12/11/24 - The Mo Egger Radio Show

Bengals, Bengals, Bearcats and Xavier and NKU Hoops!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
All right, that's us, Good afternoon, My like ESPN fifteen
thirty five minutes.

Speaker 3 (00:10):
After three o'clock.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Thrilled here with us broadcasting this afternoon from Buffalo Wild
Wings in Cold rings Stone Creek Boulevard. Typically we do
these shows on Tuesdays, but with the game on Monday,
we slid everything. So Tony and Moe yesterday and then
our stop off at the area Buffalo Wild Wings today.
Second time I've been here this football season. We were

(00:35):
here in late September. We're back here today. We've got
the by one get one half off traditional Wings. We've
got six for nineteen ninety nine, the six for nineteen
ninety nine deal, which is two entrees, two sides, two
fountain drinks for nineteen ninety nine.

Speaker 3 (00:50):
We've got five dollars bud light talls.

Speaker 4 (00:52):
We are here until six o'clock.

Speaker 2 (00:54):
We've got some cool giveaways, and so if you're in
the Cold Rain area, come on out and say hello.
Very easy to get to right off I to seventy five.
Our friend Paul Danner Junior is here typically on Tuesday.

Speaker 4 (01:07):
Very busy man today.

Speaker 3 (01:09):
Yes, came from the stadium, going back to the stadium. Wow,
I mean look for you absolutely any well, I was.

Speaker 4 (01:17):
I was when you texted me today.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
I had on my to do, let's see if we
can get a call from Paul and to get a
like a visit.

Speaker 3 (01:24):
Here at Buffalo Wild Wings with yous. But I was
proactive and I reached out to you first.

Speaker 4 (01:28):
That's kind of how things we're happy to do it.

Speaker 3 (01:31):
I love I love this. I love this particular spot
by the way, this set up here. I was telling
my buddy that this is what he needs. He was
trying to figure out how to reconfigure a like man
cave basement thing. Ok, you need what they have at
the Cold Rain Beatuck, They've got it. It hangs down
in the middle of the bar. It's sort of like
an arena set up with the screens, like, this is
what you need. This is the setup right here. This

(01:53):
is the one that I would.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
Get sick nixt Hawks tonight in the quarterfinals of the
NBA Cup.

Speaker 3 (01:58):
This could be where I post up. I mean, think
about it, NBA Cup. I mean this is no bigger.
A cup right here gets no bigger.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
I've already had the internal conversation like if they win
the NBA Cup, Do I get.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
A T shirt? Absolutely right? I think I do? Yeah,
I do? Yeah, no doubt what can they start putting
a real prize though? On winning the NBA Cup? I
want something. I want some serious steaks on that. I
think it should be automatic playoff Berth. That'd be fine,
Like that should be be okay, I'm gonna be the
last seed maybe, depending on it, like if it's the

(02:30):
automatic automatic finals Berth. No, it cannot.

Speaker 2 (02:35):
I'm very good. Paul covers the Bengals for the Athletic
dot Com. His podcast is excellent. Hear that podcast. No,
it's the Growler Podcast.

Speaker 4 (02:43):
It's only been that way for eight months.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
Yeah, yeah, the Growler Podcast. Apologies old habits, die Heart.

Speaker 3 (02:50):
Yeah, it's okay. I'm here for you.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
I've refer to this station as fifteen thirty Homer in
the past year, and it hasn't been that in a
fifteen years. So the Growler podcasts. Yes, a few things
to talk about, just a few.

Speaker 3 (03:05):
I mean, look, honestly, the game had its fair share
of storylines, and then the postgame created really a much
more important storyline. Arguably, did the.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
Game in person feel like a reds Pirates game in September.

Speaker 3 (03:18):
No, everything feels bigger at at and T Stadium, Oh
everything does? It was I didn't think so it felt fun.
I mean now, granted, I mean you're about halfway through
it and the teams are kind of having a mistake
off and you're like, all right, I mean, this is
why they're both where they're at, This is why people
are currently talking about Lisa Simpson online. However, you know,

(03:44):
I just think right now, it's still just a joy
to watch Burrow and Chase play, and so it never
feels like reds Pirates when those two are going right now,
because you know, I'm just trying to enjoy the last
four games now of this season of getting to watch
this season. I feel like they'll I'm sure have many
great seasons, but I feel like this is one that

(04:05):
we'll talk about specifically through the lens of these two
for a long time.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, the game still took a back seat to what
happened after No No with Joe Burrows.

Speaker 4 (04:13):
How personally taken aback?

Speaker 3 (04:15):
Were you a ton? Yeah? I mean we're all kind
of looking at each other like, is he doing this?
Did he say that? Did he just double down on that?
I mean when he says, you know, it's not just
the idea of tea. I mean that you can anybody's
gonna say that, right, it's the I am confident. I

(04:36):
am gonna do what it takes, and so is he.
And we've talked about that, and I mean there is
a there is a there's stunned looks on all of
our faces that he's going there with that topic. Like
you know, I sort of started it with do you
ever just look at Jamar in a game like this
and say you just want to give him all the
money and that? And I expect to get the answer

(04:57):
we got there. Of course, yeah, everything he's wor every
dime whatever, and it's true, but for it to then
go to the step that it went to, and now
we're talking about a whole different thing, and I just
you don't I certainly in that situation, didn't expect to
hear that from him. And then this, you know, the
sly I know something you don't know, will see about

(05:18):
why he's so confident about it, suggested a guy just
like that that has something up his sleeve and knows
something that we absolutely don't know. And so yeah, stunned.
So the thing up his sleeve has to be a contract,
restructure has to be you know. It was funny the
line I used in my story was, Okay, if jamar
talking about well, yeah, you can do it, but it's

(05:40):
got to be chess. Well, if it's chess, the king
has to make a move. He has to restructure something.
I mean for them, for this team to do that,
there's got to be something else in the works with
him willing to move money around in a way that's
cohesive with what they want to do with Tea and
make it all work for them in terms of guaranteed
dollars or whatever. So that I mean, if he's willing

(06:03):
to do that, and there's some way that he's talked
with ownership about how that could work, that I'm interested
in it. I mean that that could certainly get the
ball rolling. I just don't know that his plan is
the Bengals plan or the right plan. And maybe if

(06:24):
it's Burrough's plan, it doesn't matter what anybody else's plan is.
You just got to kind of do what Joe wants
to do. And I get that, and I do think
things in some ways have changed since last offseason because well,
they don't have enough good players. I think they you
would think and you would have thought that they would
have more guys that they could foresee themselves paying in

(06:47):
the near future and extending. And well, you don't really
have that sure who that you can count on internally.
Do you feel like you're willing to give any amount
of significant money too? I mean, honestly, I'm here for
those answers, right, And so if you're talking about that, well,
that can change the tone of the conversation. When you

(07:09):
get between the end of the season and March win
free agency begins, and so I think maybe that's part
of this. I don't know, it's all fast, gonna beet
a fascinating offseason. I'm can he may be confident about
some of the things he can do, but there is
definitely a long way, long, long, long way to go
for that thing across home plate. So yeah, I just

(07:32):
if Burrow though, like T maybe my favorite line after
all of it was T Higgins just saying, shoot, well,
if Burrow says it's possible, and I guess it's possible, right,
you know, I mean that was because that is true.
If he says it's possible, then we're all here to
believe that.

Speaker 2 (07:47):
Do you know how they have like that doomsday meter
that like adjusts certain world events.

Speaker 3 (07:54):
I'm not sure. Do you have that in your house somewhere?
Do you like a monitor to the doomsday meet?

Speaker 5 (07:58):
No?

Speaker 3 (07:58):
I just know that it exists.

Speaker 2 (08:00):
Based on certain geopolitical conditions, the doomsday meter will adjust.
What was the doomsday meter for you prior to Monday
night regarding tea leaving at the end of.

Speaker 3 (08:11):
The season, in terms of the likelihood that happens.

Speaker 4 (08:14):
Give me a percentage.

Speaker 3 (08:19):
Five?

Speaker 2 (08:19):
Owe, how much has that been recalibrated based on Monday Night?

Speaker 3 (08:24):
Fifty five? It's a fifty five now for me. Okay,
I still I still think. I still don't see it right.
But again, you don't see it happening or don't see why.
I don't why it should happen. I see why. I
think they have so many holes to fill that the
idea of using it on tea on a number two

(08:48):
when everything else that has to happen that you have
to fill the offensive line defensive Oh, I I personally
don't see it. I think they're that they're play was
to get as much as they can now out of
Tea and then understand the way they have to build
the rest of the team. There's just so many things

(09:08):
you need to do. Yeah that I don't know that
that is how high that is on the priority list.

Speaker 4 (09:14):
Right, So this is.

Speaker 2 (09:17):
To a degree on Monday night why I was kind
of annoyed because there was sort of this, hey, look
over here, look over here at T Higgins. And then
I even't put this on social media and I love
T Higgins, Like how do you not? Yeah, it's not
about but like I raised my hand and said, just hey,
really quick, they still have to fix the offensive line
and the defense, right, like.

Speaker 3 (09:36):
Yeah, everything else basically, And.

Speaker 2 (09:38):
So whether or not you do that with T Higgins
or without T Higgins, that's still a massive undertaking.

Speaker 4 (09:44):
And so there's a part of me who's like, boy,
Joe Burrow is.

Speaker 2 (09:47):
An awesome employee and teammate because he's making the conversation
about this T Higgins thing when this team is five
and eight, in large part because it's defense stinks. Oh
and by the way, I just watched Joe take a
whole bunch of other hits in an offensive line that
on a week to week basis is just not very good.

Speaker 3 (10:03):
And so I hate to say annoyed.

Speaker 2 (10:07):
I wasn't annoyed with Joe, but like suddenly it's all
about t Higgins. And then if you go, well, wait
a minute, wait a minute, what about fixing the defense
and the offensive lines?

Speaker 3 (10:15):
Oh, draft picks?

Speaker 4 (10:18):
And it's like, well, yeah.

Speaker 3 (10:20):
Except it's kind of what they tried this year and
it didn't work. Yeah. I mean doing that to me
in a lot of ways is a doubling down on
the way that they've lost this year. I mean, scoring
tons of points but not having enough good players anywhere else. Yeah.
And the on the other side of this is, you know,
two things have happened with them offensively in the way

(10:41):
they've done it. And again I hate this because it's trying.
It's like diminishing tea and I don't want to do that, right,
But the way they have used Jamar Chase has despite
you know, tease gravity is a part of this, but
the way they've used him and moved him around to
make him undoubleable at times because you don't ever know
where he's coming from, and the way that's been so effective,

(11:04):
it kind of diminishes the need for the dominant number two.
Whereas before I feel like the way they were constructed.
The argument was, well, Te's presence is what's helping free
up Jamar to dominate in the way that he does.
That's not as much the case now. It still is,
and you'd still have a whole vent a number two
receiver that you've got to figure out somebody that can
be effective for you at But it's not as much

(11:27):
the case as it was before. And that's to me.
You know, a big part of this whole conversation when
you start breaking down the value of each person in
the in the big picture of the entire roster.

Speaker 2 (11:42):
So you used verbiage there that I think is interesting
on multiple occasions.

Speaker 4 (11:46):
Number two, So focus on that when we come back.

Speaker 2 (11:49):
Okay, it is sixteen now, seventeen minutes after three o'clock,
we'll talk about.

Speaker 4 (11:53):
The game they played.

Speaker 3 (11:55):
Also, yeah, they won one.

Speaker 4 (11:57):
They won a football game. And if you haven't, I
read Paul's piece.

Speaker 2 (12:01):
Bengals are getting set to play the Titans on Sunday,
which means a reunion with Brian Callahan and a good
piece on the relationship between Brian and Zach as those
two men get a chance to a coach against each
other as head coaches for the first time. Go get
that at the Athletic dot com. Paul's here till four,
We're here till six at Buffalo Wild Wings and Cole
Raine on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 1 (12:26):
Cincinnati.

Speaker 2 (12:26):
After three, ESPN fifteen thirty were at Buffalo Wild Wings,
col Rain, Paul Danner Junior from The Athletic is here.

Speaker 3 (12:33):
And the Growler podcast. That's right, that's the one. You
got it.

Speaker 4 (12:39):
You're on it. You know I am on the podcast. Yes,
almost every single week.

Speaker 3 (12:44):
That's right. God, it's all good.

Speaker 4 (12:46):
Look, man, if I could screw it up, I will
spit a long season.

Speaker 3 (12:50):
It's long year. Yeah, yeah, you're good.

Speaker 4 (12:52):
That's it.

Speaker 3 (12:53):
We're just coming up with excuses for my I mean,
I keep inventing new names and podcasts. I don't. I
don't just merge anybody for not reman bring. At this point,
I barely well there's a lot of.

Speaker 2 (13:01):
Like names of the individual episodes across the podcast.

Speaker 3 (13:06):
Got to stop. It's just gotta stop. I'm with you.
It's gone so far beyond where it should be. I'm
with you on that.

Speaker 2 (13:13):
So you know, we talked about t Higgins and you
know they've got all this other stuff to fix, and
you will find people who are I think smart folks
who understand how the league works, who are dismissive of
the impact of.

Speaker 4 (13:30):
Having a handful of players that make a whole lot
of money.

Speaker 2 (13:33):
And and then that negatively affecting the ability to make the
rest of the team better.

Speaker 4 (13:39):
What do you say to that, Yeah, folks who say
the cap isn't real, Yeah, I.

