5/26/25 - The Mo Egger Radio Show w/ Mike Petraglia

Happy Memorial Day!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Cincinnati's sports station.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Hello everybody, my name is Mike Petralia Trags and Happy Memorial.

Speaker 3 (00:12):
Day twenty twenty five.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Let me be the first to thank everyone out there
who have served this country and those who have lost
loved ones in the defending of our freedoms.

Speaker 3 (00:27):
That's what this holiday is all about. And let us.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Always remember that on this Memorial Day twenty twenty five.
We have a beautiful day outside. I'll be inside for
the next three hours filling in for Moegar on the
Moeger Radio Show on Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. And to
say we have a jam pack show would be a

(00:50):
vast understatement. We'll get it started right off the top
with some breaking news out of FC Cincinnati. One of
their star players, certainly the heart and soul. I don't
think that's overstating it. Nick Haglan suffered two broken ribs
after being struck by Atlanta United player in the early

(01:11):
in the match yesterday down in Atlanta tenth minute of play.
One of the ribs was out of position, FCC confirming
this just within the last half hour, and one of
those ribs injured caused a collapsed lung. He had a
procedure last night to manage the lung. In Atlanta, he'll
undergo another procedure to address the rib fractures. Nick is awake,

(01:36):
according to the club, and in good spirits at the
hospital in Atlanta, accompanied by FC Cincinnati medical staff. He
is expected to make a full recovery and we'll travel
back to Cincinnati when it is safe to do so. Certainly,
I could have no one on more informed on this
subject matter and FCC in general than Laurel Failure of

(01:57):
Queen City Press. He also does a great job as
one of my colleagues covering the Cincinnati Bengals for the
Dayton Daily News. Laurel, how are you in this holiday
and Memorial Day twenty twenty five.

Speaker 4 (02:11):
Well, it is a beautiful day.

Speaker 5 (02:12):
In fact, it's you know, unfortunate news from FC Cincinnati,
but for everyone having their cookouts and I don't know
if anyone's going to the pool, it's a little chilly
for that, but yeah, it is a nice day.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
Well, let's get right to the news. Your reaction to
this press release just announced by FC Cincinnati, Your thoughts
on the injury, and then we'll get to the play itself.

Speaker 5 (02:36):
Yeah, I mean it's unfortunate, Like you mentioned, Nick Is,
I mean, it's definitely fair to say he's the heart
and soul of this team. He's Cincinnati through and through,
and he's kind of the player that will put his
body on the line for his team. And in this case,
it wasn't even really him putting his body in the line.
Someone kind of went through him. But unfortunate that he

(02:57):
I mean, I would imagine he's going to be out,
would think a couple of months, you know, honestly early. Yeah,
I mean, we don't have any real timelines yet. We'll
hear from Pat noon in tomorrow again, but he gave
us a quick up date after the game and his
press conference last night, just telling us he knew at
least yeah, the fractured long and there was some long damage.

(03:19):
We didn't know the extent of, you know, what happened,
but uh, yeah, it's just unfortunate that he's been through
some some really unfortunate injuries the last couple of years,
and so he had just come back from ankle surgery
and i'll leg break at the end of uh that
happened middle of the year last year, and you know,

(03:41):
he's been back a couple of months now and has
been looking I think he's been playing some of his
best soccers, so for him to have this injury now
is really unfortunate.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
Well, it almost seems that the loss yesterday in Atlanta
to Atlanta United, a fourd to two decision, is secondary
to what happened to Haglin and a lot of fans
online social media, the ex you name it. Uh, certainly
if you're a follower of the Orange and Blue, pretty
dug one upset about the nature of the play from

(04:12):
from what you saw of the play, the replay and
v A R which we'll get to as well in
this discussion, what were your thoughts on whether or not
a red card should have been issued?

Speaker 5 (04:25):
Yeah, So basically Nick was kind of it looks like
he was trying to stay out of the way of
his own player. Matt Miaska was intercepting. I think it
was the long ball played from Atlanta's defense, and Emmanuel
Latte lost was trying to run toward the ball. This
is completely off ball though, and Nick Haglin's kind of

(04:48):
trying to stay out of the way of Matt Miyaska,
who's who's getting the ball, and Latte last, and the
replay to me, it looked like he raises his forearm.
If he's just running through it, it's a collision and
they're just you know, a tangle up. He doesn't have
his forearm up like that.

Speaker 4 (05:04):
So to me, it did look dirty.

Speaker 5 (05:07):
I know you said, we'll get into var They did
end up reviewing it, but decided that essentially there was
no clear and obvious air made in not calling a
foul or they were basically checking to see if it
should be a red card and decided not. I think
it should have at least been a yellow.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
I mean at the very least. I mean, look, I
am a layperson when it comes to this. I am
an amateur. I don't profess to be at every single
MLS match at TQL.

Speaker 3 (05:41):
I understand that. I respect that.

Speaker 2 (05:43):
I respect the job the referees do in a sport
like MLS, where certainly the action happens fast and furious sometimes.
But in this particular case, when you have the ability
to review the play and you still don't see that
there was there's no clear and obvious error made on
the field to not call at least a yellow card,

(06:05):
I don't get it.

Speaker 6 (06:08):
Well.

Speaker 5 (06:08):
I also, I would assume in a football stadium, because
this is that Mercedes Benz Stadium down in Atlanta. I
would assume there's probably even more camera angles than many.
I'm wrong there, but I would think that they had
plenty of opportunities to see that fore arm. I mean
I could see the floor arm up. That to me
is just if you see that arm go up, that's

(06:30):
that's a dirty play. And I just I don't think
that they got that call right, I will. I know
Pat Ninnan, you know, we asked him about it in
the press conference and he kind of said, well, it
was off ball. You know, are they gonna admit that
they missed a call like that's you don't really see
that happen. But I mean, that's what DAR is there

(06:52):
to do, say, hey, we took another look at this.
I think you should look at it on the field
and then you give Guido Gonzalez a chance to decide
if he missed the call. And usually if it does
go to the on call, that's a sign.

Speaker 6 (07:04):
You missed it.

Speaker 5 (07:05):
You gotta you gotta turn this over. But that did
not happen. We weren't even sure that it was reviewed
until after the game. With the pool report that came out,
and yeah, it just seems a little just I can't
believe that there was no call at all.

Speaker 2 (07:23):
Well, and I'm going to read Pat Noonan's quote here,
what are they going to say they missed another play?
It's strange Nonan said, there's nothing going on in that
area of the field where Nick's moving. Now, to your credit, Laurel,
that's exactly what you said pretty much off the top
here is that you may be able to understand the contact,

(07:46):
the physicality of the play if the ball were remotely
in the area it was not. And I think that's
the bigger issue that I think someone like head coach
Pat Noonan has with that play.

Speaker 5 (07:58):
Yeah, and I mean there were other calls in the
game as well. It just seemed I thought Newnan would
come out a little stronger even than he did, just
based on he did end up. I asked him if
he had any issue with any other non calls or
incidents that had happened, because there was there were a couple.

(08:20):
Emanuel Lattels I'll slow you can see him later in
the game kind of pulls his elbow into Matt Yaska's
face that didn't get called. At the end of the
first half, Brad Muzan, Atlanta's goalkeeper, goes up to punch
a ball away as that of Vealezuela is trying to
head in across that he had received from Lucas Ingle,

(08:43):
and there's a defender between them kind of grabb crunched
into Stato and it looks like Brad's not the hand
he was punching the ball. He missed the ball, but
trying to punch the ball away with he ends up
his other arm with the right arm up going into
Dada's stomach. That one probably should have been in a
penalty kick. Union mentioned that one. It just seemed like

(09:08):
there were a lot of missed calls in this particular game.

Speaker 2 (09:11):
Well, no, not much time to really lick the wounds here.
As FCC is on a compressed schedule. It is one
of those short weeks. On Wednesday night they host FC
Dallas at TQL seven thirty. It'll be right here on
these very airwaves ESPN fifteen thirty seven thirty match And

(09:32):
I thought, you know, given you know what I saw
and how the team responded after the loss of Nick Haglan,
it couldn't help but just deflate the team a little bit.
And they played like it. They fell down to nothing.
Yesterday in Atlanta got a Miles Robinson goal in the
forty eighth minute. Then Atlanta scored again in the sixty

(09:52):
sixth Cincinnati Valnzuela in the seventieth to make it three
to two Atlanta, but they couldn't get any cl oh, sir.
Just a disappointing result all around to a club that
was three seven and five coming in into the match.

Speaker 5 (10:09):
Yeah, certainly you could. I mean, I would say that
Nick Haglin's injury really impacted because the goal that the
first goal that Atlanta got was moments after. I mean
it took four minutes basically for him to get off
the field. And then after the restart and they Matt
Naska ends up playing a ball to Miles Robinson. It

(10:30):
was Miles had played it to him and he was
giving it back to Miles. It seemed like Miles was
not expecting it, and it wasn't a very hard pass
on the turf. It just kind of slowly rolled and
Miles ends up lunging toward it to try to keep possession.
As I don't remember who it was. I think it
was late Lof actually that went for the ball and

(10:52):
it ends up a free kick and Atlanta scores right
after that, and then five minutes later they score again.
It just seemed like they were trying to reorganize, figure
things out there. Probably knew it was serious with Nick
because you could see it's having trouble breathing. So I
just think it took them off their game and they
just couldn't recover. I mean, they had twenty sevens shots,
so you could say it was an improvement for the

(11:12):
attack that they were creating a lot of chances. It's
just the defense really let them down in this one.

Speaker 2 (11:17):
I'll go back in my own experience and covering an
injury like this, a story like this. Drew Bledsoe two
thousand and one New England Patriots got smashed by Moe
Lewis on the sideline at Foxborough Stadium at old Foxborough Stadium.
He did eventually come back that season, but we're talking
three three and a half months later, so that would

(11:40):
put it at what late in the season for the
Orange and Blue if Nick Aglin were able to have
the same sort of recovery and get back on the field.
But again, you're talking about Drew Bledsoe, a quarterback who's
not expected to run around that much, whereas with a defender,
you certainly with a midfielder and certainly a defender, you're

(12:01):
running around a lot. And so I don't know if
that would impact his ability to get back on the
picture or not.

Speaker 5 (12:08):
Yeah, I mean, like I said, we don't have a
lot of the timeline and things like that, but uh,
you know, I think that the way he came back
from an ankle, like he he's a guy that works hard,
like he wants to be out there. He's gonna do whatever.

Speaker 6 (12:22):
He can to get back.

Speaker 5 (12:24):
It's just obviously he needs to let his ribs and
long heel. So I don't know, you know, with a
collapse long if that's anything that could be a long
term concern just getting your your breathing back to normal
after that. But you know, I know he will certainly
do what he needs to do to try to get
back and be you know, it's really unfortunate because he,

(12:46):
like I said, he's been playing I would say, his
best soccer coming back from that ankle surgery last year.

Speaker 2 (12:51):
Terrible story, but I appreciate your time Laurel coming on
and discussing the news of the hour as a matter
of fact, out of of FC Cincinnati as Nick Haglan
suffers a collapse lung and has procedural last night. He
has two fractured ribs, which will also require some type

(13:13):
of procedure. The news really said, Laurel Failure of the
Queens Citypress dot net. She'll be all over that story.
Be sure to follow her coverage, follow her on the
x at Laurel Failure. That's p F A H L
E R.

Speaker 3 (13:29):
Laurel. Thanks so much, and again, have a wonderful Memorial Day.

Speaker 4 (13:33):
Thank you, you two talking with you.

Speaker 3 (13:36):
You got it, Laurel.

Speaker 2 (13:37):
All right, on the other side, we will be talking
to Mark Sheldon of Reds dot com to discuss what
the heck happened over the weekend to the Reds and
specifically their bullpen as they lost two of three to
the Chicago Cubs, leaders of the National League Central. The
Reds right now getting ready to play and open a
three game series against the Kansas City Royals out in

(13:59):
cann the city. Again, Mark Sheldon. On the other side
of the break, my name is Mike Petralia Trags. We've
just begun the Moeger Radio Show here on Cincinnati's ESPN
fifteen thirty. Saul Joe is going to be a fast
paced radio show, The Moeger Radio Show here on a
Monday Memorial Day, twenty twenty five. Whether you're cooking out

(14:21):
at a sporting event of family or with family and
friends for that matter, I hope you are enjoying this
glorious day that we're having here in northeast Cincinnati. Ken
would be exact, of course, that is our studio. My
name is Mike Petralia Trags. You are listening to The
Moeger Radio Show on Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty, and I

(14:43):
want to bring right on because he's got one of
those activities at the bottom of the hour, and I
don't want to keep him too long. Mark Sheldon of
Reds dot com and MLB dot Com covering all things
since Cincinnati Reds.

Speaker 3 (14:55):
How you doing?

Speaker 7 (14:56):
Mark doing okay? Trags, how you doing well?

Speaker 2 (14:59):
I'm enjoying this day. I got a lot of stuff
done in the morning, caught up on some of my
sports raiding in the afternoon, prepping for the show, and
now I'm on doing the show, and I want to
know what the heck happened over the weekend. You and
I were both in the press box at Great American Ballpark,
and and the thought kept crossing my mind, Mark, that

(15:21):
this is the classic case of early in the season
the Reds pitch, couldn't hit. Over the weekend, they hit,
but they couldn't pitch, especially at the end of the game.
Was that your take on pretty much what happened over
the weekend?

Speaker 8 (15:34):
Absolutely, I mean, they scored twenty runs in three games
and they lost two out of three, and the Cubs
are just relentless with their offense. I mean, honestly, the
Cubs did not pitch very well. No, they made the
outs when they need to in the late innings, but
their starters weren't all that impressive. But their hitters were
unbelievable several guys, and the Reds certainly got two.

Speaker 7 (16:00):
It's this past weekend.

