9/2/24 - The Mo Egger Show w/ Chick Ludwig

Talking Reds, Bengals, Ohio State and High School Football with Chick Ludwig on this Labor Day.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
In fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
Three oh four in the Queen City of Cincinnati, chick Ludwig, Cincinnati,
ESPN fifteen thirty Welcome on in six days away from
opening day for the Cincinnati Bengals. We're fired up. Opening
Orange is the theme from the crowd to the stadium,

(01:06):
to the players. And I don't know of a year
where there's higher expectations than the twenty twenty four NFL
season for your Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
Here to talk to us about it.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
My main man, former Bengals wide receiver, great alumni, great friend,
the one and only Tim McGee. Timmy, how are we doing?
We're waiting on Tim. I definitely want to ask Tim,

(01:45):
being the former player and the agent, what it's all about.
What's happening with the elephant in the room in Jamar Chase.
He's not He is under contract not only for this
year and next year. What if they would franchise tagging

(02:07):
Technically he is a property of the Bengals for the
next three years. And we welcome in the great Tim McGee. Tim,
how are you today?

Speaker 4 (02:17):
I am doing excellent. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Speaker 5 (02:19):
Kick start, what are you up to?

Speaker 2 (02:21):
Oh, six hours of US sports talk from US from
the ESPN fifteen thirty studios to seven hundred and the
Little Reds extra innings after we get off the air
here today. So it's a full day. Man, I'm excited,
But Timmy in radio I doubt that. But tim how

(02:42):
about how about the elephant in the room in Jamar Chase.
We finally have Joe Burrow healthy for an entire training
camp and then Jamar Chase, the hold in, the holdout,
whatever you want to call it. I thought today might
be the day he gets signed, but the clock is
ticking on Sunday.

Speaker 4 (03:02):
Well, but uh, you know, I'm pretty sure and we'll
we will never know, because that's something between the agent
and the and the management, whoever's doing the negotiations, whether
it's Katie Troyer, Mike, I'm pretty sure he's involved. That's
something that they know how close they are, and a
lot of times you you shuttle up on the number
side of it, and then you got to work out
the formats of how the payments are going to be

(03:25):
distributed and what the bonuses will look like, the cap
numbers look like, so you know, you can during a
contract and that's where a lot of people don't really understand.
It's a lot more than just the numbers. It's not
i would say, as detail as say per se baseball,
where you can really go outside the bounds of the contract.

Speaker 5 (03:43):
But in football, you know.

Speaker 4 (03:45):
Once you figure out what the number is going to be,
then you got some language barriers that you got to
get over. And as long as he knows that, and
I'm pretty sure his his his agent, his team, they
know where they want to be and the Bengals know
where they want to be, and as long as they're
you know, it's not gonna make a difference week one
the week three.

Speaker 5 (04:03):
You just got across the tas and about the eyes
and tim.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
You know, with his limited practice time in the preseason here,
how ready will he be to play?

Speaker 3 (04:15):
Is he? You know? Could he be in football shape
for Sundays?

Speaker 4 (04:19):
You know what I've always heard that that somebody coined
that phrase football shape. Can somebody explain that to me
because in my ten years I never understood, I never
understood what that actually meant. Now what's gonna happen. He's
going to be fresher than anyone out on the football shield.
Remember that he doesn't have any injuries. You know, obviously
his muscles are going to be in tune. Everything's going
to be there.

Speaker 6 (04:40):
It's time.

Speaker 4 (04:40):
It will probably be off a little bit and that'stick
be expected. However, yeah he'll fill it the next day.

Speaker 5 (04:47):
So yeah, he won't.

Speaker 4 (04:49):
Be in football shape and he'll gradually get in. But
this is not the days of you know, Forst. Gregg
and Sam Wis where you had to come in and
play and shake. You know, these guys they don't practice
a lot, they don't do a lot, they don't a lot.
So you know, I don't think it's that big of
a deal. And he's such an extreme talent that I
just think he can go out and if he catches
five passes for two touchdowns and two hundred yards, you know,

(05:11):
nobody's going to say, oh, he saidn't come.

Speaker 3 (05:13):
To camp next year.

Speaker 4 (05:14):
But if he drops the past, everybody's going to blame him.
That that's just the way it is. And you know, again,
his talent level was so high that I don't believe
in that chemistry stuff. I don't believe that he can't
go out there and have a very productive day. He'll build,
Like I said, he'll be a little sore after the
game because he hadn't used the muscles in the capacity
that he's used them in the past.

Speaker 5 (05:34):
So but all in all, I'll take him.

Speaker 4 (05:37):
At whatever percentage he's going to be at opposed to
him not being on the football field.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
Tim McGee is with us former Bengals wide receiver. Also
had a year with the Washington then Redskins before coming
back to Cincinnati, and we're so.

Speaker 3 (05:51):
Glad you came back, Tim McGee, And is.

Speaker 2 (05:54):
This Have you seen a year where there's higher expectations
for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 3 (06:02):
We just keep hearing this is the year, you know what.

Speaker 4 (06:06):
And it's funny because I have never Obviously you and
I have done many and many and many shows together.

Speaker 5 (06:12):
I feel that same way.

Speaker 4 (06:13):
I feel this is the year for them to really produce.
Not just I think the window of opportunity is here
that we know the writings on the wall they're gonna
lose te Higgins at the end of this year. But
I really believe this could be the year that they
can really shine, possibly or potentially make it to the
Super Bowl and even win the Super Bowl. So I

(06:35):
am one of those guys that typically I go across
the sand there. But I really believe that this could
be the year for the Bengals to actually not just
participate in the Super Bowl, but to win the Super Bowl.

Speaker 3 (06:48):
That would be awesome, no doubt about that. Tim.

Speaker 2 (06:51):
The makeup of this team this year five tight ends,
Drew Sample, Mike a Seki, Tanner, Hudson All Another, Tanner, mcclacken.
I haven't seen a team with five tight ends line
up for the Cincinnati Bengals, and then two running backs
replacing Joe Mixon. Chase Brown is back, but then they

(07:14):
add a Zach Moss, So I'm really looking forward to
seeing how this offense looks with these new people.

Speaker 5 (07:23):
Well, five tight ends.

Speaker 4 (07:24):
It leaves me scratching my ballt here because I can't
figure that one out, because I don't think there's a
situation where there's an offense that's going to be built
around five tight ends. I know Baltimore runs an offense
where the Titians are key in their offense, but I don't.

Speaker 5 (07:40):
I have no idea. That's that's a.

Speaker 4 (07:42):
Hit scratcher right there. I can see receivers, I can
see running backs, but you know, hey, Zach is a
very creative guy and let's just see what he has
in store for the offense this year. It's going to
be a little different. But they got their main stays
and of course mister Joe Burrow, and they got chasing,
they got Tea coming back. So with those three, I
guess you can have like forty offensive linemen if you

(08:02):
so choose to.

Speaker 2 (08:04):
Well there they stress so often this this training camp,
you know, a faster start. We saw the first team
get some reps this uh you know during the preseason.
Do you think that will help get this team off
to a faster start.

Speaker 5 (08:21):
No, I think the schedule is going to help.

Speaker 4 (08:22):
I think, you know, New England is not a you know,
formidable opponent that you got to be really worried about.
So I think that's that's probably the best thing. Where
in the years past they started off with, you know,
a pretty major game, whether it was Cleveland that they
will stumble out the block. So I think they got
an opponent that, you know, really really can help them
get their confidence back. So and again you're you're you

(08:44):
know tick when you're looking at a New England team,
You're not looking at the you know, some team that's.

Speaker 5 (08:48):
Really really really going to challenge the Bengals.

Speaker 4 (08:51):
If the Bengals are playing eighty to ninety percent of
the potential that they have, I don't think you have
much to worry about.

Speaker 2 (08:58):
Tim McGee is with us and Tim d The Bengals
announced their twenty twenty four captains. Of course, Joe Burrow,
Ted Carris and Orlando Brown Junior on offense, Sam Hubbard,
Von Bell, Jermaine Pratt on defense, and Keem Davis Gaither
and Evan McPherson as your special teamers. Man, what does
it mean to this team? Do you think to have

(09:19):
Von Bell come back to the squad?

Speaker 5 (09:23):
Stability?

Speaker 4 (09:24):
There's no question about the stability and that secondary secondary.
Now you got somebody back there that's been there, done that,
and you know, I know Coach lou got to be
super excited that, you know, he has a coach back
there that can kind of navigate things to you know
where if you look last year, they made some real

(09:44):
bad mistakes in the secondary sometimes because you didn't have
that leader of that captain back there. And by the way,
you named all the captains, who is not a captain,
I mean you named like forty of them.

Speaker 3 (09:54):
Yeah, there's there's eight of them. Well, there's.

Speaker 2 (09:58):
Fifty three man ross through eight captains. Unbelievable. Yeah, I
thought there might be two, you.

Speaker 3 (10:04):
Know, but there would be.

Speaker 4 (10:06):
Really my feelings would be really hurt if I didn't
do it, if I wasn't a captain and I was
on that take because they named everybody else.

Speaker 3 (10:12):
That's exactly right. Wow.

Speaker 7 (10:14):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (10:16):
In the past, we've heard, you know, when I was
the beat writer for the Bengals from ninety seven through
two thousand and nine, I always heard that the arm
strength of a boomeris siasin in the accuracy of a
Ken Anderson. If you could put that together, you'd have
one Hall of Fame quarterback. Does Joe Burrow have both
of those, the the arm strength plus the accuracy.

Speaker 4 (10:42):
Oh yeah, absolutely, And he has all the intangibles too.

Speaker 5 (10:46):
I mean he's a leader.

Speaker 4 (10:48):
We know his physical skills, but mentally and psychologically how
he approaches the game. He commands, the offense, he commands,
the locker room, he commands And we talked about this
on on how many times. I mean, he is the organization,
so he's the faith of the organization. And you couldn't
have drawn it up any better. To have a losing

(11:09):
year and get rewarded with a Joe Burrow. So that's
that's one of those. It really speaks for itself, and
to think about it is there's more to come. He
seems to add a different element of his game every
single year.

Speaker 5 (11:21):
And the only thing is he just got to stay healthy.

Speaker 4 (11:24):
If he stayed healthy, obviously the sky is the limit
for the club. If he doesn't, well we know, well,
we know where that leads us to the pretty much
the bottom of the AFC.

Speaker 2 (11:33):
Nor Tim, I thought of you when the new locker
room was unveiled. It looks like something out of a spaceship.
And to think back to the days of Spinny Field
and old Riverfront Stadium, I mean, it's unbelievable.

Speaker 3 (11:52):
What is your say, Yeah, what the.

Speaker 5 (11:54):
Hell were you thinking of before?

Speaker 4 (11:56):
Because we had change linked men. Yes, they got they
got probably every technology you could possibly think of in
those new locker rooms. I don't know if it's gonna
help to win any games, but nevertheless, they're going to
be comfortable and they're gonna be able.

Speaker 5 (12:07):
To play a lot of video games.

Speaker 3 (12:09):
Mile may have.

Speaker 5 (12:10):
Thinks come a long long way.

Speaker 4 (12:12):
A Recruiting is on every level of the pros, college
and high school it exists, and if you don't, if
you don't give them the biggest and the best things
in the shining new objects, people won't come. It's really weird,
but nevertheless, that's just the way it goes now.

Speaker 2 (12:27):
I think those chain link blockers also came equipped for
a few guys with ashtrays.

Speaker 4 (12:37):
Don't forget all of the the smoke that we inhaled
from all the manufacturing plants that was right around the corner.

Speaker 2 (12:44):
Just incredible, incredible, uh tim looking at and really just
the franchise and it's man, it's growth, it's metamorphosis from
those days to what it is now. Uh under really
the same regime, the Brown family. So it's made unbelievable strides.

Speaker 4 (13:05):
Yeah, I mean think about the NFL is a ten
billion dollar sport, so they come a long way. It's
and it's it's America's number one sport, and it is
that way for a reason that the NFL has done
it just an absolutely marvelous job and marketing and putting
a product out there that you know, the people, I'm
not just in America now all around the world just

(13:25):
gets to enjoy. And it's going to continue to grow
and grow and grow and I'm just happy to be
that I was a part of it at one point
in time to help build it, and I'm excited about
what the future holds for it. It's never changing, it's
it's always exciting that it's it's the National Football League, baby.

Speaker 2 (13:43):
And is it important to get Chase's deal done this year?
I keep thinking if he would just wait a year,
he might get more money next year. But is it
important from a pr standpoint that the club looks good
when it gets done, that they don't look like cheap skates?

Speaker 8 (14:03):
Well?

Speaker 4 (14:03):
Yeah, I mean, you know, the club has had a
reputation that preceded them in the years past that they
didn't get things done in the timely fast it even
if they got it done, And so yeah, I think
it would be very risky to not do a Chase
deal considering every other receiver that's up as off the
board right now, and they have all got their money,
They've all got paid very well, they got their guaranteed money,

(14:26):
and we know the Bengals have it, so why not
do it? And that's what people are coming to the
stadium to see. They're coming to Sea Takes play. They
come to see Joe play Joe's gotten his money. It's
not for Chase to get here. He will And you know,
again this would be a conversation on the paths. These
things always seem to work out.

Speaker 2 (14:43):
And the schedule with New England coming out of the
gate and then going right to Kansas City, if you're
going to get them, get them early.

Speaker 4 (14:53):
Yeah, well, humble probably will probably happen in the second
week of the season, but that's your miserable you get
to see. If you want to get to the super Bowl,
you know pretty much going to have to go through
Kansas City. So why not you know, face them early
on this season if you're one and one at the time,
that couldn't I don't see nothing wrong with that. You know,
you're gonna probably face them in the playoffs at some
point time, and if it's not them, it's going to

(15:15):
be somebody just as good, if not better.

Speaker 2 (15:18):
And then you come back on Monday night against Washington
with the Ring of Honor game. It'll be fun to
see Tim Crumrae and Corey Dillon again and then Carolina
Baltimore the New York Football Giants. So yeah, it's just
so critical to get off to a fast start because
you want to host postseason games, you don't want to

(15:40):
be traveling.