Speaker 3 (13:44):
Mean, I think there are a number of different levers
that you can pull to offset cap restrictions, and that's
why you see a lot of the teams willing to
throw cash at things too and move all the money
around with using those levers to offset some of the

(14:05):
restrictions of the cap. You know. And two primary examples
to look at are two that are in the same
situation the Bengals are in the Dolphins and the Eagles,
who have done that with their quarterback and top two
receiver combos. Howie Roseman is notably very good at this,
and the Bengals haven't been as willing to do a
lot of that stuff. And now they'll point out they

(14:29):
have more cap, you know, they have top ten cap
space for next year before they've even cut anybody, which
they will do funny of and that in twenty twenty
six they have more cap space than anybody available to them.
I mean they structure the things so that they have
that advantage to them, but they're not willing to do
some of this other stuff your pet you know, arguments

(14:50):
on either side of that, but the bottom line is
you can make it whatever you want to make it.
It's my thing on this has been the there's a
lot of conjecture of they don't want or they don't
they're not willing to pay Tea and Jamar and Joe, No,
I don't. I think philosophically they don't view paying t

(15:13):
Higgins as the right move. I think they could. I
think they believe in trying to build more of a
complete team elsewhere, with Joe and Jamar being that if
they have to use if you're just talking about allocations
of resources, a pie, if you I don't know, if
you're familiar, Yeah, you can bring the pie back. It's
almost combined season where we're going to get pie toss.

Speaker 4 (15:34):
Lots of the middle of the holiday season. Don't worry
Prime pie season.

Speaker 3 (15:37):
Don't worry the Duke Tobin. The Duketobin Pie is going
to be discussed often, but you know, there there's all
of this different stuff that you can do, and and
I don't know how willing they're going to be to
do that, but I think it's more like they just
want to try to build more of a complete team
rather than spending that money on tea at the other

(16:00):
guy opposite Jamar. I just I think that's you know,
kind of like I said earlier, where it's like more
of your kind of leaning into a little bit of
why you've been losing, and that's not because of T,
but it's been because of everything else. Yeah, so fixing
everything else should is probably a higher priority in their eyes.
And that's kind of been the every step of the way.
That's been the way that they've treated this.

Speaker 2 (16:21):
But I think some we're gonna hear that and go, well, yeah,
but but the reason why they won is they had Joe,
Jamar and T in twenty one and twenty two.

Speaker 3 (16:30):
No, but yeah, I understand, But but I mean, let's
not forget the real reason for that run of the
Super Bowl. The defense it held teams down, right, while
while Joe got hit a million times, right, I mean
the turnovers and I mean that every playoff game ended
with a turnover before the Super Bowl. And in twenty
twenty two, you know, it was the defense making plays

(16:53):
just that was a top that was what six They
ranked six in the league in defense that year. And
they put it opposite, you know, an offense that we
criticized for portions of even that ten game wins streak
for not so the com I would push back on
that a little bit. Yeah, And I think likewise, Yeah,
and I Joe and jamar Man, they've proven to be

(17:14):
something that just put the rest of the pieces around
its Chase Brown, now you can you can still make
this thing work. And the other side of it being
and I you know I've talked, I kind of teased
this before the break, but you know, their thesis a
little bit or their their hunch on the t Higgins
injury thing only played itself out again this year, right,

(17:36):
Their take on look, paying that type of a money,
that type of money for somebody who has an availability
issue Hm year in and year out. Now, I mean
this has been every year of his career. That's a
hard sell. And I think that that to me was
always the differentiator in willingness to give Tea what he wanted.

Speaker 2 (17:59):
Yeah, I don't have any issue with how the Bengals
have played this. Yeah, because he is a number two
wide receiver. Now some are going to hear that and
get mad. Dude, some of the most beloved players in
this franchise's history are number two wide receivers. They're going
to play against one of them on Sunday, a guy
who made a lot of money and had a lot
of success here and helped this franchise turn around as

(18:20):
a number two, number three wide receiver.

Speaker 4 (18:22):
But that's what Tea is.

Speaker 2 (18:24):
I think there was this sense that, well, T's going
to hit free agency and then oh boy, he's going
to field offers and someone's gonna pay him to be
a number one wide receiver.

Speaker 3 (18:32):
And maybe that happens. Yeah, it only takes one.

Speaker 2 (18:35):
But I wonder how much of this is a recalibration
of his value based on the availability issue and then
just based on the fact that statistically he fits the
profile of a number two wide receiver.

Speaker 3 (18:47):
Yeah, I think you know, a number one to me
is all about you make the opposing defensive coordinator change
their game plan. They feel that. I don't know that
that's necessarily the case. If it's just T Higgins out
there without Jamar Chase, it's just different. It's different game
planning against and probably different game planning for that. Offensively,

(19:11):
I think that's the big difference. But he is a
dominant number two and that is a valuable, valuable no
Ques game and I'm not diminishing that at all.

Speaker 2 (19:21):
But I think there are some who go, well, you
can't pay two number one wide receivers, Well, they don't
have two number one wide reciites. They have a clear
cut number one. It might be number one in the
entire sport. This year he has been, and they've got
a very good, high end number two.

Speaker 3 (19:35):
They would be overpaying for the slot that you should
have on your roster for a number two right receiver right,
specifically when they're about to be also overpaying for the
slot of a number one, because he's gonna blow every
number Justin Jefferson out of the water this year and
they're gonna have to pay him right. And I'm not
gonna listen to the trade, Jamar keep Tea. I'm not.

(19:58):
I'm not set off the list you had that. I
know you're paying Jamar Chase. You're building everything around the
two of them, and you're doing that, and you're telling
your fans you're welcome for for entertaining value over the neck.
The duration of those of those deals, I just you know,
to me, it doesn't make as much as much sense.
But that said, all of that said, if Joe wants it.

(20:21):
So if that's what Joe wants, you know we're gonna
we're gonna reach this point of does Joe get everything
he wants? So that's my next question.

Speaker 2 (20:29):
What he says on Monday night sends shockwaves through the
fan base, right understandably, so understandably. So I'm skeptical that
it sends similar shock waves inside pay Corps Stadium.

Speaker 3 (20:41):
Yeah, I'm sure it was noted.

Speaker 2 (20:43):
But this is the Bengals, I mean, and I do
not mean that as a as a criticism.

Speaker 3 (20:48):
This is just I cannot gonna move them off their spot.

Speaker 2 (20:51):
I cannot imagine that the Cincinnati Bengals, knowing how they're run,
that suddenly on Tuesday morning, we're like, uh oh oh boy, okay,
all hands on deck, let's get this done. Got to
make Joe happy. Like we make fun of the that's
not what they do, that's not how they operate. And
so I think there is a publicly, at least from
the public standpoint, a very real sense of, well that

(21:12):
this is what Joe wants, this is what he's going
to get, and maybe he should. I don't think anybody
who feels that way has really followed this franchise.

Speaker 3 (21:19):
No now. But I do think that they listen to
their players and very much value Joe Burrows's opinion and
should and if they have these discussions, which I could,
I don't know this, but I feel like that would
be very reasonable that they've talked about this and including

(21:40):
between some people, maybe even in the front office, and
Joe and said, this is the restrictions here, this is
part of the limitations and he comes back to him,
he says, let me get back here in a day,
go back, talk to t Higgins. They talk about certain things,
what if this XYZ, and go back and say what
about this? And that changes the tenor of the conversation.
And now he's out confidently saying things after games. Maybe

(22:01):
that's something that you can see, and like you said,
it's an off season conversation, but I could absolutely see
that being the groundwork that's been maid that would suggest
the confidence that he used that exact word on Monday
night that he was exuding about that.

Speaker 2 (22:17):
I also think highly enough of Joe Burrow that if
it doesn't happen that he's We're not talking about some
petulant brat who's going to throw a temper tantrum. He
might make a mental note, Okay, yeah, let's see what
you got that's better. But at the end of the day,
I I I think folks are what what's the fallout
going to be if Joe doesn't get his way. I

(22:39):
think he's going to be open minded to see what
they do. That's that's next.

Speaker 3 (22:42):
Yeah, I think I think it would be under the
understanding that they have a long conversation about well it's
A or BCD, E and F Yeah, right like that.
These are the two boats that you're weighing of. This
is the plan with that money? If we don't use
it here, what is a better location? We're talking through
that now, and it lands wherever it lands. And I

(23:04):
think his opinion holds weight. It does not hold as
much weight as Duke Tobin and the family and everything
else like that's but it holds a lot of weight.
It holds more weight than anybody outside of the family
ever has in the history of this organization. I don't
think that's a crazy thing to say.

Speaker 2 (23:21):
So I went to bed after the game on Monday
night thinking about a lot of things, Joe Burrow, t Higgins.
But I went really to bed, really feeling sorry for
one guy. And I'll tell you who that is when
we come back me. No, can I feel sorry for you?

Speaker 3 (23:33):
I don't know, because I had an early flight.

Speaker 4 (23:35):
Oh okay, so we got a couple hours of sleep.

Speaker 3 (23:39):
I thought, maybe you go to bed sinking about me
schedule a later flight. No, I had to get back.
What look things to do. Let's go to your break.
It is go to your break minutes from four o'clock.

Speaker 2 (23:52):
Paul Danner, Junior at The Athletic dot Com and The
Growler Podcast where a Buffalo Wild Wings and Cole Raine
on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 1 (24:00):
Station, Cincinnati's Here in fifteen thirty Sports.

Speaker 2 (24:05):
Headlines and service of Kelsey Chevrolet home of lifetime power training,
protection and guaranteed credit approval from their family to yours
for livekelseyshev dot Com. Jamar Chase AFC Offensive Player of
the Week for his performance in Cincinnati's twenty seven to
twenty win over the Cowboys fourteen catches, one hundred and
seventy seven yards and a couple of touchdowns, including the

(24:26):
game winning score with just over a minute to go.
Bengals Titans on Sunday at one o'clock to Zach Taylor
say anything interesting today at the press conference?

Speaker 3 (24:35):
Not anything particular. I'm kind of doing some stuff right
now on Chase Brown, and I think it's really interesting
the way that they've continued to kind of expand his
passing game. I red my mind a list, and so
you know, he's pretty good talking about that. But no,
nothing groundbreaking necessarily.

Speaker 2 (24:52):
Joe Burrow has a press conference tonight at six o'clock
and he's unfortunately been in the news for non football reasons.

Speaker 4 (24:59):
Is that gonna to be a circus tonight?

Speaker 3 (25:01):
I hope not a circus. I would like to hope
that it gets handled, uh correctly. I mean, I think
everyone would be un understanding that there's gonna be a
few probably questions about that. But I don't I don't
think it's going to turn into the circus the circus
atmosphere that it sometimes can be. But I mean, obviously
it's been suck. It's yeah, dude blows I mean way

(25:24):
to put it and then you and then you all
the other attention and everything that comes with it when
just the one from something that's totally outside of your control,
you find it out in the locker room, your knee hurts, yeah,
you know, and everything else, and you're like, I mean
that's just uh, yeah, it's it's brutal. Uh.

Speaker 2 (25:39):
If you're looking for Bengals game plan tonight, it's on
Fox Sports thirteen sixty. We have UK basketball tonight on
ESPN fifteen thirty, Kentucky taking on Colgate.

Speaker 3 (25:47):
That game tips off at eight fifty five.

Speaker 2 (25:50):
K r C has the till between n KU and
the University of the Cumberlands. I felt bad for Nick Vigil,
oh when I went to moment, because when I think
of Nick, I think of him getting undressed by Lamar
Jackson in twenty eighteen. And this was gonna be when
you said Nick Vigil ten years from now that what
I was gonna remember is like, ah, that time he
blocked the punt against the Bengals, And now that's a

(26:11):
footnote in a game that ends up being a footnote,
and so now it cycles back to Nick Vigil being
undressed by Lamar Jackson in twenty eighteen.

Speaker 3 (26:19):
Yeah, and he was kind of the the scapegoat of
a bad defense too, Like he was like, oh, you
can't have Nick Vigil out there, and it was all
happen even still in the league, and he was gonna
have his absolute moment. He did it, and he blew
right by Muma Jong Meta who recovers it. Yeah, unbelievable.
What a quote, by the way, after the game from
mckem Davis gay there says that boy saved his job.

(26:44):
Now no one's talking about the miss block. Instead he
gets to recover the fuone.

Speaker 2 (26:48):
But what would your postgame story have been about had
Joe Burrow not talked about T Higgins.

Speaker 3 (26:55):
Jamar Chase. I mean, in just the continued evolution of
of this of this guy and and really their connection.
I mean, both of those touchdowns are plays that almost
solely come from just elite freak show chemistry. I mean,
and you heard I hadn't seen it. I rewatched some

(27:17):
of the broadcasts and stuff like that yesterday, with which
one Simpson's I do love maning casts. I'm usually a
man and cast guy. When I watched Monday Night Football
and I did go back and check out some of that,
but no talking about and Aikman was even i guess,
on Dallas Radio today talking about Burrows his favorite quarterback
or player in the league and maybe ever, which was great. Yeah,

(27:40):
I mean pretty strong words, but you hear him talking
about the anti Smith. Michael's fine, but he was talking
about the elite anticipation of that throw and just you know,
that's something that we've heard them talk about a lot about.
I remember Jamal trying to teach andre Yoshibash the basics

(28:02):
of that, and Yoshi caught a touchdown on that route
against I believe Kansas City earlier this year. Same type
of thing going right. It's just a chemistry throw that
they've developed over the years. It is truly unstoppable when
they do it like that, like you can't eat. The
ball was far out before Jamar was even at its break.
It shows up right over top of the pylon. He
catches it right there every single time. That is just

(28:23):
elite chemistry stuff. The touchdown at the end again reference
that was from the the same player as the New
Orleans game, right well, knowing where to throw it, knowing
how Jamar is gonna want to react, and his ability
to make that one guy miss in that spot. That's
just stuff of just knowing exactly what you've got. And
it may be a simple play they run all the time,
but their ability to execute it at that level makes
it much more than just a simple play that they

(28:44):
run all the time. And that type of stuff that's
just separating them right now. That would have been their
connection continuing to blossom. Was going to be the story
before all of that happens. It still kind of is,
because it's still the basis of everything that we were talking.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
Case's dominant season is an NFL storyline that that you
could you could tap into it at any point. Uh
you podcast with Jay Morrison, who often comes up with
obscure stats or stats that tell a certain story. Has
he looked into whether a team has ever come from

(29:21):
off the graphic or in the hunt to make the postseason?
Has that ever happened? And is this part of the
research motivation? Like, didn't even have us in the hunt?
They got to be in the hunt on Sunday right,
not yet, weren't even on the graphic. They weren't on
the graph.