Speaker 2 (16:03):
And you know the other thing is, Mark, and you
mentioned it or alluded to it. The red scored nine
runs collectively in the first inning of the three games
over the weekend and could not and could only win
one of those games. And that's got to be kind
of discouraging to Tito. And I did find it interesting
that Francona after the game yesterday was very careful not

(16:26):
to throw either Hunter Green or Nick Lodolo under the bus.
He was like, well, sometimes it's not about the starting pitching.
Sometimes it's about not being able to pitch late in games.

Speaker 3 (16:36):
And that's what happened.

Speaker 2 (16:37):
And I just maybe I'm reading too much into that mark,
but that's the way it came across to me.

Speaker 8 (16:44):
Oh, I think with Hunter Green situation, it was a
little unfortunate. He was already kind of on a limited
pitch count, right.

Speaker 7 (16:49):
Tina was time.

Speaker 8 (16:50):
They were trying to keep him at seventy five to
eighty pitches because of he's coming back from the two
weeks off with the groin injury, and that one thirty
seven pitch fourth inning with twelve pitches to Niko Horner
just killed them.

Speaker 7 (17:04):
It took them out of the game immediately, because you.

Speaker 8 (17:06):
Know, otherwise he would have got a fifth inning and
that may have helped things a little bit for thee
and set up the bullpen. But instead he came out
after four and they really had to grind through that,
and then they couldn't add on as many runs, and
then they gave up eleven runs over the final three
innings and that killed them, so, right, now the bullpen
is a little gas and they were pretty impressive early on,

(17:30):
but they've definitely reached a point where they need some
longer starts, to had some days off to kind of
get right again.

Speaker 2 (17:36):
They do, and I don't know if there's really anything
Nick Crawl or Terry Francona can do except hope the
guy that a guy like Nick Martinez today getting the
ball against former Red Michael Lorenz and maybe Nick Martinez
can step up and give this this club seven innings.
That's I mean, yes, you obviously want to win the game,

(17:58):
but more than anything, you want to give that bullpen
a rest, especially the middle relievers.

Speaker 7 (18:05):
Yeah, I mean Nick Martinez, as you brought him up.

Speaker 8 (18:07):
He's the only pitcher since April twenty eighth to go
seven innings. So that's telling that they've had one seven
inning start. They've had like twelve starts in that span
since April twenty eighth of five innings or less. All
that adds up to the bullpen since April twenty eighth
has got the third most innings in Major League Baseball.
So it's not a recipe for success generally, but certainly

(18:35):
if the starters can kind of get into the sixth
and seventh any more often, it shortens the game. You
can use different relievers, you can mix and match maybe
a little bit differently. You know, guys don't have to
pitch on two or three days in a row, and
it does.

Speaker 7 (18:49):
Help them kind of set it up.

Speaker 8 (18:51):
Like like Tito has said in the past, he works backwards,
seeing who he is available, and then he kind of
figures it out that way and it would help him
work a lot easier when he works back.

Speaker 2 (19:00):
I'll tell you one bright spot, a silver lining of
the of the weekend series, Will Benson. And you know,
I tweeted this out and I think it's it's worth
noting Will Benson has really taken this opportunity, a second
opportunity from Terry Francona, and really run with it. And

(19:20):
he has performed at a excellent level. He's hitting above
three hundred. He had that stretch of I think it
was four home runs in four games, including two in
a Sunday game against the Cleveland Guardians. Yes, and it
just seems like he is in a comfortable zone and
that that two out hit he had yesterday pulled it

(19:43):
down the right field line. He kept his bat in
the strike zone for a long time. It just a
little thing to me, but it just shows me that
he's starting to mature and looking more and more comfortable
at the plate.

Speaker 7 (19:55):
He is.

Speaker 8 (19:56):
And you also noticed there are a couple of games
I think on Friday and and Saturday, or at least Friday.
I forget which which one now, I'm sorry, but he
had a couple of really long outs, like where he
drove the ball to the warning track I think yesterday
to center field. He had a sacrifice fly to left
center field, I believe in Saturday's game. And I mean,
he's really getting he's hitting it the other way. He

(20:18):
just seems like he can hit the all fields. He
did a thing with his hand. I'm gonna be writing
about this in an upcoming newsletter. It was kind of
on MLB Network as well, where he's kind of lowered
his hands and in his approach it doesn't look too
far like Eric Davis. And he is able to get
to the get to the strike zone a little faster,
and and and and get on the ball a little

(20:38):
faster and drive the ball.

Speaker 7 (20:39):
So I think that's really helping him after a really
rough year last year.

Speaker 3 (20:45):
What is the magic Alexa.

Speaker 2 (20:47):
Right now, what can Terry Francona do or say, uh to,
you know, kickstart this team.

Speaker 7 (20:55):
I don't think there's anything.

Speaker 8 (20:56):
As you you've been around him when he was in Boston,
I don't think there's a whole lot he can say
other than he just continues to communicate. He looks for
guys to keep doing the things the right way. I mean,
one thing you do notice is they aren't losing games
as often, at least to me lately by bad defense.
I mean, they made some really bad defensive blenders in Atlanta,
but for the most part, they don't pick the ball around.

(21:18):
They're playing hard. Those are all things you want to see.
You don't see guys taking plays off. So that part
he doesn't have to say anything about. I think what
he really just needs is he needs inning from his starters.
He needs the office to continue to do what it's
doing if it can keep producing six runs a game
like it has been. They have the starting pitchers, but
they definitely need to get some fresh arms for the bullpen.

Speaker 2 (21:41):
All right, enjoy the rest of your Memorial Day, Mark.
I really appreciate you taking time out. You do great job,
do great work covering the Cincinnati Reds FORMLB dot com.

Speaker 3 (21:52):
Have a good one, Bud Hey tricks you too. Take
care all right.

Speaker 2 (21:56):
He is Mark Sheldon does a great job covering the
Cincinnati Reds for MLB dot Com. On the other side
of the break, we will bring in Alex Frank to
talk some FCC he covers them for clnscinc dot com
and also some Cincinnati Bengals talk. My name is Mike Petralia.
On this Memorial Day twenty twenty five, and you're listening

(22:17):
to the Moweger Radio Show on Cincinnati ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (22:22):
This report is sponsored by Wendy's New Frosty Flat, Cincinnati's
sports station.

Speaker 2 (22:31):
Proven to the tunes laid out by one Tarren Bland.
I want to thank him for working this Memorial Day
twenty twenty five.

Speaker 3 (22:40):
It's been a great weekend.

Speaker 2 (22:41):
It's a sunny day outside and Tarren Bland is getting
me through and keeping him busy with all the guests
that we're having call in and it's jam pack show
for a holiday, but happy to do it for everybody
out there listening in to the Mowegger Radio Show on
Cincinnati ZESPN fifteen thirty. My name is Petralia Trags and

(23:01):
my next guest, good friend of mine. He has come
on board in the last several months for Celnssincy dot
com and done a fabulous job for us covering all
things FCC. And we'll certainly get to the news of
the day, news of the breaking within the last hour
on Nick Haglin with my next guest, and that would
be Alex Frank. Alex will also talk some Cincinnati Bengals

(23:25):
and perhaps he maybe even squeeze in a little Reds
talk toward the end.

Speaker 3 (23:29):
But how you doing, Bud, oh, Mike, I am doing
all right.

Speaker 9 (23:32):
Happy Memorial Day to you. It's great to be with you.
Definitely thoughts to Nick Haglin. I mean that is a
very very situation. I mean, she's and hope he gets
well soon. I know he's with some great tear down
in Atlanta, so wishing him the best. And definitely today
honoring the brave men and women who gave the ultimate

(23:54):
sacrifice to be able to do what we're doing.

Speaker 6 (23:56):
That's what today and this weekend has been about.

Speaker 2 (24:00):
Oh very very wells perfectly said. As a matter of fact, Alex,
thank you for saying that. But on the news breaking,
within the last hour on Nick Haglin Sunday night. Nick
Haglin suffered two broken ribs after being struck by an
Atlanta United player in the tenth minute of play. He
was on the field for about four minutes receiving medical attention.

(24:21):
One of the ribs, according to FCC in a news
release this afternoon, was out of position, which caused a
collapse lung. He had a procedure Sunday night to manage
the lung, and we'll undergo another procedure to address the
rib fractures. So he's going to have when it's all
said and done, at least two surgeries because of the
injury he suffered down at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta

(24:45):
on Sunday in a four to two loss to Atlanta United.
It was really a rough day all around for the
Orange and Blue. And you know, I asked Laurel Failer
at the top of the hour, Alex, I want to
get your thoughts on what you thought of the name,
picture of the play, the hit that was laid out
when he was struck by Emmanuel Latte Loth.

Speaker 3 (25:07):
What did you think.

Speaker 6 (25:08):
Found out after the game?

Speaker 9 (25:09):
According to the poor report that it was illegal play,
but definitely definitely a brutal collision and it was a
rough day all around for FC Cincinnati. You're right, and
Pat Newton said after the game that it may have
impacted them.

Speaker 6 (25:23):
A little bit.

Speaker 9 (25:24):
I mean, Atlanta was a team they came into last
night having not won since March twenty ninth.

Speaker 6 (25:29):
I mean that's almost two months.

Speaker 9 (25:30):
So you lose it when you lose a defender, when
you lose a guy who is one of the heart
and souls of this team, a Cincinnati native who you
know has become a huge fan favorite in Cincinnati. Definitely
a tough play to watch and just a very very
brutal situation all the way around. You definitely. I mean,
then their next match is Wednesday night. I mean I

(25:53):
definitely think Nick Haglan's not going to play.

Speaker 6 (25:55):
I mean it hasn't been.

Speaker 2 (25:56):
Officially yet, No, I mean he's going to be out
months at this point if he has a collapse long
and two rib fractures and his undergoing surgery. And I
told Laurel this. I covered Drew Bledsoe back with the
one Patriots. He was out at least three months and
then came back, well, yeah, three months and he came back,
he was ready to play, and then Bill Belichick made

(26:18):
the fateful decision to stick with one Tom Brady. And
then Brady got hurt in the AFC Championship game, Drew
Bledsoe came in, won the game in Pittsburgh, and then
Tom Brady started Super Bowl thirty six. The rest is history,
as they say, but you can come back from this injury.
But as I pointed out to Laurel, the quarterback position

(26:39):
in football, American football is a lot different than a
defender position, which Nick Aglan plays for FCC in Major
League Soccer. It's a totally different athletic demand on the body.
You're running around, you breathe, You're obviously breathing very heavily
a lot during the match, as opposed to a quarterback
who was very intense, very focused. But there isn't always

(27:03):
a lot of obviously athletic demand, the cardiovascular demand, is
what I'm trying to say on your system. So you know,
we may be talking about apples and oranges, and I
just think if he gets back on the pitch by
late September, early October, it would be quite the accomplishment.

Speaker 9 (27:24):
It would, I mean, definitely would be that's a great
comparison with Drew Bledsoe.

Speaker 6 (27:28):
I mean that was a brutal me Luis.

Speaker 7 (27:31):
Yes, mo Lewis.

Speaker 9 (27:32):
I mean this was back in two thousand and one,
and I've read various accounts of what happened, including them
Bill Belichick's biography that the great Ian O'Connor wrote a
few years ago. And I mean Bledsoe was dealing with
a life threatening situation when he got to the hospital
in Massachusetts near Foxborough.

Speaker 6 (27:52):
So that's a good comparison.

Speaker 9 (27:54):
And you know, in reading the Pool report on this
collision last night, you know they did go to VAR,
they did check to make sure that there was no found.

Speaker 2 (28:03):
Not buying that though, Alex, all due respect, and I
said this to Laurel and she kind of agrees that,
you know, the VAR wasn't going to override the clear
view of the official on the pitch. And that's the
way I interpreted that. Somebody wherever they were doing the review,
and I presume that's New York must have seen that.

Speaker 3 (28:26):
Oh my god.

Speaker 2 (28:27):
You know, the ball wasn't anywhere in the realm of
the action right of the hit of the collision. You know,
if the ball were in the area and obviously Pat
Noon and the head coach of FCC, made this point
after the match. Then he could understand it a little
more because you're at least making a play on a
defender who might be playing the ball, okay, but in

(28:51):
this particular case, the ball was nowhere around.

Speaker 9 (28:55):
Yeah, and then that would lead you to think that
this should be a foul. I mean, if you're going
after the ball, I mean just I mean it's a collision,
that's one thing. But if the ball, if the ball
is not in play, and you find out after the
game that this player has whatever Nick Haglin has, which
is very serious, I mean, how can you how can
that not be a foul? So I understand that fans
are angry, But you look at the match.

Speaker 6 (29:17):
I mean, Atlanta was dominant after that.

Speaker 2 (29:20):
Yeah, And to their credit, Alex, they did what a
team desperate for win needs to do, and they took
advantage of the situation in the match. They scored twice
within the first thirty minutes of the match. FCC came
back to make it three to one. They came back
to make it three to two or two one, I'm sorry,

(29:41):
they came back to make it two to one. Then
it was three to one Atlanta, three to two Atlanta.
But FCC could never really gain their footing in this match, uh,
and they lost the game. And you've been around this
team now, you've covered games at TQL, and I just
want to get your impression, know how you think this

(30:01):
team will handle the adversity, some severe adversity that's going
to be facing them for the next couple of weeks.

Speaker 9 (30:08):
Well, they definitely faced some adversity last year too when
Matt Miosco went down.

Speaker 7 (30:12):
I think it was in June. Is out for the season.

Speaker 6 (30:15):
So I think they'll respond very well. I mean, they.

Speaker 9 (30:18):
They've played very well at home this season the last
two matches I've been there and they've won both, So
that's been good. You know, they're coming home on Wednesday
to face an FC Dallas team that you know really
isn't high in the standings, so you have a good
opportunity to you know, get to get back into win column.
I Mean, here's the thing. The last time MESSI Cincinnati
was at home was May tenth. They won that game,

(30:39):
and then or match they go up to Toronto, they
win there, they tied Columbus, and you know, given the
way Columbus was playing in the second half.

Speaker 6 (30:46):
That's a good way to get at least a point there.
So you've had a setback.