Speaker 3 (15:41):
Tim.

Speaker 4 (15:43):
Well, not only that chick, your points is well taken.
But when you look at the two teams Baltimore number one,
that's your division rival, you know people are going to
pick them to win the division, rightfully so. And then secondly,
you know in order to get to the super Bowl
and get through the player else, you're gonna have to
go through Kansas City. So I just think those a
great game that you can measure where you are early

(16:05):
in the season to be prepared for a lot of
part of the season.

Speaker 5 (16:08):
They know what they're gonna take, but you're.

Speaker 4 (16:10):
Gonna you're going to be faith and teams like that,
and then there's gonna be that one surprise team. So
I think the Bengals can position theirself with their schedule
that they'll be not just prepared to make a run,
but to make a deep run into the playoffs and
hopefully the super Bowl.

Speaker 2 (16:24):
How about in Tim mcgeese with us for just a
couple more minutes and Tim the uh to new kickoff rules?
Uh Man, does that look Does that look strange to you?

Speaker 4 (16:35):
I was gonna use the term stupid, but you know,
I guess they're trying something because you know, special teams
basically doesn't exist in the NFL no more because of
all the head trauma. And I understand the states of
protocols and all that.

Speaker 5 (16:49):
But that's a little becoming. That's something.

Speaker 4 (16:51):
I think it's gonna have to grow on us and
give it a chance. I guess we'll try to give
it a chance. I don't really understand it. If it
doesn't bring some excitement to the game, if it doesn't
bring points or big chunk plays, why do it? And
we know every time there seems to be a long
run back on a punt or a kickoff there there's

(17:13):
a penalty.

Speaker 5 (17:13):
So it's just gonna be interesting. But you know what,
give them credit. At least they're trying.

Speaker 2 (17:18):
And tim the The whole theme is open in orange.
So we're going to see a lot of orange on Sunday,
from the crowd to the stadium to the players uniforms.

Speaker 3 (17:29):
And I'm hoping you're dressed in orange on Sunday.

Speaker 4 (17:33):
That won't happen, But then again, let me yeah, I'll
have an orange, but I gonna put I won't put
my Bengals orange on because I don't want to drink something.
So if everybody don't look good and lou that's what
my dad always said, So you probably don't want to
focus on how you.

Speaker 5 (17:47):
Look, but better yet, how you play.

Speaker 4 (17:49):
So hopefully they'll they'll play well enough and then they
can put their orange on.

Speaker 2 (17:53):
So you're not worried about Jamar Chase at all. Uh
you think he'll be in uniform on Sunday?

Speaker 4 (18:01):
Oh absolutely, yeah, he'll be in uniform and everybody relix.
He'll be in uniform. If he'll catch passes, he'll be
the impact player that we know he could be and
going to be. And his contract is going to get done.
And remember something, he's under contract. This is not like
he doesn't have any contract. He has a contract. But
rightfully so he should be extended based on the market.

(18:22):
The market that's saying receivers should get between.

Speaker 5 (18:25):
Thirty and thirty five.

Speaker 4 (18:26):
Maybe hey, he may even push it to forty million
a year, who know. But unfortunately, when some Bengals or
any team decides to be the last to pay their
star players, well guess what, you're probably going to end
up handing the most. So that's just the way the
market goes. And you know, he'll benefit me.

Speaker 3 (18:42):
Tim, It's always a pleasure.

Speaker 2 (18:44):
Thank you so much for joining us today on Cincinnati's
ESPN fifteen thirty. And I look forward to seeing you
on Sunday, September Race for the opener.

Speaker 4 (18:54):
All right, all right, Batman, I'll see you then.

Speaker 2 (18:56):
All right, I'm Robin and you are Batman. But thanks
so much, Tim, that is awesome, Thank you so much.
This is Chick Ludwig filling in for Moeger today, going
till six o'clock and then I'm just gonna take a
little little hiatus down the hallway and seven hundred WLW.
I will have the Kelsey Chevrolet Extra Inning Show after

(19:18):
the Reds game against Houston. The first pitch is at
four to ten today, so I'll try to keep you
abreast with that. After the bottom of the hour, we're
gonna bring a Scott Springer, the Cincinnati Bearcats beat rider
for the Cincinnati Enquirer, and talk some Bearcat football. This
is Chick Ludwig filling it for Moeger on Cincinnati's ESPN

(19:40):
fifteen thirty, the Home of the Bengals.

Speaker 9 (19:43):
The Bengals twenty twenty four season began.

Speaker 3 (19:46):
Spikes the ball in the back of the X, Orange.

Speaker 9 (19:49):
And Black kick off there run for the Super Bowl
against New England's Papers.

Speaker 3 (19:53):
Sixty three yards. The magic is bad.

Speaker 9 (19:56):
Time for Joebur or his boys to put on the check. Yeah,
don't Davin rush of the patch like an empty beer
can get the call from Den Horde and Dave Lap.
Coverage begins Sunday morning at nine on ESPN fifteen thirty,
the official home of the Labels.

Speaker 3 (20:14):
It's natural.

Speaker 2 (20:16):
Chick Ludwig filling in for Moeger today on Cincinnati's ESPN
fifteen thirty, and Bengals head coach Zach Taylor just finished
up addressing the media.

Speaker 3 (20:26):
Let's listen to what Zach had to say.

Speaker 10 (20:31):
All right, I'll start by announcing our captains, especially as
captains were Keim, David Gather and Evan McPherson. On defense,
we had Jermaine Pratt, Sam Hubbard and Von Bell. And
our offense we had Burrow, Ted and Orlando. So I
think it's a great group of eight. You know, there's
no number I really usually put on it. A lot
of guys got votes. You can make an argument for

(20:52):
about twenty and it was really was impossible to whido
it down tighter than that we had eight guys that
are all very qualified and uh, I feel really good
as they were nominated by their by their peers.

Speaker 11 (21:05):
Do you expect markets to play.

Speaker 9 (21:07):
On the center.

Speaker 10 (21:08):
We'll just take a day to day.

Speaker 6 (21:12):
Do you have to put together a.

Speaker 11 (21:13):
Game fans had that kind of time.

Speaker 10 (21:16):
Yeah, we're always ready. You know, there's always injuries and
things you got to deal with. So we're we're adapt
to that.

Speaker 3 (21:22):
Boards.

Speaker 10 (21:24):
We'll see, we'll give it through the week. I'm I mean,
it's impossible for me to say with with a hundred
percent conviction, but I feel good about the shape that
he's in.

Speaker 6 (21:42):
Yeah.

Speaker 10 (21:42):
I mean you have to ask those guys that are
going through it anywhere, right, I mean, I think that's
the that that's the best way to put it that
there's a bunch of guys that maybe weren't captains that

(22:02):
still have that responsibility in that pool, in the locker
room and with me.

Speaker 3 (22:07):
But Pratt.

Speaker 10 (22:07):
It was good to see Pratt get the recognition he deserves.
You know, he does a great job. He works hard
in the in the film room, hard worker on the
practice practice field obviously, and makes a ton of plays
for us in the games. Very smart player, it's in
year six, same year as me. That's easy to remember.
So again, it's just good to see guys rewarded and
knowing that it could have been a bunch of other

(22:28):
guys as well. Together time well, Smart Player, we played
against him. Smart Player had a lot of respect. Uh,
you know, he's a guy.

Speaker 2 (22:42):
I know.

Speaker 10 (22:43):
We we tracked on special teams before and then he
got opportunities on defense, and so we had a very
clear picture. This is like a lot of more feedback
than normal. I feel like we had a very clear
picture of what he was as a person dating back
to his time at Iowa seeing his role in that
defense in Baltimore. He executed it very well, So you
could see a very smart player, gread, communicator, made a

(23:04):
lot of plays on the ball. It was always where
he needed to be, and we just thought that was
the right fit for us on defense. And he's to
a te he's been everything that we'd hoped he would be.
And so I think it's been really good to see
him and Vaughn and the other dbs back there communicating,
and I mean good good rundown player where he can
fit in the box and make the tackle and can

(23:25):
be a physical presence in there and at the same
time be in the back end and hold up his
cover responsibilities and be a weapon force as well.

Speaker 3 (23:32):
There.

Speaker 10 (23:32):
So, just a very well rounded player that's been a
good asset for us on defense.

Speaker 2 (23:38):
That is Zach Taylor, Bengals head coach, and he was
addressing a geno stone new safety for this club. So
we've reached the bottom of the hour. When we come back,
we'll be joined by Scott Springer talking bear Cat football
when we return. On Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty, the.

Speaker 9 (23:58):
Bengals twenty twenty fourth season began.

Speaker 2 (24:00):
And spikes the ball in the back of the outside.

Speaker 9 (24:03):
Orange and Black kick off their run for the Super
Bowl against New England's Papers.

Speaker 12 (24:07):
Sixty three yards.

Speaker 3 (24:09):
The Magic is back.

Speaker 9 (24:10):
Time for joebur or his boys to put on the show.

Speaker 3 (24:13):
Check com Heaven, rush.

Speaker 9 (24:16):
The patch like an empty beer can get the call
from Dan Hood and Dave Laft. Coverage begin Sunday morning
at nine on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of
the Lingals, Cincinnati's sports station.

Speaker 2 (24:32):
Three point thirty six in the Queen City Chick Ludwig
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty filling in for moe Ager Today,
honor pleasure and privilege to welcome in our next guest.

Speaker 3 (24:43):
We have something in common.

Speaker 2 (24:45):
He's in the Anderson High School Hall of Mediocrity and
the Chickster is in the Elder High School Hall of Mediocrity.
Welcome in, Scott Springer, Bearcats beat Rider, Cincinnati and choir.

Speaker 3 (24:59):
Scott, how are you well?

Speaker 13 (25:01):
I'm actually waiting for that hall to be built, but
I'm told that in a far corner that they will
kisel out my name for the in the c student section.

Speaker 5 (25:10):
So yeah, I'm.

Speaker 9 (25:11):
Looking forward to that.

Speaker 13 (25:12):
And he's seating the adoring public.

Speaker 2 (25:15):
And Scott, Like I texted you yesterday, I like Scott
s Sadderfield and Springer.

Speaker 13 (25:24):
There you go.

Speaker 2 (25:25):
I like the job he's doing. People were so down
on him last year. He's the to me, he's the
anti Luke Fickele.

Speaker 3 (25:32):
I like it.

Speaker 2 (25:33):
I like the way he talks, I like the way
he walks, and I like the way he coaches.

Speaker 3 (25:37):
And I'm giving him definitely a chance.

Speaker 2 (25:39):
This team looked so much better than last season's team
right out of the gate.

Speaker 5 (25:45):
Well yeah, I.

Speaker 13 (25:46):
Think they are better. I think the one thing you
take away from the first game is you know, gee wiz,
you would have liked to have won that game more
handily because you look at a lot of blowouts in
the first week. But what you tell out of the
first week, you know, there's some pretty good teams that
blew out some pretty bad teams. There's some decent teams
that played with some so so teams. I mean, you see,

(26:07):
we'll go to Texas Tech later in the month. They
played Abilene Christian also an FCS team, just like Towson,
also five and six last year, just like Towson, and
they went overtime and it was like fifty two to
fifty one. And I'm sure Texas Tech would be better.
I'm sure Cincinnati will be better, should be better. You

(26:29):
watched the first quarter of the UC Towson game, and
that's kind of what you expected.

Speaker 9 (26:34):
And then things, you know.

Speaker 13 (26:35):
There was just a couple of bounces of the ball
that didn't go their way and.

Speaker 5 (26:41):
Things like that.

Speaker 13 (26:42):
I don't know, I'm not a coach. It's probably tough
to get your guys up for a game like that.
They seize back the momentum in the second half, and
then honestly, it looked like they pulled things back somewhat.
You took a knee inside the ten late that have
been another score. He had a fumble inside the ten

(27:03):
that would have been another score. There was a miss
field goal, so tack on seventeen there and you're at
fifty five. That's what Pitt had against Kent State. But
I think we're gonna know more next week when we
watched you know, the bear Cants and the.

Speaker 3 (27:16):
Panthers, no doubt about that.

Speaker 2 (27:17):
And redshirt sophomore quarterback Brennan Soresby, Wow right out of
the gate, the Big twelve, the newcomer of the week
with that thirty eight to twenty victory over Towson and
Wow four counted for four touchdowns, he passed for three
eighty three through two, ran for two. Man, what do

(27:38):
you make of Brendan Soorsby, Well, I like him.

Speaker 13 (27:42):
From the start. It's just I'm sure you've met people
before where you just kind of talk to them and
it's not so much what yeah, they're good athletically, but
the way they carry themselves, their mannerisms, the you know,
the confidence, and he just looks like a quarterback somebody
that i'd want to lead leave the team, and you
know he's a heck of a runner too, and they
really didn't use him too much there. He did score

(28:03):
the two restling touchdowns but had a total of five yards.
But he could run it more if need be, and
he's a big fellaw but passed really well. You know,
at halftime it was seventeen for twenty three for three
twenty eight, I believe, and you know, like I said,
I think they wanted to try to get the running
game going a little bit more in the second half,
and you look at what they did running wise. They

(28:25):
ran for two seventy five. Now last year their fifth
in the country average. In two seventeen, they ran for
two seventy five, and I forget what the total yards
were off the top of my head, but it was
six hundred and fifty seventy something like that. Pretty solid effort.
So yeah, you may be disappointed that the score wasn't

(28:47):
what you wanted, but I think they got what they
wanted out of Week one and they played I beleeve
sixty five guys, including thirty four new players, and that's
what every football team's running into. Now you have so
many new guys with the answer portal, and you're trying
to kind of turn new guys into your guys and
get everybody because he's of like that and it has

(29:08):
to be done quickly. It's it's more like an NFL
setup anymore, not the you know, for your veteran in all.

Speaker 2 (29:17):
Scott Springer has joined us here on Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen
thirty talking Bearcat football. I was very excited to see,
being an Ohio State grad, a couple of Ohio State
former players come back here and start for the Bearcats
in Evan Pryor and Joe Royer, especially Joe Royer tight

(29:39):
end from Miama Mater Elder High School.