Speaker 3 (29:35):
Should they create a fourth graphic? No? I think you
have to be at least five percent to probably make
the screen. Don't you cover your tracks with like a
fourth graph every day?

Speaker 2 (29:45):
They got to play themselves into the hunts? Probably not,
but just in case or something.

Speaker 3 (29:49):
We're still in the we need to play ourselves onto
the screen stage.

Speaker 2 (29:53):
Okay, way will they be on the screen at kickoff?
When they show it before kick you'll be at the game.
But CBS has it this week, right, so like right
before kickoff and they show the graphic, right and the
Titans aren't going to be on it because they're officially eliminated.

Speaker 4 (30:08):
Don't they have to have the Bengals in the hunt now.

Speaker 3 (30:10):
Only on the Bengals Titans feed to try to sneak
some relevance the into that game nowhere else, not on
NBC Sunday Night Football. I think one more week if
they're still alive after you know, after this weekend, right right,
and you get the well, the result between the Colts
and the Broncos will kind of be a little wash,

(30:31):
depends on how you view it, but they'll still they
can still be alive with a win and you could
see it. Then I think they're back onto the screen.
You say, well, you.

Speaker 4 (30:38):
Know that that was my next scene, it's like you
read my notes.

Speaker 3 (30:41):
Look, when is the well you know moment?

Speaker 2 (30:44):
Because I don't think it happened on Monday, right, yeah,
I don't think it happened on Monday. But if if
they win, so that the tragic number is two, a
combination of Denver wins and Bengals losses adding up to
two and they're done. So if if the Bengals win
and the Broncos lose, the tragic number remains a two,
is that the well you know moment? Or do they

(31:05):
have to then get to the Browns game, win that
one and kind of be in the stats.

Speaker 3 (31:09):
They got to be setting themselves up for that Denver game.
I think No. I think probably going into the Browns game,
especially if they go and they they look like a
team that has some momentum and they go get it.
Let's say they beat the tent Titans by seventeen, let's
say thirty four to seventeen, and get the result they
like elsewhere. I think then you start to be like,

(31:32):
you know, you could see the Bengals ripping off these
five in a row. You could see that happening, right,
You got to But I don't know that you can
see that right now. They should have lost that game.
Should have I should have They did everything that they've
done all year long until Dallas was like, actually we'll
go ahead and screw this one.

Speaker 2 (31:48):
So does the blocked punt and ended up being recovered,
Like we've we've you know, we named famous plays in
NFL in Bengals history.

Speaker 3 (31:56):
The what have we settled on with Sam Hubbard? Is
it the Hubbard yard? I mean I I think I
like Hubbard yard dash personally fumbling the jungle head of life.

Speaker 2 (32:06):
So if that the block punt that ended up being
recovered is kind of the pivot point. Do we know
what we're gonna call that plays?

Speaker 3 (32:15):
It would probably end up with something Simpsons Z would
be dope, right, the nature of the game being kind
of known for just the Simpsons broadcast.

Speaker 2 (32:24):
I like this piece who wrote about Brian Callahan and
Zach Taylor thank you because this is about friendship, right,
I mean that that's.

Speaker 3 (32:30):
I think, I yeah, it's about something that like at
the core is something everyone can relate to, yes, right,
like someone who helped you, someone who poured a lot
of investment into you, and a friendship that kind of
helps you through tough times. And then those tough times
showed up immediately, right, and you and that person that's
just on the text dropping you jokes, the only person

(32:51):
that knows that it's okay to send you the message
when something bad happened to you, you know, like and
and keeps you in the right frame of mind, develops
that sanity and and appreciation and of gratitude for that.
I think everyone can connect with that. And uh, and
that's I originally, you know, wanted to write about them
from the moment that I watched the introductory news conference

(33:14):
of Brian down striking the moment what made him emotional
was Mike Brown, and I was like, well, I need
to know more about that, right, And he's unbelievable. He's
great talking about why that was. But it really turned
into so much more about sort of the two of
them and and and and lifting each other up and
just people that understand what that means. And so I

(33:35):
was kind of, you know, honored to be able to
tell that story because it's really cool, and I think
it's rare, Like the NFL is so uber competitive and
it's so it feels dirty all the time, and the
way that people get everyone's always getting fired and you're
using every advantage you can and people trying to steal
assistance and this day, who's gonna and this is much

(33:56):
more like pure about like just looks like just genuine
good dudes trying to help. Yeah, yeah, you know, And
I think that there's it tells a story about who
they are, and I want folks to read it.

Speaker 2 (34:05):
But but Brian's sort of going through something similar to
what Zach went through year one, and neither coach enjoying
a great season. Right now, when Luanna Rumo is coaching
the defense at stony Brook or wherever he's gonna, are
you gonna write is it gonna be a similar story?

Speaker 3 (34:22):
I don't know if it'll be quite a stony Brook.
I don't know. Gagner, you're not evenna give him.

Speaker 2 (34:31):
Francis don't do don Bosco prep, you know, I don't know.

Speaker 3 (34:38):
T Neck No, probably not, because it's gonna be coaching
the Piles defense next year. Not saying that. I'm not saying.

Speaker 2 (34:45):
That, all right, I know you have to to go
the music they're doing, the Tarrant telling us his time
to go, like TMZ gonna be there tonight.

Speaker 3 (34:52):
Oh I hope. I mean if TMZ was there? Do
you ever really know?

Speaker 2 (34:56):
It's a good question National Acquire, like, what's what? What
are we talking about? Like non like you guys, he knews,
he knews.

Speaker 3 (35:03):
That would be my best bet. I knew shows like
I don't know. Is Maria Manuno still involved in the
news situation? Is she still there?

Speaker 2 (35:10):
I'll tell you what if if she's there tonight? That's
pretty good. It's pretty cools asner. You get like a CNN.

Speaker 3 (35:17):
Maybe yeah, maybe what if they send Lache to do
what I don't know, just to be down he's in town.
Stand there, yeah, yes, stand there? Host it. I mean,
I feel like that's the level of crazy Mario Lopez
going to be. That's the level of craziness that we're reaching.
It feels like this press conference needs a host.

Speaker 4 (35:34):
Can't wait? All right, man? Thank you as always.

Speaker 2 (35:37):
Read Paul's work on the Bengals, Theathletic dot Com, catch
the podcast, the Growler podcast typically on Wednesdays. We talked
with Rick Boring at this time, but we punted him
to four oh five Rick on the Musketeers and the Norse.
Next where a Buffalo Wild Wings? Col Raine, ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati.

Speaker 4 (35:53):
Sports Station, Cincinnati's family sports grail is butter.

Speaker 3 (36:01):
Man, All right, what's times an afternoon?

Speaker 2 (36:02):
My rigor the SDA in fifteen thirties broadcasting this supernoon
from Buffalo Wild Wings could rank where the cheerleaders have
joined us well, help us give away some stuff thanks
for our friends at bud Light, including the awesome bud
Light Bengals cooler that has been one of the cornerstones
of our tour of Buffalo Wild Wings locations all fall long.

(36:26):
Dante Corleon's going to join us coming up in just
about fifteen minutes. We are looking forward to that, of course,
and we'll chat with one of the experts from Orthos
Cincy about a couple of different Bengals related injury issues.
Typically on Wednesday, as we chat with our guy Rick
Boring Musketeer Report dot Com, NKU Radio Norse with a
game tonight against the University of the Cumberlands. You can

(36:48):
find that broadcast on fifty five KRC this evening. XU
blowing out Morgan State last night. Musketeers getting set now
for the Skyline Chili Crosstown shootout, and so Rick is
to join us twenty minutes later than usual right now
at six minutes after four o'clock.

Speaker 6 (37:05):
How you doing, sir, I'm doing great, loving this new
time slot.

Speaker 3 (37:11):
Really, you know, we could we can make an adjustment now,
could we could put you at the.

Speaker 4 (37:14):
Top of the hour.

Speaker 7 (37:17):
At your show.

Speaker 6 (37:18):
No, you do whatever you need to, you know.

Speaker 3 (37:20):
I'm just here to make here to make my guests happy.

Speaker 2 (37:25):
Xavier plays you see on Saturday, which everybody knows about,
but it really starts a gauntlet man, leading up to Christmas.
You're gonna play a big twelve team on the road
that's ranked on Saturday, then you go to Yukon, then
you're home for Marquette.

Speaker 4 (37:40):
How prepared are the Musketeers for this?

Speaker 6 (37:45):
Well, I think they're prepared in terms of being tested.
They've played enough quality competition. They played South Carolina and
Michigan on neutral site. They've played at TCU already, so
you know they've had some legit high major competition. But
the question is are they up to the challenge? And
that I think remains to be seen. I mean, really,

(38:06):
when you think about the fact that their non conference
schedule was a little bit weaker this year, they lost
the games against Michigan and TCU, they don't really have
much in the way of quality to their resume so far.
I mean, this next two plus weeks is really going
to decide a lot of their season and their metrics

(38:27):
and their resume for the end of the year.

Speaker 2 (38:29):
So it's a huge stretch, all right, focus specifically on
the shootout for me, where does Xavier have a clear
advantage over you see?

Speaker 6 (38:40):
Well, I don't know that there's anywhere that they have
a clear advantage. I think a few areas that they
are better is that they're they're a better three point
shooting team. I think when it comes down to it,
I know you these numbers have been inflated a bit
based on who they've been playing to this point, but
I think overall leaguers a better shooting team. I'm also
cure to see what the physicality looks like inside. Xavier

(39:03):
isn't the biggest team, but I think when you see
hasn't looked great this year, it's been a result of
their big men not playing very tough or very physical,
and I think we saw some of that in last
year's shootout. I think Xavier's big men, Sean Miller had
them even though they weren't very good in their front court.
He had them more ready to play from a physicality standpoint.

(39:24):
So those are two areas where I'll really have my eye.
I think the bigger thing for me, though, is the
disadvantages Xavier has against UC and how they handle that.
And I think the biggest of those being UC's pressure defense,
the way they really get aggressive on the perimeter, deny
passing lane, and stick to shooters. They don't allow those

(39:45):
three point looks. That style of defense has given Xavier
trouble in recent matchups, so I think them being able
to handle that from UC is going to be the
big storyline.

Speaker 2 (39:55):
I'm crossing off my list my next question, which was
where is Xavier's biggest disadvantage against You see, I like
that a good guest anticipates what the questions are going
to be.

Speaker 3 (40:03):
Good job.

Speaker 6 (40:06):
I'm doing my best. I didn't mean to ruin the
interview there.

Speaker 2 (40:08):
I hope you have more No impossible, So you know
we got an answer because I was gonna ask what's
up with Trey Green, who didn't play last night? He
went through shoot around. He had only played in four
minutes again in the game against TCU, and that was
a week ago. I was asking what his role is
going to be on the team moving forward, and now
he steps away for I guess an indefinite leave because

(40:31):
of health related issues. I know there's only so much
ground you could uncover when it comes to a college
athlete's health related issues. And I hope he's okay, But
given how this unfolded yesterday, where he goes through shoot
around then doesn't play, now is out for a while,
it just it feels weird.

Speaker 6 (40:49):
Yeah, And I mean, I think some people don't like
the way it feels to talk about these things. Maybe
they'll call it skeptical at this point, but let's face it.
I mean, these guys are making at least six figures
now to play this. There's a lot of strategy involved
in terms of how you handle getting onto rosters and
transferring in all of that, and if you do the math,
you are allowed to play and up to thirty percent

(41:11):
of a team's games and still medically red shirt for
a year and retain your eligibility. Well, Xavier, last night
was game number ten. They have thirty one game scheduled.
Thirty percent of thirty one is just over nine games,
so you know, if he's trying to preserve his eligibility
through a medical red shirt that might have been one
of the reasons that he sat out last night's game.

(41:33):
Then we find out today he is he is sitting
out indefinitely now because of a medical reason. So we
don't have any more details than that. Call me skeptical
if you will, but this would seem like it might
be setting up for the potential of a medical red shirt,
him retaining that year of eligibility and then looking to transfer.

Speaker 3 (41:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (41:51):
I don't know if it's skepticism, it's just understanding the
way the sport works nowadays.

Speaker 6 (41:57):
Yeah, And I don't think I mean, like, I don't
think people should have any issues with that, you know,
I mean everyone helps. He's okay, and he's doing well,
and if there's anything wrong that he gets better. But
the reality of the situation is that seems to be
what's going on here without them saying that publicly.

Speaker 2 (42:13):
Rick Bororing Musketeer Report dot Com you'll hear him tonight
has the call with Jim Kelch and k you taking
on the University of the Cumberlands. That game will tip
off at Truce Arena at seven o'clock on fifty five.
Krc I was in the car all day on Saturday,
and I think I think I was able to get
from Florence to my house on the west side of Cincinnati,

(42:33):
and the amount of time it took for them to
review the walkoff goaltending call.

Speaker 3 (42:37):
So that was kind of fun. But have you ever
seen a walk off goaltending.