Speaker 9 (30:50):
I know losing Nick Acklin is a major deal, but
this team has responded well to adversity this season. I
think the one thing that really impresses me is when
they're clicking offensively, there were leftmuss to play against. They
attack the goal so well. You know, they're good passing team.
They always have guys, whether it be Kevin Dankey, whether
it be Evander, they always have guys in the right

(31:12):
place at the right time to get those timely goals.
So if they can do that on Wednesday, and however
long mccaglin's out, they should be fine. I mean they're
second in the Eastern Conference behind Philadelphia right.

Speaker 6 (31:24):
Now, so they're still in a good spot.

Speaker 9 (31:27):
Losing Haglin's going to be really I'm really interested to
see how their defense responds.

Speaker 6 (31:31):
Primarily, they can score. I know that they can score
when they.

Speaker 9 (31:35):
Need to, but can they defend as well without mc kacklin.
That's going to be really interesting to watch on Wednesday night.

Speaker 2 (31:42):
And I think a lot of this and you know
this very well, having covered soccer and having covered FCC
now this season, if you can get out to a
lead and dictate the terms of the match and dictate
the tempo of the match, that's going to help head
coach Pat Noonan with his person and how he you know,
the formations he wants to play on the back end,

(32:03):
and maybe if he has to help and compensate a
little bit for the loss of Haglin, he can do
that if you're playing with the lead as opposed to
constantly playing from behind, and certainly on Sunday that we're
playing behind for essentially the entire match when Haglin went down.

Speaker 9 (32:19):
Yeah, I mean, look, good teams take advantage of when
you lose a defender like Haglin and Lannon did to
their credit, like you said, but F Cincinnati has done
a good job at least the last two home matches
that I've been at at getting out ahead right.

Speaker 6 (32:32):
And when you do, you said, you know, playing from ahead.
You can do so.

Speaker 9 (32:36):
Much more when you're playing from ahead because you're not
as uptight. You can try some different things. So that's
gonna be really important how f Cincinnati comes out on
Wednesday night.

Speaker 6 (32:46):
Against the team they should beat in FC.

Speaker 3 (32:49):
Dallas Kevin Denky.

Speaker 2 (32:51):
What impresses you about him besides just his ability to
bicycle kick, well.

Speaker 9 (32:56):
I mean that's a pretty darn good ability to have.
But impresses me is he's always in the right place
at the right time. And you know, there's always guys
on any team, whether it be in MLS or in
any sport, and you can just rely on to make plays.

Speaker 6 (33:09):
And that's what Kevin Danky does. He just has that ability.

Speaker 9 (33:13):
He scored the only goal in Toronto and an ultimate
shrap match. You know, you're coming off a win over
Austin FC and then you have Columbus the next match.

Speaker 6 (33:22):
You go up to Toronto and you just set the
tone right away.

Speaker 9 (33:24):
You put your team ahead so you can try different
things and again just.

Speaker 6 (33:29):
You're not as uptight on the road, but you go
on the road.

Speaker 9 (33:31):
I mean these crowds in visiting stadiums, I mean they
are lively, as we've seen throughout Cincinnati's tenure on MLS
going back to twenty nineteen. So when impressing me the
most about Danky is he's just that leader on the
pitch that you want to have in your corner, whether
you're at home or whether you're on the road in
a tough environment. He's just always in the right place

(33:54):
at the right time, whether it be making that right
pass or being on the receiving end of a pass.
That's what I'm most impressed foot by him.

Speaker 2 (34:01):
All right, next match for FC Cincinnati, as you mentioned, Alex,
is this Wednesday night at TQL Stadium against FC Dallas.
They are four four and six, and that doesn't mean
four wins four losses. That means four wins, four draws,
and six losses. In MLS, they are eleventh in the
Western Conference table. FC Cincinnati is nine two and four.

(34:25):
They are second in the table in the East with
twenty nine points, one point behind Philadelphia. So that game
will be here on ESPN fifteen thirty. Again, match time
is at seven thirty and Alex Frank will have you
covered on colns sinc dot com. Be sure to read
his great coverage there. We move on to American football,

(34:48):
the Cincinnati Bengals, and everyone has an opinion, Alex and
a theory on what's going to happen and what should happen.
With one Trey Hendrickson, I want to get your take
what you think might be happening. You know in public
and behind the scenes with regard to the star edge rusher.

Speaker 9 (35:08):
For the Bengals, Well, it's a tough situation to watch
unfold because I mean Trey, I mean, you were there
two weeks ago down when he came on that Tuesday,
and he spent about twenty to twenty five minutes with
all of you guys as the team was practicing during
offseason workouts. And if that's the best way to, you know,

(35:28):
go about what the situation is, maybe maybe not. But
Hendrickson has cited that the deals Max Crosby at the
Raiders and Miles Garrett got at the Browns as to
reasons why he frustrated, and Okay, that's understandable. Both those
guys have either similar production or years of experience to
Trey Anderson. Here's what I am really interested to see

(35:50):
what happens when it comes to the Bengals.

Speaker 6 (35:52):
All pro edge rusher. What are the Detroit Lions going to.

Speaker 9 (35:56):
Do with Ayton Hushinson because he's up for an extension
this offseason and I think he is going to ultimately
reset the market for edg rushers. Crosby and Garrett got
huge deals because those organizations are messes, and they need
to pay a lot of money to those players because
they're point and you have to do that not only

(36:18):
because they're really good, but for marketing purposes, to get
the fans excited about something, because the overall teams just
aren't very good. With the Bengals similar to the Lions,
those two organizations have already paid a lot of great
offensive stars, and particularly with the Lions, they have Jamier
Gibbs their running back Hawaii I'm a really big fan of,

(36:39):
and then Sam Laporter their tight end.

Speaker 6 (36:41):
They're going to be up for extensions next offseason.

Speaker 9 (36:44):
Not to mention they have players on their defense, including
linebacker Jack Campbell and safety Bryan Branch. We're going to
be ultimate for extensions. If you want to keep all
those players and their GM Brad Holmes, I'm sure will
you do everything in his power to do so. I
don't know if you can pay max money to even
a player at the caliburbanege rusher that Aiden Hutchinson is.

(37:05):
So if Hutchinson's deal is a little lower than maybe
we think it could be, if it's in the high twenties,
low low thirties, then Drey Hendrickson might have to realize,
you know what, twenty eight million or something around there
per year isn't actually that bad of a deal.

Speaker 6 (37:22):
And then Kitty Blackburn and what she said back at.

Speaker 9 (37:24):
The owners meetings in the early spring that Henderson should
be happy with some of the things they're offered him.

Speaker 6 (37:30):
Maybe she's right in that regard.

Speaker 2 (37:31):
It was very out of character for Katie to say that,
you do understand, it was almost like there was a
neon flashing sign like pay attention, because I don't normally
say these things, but for her to come out and
say that pretty much is an indication of exactly what
you just said. I think it's a really well founded argument, Alex.
But there are two things you need to understand, or

(37:53):
anyone needs to understand when bringing up Aiden Hutchinson and
Trey Hendrickson. Aiden Hutchinson is twenty four years of age.
Trey Hendrickson is thirty. Big, big, big difference. So this
is the last big swing that Trey Hendrickson is going
to have at a massive contract. The other thing to
keep in mind is Aiden Hutchinson is coming off a

(38:16):
pretty grotesque lower legg injury. He's been fully cleared for practice,
which is a good sign for the Lions, and you know,
by all indications he'll come back and be ready to
go full go this season. Of course, the Bengals play
the Lions, I believe it is in Week number five
of the NFL season at pay Corpse Stadium, before they

(38:37):
hit the road to play the Green Bay Packers. That'll
be mussy TV, and certainly Hutchinson figures to be healthy
and active in ready to play for that game. But
those two factors, to me are the ones that really
stand out and make a difference when you're talking about
comparing someone like Aiden Hutchinson to Trey Hendrickson.

Speaker 9 (38:59):
You're absolutely right, and that's a great point you bring
up there, the age difference. I mean, Hutshington's only been
in the league for three years, and let's not forget that.
Prior to last season's injury, which was just absolutely gut
wrenching to watch against the Cowboys, he had seven and
a half sacks through five games, and I contend that
if he hadn't gotten hurt, he would have won Defensive
Player of the Year potentially going away because of how

(39:22):
valuable edge rushers are in the NFL. But because he
had that injury, are the Lions willing to pay him
that much money and if they're not. If they I mean,
he's still going to get an extension. I mean, he's
he's one of the heart and souls, true. So if
he gets an extension of around let's say thirty to
thirty one million per year, then Trey I think he's

(39:45):
going to have to realize again. Like I said, and
you're right about Katie Blackburn and what she said, I've
never heard her say something like that.

Speaker 6 (39:52):
That's what definitely raised my eyebrows.

Speaker 9 (39:55):
So it's going to be very interesting to see what
happens with Hutchinson in the deal he gets. And you
mentioned that Week five game in Cincinnati want to be
highlights of the Bengals schedule. I know, Mike, there's a
lot of fans not only aren't talking about Trey Hendrickson,
but they're talking about the schedule. I mean, a fourth
straight season playing in primetime at Baltimore. I understand fans

(40:18):
are frustrated, But here's what I'll say. I think that
if you focus on the fact that the Bengals are
playing on Thanksgiving, which Joe Burrow.

Speaker 6 (40:25):
Has lobbied for, I think a lot of fans have two.

Speaker 9 (40:29):
It's a big honor to play on you know, the
John Madden Thanksgiving celebration. So you're playing a huge You're
playing your division rivals in prime time. And again, like
the Bengals, still they have not earned from the NFL
and the schedule makers. I think the benefit of the
doubts to getting more primetime games at.

Speaker 6 (40:49):
Home or favorable schedule spots.

Speaker 9 (40:52):
Right the raven I mean, they've been getting favorable schedules
for years because they're never bad. They consistently win, they
consistently went at home in primetime, and let's not forget
last year the Bengals only went three and five at home.

Speaker 2 (41:07):
Yes, well that those are all good points, Alex, and
I can't really argue really any of them. I think
the Bengals have to put up or shut up, and
this is a good year to do that. We have
to take a break here for the top of the hour.
I really want to take time to wish you and
yours Alex Frank, a wonderful Memorial Day twenty twenty five.

(41:29):
Thank you for all the great work on sealing assinci
dot com. That's where you can find Alex Frank. He'll
be covering again FCC as they take on FC Dallas
this Wednesday night at TQL Stadium. We're going to take
a break, and on the other side of the top
of the hour break, we will talk with one Pat
Brennan of the Cincinnati Inquirer, talking all things again Cincinnati

(41:53):
Bengals and Cincinnati Rats. You're listening to the Moegger Radio
Show on Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (42:00):
Are you ready for a global summer showdown?

Speaker 1 (42:02):
There's ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati's sports station.

Speaker 2 (42:14):
Mike Petralia tracks back with you on this Memorial Day,
twenty twenty five edition of The Moegger Radio Show on
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. We've had a jam pack show
already for you, and we'll try to keep up that
momentum through the six o'clock hour for the next two hours.
I'll be with you here on fifteen thirty. We've talked

(42:37):
a lot of FC Cincinnati, the injury regarding Nick Haglan.
He had a collapse lung. He also had two fractured ribs.
He had surgery on the collapse lung last night in Atlanta.
He's staying in Atlanta. He will have another procedure on
the two fractured ribs. FCC will be out with, FCC

(42:57):
will be without. He tried to say one of its
heart and soul players, a great defender and really a
terrific guy in the locker room. That would be Nick Haglan.
He'll be out for an indefinite period of time. I
think that's safe to say. FCC plays FC Dallas at
TQL Stadium here in Cincinnati. That game on our airwaves

(43:18):
Wednesday night at seven point thirty time. To turn the
conversation back to the Cincinnati Reds, we had Mark Sheldon
on of MLB dot Com in the first hour to
talk to Cincinnati Reds Now. With the Reds about to
start in the rain drops out at Kaufman Stadium in
Kansas City against the Royals, it is my pleasure to
welcome back to the program the one and only Pat

(43:40):
Brennan of the Cincinnati Inquirer.

Speaker 10 (43:42):
How you doing, Pat, Drags, I'm doing well. Thanks for
having me on.

Speaker 2 (43:46):
I appreciate you taking time out of your holiday other
than doing disappearance on this vaunted program. You have any
other big plans for the day.

Speaker 10 (43:57):
No, I'm just going to relax and you know, I
woke up this morning and my bedroom window was open
because it was such.

Speaker 7 (44:04):
A nice night last night, and.

Speaker 10 (44:06):
It was no not near me, no, thank god. But
someone was smoking meat nearby, and I woke up to
the aroma of smoked meat this morning. So I mean,
that was just a perfect way to kick off the
unofficial start of summer for me. So I'm riding high
right now. Maybe I'll get some good food in me later,

(44:28):
we'll see.

Speaker 2 (44:28):
So what I did is I had hot dogs for
lunch off the grill. I'm gonna when I finished this program,
and it's going to really make me. I want to
get through that five o'clock hour very quickly. I'm going
to go home and cook some hot hamburgers on the grill,
some cheeseburg fact with toasted buns, and maybe I'll throw
something else on the barbie.

Speaker 3 (44:50):
But we'll see.

Speaker 7 (44:51):
Very good.

Speaker 2 (44:53):
Speaking of getting cooked, the Red's bullpen over the weekend,
not good, not good at all. And you know, talking
with Mark Sheldon, I think some of it was simply
the bullpen getting text too much by not enough extended
starting pitching. Forget the quality of the starting pitching. What

(45:13):
sometimes you just got to suck it up and get
through the fifth and sixth innings, and the red starters
were not able to do that, especially Hunter Green because
of his he's coming off a groin injury. On Friday night,
he was only able to get through four innings, and
then yesterday, Nick Lodolo, he did throw five innings. He
left with the lead being four to three, and eventually

(45:35):
by the end of the bottom of the fifth it
was eight to three. But he threw ninety one pitches
in five innings. You got to be more efficient than
that if you're Nick Lodolo.