Speaker 13 (29:42):
Oh yeah, he's got to covered with with the buck
Eyes and Elder and he's back in Cincinnati, and I
think he's really comfortable. I think he's happy to be
back home. You know, Ohio State is a tough deal.
You can get lost on his depth start there, and
he had some injuries and had had some other issues there,
lost his mother.

Speaker 5 (30:00):
I think he's, you.

Speaker 13 (30:01):
Know, bounced back really well and he looks very comfortable.
And I mean, heck, he had five catches in the
first half and he only caught four at Ohio State
throughout his career. Now, granted, you know, you had all
those other issues going on, but he looks like a
possible NFL tight end to me. Sixty five two fifty
five can run, and he hurdled the guy the other day,

(30:24):
so and they used the tight ends quite a bit,
so I think he's going to do bigger and better
things for him. But it was nice to see him
get out to a great start. I know he had
a lot of family there and then prior you know,
he was your first carry, sixty four yards touchdown, what
more do you want? He's fast, and I think they're
going to use those guys in addition to Corey Kiner

(30:48):
who only had seven carries, and you know, he had
fifty six yards, so that's eight yards.

Speaker 3 (30:52):
A pop for him.

Speaker 13 (30:53):
That's not bad. And Chance Williams is another guy at
a Grambling that's got some speed like prior so, but
I think did a lot to help himself. You know,
obviously one hundred and five yards and he really could
have scored at the end of the game there too,
but I guess they figured they already had one, so
let him go.

Speaker 2 (31:11):
Yeah, congratch to Xavier Henderson and a sterling Burkhlter, so
getting in the end zone and just a lot of
there's a lot of talent there. And then what is
your takeaway from this defense, Scott.

Speaker 13 (31:26):
Springer, Well, they certainly could use Dante Corleone, who is
not played yet. And I don't know if it's a
great news slash yet, but in his press conference today,
Pat and Ardouzi, the Pitt coach, said he believes that
Corleone is going to play on Saturday. Now, I've not
heard anything from UC on that it's the blood clot situation.

(31:48):
He had blood clots in his lungs in June. They
got him to the hospital resolved that I've told people before.

Speaker 9 (31:55):
I've actually had a.

Speaker 13 (31:56):
Blood clot a handful of years ago, about seven in
my leg. When you're on bloodthinders, you're limited on what
you can do. So from a layman's health explanation here,
my guess is he's going to be weaned off these
blood tenders at some point. And I don't know if
that's going to be this week or against Miami or

(32:18):
Game four against Houston. I don't know. I'm telling you
what the Pitt coach in his estimation, he thinks that
Corleone is going to play.

Speaker 3 (32:25):
Now.

Speaker 13 (32:26):
Can they use them absolutely? Because you lost a couple
defensive linemen in the preseason that would have played a ton,
so they need some help there. The linebackers are solid.
I'm looking at some video right now. Jake Goldey, who
kid they got out of Central Arkansas, and he looks
just like Jack Dangle and they played similar. And then

(32:48):
Jared Bartler, the West Virginia transfer played the Saturday, had
a great game. I think led the team in tackles
and they had the first sack. So great linebacking crew,
the defensive backs. You know, it's probably still needs some work,
but again, this is a new defense three three five.
It is meant to protect against the past, and that's
what Pitt's gonna do coming in because their new quarterback

(33:11):
in Alabama transferred through for three hundred and thirty six
yards in thirty out of forty. So they're gonna need
some help in that secondary and some form of the
pass rucks Saturday to get something done against Pitt, and
it'll come in of it steam. Because they lost last
year to the Bearcats twenty seven to twenty one.

Speaker 2 (33:29):
It's going to be a very emotional day the bringing
back the Bearcats twenty eighteen, and gosh, congratulations to Tony Pike.
An emotional day and it's just going to be an
awesome time at the NIP for the pitt Panthers and
Scott Springer can't thank you enough for taking time out
of your busy schedule to join us.

Speaker 13 (33:50):
Always happy to be on with the Chicksture.

Speaker 3 (33:52):
Appreciate you steing.

Speaker 13 (33:53):
We can celebrate mediocrity together.

Speaker 2 (33:56):
Together, yes, sir, all right, yeah, thank you so much.

Speaker 13 (33:58):
Why we work on Labor Day, man, it's a day
for mediocre people to get things done.

Speaker 2 (34:03):
Outstanding, Scott, thank you, sir. Appreciate the coverage you bet.
And when we come back, we're gonna go up to
Dayton and bring in Marcus Hartman, who covers the Buckeyes
for the Dayton Daily News. When we return on Cincinnati's
ESPN fifteen thirty. We need your help, chick Ludwigs, Cincinnati's

(34:24):
ESPN fifteen thirty filling in for Moager till six o'clock tonight.

Speaker 3 (34:28):
Let's go up to Dayton, Ohio.

Speaker 2 (34:30):
Welcome and my friend from the Dayton Daily News to
talk a little Buckeye football.

Speaker 3 (34:34):
Marcus Hartman, Marcus welcome, How are you?

Speaker 5 (34:39):
I'm good?

Speaker 6 (34:39):
How are you?

Speaker 2 (34:40):
Oh fantastic and is it safe to say, Marcus that
a star is born in freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith
for the Buckeye six foot three, two hundred and fifteen
pounds from Miami Gardens, Florida.

Speaker 3 (34:53):
He sure looked good.

Speaker 14 (34:56):
Yeah, yeah, you know, it was funny. He was the
number one recruit in the I guess you saw for
a reason. Obviously, he looks like he's more than an
eighteen year old, even in these days where you know,
you see a lot of advanced guys kind of coming along.
Ryan Day was saying, basically, it was kind of an
interesting juxtaposition, is they were sort of saying all along

(35:16):
as soon as he showed up, they knew he was
the real deal and he was probably going to be
starting and playing right away. But they also didn't want
to just overhype him too much either, and so he
kind of saw why, you know, I think Akron was
what was They didn't want to get run on. So
they were presenting some one on one situations and we

(35:37):
already saw, you know that he's a guy who can
take care of those kinds of things. And you know
the other thing is Brian Hartland the receivers coach had
been talking about since spring. You know, he really kind
of takes care of his business. You know, he wasn't
like a freshman who kind of showed up and didn't
know what he was doing or what he should be doing.
I mean he was he was taking care of himself
and going to meetings and doing things though, like the

(35:58):
way a coach likes to see guys kind of take
care of their business, even when.

Speaker 12 (36:02):
They're a little older.

Speaker 2 (36:03):
Yeah, the score was three to nothing early in favor
of Akron, and of course, you know Ohio State great. I
start to worry when the Buckeyes are behind, but seventeen
to seventeen to three at half, and then they explode
for thirty five points in the second half. And Will
Howard looked like he just got better and better as
the game went on.

Speaker 6 (36:25):
Yeah, it was interesting, he said.

Speaker 14 (36:27):
You know, really, even in the middle of the game,
he started to sort of get a feel for you know,
one on one is.

Speaker 6 (36:33):
Open with these kind of receivers.

Speaker 12 (36:35):
You know that there's there's.

Speaker 14 (36:35):
Balls that maybe you wouldn't throw to other guys that
you can throw to the guys on this team. And
so it's he's kind of got a different mindset for
him that he can he can give guys a chance
to make a play, which you saw him do a
couple of times with Smith, and you know there was
one way through the touchdown pass to Brandon Tate to
Carnel Tate and where you know, he just kind of

(36:57):
caught it a mid about three guys and then just
but little move on in the outruns everybody. So you know,
it's an easy job for the quarterback if he can
do some kind of basic thing. So Howard has been
kind of interesting to talk to him a few times
and see him kind of get used to being an
Ohio State quarterback. You know, it's kind of a lot
to take in all at one time. I think you

(37:18):
kind of saw the maturity and the experience are really
the main reason they brought him in. And then whatever
skill set he's got, you know, you know, maybe he's
almost a little bit of a bonus and he doesn't
have to be c. J. Stroud to just come in
and blow people away physically, as long as he is
able to run the offense, you know, make sure they're
running the right play into whatever defense they're seeing, and

(37:40):
just be an accurate pastor, you know, put the ball
way it needs to be, when it needs to be there,
and let everybody else sort.

Speaker 6 (37:46):
Of do the hard work.

Speaker 2 (37:47):
Yes, Will Howard seventeen of twenty eight, two hundred twenty
eight yards and three touchdowns. I love the no interceptions
and Trayvon Henderson is back eight care sixty five yards.
Didn't get in the end zone, but still a productive day.
The Buckeyes rushed for one hundred and seventy yards. Now
they've they've got Western Michigan coming up and then Marshall

(38:12):
so it's a it's a steady and then going to
Michigan State. So yeah, how do you see this this
club maturing here?

Speaker 3 (38:21):
Marcus?

Speaker 14 (38:23):
Yeah, it's you know, it's really nice that they can
really they can kind of mess around with things, especially
on offense, which they sort of talked about.

Speaker 12 (38:32):
I felt like they did a lot.

Speaker 14 (38:32):
I haven't gone back and charted recharted every play, but
I felt like offensively, you know, they were trying a
lot of different things, especially in the running game. You know,
some teams just run a lot of zone or I
call a lot of gaff. I felt like they did
about every different running play you can imagine, once or
twice on Saturday afternoon, and so I think they're gonna
be work shopping some things and first what fits these
off what's I'm sorry, what fits this offensive line and

(38:54):
what fits these backs? And then you're gonna have Howard
be part of the running game as well. So there's
kind of a they've got a period of time here
where they can experiment a little bit and just kind
of work out through the different things that are in
Chip Kelly's playbook and figure out what works best for everybody.
You know, they were missing their best offensive lineman, Donovan Jackson,

(39:15):
who it sounds like we'll probably be back this week.
You know, I would imagine maybe it was a little
bit of a different game situation, maybe he would have played.
And so, you know, the line is going to need
some time to gel anyway, and the line is really
the biggest.

Speaker 12 (39:28):
Question mark on the team.

Speaker 14 (39:29):
I think that there's every reason to think that they
will be solid. I doubt they're going to be just
blowing people off the ball, but they should be plenty
good enough when you've got those backs, and you've got
the quarterback, and you've got the passing game. Even last year,
once Traveon came back, you know, a couple of games
before that, there were a few times where it's like, well,
there was kind of a hole there and the back
didn't quite hit it. And a guy like Travon Henderson

(39:51):
then makes the blocking look a lot better sometimes. So
having him in Judkins, you know, I think that they're
going to complement each other, Judkins being a little bit
more of a between the tackles runner and Henderson being
the home run hitter. You know, there's a lot of
different things to work with, and as I said, they've
got plenty of time to kind of to kind of
ease into the schedule, and this is a good year
to be able to do that with the way the

(40:11):
playoff is going to be expanded, and and you know,
you're kind of want to be that's your best at
the end of the year, but maybe you don't want
to have pedals to the medal from week one as
you have traditionally in college football.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
You're absolutely right, and there's a ton of talent on defense.
At some point, we'll talk more about the buck Eyes
going forward, and I'm excited that a couple of former
buck Eyes are starring for the Bearcats in Evan Pryor
and Joe Royer. So, but Marcus, you do a great
job for the Dayton Daily News and Cox Enterprises, Hamilton

(40:46):
and Springfield, and thank you so much for your time today.

Speaker 3 (40:49):
Really appreciate you, absolutely, absolutely, thank you very much.

Speaker 2 (40:52):
All Right, thanks, that's Marcus Hartman. And after the top
of the hour, we're going to welcome in the sports
columnist from the Cincinnati Enquirer, Jason Williams. Will touch on
the Reds, who are getting ready for first pitch against
the Houston Astros, but we'll continue to hammer away on
plenty of football wall to wall here with your host,

(41:14):
Chick Ludwig on Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (41:18):
It's Mattress Firms.

Speaker 1 (41:20):
Is ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (42:03):
Four five in the Queens City of Cincinnati.

Speaker 2 (42:05):
Chick Ludwig Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen point thirty, filling in from
Moweger today all the wait till six o'clock, kind enough
to join us on his off day sports columnists for
the Cincinnati enquire Our good friend, he's all over the
iHeartMedia airwaves here in Cincinnati, especially seven hundred WLW.

Speaker 3 (42:29):
My good friend, Jason Williams. Jason, how are you today, sir?

Speaker 15 (42:35):
Hey, chickter, I'm out the Wyoming swim Club right now,
just getting some sun and I was looking forward to
looking forward to talking to you and Tarin and just
glad to be with you.

Speaker 3 (42:46):
Hey, appreciate that.

Speaker 2 (42:47):
And before we get into the Bengals and bear Cats,
I want to touch on them. I want to ask
you your take on the Cincinnati Reds and Saturday night
the play if Noel J. Marte at third base anchored
there and and he stayed on a groundball double play
of all the times we've seen the contact play where

(43:11):
the Reds get chopped down at home plate, you know,
on on infield grounders. Here they're conceding a run and
Noel A. Marte says, no, I don't want to I
don't want to run home. And that's what lost it
for me on Saturday night. And I just wanted to
get your take on the Reds. And it was a

(43:34):
great win yesterday, no doubt to finally, you know, to
not get swept by the Milwaukee Brewers. Yeah, but you know,
to lose three out of four to and then I'm
you know, I'm listening to Jonathan Indie after the game,
and uh, you know, he's right they they just want
to finish as strong as they possibly can and then
really get ready for next year. But and try to

(43:57):
play some spoiler here, but it's just a disappointing season
from this jump.