Speaker 6 (42:40):
Call, well, a walk off goaltending call that was set
up by a wedgie? You know, Yes, we want to
shot wedges between the women and the backboard and get
stuck there. Yes, so we had a feet away from
Sam Vincent that wedges between the rim and the backboard,
get stuck jump ball n Ku has possession and I

(43:00):
don't know why, but the rest opted to put one
point one seconds on the clock, although it clearly looked
to me like there were only about two tenths of
a second left when the wedgie occurred. And so we
go to an underneath out of bounds play. Trey Robinson
lays it up, reverse layup, looks like it's going to
fall out, and a big german seven footer for Iundy

(43:23):
swipes it off the rim. Appeared to be obvious goaltending.
Like you said, we had a very long review from there.
They end up saying it's goaltending and NKU gets the
walk off win on a goaltend, And I will say
kind of an interesting fact there, the big guy from Germany.
FEB rules are that ball's live, you're allowed to play
it and swipe it off the rim like that where
he's from. So you have to think that's just the

(43:44):
guy that hasn't played enough American basketball and kind of
forgot about the rules.

Speaker 2 (43:48):
In that situation, you legitimately anticipated my next question because
I watched the Olympics basketball tournament, which they play by
FEB rules and you're allowed to do that.

Speaker 4 (43:57):
Would you like to see that rule in the United States?

Speaker 6 (44:01):
I think I would. I kind of like it when
I watched it in Olympic basketball, and I like it
even more from an offensive standpoint, where the offensive players
are allowed to come in and cram it when it's
what's rolling around the rim like that. It adds a fun,
exciting element to the game, and I think in this
current era, with nothing but three point shots of dominating
the sport, I'd like to see a little bit more

(44:22):
excitement and fun implemented back into the sport exactly.

Speaker 2 (44:26):
I'm all about fun. That was a league win for
NKU and one in which they had to come back.
I think they were down eight with five or six
minutes to go. Handicap the Horizon League race for me,
now that it has started to unfold.

Speaker 6 (44:40):
Oh, I mean that's a great question right now, MO,
because when you look at the top of the conference,
I don't think anyone looks like they're invisible or heads
and shoulders above anyone else. I mean, Milwaukee was picked
to be at the top of the conference along with
Purdue Fort Wayne. I think Milwaukee still looks to be
one of the strongest teams in the league Fort Wayne,

(45:00):
though they've already dropped a league game, and that was
to Detroit Mercy, who was not expected to be very
good at all. So you know, it's been a little
bit of chaos early here. I think the teams that
I have my eye on are Youngtown State, Milwaukee, and
Wright State. And I would also put NKU in that
group up at the top. I think the Norse are
rounding into form. I think maybe some people worried about

(45:21):
the Indie game being so close, but IU Indy has
a new coach, they completely revamped that roster. I think
they're going to be a difficult place to win at
this year, and so MK you coming away with a
close win up. There was a good start to league
play for the Norse and I think they're going to
be in the top four or five at least in
the conference this year.

Speaker 3 (45:43):
What can you tell me about the University of the Cumberlands.

Speaker 6 (45:47):
Well, they're going to be small. They don't have anyone
over six foot six in their main rotation. They're led
by a six two yard Anthony Johnson, who played for
them last year averaged a little over fourteen points per game.
But he only had two points in the game at
NKU last year. But this year he's averaging over twenty
two points per game and he is an exciting guard
to watch. They throw him a lot of atli ukes,

(46:08):
he does a ton of dunking.

Speaker 5 (46:10):
So that's kind of gonna be the guy I have
my eye on most tonight.

Speaker 6 (46:13):
As Anthony Johnson number two for the Cumberlands, I'd expect
them to shoot a lot of threes and spread the
floor also.

Speaker 2 (46:20):
And you could feel free to use this in the
broadcast tonight, the alma mater of former Kentucky Governor Burt Colmes.

Speaker 6 (46:28):
Okay, yes, that'll definitely make its way into the broadcast.
At some point I can assure you, okay.

Speaker 3 (46:33):
Very good. I'm glad.

Speaker 4 (46:35):
I now I get like a producer credit at the
end of the broadcast, So just keep that in mind.
I appreciate it as always. Man, Thank you so much.

Speaker 6 (46:43):
Hi, thanks mom.

Speaker 4 (46:44):
Rick Brooring Musketeer Report dot com.

Speaker 2 (46:46):
If you're a Musketeer fan, if you're a Xavior fan,
you should subscribe to his website.

Speaker 3 (46:51):
Know everything you need to know about Xavier basketball.

Speaker 2 (46:53):
Especially you see yukon Marquette all before Christmas gauntlet. I
think the only sport that we regularly use the word
gauntlet is college basketball. I don't think we really use
that in the NFL, but I think college basketball gauntlet applies,
especially for whose agers playing in the coming games, because
those three pretty good teams.

Speaker 3 (47:13):
I'm still not entirely sure how good two of them are.

Speaker 4 (47:16):
I think Marquet's pretty damn good.

Speaker 2 (47:18):
Find out a lot about both UC and Xavier. On
Saturday Skyline Chili Crosstown shoot Out. By way tomorrow, we're
giving away a ball. Give it away one of those
Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout balls on the air.

Speaker 4 (47:28):
How about that right now?

Speaker 2 (47:29):
Though we're giving away the greatest bud Light, Bengal's cooler
of all time. And these Bengals golf hoodies which you
cannot beat, thanks to our friends at bud Light. And
I've got a burger in front of me that I'm
gonna eat. And you talk about a guy who could
eat some burgers. Now, the Godfather Dante Corleone coming back
to play for ucee. One more year college football for

(47:50):
the Bearcats. The Coleraine grad joins us next on ESPN
fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 1 (47:56):
Station, Cincinnati's ESPN.

Speaker 8 (48:01):
This is football in Thenetti, brought to you in part
by modern office methods. On the official home of the Bengals,
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 4 (48:11):
This is really cool.

Speaker 2 (48:12):
We're here at Buffalo Wild when it's col Rainey getting
away prize. Just gave away this really cool Bengals golf hooty,
thanks to our friends at bud Light.

Speaker 4 (48:20):
The gentleman who wanted Kenny Rodgers. Now we all know
the late Kenny Rogers.

Speaker 2 (48:26):
When you think of that name, you think of the
bearded singer, right, no one to hold him, no one
to fold him, the gambler.

Speaker 3 (48:32):
Right.

Speaker 4 (48:32):
That's well, then that gentleman is obviously not the Kenny Rodgers,
but he kind of looked like him.

Speaker 3 (48:37):
Kind of cool that Kenny Rogers looks like Kenny Rodgers
up the window.

Speaker 2 (48:42):
God, look at Tarren on the ball man playing some
Kenny he began, you know, one of the very first
guests I booked as a producer many many nineteen ninety
eight or ninety nine, Kenny Rodgers either threw at the
first pitch at opening day or sang the national anthem.

Speaker 3 (48:58):
He might have done both.

Speaker 2 (49:00):
And I got Kenny Rodgers on the air with Jim
Scott that that's pretty cool. Kenny Rodgers passed away maybe
a year ago, two years ago, well it might have
been five years ago.

Speaker 4 (49:09):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (49:09):
But anyway, congratulations to this Kenny Rodgers for a looking
like Kenny Rodgers and me winning one of our prizes.
We have more to give away, so you could be
like Kenny Rodgers and win one here at Buffalo Wild
Wings Cole Rain. Speaking of col Rain, it's the home
of the Godfather Dante Corleone, who I wish was here.
But the UC Star announced earlier this week he is

(49:30):
coming back to play for the University of Cincinnati one
more year of college football in Clifton, and let's be honest,
hopefully a better season in twenty twenty five. Kind enough
to give us some time on the phone this afternoon, Dante,
It's great to have you.

Speaker 3 (49:44):
I know you gave this decision a lot of thought.
Walk us through, if you will.

Speaker 2 (49:49):
Some of the determining factors and making your decision to
come back and play for the Bearcats next year.

Speaker 7 (49:55):
Yeah, you know, you always improve in draft stock, and
also this me and coach Nico Brandon, coach Garcia are
some coaches. We set out a good game plan for
me to get back into top shape. That's another determined factor,
so I can meet the best shape coming out next year.
So those are those are a big factor for me
to come.

Speaker 3 (50:14):
Out obviously this year.

Speaker 2 (50:16):
Yeah, you mentioned improving your draft stock. What what kind
of feedback have you gotten in that in that regard?

Speaker 7 (50:24):
Yeah, it's you know, it's it's unknown about my uh my,
my health. So that's another thing. I want to prove
that I can go back to back years what the
health scare and improve my stock for that because you know,
if people don't, I don't think people want to take
an opportunity because they don't know if I can be
healthy all year, So that's another determined factor.

Speaker 2 (50:44):
I've I've got to think, as we talked about the
coming months, you are looking forward to more than anything,
having a normal offseason after what you went through last year.

Speaker 7 (50:55):
Yeah, it's just missing four weeks of off season is huge.
Then I was just trying to catch the rest of
the year.

Speaker 2 (51:02):
How hard was that to get caught up during the
season while you're trying to win games?

Speaker 7 (51:08):
Yeah, you know, especially playing position I played, like being
double team, triple team, It's not it's not easy to
have to do, not being in the best shape of
your life. So it was really like improving every week.
And I want to thank coach Garcia for helping me
get in shape pasting.

Speaker 3 (51:23):
So it's a normal off season for you.

Speaker 2 (51:26):
At least last year was not walk us through what
the coming weeks and months are going to be like.

Speaker 7 (51:33):
Uh, just just working hard, like just doing all the
exit I can do to become a pro. I'm working
on being a produce here. That's my mindset, and also
just becoming a better man outside, being more mature, taking
care of my body, the small things like that.

Speaker 2 (51:48):
I've got to imagine, you know, your teammate Brendan Soresby
announced he was coming back, and he used the term
unfinished business. I've I've got to think with the way
this past season ended after such a promising start, that
that had to be a part of what went into
your thinking about coming back to U.

Speaker 3 (52:06):
See is that correct, sir?

Speaker 7 (52:08):
You know, so as we respect my wishes, you know,
I took a week off before I made my decision,
and he was behind me on hundred percent if I
left or came back. So and he also won our
foundation pieces coming out the portal last year. A great,
great leader, great quarterback, and he just he's just coming
on her rise. You know, he's gonna get better, He's
gonna become a better man, hopefully become a team captain

(52:28):
this year and lead us.

Speaker 2 (52:29):
How much did you talk to teammates about this decision
as you were weighing the pros and cons of staying.

Speaker 7 (52:35):
I really kind of stayed away from like teammates, just me,
my mom and my uncle, and we just talked about
like and also my position coach coach too. I talked
to him and he sat down for like thirty minutes
to an hour and we talked about the pros and cons,
And I think that left me to like make my decision.
So I appreciate coach to respecting my wishes and took

(52:59):
he let me take the time. Also, that's why I
appreciate this closing staff because they didn't rush me. They
didn't they didn't try to force me to sign any agreement.
They want a best for me.

Speaker 2 (53:07):
You know this season, you know I mentioned before you
guys were five and two, and we all know how
things unfolded toward the end of the year. What has
to happen with this program for us to be talking
about UC football playing in the postseason a year from now.

Speaker 7 (53:20):
Yeah, And I think I'm going to my guys when
we come back and break. We have to finish. That's
got to be our model. This year's tennis, I can
I could think of five games in a row that
we didn't finish it and then cost us and it
caught up to us necessarily towards the end of the year.
So we have to work on finishing the close games
because if we want to close games, we're going to

(53:41):
be in a bowl game. We want to be in
a championship game. So we got to work on finishing games.

Speaker 4 (53:45):
Are there parts of your game itself that you would
have focused on? I guess the first would be maybe
next year you don't get nearly as many double teams,
although I can't imagine most teams are gonna are gonna
are gonna put one blocker on you. But but are
there parts of your game individually that you go You
know what this offseason I would have worked on and
I want to sharpen going into twenty twenty five.

Speaker 7 (54:04):
Yeah, I think my presence went out this year. But
also just to always improve in my pass rush. I
think that's always gonna be the main focus on every
off season for me because if I have that, I
could be a three down guy. As of right now,
I thinis Causton, I'm a two down guy. So I
gotta work on my pass rush, staying low and just
working on new moves in the past game.

Speaker 3 (54:25):
How do you do that during the off season?

Speaker 7 (54:27):
Uh, just work on the drills, like constantly be consistent
on everything you do every like you can. You can
work on it. You've got nothing else to do in
the off season, so it's like you got enough time
to set aside, like put the game down. You don't
got to hang out with teammates. You can always do
an extra So and I got a game a great
game plan coming up this off season with coach g
our shrimp coach, our assistant shrimp coach and me and

(54:50):
him got love plan to keep me in shape and
also just work on a small drill so I can
get better.

Speaker 2 (54:55):
So you announced your coming back, and then I think
within twenty four hours to that, Gavin Gerhard announces he
is coming back. Was that sort of a all right,
we we can't live without knocking against each other in
practice for another year.

Speaker 7 (55:10):
Now. Gav is my guy. But also we just compete
every day making we make each other better. And Gavin
was one of the best centers in the Big twelve.
So I'm glad he's coming back. And just he's the
team captain also, so you can't beat a team captain
coming back. Just that leadership and not president coming on.

Speaker 3 (55:25):
I mean, you guys by the end of this are
going to be sort of like an old married couple.

Speaker 7 (55:28):
Yeah, I know. I just felt like I just came
in yesterday going against right now, we fished the six year.

Speaker 2 (55:32):
Seniors Beyond the football part of it, you know, I mean,
you've you've got the school part. You've you've got, you've
got to getting ready for the season. Is there anything
else you're looking forward to doing this offseason?

