bucket list. And it was
awesome Andy Roddicks last year and I'm there for four days,
three nights, and.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
It was incredible.

Speaker 3 (03:53):
This is better. Yeah, First of all, I don't have
to fly. Secondly, it's more cost effective. Yeah, it's the
same players. For the most part. I can get up
close the grounds are easier to navigate. Nothing against New York. Yeah,
it's awesome. If you have a chance to go, you
should go. This to me is as good, if not better.

Speaker 4 (04:11):
It's the one place where you can see the players relax.
The practice courts are forty feet from us. Yeah, and
they're signing autographs. They're not worried about this is the
final major. This isn't the super Bowl, right, This is
kind of like the playoffs, where you obviously you want
to win here, but it doesn't crush you because you're
just fine tuning your machine to get ready for the

(04:33):
last major of the season. So the players are more relaxed.
You don't see them signing autographs in New York. You
don't see them taking pictures. You don't see them walking
around the grounds in New York. You do here in Cincinnati.
So you get that Midwest vibe that everybody's welcome, great
food and adult beverage. There's some social lubricant around here
that is elite.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
Were you allowed to enjoy that when you play well?

Speaker 4 (04:55):
Well, if we had social media back in the day,
we would still be in proved would be worse. We
shared the responsibilities, yes, right, When one of us was hungover.

Speaker 2 (05:05):
The other one was rocket very good, very good.

Speaker 4 (05:07):
Cincinnati always treated it so well because we played here
as a kid, we played here as a pro and
in college, so uh, this place was always very special.
We play at night and you get to ten o'clock,
and if you're local, you understand if you get your
match to ten o'clock, the fireworks and go off at
King's Island.

Speaker 2 (05:24):
That was always a game changer for us.

Speaker 4 (05:26):
It would be a break of serve or momentum shift,
because anyone we played didn't realize, like at ten o'clock,
everything's going to break loose across the street. And I
mean the Bengals are starting there, you know, their training sessions,
so you see a lot of celebrities around. The Reds
were playing, So it was a really cool vibe for
the players to get a miss Midwest, that kind of

(05:46):
cool launch to New York.

Speaker 3 (05:48):
It talked to me right now about the state of
the game, because I feel like we have gotten through
a stretch where really on both sides we were kind
of wondering, all right, for the men, how are we
kind of coming out of the post, you know, Federer
and Nadal, and then with the women, like, all right, No,
Serena overshadowed everybody for so long, and I feel like
on both sides we've we've sort of emerged from the
shadows of those players, and there's some really interesting things

(06:10):
happening on both the men's and the women's side.

Speaker 4 (06:12):
Well, you get Alcaraz and center. You know, Alcaraz is
the new kind of kid from Spain. And the one
thing the lasting legacy from the big four in Serena
Venus Sharapova to me is how they approach it professionally.
So they're all fit. There's there's no kind of Jensen
Brothers kind of like half in Kings Island, half in
the stadium. They're all in the way they eat, their

(06:34):
way they prepare themselves, the way they compete.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
But the other thing, the way they behave if you really.

Speaker 4 (06:40):
Watch like Novak and the way they treat and respect
the game, Federer Nadel, you look at Serena Venus, the
impact they had on the game. All these players, like
I said, swy Teks right here you have Sebalnca Cocoa golf,
she's playing right now, and they respect the game. They
compete really hard, they're great to the kids and I

(07:01):
see them in the sponsor that that's huge because sponsorship
drives the whole thing. Yeah, and we'll go to a
corporate suite and it's Western Southern and it's P and
G and it's a fifth third.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
And I'm telling you, they look them straight in the eye.
And these are teenagers.

Speaker 4 (07:15):
These these wiz kids are our young twenty year olds,
and they get it. And that's because of Serena got
it and they saw their idols work in the corporate,
work in the social media side, building their brand. So
the game is so healthy. We're expanding next year to
twelve days. So you're gonna see a new court, a
new like stadium court behind the current stadium in Grandstand.

(07:36):
You're gonna see more facilities for the fans. You see
little kids playing out here. They have places to go
and do things besides just watch tennants. So it's a
real event that you get to experience.

Speaker 3 (07:48):
Oh, you and I were talking before we went on
the air, and you asked about how's my tennis game? Yeah,
and not great, But we talked about getting a racket
of my daughter's hand. She just turned seven, just started
second grade. I was listening to a podcast, maybe a
month ago and it was Chris Everett. Yeah, and it
was kind of a dated podcast, but she was talking
about like getting.

Speaker 2 (08:06):
A racket in kids' hands and.

Speaker 3 (08:09):
How that movement started a while ago and it's starting
to pay dividends and it's so important for the sport.

Speaker 4 (08:13):
It's also great for kids. Yeah, well, and it's great
for the business. The industry thrives. I did a couple
of stints as director at a few clubs and resorts,
and the business is, how do I get that generation
that is like three or four years old, get mommy
and me courses or daddy and me where daddy is
learning the game as well as the kid put a
racket in their hand. Now it's all of a sudden

(08:35):
it becomes a family issue, like you and your daughter
a family thing. Do you want to play tennis? You
want to play soccer? You're figuring her out. She's trying
to figure it out. And what does she have in tennis?
She's got a friend. Yeah, you get a friend. Now
they got something cool to do and it's tennis. And
you start building that business model where you're going to
have them for ten fifteen plus years. They'll enjoy the

(08:57):
game and then what will happen. They'll go to college.
They may not play varsity tennis, but club tennis, they
call it tennis on campus. We have thousands of these
colleges that have this high school recreational. It's fun, it's
you know, both genders, and then it gets to I'm
gonna join my own club. So the business is growing
as well as you know, people seeing tennis not as

(09:21):
the country club sport, right, it's the sport for everybody.

Speaker 3 (09:23):
Yeah, and I feel like it's emerged from that rep
that it had for a while. It's also and I
noticed as just watching the French Open and Wimbledon with
my daughter, it looks if you're a kid, it looks
like I.

Speaker 2 (09:35):
Could do that.

Speaker 3 (09:35):
Yes you can't do that, but all he needs a
racket and the ball like it looks it looks like
the entryway for you know, for a kid who's not
born with great athletic jeans.

Speaker 2 (09:45):
But go, yeah, I can do that.

Speaker 4 (09:46):
When I see the Olympics, I see athletes like I
never looked like that, but when I saw John mackerro
and Jimmy Connors, like I kind of look like that.
And so the other phase is when we had Serena
and Venus. You know, with their impact on the African
American community, you will see tons of players from that
community and that culture playing because if they can do it,

(10:09):
I can do if I can, if they can come
from Compton. And if you ever seen the movie King
Richard terrific based on their pathway, I highly recommend it
doesn't talk about their success. It talks about the beginnings
and the journey, what it took to come from those
you know, very humble beginnings for them. And the game
is just really open. If you want to put in
the time, put in the effort, and you want to

(10:30):
do it, you can make I mean, we have people
from Kazakhstan playing, We got players from China playing all
here in Cincinnati, Australia.

Speaker 2 (10:37):
It's a global game.

Speaker 3 (10:39):
Your enthusiasm for the sport has always been awesome. This
has been really cool. I hope you enjoy your time
in Cincinnati. O.

Speaker 4 (10:44):
Where's the chocolate shak?

Speaker 3 (10:46):
I come fifteen minutes ago? You want a chocolate shit?
By the way, the answer is never know.

Speaker 2 (10:51):
Never know. I mean, nobody ever says you want a
chocolate dad? I don't know.

Speaker 4 (10:54):
How about when they ask would you like whip cream. Really,
look at me, Look at me. I've made. I was
honestly with Skyline Chili. So you think I'm gonna take
the whip cream and cherry on top?

Speaker 2 (11:05):
I want the works. I might be the third Jensen brother.
I mean we made.

Speaker 3 (11:10):
There's no doubt about that. Thank you so much, the
great Luke Jensen. We are here at the Cincinnati Open
in Mason. We have a lot of ground to cover.
We'll go to Chicago. Bengals practicing with the Bears, reds
of one four straight. We've got tennis updates. Soccer window
is closing an MLS, so a lot of ground to
cover between now and six. We're here at the Western
and Southern Fan Experience Booth in Mason, Cincinnati Open seventeen

(11:34):
after three on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 2 (11:37):
Station, Cincinnatis.

Speaker 3 (11:39):
We're broadcasting from the Cincinnati Open. We have a ton
of ground to cover. Tony Pike is gonna join us
live training camp report. Bengals are in Chicago. I guess
the two big news items as they relate to the Bengals.
Number one, Jamar Chase got on the plane, so he
at least flew to Chicago with his teammates practicing today.
The team is I haven't heard that jamar Is team

(12:03):
is practicing. Bengals play the Bears on Saturday afternoon. The
other one is. And you probably saw this. If you've
been thinking the Bengals are gonna go find yet another
guy to play D line and maybe run it back
with Carl Lawson, know that is not the case. He
as has been rumored now for a while, is signing
with the Dallas Cowboys. Reds win again tonight or Reds

(12:24):
win again last night? They're off tonight. Kansas City is
here for a three game series tomorrow. The better Missouri team,
the Cardinals are awful. Not to take any credit away
from the Reds, but the last three nights, those games
were frankly not competitive. The Cardinals looked a lot like
the Chicago White Sox have all season along. They're a
game under five hundred. My take has been all along.
If if I'm gonna talk about or think about this

(12:46):
team in postseason terms, the wins need to outweigh the losses.
That can happen as soon as Saturday. First things first,
the game against the Royals tomorrow. Pat Brennan's gonna join
us in just a few minutes, because I want to
spend a few minutes on on what FC Cincinnati has
done within the transfer window. Now that the transfer window
is closed. I can't reiterate enough. I love coming here

(13:09):
to the Cincinnati Open. I love coming as a fan.
Came on Monday afternoon, and I like the daytime session.
I like the vibe of it. It's the sort of
event that you don't have to be. It's not on
like a baseball game. You don't have to be a
hardcore baseball fan to enjoy experience at a baseball game.

Speaker 2 (13:25):
You don't have to be.

Speaker 3 (13:25):
Necessarily be a huge, hardcore died in the world tennis
fan to enjoy the experience here. The grounds are awesome,
the food and beverage choices are as plentiful as they've
ever been.

Speaker 2 (13:36):
The tennis is world class.

Speaker 3 (13:37):
The facilities are terrific, and we have said those things
for a while. I mentioned before when Luke Jensen was
with us. I think we've been doing our show here
every year. I believe since twenty twelve that they've had
the event. Obviously, COVID senate to New York in twenty twenty,
and every year you hear me rave about it.

Speaker 2 (13:57):
Every year.

Speaker 3 (13:57):
You hear me talk about how awesome the commodations are.
Last year we did our show from here, same exact spot,
and it was fun, but there was this cloud of
uncertainty because we did not know if the event was
going to change or move, or be altered or be
taken away. We did not know, and we held out

(14:18):
hope that everything was going to be okay.

Speaker 2 (14:20):
And as it turns out.

Speaker 3 (14:22):
Not only is the tournament back, but it's here for
the i'll say foreseeable future. I believe twenty five year
deal to have the tournament here. It's going to expand
next year basically going to have two weeks where the
tennis here in Mason. Improvements will continue, and there's a real,
I think, celebratory vibe here. I think that's been reflected

(14:45):
by the crowds. I think yesterday was the largest single
day attendance that this event has ever had. It's packed
here today, and I think there's a real mood of
celebration and excitement for not just having the event, but
how it's going to grow, how it's gonna get better,
how it's going to take on a more prominent place,

(15:06):
not just on the local sports calendar, but the worldwide
tennis calendar, and that's obviously a credit to a lot
of people.

Speaker 2 (15:13):
Were obviously thrilled.

Speaker 3 (15:14):
With the involvement of Western and Southern But it's really
awesome to be here. When a year ago, I genuinely wondered,
for how many more years am I going to be
able to come back and do this show with this
particular tournament taking place at this venue. Had the tournament moved,
you know, experts would say, well, we're still going to

(15:35):
get an event, We're still gonna have a tennis tournament.
But there's a lot of tennis tournaments around the world,
and there are tennis tournaments played in other parts of
the country. I think historically they've lacked the prestige that
this one has. And so the fact that for lack
of a better way of putting it, we maintain that
prestige and it's only going to get more and more prestigious.

Speaker 2 (15:56):
I believe, is really cool.

Speaker 3 (15:57):
So I was struck by when I came here on
Monday morning to watch the early part of the day session,
just how excited everybody is that an event that we
wondered about its future a year ago is here and
it's here for a long time and it's only going
to get better. Twenty seven after three o'clock, you can
hit me up on x at Moegar. Thanks to our

(16:20):
friends at Delta Dental, which is building healthy, smart, vibrant
communities for all good at Delta Dental dot com.

Speaker 2 (16:27):
Let's get a break in.

Speaker 3 (16:29):
We are hoping to be joined by Leila Fernandez, who
is going to join us in between winning a singles
match in which she had to come from behind after
losing the first set, and playing in a doubles match.
Later today, Tony Pike is going to join us on
the Bengals as they practice with the Chicago Bears. We've
got some baseball to get to a little bit later
on FC Cincinnati's run in the League's Cup is over.

(16:51):
They have added a player in the transfer windows, So
what's next. Pat Brennan tells us next on ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 5 (16:59):
Station Since p fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 3 (17:05):
Away from four On ESPN fifteen thirty, a busy day
for Osbourn the Cincinnati opened here in Mason. We'll chat
with Tony Pike in just about ten minutes. Bengals practicing
with the Chicago Bears in suburban Chicago. Today, transfer window
closed in Major League Soccer. FC Cincinnati has added a player.