Speaker 15 (44:03):
Very much of chick And you know, I've been one
of these top I've been in the camp of be
patient when you look at rebuilding and they tore this
whole thing down and spring training row right ahead of
I mean they finished it off in spring training of
twenty twenty two. I've been in the mode that I
always thought twenty twenty five would be the year now

(44:24):
in saying that I didn't think they'd make the base
running mistake, I mean they're making base running mistakes that
my eleven year old, my eleven year old team is making.
And we moved up to another higher level in our
in baseball, in the select level this year, and we
made some of the same mistakes. And it's like, I'm like,
and I'm not kidding you, Like there are so many

(44:46):
things that I'm like, oh wait, Like you start to
think about younger players for the most part making those
kind of bait, and so there's got to be some
kind of a grace period in there at this point though,
we're still seeing it, and I don't think it's a
player's issue. Well it's a play it's it's an accountability

(45:06):
issue across the board. I think Barry Larkin was right
accountability across the board, but for the fact, you know,
I still think about Jonathan India's base running mistake yesterday.
That's a veteran player, well a veteran player for this team,
and for them to still be making those mistakes at
this point as the calendar's turn to September, it's like, Okay,

(45:27):
some changes are going to need to be made in
the offseason. I don't know if that's changing up right now.
Some of the coaching. I think that's probably the direction.
And I'm not there's nothing I know, but I'm just saying, like,
when you look at this thing, I think they're probably
going to need to change up some of the coaching
and there's going to be need to be some new

(45:49):
some kind of more accountability measures put in. I know
there's a lot of people out there right now calling
for David Bell's head. He's in the first year of
a of a three year contract extension and that's not
going to happen.

Speaker 5 (46:01):
I don't think.

Speaker 15 (46:02):
I don't think it needs to happen, but I do
think there needs to be more accountability, and I think
there needs to be some changes in the coaching staff,
because when they're still making some of these same mistakes
that an eleven year old team or some of these
guys are making at eleven and twelve years old, are
happening on the big league level, it's like, Okay, something's
not right here. And I know that's like, oh newsflash,

(46:23):
like Captain obvious. But it's time to in the and
again in the off season to address it. Let's see
how they they just finish out, get some guys, some reps,
get them some.

Speaker 3 (46:37):
Yeah, and out the string. Yeah.

Speaker 15 (46:39):
But yeah, there's some things that need to be addressed
in the off season, no doubt.

Speaker 2 (46:42):
I remember taking a baseball coaching class at Ohio State
from Dick Finn and Barry Bonnell. The major league baseball
player uh was in my class. He wound up playing
a long time in the American League with the Toronto
Blue Jays. Anyway, he says, there's no way you should
get picked off first base by a lefty because he

(47:03):
shows you the ball and there's a roll to as
Chapman picking guys off and then simple rundowns. You know,
we saw that duel a Marte hanging on to the
ball too long and by the time he gets the
ball to the second baseman Kai safe. Just just crazy
stuff like that, but you're absolutely right. And a consistent
power bat in the outfield. It just and then just

(47:27):
continuing to add to the pitching staff and getting guys healthy.
It was so refreshing to see Brandon Williamson come back yesterday.
That was fantastic.

Speaker 15 (47:38):
That was encouraging. And this pitching staff for the most part.
Obviously there's a lot of guys.

Speaker 5 (47:42):
Hurt now, but the pitching has been great.

Speaker 15 (47:45):
And if you have said, I remember you and I
talking in spring training. I went out to the Inquirer
route for a week, my usual week out of spring training.

Speaker 5 (47:51):
Yid was out there.

Speaker 15 (47:52):
We're talking, yeah, and he said, man, it's all about
Hunter Green. If Hunter Green has a good year, the
team's going to be fine. And he had a good year.
This team wasn't fine. I'm not throwing it him the bus.
I'm just saying we both agreed on that, because you
would have thought, like if this team, as Hunter Green
went this team went and that turned out to not
be true, and it turned out to not be true

(48:13):
because of a lot of just dumb mistakes. And I'll
tell you mentioned Marte there, and he should not be
in the big leagues right now. He should be getting
his reps in the minor leagues. You know, what a
disappointment he's been. And you know, obviously he had the
steroid suspension and then for him not to take accountability

(48:33):
for that, I thought that was a bad sign out
of the gate when he came back and he talked
to the reporters and he didn't take responsibility and he
didn't really own it and say I let this team down.
He didn't, you know, say all those things. And again,
you know, be honest, but also like if that's not
how you're feeling, Like, okay, so what's going on here?
And now he's turned out to be he's he's a

(48:55):
mess and there's no other way to put that. And
and again, what twenty two years old? And so you're like, Okay,
on the flip side, you want to just keep throwing
him out there and see how he overcomes adversity. But
what is what's gonna.

Speaker 12 (49:12):
Come of him?

Speaker 15 (49:13):
You know, and and that's a guy that's one of
those core young guys they were really looking at here
and he has not performed and then he had the
steroid suspension on top of that. There should be a
lot of red flags there with him. And I that
that that leads you to wonder like is this thing
really going to pan out? And I and again I

(49:37):
I still think twenty twenty five was the target year,
but there's some things that aren't pointing in a good
direction for twenty twenty five.

Speaker 2 (49:46):
Jason, Yes, Jason Williams from the Cincinnan Choir is with us.
And yeah, yeah, when you lose three quarters of your
infield before the season even starts with Matt McClain and
Christian Encarnacion strand early on in this season, this team
could look a heck of a lot better and it
better look better next year. And still a lot of

(50:07):
things to iron out in that outfield. Man, it's yeah,
it's a mess. But I would like to take a
little u turn here and man really start pointing to
this weekend six days away from the Bengals opener, and
Tim McGee talked me off the ledge here with Jamar
Chase right out of the Gate today. He thinks he

(50:29):
will play. He thinks he will contribute, whether it's a
four or five catches touchdown or two. And that makes
me feel a little bit better. But I know fans
are worried. I'm still worried. I guess I'm a worrier.
But I'm not sleeping on the New England Patriots. Everyone
is taking them for granted. I can't because the way

(50:50):
this team has started the last few years.

Speaker 15 (50:54):
Yeah, I think that's a great I don't blame you.
I go back to Ted. Charris told reporters this time,
I don't know two three weeks ago, and he said, hey,
this has been the toughest camp that he's been in
in the three seasons he's been here, that Zach made
some changes that they've they've it's been a little bit
and I'm paraphrasing, but it's been it's been tougher for them.
My takeaway from his quotes were that, you know, hey, Zach,

(51:19):
Zach realizes like, you can't get off of these zero
and two starts. To think about it, man, they would
have they would have split the first two games last year,
they'd have made the playoffs at ten and seven, ten
and seven got you in and maybe the matchups are
ultimately who you beat or whatever might have put him out.
But still that slow start, ultimately, you know, can come
back to hurt them. And so I thought that was

(51:41):
a good sign. I'm like, it's a good sign of
a still I think, you know, I still think Zach
Taylor is still a young guy. I mean, he's what
forty one, forty two years old. He's got a long
way to go in terms of his careers. And for
him to make that adjustment finally, I think is good.
Uh and Ted Carris isn't a guy who's gonna you know,
blow smoke and just say things to say things. So
I thought that was a really good sign. Now, Jamar Chase,

(52:05):
I don't know. I I'm really and I think I
talked to some of my buddies are big Bengals fans,
and we've been talking about this, and I kind of
lean on them as, hey, what's the Bengals. What's Bengals
fans think here? And they're all of them tell me
they're just torn about it. They're torn, like you know,
like they're like, is is he gonna play? Is this
the fact that he hasn't practiced going to affect him, like,

(52:25):
and they still beat New England, which is a you know,
a rookie coach and they've got uh you know, and
they got quarterback issues, like and they still beat them
without Chase, Like I think so, but gosh, like, this
is a team that I think is set up to
run it back and get back to the playoffs this
year and make some noise in the playoffs. And then

(52:46):
you hate to see something like this, uh, you know,
cause them to get off to a slow start. I
was okay with the whole thing and Chick until you know, Chase,
you came to practice. He practiced well that last Sunday,
I think it was. And then that, you know, I
felt like he left his coach out. And I think
Zach has been in a tough spot and Zach has

(53:07):
handled it as well as he can because it's out
of his hands. And he put Zack in.

Speaker 3 (53:12):
A bad spot.

Speaker 15 (53:13):
Becu Zach' said, yeah, you know, we think he'll be
you know whatever, I'm paraphrase, but he think he'll be
back at practice, yeah, And then he goes up ten
minutes later after to the next practice in street clothes
and not practicing and It's like, what's going on here? Man?
You know, come on, and I know how Mike and
you know this chick you cover the Bengals forever. You know,
Mike Brown is as good as anyone in the media.

(53:35):
He's sitting there thinking like, gosh, this guy's got two
years left on his contract. Like we should be at
this point with him this time next year, we understand that,
you know, or next offseason that's when we're going to
really talk, you know, talk shop and getting paid. But
he got two more years left on your deal, man, Like,
go'll play? Yeah, And I I feel for you know

(53:57):
whatever in the it's all relative in the in the
concept of the NFL. But I'm with Mike Brown on this, man.
You know, you got two more years left on your deal,
Like get out there and play.

Speaker 2 (54:08):
Yeah, and if you have to a third year as
a franchise tag player, but that's not gonna happen, right,
So yeah, really.

Speaker 3 (54:17):
Like three years.

Speaker 2 (54:17):
But anyway, you finally get a Joe Burrow healthy through
training camp and then this with Jamar Chase. So it
just feels weird that everything isn't that everybody isn't on
the same page. You got guys asking to be traded,
and I just hope that this all can get settled.
They can all come together here on Open in Orange Day.

(54:41):
It's gonna be it's gonna be wild on Sunday.

Speaker 15 (54:46):
And I'm looking forward to being there, chick.

Speaker 5 (54:47):
It's gonna be a lot of fun.

Speaker 15 (54:48):
And I'm in the camp that I think the Bengals
will get off. And I wrote this my previous coming
up my preview column for a section and inquired this
coming up next week. But even if you start one
and one and then you got the next two games
against Washington and Carolina, you start three and one through
the first.

Speaker 14 (55:06):
Month of the season.

Speaker 15 (55:08):
My goodness, that's a nice start. You go in there
to Kansas City and maybe, you know, whatever happens. I mean,
one and one. This team has never They've only under
there there what one and nine in the in weeks
one and two under Zach Taylor. So if they go
one and one to start the season the first two weeks,
I think they're in a nice position.

Speaker 2 (55:28):
Yeah, and I'm looking forward to seeing, uh, you know,
the tight ends. It got five tight ends, unbelievable, Uh,
two solid running backs and just to see the makeup
of this offense. And how it uh and how it
matures and blossoms, and it's going to look different, there's
no doubt. And then I want to see, you know,
the the impact that von Bell can have, uh, you know,

(55:51):
with his presence back as as a captain on this
h of this defense.

Speaker 15 (55:58):
Well, you know, I I think when you look across
the defense and they you know a lot. There's not
a lot of talk about the defense from last year,
and I know certainly the Beat writers and the insiders
talk about it, but when you look at their defense
just wasn't good enough last year out hands down, And
I know like it was all kind of covered up
by Joe Burrow's injury and some of the issues they
had on offense. But for them to get von Bell

(56:21):
back is a huge, huge deal. That safety position is
a huge strength to this team. I mean, I still
I have visions of it kick and I'm sure you
do too, of Friar Mooth over the middle when they
played I think was it Jake Brownings first started home,
I'm pretty sure it was, and uh.

Speaker 5 (56:42):
Over the middle all day long.

Speaker 15 (56:44):
And they lose that game to Pittsburgh, and it's like,
you don't lose this game, but that was that was
a classic case of the fact that the safety position
was so weak last year after losing Baits and Bell
from the previous year, that it's like, all right, they
got to fix this. And they went out and credit
credit to the Bengals, you know, and all across the board,
credit to the Bengals. They they went out and they

(57:06):
addressed the safety position with Von Bell and Geno Stone.
They go out, at least they made an attempt to
fix things on the offensive line and in the trenches,
getting h Trent Brown resident might right tackle and then
Amarius Mems in the draft. And obviously those guys have
been banged up in the preseason here. But on the

(57:28):
on the you know, the defensive ta or defensive line side,
they needed to address that. They go get Sheldon Rankins,
who's more of a pass rusher than a run stopper.
But they go get next, you know, their second and
third round picks. They get Chris Jenkins from Michigan. They
get McKinley Jackson from Texas A and m he's hurt
right now. Chris Jenkins has had an underwhelming preseason. But

(57:50):
on again, on paper, you know, you said that after
last season they need to fix the safety spot, and
they need to fix things in the trenches. Well they
went out and did it. Duke Tobin, credit to him. Surely,
you know, there's been some injuries there in the trenches
and uh, you know, obviously you're relying on some development
things too. But I think that's a good sign that

(58:10):
they went out and it wasn't like they went out
and got another receiver or you know, they got Jermaine
ber I'm just saying like they didn't go out and
kind of waste to waste you know, money on you know,
some free agent pick of some flashy pick. They went
out and they addressed things in the offensive line, defensive line,
and you know, I don't know if it's all going
to pan out this year, but I think maybe long term,

(58:31):
uh you know, or maybe later in the season even
certainly again, if guys stay healthy, I think they're going
to be in a good position.

Speaker 2 (58:39):
And Jason Williams is with us for just a couple
more minutes in Jason, I try to look at the
bright side of having Jamar Chase out yep, with this
hold in, you know, just uh, giving more guys an opportunity.
The the Jermaine Burton's of the World and the Andre
Josavashs and and hopefully Chucky Sizzle, Charlie jone Owns can

(59:00):
can come on, and so, you know, opportunities for other guys,
setting the table for when Jamar Chase does come back.
He's such an impact and he's you know, I hope
he's there on Sunday and he can contribute and get
back up to speed because they're going to need him
against the Kansas City, you know.

Speaker 15 (59:21):
And I'm glad you mentioned that because some of these
young guys, these receivers, like they've got a lot of
talent in that receiver room. It's probably I mean, I think,
you know, outside of Joe Burrow, you would say it's
the strength of their team. And I asked someone this
the other day, and you know, it was the answer
was like, you know, it's kind of it was an
I don't know, but it's like, hey, do you think
maybe the front office is kind of slow playing the

(59:43):
Chase thing? And again, you know, Chick, you know this
as well as anyone. Mike Brown and Katie Blackburn so
much respect for them and how they they they negotiate contracts,
They are tough, they are fair and they're going to
get the best deal for the Bengals. And you know,
I don't I don't know if you can arm you that,
like hey, but I wonder too, like is it a

(01:00:04):
little bit of like, hey, you know, we've got some
and I know Jamar Chase is a whole other level
of player, and so I'm not I'm not pleased. I
don't want anyone to think like I'm saying, like Jamar, Oh,
they can do without Jamar Chase. I'm not saying that,
But I'm wondering, if you know the fact, there's a
lot of these other young players that you mentioned there,
and who are guys who have had a nice preseason
and who are you know, trending upward? Are they thinking like, Okay,

(01:00:27):
well we can we can kind of roll the dice
more than maybe we would on this and sort of
slow play it more.