Speaker 7 (45:46):
Yeah, and I'll try.

Speaker 10 (45:48):
I completely agree with everything he said about the Friday
and Sunday starters. I think for I want to give
credit to Nick for at least this much.

Speaker 6 (45:59):
I think he was more more efficient over.

Speaker 10 (46:01):
The innings two through five, But the Cubs just came
out and not only did they it was a double
whammye on Nick Lodolo in the first inning there, because
not only did the Cubs come out and punch first
by going ahead to nothing, they really ran up Nick's

(46:21):
pitch count. And then I thought he settled in okay
and was able to I wasn't sure he was going
to get to five after that first inning, right he
was up around thirty pitches, so I thought he bounced back, okay,
But in general that was at that point in the
series you really needed six.

Speaker 7 (46:41):
You needed six.

Speaker 10 (46:42):
That's why I loved what Andrew Abbott gave them on Saturday,
not getting all the way there, but five and two
thirds in an efficient way, and he wanted to go longer.
Just you really needed six after the way this bullpen
has been taxed lately.

Speaker 3 (46:58):
Well, there's no question.

Speaker 2 (47:01):
Here's the problem I have with today's baseball. A picture
should be able to adjust what he does to a
degree and become more effective. Become more efficient is the
word I'm looking for. Become more efficient. And in this
drive line era, where you know there it's all about
generating as much spin, velocity, torque on your pictures as

(47:25):
possible and the idea of protecting these starting pitching assets
throughout the course of the season. Managers are just afraid,
even Terry Francona to agree. They don't want to push
them beyond the fifth inning or sixth inning if they're
approaching one hundred pictures.

Speaker 3 (47:42):
And to me, sometimes you got.

Speaker 2 (47:44):
To take the bigger picture and look at what's in
your best interest of the club. And I know before
yesterday's game, when we were leaving the dining room and
going back to the press box, I said, this almost
feels like a must win game. And yes, it's the
day before Memorial Day, not the day before fourth of
July or the day before Labor Day. It is the

(48:06):
day before Memorial Day. But you had a chance to
take two out of three from a very good, potent
Cubs team, and your starting picture couldn't get through six innings,
could only get you through five. And to me, that's
where sometimes I think you got to make the decision.
We need this game. Yes it's late May, but we
need this game and we need to do everything possible.

Speaker 3 (48:28):
How do you feel him? Yeah, I.

Speaker 10 (48:32):
I I don't disagree with anything that you said, and
I agreed with you at the time yesterday walking back
to the press box about yesterday being, you know, as
much of a must win as you can have the day,
you know, the day before Memorial Day. And I think,
I don't know if if Terry Francona is you know,

(48:52):
I don't I don't want to say that he's scared
to push his starters, but I will definitely agree with you,
and I think he's made it very clear that he
is not going to He does not want to empty go.
He doesn't want to see what the bottom of the
gas tank looks like.

Speaker 7 (49:11):
These guys are running.

Speaker 10 (49:12):
If these guys are running on empty, and if the
Reds lose, it's not your I don't think by the
end of the year, when we look back at the
Reds losses, I don't think there's gonna be a time
when we say that one was because Terry left the
starting pitcher in too long.

Speaker 11 (49:28):
We're just not going to see it.

Speaker 10 (49:29):
I mean, there's one game I can think of off
the top of my head tracks and it was Hunter
Green's masterpiece at San Francisco, where maybe maybe Francona started
to flirt with leaving a pitcher in too long, but
he just doesn't, you know, go. He just doesn't want

(49:50):
to get He doesn't seem to want to get there
up around one hundred.

Speaker 2 (49:53):
Pitches in that particular case, Pat and speaking with Pat
Brennan of the Cincinnati Inquirer in Cincinnati dot Com covering
all things Reds and Bengals in that particular case, that
Monday night in San Francisco, I would have been all
in favor of him coming out after eight innings, but
you know he was trying to let him get the
complete game shutout. I totally get that. But at that point,

(50:16):
you're saying, well, he gave you eight shutout innings, what
else do you want from your starter? Even back in
the day, in the seventies and eighties, you would say
that that would be totally acceptable whether he was at
eighty five picches or one hundred and ten picts. You
would accept eight shutout innings and then find a bullpen
combination or one picture to get you those final three outs.

(50:38):
This is different you're asking, and I wrote about this
on celnssincey dot com. You're on Friday night, you're asking
the bullpen to account for eighteen outs. Two nights later,
you're asking for fifteen outs. And oh, by the way
in between, Andrew Rabbit was terrific on Saturday in terms
of his competitiveness, but he still only gave you five

(51:01):
and two thirds innings. That's another Let me do the
math in my head. Thirteen outs right, that's another thirteen
outs right there that you gotta that you got to
account for.

Speaker 3 (51:11):
To me, yeah, look, you're talking.

Speaker 2 (51:13):
About eighteen plus thirteen plus fifteen. That's too much taxing
on your bullpen against a team like the CPS, and.

Speaker 10 (51:23):
This pull you know, we the Reds have to this
Reds team has to win in the margins. I don't
think you know, okay, you're maybe Terry is not gonna
squeeze all the juice out of his starters.

Speaker 11 (51:40):
At least not yet.

Speaker 10 (51:42):
A couple things on that one. And I don't know
if this is a criticism of Terry or a commentary
on just Baseball Today kind of like we're talking about.
But you know, given the importance of this stretch twelve
or fifteen games against the n L Central and the
importance of yesterday's game where you can take two out
of three off the division leading Cubs, you know.

Speaker 7 (52:04):
What are you saving these guys for?

Speaker 11 (52:07):
This is these are big games.

Speaker 10 (52:09):
You know at some point they're gonna have to go.
You know, you're you're you're just gonna ask your your
stars to go into venture, into the areas that are
uncomfortable and maybe stretch, stretch them out in ways that
they're not used to. But everyone gets there at some

(52:30):
point in the season. For some teams, it's in May.
For other teams. It's in late October, but everyone gets
there eventually, and when you're there, I don't think you know,
I I it's the You know, these guys are coming
out with eighty you know, Hunter Green was at eighty three,
and I know that's maybe an unfair comparison because he

(52:51):
was coming off the injury, like you said, and he
threw eighty three, but that was already you know, eight,
I think eight pitches, Terry said, at least three to
eight pitch is above where they wanted him to be.

Speaker 7 (53:03):
For the game.

Speaker 10 (53:04):
So I just think for games of this magnitude Hunter Green,
the situation set to the side. You know, maybe you
ask a little bit more, and if you're gonna, you know,
if you're gonna, you're okay.

Speaker 6 (53:16):
So you're saving your your starting pitchers.

Speaker 7 (53:19):
But then you're.

Speaker 10 (53:19):
Taxing the bullpen arms on the back end anyway, So
someone's getting taxed in these situations. And I think yesterday
you saw what happens when your bullpen top to bottom
gets taxed too much.

Speaker 2 (53:33):
Would you have sent Nick Lodolo out there for another
inning at ninety one pictures?

Speaker 10 (53:40):
I would, Yeah, I think I would too. I think
I would too. Just because of the importance of the game.
And I don't know, maybe we sound alarmist to someone.

Speaker 2 (53:49):
Well, no, no, I mean, here's the reason you do that,
here's the argument for that, and and I know all
the third time through the batting order and all the Yeah,
for sure, I don't want to call it garbage, but
it frustrates me when people fall back on that as
a default.

Speaker 3 (54:03):
It just really drives me nuts.

Speaker 2 (54:06):
But the argument to be made for having Nick Lodolo
go out there a third time is to shorten the bullpen.
And you said earlier that he was getting into a
bit of a groove innings two through five. You need
that sixth inning and then shorten the game that way,

(54:27):
because you had already taxed your bullpen in the first
two games. And you're talking about a picture who you know,
he's got an eight three lead going out for the
top of the sixth inning, it would have been you
would have had the margin of error build in. You
had five run leads. So if Nick Lodolo's clearly goes
out to the mountain says it shows he doesn't have it, okay,

(54:48):
then go to the bullpen. You've got a five run cushion.
I think if Terry has yesterday to do over again,
Nick Lodolo goes out for that sixth inning and shortens
the game. And that's the way I would have looked
at it. And the other thing. The other option is
find another reliever, have Nick Crawl go out and get

(55:11):
one or two other pictures who can go multiple innings
in the bullpen. Because this idea of saying, well, we're
going to start matching up in the fifth inning or
the sixth inning, I.

Speaker 7 (55:21):
Don't buy that very early to play that.

Speaker 2 (55:25):
By the way, Little Red's update TJ friedl lead off
double against Michael Lorenzen double down the right field corners,
and then Spencer Steers strikes out Elie d la Cruz,
who is the DH today, not the shortstop. Garrett Hampson
getting his first start for the Reds, batting ninth, he
is the shortstop, but Ellie worked the walk, and now

(55:47):
the Reds have runners at first and third, one out,
with Austin Hayes up at the plate, and there is
a flyball to right. The Reds are going to take
a one nothing lead on a sacrifice fly from Wide's
the live instant segue. Austin Hayes with the RBI won nothing.

Speaker 3 (56:06):
Reds.

Speaker 2 (56:06):
What do you think of what Austin Hayes has given
this lineup when he's in there healthy.

Speaker 10 (56:11):
It's really impressive, it really is. I think yesterday I
and I think he had more RBIs after I tweeted
his stat out, but I think he's got something like
twenty three RBI and I get today, well, now it's
twenty four in like twenty eight games or whatever. He's played.
He's a machine and you know he's fast, he can
hit for power. Yesterday he just knocked the ball down

(56:34):
the line into the corner, bounced around on the Cubs
left fielder, and bang, he's at third base pretty easily.

Speaker 7 (56:42):
This guy is crucial.

Speaker 10 (56:44):
Yeah, you saw, you saw it. He started the season
on the il, and you saw it as soon as
he emerged. His very first game back for the Reds,
he hit a crucial I think it was a three
run home run in that first game that he played
for the Reds this season, and you could the way
that he lengthened out the lineup compared to what they

(57:06):
had gone ah gone to war with for the first
however many games of the season without him. It's just
noticeable immediately and I love his demeanor. I'd love It's
been a really good addition. And if the Reds are
going to contend in any kind of meaningful way this summer,

(57:30):
Austin Hayes is going to be right in the middle
of it, as he has you know, throughout the h
the truncated amount of time that he's been available for them.

Speaker 7 (57:40):
He's great.

Speaker 2 (57:41):
You're gonna be at OTAs tomorrow at Outside Paid Court Stadium.

Speaker 10 (57:46):
I will see you there.

Speaker 3 (57:47):
No, that is good.

Speaker 2 (57:48):
What sticks out about the Bengals besides Joe Burrow on
Netflix's Quarterback series, Well, yeah.

Speaker 10 (57:55):
That was the big talking point last week. You know,
it's gonna be to see how some of these different
hold in and hold out situations resolve themselves. It it feels,
you know, every week that passes, those start to loom
a little bit larger. So you know, and I'm thinking
principally here about Shamar Stewart and Trey Hendrickson. So I

(58:20):
think Zach Taylor left open, you know, he he He
was a little koy last week when asked about what
the expectations were for those two guys coming into this week.
So it'll be it'll be interesting to see Uh, just
just to do a head count when we're out there
on the field, trags and see who's available, who's not.

(58:43):
What if any business they were able to get done
in the past week doesn't look like much, by the way.

Speaker 2 (58:48):
Another live update, Jonathan India is stepping into the batter's
box for his first plate appearance against his former team.
Jonathan India the DH batting two twenty sixth this year
for the Kansas City Royals. Who are I believe twenty
six and twenty one are twenty eight and twenty three.

Speaker 10 (59:07):
I got to look up the record twenty nine and
twenty five.

Speaker 7 (59:11):
There we go.

Speaker 2 (59:11):
That's close. Twenty nine and twenty five. They are in
fourth place. That in the American League Central. That American
League Central, led by the Detroit Tigers best record in
baseball is stacked. And India hits a sharp one hopper
that is fielded at third base and he is thrown out.

(59:32):
So nice play by Gavin Lucks at third base. There
the Reds have a different looking infield today. I will
say that I really do Lucks at third, Sampson at short,
is it Espinol at second? No, it's Matt McClain. And
then Spencer Steer at first base. So yeah, we're all
over the map here. But that's what why I love

(59:54):
having you on because I can go all over the map.
I can have ad D Radio with you and and
still enjoy myself.

Speaker 3 (01:00:02):
So anything else on your mind, yeah, I.

Speaker 10 (01:00:05):
Mean if we could have talked Philadelphia Flyers, this would
have been the perfect segment.

Speaker 2 (01:00:10):
First of all, it's just a show all about almost
all about Cincinnati sports.

Speaker 3 (01:00:14):
We're going to talk Indiana Pacers.

Speaker 2 (01:00:16):
New York Nicks in the third and final hour. I'm
looking forward to actually following that having that discussion with
a Indianapolis Star beat writer talking about what the heck
happened to the Pacers yesterday blowing a twenty point third
quarter lead with a chance to go up three to

(01:00:36):
zero in that series. But anyway, you are Pat Brennan.
You are the man covering the Reds and the Bengals
for Cincinnati dot Com. My brother, I hope you have
a wonderful rest of this Memorial Day.

Speaker 7 (01:00:49):
Same to you, my great friend, and I'll see you soon.

Speaker 3 (01:00:52):
That sounds great, all right?

Speaker 2 (01:00:53):
He is Pat Brennan, a Cincinnati inquirer, and of course
Cincinnati dot Com be sure to follow all of his
great content.

Speaker 3 (01:00:59):
There.

Speaker 2 (01:01:00):
My name is Mike Petralia Trags, and you are listening
to the Moegger Radio Show on Memorial Day twenty twenty
five on Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (01:01:10):
From the UC Health Truck, then fifteen thirty Cincinnati's Sports station.