(17:26):
They are back on the pitch with a tilt against Miami,
a road match that'll be on the twenty fourth. This
in the wake of battling out of the Elite's Cup
competition with a four to two loss to Philadelphia at home.
Pat Brannan covers FC Cincinnati four, The Inquirer and Cincinnati
dot Com. I'll let you help me with the name,

(17:47):
but they have acquired a player, a twenty four year
old Nicholas Jialcini.

Speaker 2 (17:52):
Did I even come close?

Speaker 6 (17:53):
Got it?

Speaker 2 (17:54):
I did nailed it? Yes, you nailed it.

Speaker 3 (17:56):
Yes, thank god for YouTube.

Speaker 7 (18:00):
Yeah yeah and panetic spelling.

Speaker 3 (18:04):
So this is what they've done during the transfer window.
Is this productive?

Speaker 6 (18:09):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (18:09):
I think so.

Speaker 7 (18:10):
I know there's some segment of the fan base that
doesn't want to hear that, and that's okay, we can
talk about that too. But you're adding this guy who
the most important segment of his.

Speaker 8 (18:24):
Career that you want to look at MO one.

Speaker 7 (18:26):
He's coming from a top tier Italian team where he
you know, he played it nine games last season. They
gained promotion to the top level this past season.

Speaker 8 (18:43):
He's a talented player.

Speaker 7 (18:44):
He scored ten goals and started thirty two matches for
Saint Louis. He'd also lost some time in Orlando, so
he knows MLS well. He knows how to succeed and
contribute over the long haul in MLS. EMSC Cincinnati isn't
even asking him with a long haul here.

Speaker 8 (19:01):
This is just a loan through the end of the year.

Speaker 7 (19:04):
He could stay longer than that, but as it stands
right now, he would probably go back to his Italian
club at the end of the season whenever that is.
That gives e f C Cincinnati flexibility to go back
to the marketplace in the winter time trying to get
more done, you know, is restock the covered as it were.
And you know, it happened so long ago, back on

(19:26):
July twenty fourth, and we're all such prisoners of the
moment that I think people are losing sight of the
fact that FC Cincinnati had already addressed what was their
biggest area of need, which was the center back position,
by bringing in Shodozhiyahwazim. So it's two players in this
transfer window. They could have done more. I think they

(19:48):
tried to take really big hacks in the window, tried
to really alter the shape in the face of this team.

Speaker 8 (19:54):
Potentially they couldn't do that, but.

Speaker 7 (19:58):
They got some important work done on the defensive side,
and they're up a player. I think Jack Cheni is
gravy after that first move excuse me, after that first movement.

Speaker 8 (20:10):
So I think it was a productive window.

Speaker 7 (20:12):
But as you may have observed on Twitter, I am
bickering online right now with not an unimportant segment of
the fan base that thinks otherwise.

Speaker 2 (20:23):
So what's the biggest criticism? Now?

Speaker 3 (20:26):
From where I sit, and I have watched you go
back and forth, and I think, rather respectfully with people
most of the time that the okay, fine, these these
are fine additions, but they really haven't addressed their biggest need.

Speaker 2 (20:37):
Am I reading that right?

Speaker 8 (20:40):
I wouldn't even say, well, no, I think they have
addressed the biggest need, the need being center back.

Speaker 7 (20:45):
I think with the open roster spots and the type
of roster spot that FC Cincinnati had.

Speaker 8 (20:52):
Opened, people were hoping for.

Speaker 7 (20:57):
You know, let's call let's call the center back signing
a home run, a solo shot mo and let's call
the signing yesterday at double I think people were hoping
for a Grand Slam.

Speaker 8 (21:10):
Because f C Cincinnati was primed to be able to
do that, and they didn't.

Speaker 7 (21:17):
So people were hoping for more, is all, and the
f C Cincinnati could have done more.

Speaker 3 (21:23):
So they come out of the transfer window, they have
a lot of time before their next game. The performance
of the team in the League's Cup, I would describe
it as uneven, and the performance of the team in
the three games leading up to.

Speaker 2 (21:37):
It was just downright poor for the most part.

Speaker 3 (21:41):
Yeah, it's a simple question. I'm not sure the answer
is all that simple. What do they what do they
do to get this back on track?

Speaker 7 (21:50):
Well, you know, another thing not to lose sight of
here is that regardless of any move, in my opinion,
regardless of any move they did or tried to and
couldn't pull off in the window, the most important piece
here is already in the building, and that's Luciano Acosta.

(22:10):
Acosta was increasingly hurt and not playing over that three
game period or in the in the the last of
those three games prior to the League's Cup that you mentioned,
he came off the bench. So you have Luco, you
have a diminished Luccio Acosta, right now, your MVP, arguably

(22:31):
the best player in MLS is not healthy, and he
stayed like, yeah, it's really it's hard to pull this
guy off the field. He doesn't complain about being hurt.

Speaker 8 (22:44):
It's just not who he is. You know.

Speaker 7 (22:46):
After they lost to Philly in the League's Cup and
got eliminated on Tuesday, he was talking about he volunteered
that his feet, the lower body injury that he's dealing with,
his feet are still not healthy.

Speaker 8 (22:57):
He is still playing in pain.

Speaker 7 (22:59):
So like, when he gets healthy, this team will go
as far as Luco can take them, and that could
be all the way. Mo I think also, what you
observed in League's Cup was very true. It was unconvincing
and shaky and up and down, and one of the

(23:20):
key victories they had in League's Cup was like this
overwhelming comeback, which is kind of a double edged sword.

Speaker 8 (23:28):
You like to see the comeback.

Speaker 7 (23:29):
And the win and the final outcome, but you don't
like how they dug themselves a giant hole to begin
with to necessitate the need for a comeback.

Speaker 8 (23:37):
So League's Cup was a mixed bag.

Speaker 7 (23:41):
I actually think that unlike last year when the long
layoff between games stemming from League's Cup really hurt FC Cincinnati,
and in my opinion, they were never the same.

Speaker 8 (23:54):
I think, just based on.

Speaker 7 (23:55):
Luco's health alone, the fact that you've got two new
players in now, I think ten days of just taking
it slower and then next week having a normal full
week build up into a really important Miami game, I
think that's gonna benefit FC Cincinnati. Actually, so, I think

(24:16):
they're in as good of a spot coming out of
the League's Cup and the transfer window as you could
reasonably hope at this point.

Speaker 3 (24:23):
See, that's that's that is the sort of measured objective
bordering on optimistic view that I think I was looking for,
because when I did look at social media.

Speaker 2 (24:34):
I thought maybe the team was moving or something. I wasn't.

Speaker 3 (24:37):
I thought there were folding operations for a few minutes,
I wasn't entirely sure.

Speaker 7 (24:41):
Well, just as a baseline for my current like outlook
on life right now, I'm riding high off Joel and
beats gold medal from France so well, she clearly obviously
led the team to on, you know, put the team
on his back. That was all Joelle, and that's just
boosted my you know, my my a.

Speaker 8 (25:00):
General perspective on life.

Speaker 7 (25:02):
But I tend to trust the smart people that pulled
FC Cincinnati out of the gutter less than three full
years ago and have won sixty games across all competitions system.

Speaker 8 (25:16):
That's a lot in soccer terms, it's a lot in
Major league soccer terms. And these are smart people.

Speaker 7 (25:23):
You know, the team could have looked different, a lot
different than it does today.

Speaker 8 (25:27):
It doesn't.

Speaker 7 (25:28):
But all the resources they had available to them in
this transfer window, they will have available to them again
in January, and you can go again in the global marketplace,
try to make a big splash. And you know, there's
still third place in the overall league standings right now
and very much in contention when Luco's healthy, mind you,

(25:50):
very much in contention for championships this year.

Speaker 3 (25:53):
Just since you mentioned that the Sixers won the NBA
title in nineteen eighty three, I would say a high
point of the last forty one years would be Alan
Iverson's performance in Game one of the two thousand and
one finals.

Speaker 2 (26:06):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (26:06):
EMBIID winning gold is EMBIID winning gold is number two?

Speaker 7 (26:14):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah man. Maybe maybe Allen Iverson winning
the All Star Game MVP Okay, yeah, in two.

Speaker 8 (26:23):
Thousand and one, so that in there. Moyeah, yeah, I
mean in respect.

Speaker 6 (26:27):
Man.

Speaker 7 (26:27):
You know, it's not all it's not all bad over here.

Speaker 8 (26:30):
It's so bad.

Speaker 3 (26:31):
My team's most recent title isn't his recent and there
aren't as many cool moments, and we didn't even have
anybody on the Olympic team this year.

Speaker 2 (26:38):
So I defer to your happiness. So just keep that up.

Speaker 8 (26:41):
Thanks. I appreciate that.

Speaker 2 (26:44):
I appreciate it as always, and we'll chat soon. Man,
Thanks so much. Okay, enjoyed the tennis mo most definitely.

Speaker 3 (26:49):
That's our guy, Pat Brentan covering FC Cincinnati four the
Inquirer in Cincinna dot Com. Orange and Blue back at
it with a tilt against Miami on the twenty fourth.
We're gonna chat with Tony Pike in just a few minutes.

Speaker 2 (27:02):
Are we ready? She ready for us? Now? Bring her over?

Speaker 3 (27:05):
Should we get a break in, Let's get a very
quick break and then Laila Fernandez is gonna be here
with the Cincinnati Open. We chat with Layla, then we'll
call Tony on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports station. When
employers like seven hundred W went away.

Speaker 2 (27:19):
From four o'clock. This is ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (27:22):
We're gonna talk with Tony Pike in a second Bengals
training camp update. But let's he's not even in Chicago practice,
so we have I'm gonna say we have a superior
guest in between matches. Just beating Elena Rebakana in what
was I think we called it a funny match, Olympian
US Open finalist and enjoying your best results so far

(27:44):
and with more to come here in Cincinnati, you got
doubles match coming up.

Speaker 2 (27:47):
Laila Fernandez is with us. This is big.

Speaker 9 (27:49):
Well, first of all, hi, thank you so much for
having me.

Speaker 2 (27:52):
First of all, high Yeah, yeah no.

Speaker 9 (27:54):
But it's so much fun being here. Thank you so much.

Speaker 3 (27:57):
Uh, this is nothing against her experience here before. But
this is the best you fared so far, and obviously
you have more matches to come now in the round
of sixteen, so it's cool of you to hang around
for a while.

Speaker 9 (28:09):
Yeah, no, it is.

Speaker 10 (28:10):
You know, the past couple of times I've been here
in Cincinnati, it was amazing. I love the atmosphere, but
the result wise wasn't there, so it was very short lived.
That like great atmosphere, so I'm just super happy to
be in the third round and to enjoy my time
a little bit more with you guys.

Speaker 3 (28:27):
The match today, you save two match points and I'm
kind of watching it going.

Speaker 2 (28:33):
If she wins, we get her on.

Speaker 3 (28:35):
If she loses, she's probably not going to be in
the mood to hang out with radio boy. And you
save those match points, come back, and then you certainly
didn't cruise to a victory. But boy, there was a
time where I thought this isn't gonna work out, and
it did.

Speaker 6 (28:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 10 (28:48):
No, during those match points, I think I was a
little bit lucky. She did give me like an opportunity
to get back with those two double faults. But I'm
just happy that I didn't waste those opportunities. I try
to take advantage of it, and you know, I'm just
happy that I was able to fight through, win ugly
and just get through the next round, and you know,
also get the chance with talking to you.

Speaker 2 (29:10):
Yeah, that's the key.

Speaker 9 (29:11):
That is the key.

Speaker 2 (29:11):
Sure, that is the key.

Speaker 3 (29:13):
You said in your post match interview you didn't play
at your best, and I think that's the key.

Speaker 2 (29:17):
In any sport.

Speaker 3 (29:18):
You got to figure out a way to grind through
and get the result you're looking for when you might
not quote have it.

Speaker 9 (29:23):
Yeah, no, that is so true.

Speaker 10 (29:25):
You know, there's many many days that you're not going
to be playing your best, and lately I haven't been
playing my best, and I've been very frustrated with myself,
very angry because I know that I can show so much,
like more level, and my coaches, my team, they've been
telling me the past week week and a half, like,
you know, just be happy, like whe did the storm?

(29:47):
Be happy to be in that type of mess because
there's so many people that would love to be in
your shoes and enjoy enjoy the moment. So find a way,
win ugly if you have to, and just get through
the next I have.

Speaker 2 (30:00):
A lot of people in my life that also say
to me, just can you just be happy? So we're
very similar in that regard.

Speaker 9 (30:06):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (30:06):
Yeah, What do you love about coming to Cincinnati?

Speaker 7 (30:09):
Oh?

Speaker 9 (30:09):
What I love is that there's so much space. Am
I'm very much like a city person.

Speaker 10 (30:15):
I live in Miami and so I'm I'm surrounded by
tall buildings and once I get to Cincinnati, there's just
so much space, so much greenery, So I get to
like walk around, I get to like jog around too,
without needing to stop at every every like half a mile,
like a quarter of a mile for a light. So
it was just great to feel that that atmosphere and
it's like fresh air.

Speaker 9 (30:36):
So it's good.

Speaker 2 (30:37):
Did you come straight here from Paris?

Speaker 10 (30:40):
I went to Toronto first Street from Paris and then Toronto
to hear so, yes, it was good.

Speaker 3 (30:45):
You had a chance to represent your home country of
Canada the Olympics and one a couple of matches, right,
but the I think the pinnacle of the the the
athlete experience has to be the ability to represent your country.

Speaker 2 (30:58):
And you had a chance to do that.

Speaker 9 (30:59):
Yes, one hundred per I.