Speaker 5 (01:00:33):
And let's let's see how these guys do.

Speaker 15 (01:00:36):
And again, I'm not saying Jermaine Burton or Yo Sivas
or any of those guys are are gonna are Jamar
is certainly not Jamar Chase. Now, whether it ever gonna
be Jamar Chase, I don't think so. But I think
they're all seem to be trending in a good direction
that you know they're going to be solid NFL receivers.

Speaker 2 (01:00:55):
Yeah, we saw what Joe Burrow can do with a
Trent Irwin and another one.

Speaker 12 (01:01:01):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (01:01:01):
Yeah, I think they can do well against New England.
But man, they're gonna need Jamar, no doubt against the
Kansas City Chiefs. But just can't wait for Opening Orange.
The stadium, the players, the uniforms, the stadium, and the fans.
It's going to be uh yeah, it's dress up in

(01:01:22):
Orange Day on Sunday and it all begins in six
days and the big crescendo, and I just hope Jamar
Chase is a part of it.

Speaker 3 (01:01:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 15 (01:01:32):
I mean, you know, I mean all those years you
covered the Bengals for Dayton Daily News and you know,
the empty seats in the upper deck and so much
negativity around the team, and to see to see, you know,
what this franchise has become. And I put a lot
of it on Joe Burrow, and I put a lot
of it too on Mike Brown's granddaughters. I think they've

(01:01:53):
really injected a lot of energy into the franchise and
those little things like you know, stripe, the stadium and uh,
you know, the Ruler of the Jungle. All those things
all factor into the excitement of the team and things
at the Bengals twenty years ago, fifteen years ago, they
didn't do.

Speaker 2 (01:02:13):
Man, their social media presence is just awesome. And yeah,
Elizabeth Blackburn man a lot of credit. They had to sell.
They had to sell Grandpa on the Ring of honor.
They did that, you know, oh yeah, And.

Speaker 15 (01:02:27):
Honestly, it's so cool to see for those long time
Bengals fans and the new generation. I mean, I think
it's my own sons who are eleven and seven and
they love the Bengals, and they got Joe Burrow jerseys
and you know, and just just to see that, you know,
there there's a winner to follow here in their own town.
Is it's a really fun thing to.

Speaker 2 (01:02:48):
See, Yeah, wrestling the Bengals, wrestling the city away from
the Cincinnati Reds.

Speaker 6 (01:02:53):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (01:02:54):
That's right.

Speaker 3 (01:02:55):
That's for another. It really is.

Speaker 2 (01:02:58):
It's a three hour sports talk show, doubt Jason, thank
you so much for taking time out of your off
day to join us today.

Speaker 3 (01:03:04):
Really appreciate it.

Speaker 15 (01:03:07):
Thanks Chick Chralthy and you're gonna be at the stadium
on Sunday.

Speaker 3 (01:03:12):
I will be.

Speaker 2 (01:03:12):
I've got postgame with with Tim McGee and I just
am not sure where whether we'll be at a remote
side or we'll be in the studio. Yeah, yes, Bobby listen,
all right, Thanks so much, Jason, appreciate you.

Speaker 3 (01:03:24):
Thank you very much.

Speaker 2 (01:03:25):
This is Chick Ludwig and you're listening to the Home
of the Bengals, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 9 (01:03:32):
The Bengals twenty twenty four season begins.

Speaker 3 (01:03:35):
Spikes the ball in the back of the.

Speaker 9 (01:03:37):
Ze, Orange and Black kick off their run for the
Super Bowl against New England's paper.

Speaker 3 (01:03:41):
Sixty three yards. The magic is.

Speaker 9 (01:03:44):
Bad time for Joba or his boys. Don't put on
the check. Heaven Rush the Pats like it. Empty beer
can get the call from Den Hood and Dave Laft.
Coverage begins Sunday morning at nine on ESPN fifteen thirty,
the official home of the Bengals Football Illinati brought to

(01:04:04):
you in part by modern office methods. On the official
home of the Bengals, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (01:04:14):
Football in the Nati Man.

Speaker 2 (01:04:17):
It was awesome having Jason Williams on talking Jamar Chase
and open in Orange.

Speaker 3 (01:04:23):
That's the hashtag.

Speaker 2 (01:04:25):
It's going to be awesome on Sunday with the stadium,
the players, uniforms, and the fans all decked out in
orange for Sunday's opening game against the New England Patriots.
And right now down at Great American Ballpark, the Cincinnati
Reds are hosting the Houston Astros. Bottom of the first inning,
the Reds have a two to ze lead against the

(01:04:47):
Astros and Justin Verlander, and Verlander winds up walking the
first three Reds, Jonathan India, Elie de la Cruz, and
Tyler Stevenson, and then TJ. Friedel a sacrifice fly and
then one out later, ty France singles to center, Elie
de la Cruz scores and the Reds have a two

(01:05:09):
to nothing lead in the first inning over the Houston Astros.

Speaker 3 (01:05:13):
Will keep you updated with that game, and I.

Speaker 2 (01:05:15):
Will have the Kelsey Chevrolet Extra Inning show following the
game on seven hundred WLW. But this is the Chickster
chick Ludwig and we are talking football on Cincinnati's ESPN
fifteen thirty.

Speaker 9 (01:05:32):
You've been listening to football in Thennetti on the official
home of the Bengals Cincinnatis ESPN fifteen thirty. The twenty
four season begins.

Speaker 3 (01:05:43):
Spikes the ball in the back of the.

Speaker 9 (01:05:45):
Xey, Orange and Black kick off their run for the
Super Bowl against New England's Papers sixty three yards.

Speaker 3 (01:05:52):
The magic is bad.

Speaker 9 (01:05:53):
Time for Joebur or his boys to put on the show.
Go Davin Rush, the Pats like it. Emptep Beer can
get the call live from Dan Hord and Dave Lap.
Coverage begin Sunday morning at nine on ESPN fifteen thirty,
The official home of the Labels.

Speaker 2 (01:06:14):
Four point thirty seven in the Queen City Chick Ludwicks
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty and one of the great traditions
in all of college football, the Ohio State University Marching
Band performing Script Ohio. Our next guest from Cincinnati LaSalle

(01:06:35):
High School Ohio State University. He missed his opportunity with
the Suzophone dotting the I during his days at Ohio
State from nineteen ninety one to nineteen ninety three, but
he gets to realize his dream on Saturday, September seventh,
when the Buckeyes host Western Michigan. He will be one

(01:06:58):
of the alumni and I script Ohio I daughters, it's
a pleasure to welcome in. Joe Coney, Joe, how are
you today?

Speaker 7 (01:07:08):
I'm doing fantastic check.

Speaker 6 (01:07:09):
How are you?

Speaker 2 (01:07:09):
Oh, fantastic welcome And it would have been awesome to
have you in studio with your suzophone. But just the
way it all worked out here, we appreciate you taking
time out on your labor day. But when you were
growing up in Cincinnati attending LASU High School, it was
your dream to be in the Ohio State Marching Band.

Speaker 7 (01:07:31):
It was I didn't know that I really wanted to
that's what I wanted to do, or one of the
things I wanted to do when I graduated from LaSalle
until I saw this documentary that WOSU did on the
marching band. And then I saw a gentleman by the

(01:07:52):
name of Cardiff Hall who was the eye daughter for
the game. And you know which game I'm talking about, Yes,
the only one that matters on the ski schedule that season,
And I just knew that's what I wanted to do.
I wanted to go to school at Ohio State. I
wanted to be in try out and make that band,
and I did for three seasons. I just missed it

(01:08:14):
for my fourth and fifth year, but here we are well.

Speaker 2 (01:08:18):
And like you said in a message to me on Facebook,
I made peace with the Dear Lord about that that
you didn't become an eye daughter at Ohio State.

Speaker 3 (01:08:28):
But the dream never went away.

Speaker 2 (01:08:30):
And now, after thirty one years of waiting, what is
going to happen on Saturday at Ohio Stadium.

Speaker 7 (01:08:39):
Well, first of all, I have to tell you that
I'm very happy that it is a night game and
instead of a noon game, because that means that I
don't have to get up at zero dark thirty just
my state at Saint John Arena when we start taking
attendance and going through the music and everything else.

Speaker 12 (01:08:56):
So I get to sleep in a little bit, go.

Speaker 7 (01:08:59):
To math in the morning, and then head to campus
and just kind of enjoy the day and then it's
game on and it's showtime after that.

Speaker 3 (01:09:08):
Beautiful Now, where will the alumni bands? Do you?

Speaker 2 (01:09:12):
Congregated Saint John Arena for the immortal Skull Session?

Speaker 3 (01:09:17):
Gosh, that is awesome.

Speaker 7 (01:09:20):
Right, So Skull Session this Saturday will be at five
to ten. We will actually earlier in the afternoons.

Speaker 12 (01:09:30):
I believe it's about twelve twelve thirty ish.

Speaker 7 (01:09:33):
All of US alumni have to be in our seats
at Saint John Arena so they can take attendance and
make sure everyone's there. There's well over six hundred of
us that are returning to play in March one more
time in Ohio Stadium, and they need to make sure
all the spots are filled, everything's ready, and then we
go through the music in Saint John Arena and then

(01:09:55):
we make our way to the South Stadium practice field
to put together the show. It takes us about two
two and a half hours to put everything together and
then it's showtime after that.

Speaker 2 (01:10:06):
Well, that's the one thing I've noticed as a sports
writer and traveling to a lot of gosh high school games,
college games, the band works as.

Speaker 3 (01:10:14):
Hard or harder than the football players. Well, you know,
we do work pretty hard.

Speaker 7 (01:10:22):
And even getting ready once a year for these reunions
up in Columbus, I probably start about a month out
just just to get myself physically prepared because this is
a very physical style of marching and playing that we
employ Ohio State. We're not just out there walking around
with our instruments.

Speaker 12 (01:10:43):
We in march and we.

Speaker 7 (01:10:44):
Play, and I have to tell you this year, get
just getting ready for my I Dot coming up and
everything else. I kind of felt like I was getting
ready for tryouts all over again. It's that physically intense.
But I'm I'm just about there. I feel like I'm
getting stronger every day, and I'm very excited about Saturday.

(01:11:08):
My family's going to be there. Most of my family's
going to be there. I have some friends that are
coming up, and I get to do this with over
six hundred of my closest family in the ISSDA University
marching band alumni.

Speaker 2 (01:11:22):
What talk about the thrill of bursting out onto the
field with your alumni band. There will be four script
Ohios at Ohio Stadium.

Speaker 3 (01:11:35):
What's that thrill like hitting the field?

Speaker 7 (01:11:40):
Well, the thrill really happens a pregame when we come
down that ramp and we enter that stadium for the
first time. I mean, I've never experienced anything quite like
coming down that ramp, stepping on that field. I've had
fans tell me just what a thrill it is to
watch us do what we do. I have to tell you,

(01:12:02):
it's just a thrilling for us to do what we
do in front of over one hundred and five thousand
fans that are They cheer just as hard for us
as they do that football team. And I've never experienced
anything like it as far as script Ohio goes. And
it's probably going to be the most challenging part of

(01:12:23):
our performance Saturday because we're all spread out. It's it's
a very precise formation that we do, and it's going
to be the it's the most difficult part of our performance.
But we do it every year and I'm just excited.
I get to be one of the four Eye Daughters

(01:12:45):
and get to be out in front, and it's my
one and only time.

Speaker 3 (01:12:49):
To do it.

Speaker 12 (01:12:49):
I want it to be great.

Speaker 2 (01:12:51):
When you break away as the Eye daughter to top
the Eye, do you have to be careful not to fall?

Speaker 7 (01:13:02):
Well, uh I wouldn't. I would say no, uh it.
What I've had to really work on is the timing
and rhythm of it. You know, if you've ever watched
videos of of any I dot, any stript Ohio and
the I Dot, none of them have been actually exactly
the same.

Speaker 12 (01:13:21):
There.

Speaker 7 (01:13:22):
There's the timing you have to get down and there's
a little bit of a rhythm to it. But every
every susophone player, including myself, that has and will ever
be an eye daughter.

Speaker 12 (01:13:35):
They just they it's.

Speaker 3 (01:13:37):
Theirs and they do it their way.

Speaker 7 (01:13:39):
And I and and this and that's the great part
about this is uh And now that I finally got
mine down, I've I've figured out.

Speaker 4 (01:13:47):
How I want to do it.

Speaker 7 (01:13:48):
Uh and and I'm just I'm really excited to get
out there and and finally make my dream come true.

Speaker 2 (01:13:57):
And when you are heading to the position, describe what
happens the removal of the hat, the bending, the dipping,
and the actual dotting of the eye.

Speaker 12 (01:14:13):
Okay, so at the point of the music.

Speaker 7 (01:14:18):
Is where the I'll be let out by one of
the by the assistant a drum major with the student band,
the Ohios University Marching Band.

Speaker 3 (01:14:28):
Yes to my dot, which is pretty exciting for me.

Speaker 12 (01:14:31):
It's going to be a big thrill.

Speaker 7 (01:14:34):
And it's about twelve to fourteen counts to strut to the.

Speaker 12 (01:14:38):
Dot spot and then I.

Speaker 7 (01:14:41):
Will do execute a susophone bow away and then I'll
swing around and then do a slower form of that
and then come back up with my hats off. And
then after that, while the rest of the band is
singing one chorus of Buckeye Battle Cry, I'll be playing
my part of the solo for that, so I have

(01:15:03):
to make sure that I have enough widow left to
do that.

Speaker 3 (01:15:07):
Oh, that is awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:15:08):
Joe Coney is with US Lesou High School, Ohio State University,
finally gets to dotdi after a thirty one year wait,
and you're being interviewed by NBC Channel four in Columbus
when like Friday, is that so good?