Speaker 7 (55:46):
Yeah, the business side of it, and I want I
want to buy a house, I want to invest and
stuff like that. So we have a great collective and
Ken Tracy and Cincy Range and Brian Fox and them guys.
It is not handing us money, they also teaching that thing.
They also calling us out we do something like crazy,
like they gonna they're gonna they're not gonna hold our hands,

(56:07):
but they also gonna teach us. So I think our
collective is one of the best because it's just not
having us money. They also gonna teach about their business
out of it. So it's just me not buying a house.
It means learning behind the scenes of getting the house.
So once I get more money or whatever I do
in the next level, I can pass it on to
the next person.

Speaker 4 (56:25):
What have you learned about the business side of college
and for that matter, pro football.

Speaker 7 (56:31):
Yeah, just taxes and all that type of stuff and
all the other things like if you make so much money,
you're not the necessarily getting that number. It's gonna be
They're gonna tax you on it. So I'm just learning
all them things and then just just that just knowing
that just take a relief off your shoulder, so when
you go to the next level, you just not surprised.

Speaker 3 (56:49):
Are you following along with the comings and goings?

Speaker 2 (56:53):
You know, obviously the coaching staff and the front office,
the general manager Zach Grant are trying to make the
roster better, and then that involves bringing in a lot
of kids from other programs for visits and stuff like that.

Speaker 3 (57:05):
Are you following or involved at all in that process? Yeah?

Speaker 7 (57:08):
Fuck, you have to be, especially for me, soorsby Gavin
get Hard and guys. You just can't bring it anybody
because nowadays this year, uh now, this type of generation
far as the transfer poto, like, if you bring anybody
like they just it's gonna be a cancer in a
locker and we can't afford to have that. So we
got to make sure we're bringing the right guys. You know,
sometimes I said, no, the Zach and Jack and recruiting

(57:29):
guys like, we cannot bring this guant even though he's
one of the most talented guys in the country, and
cannot bring him that they just got they have to
be a people's person, Like we had a great set
of transfer quota guys like Soarsby and Team Wigan Wilson,
just guys that like former team captains like you.

Speaker 9 (57:43):
That's big.

Speaker 2 (57:44):
You know. It's interesting because I felt like two years
ago UH coach Saderfield's first year, the first year in
the Big Twelve, it felt to me like as the
season unfolded, things splintered a little bit. I know the
season didn't go the way you would have preferred from
a wins and losses, but I didn't get the same
sense this past year. Would that be accurate?

Speaker 7 (58:05):
Yeah, because we've got ware of the people that was
being in cancer, so he was bringing in the right
people and it was less fighting. It was more connected,
like people playing stage in the locker room. Like you
don't see that every day and everybody locker room. Everybody's
gonna go home or do something, but no, they're going
over each other apartments and hanging out. Also getting people

(58:25):
rise to practice, like small things like that, like we're
still a family. Even though some of the seniors left
this year, you still got some great guys coming back.
And just that presence of that leadership and then that
family bond. We got like we're gonna go out together,
We're gonna win together, we don'na lose together. So that's
how our model is.

Speaker 2 (58:41):
Yeah, as a Bearcat fan, it's it's awesome that you're
coming back. Cannot wait to watch the off season unfold
and hopefully when the season begins you have reaped the
benefits from all the work that you're going to do
this offseason. I cannot thank you enough for joining us,
and best of luck in the coming months, Dante, much appreciated.

Speaker 9 (59:00):
Thank you.

Speaker 8 (59:19):
You've been listening to football in Thenetti on the official
home of the Bengals, Cincinnatis ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (59:27):
Cincinnatis ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (59:30):
Sports Heideline is quickly a service of Kelsey Chevrolet home
of lifetime powertrain protection and guaranteed credit approval from their
family to yours for life, kelseyshev dot Com. Jamar Chase
AFC Offensive Player of the Week, Bengals getting set for
the Titans on Sunday. Bengals Game Plan Tonight. That show
this evening is going to air on Fox Sports thirteen sixty.

(59:51):
My guess is you'll hear some of the Joe Burrow
press conference, and Joe has been in the news for
a lot of different reasons, obviously from a football perspective,
playing and helping the Bengals beat the Cowboys, his postgame comments,
and I'm sure to a degree he is going to
be asked to expand upon them. And then there's been
you know, his very unfortunate home break in which, by

(01:00:13):
the way, I think the bigger story here is a
series of NFL players are having their homes broken into,
and to a degree, they're easy targets because you know
when they work, you know when they're out of town. Now,
obviously they can afford home security systems and things of
that nature that it could prevent the worst case thing
from happening.

Speaker 4 (01:00:33):
But I feel bad for Joe Burrow. Number one. You
having your home broken into sucks.

Speaker 2 (01:00:39):
And I mentioned this yesterday a year and a half
ago that happened to us, and we have been very
lucky that we have gotten at least some degree of justice.

Speaker 4 (01:00:49):
But it stinks. I mean it, just as cliche as
it sounds. You feel violated.

Speaker 2 (01:00:54):
Joe Burrow has I think, gone out of his way
to be a very private person, and I hate it when.

Speaker 3 (01:01:03):
Somebody who.

Speaker 2 (01:01:05):
Aims for privacy, has had a lot of the stuff
that they want to be kept private spilled into the
public realm. And I just I get the sense that
tonight's press conference is going to be populated by a
lot of people who typically aren't there for those press conferences,
and it might turn into a bit of a circus.

Speaker 4 (01:01:22):
I hope not.

Speaker 2 (01:01:24):
Kentucky and Colgate tonight at eight on ESPN fifteenth third.
Remember when U see played Colgate and lost, and then
you know, every every person who's not a Bearcat fan
and many who are had to tell you you lost
to a toothpaste. So hopefully Kentucky doesn't lose to a toothpaste.
NKU plays University of Cumberland's tonight. That game is on
fifty five KRC. We do this on Wednesdays. We talk

(01:01:47):
with one of the experts from Orthos since the Orthopedics
and sports Medicine. The awesome thing about Orthos, since he
is they've got specialists and locations and services all over
the Tri State. This includes walk in orthoped urgent care
at five different locations with extended evening and weekend hours
in Edgewood and Anderson. You can learn more at Orthosinc.

Speaker 4 (01:02:09):
Dot com.

Speaker 2 (01:02:10):
That's Orthos c I n CY dot com. Doctor Angel
Blaska is from Orthos since he is with us. Let's
start by talking about Orlando Brown, who we have been
talking about now for a while. So nearly two months ago,
he suffers an injury against the Browns. We heard it
was a calf strain or a tennis leg, aggravates it
against the Eagles, and then the injury is listed as

(01:02:31):
a knee injury. He scratched right before the game against
the Chargers, which means he missed three games, and now
he has been listed with a fibula injury. He played
every snap week thirteen, and then he didn't practice and
he didn't play on Monday night. So I guess we
have to ask you to run through the range of

(01:02:53):
possibilities we're dealing with when talking about a fibula injury.

Speaker 10 (01:02:58):
Well, you know, I can tell why you're seeing that
you're talking about him every week, because it's actually seven weeks.
You know, we talk about from you know, you know,
October twentieth, seventh week until the fourteenth, So this is
a long time, you know, with this injury. You know,
if you look back when somebody is talking to me,
about a calf's train or tennis leg. What that means

(01:03:20):
is number one, that there's an injury that believed to
be in the caf mosco where the cauf most and
the akillo stand on get together. That's the that's the
first thing. And if you truly have a tennis leg,
what that means is that the tendon junction or or
the teasue that connect them together is where the injury is.
And this can be something that can linger.

Speaker 3 (01:03:41):
For weeks and weeks.

Speaker 10 (01:03:42):
If it's not that those appropriately least, it's the beginning, right,
So you know, first thing is you got a tennis leg.
I assume that with the length of this injury, you
already have an MRI, you already have x rays. And
if it's truly a tennis leg, you know that that
can take most of the time around six weeks. But
if you trying to come in and out, you know,
coming practicing, then resting, then trying to play, that can

(01:04:06):
linger through the whole season.

Speaker 3 (01:04:08):
You know my patience.

Speaker 10 (01:04:09):
First, if there's a significant swine there, we drain it
and then we sometimes do even PRP that can cut
down twenty five percent the heating process. So that is
if tennis leg is there, so is the appropriate diagnosis
now phibil are injury. That's that's is a lot of
different things to answer your questions. You know, you could
have a stress thrash or the fibula. You could have

(01:04:32):
a fresh or from you know, for somebody landing on
his on his leg. So it's really hard to tell
you when we don't have the you know, the definity dinosis.
But any of those dinoses could be lingering if you're
trying to come back without the appropriate treatment right away.

Speaker 2 (01:04:48):
So we're talking about the possibility of maybe the fibular
injury being caused by him compensating for the original knee injury.

Speaker 3 (01:04:57):
Well, depending what.

Speaker 10 (01:04:57):
It is, right, if it's the mosses running the field,
you know there's two different mostles right there and turn
two tendos that runs that you're trying to compensate. You
walk different and you can stress it more or even
you know stress now now the fibula and and trying
you know, getting a little bit of a bomb bruise
or you know, a frashuer through it. You know, when

(01:05:18):
I when I hear the word fibula injury, I'm thinking
that it's the bond. What is the problem And the
bond could have a thrasher that wasn't shown on an
extra before now we see it. Or the bond could
be just a stress or a bomb bruise or a
contusion or something like that.

Speaker 2 (01:05:34):
All right, I want to ask you about Logan Wilson.
So Bengals linebacker didn't play last week, and we're not
exactly sure with the specifics of his knee injury, but
it's being reported that he had a quote surgical cleanup.
What okay, what my dad involved.

Speaker 10 (01:05:52):
Well, when you have obviously any injury that there's not
an acute injuries or something that may be lingering for
a little bit, doesn't bother him too much, and then
suddenly his knee probably swallowing, he's maybe feeling some locking
or some some something getting on.

Speaker 3 (01:06:08):
The way on the knee.

Speaker 10 (01:06:09):
So you get an mry and you look at it,
and the clean up a lot of the time is
from the breed, a little bit of college damage into
the joint, sometimes what we call a little bit of
a loose body so piece of corlage floating around and
get on the way, and you go there and clean
it out, getting out and rehab it. You could have
a moment he's stare that is on an era that

(01:06:30):
is not going to cause that much trouble or it
doesn't need to be repaired, and you clean it up
and you're back. If you remember, you know I always
mentioned baseball, right when I give you an example. We
remember Jerry Bruce when he has.

Speaker 3 (01:06:43):
His knee injury.

Speaker 6 (01:06:44):
You got it in hiscous injury.

Speaker 11 (01:06:45):
He was back in six weeks.

Speaker 10 (01:06:46):
But you know he hit eighteen homers in the first
half of the season or sixteen, and see he finished
with eighteen at the end, So he didn't hit that
many homer after coming from surgery because you know the recovery.

Speaker 3 (01:06:57):
He came back and he may know how the.

Speaker 6 (01:06:59):
Power or you know, to get the ball far. So
same thing with this. He can come back and not
be on the person.

Speaker 10 (01:07:06):
So maybe that's why they desire kind of, you know,
take him out for the season, you know, because he's
not gonna have enough time to get strong enough to
play on the National Football League.

Speaker 2 (01:07:16):
So every player is different, every situation is different. The
Bengals are five and eight, obviously they're mathematically still alive.
But are we talking about something here that if the
team's record were better and they were a likely playoff
team that maybe he would they would do something beyond
have him rule him out for the season.

Speaker 10 (01:07:33):
Absolutely, I think that when you look first, you need
to take care of the player. You need to be
sure that the injury that he has is safe for
him to come back or not. And then even if
he's safe, how much time he needs to be able
to be back and he's worth or not rushing him
through it? Right, So when you look at it, you know,
you look at the record, you say, you know what,

(01:07:54):
maybe it's not the safe for him to try to
push and bring him back. The other thing is true
nature of the injury, what exactly it is That injury
maybe sounds simple for us with a circa clean up,
you know, you know.

Speaker 3 (01:08:11):
Mentioned that they say that they tell us.

Speaker 10 (01:08:12):
What he has, but maybe something a little bit more right,
that he may need a little bit more time. But
those surgica clean up most of the time take around
six weeks. But the pair the person will come back
and maybe he's not going to be as strong I
should be to play in the National Football League or
the position that he played.

Speaker 3 (01:08:32):
You know, there's some position that you may be willing
to do more.

Speaker 10 (01:08:35):
There's some sport that you may be willing to do more,
but probably for his best care is better just resting
for the season.

Speaker 2 (01:08:42):
All right, let me ask you about Evan McPherson, doctor
angel Alaskaz from Orthos, since he is with this he
has been sidelined with a groin issue. Walk me through
the range of possibilities with this particular injury.

Speaker 10 (01:08:54):
Well, those those who can be tricky, you know, obviously
he's a kicker. He depending on his legs. When you're
talking about growing is the most that is on the
inside of the legs, so you know, getting stable when
you are walking so or moving your leg that led
to the other side in the kicking motion. Obviously, it

(01:09:17):
is going to be affecting him. It's gonna change the
way that he can and affect his accuracy. But number
one is what exactly it is. It's a muscle injury,
it's a tendon injury. Sometimes even those grow injury could
be a sports hernia, so those things are being treated different. Obviously,
he had the testing that need to be done for
the properate diagnosis. There's not a surgery, you know, scale,

(01:09:41):
so most likely it's not gonna be a sports hernia,
So most like it is gonna be a tendor or
a muscle strength and those don't require surgery. So it
is depending you know what exactly he has. But there's
a lot of different possibilities, and they are tricky. They
are tricky, they take time and and you know, hopefully
you can come back pretty quick.

Speaker 2 (01:10:01):
I want to ask you about a player who got
injured in that game on Monday night for the Dallas Cowboys,
Damarvian Overshown, a linebacker who has suffered tears to his
right knee.

Speaker 3 (01:10:12):
The ACL, the mc L, and the PCL.

Speaker 2 (01:10:16):
Now we often hear about ACL tears or MCL tears
or PCL tears. It's rare that it's all three. How
complex is going to be his surgery, his rehab, and
his recovery.

Speaker 10 (01:10:31):
Well, you know, if you get a multi multiple, you
know ligam an injury that that means that that there's
a significant force for that injury to happen. Right, The
A c L, mc L a lot of time they
come together. The PCL is an injury that some people
may have for a long time. And unless you have

(01:10:51):
a previous MEMORAI that didn't show it, you know now this,
You know Dcmurai could show.

Speaker 6 (01:10:56):
That's everything is acutely right.

Speaker 11 (01:10:58):
But typically you.

Speaker 10 (01:11:00):
Fix that a c L, you fix that m c L,
and you know the p c L typically doesn't need
to be repaired unless there's some type of inexability of
the of the knee. But recovery from multiple ligament injury
is a little bit more tricky because the recovery and
the immoization for an isolator or directly ACA injury is

(01:11:21):
different than when you add the m c L and
then you add the pc L. You know, the PCO
get a stress on a way that the mc the
m c L doesn't or the a c L doesn't,
So you need to range your motion of your knee
with the bracing at the beginning with limiting the stress
of those ligaments so they can fuse together. Right, So

(01:11:41):
that's the parts of the beginning that inisie. Recovery from
surgery is a little bit tricky because the racial motion
is not going to be as free as an isolator
a c L. We know that with the m c
L extending the knee, the m c L with a stress,
so you avoid the extension. But with ataires most of
the time you placed people on our braise with full extensions,

(01:12:04):
so now you decrease the emotion, so recover is slower
and take a little bit longer than INESI of part.

Speaker 3 (01:12:10):
So it is more about the initial part.

Speaker 10 (01:12:14):
To let those ligam infuse together, that is an important part,
and have more limitations so the racial motion come back
normal later in the process, not earlier, and that's the
difficult part.

Speaker 2 (01:12:29):
Awesome stuff, Doctor Rangel, Alaskaz, thank you so much. Doctor
Angel of Alaska is from Orthos. Since he I say
this every single week because it's true. The great thing
about Orthos since he is, they have specialists and locations
all over the Tri State. This includes walk in orthopedic
urgent care, which means no appointment needed weekdays nine to
nine nine eight to nine p. Saturday's nine eight to

(01:12:50):
one p both Edgewood and Anderson. It's easy because you
never need an appointment and it's definitely cheaper than going
to an er. Whenever you have an urgent orthopedic in
good Orthosinc dot com. That's Orthos ci NCY dot com.
Richard Skinner's gonna join us at five five. At six
minutes away from five, we are at Buffalo Wild Wings

(01:13:11):
and Cole Rain on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 1 (01:13:16):
Make them fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 3 (01:13:21):
There is what's up? It's six after five.

Speaker 2 (01:13:23):
This is ESPN fifteen thirty on my Leger broadcasting today
from Buffalo, Wild Wings, Cold Raine.

Speaker 3 (01:13:28):
We are here till six. We've got Bengal cheerleaders with us.
We've got the greatest cooler of all time, the bud
Light Bengals Cooler.

Speaker 2 (01:13:35):
We're gonna be given that away as soon as we
get done. We've also got one more of those bud
Light Bengals golf hoodies. We've got the six for nineteen
ninety nine deal. We've got bud Light specials, five dollars,
bud Light talls. You cannot beat it. So come on
out and hang out with us. If you can't be
here this afternoon, perhaps come on bye tonight and have dinner.

(01:13:56):
There you go. Our buddy, Richard Skinner is getting ready
to coach a game, so he is not going to
be a Joe Burrow's press conference. I'm sad for Joe
Burrow that that there's some stuff off the field that
has become public and that sucks on a thousand different levels.
But I do love absurdity, and I do get the
sense that tonight's press conference at six o'clock with Joe

(01:14:17):
Burrow is gonna kind of highlight absurdity.

Speaker 4 (01:14:20):
So I'm kind of sorry you're gonna miss it.

Speaker 5 (01:14:23):
Well, I think it could have, but I do think this.
I think they understand there's gonna be a couple of
questions about what took place in his house. But I
also think after a couple of questions about that, Joe
will quickly shut that down and they'll move to football.
So I don't think he'll be quite as absurd as
most of the stink. I was wondering how many questions
we're gonna be asked about? How many oly the and

(01:14:44):
he's with that's all I know.

Speaker 2 (01:14:46):
Yeah, yeah, well you know we'll I guess we'll all
find out. Who do you guys play tonight?

Speaker 5 (01:14:51):
I believe it or not. We play your Scott High Eagles.

Speaker 4 (01:14:55):
Oh really, yes, I want to provide any material.

Speaker 5 (01:15:02):
Well, here's what I'm gonna say. I had the scattering
report for this game, and I'm just gonna do my best.
Zach killers their well coach, play hard and shoot it.

Speaker 4 (01:15:09):
Well, gotta say, I hope you lose tonight.

Speaker 5 (01:15:14):
I know you do, but I hope we don't.

Speaker 4 (01:15:19):
At least we could still be least we can still
be friends.

Speaker 2 (01:15:23):
By the way, Burrow's on the injury report, which he
has been all year right with with the wrist, yes,
but now it's the knee. We knew he had the
brace on after the game, and so like, I know
these games matter, but but like I just playing behind
that offensive line, at some point he was gonna come
down with something, and I just I got this weird
sense four games to go, like I'm gonna see Joe

(01:15:44):
Burrow come off the field at some point.

Speaker 4 (01:15:46):
That might be irrational, but that's where I am.

Speaker 2 (01:15:49):
No.

Speaker 5 (01:15:49):
I think you gotta hold your breath about it, and
I think they need to be smart about it. Listen,
he wants to play. I think we talked about this
a little bit last week. You're mathematically alive, and you
have to give your yourself every chance to stay in
the playoff race. That probably sounds so absurd, but that's
exactly what it is. You have to give yourself every
answer that I adn't no doubt Joe Burrow gives you
the best chance for that. But man to me and

(01:16:10):
I actually did a story today and two of them
on the record five game run that Joe Burrows on.
He's done something that no other quarterbacks even done in
three straight games in NFL history, throw for two hundred
and fifty plus yards, throw three or more touchdowns, complete
twenty five or more passes, and throw one or less interceptions.
No quarterback in anfical history has done that over more
than the three games span. He's done it five straight.
He's on a historic run.

Speaker 6 (01:16:31):
Jamar Chase.

Speaker 5 (01:16:33):
Has done history the last three game or throw our
three games of the season with ten or more touches,
one hundred and seventy five yards and two plus touchdowns.
So those guys are on historic paces for stuff. But
I'm with you, mo man. I'm big picture and Big
Pictures twenty twenty five unless again, they continue to stay
in this race. I know it sounds absurd, I get it.
It does at five and eight, and I know they

(01:16:54):
still show up. I believe on the ESPN and the Hunt,
which I always love to see the five and eighteen
that's technically the Hunt, but they are and they play
winnable games, and so I think you play them until
you're you're wiped out.

Speaker 2 (01:17:05):
But you know, here's the thing, watching NFL games all
week and long, they were not in the in the
hunt column, and so they have at least played themselves
into the in the hunt column.

Speaker 5 (01:17:15):
See, I say that's your goal, right, you want to
play it at least be in the hunt, right. I mean,
so they reached a nice level. They went from out
of the hunt in the hunt.

Speaker 4 (01:17:24):
You know, I'm giving the pro shop ideas for a
T shirt.

Speaker 3 (01:17:27):
We're in the hunt.

Speaker 4 (01:17:27):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:17:28):
I don't know why they why they don't listen to me.
How many you mentioned twenty twenty five. How many current
Bengals starting offensive linemen will be starting for the Bengals
on opening day twenty twenty five.

Speaker 5 (01:17:42):
You're gonna hate this answer. I'm going to say four
Orlando Mims, Terris and either Cap or Bolts. And just
because it's going to be hard to fill the void
with all the other things you have to do on defense.

Speaker 6 (01:17:53):
I could be wrong.

Speaker 5 (01:17:55):
You know, maybe they find enough money to go find
two guards. You know, maybe you figure you can kick
Coty Ford and technically he's a starting line at the moment.
Maybe he kicks into guard at a reasonable price. I
just don't know if you can completely go fix that
defense with what you need to fix it with and
have enough money to spend a ton on the offensive line.
I do think there's got to be at least one

(01:18:16):
offense one starter. I think we agree you're solid at tackle.
Ted's long in the tooth, but he's been okay at center,
so that's at least three, and I just see them
filling both guard voys. I don't.

Speaker 2 (01:18:30):
At what percentage would you have had T Higgins coming
back to the Bengals on Monday morning, and what percentage
do you have that happening now?

Speaker 5 (01:18:40):
I would have had it at about one point three percent,
and I'd almost go fifty to fifty now because Joe
Burrow does not say things without being calculated, right, and
he gave us the I know something you don't know
kind of a thing with it with we'll see. I mean,
you know, he spoke eloquently about tea. I don't know

(01:19:01):
the answer to this, and maybe it should have been
asking Maybe I should have been the one to ask it.
But the symbolism of T and Jamar and Joe going
out for the coin toss that felt very calculated. Maybe
it was just because it was Monday night and you
wanted to send your three offensive stars out there on
a Monday night. Maybe it was also saying, listen, we
don't got many more with these three dudes. Look at him,
just watch him, just see him. Do you really want

(01:19:22):
to be without that guy? And maybe both two of
those guys no, And I think there was some sim
I really believe there was some symbolism behind that. And
then Jamar goes out and balls out. T I think
is playing hurt Mo and to his credit, I don't
think he's one hundred percent, and still the specter of
Tea out there. Does They moved Jamar around. That's helped

(01:19:42):
get Jamre. You know, the looks he's getting and the
targets he's getting, there's no doubt about that. But still
the specter of t being out there also helps with
that a little bit too, even if he's not one
hundred percent. But I think there was some symbolism behind that,
and Zach Taylor to say, don't got many more?

Speaker 7 (01:19:56):
There they are what do you think?

Speaker 4 (01:19:58):
What are we doing?

Speaker 5 (01:19:58):
And Joe's answers after where I mean we all literally
look at each other like he just say that is
this maybe gonna happen because it felt like it was
getting the water, and now it's very much alive. Because
when number nine says something, it means something.

Speaker 3 (01:20:11):
So it does right and it should.

Speaker 2 (01:20:14):
But like it means something for us, it means something,
you know, for you know, you guys who cover the
team closely, it means something for fans. Yeah, I'm sure
it means something to t Higgins. Do those words have
the same reverberation in the front office at Bay coorse Stadium.

Speaker 3 (01:20:32):
Probably not.

Speaker 5 (01:20:33):
But I don't think Joe says that without half having
some level of knowledge of where things could go. Or again,
they can't negotiate right now because he's on the franchise tag,
but you know, there's some back room things that can
be done, at least in conversation. I don't think he
says that without having some belief that something can get done.
And obviously, if something's gonna get done, it's gonna have
to involve him restructuring his contract, not taking the pay cut,

(01:20:54):
or restructuring the structure of it to where some money
gets converted into signing bonus, you know, so you can
pro write that out a little bit longer. So I
do think he has he he has some knowledge of
that portion of it. I'm gonna guess that that portion
has been talked about, So I do think is it
reverberate with the front office?

Speaker 3 (01:21:10):
Probably not.

Speaker 5 (01:21:11):
But I also think that he knows where things are heading,
at least for him maybe when it comes to his contracts,
and to me that speaks volumes.

Speaker 4 (01:21:20):
Where is tonight's game?

Speaker 6 (01:21:23):
It's at the.

Speaker 5 (01:21:23):
Beechwood so our home court were we love to hold
our home court mode.

Speaker 7 (01:21:28):
We're two and oh on the season.

Speaker 5 (01:21:30):
We're looking to go to three and zero against your
Scott High Eagles.

Speaker 3 (01:21:33):
When are you gonna playim? Taylor Mill?

Speaker 5 (01:21:37):
We played him last year and they running cloctic?

Speaker 11 (01:21:40):
Is it that?

Speaker 10 (01:21:40):
Really?

Speaker 5 (01:21:42):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:21:42):
They did?

Speaker 5 (01:21:42):
They were good last year.

Speaker 2 (01:21:44):
We were not.

Speaker 7 (01:21:45):
We had to go to a regional tournament last year.
So we had a good year.

Speaker 5 (01:21:47):
We just got running clock.

Speaker 3 (01:21:49):
Did do you get choked up when you go back
to Scott High School?

Speaker 6 (01:21:53):
I do.

Speaker 5 (01:21:53):
I coached baseball there for a year nineteen eighty six.
Doug Telfrey was on my team. Believe or not, that's all.
That's how old I'm an old man to do him. Actually,
he coach does tell free and hest.

Speaker 3 (01:22:03):
All right.

Speaker 2 (01:22:04):
But when I go back, I don't get choked up,
but I just go okay. Best of luck tonight, Best
of luck tonight against the Mighty Eagles.

Speaker 5 (01:22:11):
I wish you meant it, MO, but I appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (01:22:13):
I best.

Speaker 2 (01:22:14):
I hope, I hope everybody gets to the game healthy.
But everybody is a good time. And you know, my
beloved Eagles score one more point. But if not, that's okay.

Speaker 3 (01:22:23):
Thank you was always.

Speaker 4 (01:22:24):
We'll see.

Speaker 2 (01:22:26):
Richard Skinner from a Local twelve Local twelve dot com
on x at Local twelve Skinny Beechwood hosting Scott tonight.

Speaker 3 (01:22:34):
It is uh.

Speaker 4 (01:22:36):
Quarter a half for five on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:22:39):
We're broadcasting from Buffalo Wild Wings Beachmont or not Beachmont
from a Buffalo Wild Wings Cole Rain. We've been to
Beachmont three times. This is our second time here at
Cole Rain Stone Creek Boulevard. If you haven't been here, this,
of all the Buffalo Wild Wings has I think the
coolest TV set up at the bar because it looks
like an arena scoreboard.

Speaker 3 (01:22:57):
We've got bud light talls, five bucks.

Speaker 2 (01:22:59):
We've got the sick for nineteen ninety nine, deal two entrees,
two sides, two Fountain Drinks nineteen ninety nine. We've got
a cool bud Light Bengals hoodie. We've got some Bengal cheerleaders.
We've got the greatest cooler of.

Speaker 3 (01:23:11):
All time, the bud Light Bengals Cooler, the Sasquatch.

Speaker 4 (01:23:15):
This thing is terrific. We are here till six.

Speaker 2 (01:23:18):
If you're in the area, come on by, have a
nice cold bud Light, maybe win the cooler. Kenny Rogers
did have to leave, so you're not going to get
a chance to meet Kenny Rodgers. But nonetheless you can
hang out and say hi to me a good consolation prize.
Our guy Shan Sai at Stats and Scheme, We'll talk
Bengals with him. Scott Springer from the Inquire on UC Sports.

(01:23:40):
As we inch closer to the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout
coming up at five thirty three, lots of ground to
cover between now and six on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati
Sports Station.

Speaker 8 (01:23:51):
This is football in Thennetti, run to you in part
by blood Light and by Skyline Chili on the official
home of the Bengals since ESBN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:24:03):
You know we normally talked with Sean Sayed on Tuesdays,
but with the game on Monday, everything got slit. So
for example, you know, normally we're at Buffalo Wild Wing's
on Tuesdays, but you know, today we're here on a Wednesday,
and we're having a good time at the Cole Rain location.
We just gave away another Nike hoodie, another Bengals Nike
hoodie thanks to bud Light. We also just you know,

(01:24:25):
chatted with Paul Danner Junior in the first hour of
the show, typically on Tuesdays, but today Wednesday, and now
we're gonna spend a few minutes with our.

Speaker 4 (01:24:32):
Guy, Sean Sayed from the Stats.

Speaker 2 (01:24:33):
And Scheme podcast from sumer sports dot com as well.
And he's typically with us on Tuesdays, but we're having
him on on Wednesdays and he's with us.

Speaker 4 (01:24:42):
Now, Sean, how you doing.

Speaker 6 (01:24:44):
No, I'm doing well.

Speaker 5 (01:24:45):
You know.

Speaker 12 (01:24:45):
I'm really excited to be able to talk to each
other after a win. It's been a little bit since
we've had that pleasure. So I'm excited to talk a
little bit about that Bengals Cowboys game.

Speaker 4 (01:24:55):
My equilibrium is thrown off talking about a victory. I'm
not sure what to do.

Speaker 11 (01:25:00):
I get it, I definitely get it.

Speaker 12 (01:25:02):
I think it's it's hard at this point of the season,
with how things have gone to be excited about a win.
But you get a little bit of excitement. I know
bengalsman is excited about what Joe Burrow had to say
in the post game press conference. You see a little
bit about T Higgins.

Speaker 11 (01:25:14):
That gets me excited.

Speaker 12 (01:25:15):
Not sure how that's gonna end up, of course, but
still some good things on the field too.

Speaker 4 (01:25:20):
So let's go there.

Speaker 2 (01:25:21):
First, put yourself in the shoes of de facto Bengals
general manager Duke Tobin.

Speaker 3 (01:25:26):
What would you do with T Higgins?

Speaker 11 (01:25:29):
And you got to find a way, I think to
make it work.

Speaker 12 (01:25:31):
I think that it's really incumbent on the general manager
to find exactly how to do that. And you, of
course have to go through ownership. When we think about
the Eagles, the way the Eagles are able to do
a lot of the things that they do as you're
manipulating the cap with how much cash you're spending. And
I don't think that you should look at Joe Burrow
and say, hey, he has to take a pay.

Speaker 11 (01:25:50):
Cut or he doesn't want to win. If he doesn't
take a pay cut.

Speaker 12 (01:25:53):
It's on the general manager to try and find a way.
I think you want to see where t Higgins numbers at. Unfortunately,
you also have to figure out way to negotiate with
Jamar Chase. I think that when you look at teams
that have been able to have multiple high end players
on their roster, of course it's eCos I keep mentioning
it as want to look at you try and find
a way to look at that model, whether it's you
get maybe a little bit more cash up front, which

(01:26:14):
I know isn't always the Bengals way. You try and
bill holes in the draft or as opposed to in
free agency, because so much of this offense goes through
having two stud wide receivers, and there's certainly a reality
where Higgins isn't on the team next year, which I
think would make me sad. I think can make you sad.
I think it make a lot of people sad. But
it's I think it's probably number one to just find

(01:26:36):
a way. You really really have to find a way,
whether it's you're going over at certain spots, going under
at other spots and taking away from one place.

Speaker 11 (01:26:44):
And moving it to another.

Speaker 12 (01:26:45):
Just finding a way get all those guys in this field,
because this offense is so fun to watch when everyone.

Speaker 11 (01:26:50):
Is there, and you know, I worry about you get
a little bit of the fall off. At the same time,
though Higgins isn't.

Speaker 12 (01:26:55):
There, you still have you still have Chase, You still
have so much there that can make you a good team.

Speaker 3 (01:27:02):
I agree with everything you said.

Speaker 2 (01:27:03):
I think the counter to that is, well, they are
fun to watch, and they have Chase and they have Higgins,
and they're five to eight, and so look, obviously the
mo for this team is going to pay offense draft defense.
But they've tried that and it hasn't worked, and so
I think the argument against it is like, all right, yeah,

(01:27:24):
T Higgins is terrific, but on a team that has
so many holes on defense and that has to start
thinking about making its offensive line better, that maybe on
this team, for what he's going to cost is he's
a little bit of a luxury item, and a luxury
item that maybe it doesn't make sense to splurge on.

Speaker 12 (01:27:45):
I think I could see that argument again, like I'm
I have the most fun watching both of them together.
I think you can see so many things working where
Higgins is not there, of course, it changes defense. They're
gonna fully prioritize Chase, they can't just kind of single
them up in different ways.

Speaker 11 (01:28:00):
And I hear you on that they need so much
on defense that it feels like you're not going to have, you.

Speaker 12 (01:28:05):
Know, hopefully a top end kick again like you have
this year. So you draft in the trenches, you find
a way. And I think it's also like every kind
of part of the front office has a real responsibility
here where the player personnel part of it.

Speaker 11 (01:28:18):
The drafting part of it is so important where yes,
you're you're not hitting at the rate that you should,
but you're hoping that you know, you you find some randomness.

Speaker 12 (01:28:26):
Mile Murphy looks just a little bit you know, improved
at times on the field, and then you draft maybe
a guy like basically ran from Michigan where he can
come in right away and it feels like maybe he
doesn't have the highest feeling, but he's got a heck
of a high floor. He can kind of be a
plugger against the run in a few different ways. So
you're I mean, it's hard to put the faith, I
guess in for people who are drafting when they're maybe

(01:28:47):
not having.

Speaker 11 (01:28:48):
The best results.

Speaker 12 (01:28:48):
But the draft is a lot of times it is
random like as much as as things go where whether
it's where a player lands or kind of what system
it's in, and they'll be interesting to see just you no,
are they keeping the same defensive coordinated or is it
another person they bring in. Is it a whole entire
different style, a different attitude, a different teaching process that
maybe gets a little bit more out of players, or
you know, you're just filling in just a few kind

(01:29:10):
of one year rental kind of type contracts from either
veterans or guys in new places that you get a
little bit of over achievement.

Speaker 11 (01:29:17):
That just got to be a baseline, middle of the
road defense.

Speaker 12 (01:29:20):
You're gonna have the offensive clicking, and all of a
sudden you're back in the mix for the AFC North.

Speaker 2 (01:29:25):
I have been told Sean that I am too harsh
in my criticism to the Bengals offensive line. Is this
a really bad offensive line, below average offensive line, or
a league average offensive line in a league where offensive
line plays a problem.

Speaker 12 (01:29:42):
I think that I do agree with you that there is,
you know, a problem overall in the NFL, just with
offensive line play.

Speaker 11 (01:29:49):
I think that it comes up a little bit more
often than you would like when there are issues on
the offensive line.

Speaker 12 (01:29:54):
I do think that there are times that the offense
is I mean it's meant for Joe Burrow to kind
of hold the ball a little bit and kind of
extend plays. Obviously, you get some injuries on that offensive
line as well. I personally would probably put them like
a round blow average. I think that they have a
full waste to go. I think that Burrow has a
lot on his play in terms of stack avoidance, which

(01:30:16):
you don't always want to have. Like eventually, as we see,
like Bro really gets hit, Like the dude really takes
a lot of hits and probably more than you would want.
So I can certainly see you know, you want to
find different ways to improve that offensive line, and especially
with offensive line, I think you should think about it
as like a weaklingk system where it's like your worst
offensive lineman that kind of defines your whole entire unit

(01:30:38):
because that's where a team is going to put Michael
Parsons over. That is where a team is going to
constantly attack. So it does I think you do make
a good point that the offensive line is not this
like gold Star. Everything is figured out. The offense is
fully plug and play, but when you have a quarterback
that is able to make up for it, that is
able to step up in the pocket, get vertical attack.

(01:30:59):
You see the hunt against the Cowboys the way that
he's able to do that. So I think that it's
unfortunate where they're at. I think you hope that there's
a little bit of combination between development. It's grafting another
guy high in the in the first round. I'm not
one hundred cent sure if that's gonna fully kind of
do it, but yeah, maybe you.

Speaker 11 (01:31:17):
Get a little free agent work there as well. The
plugs and spots.

Speaker 2 (01:31:21):
Sean said, is with US Stats and Scheme podcast, give
me your thoughts on how they've carved out a really
nice role with Chase Brown.

Speaker 12 (01:31:31):
We Chase Brown. Look, I'm very glad that we've done
this all year. I always love talking to you. Chase
Brown is probably like the most exciting thing that I
just get to watch.

Speaker 11 (01:31:40):
For the Bengals every week. Where he in the run game.

Speaker 12 (01:31:43):
I think he can run from done, he can run
from pistol, he can run from under center.

Speaker 11 (01:31:47):
And we've talked a few times about well do the
Bengals miss Joe Mixon.

Speaker 12 (01:31:51):
I think going forward, you feel really comfortable about Chase
Brown as a passblocker on some of those gotta have
it the situations.

Speaker 11 (01:31:58):
Also just as a receiver split out.

Speaker 12 (01:31:59):
Why, I think that's a real luxury to have As
a running back and a player that just has so
much verse, he can kind of just eat up space
very very quickly in a way that is impressive for
just any player in the NFL.

Speaker 11 (01:32:12):
So I think as a Bengals fan, you should be
really happy for that.

Speaker 12 (01:32:15):
I think he's gonna be able to be a player
that is an actual threat in the offense that can
be involved in the pass game. Of course, we see
that little kind of swing screen to him against the Cowboys,
so I really like watching him every week.

Speaker 11 (01:32:28):
I think he has a lot to his game.

Speaker 12 (01:32:30):
I think it will continue to improve and be a
mainstay for this Bengals offense.

Speaker 2 (01:32:34):
Did they do anything defensively against Dallas that I should
actually cling to.

Speaker 12 (01:32:39):
I do think we saw a bunch of examples of
them using different defensive fronts where it's not just like
what they got pushed around in the run game. I
don't want to pretend that they didn't, but they're trying things.
Whether it's you start with four down linemen, you send
a linebacker to kind of muddy it up for the
offensive line, you're getting like a guy into the box extra.

Speaker 11 (01:32:58):
Kind of in a unique way.

Speaker 12 (01:32:59):
I do think that lewis cooking a little bit on
some of those third downs where you're sending a ton
of pressure. Obviously there was one example where you get
that touchdown kind of in the red zone area unfortunately
when you're not able to cover, but at the same
time finding ways to have like a linebacker lined up
over the center, we're sending a safety through the kind
of interior gaps as well, So they got funky in

(01:33:19):
some of the pressures. I think that there was some
things too. Like overall there, it's just so much, you know,
snap after snat, just kind of how they're getting pushed
around to the run game is It's something I think
I know in those meeting and it's so frustrating for
them to keep seeing.

Speaker 2 (01:33:32):
They're playing the Tennessee Titans, and you know, obviously they
have Brian Callahan who was here and a big part
of the coaching staff and a big part of the
success the Bengals had earlier this decade, and then players
like Tyler Boyd and Shoudobi a Woozier. It hasn't gone
great for Brian Callahan year one. Will Lews is obviously
a Kentucky guy. Are you Will Levis guy?

Speaker 12 (01:33:57):
You know it's I think I try and evaluate the
player by the play and on the field, and I
think We'll Levis to play. This year has not been
the best. I think that I root for everyone, though,
so I want to see you and succeed. I'm just
not sure in this sideration of the offense. I think
that the way that Callahan has things just set up overall.
I think this year was really to get an evaluation

(01:34:17):
of Will Levi It then I think, you know, when
you look at the list of quarterbacks, it feels like
next year it's gonna be interesting to see just where
they land there.

Speaker 2 (01:34:25):
You know, you're kinder in your assessment than me, because
I would just say I think we'll Levi as stinks.
You're You're a lot more semantically responsible, and I admire
and appreciate that.

Speaker 12 (01:34:35):
Well, No, you're invested in the game here. You know,
I have to earn the ability to get to that point.
I do think you know the Titans overall? They have
some interesting parts where you have Tony Pollard. I think
the left side of their offensive line is a strong unit,
and then their defensive interior is a been fun to
watch kind of back.

Speaker 11 (01:34:51):
And forth this season.

Speaker 12 (01:34:52):
So I think in a game where the Titans are
just not a great keep right now, I think it
might be a little bit closer than Bengals fans would hope.

Speaker 3 (01:35:00):
I think you're right about that.

Speaker 4 (01:35:01):
All right, man, we'll talk in our normal time a
day next week.

Speaker 6 (01:35:05):
Thank so much.

Speaker 11 (01:35:06):
I'm always looking forward to you.

Speaker 3 (01:35:08):
Got it?

Speaker 2 (01:35:08):
Sean Sean Sayed at sayad Schemes on x Our friend
Scott Springer from The Inquirer on the Bearcats.

Speaker 8 (01:35:15):
Next, you've been listening to football in Theinetti on the
official home of the Bengals Cincinnatis, ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:35:26):
Eighteen away from six. This is ESPN fifteen thirty. We
are at Buffalo Wild Wing's Coal Range here.

Speaker 4 (01:35:33):
For about another twenty minutes.

Speaker 2 (01:35:36):
The skyline Chili Crosstown shootout you might have heard is
on Saturday.

Speaker 4 (01:35:40):
You see versus Xavier two o'clock.

Speaker 2 (01:35:44):
Scott Springer covers University of Cincinnati Sports for the Cincinnati
Inquirer and Cincinnati dot Com.

Speaker 4 (01:35:51):
He will be there, he told me today.

Speaker 2 (01:35:52):
He's have you been to forty Skyline Chili Crosstown shootouts
or you just you've been around them?

Speaker 4 (01:35:57):
Have you been to forty of these?

Speaker 13 (01:36:00):
I've been to forty, but I've probably certainly seen forty,
you know, dating back to when I was in school,
and I moved back to town in nineteen ninety and
I've been to pretty much most of them, so it's
easily over thirty, but I've probably seen close to forty,
I'd have to think.

Speaker 9 (01:36:18):
So that tells you I've seen a lot of everything.

Speaker 2 (01:36:22):
Well, in recent years, you've seen a lot of Xavier victories,
and I think most Bearcat fans felt, you know what,
feel pretty good about this after the Georgia Tech game.
The way they have played for the most part the
last three games has left a lot to be desired.
What happened to that team that took the floor and
played so well in Atlanta.

Speaker 9 (01:36:43):
I guess it's a matter of just being in sync.

Speaker 13 (01:36:45):
And you really want to have Dan Skillings Junior back
at full capacity, but he went thirty four days without playing,
so then you had to play a different way. And
the only thing I can figure it's just a way
of mixing it back if you get back to the way.

Speaker 3 (01:37:01):
Now.

Speaker 9 (01:37:02):
Granted it was an exhibition, but she was.

Speaker 13 (01:37:04):
They sure looked good against Ohio State, and you felt
like there was a lot of promise.

Speaker 9 (01:37:08):
And then at Georgia Tech, like you.

Speaker 13 (01:37:10):
Mentioned that they look pretty good, that was minus stand
So now they've got to figure out a way to
work him back in and get everyone in sync. And
you know, it was a weird game in Villanova. They
just never seemed to be quite clicking. And every time
they had a chance to get a shot and get
within one, get within two, Villanova made a great run.

(01:37:31):
It's a small little gem there and students can walk
to it.

Speaker 9 (01:37:35):
So that's a tough place to play. No excuses though.

Speaker 13 (01:37:39):
I think everyone would say, including Wes Miller, that the
Bearcats should have won that. But you know, not many
teams go undefeated, and Bob Knight is long gone now.

Speaker 3 (01:37:49):
Yeah he is.

Speaker 2 (01:37:51):
Unfortunately, I think a lot of folks walked away from
that Villanova game saying, all right, you can't play as
many guys as Wes has been playing against, you know,
teams that aren't quite as good can can he can
he play as many guys as he has been playing
against Xavier.

Speaker 9 (01:38:09):
I don't think so.

Speaker 13 (01:38:09):
I think you have to get to where you're you're
going to become the first of the year actually late December,
and you're right, it was that. And asked him about it,
and he it was just an awkward way. That first
break against Villanova didn't come to, like, you know, nearly
eight minutes in, and I think he wanted to get
the guys in and then suddenly you're stuck. It's like, well,
I need to get these guys in. I need the

(01:38:30):
other guys to.

Speaker 9 (01:38:31):
Have a rest.

Speaker 13 (01:38:32):
It just was an awkward, you know, exchange there and
then and that group of five that was in there
didn't do so well obviously, And I think by halftime
Villanova had played eight and the Bearcats had played ten,
you know, and they had their chances. You can't really
use that as an excuse, but yeah, I think hindsight
he probably would not have done that. I think against Davier,

(01:38:53):
you got a whillow it down some. Depending on how
the game goes, you know, you know, maybe you can
get them all in.

Speaker 9 (01:38:59):
It's great that they I'll get experience in a game
like Villanova, but I don't know that you can can
play them all like that. When coming up, you know
you're at k State.

Speaker 13 (01:39:09):
You know Arizona Baylor. See Arizona and Baylor got votes
in Kansas and number ten and Colorado had a big
holiday win and Arizona State's getting boats and Texas Tech
was ranked and either got votes. Those are your first
handful of games. And b why you just got the
best young player in the nation.

Speaker 9 (01:39:27):
And they got money coming out of their ears.

Speaker 13 (01:39:29):
So it's you know, big twelve is a handful, but
first things first, you got Xavier who can be a handful,
and look at the past record, and the Dayton Flyers
are a handful is they were great in Maley, So.

Speaker 9 (01:39:44):
There you go.

Speaker 2 (01:39:45):
I think, from a UC perspective, this is at least
my fear because I remember the game two years ago
and I think this bear Cat team is better. But
they're playing at home, right and there's this sense of
this is going to be ucasier to get one, and
the atmosphere right before tip off was incredible, and there's
Kenyon Martin and it feels like there's no way they're

(01:40:05):
gonna lose. And then two minutes later, it's thirteen to
one in favor of the Musketeers. I think there's a
little bit more pressure to win the game this season.
I think UC has a better team and they're.

Speaker 4 (01:40:17):
Back in home.

Speaker 2 (01:40:19):
I'm not sure what to make of Sean Miller's team
this season. You know, beyond last night, they're not exactly
coming in with a full head of steam. But I
sort of wonder about the same sort of scenario unfolding
on Saturday, where a lot of excitement, everybody's amped up,
the team feels it, the team understands the recent history
of the series, and they try to win the game

(01:40:40):
in the first three to four minutes. And then Sean Miller,
who's a great coach, his team is up ten twelve
points early and the Bearcats have to spend a lot
of energy.

Speaker 4 (01:40:48):
Crawling back.

Speaker 9 (01:40:51):
Right.

Speaker 13 (01:40:51):
Well, and if you look at the history of this,
and I've been working on this today, something they'll have
out on since any dot com. I'm not sure Whinner
will be published soon. They've not done well in close games.
In the shootout. You can go back to Lenny Brown's floater,
and since that time, there's I believe it's fourteen games

(01:41:12):
and U see's only one one that that you could
call close, like within the seven or eight point range.
A lot of them Xavier has pulled out, including two
overtime games, and uh, you know the last five and
I don't know what it is. And you know, they've
they've beaten pretty good UC teams and they've just found
a way to win. I know Wes Miller wants to

(01:41:34):
win this game as much as anyone. And yeah, the
pressure is on. It is home, they're ranked.

Speaker 9 (01:41:42):
There's a lot of pressure.

Speaker 2 (01:41:44):
Uh.

Speaker 13 (01:41:44):
Dylan Mitchell was friends with Quincy Laveri. I don't know
if you heard West's press conference, and Quincy of course
was on the other end of this last year. But
Quincy said, man, you got to go all out. It's everything.
It's bigger than you expect. And and Dylan was saying
when he first came in to town, he's going to
target and everyone say, man, you got to be gott
to be Xavier, you know, And I'm sure it's vice

(01:42:06):
versa for the Xavier kids. So it's such a strange thing,
you know, you know, West, Plate and Duke in North Carolina,
but every one of those you get another chance, and
you might even have three games of that where this
is a one out and whoever wins their fans get
to go around and poke you and the ribs the
rest of the year. And if you're a UC fan,
I guarantee you don't like it, and vice versa.

Speaker 9 (01:42:29):
Yeah, but it's been.

Speaker 13 (01:42:30):
More extent, can you see. Let's be honest. I mean,
it's it's it's what they've won the last five. It's
nine out of eleven, fourteen out of twenty, and twenty
out of twenty eight. So you know, they do the
political maps where they're saying, you know, this is trending red,
this is trending blue, the shootouts trending blue.

Speaker 9 (01:42:49):
It has been, and you need to turn around. You
need a political strategist to get this done well.

Speaker 2 (01:42:55):
And then, I think, from a Barriette fan perspective, because
of their inability to win at this and TOAs center,
when they lose the game at home, you just assume, Okay,
you know, whatever the number is now, if it's this year,
it'll be six, right, Well, then it's going to be
seven because they can't win at their play so when
they lose at home it feels like two losses.

Speaker 13 (01:43:13):
Well, it is utterly ridiculous when you think about it,
that not since two thousand and one. And I can
remember the game, and Xavier fans will say, well, David
West didn't play, and I think he played a little bit,
went out, but it was a twenty point you see win.
But that was what Ron Barkerfield Williams in that group.

(01:43:34):
And that's the last time. Okay, that's two thousand and one.
So next year when they go back over, you'll see
it written it's been twenty four years since you see
one at Xavier. And that's a true statement. And it's
mind boggling. And it's not to say that Xavier's no good.
I mean, certainly they're a great program.

Speaker 9 (01:43:55):
They've done.

Speaker 13 (01:43:56):
You know, Sean's got some great guys in this year.
The record that they've got to handle on this thing.
But it is crazy that in any rivalry that it's
been that long since you just want since you won
in a gym that's only four miles away from your gym.
It's it's I don't know how to describe it, but
you have a better word for it than me, and

(01:44:18):
it probably can't be used on the radio.

Speaker 2 (01:44:20):
Correct all right, enjoy your forty fifth Skyline Chili CROs.

Speaker 3 (01:44:26):
How many is it this year?

Speaker 9 (01:44:27):
Oh, I don't know, I don't know. I haven't been.
You know, there's been.

Speaker 13 (01:44:30):
This is number ninety two, so I'm certainly not one
of the veterans. I don't know if there was anyone
that will be there that was there in nineteen twenty
five when they rolled the balls out at the Great
Schmidfield House. But yeah, I honestly I don't recall them.
I know when I was in school, they used to
play at the Coliseum now the Heritage Bank Arena, and

(01:44:52):
you had to take a bus from you see, downtown
and they played there. And at the time, it was
either the Xavier game that would sell out down there
or if it was a big team. Otherwise nothing was
going on. So when I moved back in nineteen ninety
and Cincinnati had the Shoemaker Center, and you know when
then Xavier eventually had Synthas Center. Now you get two

(01:45:13):
great venues, and you know, it's a wonderful thing. You know,
you liked all the hoop and hype and all that stuff,
but sometimes if you're on the UC thing side of things,
it can be aggravating. If you're on the Xavier side
of things. You've had a pretty good run here lately.

Speaker 4 (01:45:30):
No question about that.

Speaker 3 (01:45:31):
Thank you as always.

Speaker 4 (01:45:32):
We'll see you Saturday, man.

Speaker 9 (01:45:33):
Thank you, appreciate the time, sir, Thanks anytime.

Speaker 2 (01:45:38):
Scott Springer covering the the Bearcats for Cincinnati dot Com
in your morning paper, Cincinnati inquir We are aryn, We're done,
show's over, gotta go. Okay, did you go get a sandwich?

Speaker 3 (01:45:53):
Okay, very good.

Speaker 4 (01:45:55):
We're back in studio tomorrow. We're loaded.

Speaker 2 (01:45:58):
We have lots of Bengals, lots of Skyline Chili, Crosstown shootout.
It's like first time I've been in studio in like weeks,
and I think the first time I've done a show on.

Speaker 4 (01:46:06):
A Thursday since like October. We awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:46:11):
Have the staff here at Bablo Wild Wings, col Rain, extraordinarily,
extraordinarily hospitable.

Speaker 4 (01:46:16):
We thank them. I could look up very very quickly
where we are next week. I'm gonna do that.

Speaker 3 (01:46:23):
Thank tight.

Speaker 4 (01:46:24):
Thanks, Stay with me, Stay with me.

Speaker 5 (01:46:26):
You know what I don't have?

Speaker 4 (01:46:28):
Oh yeah, here it is next week. We are going
to be at the Milford location back in Milford next week.
So if you're in the Milford area, we're coming your
way next Tuesday, what do we have?

Speaker 2 (01:46:40):
Thank to thanks to Mike Mills for producing on site,
of course, thanks to Tarren Bland, Thanks the folks that
bud Light for providing prizes.

Speaker 4 (01:46:47):
Thanks to Emily and Ashley from the Bengals.

Speaker 3 (01:46:50):
For helping us out today, and thanks to you for listening.

Speaker 4 (01:46:53):
Have an awesome night.

Speaker 2 (01:46:54):
Don't forget we have a UK basketball at six thirty,
so if you're just joining us hoping for Dan and
Lap they're still doing the show. It's just going to
air on Fox Sports thirteen sixty.

Speaker 4 (01:47:05):
Have an awesome night.

Speaker 2 (01:47:06):
We will talk to you tomorrow at three zh five
on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station