Speaker 2 (01:01:19):
Again tarn Land coming through with the grooves in the
bumper music leading up to the bottom of the hour.
We have a couple of minutes here. My name is
Mike Petralia Trags. You're listening to the Moweger Radio Show
on Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty one. To thank Moe for
taking the day off and enjoying some well deserved time

(01:01:39):
on this Memorial Day with friends and family. I'm sure,
and I'm sure he has a money barbecue.

Speaker 3 (01:01:45):
Going right about now.

Speaker 2 (01:01:47):
If I know mo and all of his postings on Instagram,
he loves to post from anything involving food and just
go take a look at his his profile on Instagram
and you'll know what I'm talking about. Anyway, I digress.
This is a sports show and the Cincinnati Red Legs

(01:02:08):
are up on the Kansas City Royals by a score
of one to nothing. This game started off very well
for the Reds and they need a good start after
what happened over the weekend against the Chicago Cubs at
Great American Ballpark. TJ Friedel with a double down the
right field line against former Red Michael Lorenzen after a
strikeout to Spenser Steer. It was Ellie Dala Cruz again

(01:02:32):
showing why he is maturing as a base as a
batter in Major League Baseball, draws a walk, setting up
first and third. Austin Hayes comes through batting three twenty four,
by the way, with a sacrifice fly to right field,
one nothing of red legs. And then here in the
second inning against Lorenzen, Tyler Stevenson with a clean single

(01:02:54):
right up the middle, and the Reds are not necessarily threatening.
They have Stevenson at first, one out, going to be
two outs after a Matt McClain fly to center field,
so two outs, but the Reds are playing with the lead.
They played with the lead almost every They did play
with the lead every game over the weekend against the Cubs,

(01:03:15):
but only managed to win one of those games. That
was really the disheartening part of what happened over the
weekend against the Chicago Cubs. As the Reds come into
this game today, twenty six and twenty eight on the season.
Nick Martinez, by the way, retire the side in order
in the bottom of the first inning. And I think
it was Mark Sheldon mentioned in the first hour of

(01:03:38):
the program today that Nick Martinez is the only picture
in the last three weeks to go at least seven
innings for the Reds rotation. They got to get more
from their starting rotation. I don't think that's really rocket
science to anybody who watches baseball on a regular basis.
You're starting pitching, you need more. I hammered that point
home with Pat Brennan just a little while ago in

(01:04:01):
the previous segment. The Reds, if they're going to go anywhere,
and if they are going to put a string together
of let's say, ten wins in twelve games or fifteen
wins in eighteen games, they're gonna have to get more
from their starting pitching. You can't bail out in the
fourth and fifth innings. And maybe that means Terry Francona,
like Pat Brennan mentioned, maybe he's going to have to

(01:04:22):
step on the starters a little bit more and get
a little bit more from him or another option, and
I suggested this as well, get maybe two or three
more pictures on the staff in the bullpen who can
go multiple innings, so you're not playing match up baseball
in the fifth and sixth innings. It's just too early
to be doing that. And we saw the result of

(01:04:42):
that over the weekend against the team that can really
grind you out, in the Chicago Cubs. On the other
side of the break here at the bottom of the hour,
we will talk more Cincinnati Reds. We'll also talk Bengals.
We have a lot to get to still. On this
Memorial Day edition of the Moegger Radio Show, Mike Petralia
trags filling in from Oh you're listening to Cincinnati's ESPN

(01:05:05):
fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (01:05:07):
From the not wasting any time.

Speaker 12 (01:05:09):
Swinging the first pitch, he sends one of the air
to right field. This will be deep enough to get
Friedel home. John Rave is over to make the catch
if Friedel will tag a third and score. Now two
men are out, but the Reds have scored first and
they're on the board with an early one run advantage
here in Kansas City.

Speaker 2 (01:05:27):
That is Tommy Thrall on the Reds Radio Network on
our sister station seven hundred WLW. The Red's getting off
to a one nothing lead in the rain in Kansas
City at Kauflan Stadium. By the way, as many fans
familiar with that sports complex Harry S. Truman Sports Complex

(01:05:47):
in Kansas City that is right across the parking lot
from Arrowhead Stadium. So a Cincinnati team playing in Kansas City,
what a shock. Obviously, the Bengals have played in Kansas City,
I think the last three seasons and played the Chiefs
in the last four years or five years running. The

(01:06:07):
Bengals will not be playing in Kansas City this year,
so we get to avoid that trip to the Midwest
at least, maybe not in the regular season. Who knows
what the postseason might hold. But the Reds playing across
the parking lot from Arrowhead today and have a one
nothing lead, Nicky smiles. Nick Martinez on the mound. He
has retired the first five batters he has faced in

(01:06:29):
this game. Gavin Lux with a really nice job of
grabbing a line drive in the first inning, helping Nick
Martinez out a little bit in that inning. Resetting what
the standings look like in the National League Central the
Cubs after taking two of three from the Reds over
the weekend. They are thirty two and twenty one. They

(01:06:50):
are playing the Colorado Rockies, the nine and forty four
Colorado Rockies today at Wrigley Field. We'll get in a
scoring update on that in just a little bit, but
they are thirty two and twenty one, two games clear
of the surprising Saint Louis Cardinals. I didn't think they
would be thirty and twenty three through fifty three games,

(01:07:11):
but they are. They're just two games back of Chicago.
The Milwaukee Brewers and Reds are twenty six and twenty eight,
both of those clubs six and a half games back
of Chicago in the NL Central and pulling up the
rear of the Pittsburgh Pirates nineteen and thirty five. They
are thirteen and a half games out of first place

(01:07:33):
in the National League Central Division. Well after the game yesterday,
Terry Francona tried to put the best base possible on
what was another frustrating loss to the team that leads
the division. This was the series in which, if things
had fallen in a better way, had the Reds executed

(01:07:54):
better with their bullpen. On Friday, night and yesterday, they
would have taken all three and I think I think
we would be talking about the Reds as a legitimate
contender right there with the Saint Louis Cardinals of challenging
the Cubs atop the NL Central. Instead, they lost both
of those games in late innings, and it really instilled

(01:08:15):
a lot of doubt in Reds fans that this team
is really going to be able to have what it
takes to get it together and make a run at
the NL Central in twenty twenty five. That's really disappointing
considering how they came out of spring training, new manager
with certainly the World Series pedigree in Terry Francona, and

(01:08:36):
he was going to be the guy to help kind
of direct a lot of the younger players in a
more equitable fashion and a more direct fashion. Get more
out of them, really is what I'm trying to say,
get more out of the younger talent on the roster,
and it really hasn't panned out that way or certainly
to the extent that I think a lot of Cincinnati
Reds fans had hope. But again, after the game on Sunday,

(01:09:00):
Terry Francona try to put the best possible spin on
what was really a disappointing weekend series.

Speaker 13 (01:09:07):
Yeah, tough series for your bullpen. They've been fairly good
over the long haw. Is this regroup time for them?

Speaker 14 (01:09:15):
Well, I mean, we better hurry because we've got a
game of three o'clock tomorrow. So just you know that
some lineups make you pay for mistakes more than others.
This is a good lineup and they feel really good
about themselves right now. And then there's some instances like
with with Ashcraft.

Speaker 1 (01:09:32):
To me, he gave up one ringing double with.

Speaker 14 (01:09:36):
The other three sometimes he just you know, and he
made some really good.

Speaker 13 (01:09:41):
Pitches today or during the series. Did you see any
type of fatigue from the pin at all? Is or
anything that you can pinpoint?

Speaker 14 (01:09:50):
I would say we made We just made mistakes. That again,
sometimes you make them against other lineups that you don't
pay as much. These guys when they got a mistake
out over the plate to hit out of the ballpark.

Speaker 8 (01:10:03):
How much not getting deeper starts from your starters is
starting starting to wear on and kind of create that
scenario pretty medio us.

Speaker 14 (01:10:11):
Moses, Well, I mean we're we're pretty careful about you know,
who's available and why, and we try to always work backwards.
We just we just gave up runs, you know, and
the whole series was was kind of similar.

Speaker 3 (01:10:24):
You know, late in the game, Terry, you try.

Speaker 9 (01:10:29):
To day you feel like the subway as this team
is needed to turn a corner.

Speaker 15 (01:10:33):
As far as the bigger picture us to the seasons
get going on around.

Speaker 14 (01:10:36):
Here, I think we need to try to win tomorrow.
I always feel that way. That's I'll always feel that way.

Speaker 2 (01:10:44):
And that's Terry Francona after Sunday's eleven to eight loss
to the Chicago Cubs. Cubs, by the way, I mentioned
they were thirty two and twenty one, they're about to
be thirty three and twenty one. They are leading the
Colorado Rockies three to one at wriggly Field bottom of
the eighth. They're going to the top of the ninth
inning at Wrigley, so, barring it collapsed by the Cubs

(01:11:08):
to the nine and forty four Colorado Rockies, they are
going to get their thirty third win of the year.
Some other scores around Major League Baseball while we have
the scoreboard up, Milwaukee leads the Red Sox out in
Milwaukee three to one. That game is also headed to
the top of the ninth inning, bottom of the sixth
in Baltimore and lo and behold the Orioles, who at

(01:11:30):
one point this weekend were sixteen and thirty three. They
won their final two games at Fenway Park, and now
they're beating Saint Louis by a score of five to
two in the bottom of the sixth inning, bottom of
the third in Texas. In Arlington, Toronto leads, the Blue
Jays lead. The Rangers won nothing. They are scoreless at

(01:11:50):
City Field in New York, the White Sox and the
New York Mets. Later on this afternoon, it'll be the
LA Dodgers at the Cleveland Guardians seven h five Tonight,
Minnesota at Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh at Arizona. That is set
for an eight ten start. Miami at San Diego on
the West Coast. That's eight forty first pitch. East Coast

(01:12:13):
time nine thirty eight, it's the New York Yankees and
the LA Angels. The Yankees are thirty two and twenty
this season atop the American League East once again, and
one final is in Detroit. Beat the San Francisco Giants
by a score of three to one the rematch of
the twenty ten World Series. Detroit with a major league

(01:12:37):
best thirty five and twenty record. San Francisco not doing
bad themselves, they are thirty one and twenty three, but
it was the Tigers winning today in Motown three to one.
Well back to the Cincinnati Reds for a moment look.
Mark Sheldon asked the question, and I asked Mark Shell
of Terry Francona yesterday, and I asked Mark today about

(01:12:59):
the starting pitching and does Terry Francona need to press
the starters to get more from them? And his answer
was not really to throw the starters under the bus,
but say but saying sometimes you just need more out
of the relief pitching. And they didn't get that, and
they've been getting a lot. And Jim Day mentioned this
at the beginning of the press conference yesterday that the

(01:13:21):
bullpen's been very good for the Reds so far this year.
There's no question about that. But over the weekend, when
you go up against a team that can grind, like
the Chicago Cubs, maybe just tip your cap.

Speaker 3 (01:13:33):
But you've got.

Speaker 2 (01:13:35):
In those games where you have a superior team or
a team ahead of you in the standings. At least,
when you have them on the ropes, you got to
be able to put them away, and the Reds were
not able to do that over the weekend. That's one
of the really infuriating parts of that. Nicolodolo started the
game yesterday and he had a chance, I thought, to

(01:13:57):
really put the Cubs away. He gave up two runs
in the first he gave up the solo home run
Teres Maguire in the second inning, but still it was
four to three. Bottom of the fifth inning, Reds tack
on four more runs, it's eight three, and then Terry
Francona decides to go to the bullpen. Here's how Nick
Lidolo saw a postgame in his press conference at Great

(01:14:19):
American Ballpark.

Speaker 3 (01:14:25):
Were so close.

Speaker 15 (01:14:29):
Almost pain where frustrated gets the calls or frustrated and
feel like you hitch.

Speaker 14 (01:14:35):
Better and maybe the want to show.

Speaker 15 (01:14:36):
Yeah, I mean, I definitely if it was a weird
first inning, I didn't feel like I threw the ball
bad at all, Like you said, I was just missing. Obviously,
you get in the dugout, you can tell some of there,
some aren't, so you don't really know.

Speaker 1 (01:14:51):
But yeah, just.

Speaker 15 (01:14:54):
I guess like I said, barely missing, but you know,
I just tried to stay on the attack and keep
coming and uh, you know, unfortunate that Pete Crow had
that knuckler, uh you know to McClain there. But uh yeah,
other than that, Yeah, it's definitely a strange strange one
A little bit.

Speaker 7 (01:15:17):
Uh.

Speaker 15 (01:15:18):
I mean, oh two, I you saw the swing on one,
and you know I was just not trying to get
too crazy with it, just make another competitive pitch. Obviously
I left it up, uh not where I wanted to
throw it, but uh yeah, I mean he made me
pay for it.

Speaker 16 (01:15:40):
Uh.

Speaker 15 (01:15:41):
They just they put up good at bats uh one
through nine. You know, every guy over there, they got
they got an idea what they're trying to do with
the dish. So you know, you gotta you gotta make
pitches and uh and just keep coming after him.

Speaker 3 (01:16:00):
You these long long and.

Speaker 15 (01:16:04):
Yeah, and I I think that I mean yes, and no,
I think if I probably I got I haven't seen
the numbers yet, but I think if I could have
got ahead, maybe a little bit more stuff like that.
I think that's what more likely plays a big into it,
a little bit more. But you know, I mean when
guys they're definitely putting up good at bats. You know,

(01:16:25):
it's gonna it's gonna dry the pitch count up.

Speaker 16 (01:16:29):
Where this team is, You guys have played almost sound
the expectations where this team is.

Speaker 15 (01:16:38):
Yeah, you know, I think we played this weekend, Uh well,
we just didn't finish games.

Speaker 11 (01:16:46):
You know.

Speaker 15 (01:16:47):
The bullpen's been great for us all year, they've been
those guys have been unbelievable. And uh, I mean there's
no question we got punched in the mouth at the
end of the games, you know, and and starters too.
I think we definitely what we want to pitch deeper
into the ballgame, you know, and shorten that for them.
But offensively, you know, I think the guys put together

(01:17:07):
some good at pass this weekend. And as a team,
we just got to keep going, you know, and get
it all clicking at once and continue so you know,
staying games and finish them.

Speaker 6 (01:17:19):
You know.

Speaker 15 (01:17:19):
I think I think we can do that. And we
got another opportunity to start that at New Series again tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (01:17:25):
And indeed the Reds and that's Nick Lodolo. The Reds
have another opportunity today to finish off an opponent. They
are out three to nothing on the Kansas City Royals,
top of the third inning, two more runs scoring Gavin
Lux with an RBI single scoring lied De La Cruz,
Tyler Stevenson singling in Austin Hayes. Stevenson already two for

(01:17:46):
two today. Reds have given Nick Martinez, who has retired
all six batters so far, a three to nothing lead
top of the third inning, and we've got a break
here now for the top of the hour. Up next
is Brenneman and Owns on Baseball. My name is Mike
Petralia Trags. You're listening to the Moegger Radio Show on
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. You're listening to the Home of

(01:18:09):
the Bengals ESPN fifteen thirty. Happy Memorial Day, twenty twenty five.
You're entering the final hour of Mike Petralia. That's me
Trags filling in for the Moeger, filling in for Moeger
on the Moager Radio Show on Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

(01:18:33):
Before we get to our next guest, who will be
an expert talker on all things Cincinnati Bengals want to
provide this Red's update, and it's a good one.

Speaker 3 (01:18:43):
The Reds have scored early and often. They score one
time in the first inning, three more in the top
of the third, and they are out ahead of the
Kansas City Royals by a score of ford and nothing.
They're looking for more.

Speaker 2 (01:18:57):
Here in the top of the fourth inning, Elly is
at the plate with a runner on first base, one out,
Michael Lorenzen still in there for Kansas City.

Speaker 7 (01:19:06):
In the rain.

Speaker 2 (01:19:07):
It's coming down pretty steady out there. They made mention
of that on the broadcast, that it's raining, but not
enough to keep this or not enough to halt the
game and bring the tarp on the field. The Reds
need this victory in a big time way after losing
two of three to the Chicago Cubs over the weekend.
But four nothing is your score in favor of the

(01:19:29):
Reds over Kansas City. Top of the fourth inning. We'll
keep you posted now. Time to welcome in my next guest.
He is a frequent guest of mine, not only on WLW,
not only here on ESPN fifteen thirty, but on the
Jungle War podcast, which, by the way, you can tune
into every week on YouTube dot com slash at Jungle

(01:19:52):
warra Pod. The guest I speak of is Jeff Butch
Hobson of Bengals dot Com. How about that for a
lengthy intro auction, Jeff.

Speaker 4 (01:20:02):
Thank you very much. I'm not worthy, Trags. Do you
have a you have a Red Sox update by Chim?

Speaker 3 (01:20:07):
It's not a good.

Speaker 6 (01:20:09):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:20:10):
Did they get beat three to two?

Speaker 3 (01:20:12):
Let's see, Well, you know, maybe I spoke too soon.
Uh they got beat three two?

Speaker 4 (01:20:17):
Yes, yeah, they messed me as they got ratty there
in the because as you called Duran, I just singled
in to make it three to two with two out
with bringing up.

Speaker 3 (01:20:28):
The plays right now as a matter of.

Speaker 4 (01:20:30):
Fact, Yeah, yeah, I don't mean the boy. Your call
is with us. That's the last thing they probably care about.

Speaker 2 (01:20:35):
Jaron Duran singled with two outs. Then Trevor McGill intentionally
walked Devers Duran the second base and Connor Wong flew
out to right to end the game.

Speaker 3 (01:20:48):
That's how the.

Speaker 4 (01:20:48):
Games should not. Wong should not have been up in
that situation.

Speaker 7 (01:20:53):
What are you gonna do?

Speaker 5 (01:20:54):
Uh?

Speaker 4 (01:20:54):
But thank you anyway, Trags, and it's great to be
with you to talk Bengals on this uh, on this
great holiday weekend.

Speaker 2 (01:21:01):
Well, you know what, I want to lead off with
a great story you have up there right now actually
looks like it just posted about two hours ago, less
than two hours ago up on Bengals dot com. Bengals
salute Ocean of options with versatile rookie offensive lineman Jalen
Rivers like a multi year veteran, and your lead of

(01:21:22):
this story is as usually always is, is awesome. Helped
raised by a trio of US Navy personnel and a
grandfather who was an Army drill instructor, He's a projected
swing tackle. Jalen Rivers has emerged as one of those
veterans before his time as a Bengals voluntary spring workouts
sail into their final phase emboldened by their seaworthy draft class.

(01:21:47):
That is an amazing, amazing opening to the story. What
inspired you to write this story and why is it
so appropriate on this Memorial Day?

Speaker 4 (01:21:57):
Yeah, thank you Trag for that calling that out. You know,
I didn't even think, you know that it was going
to be Memorial Day weekend because to me, I just
you know, talking to his Jalen's stepdad and talking to
him about his family service. I mean, you know that's
something we ought to salute every day here yep. In

(01:22:18):
the country, you know, I mean, I think they've got
to combinate his stepdad, his mother, and his dad. O'hung
was his grandfather. You know, that's about damn near ninety
years worth of service in the country, and that's just
an amazing thing. And it's uh, you know, Jalen didn't
want to do that. He didn't want to follow them

(01:22:40):
into the service. But certainly, you know, the things that
he took while growing up under their roof, you know
you can I think the coaches and the scouts. The
scouts could see it first, you know, that's why they
drafted him. And the coaches have been able to see that.
Scott Peters, his assistant Mike McAthey Jack Taylor alluded to

(01:23:01):
this maturity of the straft labs. Jalen sits right in
I mean drags.

Speaker 5 (01:23:06):
He had.

Speaker 4 (01:23:07):
He had a four point two eight in high school
with five old core courses. You know, I never even
hit that high, uh, you know, never mind a great
point average like that. And then he was like a
three eight at University of Miami. So you know, obviously
he got the books in the discipline from his folks,

(01:23:28):
and that should and that should fit in well, you know,
at a position where you well know, you know, you've
got to be as you got to be as smart
as you have to be talented.

Speaker 2 (01:23:38):
Obviously, Jeff, you have to be talented, you have to
be skilled, you have to be able to dominate at
the NFL level. I mean, this is the highest level
of football. It is great to have all of the intangibles.
Nobody's arguing that. I think it does matter. I think
leadership matters. I think intelligence absolutely matters. The ability to

(01:23:59):
play a pick up a playbook, the ability to pick
up schemes and protections that there is no demeaning that. Okay,
I want to make that incredibly clear. But he's got
to be able to play at the highest level possible.
I love the quote from Mike Potts what he told
you last month. He's a buttoned up, polished kid. The

(01:24:20):
coaches and staff at Miami of Florida could not speak
higher of him, the favorite of many there. Why why
is that such a telling quote from Mike Potts?

Speaker 4 (01:24:31):
Well, I mean, I think you know they put so
much time into getting to know these guys, the scouts.
Do you know they talk to not only do they
talk to their coaches, but they spend a lot of
time talking to the two equipment people, trainers, staffers, secretaries.

(01:24:53):
I mean, when they're looking at a kid, they really
look at a kid, you know. So I think they
feel like when you got to guy like this who
seems to, you know, be popular on his campus, is
is that's a step in the right direction. But like
you said, he's got to be able to play, you know,
it's and I think the big thing with Jalalen is
is he can pass protect. You know, I think this

(01:25:15):
is the number one thing they're looking for in their alignment.
You know, you know, you've got to be able to
protect the passer because obviously, what does this team do.
You know, they do it about as any about as
often as anybody in the league. They pass. They've got
to protect the best quarterback in the league. And I think,
you know, that's what they really liked about Jamelen was

(01:25:36):
his ability to pass pro Now they believe that he
is smart enough that he can audgust to be able
to run block too. But that was the knock on
him coming out was is run blocking wasn't as big
as is you know, wasn't as good as his pass protecting.
But here you got a guy who's got the ability
to play all four positions eventually in this league, and

(01:25:57):
with already being able to ability to protect the passer.
You know, the Bengals hopped all over that they would
have been happy with his pick on Friday night, never
mind Saturday morning of the draft.

Speaker 3 (01:26:08):
Yeah, and I agree.

Speaker 2 (01:26:09):
I mean, I think you've got to be able to
play all of the four positions, and I think he
can do it at a very very high level. He
has got the physical attribute sixty six, three hundred and
nineteen pounds at that size, he can be an interchangeable
guard tackle and he's only twenty two, and I think

(01:26:30):
he's got the potential to grow. And he is an athlete, right,
I mean he is not just sixty six three nineteen
He's an athlete, right.

Speaker 4 (01:26:39):
Yeah, played four sport to play AAU basketball. Yep, it
was a state championshop, but it was a state champion
shop putter, so shop porter, excuse me? So you know
I think that's uh, you know, he's got he's got
exactly what you need to be a tackle tackle in
this league. And I think they know they've got him
a left tackle now, but you know that's just so

(01:26:59):
he can get on or he can get the league
under his belt, you know, and then once he gets
that down, I think they'll you know, they'll move him
inside a little bit. But you know, they they feel like,
you know, I think, get two pretty solid swing tackles
and uh, Cody Ford and Jalen Rivers, you know, and
of course they're trying to you know, trying to figure
out that guard spot and who they're going to put there.

(01:27:22):
Who's gonna win that left guard spot, Who's going to
be the right guard. Well, I think it's pretty clear
the left guard is going to be a fair Child,
right and the rookie the third round from Georgia. And
then it's you know who goes who goes the right guard?
Is it Cody is the Courtell Wolson? Is it Lucas Patrick?
You know, the guards from you know, the veteran guard
they picked up in free agency. So uh, I think

(01:27:45):
that's uh, you know, they're about it set as they've
been there. I think probably since the end of the
since the end of the season. I think you know,
they get a pretty good lock on that left guard.
I think they feel like he's going to be a
solid player, fair Child and you know, now they've got
to straight now right there. But I think at some
point too, I think Jamling would be jail would be

(01:28:07):
an option too there at some point in his career.

Speaker 2 (01:28:09):
What are the best takeaways you can glean from OTAs
which started last week?

Speaker 7 (01:28:16):
Right?

Speaker 3 (01:28:16):
And you can have ten? Is it ten? OTAs?

Speaker 2 (01:28:20):
Ten of these Phase three workouts before and mandatory mini
camp is part of that ten?

Speaker 3 (01:28:27):
Correct? If I'm if I've got my rules straight, I.

Speaker 4 (01:28:29):
Think that's flag flagged. I don't have that. I'm not
sure on that. I just know the mandatory mini camp
is in two weeks. But I think you're right on that.

Speaker 2 (01:28:39):
On ten, I think it is and it continues tomorrow
and Joe Burrow is expected to be there. The most
important obser for I'll get back to my original rambling question.
What is the most important thing you take away from
OTAs which continue tomorrow outside paid Course Stadium.

Speaker 4 (01:28:59):
Well, I think it's the most important thing of this offseason.
It's Al Golden. You know, what what's Al Golden going
to do? And I think we've uh, you know, I
think we've seen that, and you know, talking to Zach,
talking to some of the defensive players, you know, there
they seem to be uh, you know, they seem to
be have a have a pepin their step. I think

(01:29:20):
they've embraced the change, and I think it's going to
be a real change. That's what I took. I tell
you the most illuminating conversation I've had this Spinish player
with Geno Stone when he was talking about how Al's
defense reminded about reminded how they played in Baltimore with
Mike McDonald's and uh, the Baltimore defensive coordinator now the
head coach in Seattle, and which tells me. I think

(01:29:44):
that to me, the thing that popped up to me
was that's that's they're going to be aggressive. They're going
to go after the quarterback, you know. And I think
that that's that that's you know, and I'm not saying
that this is McDonald's defense. He just said it reminded
him of it, right, And I think and and it
just you know, and I I think that's the thing
that struck out to me. You know, that stood out
to me was, you know, what's that Baltimore defense too

(01:30:06):
when McDonald was there. You know, they came after the quarterback.

Speaker 2 (01:30:10):
Two things, Yeah, sorry to interrupt, but two things that
stand out to me about the Al Golden theme going forward.
I think his front seven, they're going to be interchangeable.
I think interchangeable insofar as you're going to have different
players playing different positions throughout his scheme. I'm not saying
that defensive tackle is going to drop back and be

(01:30:30):
a linebacker.

Speaker 3 (01:30:30):
I'm not saying that.

Speaker 2 (01:30:32):
What I'm saying is you could have linebackers moving all
over the middle perimeter of the defense. You could have
a defensive end moving more inside.

Speaker 7 (01:30:42):
I e.

Speaker 2 (01:30:43):
Josephisei, and I know he did that a little bit
with lou Ana Roumo, but I think you're going to
see more of these players interchangeable along the defensive line,
along the linebacking corps. And the second point I've noted
and if what we've seen and heard and read to
be accurate, I think Al Golden making all of the

(01:31:05):
perimeter cornerbacks play all of the different cornerback positions. I
think that's significant. Why do you think that's a big deal?

Speaker 4 (01:31:15):
Well, yeah, I mean it's because with what we talked about,
the interchangeability, it's why I think I think there are
two I think the two picks. To me, that's the
two draft picks we're going to be talking about ten
years from now. I think the other three guys, the
other four guys will be solid. The two linebackers I
think will be solid. I think Fairchild's going to be solid.
I think he had a really good running back and

(01:31:37):
in tay j I think he's going to be I
you know, he's gonna he's gonna get carries in this
league for the Bengals. But the two, the two were
going to be talking about, I think when we look
back in the draftical last ten years from now, I
think is Shama Stewart and Jalen Rivers just because you're
what which because of what you're talking about, that versatility,
you know, you know they're gonna Stewart is going to
be able to give this defense. He's going to give Alan,

(01:32:00):
He's going to give al chespiece that Lou in the
Rouma maybe quite didn't have upfront in the front seven.
You know, he can play Stuart. You know, he can
playhim at edge, you can play him inside, he can
move him around. He did it all at A and M.
He played up and down the line. And the thing
to do with Stewart two is and to me, uh,

(01:32:21):
the the picks of h. Knight and Barrett Patter and
Shama Stewart. To me, that is, you know what we
got to stop Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. This was
this was to me, this was that shot across the bottle.
Athletic guys that can run forever and uh, you know

(01:32:42):
and and can uh you know, can can stop a
guy you know, can stop you know, make a guy
like Lamar, I think, and so I think that with
the interchangeability, I think that's what's uh, that's going to
be a little bit of a different look that Al's
going to be able to do that front seven, just
as you talked about.

Speaker 2 (01:33:00):
I think Barrett Carter is going to be more of
a stack linebacker, right. And then Demetrius Ninth Junior he
is the guy that I think that that Al Golden
envisions and he's a linebacker coach, uh you know, in
his past obviously, I think he envisions him running all
over the field and doing what you're talking about, kind

(01:33:20):
of spying Lamar Jackson.

Speaker 4 (01:33:22):
Yeah, I mean right, and I you know Stuart and supply,
I mean I think Stewart could spy Laura Jackson. I
think really I think Carter could. I think Carter could
spy Lamar Jackson. So I mean I think, uh, you know,
I I think they're options. Can they can they will
they do it? Can they do it? I don't know,
but I think they're They're athletic. These guys are athletically,

(01:33:44):
you know, they're blue shifts athletes. And of course Lami's
on another level, you know what I mean. So, uh,
I remember to me the quintessential plays of the twenty
twenty one Super Bowl where you know you didn't you
you wouldn't think Sam Hubbard could spy Patrick Mahome was,
but he sure did on two straight sacks to put
him in a super Bowl, you know. So, uh, you know,

(01:34:07):
I think he's guys.

Speaker 3 (01:34:08):
That's a fair point.

Speaker 4 (01:34:08):
You know, I think he's you know, I think, uh,
it's just an interesting It's just an interesting Lenkal. I
think with Stuart, uh, you know, being able to do
all these different.

Speaker 2 (01:34:17):
Things, and you have the ability of the power. I'm
going to give you that power right now to call
him everybody's fears Shamar. Stuart is going to get done.
It's procedural. I think we all understand that the Bengals
are not the only team to go through this with.

Speaker 3 (01:34:32):
A first round pick.

Speaker 2 (01:34:34):
It's a matter of working out the guaranteed money, and
I think that's going to get done. I think the
Dimitrious Knight and we only have a minute here, but uh,
Demitrius Night Junior is a little bit more interesting in
surprising frankly why that deal is not done. But again,
that deal will get done.

Speaker 4 (01:34:53):
I think. Got The thing I like about night Trags
is his quarterback background. That have a guy back there.
I mean, you know, he's just he's not going to
have a problem with not only will not have a
problem picking up this game, he won't have a problem
looking on the other side of the wall. You know,
he'll be able to uh, you know, he'll be able

(01:35:13):
to tell you hiding on the lineup and what's you know.
Granted he wasn't playing quarterback in the pros, but he's
got enough of a background in offense, you know that
makes him dangerous as a linebacker.

Speaker 2 (01:35:26):
Outstanding great stuff from Jeff Hobson. I really appreciate you
taking time out of your Memorial Day sharing a great
story that you have up on Bengals dot Com right now.
Bengals Salute ocean of options with versus a rookie outside
sorry offensive lineman Jalen Rivers. Be sure to give it
a read. And by the way, we opened with baseball,

(01:35:48):
but right a close with baseball. Tyler Stevenson is now
three for three to run homer. The Reds were up
six nothing at Kansas City in the top of the
fifth inning. So there's your Reds update. Butch, Happy Memorial
Day to you, and we got to take a break here.
My name is Mike Petrallium. You're listening to the Moegar

(01:36:10):
Radio Show on Cincinnati's.

Speaker 3 (01:36:11):
ESPN fifteen thirty. This reported.

Speaker 2 (01:36:16):
Mike Petralia trags back with you on the Moegar Radio
Show this Memorial Day, twenty twenty five, filling in for
Mo on Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty, and maybe hitting the
road was just what the Cincinnati Reds needed. They are
up six nothing and they are keep coming. They keep
on coming against the Kansas City Royals and Michael Lorenzen

(01:36:40):
six nothing top of the fifth inning, two outs and
two more runners on base. They are trying to put
this game away. You know, most days I would say
up six to nothing in the fifth inning, it's a
pretty good bet that the that the Reds are going
to be able to close this out. But we know
what happened over the weekend against the Cargo Cubs. On

(01:37:01):
Friday night, they had a pair of four run leads,
could not hold on. On Saturday, they had a five
run lead and barely hung on for a six to
four victory. Then yesterday they had the five run, eight
three advantage over the Chicago Cubs going into the top
of the sixth inning and they could not hold on
to that. So the Reds need to keep tacking on

(01:37:21):
and tacking on in this game, and that's what they're
trying to do. It'd be a good start to a
key six game road trip. Of course, after the three
games in Kansas City, the Reds will have three games
at Wrigley Field before returning home to take on the
Milwaukee Brewers and then the Arizona Diamondbacks. So a key
stretch of twelve games coming up starting with today in

(01:37:45):
Kansas City. And certainly it has been a good start
for the Cincinnati Reds. Going over the box score right now,
as it stands, no question who the star of the
game for the Reds is at this point, it is
one Tyler Stevenson. He is three for three in this
game with a home run, a two run homer in

(01:38:06):
this inning. As a matter of fact, three for three
with three RBIs. He's really been able to get it
going today and he needs it. He came into the
game hitting just two to five and his averages up
ten points. He's hitting two point fifteen now on the season.
Austin Hayes had drove in the first run of the
day for the Red Legs. He had a sacrifice fly

(01:38:29):
in the first inning and also an RBI single in
this game for Gavin Luck. So up and down the
order of the Reds offense has already produced eleven hits
and we're not through the fifth inning yet, so they're
getting it done offensively. As for NICKI, smiles Nick Martinez,
He's held up his end of the bargain and boy,
the bullpen needs it today. He retired the first nine

(01:38:53):
batters of this game before Jonathan India let off the
fourth inning with an with a single. But still through
four innings, Nick Martinez has only allowed two hits. He's
struck out one in complete command. And you would think
with a six nothing lead and let's see how many
pitches is lorenzen ad at this point he is at

(01:39:15):
I'm sorry, Martinez, Martinez, get this has only pitched thirty
eight pitches through four innings. Maybe, just maybe, maybe it's
asking too much. Nick Martinez can throw a complete game
shutout in this contest, and boy, that's exactly what the
Reds bullpen and pitching staff in general could use in

(01:39:36):
this one. So the Red's up six nothing in the
top of the fifth inning games on our sister station
on seven hundred WLW. But I still have another half
hour behind this great microphone in the studios of ESPN
fifteen thirty, and coming up next, we'll talk a little
Indiana Pacers New York Knicks playoff basketball. I'm sure there

(01:39:57):
are a lot of fans in this listening audience that
are very interested in what the Pacers are doing. They
blew a golden opportunity last night, and we'll talk a
little bit about that with the staff writer of the
Indie Star covering the Indiana Pacers on the other side
of the break. My name is Mike Petralia Trags, and
you're listening to the Moeger Radio Show on Cincinnati's ESPN

(01:40:20):
fifteen thirty home stretch time of the Moeger radio show
here on Memorial Day, twenty twenty five. My name is
Mike Petralia, filling in for the one and only Moeger
on Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. And I got home last

(01:40:42):
night from covering the Cubs and the Reds covering the
Cubs actually for MLB dot Com, and wanted to just relax,
cook myself some pasta. Turned on what I was looking
forward to. A very interesting game number three in Indianapolis
between the Pacer and the New York Knicks, the Eastern Finals,
of course, and the Pacers had a two nothing lead

(01:41:05):
after taking the first two very competitive games at Madison
Square Garden, and the Pacers go up by twenty points
in the second half, I mean the second quarter, excuse me,
and I'm thinking, well, this series is can be over
very very quickly. And then things changed on a dime,
and here to talk all about it. He had great

(01:41:25):
stuff up on Indie Star on the Indie Star and
covers the Indianapolis Pacers for the Indianapolis Star. His name
is Dustin Dupirak. I want to take time right now, Dustin,
to say thank you very much.

Speaker 3 (01:41:40):
I know you're a busy, busy man.

Speaker 2 (01:41:41):
It's the off day of between Games three and four
and it's a holiday. So thank you and welcome to
the Moegger Radio Show.

Speaker 11 (01:41:50):
No problem. Thanks so much for having me. I appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (01:41:52):
So what was going through your mind when I believe
it was seventy five fifty five at that poor fifty
five to thirty five in the second quarter. What's going
through your mind at that point, Mike?

Speaker 16 (01:42:04):
What was going throughn is the series is over. I'm
not even gonna have to go back to New York.

Speaker 11 (01:42:08):
So I thought, yeah, no, I mean I thought that
was it.

Speaker 16 (01:42:12):
Basically, it seemed to me at that point that the
kind that the Pacers kind of broken the necks honestly,
that that they their kind of theory of the case
had worked. I mean, I think what the Pacers went
into this playoffs thinking was their way of winning was
going to be to wear everybody out, to outrun everybody,
and it looked particularly seemed to work against team like
the next I mean, you went into this, to the
playoffs in particular, thinking that they probably weren't going to

(01:42:35):
have to deal with them, because they were It was
just a question of whether the Pacers could get passed Cleveland,
and whether the Knicks get back past the Celtics. The
fact that they both did is a bit of a surprise,
but you know, it's expected basically that their theory was
if they were going to get further than they would expect,
that was gonna be the reason why. And then they
tend to just overly rely on their starters and they
tend to get you know, the last year that kind
of got a little bit work down in that series,

(01:42:56):
and I thought that was gonna work for the Pacers,
h and it did certainly in game one, game too
obviously dramatic comeback in Game one or the Knicks just
collapsed in there, Andy Smith where it went crazy from three,
and the Pacers just seemed to be even more in
control in game two, and when they go up by
twenty at home, you're thinking, Okay, well this thing is over,
and it just seems like they just after that, the
offense just disappeared. I mean they had again, the Pacers

(01:43:17):
had fifty five points at that point, was still three
twenty left to go in the third. In the second,
and they scored all of forty two in the second half.
It just never really got going on that end at all.
You know, didn't defend great, but really didn't just didn't
seem to move the ball well, didn't seem to move
bodies very well, and you just saw them just looking
not like themselves for the entirety to the second half.

Speaker 2 (01:43:37):
You know, And I'm watching Rick Carlisle, head coach of
the Indiana Pacers, talk about it post mortem after the
game last night, and he noted what you just referred to,
and that is their inability to finish quarters. They allowed
the Knicks to cut the twenty point lead down to
I believe it was thirteen at halftime. Then the Knicks
made another run to and the third quarter, and another

(01:44:00):
run to end the fourth quarter. And usually in what
I've seen from the Pacers throughout this postseason and certainly
in the in the round against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they
had the one bad game, but other than that, they
did a great job of finishing quarters, finishing halves, and
we didn't see that last night.

Speaker 11 (01:44:19):
No, No, it's very very key point.

Speaker 16 (01:44:21):
I mean, obviously, when a twenty point lead, you know,
falls to thirteen at the end, it basically you know,
going into halftime, that's a big deal. I mean that
was big for the next to you know that there's
a moment there where you'd feel like you're getting buried.
And basically the fact that they were able to kind of,
you know, get together, get together and just chip away
a little bit, I thought was big, just giving them
some level of confidence going forward. And then you know,

(01:44:44):
again both the third and the fourth, you saw the
Pacers fade. I mean, I think, you know, a big
piece of it I thought was in the second. In
the third at least, you know, Aaron de Smith goes
down with that ankle injury really.

Speaker 11 (01:44:52):
Seemed to me to shake them up.

Speaker 16 (01:44:54):
And these Smith is just such a big piece of
what they do, such a good connector on offense, obviously,
such a good defensive player, done a really good job.
Had had done a particularly good job on Jalen Brunson
in game three. Uh, you know, basically it's tough to
slope Bruns down at all, and the Pacers haven't done
a great job of slowing down superstars uh in this
in these playoffs, and they managed to survive despite despite it.

Speaker 11 (01:45:16):
But he was doing I mean he I.

Speaker 16 (01:45:17):
Think Bronson was maybe three of his first eleven and
these months was a really big part of that. So
when they lose him for a little while, obviously he
comes back, uh you know, plays on a bomb ankle
for seven about seven minutes and the fourth quarter. He's
gonna be questionable, uh for Game four, and and Recarlos
said he's probably gonna be a.

Speaker 11 (01:45:32):
Game time decision.

Speaker 16 (01:45:33):
But he was able to grit it out as big
that they got him at all. But I mean, it
did seem like the stretch that he was out, uh,
seemed to kind of shake them up and just just
mess with their plan a little bit. And you just
didn't see them really find any kind of natural flow.

Speaker 5 (01:45:46):
Uh.

Speaker 11 (01:45:46):
Basically, you know, from that.

Speaker 16 (01:45:47):
Point on the in the in the third quarter, and
I think they were up fifteen when he gets hurt.
It's down to ten by the by uh the start
of the fourth, and then you know, Karl Anthony Towns
goes crazy just y fourth quarter to get to that one.

Speaker 2 (01:45:59):
Game twenty points in the fourth twenty of his twenty
four points not in the second half, in the fourth quarter.
And I'm curious, you know, you're obviously in the locker room,
you're listening to Carlisle postgame. What was the the answer
for that, What was the explanation for that?

Speaker 11 (01:46:16):
I mean, the best thing that staysy just went off.

Speaker 16 (01:46:18):
I mean, he just it just they weren't moving fast enough,
they weren't doing a good job of taking out of
what he wanted to do.

Speaker 11 (01:46:23):
But he was just knocking down threes.

Speaker 9 (01:46:25):
I mean.

Speaker 16 (01:46:25):
And sometimes it's just it's you know, Miles Turner says
this all the time. It's a it's a make or
miss league, And sometimes it's just a simple question of
you know, you're open enough to make the shot. You
know they're at some point you're only going to be
able to take so many of those away as well
as you want to defend. They're going to be able
to create space. And it's gonna come down to whither
they make it or they miss it. And Carl Anthony
Towns made his basic Pacers had a lot of local shots.

(01:46:48):
They were probably as open, if not more open, than
the ones the Towns hit that just didn't go down.
They were five to twenty five for the night, and
he was, you know, I think three or four in
that quarter, and I guess he started off five to
five from the floor and ended up six to nine
in that period. And I think that was just it.
I mean, it doesn't take a whole it doesn't take
a whole lot of shots to bury you at the
wrong time. Basically, if you can get a stretch together

(01:47:09):
in the same way you obviously Nie Smith did the
other night in Game one. Sometimes guys just hit him
and you know, I don't think they were poorly defended.

Speaker 11 (01:47:16):
They could they could have got.

Speaker 16 (01:47:17):
In up in a little bit more, but they obviously
went in knowing all right, Carl Anthony Towns is a
guy that can shoot from deep and you have to
concern yourself from deep.

Speaker 11 (01:47:22):
But also he's a big dude.

Speaker 16 (01:47:24):
So you you know, there's there's there's a trade off
there in terms of getting that far up in and
when he's when he's outside, and you have to do
with Mitchell Robinson as well. So I think that was
kind of the biggest thing, was just that he just
hit some big ones and that's just that it's there.
There are sometimes you just have to tip your cap
cap to a great player, and that was one of
those moments for Karl Anthony Towns.

Speaker 2 (01:47:44):
Speaking with Dustin do Pirak of the Indianapolis Star covering
the Indiana Pacers, and I have to ask this question,
it's a cliche question. Whenever the in this particular case,
the road teams won all three games of the series.
Who is under more pressure in game number four, Indiana
or the Knicks to try and even the series and

(01:48:06):
get it back level going back to New York.

Speaker 11 (01:48:09):
I mean, I think the Pacers under a little bit more,
a little bit more pressure obviously because they've lost.

Speaker 16 (01:48:13):
You know, basically they're coming off a scenario where you
could have gone up three to zero and and if
you find yourself suddenly with a back two oh, and
you've got to go back to the Garden. I mean
that's a really tough place to play. Well, you've already
won two games at the Garden. That's tough, and asking
yourself to win a third is a big deal. Obviously,
that they would get it back for game six and
they would have opportunity to kind of take the take
the advantage back again. But you know, if if if

(01:48:35):
you're too two, then all of a sudden you're in
a position if you have to at least win one
at the Garden, you have to either win game five
or game seven at the Garden.

Speaker 11 (01:48:40):
And when you've already pulled it off twice.

Speaker 16 (01:48:42):
It's like, man, that that's a lift, you know, that
becomes a serious lift. And so obviously the Pacers the
Knicks have been better, you know, on the road in
the series, they've been on the road, better on the road, uh,
in several points throughout these playoffs.

Speaker 11 (01:48:55):
Basically they've had a lot of a lot of scenarios.

Speaker 16 (01:48:56):
But they were obviously good in Boston, you know, in
in that series, that were good in Detroit in that series.
There's something that plays well for the Knicks on the road,
and there are a tough bunch of guys, but you
still don't want to go in the garden and have
to try to win, you know, it's still still something else.

Speaker 2 (01:49:11):
How much fun has it been to cover this series
with the two venues. I can't imagine. Yeah, I can't imagine.
That's why, exactly why I want to ask you this question.
You're talking about two games in the world's most famous building,
Madison Square Garden to start this series, two great games,
by the way, and then last night at Gamebridge Field

(01:49:34):
House in downtown Indianapolis, the place it sounded on TMT
like the roof was about to come off, especially when
it was fifty five thirty five.

Speaker 3 (01:49:42):
What has that atmosphere been.

Speaker 11 (01:49:44):
Like Dustin, Yeah, it's been. I mean they've both been fascinating.
I mean and the gardens. The Garden, it's one of
those things.

Speaker 6 (01:49:49):
That you have to go there to really get it right.

Speaker 11 (01:49:51):
It's just like.

Speaker 16 (01:49:52):
Because there's that, I mean, there's a handful of things
that like just would not play anywhere else. There's things
they do in the like you got to watch an
anthem at the Garden. It's different, Like it's totally different.
Like I mean, like and almost any other arena in America.
Everybody just keeps quiet and they cheer when it gets
loud towards the end.

Speaker 6 (01:50:09):
Like you have to ride.

Speaker 16 (01:50:11):
I mean, like I basically I'm sure they have to
teach whoever sings the anthem at the Garden, Like you
have to ride it. Like it's gonna start early, Like
you're you're gonna start hearing people cheering way before anybody
else does at any other arena in America. That's part
of your job is you have to ride this and
if you have to enjoy it, because if you don't,
you're gonna feel like insulted or whatever.

Speaker 11 (01:50:31):
Like it.

Speaker 16 (01:50:31):
I mean, I'm imagine there. People will probably go to
the garden and be like, what's happening? Like what is this?
Is this okay?

Speaker 11 (01:50:36):
Uh?

Speaker 16 (01:50:37):
And but they ride it and it's just it is
loud and like and obviously like all those celebrities are
there and they're not there, Like sometimes you go to
LA and you know, everybody's there just to take pictures.

Speaker 11 (01:50:45):
Like the celebrities in New York are there because they care,
you know, like they really can they it really.

Speaker 16 (01:50:51):
Matters to Ben Stiller and John Stewart and all these
guys to the next win, you know, like there. I mean,
it is a super invested crowd, even you know, the
super rich guys sitting up run are invested. And I
mean Buster Rhymes played halftime.

Speaker 3 (01:51:04):
Mary J.

Speaker 16 (01:51:05):
Blige played halftime in game win too. It's just it's
a crazy scenario.

Speaker 2 (01:51:08):
It's very different. Not to interrupt you here, but it's
very different than a Laker crowd because people are gonna
very yeah, people are going to try and draw that comparison. Oh,
it's just like the Lakers they have all their stars.
No it is not, No, it is not.

Speaker 16 (01:51:21):
Those these ones are invested and they come all the time.
When Jack Nicholson's invested. I'm not acting acting like there's
no Lakers that are invested, but like the entire celebrity
row is living and dying on this, you know, like
no matter how you know, many Grammys and these Oscars
or whatever they got up there, like they are living
and dying in every single next game.

Speaker 11 (01:51:40):
And so it's it's an atmosphere.

Speaker 16 (01:51:42):
And also but like if you beat the Knicks there,
I mean if it's like walking out of a funeral.

Speaker 11 (01:51:46):
I mean like literally like.

Speaker 16 (01:51:47):
The Pacers, like after game one, it was just like
the air leaves.

Speaker 11 (01:51:52):
It is.

Speaker 16 (01:51:52):
I mean, these people are dramatic, you know, like if
you know any New Yorkers in your life, you know this.

Speaker 11 (01:51:58):
Then it goes from.

Speaker 16 (01:51:59):
They are they are like ready, like we're gonna beat you,
and then when it ends, they are just crushed and
they can't speak words for hours on end. It's amazing
just how you know, but it is it is some
kind of you know, it is some kind of atmosphere.
And then Gamebridge, Gamebridge, you know, like I it feels
like I'm talking down them, but I mean like they
really they they really do.

Speaker 11 (01:52:19):
They like that.

Speaker 16 (01:52:20):
There are points throughout the year obviously because like Indiana
is so basketball obsessed at every level that sometimes the
Pacers aren't the focus in December or January, when then
mortgage and I then oortgage to Purdue or the mortgage
you know, their high school team. But like when when
it gets past all that and the Pacers are the
last one standing just by virtue of the NBA schedule
going longer, Uh, then you see this kind of creeping

(01:52:41):
obsession build and it's sort of fascinating to watch. And
then I mean when it gets loud and when they
can tell that this team is really put in together,
it gets I mean, it really hit a crescendo at
that time out Uh. And that's kind of why I
thought this thing was over, is that they just it
just lost mind. I mean you're talking about you know,
eighty five hundred was that day. I mean, like the
pas fans could sense it that it was coming, and

(01:53:03):
you know, I think they've start to start to really
buy into what this Pacers team does and how it
functions and how it's balanced, and how it plays fast
and overwhelms you. And so like you've seen the connection
from fan you know, to team and it's really there.
And so it's been the atmospheres at both places have
just been crazy. I mean, and Gamebridge has been great
all the way throughout, you know, you know, for as

(01:53:25):
weird as it was with John Haliburt, like the.

Speaker 3 (01:53:27):
End of five, it's going to get to that.

Speaker 2 (01:53:30):
So so we'll wrap up on this note. Dustin speaking
with Dustin to Peirak of the Indianapolis Star covering the
Pacers for the Indie Star, breaking news sort of today.
John Halliburton, of course, the father of Tyrese Halliburton, was
permitted by the Pacers. If I got this story right, Uh, Dustin,

(01:53:52):
correct me if I'm wrong, into a suite. He's not
permitted down near the floor, but he's permitted in the
suite to watch his son play. After what happened at
the end of the series with janis Anatakumpo of the
Milwaukee Bucks. First of all, you have a great story,
quick story up there on on the Indie Star of
Miles Turner's poignant thoughts on the return of John Halliburton. Uh,

(01:54:17):
you said you were pretty impressed with Miles getting to
the big picture right off the cuff. Here, tell us
a little bit about that story and the overall picture
in general.

Speaker 16 (01:54:26):
Yeah, no, I think we were you know, we just
had you know, kind of in between day or in
between games availability.

Speaker 11 (01:54:32):
Uh.

Speaker 16 (01:54:33):
Somebody I think it was from New York Media actually
asked him, like, Miles, what do you think about John
being a lot back? And he kind of he took
a pause and he was like, man, you're trying to
get me. And then he thought about it for a
second and just this just shows my mouths is just
such a mature guy.

Speaker 4 (01:54:45):
He says.

Speaker 11 (01:54:45):
You know, he says, I love father and son relationships.

Speaker 16 (01:54:48):
He says, I, you know, my basically said, my dad
and I are really close.

Speaker 11 (01:54:52):
He said, you know, he's been a big part of
my life.

Speaker 16 (01:54:54):
And you know, and and Miles's dad is he's also
you know, kind of has a baseline seats for almost
every game. And he said, you know, I just it's
it's a special thing that we're in this place in
the Eastern Conference finals and we've got a chance to
move on. And I'm just glad that to father against
to see his son in that situation.

Speaker 11 (01:55:09):
And I mean, I.

Speaker 16 (01:55:10):
Think he just did a good job of not you know,
not biting on you know, what was too much punishment?
What wasn't punishment? Or not what should he have gotten
or anything like that. It was just the real core
point of it of saying like and and and obviously
this is a super tight team. Like this team is
extremely close. So like like you know, like John's pops
to them, but like they're all like they're like their

(01:55:31):
families are close, you know, like they know each other.
I mean they probably you know, and it's almost like
a college team in that way, you know what I mean,
like where the parents all hang out together and stuff
like that, and like they know each other and that
kind of thing. And you know, and and like I've
got to talk to the models his dad to Tyresee's dad,
Andrew Emhart's dad, to Aaron Eastman's dad, team j McConnell's dad,

(01:55:52):
you know, for stories I've written, and they're all just
you know, like, uh, it's it's it's a collection of
really good people and really good families. And so he
was obviously just trying to like you could I mean
what Johnson was suddenly insane, Like he can't do that,
But I mean everybody knows like it did because John
was so proud of his son, you know, That's why
it happened. He got he got overboard, he got out

(01:56:13):
of hand. I mean, he can't say and you can't
let a guy run out on the court with a flag,
you know, like waving it at be honest, but you know,
like when you saw obviously you know Tyre's hadn't seen
him do that because Tyre's was jumping up and down
on the score was table. But they run out, you know,
Tyres is you know, as soon as he's done, you know,
celebrating his teammates, he just ran to go find his dad.
And you know that that's I mean, so much time

(01:56:35):
you know between those two has gone into making him
the player and the person he is, and so it's like,
you know it would make you get a little bit
out of hand, but I mean it's just there's a
line you can't cross, and you know somebody had to
make sure that was made clear that, you know, John,
you can't do this.

Speaker 11 (01:56:50):
And obviously, you know, Tyre's made a point of saying, hey,
like number one, I didn'tgree with what he did.

Speaker 16 (01:56:53):
Obviously, I love my dad, but I've done that. And
you know, when when the kind of punishment came down,
Tyres said, like you know, he's gonna be a okay,
like he's going to watch it on TV, you know,
like he's going to probably be by himself yelling with television.
I know there's at least one I can't remember what
game it was at, but somebody had a video of
him being out at a bar restaurant or something like
that where they kind of blocked off some area and everything,

(01:57:16):
and you know, I think he's he has certainly still
enjoyed himself and taken it in, but it is still
better that he's in the building, you know.

Speaker 11 (01:57:23):
And yeah, so all.

Speaker 2 (01:57:25):
Right, that is Dustin de pierrak Dustin on this holiday,
I really and I know you're super busy in between games.
Game number four is tomorrow night in Indianapolis before the
series shifts back to New York. I believe it on
Thursday night, is it for Yeah, for game number five,
which we know is a certainty. Now, Dustin to Pirak

(01:57:46):
of the Indie Star talking Indiana Pacers, New York Nicks.
Here the music, So that means it's my cue to
get on out of here. My name is Mike Petralia Trags.
It's been a pleasure to fill in for Moegar on
the Moeger Radio show on this Memorial Day, twenty twenty five.
If you have celebrations tonight, please be safe again. This

(01:58:06):
has been the Moagger Radio show on Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 7 (01:58:20):
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