Speaker 6 (01:15:28):
Afternoon?

Speaker 7 (01:15:28):
At Friday afternoon Ohio Stadium one o'clock. I don't know
exactly when they're going to air it. It's actually part
of the bigger piece with the four of us. There's
four Eye Daughters that day, and one of the things
I'm really excited about is that one of the other
alumni Eye Daughters was my first squad leader my rookie

(01:15:49):
season in the band, gentleman by the name of Brian Allender,
who I have great respect for, and it's a thrill
for me to be dotting along with him and all
of that. So, so that all of that's going to
take place, I'm assuming the story is going to run
probably Friday night or sometimes Saturday before the game. I

(01:16:12):
won't know until after the interviews are we're with on Friday.

Speaker 2 (01:16:16):
And you will be dotting the I in the north
End zone Script Ohio and Joe Coney.

Speaker 3 (01:16:25):
We're out of time.

Speaker 2 (01:16:26):
We really appreciate your time today on Labor Day and
man enjoy every minute of it on Saturday as the
buck Eyes host Western Michigan on Saturday Night.

Speaker 7 (01:16:39):
I certainly, I certainly will and if I want, if
I could just for a breef. Second, I want to
give a big thank you to Principal Lou Eichold, who's
a friend of mine, and the alumni association Brian Heidorn
and my alma model is Soul High School for helping
me out with practice and lending me a suzophone and
all that kind of stuff. I would be remissed if

(01:16:59):
I didn't mention them in this interview because they've been
a big help for me.

Speaker 3 (01:17:05):
Joe, thank you so much, appreciate you. You're welcome.

Speaker 2 (01:17:10):
Thank you Bucks absolutely absolutely. Hey, Brenneman and Jones are next.
This is chick Laud Week and you are listening to
the Home of the Bengals, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty Mendumduadio.

Speaker 3 (01:17:25):
United Dry Farmers appreciated Brenneman and Jones on Baseball trop
to you in part by Encore Technology on Cincinnati's ESPN
fifteen thirty.

Speaker 16 (01:17:35):
You know, we were talking about something a couple of
weeks ago, and this was hinted at because you made
a comment about guys going up into the clubhouse during
the game. And I started thinking about that, and I said,
you know what, I wonder if the time ever came
when you might have gone up into the clubhouse, who
won have something to eat too, maybe go to the
bathroom or whatever you were doing in the clubhouse, And

(01:17:58):
all of a sudden you get word that the manager
is looking for you on the bench because he wants
to put you in.

Speaker 11 (01:18:05):
I have a reoccurring nightmare that this is a true
sword of God. Oh this is one of those few
true stories. Yeah, got that the that the bench coach
would come down in the locker room and say, Trace,
you're pinch hitting. And here's the deal. I didn't have
my cleats on, and so I'm trying. There's a lot there.
Freud needs to analyze this, and so I'm looking for

(01:18:28):
my cleats and I can't find my cleats and walked
up to the plate with just my sanitaries.

Speaker 3 (01:18:34):
You hit crazy story but I dream about it all
the time. There's something there, but I'm not sure.

Speaker 16 (01:18:41):
Don't you think that's happened before where players have been
up in the clubhouse and the manager needs somebody to
come and pinch run or pinch it or go in
for defention purposes.

Speaker 11 (01:18:51):
Actually, in Seattle, that did happen to me. I had
my cleats on Ron Clark. The bench coach says, Trace,
you're up, and I was in the bathroom.

Speaker 17 (01:19:03):
Did they hold up the game?

Speaker 3 (01:19:04):
Voy? No, but I had to hurry it.

Speaker 17 (01:19:08):
We'll be back with more in a moment.

Speaker 2 (01:19:51):
Five bout three in the Queens City of Cincinnati, Chick
Ludwig Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Awesome to be filling in
for Mighty Moager today until six o'clock. Reds and Astros
unfolding right now at Great American Ballpark. We are in

(01:20:12):
the middle of the third inning and the score is
tied at two.

Speaker 3 (01:20:16):
The red score two. In the first.

Speaker 2 (01:20:18):
Justin Verlander walked the first three batters, then a sackfly.

Speaker 3 (01:20:24):
Got the Reds on the board.

Speaker 2 (01:20:26):
But the Houston Astros strike for two runs against Julian Aggie.
Are in the third and we are talking Bengals Football
with the senior writer Bengals dot Com. Our good friend,
the one and only, Jeff Butch Hobson Butcher.

Speaker 3 (01:20:43):
How are you, sir?

Speaker 6 (01:20:46):
Thank you, I've got a Red Sox update. Don't take
out Cooper Kriswall when he's pitching a perfect game.

Speaker 2 (01:20:51):
No no doubt. Oh man, Oh great to talk to you, Jeff, and.

Speaker 6 (01:20:57):
Gosh, thanks for having me on Chick. I appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (01:21:00):
You are so welcome. We're six days away from opening
day open in Orange. It's going to be an unbelievable scene,
the stadium, the fans, the team uniforms, and I know
you're excited. I can't imagine another season with this much
excitement going into it.

Speaker 3 (01:21:17):
Butch, yeah, I agree.

Speaker 6 (01:21:21):
Two reasons for me. One is number nine, so every
snap in training camp. And number two is Von Bell's
back run of the secondary. And you know, whenever you
think of von Bell, you think of the overtime in
Kansas City, right, you think of the culture, you think
of the culture changing hit on Juju Smith Schuster back

(01:21:42):
in a Monday night or in twenty twenty. So just
those two things I think kind of kind of got
me ready for the old hometown of England Patriots.

Speaker 2 (01:21:53):
Yes, eight captains named Joe Burrow, Ted Carris and Ornando
Brown Junior on offense, Sam Hubbard on bell, Jermaine Pratt
on defense, and then special teams Akeem Davis Gaither and
uh moneymack Evan McPherson and uh Tim McGee talked me
off the the ledge here on on Jamar Chase. He

(01:22:15):
thinks he will be in uniform. He will play, he
will contribute. He will catch five or six balls and
get in the end zone a couple of times.

Speaker 3 (01:22:24):
So I'm feeling a.

Speaker 2 (01:22:24):
Little bit better after talking to Tim and Uh, I
just hope he's there on on Sunday.

Speaker 6 (01:22:32):
Tim can do that. Now, Tim's a good Uh Tim's
a good man for that. I think that. Yeah, I
don't know what's gonna happen. I do know with or
without Jamat Chase, you know, you gotta you got a team.
You got a constant team that's going in with six
years of continuity coaching. And although you do have the

(01:22:53):
new England papers coming in who have kept up the
culture with Gerard Mayo, one of Bill Belichick's players, you know,
during their first year of a program basically and uh
so whether Jamaic plays or not, this is uh. You know,
they've got continuity on his side.

Speaker 2 (01:23:11):
And I told Jason Williams joined us earlier. You know,
with Jamar having just limited snaps this this preseason, it's
given other guys an opportunity. The the Trent irwins, the
andre yosevashes, the uh Jermaine Burton and UH. These guys
have played pretty well this preseason and it's been a

(01:23:33):
tough preseason. And and I think that speaks to the
maturity of your coaching staff, especially Zach Taylor.

Speaker 6 (01:23:42):
Yeah, you know, I think we haven't even talked about
the combination. I think we're going to be talking about
after the opener, whether jama plays or not. And that's
Mike Caseki the tight end.

Speaker 12 (01:23:52):
Yes, Sorrow has never had a.

Speaker 6 (01:23:54):
Tight end like that, a guy who has three seasons
of at least fifty catch is. So I think that
impact is going to be made right away. And plus two,
you know, I think the offense, I think UH is
going to be if there's Zach Taylor offense. But there
are different uh, there are different aspects to it. Dan Pitchers,

(01:24:18):
the new offensive coordinator, Justin Riscatti is the just Riscotti
is the new passing game coordinator. Those are two new wrinkles,
So I think you're gonna see different things. I think
Zach said, you know today, he said, look, we're gonna
you know, everybody's wondering about what the Patriot's gonna unveil
in the first post Belichick game. But you know, Zach says,
they're gonna have to adjust us too because we're gonna

(01:24:40):
be doing new stuff. So I think there's been a
special emphasis on a run game, and I think Borrow
is really excited about that. And I think really for
the first time in the Taylor era, they've got two
backs that fit his offense. And Chase Brown and the
Zach Moss.

Speaker 3 (01:24:57):
And that's uh, Jeff Hobson's with us.

Speaker 2 (01:25:00):
That's one thing that I've I've kind of had as
a theme here today. Gosh five tight ends on this roster,
Mike Aaseki. Uh yeah, just a great addition to this
offense along with Drew Sample and some others.

Speaker 3 (01:25:13):
Five time five tight ends, Jeff Wow.

Speaker 2 (01:25:16):
And then you add a Zach Moss to go with
the Chase Brown, uh, to fill the void of Joe Mixon.
And uh So I'm just so eager to see the
tweaks and the uh the way how this offense is
going to look. There's a lot of versatility and UH
just can't wait for it to unfold.

Speaker 12 (01:25:37):
You know.

Speaker 6 (01:25:37):
I think that's gonna to me the first month of
the season. One of the storylines is going to be, Wow,
these guys, you know, can beat you any different ways.
There's gonna be a Gooseki game. There's gonna be a
t Higgins game. There's gonna be a jam Ash Case game.
You know, there's gonna be a Chase Brown is going
to bust one to seventy adds last year, is going
to do it again, you know at some point, and

(01:25:58):
they'll they'll they'll they'll be the be a Zach Moss
one hundred yard game. And so I think my senses
as we roll in December, that's going to be a theme.
It's going to be, uh, which way they're going to
beat you this week?

Speaker 3 (01:26:10):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:26:11):
And if they can get a solid ground game, what
will that mean to Joe burrow Man. That would mean
the world to this guy to keep protected.

Speaker 6 (01:26:21):
Yes, yeah, well I would say he would probably uh
gets a good running game. Uh, he'll win the uh
he'll win the NFL passing title.

Speaker 12 (01:26:32):
Uh, he'll, he'll, he'll, you.

Speaker 6 (01:26:34):
Know, because he'll have yads. You know, if he has
a play action game with a running game, he'll average
ten yards to throw I think, or you know, he'll
he'll be in a great cook Boomeros size arrange.

Speaker 3 (01:26:47):
Ten to twelve yards snap. Yeah, you're exactly right.

Speaker 6 (01:26:50):
I mean, I mean that's just you know, that's uh,
that's what would happen if he's got a running game
like that. So uh, and I'm not talking about I'm
not talking.

Speaker 5 (01:26:59):
I'm I no.

Speaker 6 (01:27:00):
I mean, I know, I'm ald school and everything.

Speaker 12 (01:27:02):
I think.

Speaker 6 (01:27:02):
I think, I think Beach probably thinks I wanted to
run the single wing. But I'm just saying, you know, yeah,
you know you're you're a passing team, and uh, but
you know, if you run it fifteen to twenty times
a game, but you're running it at four point four
per then you can do to play actionally. You know,
you don't have to pound them thirty times like the
old like the old days of you know, Sam Weish

(01:27:23):
with JB and Ikey Woods. But which is how you know,
boving on the uh MVP piloting that no huddle. But
I mean, I think, you know, in this I think
it's a I think it's a they would have a
running game that that that that suits, that suits the
modern pass game.

Speaker 2 (01:27:41):
And this team addressed the defensive line in the draft
and free agency, and you bring back a Von Bell
who gets the table one parking spot at pay Course Stadium.

Speaker 3 (01:27:56):
That's that's a huge honor. And just his presence to hear.

Speaker 2 (01:28:00):
The young players talk about what he means to the
back end of that defense, along with the Geno Stone.

Speaker 3 (01:28:07):
Man, those those veterans mean so much.

Speaker 6 (01:28:10):
Jeff, Yeah, I mean, he's, like I said, he's a
big He's a big piece of this thing, I think,
and he's got basically, he's kind of got a new
cast there. You know, there's no Chetabowl or Woozier or
or Eli Apple like there was in twenty one or
twenty two. You know, no Jesse Bates. So he's paired
with Geno Stone. They're defending asc interceptions leader. There's a

(01:28:32):
couple of new cornerbacks and Dax Hill and DJ Turner,
so it's kind of a it's kind of a new
crew with him that are going to be you know,
tomorrow school stats. That's when that's when coach Vaughn the
general he convenes the secondary on the day off. Secondary
is still meeting with Von Bell. Now, they did it

(01:28:55):
last year with Mike Hilton. The Woozier picked up where
Bell left up, but no more substitute teacher fells back
and so the h and he'll he'll convene that Tuesday meeting.

Speaker 2 (01:29:08):
And I was really happy for the rookie from Nebraska
to make this team at linebacker. I cannot pronounce his name,
but so happy for him, you know, leading this team
in tackles during the preseason. And I'm there if they
would try to waive him and get him on the
practice squad, he will get snapped up. So I'm glad
he's part of the fifty three.

Speaker 6 (01:29:28):
Yeah, I get no shot at playing his name. I
need Dan Hord here.

Speaker 5 (01:29:32):
But Janetta.

Speaker 6 (01:29:33):
But but Janetta, I believe is uh you know, he
showed his wares and I think they feel like it's
a deep you know, I think they feel like they
brought him when I started this thing in May, that
they felt like they had sixty guys who could make
the roster out of the fifty three. And so you know,
I think they're pretty deep. Obviously there's a concern on

(01:29:54):
the defensive line where it looks like you're not going
to have the the rookie tackle who was drafted in
the third round with Kingley Jackson, and of course you
know you're you're sin on the edge with Cam Sample
out and uh, you know, out for the year, Miles
Murphy on injured reserve return. But I'll tell you, I
thought they did a help of a job the two

(01:30:16):
guys they did get.

Speaker 3 (01:30:17):
They got the.