Speaker 10 (31:00):
You know, my parents, my dad especially as told me
growing up that representing your country is the highest honor
for any athletes. And you know, for me to to
to represent Canada is is a moment that I always remember.
I'm lucky enough to be part of the Billaging King
Cup team where we won the title last year. And

(31:22):
you know, when I went to the Olympics, my second Olympics,
it was great to feel that atmosphere again, to to
have Canada like on my back and in my heart
every time I play give me motivation and also gives
me confidence for for for the future.

Speaker 3 (31:37):
Yeah, you're waiting to find out if your double's partner
wins her match and then the when you play will
be determined by that.

Speaker 2 (31:46):
So you're in between matches. So beyond having to talk
to me, what what do you do?

Speaker 3 (31:51):
You go for a jog, go get something to eat,
go across the street, ride a roller coaster.

Speaker 2 (31:55):
Like what do you do?

Speaker 8 (31:56):
Well?

Speaker 10 (31:56):
I wish I could actually go across the street to
ride a roller coaster. I love for coasters, but no, Unfortunately,
I'm gonna eat and then I'm gonna take a nap
because we did have an early morning and a very
long match, so I just want to rest a little
bit and get ready for the doubles.

Speaker 2 (32:10):
Yeah all right, that's a lot. They have a lot
going on. Yeah, yeah, bit.

Speaker 3 (32:13):
I talked to Big League Pictures after they throw three
innings and it's like, I'm done for the next three days.

Speaker 2 (32:18):
You just played and it's hot out.

Speaker 3 (32:19):
I mean it's not like stifling, but you played a
long match in three sets and then it's hot and
then you gotta go do it again.

Speaker 6 (32:26):
Yeah.

Speaker 9 (32:27):
No, you know, it's part of the job. And I
actually enjoy it. I enjoy it.

Speaker 2 (32:30):
That's a good thing.

Speaker 10 (32:32):
I enjoy that I get to spend my time on
court playing the sport that I love, and also playing
in front of like an amazing crowd. Like they make
it more enjoyable for me every time they cheer, not
only me, but just cheer like the players on because
at the end of the day, like we play sports
and we compete at the highest level for them, and
having seeing them like also enjoying it seeing them having fun,

(32:56):
smile and bring their friends and kids to watch us play.
I think that's a that's kind of like a motivation
for us.

Speaker 2 (33:03):
Now, I asked her what you do between matches, and
you have to go. I get it.

Speaker 3 (33:06):
But like the WTA provides bio, you know, for for
every player, and so I'm trying to find something that
I don't know about you in between matches or if
there's a weather delay.

Speaker 2 (33:16):
You do Rubik's cubes?

Speaker 9 (33:17):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (33:17):
Now, I have a seven year old daughter, okay.

Speaker 3 (33:19):
And she got a Rubik's Cube, which is like what
seven year old kid, I'm too dumb to figure it out.

Speaker 2 (33:25):
She's only seven, So it's have you figured it out?
Have you done one?

Speaker 9 (33:28):
So I have figured it out.

Speaker 10 (33:31):
Yeah, but I actually look for the solution online.

Speaker 11 (33:35):
I know.

Speaker 2 (33:37):
That's not how we do it.

Speaker 10 (33:38):
No, it's in the beginning, I was trying to figure
it out on my own, and then it was just
like getting too hard.

Speaker 9 (33:43):
I was like, I was like, how do they do it?
How do they like they have it memorized in their minds?

Speaker 10 (33:49):
And you know, I just saw like some of the
some of the people like saying like, there's a solution online.
So I went there and that that's the only time
I figured it out. But I can't remember the solution
right now. I don't even know what it is.

Speaker 3 (34:02):
So my daughter said we could just watch someone do
it on YouTube. And here I am telling her, no, no, no, no,
And then this world class athlete tells me, actually, just
go find the answer on the internet. Well, we'll see
if that works out. Thank you for joining us. I
know you're busy. Best of luck this week. Congratulations. You
got to be excited about New York.

Speaker 9 (34:21):
Yes, yes, I am super excited. I can't wait to
be back in New York.

Speaker 10 (34:24):
And you know, I think it was a special tournament
for me a past couple of years, just being back
there in front of the New York crowd.

Speaker 9 (34:31):
The rowdiness and everything is going to be super fun.

Speaker 3 (34:34):
And when they announce you as Cincinnati Open champion, it's
going to be even cooler.

Speaker 9 (34:38):
It is going to be even cooler, and I hope it.

Speaker 2 (34:40):
Does happen you and me both. Well, thank you very much,
thank you.

Speaker 3 (34:43):
This has been awesome. Leila Fernandez. All right, tarn hit
the thing which out.

Speaker 1 (34:49):
This is a training camp report, Brooke to you Bo
Kimba credit on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of
the Anglers.

Speaker 3 (34:58):
Yes, sorry, Tony, Layla Fernandez was here. She trumped you.
Hope you're okay with that?

Speaker 12 (35:05):
Yeah, I think you're good with that, mo, especially you know,
when the Bears are are are not allowing anyone to
tweet or talk about anything going on in practice until
it's over.

Speaker 3 (35:15):
So basically, I mean, you're not in Lake Forest, which
is where I believe Hallis hall Is. You're not there,
but the people who are there aren't allowed to tell
us what's going on. So you know, essentially this report
is as good as any that would be coming out
of suburban Chicago right now.

Speaker 12 (35:30):
Correct, correct, this would be as good. And if you
wanted me to because of you know, some of the
uproar we had earlier in the week. We could just
make something up and be very positive about it and
people would be happy.

Speaker 3 (35:41):
I asked you this yesterday off air as a as
an NFL player, you never participated in a joint practice,
but surely you.

Speaker 2 (35:48):
Know how they work.

Speaker 3 (35:49):
If if you're Zach Taylor, what are you looking to
get done? What is a productive day for you? When
you are having your team practice against a team that
you're gonna play again.

Speaker 12 (36:01):
Well, you're not as worried about those roster spots like
preseason game number two of forty eight to fifty three.
You're worried about your starters and the way the offense
performed on Monday and Tuesday. If I'm Zach Taylor, I
need to see a lot from the offense. I need
to see the protection up front improved. I need to
see the pre snap penalties or the alignment in fractions.
I need that to get cleaned up. And above anything else,

(36:24):
I need number nine, if I'm Zach Taylor, to be
confident and ready to go and hitting on all cylinders.
And that's hard to do with Jamar Chase isn't out there,
but you get t Higgins out there, you get others.
I just think it's more about utilizing one's verse ones
in controlled settings. Do you need to work on third
and long? Do you need to work on third and short,
red zone, first down? Whatever that may be. It's in

(36:46):
a controlled setting, but you get ones verse ones, and
this offense has a couple of steps it still needs
to take before the New England Patriots.

Speaker 2 (36:54):
I just want to know if there were any fights.

Speaker 12 (36:57):
Yeah, maybe that's why they don't let anyone tweet about it,
because it was weird, Like it was like, well, whether
they're going to move it indoors, but they're practicing outdoors,
but no one's still allowed to be there.

Speaker 2 (37:06):
It's just bizarre.

Speaker 3 (37:07):
You know what, though, we're all gonna watch it next
week on Hard Knocks.

Speaker 12 (37:11):
We're still there.

Speaker 6 (37:13):
Theoretically, we're there exactly.

Speaker 3 (37:15):
All right, Tony, Well, we'll chat again in about an hour, man,
thanks so much. All right, No, Tony Pike with hourly
training camp reports three forty five five and five forty
five Bengals and Bears on Saturday afternoon. That game kicks
off at one o'clock. You'll hear it live on ESPN
fifteen thirty with pregame coverage beginning at nine am.

Speaker 2 (37:37):
That was a good hour.

Speaker 3 (37:38):
As sports as hours of sports talk radio go, that
was pretty damn good. We had one of them, We
had one of the Jensen brothers, we had Leila Fernandez,
We got informative stuff from Pat Brennan and Tony Pike.

Speaker 2 (37:49):
That's honestly, we really could just.

Speaker 3 (37:52):
Pack things up and just go call it a day
and go over to that bar there and have a
couple of cold ones.

Speaker 2 (37:57):
But we're not gonna do that because I don't want
to get fired.

Speaker 3 (38:01):
If you happen to be at the Cincinnati Open listening
to our show, and honestly, that is the best way
to come to the event is you know, wear a
pair of earbuds or a walk man and listen to
a sports talk radio show.

Speaker 2 (38:16):
If you happen to be doing that, come on out
and say hello.

Speaker 3 (38:20):
We have fans like if you would give you a
fan from Western and Southern Western and Southern Fan Appreciation Booth.
We are here until six o'clock, thrilled to be broadcasting
from the Cincinnati Open. I know Chad Rendle's going to
be on the show at four twenty again, we'll check
in with Tony Pike. We may also give away Green
Day tickets if we have time, if if we could

(38:42):
test your Bengals Bear's knowledge, or we'll push that till tomorrow.
I have I have no idea. It is three minutes
away from four o'clock. My name is Mogger. Thrilled that
you are with us today on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati
Sports Station.

Speaker 13 (38:56):
This report La and you're listening to the Home of
the Bengals.

Speaker 3 (39:02):
All right, it's sixth before ESPN tipton thirtieth afternoon. I'm
always of broadcasting today. We have been busy from the
Cincinnati Open.

Speaker 2 (39:12):
We had four guests that hour.

Speaker 3 (39:14):
We had Luke Jensen's, we had Leila Fernandez on top
of Pat Brendan and Tony Pike. And the fun continues
because you know, every year we broadcast where if you
have been.

Speaker 2 (39:26):
Here this week or if you're here right now.

Speaker 3 (39:29):
We we broadcast from the Western and Southern Fan Experience Area,
which is kind of right in the middle of everything,
and the folks at Western and Southern are so hospitable
to us. And oftentimes we chat with John Barrett, but
we didn't need him this year, so instead got a
guy's got a cool job title, and I think a
cool job. Vice President of public Relations, Corporate Communications, David Nevers.

(39:53):
Usually you're standing off to the side. John's doing the talking.
But we have you here today. You have to settle
for me. I'm not settling for anybody. I'm gonna tell
him when I see him, we've upgraded. Needs you anymore?

Speaker 2 (40:03):
Yeah, right, yeah, I'll tell him that you can't. He
would have loved to have been here.

Speaker 14 (40:09):
He will be here later, yeah, but couldn't make it
right now. So I'm filling it.

Speaker 2 (40:14):
It's great.

Speaker 3 (40:14):
You're always with us when we do this event. Right,
And I said this at the top of the show.
You know, we were here last year and we're having
a good time, but you know that the cloud of uncertainty.

Speaker 2 (40:23):
Just hung over the entire event.

Speaker 3 (40:25):
And it was fun, it was great, but it's like,
we're going to be here down the road, when are
we going to be here? What's the tournament going to
be like? And here we are a year later and
it's a celebration. It's awesome, it's incredible.

Speaker 14 (40:36):
Yeah, last year, we remember it well. The feeling was palpable.
It was a mixture of hope, but also concern. All
the momentum seemed to be going Charlotte's way. Right up
until the start of the tournament. We knew we were battling,
the community was coming together, We knew we were going
to put on a great show. And the community really

(40:57):
showed up and showed out during that week last year,
and it could not have gone better. And I think
it made a decisive difference.

Speaker 3 (41:05):
I walked out of here not feeling optimistic, I mean,
full transparency. I did the show and it was great,
and I walked to my car going, Man, I don't know.
And if I felt that way, I'm sure there's a
lot of folks connected to the tournament in the tennis
world that maybe felt the same way. When when did
you get a sense that you know what things things
are turning for the better?

Speaker 11 (41:23):
Here?

Speaker 14 (41:24):
Well, we we were careful never to get never, never
to let our hopes and expectations get out ahead of us.
But but we had been we had been feeling an
increasing sense that we still are in this, that the
decision had not yet been made, uh, and that we

(41:44):
we still had a fighting chance. And that grew as
the tournament got under way, and our hope, our thought
was that if, if, if the b Mock team, and
we knew Bob Moran understood it, and he had been
on the ground for a few months, we knew what
he was capable of, he was going to help put

(42:05):
on the best possible tournament that he could. But I
think the full Bemock team needed to experience it, see
it for themselves, and once they did, I think the
decision was made.

Speaker 3 (42:20):
Yeah, it's awesome. It's awesome that they had such open mindedness,
you know. I again, like, to their great credit, I'm
watching it from Afar, going, yeah, okay, they'll be here,
but they've already got one foot out the door.

Speaker 2 (42:31):
And it wasn't that way.

Speaker 3 (42:33):
Kind of walk us through the involvement of Western and
Southern which has been so connected to this event for
so long, and obviously there's been a name change, but
the involvement, the level of involvement hasn't changed, to kind
of walk us through what you guys have done in
the years since to ensure that we are keeping this
awesome event.

Speaker 14 (42:49):
Sure well, it starts with John Barrett in the commitment
he made back in two thousand and one to Paul
Florey when Paul came to him. That story has been
told a number of times, and Southern was asked to
step in then to prevent the tournament from leaving. I
don't think he ever expected to be the title sponsor
for twenty one years. That's how it played out. We

(43:10):
were happy to do it, and then come you know,
two thy and twenty into twenty two, it becomes apparent
that the USTA is going to put the tournament up
for sale, and it sends the community really into.

Speaker 13 (43:28):
A fight to keep it here.

Speaker 14 (43:31):
We played our part, John Barrett, I think it's fair
to say led the way within the Cincinnati community, alongside
some other great partners. This was a shared victory for sure,
from state officials in Columbus, in Warren County, the City

(43:53):
of Mason, the corporate community all stepped up. Leaders across
these entities had roles to play. They did their part,
and what Western and Southern did was helped facilitate the
conversations that I think Bimock needed to have with other
entities to demonstrate that this community bought in, understood what

(44:13):
they were trying to do, which was really be transformative.
Take this from what had been a very wonderful one
week ten day a year event and venue and really
open up all kinds of possibilities the year round.

Speaker 3 (44:31):
And I think that's where the excitement comes from.

Speaker 2 (44:34):
It's not just that we're keeping it. We're keeping it,
but it's going to be bigger in power, that's right.
And those are they're the same, but they're different.

Speaker 14 (44:41):
That's exactly right. So you those who are on the
grounds now, and if you're listening audience, for those out
in your listening audience who haven't yet had the opportunity
to come out, I'm sure there are still a few
tickets available, I encourage them to come out experience it
for themselves. The changes are obvious right now. They've done
everything they can within the constraints of the tournament calendar

(45:05):
to get this place looking as good as it possibly can.
I'm sure you've talked about already the changes that are
on display. The real change comes next year ahead of
the twenty twenty five tournament, and it's obvious we have
a world class partner in Bemock and they're going to
do all they can to make this event bigger, better

(45:29):
than it's ever been.

Speaker 3 (45:31):
In your role, do you mean, do you get a
chance like actually sit back and watch tennis or is
it you have to talk to people like me all weak?

Speaker 14 (45:38):
I pick my spots. There is a lot of There
are a lot of other responsibilities that go along with
our role here at Western and Southern to make sure
that our clients and our associates and all our guests
are having the great time that they deserve.

Speaker 2 (45:57):
So a lot.

Speaker 14 (45:58):
We've got a great team that helped to make that happen.
But yeah, I get to pop in all right to
center court, grand stand court every now and then catch mat.

Speaker 3 (46:05):
And then the event ends this weekend, and then you know,
we pivot two weeks away September first Western Southern WV
and fireworks, So just go.

Speaker 2 (46:14):
From one to the other.

Speaker 11 (46:14):
That's right.

Speaker 3 (46:15):
Yeah, great time a year for our city, Great time
a year for Western Southern.

Speaker 14 (46:18):
That's just another example of why this city is is
so special. It's got so much going on. Western Southern's
happened to be a part of the part of the
tennis tournament fireworks right Cincinnati, right on the heels of fireworks.
We have a good time in this city. We work
hard and we know how to have fun.

Speaker 2 (46:34):
No question.

Speaker 3 (46:35):
I can't thank you enough for doing this. You just
come back next year. Just tell your boss. Look, man,
you know we're mowing.

Speaker 2 (46:40):
I are good. Well I'm going to see him in
a week and a half to be fine, right, Yeah,
we'll see, we'll see.

Speaker 14 (46:47):
I think he's going to be happy to be back
in the chair as soon as he can. And there's
there's obviously there's nothing like John.

Speaker 2 (46:55):
Barretts, no, no doubt about it.

Speaker 3 (46:57):
Thank you for coming by and uh and congratulate to
Western and Southern for helping us keep this event, which,
as we just talked about, is only going to get
bigger and better.

Speaker 2 (47:05):
Thank you so much. Appreciate the opportunity David Nevers joining us.

Speaker 3 (47:08):
We're here at the Western and Southern Fan Experience booth
at the Cincinnati Open.

Speaker 2 (47:13):
Our buddy Chad Brendall's.

Speaker 3 (47:14):
Going to join us next on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati
Sports Station. Almost almost as cool as having Chad Brendel
on Bearcat Journal dot com joins us. Every Thursday, you
see is winding down the higher ground portion of a
training camp, and the season opener is getting closer. Two
weeks from Saturday, when the Bearcats will host tousand. Chad

(47:37):
is on x at Chad Brendle, you told me, and
I didn't get a chance to respond when you texted.
We texted to make sure you know you knew you
were on today, that you would you would fall out
by four twenty?

Speaker 2 (47:47):
Do I dare do? I dare ask? What does that mean?
Are you okay?

Speaker 6 (47:52):
I got the ice bath treatment today?

Speaker 2 (47:57):
How was it cold?

Speaker 6 (48:00):
So they had it they had a choice. No, there
was one tub that didn't have any ice in it,
like the ice had melted in the tub. And then
there was another tub that looked like it just had
like four fresh bags of ice in it, like the
entire top of the water, the entire surface level was
all ice. And you can see Gavin Gerhard tell them throw.

Speaker 12 (48:24):
Them in that one, throw them in that one.

Speaker 6 (48:29):
And you haven't seen the Carry Combs video. I have, Yes, Yeah,
that was outstanding. I asked him because they were they
were They looked like a pack of hyenas, like circling
the media scrumb and I was like, are you still fast?
And he was like, they're not gonna throw me in.
I'll go run over and there jump in myself. And
then Drew carry Combs fashion sprinted to the ice tub,

(48:52):
jumped in and then got up and you know, gave
his uh uh Donald Trump, I got shot in there,
like you know, victorious celebration.

Speaker 2 (49:04):
Wow, incredible. Well, hell, how do you feel now? Are
you okay? You back? You thought out? You good?

Speaker 6 (49:10):
I'm refreshed. I feel like I could, you know, like
go go run a mile or something. That's what those
Ice fans are supposed to.

Speaker 3 (49:16):
Do, right, Yeah, absolutely, I mean I've never done it myra,
so yeah, all right.

Speaker 2 (49:21):
Uh so they're winding down the higher ground portion of
they're done of.

Speaker 3 (49:25):
Camp, right, So they're done with that and then everything
pivots collect to Nippert in a week from now, I
guess they'll be in game prep mode. You have been
at all these practices? What have you learned about this team?

Speaker 6 (49:37):
There's so much more depth than there was a season ago.
You know, a year ago we kind of knew who
the starters were, we didn't know anything about kind of
what they had behind that, and then we found out
is the season war on, we didn't really know because
there really wasn't any depth, functional depth at least they

(49:58):
you know, I think the talent acquisition department, which used
to be called the recruiting department, I think they did
a really good job focusing on some areas that they
knew that they could improve. The team looks much faster,
looks much more Big twelve ready than they were season ago.
But ultimately, mo I, I still have concerns about their

(50:22):
ability to stop the run, and that has been exacerbated
by you know, a couple of injuries along the defensive
line that they're going to be tested because you know,
this is not basketball on turf Big twelve from three
four years ago. There's a lot of great running teams
in this league. And boy, they need to get Dante Corleone.

(50:47):
You know, if he's if he's he can go. You know,
I think they can. They can, you know, hold their own.
But with him still you know in question, no Jalen Hunt,
no Michah Coleman. That's like three of your top four
or five defensive linemen expected to go into the season
that part of the defense. Walt Stewart's got some magic

(51:10):
to work run defense.

Speaker 3 (51:13):
Obviously, you start with the guys up front, and there
are issues. There are the concerns about the run defense
limited to concerns about the defensive line, or do they
extend elsewhere.

Speaker 6 (51:26):
I think that you know, linebacker and safety. They did
a really good job elevating not only the depth, but
the starter level talent. I mean, you know, let's just
be honest. And this is not to disparage either, you know,
any of these guys, but that safety room was not
good last year. That linebacker room did not have any

(51:49):
you know, serviceable functional depth, and a guy like Jack Dingle,
who's a really good linebacker, had to play through numerous, numerous,
numerous injuries because they couldn't afford to take.

Speaker 8 (52:04):
Him off the field.

Speaker 6 (52:06):
And you know, you went out and you had a chance.
The other day, I told you to keep an eye
on Black eleven. Jake Goldey is a physical specimen. He
should really help in that linebacker room. Jared Bartlett should
really help in that linebacker room. And then I love
the safety group. It's it rivals what we saw.

Speaker 8 (52:28):
What was that.

Speaker 6 (52:29):
Twenty nineteen when they completely remade the receiver room and
went from a receiver room that was dreadful to Alec
Pierce and Tyler Scott and Trey Tucker and Jordan Young,
and all of a sudden you looked and went, well,
this room doesn't look anything like that. You know what
they had to sift through last year, so I think

(52:52):
they're serviceable help at the second level. But boy, you know,
one of my least favorite things in football, mo is
watching a team where the safeties lead the team in tackles.

Speaker 3 (53:05):
Correct yes, likewise, and and we we have seen that
a bunch relative to what you thought coming in, Like
you mentioned, I was there the other day and then
I watched I watched Brendan Soresby, and I walked away
from from it thinking that that guy looks the part.

Speaker 2 (53:22):
He just looks now looks the part.

Speaker 3 (53:25):
Doesn't mean he's going to be the Big twelve player
of the year or set a whole bunch of passing
records that you see, but he just he looks like
a big twelve quarterback. You see last year, in all
all due respect to Emery Jones, didn't look like a
big twelve quarterback. I think Brendan Soresby does relative to
what you knew about him or maybe didn't know about
him when camp started. To now what things have stood

(53:48):
out watching his development.

Speaker 6 (53:51):
My favorite part is he's had his best practices towards
the end of camp and and seems to be and
that's not to say he had bad practices, but he
would like the day you were there, he was really
good the day before. I thought it was his best
practice he's had since he's been AC and that included
fifteen spring practices. So he seems to be getting on

(54:13):
the same page with his wide receivers. He seems to
be a guy that's going to elevate the play of
a guy like Xavier Henderson, who I think is an
NFL type wide receiver. Like that doesn't mean I think
he's like a first round pick, but I think Xavier
Henderson is. You know, he's six ' four, he's fast,
he's got good hands, he runs good routes. Those are
the type of guys to find a home in the

(54:34):
league for a while, and we didn't really get to
see that last year because they couldn't throw the ball
over the top and they didn't throw the ball over
the middle, And those are two pretty important places to
throw the football if you want to have a good
passing offense, and Soresby can do those things and being

(54:56):
able to throw to him, being able to have I mean,
you saw one of his his great plays the other day.
Joe Royer has been the unquestioned MVP of this camp
and to have a guy on the outside and then
a tight end and then you know, I like what
they have in the slot with Tyron Smith and UH

(55:17):
and Aaron Turner, Like there should be a bevy of
weapons to go with what we have all reasons to
believe will be one of the best running games in
the nation. So you know, offensively, they should be much
more aesthetically pleasing.

Speaker 7 (55:34):
Mo.

Speaker 6 (55:34):
And that starts with Brendan Swart.

Speaker 3 (55:37):
I can't wait you see opens up the season two
weeks from Saturday. Full coverage as the season gets closer
bearcad journal dot com. Follow Chad on x at Chad Brendle.
Always awesome to have you. We'll talk next week.

Speaker 6 (55:54):
All right, you can go to my Twitter and there
go to Kean Nickoson's Twitter and watch me get thrown
in the cold tub. It'll it'll give you a laugh
to see me.

Speaker 2 (56:01):
May watch it on Luke.

Speaker 8 (56:02):
Thank you so much, Thanks Mouthdale.

Speaker 2 (56:05):
All right, it's twenty eight minutes after four o'clock tearing.

Speaker 13 (56:09):
Are you with me? I'm here, all right.

Speaker 3 (56:11):
You are the biggest wrestling fan that I know. I
got an email here at four to twelve this afternoon.
Hi Mo, real American Beer launched by WWE Hall of
Fame wrestler and global icon Hulk Hogan has made its
debut in Ohio. Hulk is taking phone in interviews tomorrow

(56:35):
from three to four. I'd love to try to get
you on a schedule. Do we want to have Hulk
Hogan on tomorrow?

Speaker 13 (56:42):
That's your call. I'm not using Hulk Hogan today now.

Speaker 2 (56:46):
So I had a hul Cogan on in twenty fourteen.

Speaker 3 (56:49):
It was the day the Bengals played the Broncos on
Monday Night Football, and he was like, the raw was
going to be at the arena like.

Speaker 2 (56:57):
The next week.

Speaker 3 (56:58):
So they asked like, can we get some wrestlers on
to promote the event. I'm like, yeah, if you can
give me Hull Cogan, I'll do it. And then the
next day they're like, yep, you got a whole Cogan on.
So there's a time in my life where I thought
ben would be pretty cool to get hul Cogan on.

Speaker 2 (57:13):
Number One, I don't.

Speaker 3 (57:16):
Know that I have any real interest in real American beer.
Number two, if you've interviewed a whole I'm just checking
because you're the wrestling guy. If I say if I
say no, there's a part of me that can't believe
I'm about to say thanks put no thanks to hull Cogan.

Speaker 13 (57:33):
Yeah, he's kind of.

Speaker 2 (57:36):
It's kind of jumped the shark a little bit.

Speaker 8 (57:37):
A little bit.

Speaker 3 (57:38):
Yeah, I mean, I know there was the tape and
then he had the docker like what, I don't know
that we need hull Cogan tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (57:46):
Correct, Okay, I'm.

Speaker 3 (57:48):
Just I'm I'm I'm I'm running this through you. That
was my My first thought was yes, and then my
second thought was like, eh, I've interviewed him before. It
was okay, you know, he played along and I got
him to do the you know what you're gonna do
Peyton Manning when you know, like, also, I'm not.

Speaker 2 (58:07):
Really interested in his beer. Do we think hull Cogan's
beer tastes good?

Speaker 13 (58:11):
Probably not.

Speaker 3 (58:12):
This is probably more pup for his beer saying we're
not gonna have him on than if I would have
had him on, Like all right, we're gonna pass on
hull Cogan.

Speaker 11 (58:20):
Then what happened to all your say you say your prayers,
eat your vitamins and all that stuff.

Speaker 13 (58:25):
Beers not is not healthy for kids?

Speaker 2 (58:28):
Well, well, the vitamins he was taking at the height.

Speaker 3 (58:31):
Of his You know, powers really aren't the kind of
vitamins anybody I guess should be taken right, correct. I
mean it should have been like, say your prayers, do
your steroids right? So, yeah, I I think I'm gonna
pass on hul Cochin.

Speaker 2 (58:47):
I can't believe him doing this.

Speaker 3 (58:50):
It also says I'll be following up shortly with a
full list of Hulk's Ohio meet and greets. So he's
gonna be gonna be touring the state, Haul Coken, go
meet him by of his beer.

Speaker 13 (59:00):
Hard pass hard, pass.

Speaker 3 (59:02):
On Haul Cogan tomorrow. But good, hey, this is why,
this is why I need you.

Speaker 2 (59:06):
I need you.

Speaker 3 (59:07):
So if we have a chance to interview Hall Cogan,
you're the one that says, you know what, Mo, it's
twenty twenty, and it is like if it was if
this show is being done like in nineteen ninety two, Yes,
if I was eight.

Speaker 2 (59:17):
Years old doing this show.

Speaker 3 (59:19):
Yes, Now in my life, I don't know, Like if
I could ask about the things I want to ask,
then maybe the answer is yes, we're gonna talk about
his beer.

Speaker 2 (59:29):
I think we're okay.

Speaker 3 (59:31):
We do have a word of what's unfolded at that
Bengals Bears joint training camp, and I'll be honest with you,
it doesn't look good. We'll get to that. Tony Pike
joins us again. Plus we have Brendamant and Jones on baseball.
We're broadcasting from the Cincinnati Open, specifically the Western and
Southern Fan Appreciation, uh booth.

Speaker 2 (59:52):
Fan appreciation booth? Right? Is that what it is? Fan appreciation?
All tongue? Now, I'm thinking about Haul Cogan.

Speaker 3 (01:00:00):
It's twenty nine from five o'clock professional broadcaster right here.
This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station, Cincinnati's twenty
three from five o'clock.

Speaker 2 (01:00:11):
ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (01:00:12):
Breneman and Jones on baseball just about fifteen minutes away.
We'll chat with Tony Pike as well. Bengals training camp report.
We're broadcasting from the Cincinnati Open, specifically the Western and
Southern Fan Experience booth, and Brandon Nakashima is going to
join us here in a bit. Also, Anthony Munio is
in the five o'clock hour as well. The Bengals practicing

(01:00:34):
with the Bears today. It's a joint practice. The Bears
rules have dictated that the media can go and watch,
I guess, but they're not allowed to tweet anything. They're
not allowed to put anything out there on social media,
and so there haven't been dispatches during the practice, but
some have emerged since the practice ended.

Speaker 2 (01:00:53):
And well, not great.

Speaker 3 (01:00:57):
I'm reading here from Kelsey khan Way, who reports that
Deontay Smith and Chris Evans both carted off. Jay Morrison
of Pro Football Network adds that both were in air cast. Obviously,
Deontay Smith part of what is supposed to be Bengals
offensive line depth. Charlie Jones was back, which is good.
There were no fights. Do what you want with that.

(01:01:20):
Joe Burrow was picked off three times. Now, Kelsey is
just reporting facts. Don't don't get mad at her. Joe
was picked off three times. That's that's something that happened.
Maybe all three picks were the results of great plays
being made or ball's being tipped.

Speaker 2 (01:01:40):
I don't know, but he was. He was picked off
three times.

Speaker 3 (01:01:45):
Also, Trent Brown was replaced by Cody Ford. Trent Brown
is dealing with some back tightness. So this week on
the offensive line, we have seen a Marius Mims go
to the sideline with an injury that could keep him
out of the opener. We have seen Deontay Smith get
carted off. I'm laughing, It's not funny. Deontay Smith get

(01:02:06):
carted off. And now Trent Brown, mister, eh, I work
myself back. I'll be fine, don't worry now he's dealing
with tightness. Oh and Jackson Carmen on Saturday might have
played the worst football game I've ever seen an offensive
lineman play. So that's where things stand on the OH
line right now. Three dudes hurt and Jackson Carmen at tackle,

(01:02:27):
So do what you want with that. Kelsey is gonna
join us, and she is very busy, so I told
her this morning, I just give me three or four minutes.
I'd like to have somebody who was at the practice today.
We didn't send Tony Pike to Chicago, so I nothing
against what Tony's inside brings to the table, which is
obviously very valuable. But I wanted somebody who was at

(01:02:51):
the practice. So Kelsey is gonna join us, and we
have a lot going on here at the Cincinnati Open.
Anthony Munios is gonna be Maybe Anthony Munio will come
out of retirement. That'll be Anthony Munios at his age
or Jackson Carr tell me anyway, Kelsey's gonna join us
right around five oh five, and we'll just do a
few minutes with her on the practice today and maybe

(01:03:14):
she can fill in some details for us. Bengals and
Bears play a game on Saturday that'll kick off at
one o'clock in Pregame coverage on ESPN fifteen thirty will
begin at nine o'clock in the morning.

Speaker 2 (01:03:25):
Tony will join us.

Speaker 3 (01:03:26):
Next on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station Love.

Speaker 1 (01:03:30):
Green Day Christ The Training Camp Report, brought to you
by Hollywood Casino Lawrence Burg. On the ESPN fifteen thirty,
the official home of the Bengals.

Speaker 3 (01:03:41):
All Right, every hour, Tony Pike gives us the latest
from Bengals practice, Bengals practicing in Chicago or suburban Chicago,
getting ready to play the Bears on Saturday, practicing with
the Bears today, Tony, I know that you have not
been at the Bengals practice today, but you have seen
some of the reporting from people like Jay Morrison and

(01:04:01):
Kelsey Conway, and boy if people were mad at you
for not being positive, I hate to look at their
ads right now.

Speaker 6 (01:04:09):
You know, it's one of those days.

Speaker 12 (01:04:11):
I took it a step further because I started to
kind of look into those covering the Chicago Bears to think, Okay,
let's let's let's get both points of view here. And
every account from the Bear standpoint that I looked at
today was that the Bears defense easily won the day
against the Bengals offense, and that Caleb Williams had a
lot of success, especially targeting Dak Hill for the Bears offense.

(01:04:33):
So you look at that and then the multiple reports
we got one in particular from Jay Morrison. Chris Evans
and Deontay Smith both carted off the field today with
air cast. He Higgins had multiple drops, Jill Burrow was
picked off three different times, and reading in Chicago it
could have been two or three more. And Trent Brown

(01:04:55):
left because of back tightness. So it's just it feels like,
you know, for how bad Monday and Tuesday scened it,
it doesn't feel like a trip to Chicago rectified things
with with the offensive side of the ball in particular.

Speaker 3 (01:05:09):
Yeah, and and look, you could you could say, look,
Joe Burrow has three weeks to get ready to play
in a regular season game. What he does in practice
is not important. If that's your point of view, that's fine.
That said, here are facts that we know. Marius Mims
is not healthy. Deontay Smith was carted off, Jackson Carmen.
This is an opinion, but I think most would share

(01:05:29):
it is not good. And now Deontay Smith was carted
off while wearing an air cast.

Speaker 2 (01:05:34):
Who the hell's gonna play? And Trent Brown has back Titans.

Speaker 3 (01:05:38):
So if the Bengals had to play a game tomorrow,
and thank god they don't, Jackson Carmen, you're starting right tackle?

Speaker 12 (01:05:46):
Yeah, I mean, not only that, you have Devin Cockland
and Jackson Kirkland, who are both undrafted, no starts really
the only I mean if if you look at tackle,
it's Orlando Brown, who's good, and then you have a
ton of question marks. Who knows how long Mems is out?
What does the back tightness mean? We've heard this before.
Right back tightness not a good thing if your lower
back is bothering you. If you're a big guy like

(01:06:07):
Trent Brown, that's certainly something to watch for. The loss
of Deontay Smith is devastating because he was a depth
piece for this offensive line that was already pretty thin
to begin with.

Speaker 6 (01:06:20):
I don't know.

Speaker 12 (01:06:22):
If you're if here's Joe Burrow or you're Zach Taylor
at this point and you're looking for some type of sparks,
some type of pick me up. Are you having the
conversation with the organization and say, look, I know it
might not be how we do things in the past,
but we could really use Jamar Chase getting out here
and getting this team on a positive stretch for the season.

Speaker 8 (01:06:41):
Here.

Speaker 3 (01:06:42):
Yeah, like there is a mounting stack of stuff that
Zach Taylor the coaching staff have to deal with. Remove
the Jamar Chase thing. I talked about this yesterday and
I know you've you have as well. I understand the
position the Bengals have taken to this point. I haven't
had an issue with it. But if the idea is
to win this year and get stuff out of the

(01:07:03):
way that you can control, when there's other stuff that
you also have to deal with that might be slightly
out of your control, get the Jamar Chase thing done
so it's over and you go he's on the field
week one, because we've got a lot of other stuff
that we have to work through that shouldn't that shouldn't
have to include what to do without Jamar Chase maybe

(01:07:26):
week one, while certainly also obviously while they're they're practicing.

Speaker 12 (01:07:30):
Here, you're implementing two new running backs essentially into the
system from a starting role. You're implementing a new tight
end into the system. You have young receivers battling out
for that wide receiver three spot. The offensive line is
an absolute mess right now. The one thing you have
on this roster that you know is Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase,
and T Higgins, and going forward at any capacity without

(01:07:54):
those three is damaging to this team. We're already seeing
the ripple effects because it sounded like the secondary got
picked apart a little bit in their first opportunity to
go against someone ones versus ones in a preseason practice setting.

Speaker 6 (01:08:08):
So there's a lot out there.

Speaker 12 (01:08:11):
The reports I saw Joe Burrow did not really push
any throws down the field today. It was all that
short intermediate stuff. So look, I get it, and we
just thought you highlighted it as well. I know what
everyone said, that's just not what the Bengals do. Okay, Well,
if the Bengals are trying to win a Super Bowl,
maybe this needs to be a little bit of a

(01:08:32):
change in thinking and saying, Okay, what can we do
to get this done with Jamar Chase because this team,
it feels like from Monday Tuesday in the reports today,
this team is struggling on offense right now in a
big way.

Speaker 2 (01:08:45):
Tony Pike joins us again. Coming up.

Speaker 3 (01:08:47):
In just under fifty minutes, we are at the Cincinnati
Open here in Mason. Tony will chat in a few
Brendanman and Jones on baseball is next.

Speaker 1 (01:08:57):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 5 (01:09:00):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center. Nearly sixty percent
of Americans waiting on an organ transplant are from multicultural communities.

Speaker 13 (01:09:09):
Give the Gift of Life.

Speaker 5 (01:09:10):
Sign up today to be an organ donor. Be aware
of an accident that's on the right shoulder of northbound
seventy one after Kennedy Avenue, causing some delay there. We
also have an accident on the right shoulder of westbound
two seventy five at Springfield Pike. It is causing slow
traffic from seventy five in Ohio. And there's a twenty
minute slowdown on northbound seventy one at Dana Avenue. I'm

(01:09:30):
Nicole with traffic.

Speaker 13 (01:09:31):
This report is sponsored by USPS.

Speaker 1 (01:09:33):
Grounded coverage begins Saturday morning at nine on ESPN fifteen thirty,
the official home of the Bengals.

Speaker 2 (01:09:41):
It's four out of five.

Speaker 3 (01:09:42):
ESPN fifteen thirty im OEGA broadcasting today from the Cincinnati
Open in Mason.

Speaker 2 (01:09:47):
It is awesome to be here.

Speaker 3 (01:09:50):
Another winner today, Brandon Nakashima is going to join us
in just a bit. Speaking of winners, Anthony Munio's the
only thing I don't like about being here today. It's
the only thing He's actually in studio to talk with me.
His Munio's Foundation Top Golf Tailgate is coming up in
just a couple of weeks. We'll broadcast from that. But
me being here means I don't get a chance to

(01:10:11):
hang out with the Hall of Famer, which is, let's
be honest, kind of a win for him. Plus one
more check in with Tony Pike. Bengals are practicing or
they have practice today at the Bears facility with the Bears.
They play the Bears on Saturday, and obviously we have
Tony every hour. I wanted to get Kelsey Conway on
because I knew she was going to be in Chicago.
I knew she was going to be at the Bengals

(01:10:31):
joint practice, and so I said, I know you have
your job to do, but I want to call you
at five ten. And it turns out I lied because
we called her at five oh five. I hope that's okay, Kelsey,
how are you?

Speaker 15 (01:10:43):
You know, mo, I must really like you you call early. No,
I'm just kidding, guy. This is great. I just finished
practice and have a bunch of updates for you.

Speaker 2 (01:10:52):
All right, Well, let's first mention.

Speaker 3 (01:10:54):
Kelsey obviously covers the Bengals for The Inquirer and Cincinnati
dot Com, and obviously you could read her full comprehensive
coverage of the Bengals in Chicago, including obviously the game
on Saturday his practice. You were there. I read your updates.
It feels like it didn't go well, am I reading
that correctly?

Speaker 15 (01:11:14):
It went probably how you would expect it to go
in terms of the Bengals issues on offense in the Rain,
I think that Joe Burrow was picked off three times
and T Higgins had a bunch of drops. Overall, it
was just a sloppy performance from the offense other than
a couple of really good runs from Zach Moss and

(01:11:37):
Chase Brown. And even after practice. The first thing I
asked Joe is what did you think of the offense?
And he just went straight into, well, our run game
looked good. The Bengals, you know, obviously it's not gonna
be perfect when it's raining, but Caleb Williams and the Bears,
you know, they were able to do some more things
in the air. Then that was different than what the

(01:11:59):
Bengals did. I think I would start with it was
just kind of a sloppy performance for the offense. And
right now, I think without Jamar Chase, it seems like
there's just really struggling to find any rhythm. And it's
something I'm keeping my eye on because they really seem
like they really need to get Jamar Chase back for
us to really see how different this offense really looks

(01:12:20):
at this point.

Speaker 2 (01:12:21):
Do they have anybody to play right tackle?

Speaker 15 (01:12:26):
Well, yeah, I will start I will start with that.
Beyontay Smith and Chris Evans were the two players for
the Bengals that were carted off. No other players were
carded off. The Bears got out of this rainy, rainy
practice completely clean, but Deyontay Smith went down and it
didn't look good. He was down for a while. Both
were put into air casts, both Chris Evans and Deontay Smith,

(01:12:47):
and I just saw both of them leaving on crutches
with braces on their legs. So those two look pretty
significant injuries. Obviously you don't want to speculate, but they
didn't look good. So back to your point about right tackle.
Trent Brown halfway through practice was replaced by Cody Ford,
and I asked Jack about it post practice and he
said that Trent Brown was dealing with some lower back tightness,

(01:13:10):
so that's why Cody Ford went in for him. But
with Amrius injury and now Deontae Smith's injury, they're sin
at tackle and I wouldn't be shocked to see them
try and make a move to get at least another
serviceable tackle body on their roster right now, because right
now it kind of seems up and down in terms
of Trent Brown's participation in practice.

Speaker 3 (01:13:30):
I hate to say this because it sounds premature and
it's it sounds like we're making an assumption. This Trent
Brown thing doesn't feel like it's It almost feels it
feels like it's doomed to fail because nothing has gone
according to plan he's not around for OTAs he's not
around for the start of training camp. Didn't exactly strike
me as having a gung ho personality when he was

(01:13:52):
asked about like rounding in the form, and now his
back is tight.

Speaker 2 (01:13:55):
I don't feel good about this.

Speaker 15 (01:13:58):
Yeah, I think, I think I agree with you, and
I think Amarus Mims getting injured was a tough blow,
maybe more so than anybody thinks, because yes, you hope
he can just pick back right back up from where
he left off, but you don't know how much time
he's gonna miss, and he's not getting these reps against

(01:14:18):
quality edge rushers on the Bears and the Colts. And
I think, I think this tackle situation for the Bengals,
which is ironic that we're talking about it again this year,
right now, right now, it's a little bit up in
the air because I don't know if you can right
now say with full confidence that Trent Brown's going to
be able to get you through the snaps in the

(01:14:40):
amount of playing time he would need until Mims gets back.
So I think they've got some work to do in
figuring that out there at the right tackle position.

Speaker 2 (01:14:48):
What did go right today?

Speaker 15 (01:14:51):
Because looks good I will say there and you know,
the Bears people, people should talk about the Bears receiving
core more than they do. Dj Moore and Roma dune Day.
Those two players are really good, obviously, Keenan Allen. They
gave the Bengals DBS some tough matchups. I will say
there weren't as many explosives, Like you didn't see guys

(01:15:12):
running streak three down the middle, running past Dax Hill.
I think the defense looks a lot better in terms
of just like there weren't many bus Dax Hill got
beat a couple times in the red zone. I didn't
necessarily think he looked awesome today. I thought Dj Turner
actually had a better day. But right now Dax Hill

(01:15:33):
is getting the reps with the starters. So Dak Kler
said it. You know, it's not fourgone conclusion, but all
week it's been Dax to the starters, and today against
the Bears it was Dak. So I think right now
you could say the full confidence he has.

Speaker 6 (01:15:46):
A leg up.

Speaker 15 (01:15:47):
But I think the defense looks a lot better. And
Evan McPherson was five or six today in the rain,
So those are some positive for you.

Speaker 2 (01:15:54):
Though maybe they can give him a contract.

Speaker 15 (01:15:58):
That is that is on the list things that need
to happen for the team in the next couple of weeks,
don't you think that?

Speaker 3 (01:16:04):
And getting the situation settled with a certain wide receiver,
I would say, are things that Cannon should get done
here in the coming weeks or should get done eating
like in my opinion, they should get done, not that
they will.

Speaker 15 (01:16:17):
I did ask Zach Taylor for an update on Jamar Chase,
and I asked it and I said, do you have
an update on when you expect him practice? And he
said no, I don't. So more of the same from
Zach Taylor on the situation with Chase.

Speaker 3 (01:16:31):
Par for the course. I know you're busy. I cannot
thank you enough for the time. Enjoy Chicago, Enjoy Wrigley
Field tomorrow. Thank you, Kelsey, thank you.

Speaker 15 (01:16:38):
So much for having me on. Talk to you later.

Speaker 2 (01:16:40):
You're the best.

Speaker 3 (01:16:41):
Kelsey Conway covers the Bengals for The Inquirer in Cincinna
dot com. She is on ex at Kelsey L. Conway
having a productive day here at the Cincinnati Open. Is
our next guest with a straight set victory over Arthur
Phil's Brandon nakashimas with us.

Speaker 2 (01:16:55):
How are you, sir?

Speaker 8 (01:16:56):
Good?

Speaker 11 (01:16:57):
Good, good to be here?

Speaker 2 (01:16:58):
You just got done fish Wow.

Speaker 3 (01:17:00):
So you win, you advance and they bring you over
here to talk to me. You don't even get a
chance of basking in the glow of victory.

Speaker 11 (01:17:07):
I mean that this is the prize right here speaking
to you.

Speaker 2 (01:17:09):
Of course.

Speaker 3 (01:17:09):
Of course, so far, at least as a wildcard, best
you've done in this event. Obviously more matches to come
and join the experience.

Speaker 11 (01:17:17):
Yeah, it's been great so far this year. I think
this tournament definitely gets better and better every year, you know,
for the players and for the fans. So I think
it's great, you know, coming here to Cincinnati every year,
and you know, I had a couple of good matches,
so looking forward to the next one.

Speaker 2 (01:17:32):
Yeah, no question about it.

Speaker 3 (01:17:33):
For those who don't know, because you know, we have
folks listening, they're they're maybe casual tennis fans. They see wildcard?
How does one qualify for an event like this as
a wildcard?

Speaker 11 (01:17:43):
Yeah, I mean I was I was very you know,
fortunate that the tournament was able to give me a
wildcard and and you know allowed me to be in
the main draft for this event. I think I've had
a you know, pretty good year so far, you know,
putting up some good results the last couple of weeks.
So I think I definitely you know, earned it from
my side, and you know, I'm very happy that I
was able to you know, not be going through the

(01:18:05):
qualifying and just be directly into the mange all here.

Speaker 2 (01:18:08):
Is that a sligh of relief.

Speaker 11 (01:18:09):
A little bit? Yeah, It's always nice walk me.

Speaker 3 (01:18:11):
Through because you know, it's it's it's not a sport
where you get a lot of rest, right, so you
wrap up, there's lots of day left in front of
you this afternoon, in this evening, but you got to
turn around and play tomorrow, whether obviously this time of
year can be a factor. So kind of walk me
through your routine from the moment the match, and I
guess from the moment this conversation's over to tomorrow.

Speaker 11 (01:18:30):
Yeah, I mean, I think up until tomorrow is just
a matter of you know, taking care of the body,
relaxing and try to prepare his best for tomorrow's match.
You know, like you said, the tennis players schedule is
definitely super busy during the day and especially during these tournaments.
You know, you don't have much free time out there.
But but I think it's just a matter of you know, relaxing,

(01:18:50):
keeping the body healthy, and just preparing as best as
you can for tomorrow.

Speaker 3 (01:18:54):
Do you and this might be a stupid question, that's okay,
I've asked many in my career.

Speaker 2 (01:18:59):
Do you go can watch today? Do you do you
watch cutups?

Speaker 3 (01:19:02):
Do you watch your opponent, or just say, look, let's
get the racket, place it up and go after it tomorrow.

Speaker 11 (01:19:07):
I think I do a little bit of both, you know,
my coaches and I we try to you know, take
some positives away from the match today and kind of
see also what what could have been better, what we
kind of need to work on for the next match,
and and you know, also the scouting I think for
the next opponent is also pretty important as well. You know,
I think my coach does a good job of that.
You know, he kind of takes care of some analytics

(01:19:28):
about the next opponent and everything and then kind of
relays that information to me. But I think we have
a pretty good system going of you know, looking back
at the match today, seeing what we need to improve,
and then you know, trying to imply it for tomorrow's match.

Speaker 3 (01:19:40):
Another dumb question based on something you just said. We
hear about analytics in team sports. How to analytics work
in tennis?

Speaker 11 (01:19:47):
Yeah, I think it's for tennis. It's super important. I
guess at the same time, a lot there's all the
same players, you know, you kind of get familiar with
each other's games. But at the same time, they also
match up differently with every player, so you know, you
kind of look through past matches see kind of what
their tendencies are, and you don't always try to follow

(01:20:07):
it too much because you know, at the same time,
every day is different, they could change it up. But
it's good to have, you know, a little bit of
background on the player and kind of what his his
tendencies or what he likes to do out there on
the court.

Speaker 3 (01:20:19):
We we've had this event now for a while. It
was kind of hanging in the balance last year, and
now we get it.

Speaker 2 (01:20:24):
It's bigger, it's better. I know what this event.

Speaker 3 (01:20:28):
I know what the amenities mean for fans, but like
we hear, like, well, for the players, here's here's what
needs to get done, Here's what the facility needs to have.
What is what's a positive tournament? I know, winning, but
what's a positive tournament experience for you? Like, what are
the players like in event you like this?

Speaker 11 (01:20:43):
I think, honestly, the fan experience plays a big role
with it. You know, for us players, when you know
the fans are really engaged and kind of get up
close with the players, I think it makes us players,
you know, feel a lot more comfortable out there, you know,
more excited to come out there on the court. And
you know, also the facility as well. I think, you know,
having that space, especially at the beginning of the tournament,

(01:21:05):
when there's a lot of players, you know, coming together,
just having that extra space, you know, to whether it's
relaxed or you know, do your work in the gym
our practice on the on the courts. I think us,
all players, I kind of appreciate that.

Speaker 3 (01:21:17):
I will let you get some rest. You got to
get back at it tomorrow. Congratulations, hope you're here for
the rest of the week.

Speaker 11 (01:21:23):
Man, Thanks so much, Thanks so much, appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (01:21:25):
Awesome stuff, straight said Victor Over. Arthur Phils, Brandon Akashima
with us. We're here at the Cincinnati Open broadcasting from
the Western and Southern Fan Experience Area.

Speaker 2 (01:21:35):
Anthony Munio's next.

Speaker 3 (01:21:36):
On ESPN fifteen thirty since then fifteen thirty on Loweker
broadcasting from the Cincinnati Open.

Speaker 2 (01:21:43):
Here in Mason.

Speaker 3 (01:21:45):
We will be broadcasting three weeks from today at another
one of our favorite events, the seventh year in a row,
the seventh year that this event has taken place, the
seventh year in a row that we will have broadcast
from it. The Anthony Munya Foundation Top Golf Tailgate. It
is the official kickoff of the NFL season. It's Thursday,

(01:22:05):
September the fifth. It's at Top Golf in Westchester. It
benefits the great work done by the Anthony Munhos Foundation.
It gives us a chance to spend some time with
a lot of former Bengals players. It is an awesome event,
and it gives me a chance to spend some time
with Anthony Munyo's. The only drawback to being here today
is I'm not in studio with Anthony.

Speaker 2 (01:22:23):
But nonetheless, it's awesome to have you.

Speaker 13 (01:22:25):
What's going on, Hey, Mo, thanks for mentioning. We got
our wires cross.

Speaker 16 (01:22:29):
You're in Mason, my hometown, and I'm in Kenwood, your studio,
But that works.

Speaker 2 (01:22:36):
If you want, I'll just drive to your house when
I'm done and I'll wait for you.

Speaker 13 (01:22:39):
Let's do it. It's okay, done deal.

Speaker 16 (01:22:41):
Hey, Yeah, good being with you, and yeah, I know
you're enjoyed going to enjoy some tennis up there. But
our event the Top Golf is always great. Of course
you'll be there as you always are doing your show
from three to six. You know, seventh year. That's amazing.
It's hard to believe that we're seven years at Top Golf,
and you know, you can't do things like this without

(01:23:02):
your partners.

Speaker 13 (01:23:03):
And of course the.

Speaker 16 (01:23:04):
Ventura Premier Event Center Norwood has been our partner.

Speaker 13 (01:23:08):
You mentioned two each.

Speaker 16 (01:23:10):
You know it's gonna be Thursday, September fifth, from six
to nine at Top Golf in Westchester. We're excited to
have it again. It's always fun. You know, you're playing
a little golf, but you're so much closer together.

Speaker 13 (01:23:22):
You know, you're there with.

Speaker 16 (01:23:22):
The bays and you know people are enjoying food and
drinks and you know your talk show and we have
some great raffles.

Speaker 13 (01:23:29):
But yeah, we're excited about it. We're excited about it. Then.

Speaker 16 (01:23:33):
Good to be back to Top Golf in Westchester for
year number seven.

Speaker 2 (01:23:36):
Yeah, and it coincides.

Speaker 3 (01:23:38):
You know what I love about it is you can play,
you could socialize the game. The first NFL game of
the season is going to be on that night, which
obviously we'll I'll be paying attention to Baltimore in Kansas City,
but it's also an event. I love it when events start.
And you guys began this seven years ago, but it's
gotten bigger every year.

Speaker 16 (01:23:56):
It really has. And you know, the thing we do
with the Foundation from you know, our dinner, whatever event.
We we have a time frame and we want to
stick within that timeframe. We know people are very busy,
and I know if people want to stay afterwards, they'll
stay afterwards. But man, I'll tell you what. We've had
partners that have been there throughout the entire time. We
have new partners that come and they're part of it.

(01:24:18):
But yeah, you're right, a lot of interest in that game,
the Chiefs and the Ravens. Of course, you know, we
play the Chiefs early on, you know, go to Kansas City,
so we'd like to see what they got. And but
you're right, I mean, it's an amazing event we have.
I think we only have two or three bays left.
They're going for a thousand dollars, You get dinner, drinks,

(01:24:39):
The food there is amazing. I get some of my
former teammates to come by, and you know a lot
of them like to play golf, so sometimes we we'll
you know, convince them to go around and hit a
few balls. But you know, well, the great thing about this,
you know, we talk about the fun, we talk about
your show and about the guys and golf and drink,
but the fact that we've been able to raise nearly

(01:25:01):
three hundred and fifty thousand dollars since twenty seventeen on
this event alone.

Speaker 13 (01:25:08):
That's not any other event, but this event alone.

Speaker 16 (01:25:11):
And you know, Pete Ventura and you know the Ventura
family and the Ventura I mean, they give us an
opportunity to do this. And you know, if we were
to kind of look at that amount of money and
see what we could do at the foundation, and that
would be enough for seventeen scholarships, that would be enough
for four hundred kids to go to our overnight camps.

(01:25:31):
That would be a thousands of students that attend our
youth leadership seminar. And you know, it's a fun thing.
And I got to add this last thing, is you know,
one of the things that we really take seriously is
the amount of money that we're able to give back
to the kids after raising money and having fundraisers is
ninety five percent of every dollar goes back to the

(01:25:53):
impact programs and we get to impact young people. So
we thank everyone, from our partners to those that are
gonna come out and enjoy it, to you know yourself
that comes out does your show.

Speaker 13 (01:26:03):
There.

Speaker 3 (01:26:05):
I say this to you every year. What I what
I marvel at? What what's so cool about the longevity
that you guys have achieved is number one. I know,
if if anyone does anything with the Anthony Munnios Foundation,
if they play in this event, it's very easy to
see where the money goes, right, It's it's tangible. You
could see it. You could we could tell the stories
of of so many of the kids that you've impacted.

(01:26:27):
But you guys have now been at it for so
long that you have these adult success stories, right, you
have You have people whose lives have been altered and
they're often running and doing their own thing because of
the jump start you've given them, or the boost you've
given them, or the encouragement that you've given them or
a lesson they've been taught by some of your character
education initiatives, and that to me, those things, to me,

(01:26:51):
are there really awesome things about fundraisers and the the
overall work that you guys do well.

Speaker 16 (01:26:56):
I mean, that's a great point, and that's a fun
thing for me, you know, as I get old. Now,
at first I referred to myself as an uncle of
these young men and women that are going through our programs.
Now I'm more of their grandfather as they go through
these programs. But you know, you talk about the individuals
that come back and give back, and when you've been
around for twenty three years and you've had the opportunity

(01:27:18):
through our programming to impact you know, well over fifty
seven thousand young men.

Speaker 13 (01:27:23):
And women when.

Speaker 16 (01:27:25):
You work with at least twenty five hundred tri state
area per year, and when you have well over just
one of our eight programs is a scholarship fund, When
you have over two million dollars that young men and
women have been awarded in scholarships, that's what's fun is
to see these young men and women come back. They
volunteered at our dinner, they become some of our mentors

(01:27:46):
in our mentoring program. They become some of the coaches
in our overnight character camps that they attended when they
were eighth grade. Now they're coaching as business. They're working
in business here in this great city of Cincinnati. So
tell me, it's fun seeing these guys directing these young
men at camp. And at one time I saw them
as the campers as eighth graders, or being able to

(01:28:08):
travel to New York and you know, staying. I went
in twenty twenty, I went to do Boomer sizing show
and Sam Becker, a scholarship kid, was like two blocks
from us. He works with a big hedge fund. We
took him out to dinner one night and he you know,
and had a chance to talk to him after he
got the scholarship, after he graduated high school. Now he's
been successful, having a successful career in New York. So

(01:28:30):
that's what it's all about. And that's what we love
to see.

Speaker 3 (01:28:34):
For folks who are listening and they go, wait a minute,
this is an event. I've heard about it and I
want to be involved. And you said, there's a couple
of bays left. How can folks get one of those?

Speaker 16 (01:28:45):
Munnosfoundation dot org slash Top Golf Tailgate. You can go
on there and you can find out all the information.
Not only you know, hopefully we get this sold out,
we have think two or three bays left, but you
also can see all the eight programs that we run.

Speaker 13 (01:29:04):
And if it's a little too.

Speaker 16 (01:29:05):
Late, hopefully not to get not too late to get
involved in the Top Golf Tailgate.

Speaker 13 (01:29:10):
Maybe you can get involved in our.

Speaker 16 (01:29:11):
Regular golf tournament, or be a mentor in our mentoring program,
or just be a volunteer for our leadership seminar. There's
a lot of ways that you can give back, and
we welcome all volunteers, we welcome all donors. My tagline
from the beginning was always the bigger the team, the
bigger the impact, and we continue to build a team,
collaborate and continue to impact more and more young people.

Speaker 13 (01:29:34):
In this great community. So but Munho's Foundation dot org.

Speaker 16 (01:29:37):
You can check it out and Top Golf Tailgate, Westchester,
September fifth, sixth to nine o'clock, and we'll have a
pretty good talk show host there. Sports talk show hosts
from three to six. Oh I think his.

Speaker 2 (01:29:50):
Name is, who's filling in for me?

Speaker 3 (01:29:54):
It is It is no in all seriousness, it's it's
one of my favorite shows to do, and you're always
so and so many of your former teammates are generous
with their time, and you know, the event itself starts
at six, we go on the air at three, and
yet for some reason, people show up early to do
our show, which always means a lot to me.

Speaker 2 (01:30:11):
Again.

Speaker 3 (01:30:12):
Munyosfoundation dot org slash top golf Dash tailgate and you
can learn more about the event, you can get one
of the few remaining bays, and while you're there, you
could take a look at some of the initiatives and
a lot of the work that the folks at the
Anthony Munhos Foundation do. A couple of other questions for you, Yes,
so number one, I mean, like, do you have any

(01:30:34):
reps in you? Because, like the news like is not
getting any better when it comes to like the right
tackle in the offensive line. And so I didn't want
to have to ask you if maybe you had any
reps left in you. But I'm kind of getting there.

Speaker 16 (01:30:46):
Well, you know, there's a lot of guys I talked
to and they lack self awareness.

Speaker 13 (01:30:49):
I have amazing self awareness.

Speaker 16 (01:30:52):
There is no way then I even think about not
even a one rep one rep that'd have to be
surrounded by two three EMTs and it would be ugly.
But no, it's it's amazing.

Speaker 13 (01:31:06):
You know. You hate to see injuries. It's part of it.

Speaker 16 (01:31:08):
I mean, regardless if you go shorts and T shirts
or full pads.

Speaker 13 (01:31:13):
It's part of the game.

Speaker 16 (01:31:14):
And my wife and I are always talking constantly watch footballs.
That's the one thing we do not like that injuries
have to occur. But you know, now, the only problem
is this, get these guys healthy. I like, what's going
on with this Bengals football team. I've been to camp
several times. You know, at times it's tough to really
evaluate because you know, there's not a whole lot of

(01:31:34):
physical hitting going on, and it's it's kind of hard
to evaluate, you know, guys running around in helmets and shorts.
But we saw some of it this past week against
the Buccaneers. We'll be able to see some more against
Chicago Saturday, and then we go from there and hopefully
the starters we have had enough reps with even with
that final preseason game. Who knows if they'll get any reps.

(01:31:55):
The good thing is they're practicing against their you know,
there I heard I heard the report, I guess a
little sloppy up there with the Bengals. Hopefully next week
when they practice against the Colts, that'll be a lot
nicer in Cincinnati.

Speaker 13 (01:32:08):
And they'll be able to get more done and won't
be raining.

Speaker 16 (01:32:10):
But I think that helps out a lot because anytime
you're practicing against another football team, you're gonna go a
little faster than when you're practicing against your own guys,
and you're gonna be able to see things that you
won't see in practice, because regardless, you can be full
pads going full speed against your own guys, but it's
not the same as going against another team. And so

(01:32:30):
hopefully you know that opening week rolls around, we're ready
to go, not only with what we've seen on the
field with the starters, with injury wise, hopefully they're healed
up and we're at full force ready to go, because
I'm excited about what this team can do this year.

Speaker 2 (01:32:43):
Yeah, you and me both.

Speaker 3 (01:32:44):
You mentioned the injuries, and you had the game on Saturday,
and Amarius Mems held up very very well and he's
I don't know if you've had a chance to spend
any time with him, but he's been the talk of
camp and I hate that he's dealing with an injury
for a lot of different reasons, but certainly what we
saw from him on the field felt like it was
inching him closer to being the starter week one, which

(01:33:07):
is is awesome and to me, it's reflective of a
guy who just watching it from afar seems to get it.
He's got obviously the frame which is immense, and he's
got all the physical tools, but it just feels like
he gets it, which is really cool.

Speaker 2 (01:33:23):
And to me, it would have been neat to see.

Speaker 3 (01:33:25):
Him get rewarded for that by winning the starting job,
and now the injury situation is likely to rail that.

Speaker 16 (01:33:32):
I agree with that. You know, I went to several
camps and I watched him closely. Of course I haven't
played that position myself, and a lot of things that
impressed me about Mems and quite frankly, you know, only
eight starts in college, that's not a lot of experience.
But he came in and you could tell he enjoys
the game. He listens to the coaches and he does
what they ask him to do, and the things he

(01:33:53):
was doing, I was so impressed, you know, for being
such a big man. You know, six ' eight three
four are somewhere on. I don't know he's big. Let's
just say he's big to be able to move the
way he does.

Speaker 13 (01:34:06):
And uh.

Speaker 16 (01:34:07):
But but you know, Lapp and I were talking, and
you know, there's a lot of things that impressed us
about him. But the one thing we both said that
impressed both of us, and it's rare for rookie offensive
linement is a tough thing for really alignment, regardless to
what you're you in, is his patience. He would set
with that long kick, he would get out there. Technically,

(01:34:28):
he was pretty good getting out there, but he didn't
want to initiate. He waited for the defender to get there,
and then he initiated the contact when the guy got there.
And to me, that speaks volumes of a young man
that is very patient.

Speaker 13 (01:34:40):
Uh. And he was.

Speaker 16 (01:34:41):
He had an ex I thought he had an excellent game.
I watched him quite a bit in that preseason game.
The time he was in there again he held up.
I thought he did well. And somebody asked me, if
you know, would I would I feel good with him
starting week one? I said, from what I've seen now,
yes I would. I would not mind him starting week one,
but hopefully that that peck injury, we know it's non surgical.

(01:35:03):
Hopefully it doesn't take that long and he can get
back to one hundred percent because that's one position, that
offensive line that we need everybody. We need everyone, and
we need the depth. And so you know, they were
off I thought to a good start for as much
as I could see in the practices in that one drive,
they look pretty good against Tampa Bay.

Speaker 13 (01:35:23):
But yeah, I have been really impressed with that young man.
And he's locked in.

Speaker 16 (01:35:27):
I watch him when they're doing drills and when he's
being coached, and he's locked in and he's listening to
what Frank Pollock, coach Frank Pollack is saying, and I
guess a couple of other guys, as usually happens, we'll
give him feedback. Is veteran offensive line, and to me,
that speaks volume of that unit and what they're capable
of doing.

Speaker 2 (01:35:47):
Anthony Munho is with us for another few minutes.

Speaker 3 (01:35:50):
You get company in the Ring of Honor in two
former Bengals Corey Dyllon, obviously a player who's time in
Cincinnati is a player came after you had retired, but
one of your team mates, Tim Krumrae, take me back
summer of nineteen eighty three and this tenth round draft.

Speaker 2 (01:36:06):
Choice shows up to Wilmington. What do you remember about that?

Speaker 16 (01:36:09):
For the interior part of our offensive line, he was
kind of a nightmare, you know, because he came in
as a tenth round pick, and you know, the word
was he wasn't big enough, he wouldn't fast enough. But
you know, there's a lot of times where you can't
measure heart, You can't measure you know, your your will
to be the best and your will to work hard
every single down. And what we learned in a hurry.

(01:36:32):
It didn't matter if we were in full pads, which
we were in full pads most of the time, or
helmets and T shirts. You every play that Tim Crumbrae
was in, there was full speed.

Speaker 13 (01:36:41):
So you better be ready, you better be ready.

Speaker 16 (01:36:43):
And so the guy, you know, I know we had
a number one pick that year as an offensive center,
and uh, you know, Tim Crumbrae made it a point
to let everyone know that, you know, he should have
been a much higher draft pick than the tenth round.

Speaker 13 (01:36:57):
And I'll never forget.

Speaker 16 (01:36:58):
We're going to Dallas and Tom Rafferty, I believe, was
the Cowboys center and they were pretty good football team
at the time, and he was quoted.

Speaker 13 (01:37:07):
You hate to have billboard material, but he was quoted.

Speaker 16 (01:37:11):
They asked him about Tim Crumberin and Rafferty's response was, yeah,
I think it's like Crumby, Crumby crumb Crummers he did.
He kind of gave three or four different names, and
none of them was Crumbrot. Well, after we played Dallas
that Sunday, Tom Rafferty knew who Tim Crumrie was. And
I'm sure he probably dreamed had nightmares about him the

(01:37:33):
night after the game.

Speaker 13 (01:37:34):
But yeah, he was just amazing.

Speaker 16 (01:37:36):
I'll tell you what to suffer that crazy broken leg
in the Super Bowl, and you know it was played
over and over and over, and for those of us
that were there, it was crazy. A lot of people
don't realize he sat, or he laid in the gurney
by the locker room. He said, don't take me to
the hospital until halftime. I want to see the rest
of the half. I can't imagine how much pain or

(01:37:58):
probably didn't even affect knowing Tim prumright. But finally I
think at halftime they took him to the hospital, and
I think he came back like a year and a
half after that and played pretty well after that. But man,
for I think thirteen years he played here, and for
a nose tackle, think about it, for a nose tackle
to have that many tackles in a career is just insane.

(01:38:19):
I mean the guy. I loved his intensity, I loved
his approach to the game. And I mean my first
four years we played for Forrest Greg and that's how
the game was played. So you know, to have a
guy from Wisconsin come in and take over that middle
spot for many, many years, I'm thankful to have him
now in the Ring of Honor.

Speaker 3 (01:38:38):
Pick number two hundred and seventy six in the nineteen
eighty three NFL Draft and ducked it into the Bengals
Ring of Honor. The Anthony Munhals Foundation Top Golf Tailgate
three weeks from today, Thursday, September the fifth. A limited
number of bays are available. It is an awesome event.
Go to Munyosfoundation dot org slash top Golf dash Tailgate

(01:38:59):
for info and to purchase. I cannot wait. We'll see
you there in three weeks and I look forward to it.
It is always an honor to have you on Anthony.
Thank you so much, bo, thank you very much. Look
forward to seeing you and I have you a little present.

Speaker 16 (01:39:11):
We won't say what it is, but I'll have you
a little present when I see you at Top Golf
in Westchester.

Speaker 3 (01:39:17):
I cannot wait. It's not the best part. It's like
the cherry on the sun. We'll talk about that off air,
all right. I just said that you're the best.

Speaker 2 (01:39:25):
Anthony munho is again.

Speaker 3 (01:39:26):
Go to Munos Foundation dot org, slash top Golf dash tail.
We are late, but it was worth it. It is
twenty three away from six o'clock. We're at the Cincinnati
Open here in Mason on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 6 (01:39:40):
Station, Cincinnati's sports station.

Speaker 2 (01:39:44):
Than sorry, it's eighteen away from six o'clock. This is
ESPN fifteen thirty. Sports.

Speaker 3 (01:39:49):
Headlines are a service of Kelsey Chevali Home of Lifetime
powertrain protection and guarantee credit approval from their family to
yours for life kelseyshev dot com. Smith and Chris Evans
both carted off. Both spotted using crutches after the Bengals
had their joint practice today with the Bears. This according

(01:40:10):
to Kelsey Conway of The Inquirer, who joined us just
about thirty minutes ago. Those are facts. Joe Burrow was
intercepted three times in practice today. Those are facts.

Speaker 2 (01:40:22):
I I think.

Speaker 3 (01:40:26):
I think you could do the reaction to that news
the same way I do it, Which is, Joe Burrow
is healthy, which is most important. Joe Burrow is probably
physically not quite yet where he would completely want to be,
which is to be expected. He's played in a preseason

(01:40:48):
game last Saturday and looked fine and is going to
play in the game barring something unforeseen knock on Wood
in three weeks from Sunday.

Speaker 2 (01:40:58):
He doesn't have Jamar Chase right now.

Speaker 3 (01:41:01):
It would be it would be really cool if if
you would hear and read on a more consistent basis
reports of him having great practices. Those reports have been
a part of the summer. He's had some good practices.
It was a razor sharp against Tampa Bay, but at
a good showing in the first preseason game. He's had
some practices were by every account he has looked awesome,

(01:41:22):
and he's had some practices where he has shown some
frustration and he's.

Speaker 2 (01:41:25):
Not looked so great.

Speaker 3 (01:41:26):
I'm capable of digesting that news and taking it for
what it is. I'll put that into greater context when
I watch him play a game that counts, and I'm
not going to get a chance to do that for
three weeks. There is a chance Joe Burrow throws four
or five touchdowns against the New England Patriots, they blow
them out week one, and we forget that he had

(01:41:47):
bad practices. There is also a chance that he plays
poorly week one, and you wonder how much of what
we saw is an extension of some of those poor practices.
What's the bigger deal to me? When we were doing
the whole what do you want to watch during the
preseason game? What do you want to see in the
first fake game against Tampa Bay? My answer was obviously

(01:42:07):
a clean performance, Obviously a productive and efficient performance by
the first team offense.

Speaker 2 (01:42:14):
Obviously no injuries.

Speaker 3 (01:42:16):
But beyond that offensive line depth, let's get a feel
for how good the offensive line depth is, which is
an area of the team that was not tapped into
last year.

Speaker 2 (01:42:29):
They never had to. They had to play Cody Ford
here and there.

Speaker 3 (01:42:34):
When Orlando Brown would come out of a game, beyond
or Cordell Volso would come out of the game. Beyond that,
they never had to tap into the offensive line depth.
So coming into this year with a lot of the
same guys, what kind of depth do they have?

Speaker 2 (01:42:52):
That's a good question and a fair question.

Speaker 3 (01:42:54):
It was a good question last week before we saw
that Marius Mems is going to have to miss some time.
I don't know that what we saw against Tampa Bay
was that discouraging. They didn't run the ball all that effectively,
but a guy walked away from that game going all right.
The offensive line backups played like backups, with the exception
of Jackson Carman, who looked like he had never played

(01:43:17):
football before. But since then, Amarnius Mems is now in
jeopardy of missing the first game. And by the way,
if he's in jeopardy of missing the first game, then
I think we have to at least explore the possibility
that he misses more than the first game. And well,

(01:43:38):
Trent Brown, by his own admission last week, needed to
work himself into shape. Is he more likely to do
that if his back is bothering him? By the way,
if he was in better shape, would his back be
bothering him? Now?

Speaker 2 (01:43:51):
This back thing may be no big deal, maybe a
huge deal, but if.

Speaker 3 (01:43:55):
He was going to use this this period of time
to get in better shape, it feels like that's compromised
a little bit because he maybe can't do as much
because he's hurt. All right, So there's two right tackles
and now the Deontay Smith thing not his fault. Don't
know if he would have been the swing tackle or
a backup. I don't know if he would have made

(01:44:16):
the team. But that's an option that's at least for
the time being, off the table.

Speaker 2 (01:44:22):
Jackson Carmen, I mean it, God help us.

Speaker 3 (01:44:27):
If Jackson Carmen plays football for the Bengals in snaps
that matter, I just, for the life of me, I can,
I honestly cannot envision a scenario where he makes the team.
But there's an option like, we're we're still a ways away,
and you could take some comfort at that and go, well,
you know, I mean, Mims will work himself back and

(01:44:47):
and Trent Brown will work himself back. But if a
week ago, one of the bigger questions was about the
offensive line depth, well, now in the last week we've
had a bit performance by a player free injuries to players.
Isn't offensive line depth the more pressing thing, and that that,
to me right now is the bigger issue.

Speaker 2 (01:45:08):
Like I trust Joe Burrow.

Speaker 3 (01:45:09):
I trust Joe Burrow until there are things that happen
in the games that count that that look bad or
cause the team to lose.

Speaker 2 (01:45:20):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:45:21):
What I do know is I wondered about the offensive
line a week ago, and the offensive line news since
then had been very good. So that's a pressing issue.
And it's it's a pressing issue not just if you're
looking for things to worry about, but also if you're
Duke Tobin trying to figure out what the solutions maybe,
And like we talked a lot about Jamar Chase yesterday.

(01:45:44):
My my take right now is like the Bengals should
just get this done because like stuff is mounting, and
stuff mounts, like during the course of a season, you
have to overcome stuff. You have to overcome injury, you
have to overcome the schedule, and you have to overcome
a lot of different things right overcome the venues you
play in, you have to overcome officiating, a lot of
stuff you gotta get over. The season throws stuff at you.

(01:46:06):
The season before it even starts. Is throwing stuff at
the Bengals. Why insist on adding to the pile by
not getting a deal done with your second best player?
Are the Bengals better off if Jamar Chase was on
the practice field today wearing football pads and a helmet,
or him doing what he did today, which is standing

(01:46:27):
on the sideline wearing a hat, Like, just cross this
off the list because the list isn't gonna go away.
And the list may grow longer, and the mist the
list may grow shorter, but the list isn't.

Speaker 2 (01:46:39):
Gonna go away.

Speaker 3 (01:46:41):
And what's on that list is going to test this
team and the roster and the coaching staff and the quarterback.
Why add to it? Get the deal done? Tony Pike.

Speaker 2 (01:46:49):
Next ESPN fifteen thirty up day your home with.

Speaker 13 (01:46:53):
New guvers Hans.

Speaker 1 (01:46:54):
It's just a training camp report broke to you by Skylight.

Speaker 8 (01:46:58):
Hilie feeling good.

Speaker 1 (01:47:00):
It's Skylight of ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of
the Bengals.

Speaker 3 (01:47:05):
Yeah, Tony Pike is with it. Joe Burrow through three picks.
Today is practice. Bengals don't practice tomorrow. Tony Joe is
not going to play in the game on Saturday.

Speaker 2 (01:47:15):
There's no practice on Sunday.

Speaker 3 (01:47:17):
From a quarterbacks perspective, does it bother you that you're
not going to have another chance to get out there
until Monday?

Speaker 12 (01:47:24):
It's fresome because the last thing you want to do
is wait. You know, you have a sour tase in
your mouth, and we know the competitive Joe Burrow is
the only thing he wants to do is get back
on the field and rectify whatever is going on at
this point. And now you know, you may mentioned though
he's not going to play in the preseason game, and
rightfully so, because he doesn't have an offensive line in
front of him that you can put your franchise quarterback

(01:47:45):
out there in front of. And that's probably going to
be the case against the Indianapolis coach as well. Like
this is where when we go back to Tuesday, this
is where I think we talked about frustrating Joe Burrow
because he knows in the back of his mind how
much time he truly has left. He has a practice Monday,

(01:48:06):
and a practice Tuesday, the joint practice Tuesday, and then
the preseason is over. And you think that the report
we did at four forty five, how many different things
do we blist off on the offense that is uncertain
right now. There are so many unknowns, and as the quarterbacks,
your job is okay, how are we operating on all
cylinders going into the season.

Speaker 6 (01:48:26):
Joe Burrow went.

Speaker 12 (01:48:28):
Out of his way this offseason to say, we need
to start faster, we need to be better at the
start of the season. And now you have a couple
practices left, and the season is here, and you've essentially
gone two and a half three practices at a very
low level. I would imagine it's extremely frustrating, infuriating, and

(01:48:48):
Monday cannot come soon enough for Joe Burrow.

Speaker 2 (01:48:51):
They don't have a Marius Mens right now.

Speaker 3 (01:48:54):
Deontay Smith was carded off, Trent Brown is dealing with
lower back tightness. Who knows what they're going to do
at right tackle. Maybe this is all going to be
rectified by Week one, But we've talked about this in
recent years with the revolving door the Bengals have had
at right tackle and new guys on the offensive line.
If you're Joe Burrow playing Week one and your right

(01:49:17):
tackle has barely practiced, how much of a big deal
is that to you?

Speaker 6 (01:49:22):
Huge?

Speaker 12 (01:49:22):
I mean, we talked a lot last year about not
having Joe Burrow with Orlando Brown, and look, they were
shaky to start the season.

Speaker 6 (01:49:31):
This is no different. It's just reversed.

Speaker 12 (01:49:33):
Whether it was Memes, whether it was Trent Brown. You
need to have some type of feel out there from
a drop standpoint from you know where the weaknesses are,
how are they handling line games, who's making the calls,
who's identifying different reads and protections at the line of scrimmage.
You need the reps. And you know that's why I
know the Mems injury was listed as Okay, it's a

(01:49:54):
minor injury. Well, he's still missing a ton of individual reps.
He's still missing a ton of joint practice reps. I
think by the time Mems is healthy, he's gonna have
to get physically docked up to strength and then mentally
locked up to strength. I think that's gonna take a
little more time. It doesn't feel like Trent Brown is
trending in a great direction to start this off. I mean,

(01:50:16):
this is a major, major concern right now, and you
don't have a lot of time to get active, meaningful
rest right now. I guess you could say it's the
Patriots Week one, so that's a little bit of a
help instead of an AFC North opponent or the Chiefs
right away. But there's not a lot of ramp up
time right now for this Dangles team.

Speaker 2 (01:50:34):
All right, Tony, thank you.

Speaker 3 (01:50:36):
Back at it with Tony tomorrow three forty five, four
forty five and five forty five. We're broadcasting from the
Holy Grail tomorrow afternoon. That's going to be a blast.
Speaking of a blast, we've had one here. Thank you
to the folks at Western and Southern for hooking us up.
This is an awesome event. It's a great event to
broadcast from. We could not do it without their hospitality

(01:50:56):
and letting us post up with their fan experience, Era
Area and the people at the Cincinnati opened first class.
This is a tremendous event and it's gonna get bigger,
it's gonna get better, and I already can't wait to
be back here next year. We have to run back
at it tomorrow at three oh five. Have a great evening.
Thanks to Arran for producing and Kenwood and Mike Mills

(01:51:17):
for producing on site as well.

Speaker 2 (01:51:20):
Have a great night.

Speaker 3 (01:51:20):
This is ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati's sports station.

Speaker 2 (01:51:30):
This report is sponsored