Speaker 6 (01:30:18):
One guy off waivers from the Commanders, really the Miles
Murphy's running mate at Clemson. And then the guy they
the guy they got from the Browns on the practice
squad who had you know, played a lot of ball
when he was a rookie in twenty twenty two. So
you know, they you know, I mean, that's the best

(01:30:38):
he can do at that point, I think when they
went into the waivers and then getting somebody in the
practice squad. So at some point Murphy's going to be back,
and you know, it's tough to replace Sample, whose versatility
as as an edge guy and giving him some pass
rush on the inside. It's it's it's tough, you know,
it's it's a tough guy to replace. But you know,

(01:30:58):
they did draft with they did draft with depths in
mind with Jenkins and Jackson's going to be back, you know,
soon enough. So that's that's a concern obviously, the depths
going in. But you know everybody's got you know, everybody's
got something somewhere. But you know, they certainly did. I
think they addressed it pretty well in the off season

(01:31:19):
and when they had to, and they were and when
they had to react to the injuries.

Speaker 2 (01:31:24):
Yes, Jeff Hobson with a senior writer Bengals dot Com,
And I'm hoping that Sam Hubbard can get healthy and
stay healthy and along with Trey Hendrickson and the pass rush,
the push up the middle with Sheldon Rankins, and then
to help out that secondary if we all know that, man,

(01:31:45):
a great pass rush can really help that secondary not
cover as long and then matriculate the ball down the
field to keep that defense sipping gatorade on the sidelines.

Speaker 6 (01:31:56):
Jeff, I mean, it's a it's a Russian cover league.
It's pass rush, it's covering people one on one, and
you know there's that's how they're built. Uh, you know,
I think Hubbard is uh, you know, I think when
he when he tweaked his knee early on, they kept

(01:32:17):
him out just a precautionary reason. So I think I
think your wish has been granted, chick. He's healthy. And uh,
you know last year he played you know, uh, you know,
you want to talk about gutsy, but he played uh
the last half of the year with with you know,
with an ankle that needed reconstruction surgeon. So how tough
is that man? So the fact I mean he looked like,

(01:32:39):
you know, it looked like I mean, it looked like
he was getting ready for a molo lacrosse game.

Speaker 3 (01:32:44):
Uh, back back in the end of July.

Speaker 6 (01:32:46):
So and also to you know, the last you know,
the last week has been back in pads and you
know he's bouncing around. So uh, you know you're going
to see a different Sam Hubbard, which is going to
be a huge And.

Speaker 2 (01:32:59):
I know you mentioned some guys who are not here
from a couple of years ago, but as sure as
comforting watching the blossoming really of a Cam Taylor Britt
and that to have Mike Hilton back then to me,
looking at Mike Hilton, he's almost like a James Brooks
back in the day, just pound for pounds, so tough.

Speaker 6 (01:33:20):
I mean, there's no question of five to nine. He's
got everything, you know, He's got everything wrapped in the package. Character, physicality, smarts.
I mean, you know, we all remember the game he
played up in Buffalo in the playoffs in twenty twenty
two when he was all over the snow and just
flummoxed Josh Allen in their offense. And Hilton brings so

(01:33:41):
much to the table. He's just he was one of
the guys you know that helped Zach Taylors stir this
chemistry when he came in and wanted to and and
Zach Taylor has done a great job. You know, his
locker room is you know, that's in the strength of
his his tenure here. And Hilton was one of the guys,

(01:34:02):
you know, getting Von Bell in twenty twenty, DJ Reader
bringing in Mike Hilton, you know, huge moves, Trey Hendrickson
for just the chemistry of the room, and Borrow of
course topping it off because Burrow is as little leaders
as there is so but Hilton is one of these
guys he gets you know, it's not only you know,
I mean it's not only what he does out there,

(01:34:24):
but he's also you know, talking to guys like DJ
Turner was going to play in the slot, Josh Newton,
a rookie corner, Who's who's going to be playing in
the slot and backing him up and always, you know,
he's always talking to those guys. And you know, I
mean Hilton is I mean, just you know, remember it

(01:34:44):
was Hilton running the meetings when varn left last year.
It was in Carolina, So I mean, he's as important
as Vaughn is.

Speaker 3 (01:34:51):
Sow's Mike, no doubt about it.

Speaker 2 (01:34:54):
Jeff Hobson with us for a couple more minutes. We
really appreciate your time, and it's really the good buy
tour here for t Higgins. Oh my goodness, he's uh,
he's just been incredible and we just hope he can
stay healthy this whole season because his his length, his balance,
his leaping ability. What he did against Minnesota, that that

(01:35:17):
play will will live forever and just a great, great talent.

Speaker 6 (01:35:24):
Yeah. The most famous sweep in Bengos history is the
two thousand and nine Division sweep when he sucked the
ball across the pylon in a game they absolutely had
to head for the playoffs. He's certainly one of the
best big game receivers they've had in their history. From
one hundred ads in the Super Bowl, one hundred and
three ads in the AFC Championship Game last year, down

(01:35:45):
a stretch he had some huge ones. You know, he's uh,
you know, if he plays like that, you know, if
he plays like that early, you know they're gonna need him.
And he's a It's fun to watch, There's no question
about it. I Like, you know, it was fourth quarter
when he goes up and you need to catch in
the fourth quarter or you know, the mind flashes back

(01:36:06):
to December fourth, twenty twenty two against Kansas City at
pay Corps. Everybody going out of there in mind the
need one more first down to winning the game, and
he stretches over the middle of to grab a bullet
from you know, from Joe and to seal it, or
you know, just think about any number of contestant throws
where it's a Bill Russell game seven rebound, you know,

(01:36:28):
where he just controls.

Speaker 3 (01:36:30):
The boards and you know, looking at.

Speaker 2 (01:36:35):
Looking at this offensive line, you know, with Trent Brown
and a Marius Mimes, how healthy is Mimes at this
point do you think, Jeff, I think he's close.

Speaker 6 (01:36:47):
But you know, Zach says, Trent Brown's getting the start
and that's a pretty good place to be. I mean,
Mims had a great camp until he get hurt on
August tenth. But he's obviously got a big future in
front of him. But what you know, what a what
a lunder to be able to turn to a guy
like Trent Brown, who's been one of the best pass
protectors in the last decade at right tackle. I mean,

(01:37:09):
you know, the Chicago trip was was worth two things.
You know, getting dry finally, that was big because it
rained much of the time. But to watch Montes sweat
bounce off Frent Brown and Montez sweats a hell of
a is a hell of a pass rusher. But then
Trone's a big man, and you know, to watch that

(01:37:31):
was that was worth a trip up there. And that's
the kind of guy you're getting. You know, it's the
kind of guy getting in the opener, A solid, reliable
guy who keeps keeps his guy away from the quarterback.
And you know, Mins is hurt. I'm not sure when
he's going to be ready, Dak says he'll know. Zach
said today he would know later in the week it
to be available to back up Trent. But like I said,

(01:37:53):
that's a pretty good spot to be able to turn
to on opening.

Speaker 2 (01:37:57):
Day to have a guy like that, have a Keen
Davis Gaither and Evan McPherson as your captains on special teams.
Evan with the with the contract extension, I hope he
can continue to excel with his with his big foot
and uh a keeen Davis Gaither just a stud on

(01:38:17):
special teams as well as the base defense.

Speaker 6 (01:38:22):
I mean mcpheerson's you know, I mean, he's a game changer.
I mean, you know, he kicked from you know, I
mean he can you know, from fifty eight to fifty nine,
like Darren Simmons said, a belief ago, he may be
changed the way I look at the game. Well, that's
that's pretty impressive, and that's that's certainly worth a captain
see and which is amazing. It's the first time, the

(01:38:43):
first time he's been a captains since the Fort Peen
soccer team in high school. So but he's certainly, you know,
he's he's he's getting up there and seniority you know,
in the room, and his guys feel, you know, feel
profident enough in him to the voteum captain and the
you know, teams had more snaps. I think he's got

(01:39:03):
more than a thousand snaps on special teams since he
came into the league as the first the first pick
of the last day at a draft in twenty twenty. So,
I mean, he's a guy that you know, like I
say these, I mean the guys were the captains, Guys
like the guy first time captains, a guy like you
know Pratt or Jermaine Pratt, Orlando Brown, h Team, Davis Ganner.

(01:39:26):
These guys have been captains in their units. You know
they've been you know, Jermaine directs traffic in the middle
of the field, Orlando Brown's blocked for two MVPs and uh,
you know, teams spit over a thousand snaps and Darren
Simmons schemes, so you know they've been you know, we're
certainly leaders.

Speaker 2 (01:39:43):
And lastly, Jeff Hobson, you've been generous with your time.
Joe Burrow's been healthy here, uh the entire preseason, and
yet Jamar Chase is uh, you know, hopefully he's back
this week and can play on Sunday, but it's just
so critical to get off to a good start, which

(01:40:04):
they've they've hammered home and with the schedule the way
it is this first month, man critical to at least
be three and one after the first month.

Speaker 6 (01:40:15):
Yeah, they've got some things going for him. Number one
of courses, it's the it's it's it's the best training
camp Joe Burrow. I mean it's it's it's the longest
trainy camp, the first complete training camp in Joe Borrow's career,
which is huge because he'll be the first to tell
you the more reps he gets, the better he gets.
That's that's why if you look and you know September,

(01:40:37):
I mean he's been good in September, but it's not
his best months. His best months or in December and
January when you look at his passer rating, I mean
he's one oh eight in December, he's one thirteen in January.
My god, I wish they played in much what would
it be. But you know, he gets better as he goes.
So the fact that he comes into it rolling in
in a good in a training camp like this, you

(01:40:58):
know that that that bodes well. Got you know, three
of their first four opponents or you know, our teams
with first year at coaches, So that bodes well for
the continuity of what Zach Taylor's got caing. But of
course it's the NFL.

Speaker 12 (01:41:13):
You never know.

Speaker 6 (01:41:14):
And they've got the Chiefs sitting there in week two,
so and that could be the biggest game of the
year because you know, that may decide where the AFC
Championship game is played. And they've played enough of them
in Kansas City. It's time to get one in this building.
And week two is going to be pretty important.

Speaker 2 (01:41:32):
When I hear the words bodes well, I can just
see Justin Smith holding court in the locker room saying
this bodes well. Jeff, Jeff, really appreciate your time as always,
and it's going to be a fun season hopefully, and
all the best on Sunday during the.

Speaker 6 (01:41:50):
Opener, Chick, thanks very much for having me on. To
look forward to joining you throughout the season and enjoy Sunday.

Speaker 3 (01:41:59):
Thank you so much, appreciate you.

Speaker 6 (01:42:01):
THI, thank you, thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:42:03):
That is Jeff Hobson, senior writer, Bengals dot Com. This
is Chick Ludwig and you are listening to football in
the Naties Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty, the home of the Bengals.

Speaker 3 (01:42:17):
It's Mattress Firm's best sale of the year. Get a
Sleepies Queen Mattress at the.

Speaker 9 (01:42:24):
This is Football in the Natti, run to you in
part by Bled Light and by Skyline Shilly on the
official home of the Bengals, Cincinnatis, ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:42:38):
Appreciate Jeff Hopson joining us talking Bengals football. Eight captains
named today Joe Burrow, Ted Carris and Orlando Brown on offense,
Sam Hubbard, Von Bell and Jermaine Pratt on defense, and
on special teams Evan McPherson and Jakeem Davis Gaither and
the Reds and Astros have gone to the fifth inning

(01:43:00):
with the score tied at two. Justin Verlander, the starting
pitcher for Houston, has given up five hits and four
innings two runs. And Julian Aggie ar for the Reds.
He's pitched two and two thirds innings. He gave up
two hits and two runs. Were in the fifth inning.
Reds and Astros tied at two. And this is Chick
Ludwig Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 9 (01:43:23):
You've been listening to football in the NETI brought to
you by Cincinnati Tax Resolution powered by TF Sheldon. On
the official home of the Bengals, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 8 (01:43:36):
It's mattress Urg again spikes the ball in the back
of the outside.

Speaker 9 (01:43:40):
Orange and Black kick off their run for the Super
Bowl against New England's Paper.

Speaker 3 (01:43:44):
Sixty three yards. The magic is bad.

Speaker 9 (01:43:48):
Time for Joba or his boys. Ton't put on the shock.
Heavin rush the Pats like an empty beer can get
the call from Dan Hood and Dave Lap. Coverage begins
Sunday morning at nine on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official
home of the Lagals.

Speaker 2 (01:44:10):
Five thirty seven in the Queen City of Cincinnati, chick A. Ludwig,
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. College football has started. The NFL
gets going this week with the Bengals and the New
England Patriots getting ready to rumble. Open in Orange is
the theme at Paul at Paul formerly Paul Brown Stadium

(01:44:31):
now pay Corpse Stadium on Sunday one o'clock Bengals in
the New England Patriots. We also know how important Friday
Night Lights is to Greater Cincinnati in the Tri state area.
Here to talk some high school football with us from
the team at Tri Statefootball dot Com. Sefwan Alvi, Hey,

(01:44:52):
zep one, what's happening, Jake?

Speaker 5 (01:44:55):
What's going on?

Speaker 6 (01:44:55):
My man?

Speaker 3 (01:44:56):
All right?

Speaker 2 (01:44:58):
Outstanding and what a team you guys bring on Friday
nights to Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty and Fox Sports thirteen
sixty Dan Klaskins, Greg Shoemaker and you Sapwan Alvi, man,
have the gosh, You've got the Tri State blanketed here
and it's been an awesome two weeks so far, and

(01:45:19):
you're looking forward to another big Friday night.

Speaker 12 (01:45:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (01:45:23):
Absolutely, there's so much going on with high school as
we all know. It starts a couple of weeks earlier
than the NFL and college and you know, for a
couple of weeks, all eyes are on Friday night lights,
starting a little bit check from last week before I
get into any teams and running through some teams. I
want to give a shout out to a young man
who plays for Mount Healthy High School. Right they don't
get the recognition they might deserve and maybe they need

(01:45:44):
from the GCL schools. Their quarterback young man by the
name of Jamier Spain. He is a three star quarterback
with the absolute rocket of an arm. He had a
historical night last Friday night, throwing for eight touchdown passes
and four hundred and fifty three yards. Those eight touchdown
passes are the second most in the history of the

(01:46:05):
state of Ohio.

Speaker 12 (01:46:06):
So we saw history last week in the Tri State.

Speaker 6 (01:46:08):
Are you check?

Speaker 12 (01:46:09):
He is absolutely worth a price of admission?

Speaker 2 (01:46:12):
Will the Owls? The Owls, Wow, that is fantastic. Three
star We might have to put another star on that guy.

Speaker 8 (01:46:21):
Yes, he is someone who's going to go into college
and compete for a starting job pretty quickly with how
advanceds mechanics are.

Speaker 2 (01:46:27):
But you're right, you know, we give a lot of
love to the GCL South, to the GMC and some
of the top teams in northern Kentucky and Indiana, but
there's a lot of hidden gems out there.

Speaker 3 (01:46:40):
Saphoon.

Speaker 8 (01:46:42):
Absolutely those teams like Cincinnati Country Day, you know, even
they're a Division seven school. A young man by the
name of Lee Thomas already eight hundred yards rushing Indian Hill.

Speaker 12 (01:46:52):
They play in the CHL.

Speaker 8 (01:46:54):
Young man by the name of Devlin Daniel, he's a sophomore.
Another young stud who's already got four hundred yards on
the ground. He's a superstar. And as you said, a
lot of guys all over the area. You know, you
can go on and on and on about these young
men that are playing in smaller schools and may not
get the attention that some of the bigger schools do,
but will absolutely have a chance to play at the
next level and are starring at the high school level

(01:47:15):
right now.

Speaker 2 (01:47:16):
Yes, and you know, I'm looking at the Gclsuth standings.
Three teams at two and o in Saint X at
one and one, they went up to Centerville on kirk
hurb Street night and yeah, defeated the Centerville Elks with
Kirk's son Chase, a senior now for the Saint Savior Bombers.

(01:47:37):
So they're back. Yeah, they're back. And Elder, LaSalle and
Mohler all two and o and uh st X finally
on the board here and yeah they're They're a great
team period.

Speaker 9 (01:47:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (01:47:50):
The GCL South is having a great start to the season,
which is nothing new to them. They went four and
o last week, they completely swept and now are seven
and one on the season. And when talking about the
GCL South, they only have three teams in the conference,
so they have to find other teams all throughout the season. Yes,
you know, for example, this upcoming week, the Saint Xavier
Bombers are taking on Cathedral Indianapolis Cathedral right over next

(01:48:13):
to us in an interstate matchup, and teams like that
Moler beating Bishop Dwanger, who is an Indiana team, your
Elder Panthers how to play a team from Michigan, which
really sets up for them well going into the playoffs,
which you know is a little bit away.

Speaker 12 (01:48:26):
But their strength of schedule is a really, really good thing.

Speaker 8 (01:48:29):
That's why all those GCL teams are playing well early
in the season, and they get better.

Speaker 12 (01:48:33):
Later on in the season.

Speaker 2 (01:48:34):
Yed Moler's already outscored its opponents eighty to thirty nine,
so in two weeks, so my Ohio state man tells
me they're averaging forty points a game.

Speaker 8 (01:48:45):
Absolutely, And then moving on to the GMC, there's a
couple of undefeated teams there too.

Speaker 12 (01:48:49):
You have Lakota West and you have Middletown. Hey, maybe
as a prized to some.

Speaker 3 (01:48:53):
Point, but you're right.

Speaker 2 (01:48:54):
I wanted to ask you about Middletown what does it
mean for that community and substitute teach up there what
it means to be two and oh, Man, they haven't
been two and oh and like forever. Incredible and yes,
uh to go up to Troy and win and then
to knock off Oak Hills and uh, yeah, it's just
a great start for that new coaching staff.

Speaker 8 (01:49:16):
Yeah, Middletown's feeling good about themselves. They have a brand
new head coach there by the name of Klie Jones.
He was at Withrow High School last year and took
with Throw all the way till the regional finals until
they lost to Anderson, and they were loaded with talent.

Speaker 12 (01:49:29):
He's a real culture builder. He wants to win immediately.
He's a guy the coaches his guys hard. He demands respect.
And Middletown they're two and oh.

Speaker 8 (01:49:37):
They're really feeling good about themselves and they are going
to be a tough out later in the season to
come playoff time.

Speaker 3 (01:49:42):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (01:49:42):
And Lakota West with Tom Bolden, uh huh yeah, two
and oh and they're uh the fire Birds are just
strong period.

Speaker 12 (01:49:52):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (01:49:52):
Defense is always Tom Bolden's m even going back to
those col Rand High school days.

Speaker 12 (01:49:57):
He loses guys and he reloads, you.

Speaker 8 (01:49:59):
Know, guys like Elijah Davis on the defensive line, first
team All Southwest Ohio Tabron Benny Powell the cornerback, loses
him and they just replace some Ben Minich, you know,
going to Notre Dame.

Speaker 12 (01:50:09):
The list goes on and on.

Speaker 8 (01:50:11):
They swarm, they play good defense, and they have a
young man, Sam Wiles at quarterback, still a little raw
in his mechanics, but he is extremely athletic. And they
do enough offensively to make a trouble and then defensively
getting more than a touchdown or.

Speaker 12 (01:50:25):
Two is a mission. Lakota West, they're going to be
there at the end again.

Speaker 2 (01:50:28):
And then how about Friday night at Jake Sweniato Stadium
had Princeton Lakota West at Princeton.

Speaker 8 (01:50:37):
Wow, how about Princeton just hosting all of these top
five games? You know are blitz five, Top twenty five,
our top twenty five teams.

Speaker 12 (01:50:45):
In the area.

Speaker 8 (01:50:46):
Two of the three biggest games so far Chicks have
been Princeton Week one. Remember it was Mola versus Princeton,
they were our top two teams. And now yet again
a top five matchup, this time going into conference. Remember
last year Princeton won the but Lakota West got the
last laugh when they won in the playoffs. And Princeton
brings back a good defense.

Speaker 12 (01:51:06):
PJ.

Speaker 8 (01:51:06):
Nelson their linebackers, a first team All State type of guy.
He's excellent. Lakota West, we know their defense. Check This
game is going to be at nick Magic number seventeen
to twenty. Whoever can get to twenty points first is
going to win that game.

Speaker 2 (01:51:18):
And what's so much fun Safjan safwan Alvi from Tri
Statefootball dot Com joining us is watching these very talented
teams and players and then just projecting what they could
be at the next level and that's where and then
following their careers.

Speaker 3 (01:51:38):
It's it's a thrill.

Speaker 12 (01:51:40):
Yeah, absolutely, guys. You know Lakota West and you know Princeton.
All of these guys.

Speaker 8 (01:51:44):
Remember Paris Johnson junior, who was a top ten pick
in the NFL Draft. He was at Saint X and
then he went to Princeton. There's so many young men
that play high level Division one college football and then
some of them even onto the NFL. And then talking
about what's going on the rest of the week. We
have a little inner matchup chick this week, little Indiana
versus Ohio. How about Molar versus East Central, two powerhouses

(01:52:07):
from their areas. East Central back to back division or
Class five A state champions. And then Molar we know
their history and their number one. That's going to be
an excellent game played at Mount Saint Joseph. And then
how about Milford at witton.

Speaker 12 (01:52:19):
Woods an ECC matchup.

Speaker 8 (01:52:21):
Witton Woods is now Division one, right, the witton Woods
is no longer Division two. Witten Woods lost three to
nothing last week and week against Milford too, were the
number one seed last year.

Speaker 12 (01:52:32):
That's going to be a defensive battle.

Speaker 8 (01:52:33):
And kick, you know, I have to mention your elder Panthers, right,
they're gonna play a tough game at Springboro. Springborough playing
in the g Walk, right, Yeah, those teams that's the
two to zero team and they've outscored their opponents sixty
nine to seven through two weeks. So an excellent game
to be looking forward to for your Elder Panthers as well.

Speaker 3 (01:52:52):
No doubt.

Speaker 2 (01:52:52):
And then you look at some of these schedules, Gosh,
Saint X or Molar excuse me, they go to like
like you mentioned, they they hook up with East Central
at Mount Saint jo University. Then they go to Georgia
Benedictine Academy at Ironton High School. That's where the game

(01:53:13):
is going to be played. So it's nothing for these
teams to go out of state.

Speaker 12 (01:53:18):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:53:18):
I remember just getting on a bus at Elder Gosh,
going up to Upper Arlington. That was like armageddon back
in the day. Now, man, yeah, teams are going out
of state and everything.

Speaker 3 (01:53:28):
It's awesome.

Speaker 12 (01:53:29):
Absolutely.

Speaker 8 (01:53:30):
Like we talked about before with the GCL South having
to play different teams, all of the coaches there, you know,
Coache expect from X and Coach Ramsey from Elder. You know,
these guys pride themselves on playing.

Speaker 12 (01:53:40):
A tough schedule. You know, you lose a couple of games.

Speaker 8 (01:53:42):
That makes them better. That's why they're always competing for
state championships. All of those teams also play Saint Edwards,
who was continuously reeling off Division one state championships in
the state of Ohio. They embraced the competition, which is
why they get so much better at the years go on,
and why there's such story programs because they embrace and
invite the high level of competition.

Speaker 2 (01:54:03):
Sep One Alvis were this for a couple more minutes.
I'm looking at the Eastern Cincinnati Conference standings Anderson, Lebanon, Milford,
Winton Woods and Turpen all one to zero and Anderson,
oh my goodness, one hundred and three points giving up thirteen.

(01:54:24):
I mean they just score like crazy.

Speaker 8 (01:54:28):
Yeah, Anderson is playing I wouldn't say with the chip
on their shoulder because they made it to the final four.
But there have been a lot of people with Anderson
that say, hey, you made it to the final four
because that was the first time they did that since
they won the state championship game back in two thousand
and nine. So the question is can they do it again? Right?

Speaker 12 (01:54:44):
And they got no Justice Burnham at quarterback. They are
a laser show on offense, Chick.

Speaker 8 (01:54:49):
It's almost like an old school Big twelve offense where
you're just throwing.

Speaker 12 (01:54:52):
The ball around and scoring the ball. But Anderson's biggest
upgrades have come on the defensive end.

Speaker 8 (01:54:57):
You know, they got guys that are much more athletic,
They got that are much faster, and they're much better
on the defensive end. We know they're going to score
thirty five to forty two points in their sleep, that's
just how they are. But to get them to take
that next level, which we all believe that they can
is the improvement of their defense. So it's really going
to be interesting to watch Anderson the rest of the way.

Speaker 2 (01:55:16):
It was fun to have Chad Murphy on the Witton
Woods coach on Friday night on seven hundred WLW. And
you look at Winton Woods. They're two to zero and
they've outscored their opponents thirty five to eleven. So, man,
I'm looking at those numbers. They just beat Kings nineteen
to five. And defense, I mean just explosive defensive players.

Speaker 8 (01:55:39):
Yeah, when thinking of witten Woods, that's exactly what you
think of the running game.

Speaker 12 (01:55:43):
They want to run the ball and they want to
be physical on defense.

Speaker 8 (01:55:46):
And this year they had two running backs back and healthy,
Zeke Garrett and Tyler Gooden, who were both on the
team last year but banged up. Didn't get to see
them play.

Speaker 12 (01:55:54):
A lot together.

Speaker 8 (01:55:55):
They have a young man, Brayson Brown at quarterback who
can sling it around. But we know Woods wants to
play well. When they won the state team, you chip
a couple of years ago they are going to run
the ball, run the ball, dominate the trenches, play well
on special teams. They got Justin Hill who everybody knows
about the Alabama committee's a superstar. They got Fiontae Stewart
in the defensive secondary. He's got offers from all over

(01:56:17):
the country. They're going to play well on defense. They're
going to run the ball, and that is exactly witting
with football and now.

Speaker 12 (01:56:22):
Jumping up to Division one, it's going to.

Speaker 8 (01:56:24):
Be very interesting to see how they match up against
those GCL teams. Right playing Lakota West and say X
all the way down the line.

Speaker 12 (01:56:32):
It's just musty TV.

Speaker 2 (01:56:33):
Absolutely Safuan, sincerely, appreciate your time today on Labor Day
and look forward to seeing you in studio here on
Friday nights with Dan Klaskins and Great Shoemaker on Tristate
football dot com.

Speaker 3 (01:56:47):
Appreciate your time, Thank you so much.

Speaker 8 (01:56:50):
Absolutely check anytime. Appreciate you. Thank you to you and
Tar and I appreciate you guys having me on.

Speaker 3 (01:56:55):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (01:56:56):
And this is Chick Ludwig on Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (01:57:04):
Comment.

Speaker 2 (01:57:07):
Five point fifty four in the Queen City of Cincinnati.
Chick Ludwig, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen point thirty. The Cincinnati Reds
are having some fun downtown at great American Ballpark, they
chase Justin Verlander after four and two thirds innings. The
Red score three in the bottom of the fifth inning

(01:57:28):
to take a five to two lead over the Houston Astros,
and their moo is scoring with two outs. So in
the bottom of the fifth inning, after TJ. Friedel strikes
out and Spencer Steer grounds out, Ty France singles, Jake
Frayley singles. Jake Frayley winds up stealing the second so

(01:57:52):
runners are on second and third. And then that guy again,
mister clutch. Santiago Espinal singles on a pop up to
right field, falls in front of Jason Hayward. Ty Frantz scores,
Jake Fraley scores, and that was enough for Justin Verlander.

(01:58:13):
The mound visit in Caleb ort takes over for Verlander,
who pitched four and two thirds innings, eight hits, five
runs all earned four walks in three strikeouts. Verlander's era
is at four point five to two, and then Santiago
Espinal steel second in. Ahmed Rosario singles on a groundball

(01:58:37):
to center field, and Santiago espinall scores and it is
five to two in favor of the Cincinnati Reds. And
I want to thank our guest today Tim McGee, Scott Springer,
Marcus Hartman, Jason Williams, Joe Coney, Jeff Hobson, Safwan Alvi

(01:58:58):
talking to majority of football here in the NATI Bengals, Bearcats,
Buckeyes and high school football. And I especially want to
thank all our loyal listeners and today's producer, the one
and only Tarn Bland, for keeping the chickster off the
legend in the fairway and until next time, this is

(01:59:19):
chick Ludwig saying thanks for listening to the home of
the Bengals, Cincinnati Sports Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty