12/30/25 - The Mo Egger Radio Show

Mo Egger live from Oakley Greens discuss Bengals, Reds, College Hoops and much more!

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Episode Transcript

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

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Hi, what's up. Good afternoon, I'm Onleggar. This is ESPN
fifteen thirty. Thank you so much for listening. Hopefully you're
having an awesome Tuesday, the second to last day of
twenty twenty five. No better place to celebrate the new
year than right here at Oakley Greens, where we've been
every Tuesday since August. We were here when it was hot,

(00:25):
We're here when it's cold. It's warm inside, it's festive.
Great place to post up on New Year's Eve. An
awesome place for the college football Playoff, the upcoming NFL Playoffs.
Important NFL games this weekend. Also Bengals, Browns, college basketball,
the Liberty Bowl, you name it, you can watch it
here at Oakley Greens.

Speaker 3 (00:46):
The staff here is awesome.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
They have been so hospitable to us, and so many
events happening throughout the course of twenty twenty six here
at Oakley Greens. I just talked to a gentleman a
few minutes ago who had not been here before, and
this is his first Oakley Greens experience, and he called
it life changing. So change your life. Come to Oakley Greens.
We are here till six o'clock. We we have just

(01:08):
a boatload of stuff to get to today. Our friend
Paul Danner Junior from The Athletic and the Growlar podcast
is here.

Speaker 3 (01:15):
How you doing, I'm doing great. How are you wonderful? Yeah?
Feel like we just talked. We did just talk.

Speaker 4 (01:20):
We just just recorded a whole other podcast did but
we left a lot of topics on the table, A
lot of topics, topics, a lot of time.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Well there is we could spend an hour on Cody
Ford wide receiver. Could uh you know we we talked
about this on your podcast that when he was lined
up to catch a pass, I knew he was gonna catch,
because why would you have him line up there if
we're not going to throw it to him in the
game that's lopsided against an opponent that's quit. So he
catches the pass, and I instantly start thinking of you

(01:48):
and your your peers in the on the Bengals beat,
because it's I don't know what the story is if
the Cody Ford catch doesn't happen. Quite frankly right, the
catch and run by Cody Ford. Because they played a
similar game against Miami. It's not the last game of
the season, so you really can't write your official oh bit.
And then Zach Tech with this late Christmas gift for you,

(02:08):
putting Cody Ford on the field as a wide out
and he catches a pass and rumbles for twenty one yards.

Speaker 4 (02:14):
You can't beat you can't beat it, God bless him.
I will say that it was It was sort of
like the old journalism school days where you get you
give an assignment to the whole class on something that's
kind of weird and cookie out of nowhere and see
how everybody handles it. And everyone wrote, like, you know,
eight or ten different versions of kind of the same
basic storyline.

Speaker 3 (02:33):
Who can go? So I feel like Bengals figures kind
of got to be.

Speaker 4 (02:36):
Like a little upperfessor sitting there reading through everybody's papers.
How they handle this was a little different, Oh this
is oh this person went this route. I thought it
was a fun, little, fun, little exercise for us to
liven up otherwise meaningless sunday.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
As somebody who has a friend who is a social
studies teacher and you know, you know, we'll go home
at a weekend and have to read like twenty five
papers on you know, the Civil War. I would imagine that.
That's what it was like for me as a reader.
It's what it was like. Your piece, of course.

Speaker 3 (03:03):
Was the best. Obviously. You know, I appreciate you saying.

Speaker 2 (03:06):
There's Well for years now from from now, that'll be
known as the Cody.

Speaker 3 (03:09):
Ford the Cody Ford Game. Yes, sure, sure it will.
I mean, why not. It's it's fun. It is fun,
like I I I do, I do enjoy. I thought
it was cool.

Speaker 4 (03:19):
Joe Danoman had a a thing with Zach Taylor yesterday,
yes going through the play and he stopped and pointed out,
look at the sideline. All the players are like all
the way up on the line. No one's on the
bench because everyone's looking to see like they know what's
coming and they want to see see what happens.

Speaker 3 (03:37):
And that was cool.

Speaker 4 (03:38):
I asked Dan Pitcher about something very much related to
this yesterday, and I see, you know, you guys have
not always been trick play, fun play type of people.
It certainly hasn't been like Ben Johnson has been in
Detroit and Chicago or whatever like is does this kind
of remind you because players were talking so much about

(04:00):
the excitement during the week when it was going in
how it kept practice, you know, both light and.

Speaker 3 (04:06):
Have energy and bring that excitement.

Speaker 4 (04:08):
And I go back to like remembering you hear these
stories about the Sam Weis days when everybody couldn't wait
to show up on Wednesday to see what the new
weird thing they were gonna do this week could be,
And he said, you know, I think it kind of
was a good reminder for me of the secondary effects
that a play like that, just having one in the

(04:29):
in the books like that that week can can have
on a team in terms of energy, especially if you
are in the court the dog days of a season,
right or energy just feels low for whatever reason, as
it does during the course of a year, and you
want to do something to do something up, to spice
something up, to keep guys engaged and involved, something like that,

(04:49):
can't you know?

Speaker 3 (04:50):
His point was, we don't really feel a lot of
need to.

Speaker 4 (04:52):
Do gadgets because like, why are we gonna take on
some risk when we could just go let Jamar and
t go do what they do. Have the time where
it's like it's just easier to let the guys who
are unbelievable do that rather than take on unnecessary risk
trying to accomplish the same goals, I understand, but I
thought it was an interesting response talking about secondary effects
of plays like this and maybe having a few more

(05:15):
of those that you dabble in over the course of
the year.

Speaker 3 (05:18):
My favorite part was the reaction of his teammates.

Speaker 4 (05:20):
Yeah, easily so excited for it. For him and for that,
I mean, it was uh, it was, it was. It
was a fun moment and and I think that's just
part of it. Is kind of what this time of
year is. I mean, you just have to do stuff
like that to be fun. And I I I sort
of so.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
But see what I would do is I would expand
upon this and for the game this Sunday, everybody gets
a turn to play quarterback. Cody, Yeah, Cody, I want
to take some snaps. Yeah, Like I want to expand
upon this, like let's go grow empty the bag this week.
In fact, I would maybe play like the entire game.

(05:59):
What would happen if its team played the entire game
without a quarterback or just ran the wildcat?

Speaker 3 (06:03):
Do we think Cody could play safety? I would rather
watch him than Geno Stone.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
Although you know Geno Stone and I for these two years,
it's it's been a it's been a rocky relationship. Name
my dog after him. I'm gonna enjoy Sunday. Sunday is
gonna be Geno and I were. I want him to
have a good game, have a good game that or
just like blatantly just misstackles like try you know.

Speaker 3 (06:29):
Well is it? You know you don't want to have
the fear?

Speaker 4 (06:31):
What if he has the greatest game of his life
and it's like I think we it's finally the light
came on.

Speaker 3 (06:37):
Here we go, time to bring him back. Let's good,
that's right.

Speaker 2 (06:41):
So but what I would like to see them do
is decide, like, man, this gadget play thing is working,
and then spend the entire week just coming up with
ways to run offense.

Speaker 4 (06:49):
Without a quarterback. Yeah yeah, let's see if that can
work out. That work out, which sounds better than the
concept of.

Speaker 2 (06:56):
Because like here's how it works, okay, And I don't
believe in jinxes, but like, folks are feeling my man
Burrow's back, and you know what, if they could just
fix the defense, it all goes up in smoke. If
Miles Garrett breaks the sack record by destroying Joe Burrow,
let him get the sack record with I don't know
Todge Brooks at quarterback.

Speaker 4 (07:14):
Yeah, that's that's true, Right, that's true. Yeah, sure have
have Todge Brooks throw like five. The whole first drive
is just TODJ Brooks passes. Just no one will ever
see it coming.

Speaker 3 (07:25):
No, not at all. Absolutely, I'm all for it. I'm
not against it. Are you? Are you in the uh?

Speaker 4 (07:32):
Joe Burrow can go ahead and take a vacation now camp, Yes,
yeah I had.

Speaker 2 (07:37):
I would have had no issue with them not having
them play once. The game's got meaningless, right, the Miami game.
But but I understood it, like I get it. Guy
wants to play. There are three games to go. Fine,
but okay, he got his reward for coming back, which
is he got a chance to play and show what
he can do and are there down the road benefits

(07:57):
to him coming up, coming back and playing in those games. Sure,
but like this one, this feels like Joe you got,
you got your chance, you got to come back. This
could not be more meaningless. We got a guy going
for the sack record. It's probably the best. You know,
Zach Taylor talked about him in extraordinarily glowing terms and understandably,
so let's let this dude, Zach Jake Browning or Joe
Flacco or Drew Plitt or whoever the hell they want

(08:20):
to have played quarterback.

Speaker 3 (08:21):
I am Joe, welcome back. It's good to have you back.

Speaker 2 (08:25):
You played, you did your thing, you bought some fossils,
go go to Tahiti or something.

Speaker 3 (08:31):
Yeah, I'm with you.

Speaker 4 (08:33):
I feel like the coming back and having fun with
the guys.

Speaker 3 (08:37):
Thing happened, did it? Yeah?

Speaker 4 (08:40):
Crew, you see where the offense is at. There's no
reason to go out there and do it one more
time in week team. And meanwhile, here's Joe Flacco, who
this team, the Browns just cast aside earlier this season,
who probably would take some enjoyment out of this, and
you're fine with him getting hit in the back by
Miles Garrett for the sack record.

Speaker 3 (08:59):
Right, A little bit more?

Speaker 4 (09:01):
Sorry, Joe, I mean, but I mean, I just think
that's everybody's comfortable with that, and I just I feel
like we've seen it and I don't think.

Speaker 3 (09:09):
Anybody needs to see it anymore. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (09:11):
I understand you're trying to quote unquote win every game,
but I just feel like, what was what this was supposed.

Speaker 3 (09:18):
To be about?

Speaker 4 (09:19):
Through In my mind and what we saw was just
about going out there and playing these There's no there's
no need for this week eighteen thing. You re established
the offense, you showed where you're at. Everybody's in a
great place with it.

Speaker 3 (09:34):
See yah.

Speaker 2 (09:35):
Yeah, this is like you know, I go on a
spring training trip every year with friends of mine, and
and since I met my wife, I remember telling her, like,
I go on this trip every year. I'm gonna go
on this trip every year for the rest of my life.
And I was smart enough to establish those ground rules.
So as life is unfolded and we have a daughter
and responsibilities, like early March, late Feb I go to

(09:58):
spring training and she's cool with that.

Speaker 3 (10:00):
She's awesome.

Speaker 2 (10:01):
One year, I said like, hey, we're gonna add a
Vegas component, and she's like, do you have to?

Speaker 3 (10:06):
Like, well, I don't have to.

Speaker 2 (10:07):
She's like, so you're gonna go to spring training, how
about not the Vegas thing? And that's kind of how
I feel.

Speaker 3 (10:12):
About this game.

Speaker 2 (10:13):
For Joe Burrow got a chance to playing a couple
of games. You got sacked a few times. That was
an awesome watching Klays Campbell throw you around like a
rag doll. Uh, You're good. Do you have to play
against the Browns? I guess I don't have.

Speaker 3 (10:25):
To cool, so don't? Yes? Maybe maybe you don't.

Speaker 4 (10:27):
Yeah, I mean was everybody I assumed everybody that was
at the game was doing the same, muttering under their
breathes as Burrow was laying on the ground being thrown down.
Please get up, pace, get up, Please get up. Yes, nobody,
nobody wants that. Nobody wants to see that happen. No
one wants to see the five seconds after Miles Garrett

(10:48):
pops back up and the carcass of Joe Burrow's laying
on the ground and wondering what's gonna happen.

Speaker 2 (10:54):
As somebody who has gone out of his way to
make things in his life overly complex, way too often,
what the Bengals have in front of him this offseason,
it's not easy, but it's also not that complex.

Speaker 3 (11:05):
Fix the defense, right, Fix the defense.

Speaker 2 (11:08):
Now, that's not to say that they will or can
or will to the degree that it will put him
in the championship conversation, But like the objective for this
team is very very clear. Fix the defense and that
offense we've seen the last couple of weeks.

Speaker 3 (11:22):
It's gonna be good enough. You should be back in
the hunt.

Speaker 2 (11:25):
Don't complicate the offseason by putting Joe Burrow at risk.
And then you walk out of the last game of
the season going into your off season, and suddenly there's
a Joe Burrow question. Well, like, don't it's needless, it's pointless.
Don't have him playing.

Speaker 4 (11:39):
Yeah, and I understand the organizational philosophy whatever.

Speaker 3 (11:47):
I understand. Yeah, this is what exists is.

Speaker 4 (11:50):
Yeah, they play to win every game no matter what.
They don't ever want to feel like they're not well.
The preseason exists, and right, that's that's fine too. I
just I just feel like everything that was supposed to
be proven by Burrow coming back has been proven. We've
seen it. It's okay. He wanted to play in the preseason.
He played the first two game, he didn't play it third.
You know, there's no reason to go do the third.

(12:11):
This is the third preseason game. He didn't play every
snap of the preseason. Actually not, Joe, you're gonna play
in these these handful of series.

Speaker 3 (12:18):
Okay, cool?

Speaker 2 (12:19):
Good, Like, I don't see why you can't have just
a mutual understanding so that that, to me is the
only thing that's interesting about Sunday is that yeah, well, well,
well something happened that completely changes how we talk about
this off season. And if nothing does, then how we
talk about this offseason hopefully involves no protracted contract disputes,

(12:41):
no sideshow soap operas, and an off season that's all
about devoting a ton of time, energy, money, and resources
to a defense.

Speaker 3 (12:51):
You do not want to add any more variables to it.

Speaker 4 (12:53):
Yes, people are already concerned about the simplicity of this
being too complicated, right, and he's like, Okay, this shouldn't
be too hard. Let's not add a Okay, what's happening
in another rehab situation?

Speaker 3 (13:07):
Nobody nobody wants that. I'm with you.

Speaker 4 (13:09):
That's where I sit with it. I that would be
my call. I understand it doesn't appear to be theirs.
I understand that they just feel like they want to
put value on every game, and Joe wants to play
and and there's maybe there's something too. Okay, let's see
how this offense is playing so good looks against a
maybe the best defense so in the North, I'm I'm

(13:30):
just I'm speaking and like, okay, maybe there's.

Speaker 2 (13:32):
Did you watch the first game of the season. Remember
bad matchup. No, they can't play against the Browns. They
got sticky corners and they got Miles Like we saw
them play against they can't Like they won that game.
And everybody's like, look, you're just gonna have to understand
they can't play offense against the Browns. So now we're
gonna have them try to play offense against the Browns
in the game.

Speaker 3 (13:50):
That doesn't mean anything. What are we doing?

Speaker 2 (13:52):
Go back to Week one? All anybody said is can't
do it. It just it's a bad match up. Okay, it's
a bad matchup Week one. It's a bad matchup week
Show how far you've come?

Speaker 4 (14:01):
I mean, how much better you feel about the offensive
line and the offense as a whole.

Speaker 3 (14:06):
Uh? You know?

Speaker 4 (14:06):
And you if you go, if you go into the
offseason and now you you did it. You ran up
thirty points on on the best defense in the North,
one of the best defenses in football, coming off with
Maybe maybe they're that's what that's Maybe they they kept
Miles Garrett from getting the sack record.

Speaker 3 (14:22):
Maybe maybe you're now you're feeling even better? Right?

Speaker 5 (14:24):
No?

Speaker 6 (14:25):
Is that it?

Speaker 2 (14:25):
No?

Speaker 3 (14:26):
Not really?

Speaker 2 (14:27):
I I feel pretty good about not where the Bengals
are right now. But I there are some off seasons
where it feels like the to do list is really lengthy,
and there's lots of different things that's not that lengthy.

Speaker 4 (14:41):
Fix the defense, don't don't add another box unchecked, and
when you click the fix the Defense tab and a
whole bunch of other tabs open up, and.

Speaker 3 (14:48):
Yeah, a lot, a lot. Yeah, just fix the defense
and that's it. Yeah, don't hit the drop down on
fix the defense.

Speaker 2 (14:55):
I don't want to have to call it doctor next
week and go Okay, can can Joe be ready for
training camp?

Speaker 3 (14:59):
Is Joe? Is his ability to play the first game
gonna be threatened? Like?

Speaker 2 (15:04):
Who's plan is Flacco? Does he have to prepare him?
Like he's I don't just have him not play. I
wouldn't even have him go to the game. I wouldn't
even have him in the country. Like, I just know
where you want to go?

Speaker 3 (15:14):
Right? Is there another met galer or something?

Speaker 4 (15:16):
No, I'm sure go on like an archaeological dive, right,
like a big dig somewhere.

Speaker 3 (15:21):
It's gotta be something like that going on.

Speaker 2 (15:22):
I want to talk about, not Joe Burrow buying presence
for his offensive lineman, but who should also buy presents
for Joe Burrow's offensive lineman.

Speaker 3 (15:30):
When we come back, We're at Oakley Greens.

Speaker 2 (15:32):
Paul Danner Juniors here at the Athletic dot com covering
the Bengals as well as the Growler podcast on ESPN
fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 1 (15:40):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 5 (15:45):
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(16:05):
due to an accident. That's between round Top Road and
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Eazel Like with traffic.

Speaker 3 (16:17):
This report is sponsored by AUDI twenty five. After three
word Oakley Greens. This is esd F fifteen thirty. Thank
you so much for joining us. It's our last show
of twenty twenty five.

Speaker 2 (16:30):
No better place to celebrate New Year's Eve and more
than Oakley Green's Paul Danner Junior is here. You and
I discussed this a little bit on the Growler podcast today.
So Joe Burrow buys fossils for Bengals offensive line, which
is cool.

Speaker 3 (16:47):
Yeah, Meat, I think.

Speaker 2 (16:49):
Duke Tobin should buy the offensive line presence for Christmas.

Speaker 3 (16:53):
Yeah, because he's made his job this offseason easier. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (16:57):
Well, I mean he he did draft and sign some
of these guys, sure, right, yeah, and so maybe maybe
he gives himself a gift.

Speaker 6 (17:06):
So I.

Speaker 2 (17:08):
Mean twenty twenty six mode as I think most fans
are sure. I think for twenty twenty six, the two
most important developments are one that you and I talked
about and you wrote about extensively last week. The ascension
maybe slower than we would like. Ascension though of the
twenty twenty three class, because there's a lot of guys
you want to be there next year. Maybe beyond The

(17:31):
other thing is the offensive line's good. Yeah, like they
I don't know what PFF's overall grades or rankings are.

Speaker 3 (17:40):
I care, but not that much. They're not great.

Speaker 2 (17:43):
They're not the twenty fifteen offensive line. They have players
who need to get better with more experience.

Speaker 3 (17:49):
But it's a pretty good offensive line.

Speaker 4 (17:51):
Yeah, it's got a high floor where you have you
don't have what were the old, the old no donkeys
line that we used forever. Yeah, just don't have the
one hole that just gets exploited. They don't have that right.
They feel solid at the very least everywhere. Amarus Mims
has taken the step like what's happened with him? It's

(18:13):
interesting I wrote about him and it'll be up tomorrow.

Speaker 3 (18:17):
Is that over? Since Joe Burrow has come back.

Speaker 4 (18:20):
You've seen Amarus Mims. I think the progress that he
was making during over the course of the year was
a little bit hidden in some of the challenges of
protecting for Flacco and when the offense is a mess
with Browning, And when Burrow came back, it's like everything
is snapped into place and you see it much clearer.

(18:40):
Joe Burrow has not been touched due to a Marius
Mims according to PFF, no.

Speaker 3 (18:45):
Hits, no sacks. When memes is out there, I mean,
and they have been awesome.

Speaker 4 (18:51):
And then you saw it clear as day when he
had to go out for those series, a couple of series,
all of a sudden, it felt like everything was kind
of falling apart. You know that that was when the
Saxon and the struggle was happening, and it made it
that much clearer. We were talking with Zach Taylor and
went Damn Pitcher about this a little bit yesterday and

(19:11):
Pitch said, look, I mean, he has the ability to
be the best in the world at what he does,
and he's moving in that direction, like you see it.
This is what you've seen over the last five weeks
since Joe has come back, has really been the accumulation
of a lot of nice steps, and all of a sudden,
it feels like it's really taking off and they're leaving him.

(19:32):
It's not just their words. I mean they're leaving him
out there on an island a lot more. They're just
no matter who's over there, they trust Amarus to take
care of business. If there's help happening on an edge,
it's going to Orlando at this point, like they are
viewing him as the just eraser over there.

Speaker 2 (19:49):
Every snap he plays looks the same, Yeah, I mean
it does every snap he plays.

Speaker 3 (19:54):
I'm not gonna pretend that I watched right tackle.

Speaker 2 (19:56):
Play exclusively, but what I do like, every every snap
looks the same.

Speaker 4 (20:02):
Yeah, he's just so big it's so hard for anybody
to really get around him. Yeah, and he does this
and this was I remember this during his draft season
after he was picked, and you know the same time,
we were talking about these big, long guys they can
just demoralize and end and I feel like he just
demoralizes guys that have to keep trying over and over

(20:23):
again to run into a brick wall and not be
able to go around it. And his ability to now
you know, understand and recognize what guys are trying to
do to him. This is what Zach Taylor focused on
yesterday was that that's such a huge step. Whereas before, yeah,
guys would try a lot of the same moves, but
they could get him because he didn't always he didn't

(20:44):
quite know what was coming. Now he sees the twists,
he sees the stunts. He's got a pretty good relationship
going with Dalton Reisner. He understands what edges what are
going to try to do to him, and how to
protect that and how to see it coming. And when
you do that, when you now get him where his
recognition game is catching up to his traits, that's how
you end up with a guy who literally could be

(21:05):
as good as anybody in football doing it. If he
continues on this path, that's encouraging. When you have that,
and then you can direct your help elsewhere. It really
accentuates everything even more. So you have a high floor,
and you have one at least one player with a
really high ceiling, veterans, continuity, good chemistry is.

Speaker 3 (21:23):
In that room. Everything about it has really come together.

Speaker 4 (21:26):
And if you would have told me that after the
first month of the season and that looked like a
train wreck, I would have said, there's just absolutely no shot.
So yeah, certainly a top development of this entire season
is what has happened.

Speaker 2 (21:41):
So the strike technique has worked as much as I
made fun I guess I don't is that it I
don't know.

Speaker 4 (21:46):
I think there I legitimately, I do think, especially at
that position, there is something too. Chemistry and guys really
liking each other and playing next to each other and
being good communicators is more important there than anywhere else
on the field. It really is kind of a one
group thing, and they have that. They felt very disjointed

(22:08):
at the end of last year. They felt disconnected and
frustrated and angry, and I think that I don't know
if it's the strike technique or just generally people seem
happier in the room. But it does feel like that
has gone a long way to help everybody play a
little bit better.

Speaker 3 (22:27):
I do worry.

Speaker 2 (22:29):
You know, their death has been offensive Line depth is
tested almost every year. Hasn't been tested that much this year, No,
And so like you think about things that rarely carry
over from one year to the next, offensive line health,
And there's a part of me that does worry, like
and they stunk this year. Their offensive line was good
and intact, and I wonder about the intact part kind

(22:51):
of falling apart next season, because that year to year
is what tends to I think they would like to
have basically the same group that's in there back next year.
And then, to me, the perfect thing that's happening next
is is is what what's gonna happen with Orlando Brown?
You know, he's entering the last year of his contract
next year.

Speaker 4 (23:10):
He's played fine, he would I'm sure he would admit
this hasn't been his best season. Yes, if you're watching
a player starting to think about think about is this
what's gonna happen next year? Is it going to be
another step down. Is it going to be a bounce back?
Is this who he is now? I think you got
to think about that. But I also think that they're
happy with who he is in this group, and I

(23:32):
don't think that they're willing to add that to their
offseason list to save, even though it would be a
substantial cap saving and still be I don't see that
being the direction want to go. I think they have
the same thing back, But I think you could drop
in a first, second, or third round pick that's a
potential tackle.

Speaker 3 (23:49):
Of the future. Who's a they need a swing tackle,
like nobody's business.

Speaker 4 (23:53):
Who could be somebody maybe it's a developmental guy, whatever
it is, but somebody who could go in the background there,
maybe somebody who could play guard if they had an
issue there could maybe catch a couple of different spots
and then if that goes well, is perhaps your answer.
And I know everyone's like, oh, here we go, Cedric
obway he again or whatever, But you have to think

(24:13):
that the man's contract is actually up at the end
of next year, so you have to think about what
that looks like on a number of different levels. So
you're either extending him or signing him. Maybe you're signing
him back as a free agent. There's options there, but
I think one of them probably has to be a
pick ending up in the background as you're swinging.

Speaker 2 (24:31):
But when is and it's probably the old way he
Jake Fisher year. When is the last time that the
most pressing question about the offensive line was who's gonna play?
Down the road? Every other year it's who's gonna play?
Can this went left?

Speaker 3 (24:45):
Not? Really? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (24:46):
I mean a Maria can he play right now? Dylan
Farreshaw can he play right now? I mean Joona Williams?
Can he play right now?

Speaker 3 (24:52):
Hell? Billy Price? Can he? If your biggest.

Speaker 2 (24:54):
Offensive line question is can can we groom this guy
to be the left tackle or right tackle? If you
move with Marius mems in twenty twenty seven? Awesome, Yeah,
Like that's never not going to be a thing. There's
always there's You're always going to be looking down the
road on the offensive line. If your offensive line is good,
that's where I want it to be.

Speaker 4 (25:12):
Yeah, And exactly you were mentioning the left right thing
was sparked this in the sense I get is that
you know, I think they like mems right like he's
not moving. I get to say that's where they want
him to be because they can only pay him like
a right tackle. Then why don't get I think you
look at tell me you tell me you look at
the list of the guys that predominantly rush off the

(25:34):
against the right tackle and the left tackle, and tell
me what's the harder group.

Speaker 3 (25:38):
I mean, you're right, there's a lot.

Speaker 4 (25:40):
Of the best guys coming off that side now that
that you'll see each year. I mean I would actually
maybe it's something I'll do at some point this offseason,
But I mean, I don't know that there's a huge difference.
You know, the whole blind side thing is a little
of rad and I'm certainly everyone that's been banging the
drum about Willie Anderson getting into the Hall of Fame
would suggest the same thing they've been saying with that
guard is that the blindside thing hasn't been as much

(26:02):
of a deal for a while now.

Speaker 3 (26:04):
But that said, I think, just you.

Speaker 4 (26:07):
Got a guy who's great, an elite on that spot
and what he's doing, and you can you know you're
gonna have a lot of the best rushers coming off
that side anyway, why mess with it? And maybe there's
some scenarios where like they could only sign a guy
who's good at right and you'd consider it.

Speaker 3 (26:21):
But I just think it's like, let that be the thing.
Let that be it.

Speaker 4 (26:25):
Let this guy be a great right tackle and that
means a lot so and things can change if Orlando
wasn't around, But for now, I think that's the best
way spot for him, and I think that's how they
view his feet.

Speaker 7 (26:37):
Would you want to fossil Yeah, yeah, I mean as
long as I'm not paying for it, right, yeah. I mean,
if it's gifted, I'll take it as a gift you
bring here, only a huge one, like I don't. I
heard I think Dylan Fairchild was on with on Pepper
Rally on Friday with with Dan and Lapp and mentioned
that he had gotten.

Speaker 3 (26:55):
Like a shark tooth or like a tooth or something
like that or whatever it was. I would want the
biggest thing in the room. Give me the tusk, right,
like I want that on a wall. Huge. I don't.

Speaker 4 (27:07):
I don't want anything where it's like somebody in the corners,
Like I'm strictly doing it for someone to see it
when they walk in my house.

Speaker 3 (27:13):
Why else am I doing?

Speaker 2 (27:15):
I just thinking if I bring a tusk call, my
wife is gonna be like, yeah, we're not We're not
putting out above the couch.

Speaker 4 (27:20):
I mean, you know, no, it's a man cave item. Sure, sure,
I mean that's not it's it's not above the mantle.

Speaker 2 (27:27):
It seemed to me the way I look at it
is if it's any sort of dinosaur fossil and yeah, right,
and then you have a weird people who like deny
the existence of dinosaurs that I can, you know, have
over my house to talk about my dinosaur fossil, you
know it. I would be like, if it's a dinosaur fossil,
that's what I want.

Speaker 4 (27:45):
Yeah, that's more so than a wooly mammoth or a
bear bear skull.

Speaker 3 (27:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (27:51):
I also am anti skull. I think skulls are creepy. Yeah,
even I I I'd rather just.

Speaker 3 (27:57):
I think I am. I'm a tusk guy.

Speaker 2 (27:59):
So or Lando Brown has gotten in his career slushy machine,
Rolex watch some luggage and uh, the the fossil of those.

Speaker 3 (28:08):
Four which would be your preference? That's hard.

Speaker 2 (28:13):
Slashing machine sounds good, but you have you're in charge
of all the slushy stuff.

Speaker 3 (28:17):
I gotta make the slushy.

Speaker 4 (28:18):
Yeah, now if I if there was I mean, if
there was slushy machine and someone who makes the slushies,
like an assistant like that, or or just a button
that instantly creates you're.

Speaker 3 (28:29):
Like having to like restock the supplies of slushies. I
don't love that one, don't look, I don't want to
have to do any more work. I'd probably go fossil.

Speaker 4 (28:35):
I think as long as it was big and it
could be seen, I'm for that. With sword, I have
a sword, Yeah, I think the sword is probably the
coolest though, without question.

Speaker 2 (28:49):
Yeah, the sword better than fossil, and I think any
other quarterback gift and.

Speaker 3 (28:53):
I definitely don't need. I'm not I'm not like here
for the luggage and the I'm not in the watch.
I'm not a watch guy. I like watch guy. I
like so.

Speaker 2 (29:03):
I wear a watch every single day, and I like
watches a Rolex. I cannot imagine wearing a watch that
expensive on my wrist and banging it against something or
if I just know I'm not cool enough in anything
else that I wish watch I'm wearing costs to be
able to like wear a rollleox it would be so
it's like you've seen the meme with like the sports

(29:23):
car under the beat up house in the car report, right,
that would be me wearing a Rolex.

Speaker 3 (29:27):
It makes no sense. Yes.

Speaker 2 (29:30):
I used to work a show with Archrell Hawkins who
had some really really really nice watches, and he came
to me one day He's like, we're gonna up your
watch game, and I think I was wearing like a
like a Dakota Watch Company watch. So he like brings
in this book of watches. He's like, you got to
get one of these. I'm like, oh, those are really nice.
I'm like, you know, oh that one's eighty nine dollars
art Trail, Like, you know.

Speaker 3 (29:53):
That's not my game if I know your game?

Speaker 2 (29:55):
Yes, yeah, like what's on the back page? Any fossil
watches on there?

Speaker 4 (30:00):
So it would have been really cool if he came
in and had a trench coat and just opened it
up and had all the watches inside of it, you know,
like straight out of the cartoons.

Speaker 3 (30:08):
Yeah, you know. Butch Jones, when he would lose a game,
would go watch shopping. Is that what he would do?

Speaker 2 (30:13):
What he would do, he would he would comfort himself
by buying a really nice watch.

Speaker 4 (30:17):
I've heard I've heard stories about a lot of things
that put Jeff to do after losses.

Speaker 3 (30:20):
Likewise and wins Uh.

Speaker 2 (30:22):
We're late twenty one away from four o'clock Paul Danner Junior,
The Athletic dot Com and The Growler Podcast. We're here
at Oakley CRE's on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 1 (30:31):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 5 (30:36):
Traffic from the uc Health Traffic Center from non invasive
to surgical treatments. The uc Health Backneck and Spine Center
offers every option to improve quality of life with convenient
locations across Greater Cincinnati and northern Kentucky. Learn more at
uc health dot com. Northbound Coal Raine remains closed down

(30:57):
due to an accident between round Top Road and Common Circle.
Police fire there on scene. Northbound seventy five at Tom Left.
Two lanes blocked from an accident at he'sund Like with traffic,
this reput is.

Speaker 2 (31:09):
ESPN Figeratt Oakley's Lanes and Oakley Paul Danner Juniors here
for another few minutes. You can read his work at
the Athletic dot com. You can catch the Growl of podcast.
I would imagine the most recent one has not been
dropped yet.

Speaker 4 (31:25):
No, it'll probably be ready for doople in the morning.
Post production post production process is happening as we speak,
when files are doing the like spinning thing.

Speaker 2 (31:33):
Gotcha, the AFC North, the division the Bengals are in,
is still up for grabs. You've got this massive tilt
on a Sunday between the Ravens and Steelers.

Speaker 3 (31:43):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (31:43):
Do you believe there will be negative fallout for the
head coach of the losing team on Sunday?

Speaker 3 (31:49):
I do not.

Speaker 2 (31:49):
No, no, not gonna move on from Mike Tomlin. No,
not gonna move on from John Harbaugh.

Speaker 3 (31:54):
No, okay, I mean I want the Steelers to keep Mike.
I think I don't understand.

Speaker 4 (32:03):
Well, I'm with you. I would have said Tomlin. I
would have thought myself, they're in this rut with Tomlin.
Like clearly they're in this rut with Tomlin. But they're
pretty dedicated to him. I mean that's been apparent for
a long time, Like they and he. I mean, the
man does seem to He takes a team that you

(32:23):
think should win five games and gets them to win
nine every year. There's very much value in that. Like,
I'm for that, And if they can ever give them
a little bit more in terms of the offensive side
of the ball or at quarterback, then maybe he'd have
a chance to do something special. Again, I'm not saying that.
They just certainly don't seem like they have any interest

(32:44):
in moving on from Mike. And I don't see Mike
walking away from anything even if they lose, Like, I
just don't.

Speaker 3 (32:50):
I just don't see that.

Speaker 4 (32:51):
What do I what do I know exactly what's gonna happen,
But more than most I don't think. I just have
never gotten that when you hear how dedicated they are.
I don't see Tomlin all of a sudden walking away
from it because they lose one game, like he's not
gonna budge like that and start going and doing TV
or whatever like. And John Harbaugh isn't going anywhere. And

(33:12):
John Harbaugh has done a great job, He's had great teams.
One year, Lamar is struggling a little bit and they're
not winning as much, and all of a sudden, John
Harbaugh is not going to be a part of things,
right Like, I don't believe that for a second. So no,
I don't. I don't think. I think and in fact,
I think all four AFS and North coaches will be back.
Is gonna come back and clean?

Speaker 3 (33:32):
I don't know. I know he's under fire, but I
don't see him. I just think that they'll stick with him.

Speaker 4 (33:35):
Yeah, I mean there's a lot of there's more smoke
than we've ever seen around Stefanski here, mm hmm.

Speaker 3 (33:41):
But you know, I still I still feel it just.

Speaker 2 (33:44):
Seems to me like the moment I'm the Browns fan,
but the moment they saddled him with Deshaun Watson, they
made his job almost impossible.

Speaker 4 (33:52):
Yeah, the whole every I mean, what are they supposed
to be doing right now?

Speaker 3 (33:56):
What are they winning right with? With the With the
quarterback situation being what it is, you can have a
great defense. They don't have a quarterback or a lot
of receivers.

Speaker 2 (34:07):
Right, Yeah, Well, so all four guys back in the
AFC North.

Speaker 4 (34:11):
I mean that'd be my bet Stefanski, with the being
the obvious, the one who would be.

Speaker 3 (34:18):
Most would would Sunday. I know, you don't cover the Browns.
Would Sunday's game have any any bearing on that? I
don't think so.

Speaker 4 (34:26):
I think this this feels like one of these year
long battles that have been going on internally, you know,
and it's like whether they're either going to decide that
I'm okay with everything that you said, maybe when you
didn't mean some things and that I said, and that
we all felt about it, and we all either agree
on what the path forward should be, or you're gonna

(34:47):
say you don't agree with what the path forward should be.
Do you think anything to do with winning or losing
at the Bengals?

Speaker 2 (34:52):
Do you think it would be reasonable for Zach Taylor
and Kevin Stefanski to meet up before the game on
Sunday morning and agree to not throw a pass?

Speaker 3 (35:00):
So again, could just be over do it?

Speaker 4 (35:02):
You remember there's been a number of final preseason games. Well,
he felt like that was the agreement. Yes, Marvin Lewis
had a bunch of those where it was like did
they just run it like forty nine times? I feel
like that's the way to go six three final. It's
just I just keep her, get Chase Brown his thousand,
you know, and just keep right ongoing.

Speaker 2 (35:22):
I think if you're Zach Taylor, you call Kevin Stefanska
and go, hey, how would you like to be one
of two head coaches who coached in the shortest game ever,
right and have that bad boy like, let's let's try
to be at our like Zach says, like I want
to be at my house by four o'clock.

Speaker 4 (35:37):
I'm going safe game plan. There's no doubt about that.
I mean, if it's like, okay, if Joe's gonna play,
I certainly will not be calling any seven step drops
or long developing plays or anything that doesn't have three
people staring right at Myles Garrett.

Speaker 2 (35:52):
Is there somebody playing their last game in a Bengals
uniform on Sunday that we aren't necessarily talking as much
about them playing the last game in a beform on Sunday,
Whether it be because they can walk as a free agent,
the team cuts, the guy decides he wants to go
do something else, anybody like that.

Speaker 4 (36:11):
Bj Hill's the most interesting decision in that regard. I
think they there would be some they would save some money,
but it'd be a little more dead money than they
usually prefer to take on. But that said, he has
a two million dollars roster bonus on the fifth day
of the league year, which is always an indicator of
what's going to happen there. They're potentially going to be

(36:35):
looking for somebody to give you a little bit more
pass rush juice out of the three technique position. It's
not really what BJ has been doing. How much do
they view his injuries as part of what's happening. He's
only a year older. All of that I think plays
into Okay, are they trying to turn over leadership anyway?
So you're you're okay, just moving on? That could be

(36:57):
this could be that for him that maybe not all
to be are thinking about are talking about, because that'su
a position where they could upgrade with someone who is
must much more of a pass rusher than what that
BJ is. And and he's been you know, it's been
okay this year, but no, you know, it's it's like
it has to be better on the on the line

(37:18):
as a whole.

Speaker 2 (37:18):
Talk about somebody who represents one of the best trades
they've ever made though. Absolutely, you know Billy Price, who
they were gonna cut anyway, and got a piece who
was a part of two teams in made AFC Championship
games and made the critical play in the game that
they won against Kansas City. Yeah, absolutely, what I mean
for all that has filled a fantastic girl to me,
the Bengals lost their way when they took him out

(37:40):
of the role. Like to me, when they started asking
him to be more. He was great as a rotational
guy in there, and everybody gets older and things change
or whatever. But like in that role when you give
him as a real one two punch and the problem
with that is Chris Jenkins hasn't developed. But when you
give him that and don't ask him.

Speaker 4 (38:00):
They asked him to play way too many snaps for
multiple years, way too many snaps, and I think when
you keep that number lower, it was always a you're
you're getting more with less, uh from from him, And
I think they too often asked him to do too
much and it took away I think a little bit
from what he's been later in his career. But yeah, still,
by every stretch, an unbelievable deal. It's like, man, why

(38:22):
can't you guys just try to throw away center for
a guy who's gonna be a defensive centerpiece for the
next five years all the time?

Speaker 2 (38:28):
They should do that more. I've thought of the emotions.
I'll have one number twenty two jogs off the field.

Speaker 3 (38:33):
For the last time.

Speaker 4 (38:34):
Will you go down to where the they go in
the tunnel and ask for his gloves.

Speaker 3 (38:38):
I might, you know, I might.

Speaker 4 (38:40):
Could you please throw me your gloves or and your
cleats and you're you know, all of it. Could you
imagine how big that would be if you could put
them on your dog?

Speaker 3 (38:47):
He'd miss I mean, you know, he'd throw the Yeah,
I know where you're going. I get it. I don't
know if there is an athlete.

Speaker 2 (38:57):
I feel like I have complained about more yeah in
my career than Geno Stones.

Speaker 3 (39:02):
Yeah, and he's only been here two years.

Speaker 4 (39:04):
You know, I think it's interesting here. He's a lovely man,
but they like a lot of what he has done.
Behind the scenes, I think they've looked when they felt
like there aren't a lot of people that seem to
care very much, right.

Speaker 3 (39:17):
Or at least that was certainly a part of the problem.

Speaker 4 (39:19):
At one point this year, he always felt like somebody
who did care does care, does try to make things
work for the better. I think off the field, his
presence has been good. The problem is he is largely
paid for what you do on the field, and that
has not been TOOKO. No, we'll talk to you next year.

(39:39):
Thank you as always looking forward to it.

Speaker 2 (39:41):
Thanks for Paul Danner Junior Rita's work Theathletic dot com,
catch the Growler podcast on YouTube, among other places. We're
here at Oakley Greens till six o'clock. This is ESPN
fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 1 (39:53):
Station, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 5 (40:00):
From the uc Health Traffic Center. From non invasive to
surgical treatments. The uc Health Backneck and Spine Center offers
every option to improve quality of life with convenient locations
across Greater Cincinnati and northern Kentucky. Learn more at ucehealth
dot com. Northbound Coal Rain remains closed down due to
an accident between Round Top Road and Common Circle. Police

(40:24):
fire there on scene. Northbound seventy five at Town left
two lanes blocked from an accident. I'm at Ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 1 (40:32):
This report is sponsored by.

Speaker 3 (40:34):
Right That is Us good a Leger. We are broadcasting
from Oakley. This is ESBN fifteen thirty. Thank you so
much for joining us. If you are looking for a
place to post up Tomorrow night for three years eve.

Speaker 2 (40:48):
Well Oakley Greens, Oakley Greens, Right would you look at
for a place not only post up from New Year's Eve?
Watched the Ohio State Miami game. Bluck guys are nine
and a half point favorites. There's a movement on the
internet that I've seen on Twitter, where I guess some
analysts have pointed out that Miami might not be a pushover,
that they've got a very good defensive front, some questioning

(41:11):
if Ohio States schedule has prepared them to play the
Hurricanes or make a long run in the College Football playoff.
And so you know, some are on the internet claiming
that everybody's disrespecting the Ohio State Buckeyes, and maybe some are.
They're nine and a half point favorites. They're the reigning
national champions, they are the odds on favorite to win
the whole thing. They have been ranked number one in

(41:32):
both major polls more frequently this season than any other team.

Speaker 3 (41:37):
There's no real disrespect.

Speaker 2 (41:39):
But here's what I've come to realize in my life
as a sports fan, which goes back many, many many years,
that whether it's a fan like you or I, or
a coach or a player will go to any length
possible to claim that people don't respect our team. I
watched when Georgia wanted second consecutive national title a few
years Ago. I watched a play in the immediate aftermath

(42:01):
of their deconstruction of TCU. Look at the camera and say,
no one thought we could do this. Nobody thought Georgia
go in a national title. So do what you gotta do.
If you're an Ohio State fan, you want to run
with this storyline, go for it. They're nine and a
half point favorites. If you want to watch that game somewhere.
Can't do any better than Oakley Greens. Obviously, three more
games on New Year's Day NFL Week eighteen. There's games

(42:24):
that matter. There's also Bengals Browns. You can watch all
that stuff here. College basketball as well, obviously the Liberty
Bawl on Friday. Of course, the centerpiece of the football weekend,
Cincinnati versus Navy. Evan Pryor apparently didn't make the trip
with the bearcad, so you can cross him off the
list of players we're gonna play on Friday against Navy.
Watch all that here at Oakley Greens. We love coming

(42:47):
here and it's been a blast doing the show every
single Tuesday since pretty much the middle of August.

Speaker 3 (42:56):
More on the Bengals coming up in just a bit.

Speaker 2 (42:57):
We have another great college basketball ran John Caliperry college
basketball is I am an enormous proponent of players getting paid.
I'm an enormous proponent of everybody getting paid. Like I
know people who are selective capitalists, They're okay if some

(43:18):
types of people get paid.

Speaker 3 (43:18):
I want to get paid.

Speaker 2 (43:20):
I want Airby to make as much money as they can,
including college basketball players.

Speaker 3 (43:24):
But I'm also I'm pro rules.

Speaker 2 (43:27):
Regulations, which there are non in college basketball college sports
right now. And so I think how things continue to
evolve and in some cases devolve as it relates to
college sports until we get rules, And I honestly, in
the absence of collective margating or legislative intervention, I don't know.
I don't know how we're gonna get rules. But this

(43:51):
week has served as a little bit of a tipping
point for college basketball because we have players who have
been drafted in the NBA before and haven't played in
the NBA but have been drafted by NBA teams now
joining programs mid season. We're going to spend some time
on that a little bit later on, and more on
the Bengals as well. The Reds over the weekend made

(44:12):
two acquisitions. They got JJ Bleda who used to play
for the Oakland Athletics, and then they also made an
an acquisition Dean Myers.

Speaker 3 (44:30):
The Reds whift on Kyle Schwarber. The Reds.

Speaker 2 (44:39):
Have not added the big impact back that a lot
of people were looking for.

Speaker 3 (44:43):
Ice called him Dean Myers. It was Dane Myers, and
so a fair.

Speaker 2 (44:48):
Amount of consternation, if that's the right word among Reds
fans about adding players who seemed to be just roster
filler JJ bl Day. The Athletics had no more use
for him. Dane Myers they acquired via trade. We're talking

(45:08):
about players. I did this on social media on Saturday.
I just I googled similar players to JJ Bladay and
the three names that came up were Will Benson, Jake Frayley,
and Austin Hayes. There's room on a big league roster
for a player. Let's just make it about JAJ Bladay.
There's room for a player like him on a big

(45:30):
league roster. And there's nothing wrong with addressing depth and
strengthening your bench and just and having better options across
the entire twenty six man roster. You could acquire players
during the offseason that aren't starters that can still fill
important roles on your team. So at face value, there

(45:55):
is a such thing as a relatively low risk reclamation
project you can just find ways to get more out of.
And he adds depth to your team, and he's another
option for your manager. And so at face value, no
issue with signing JJ Bleday.

Speaker 3 (46:13):
But there's two things.

Speaker 2 (46:14):
Number One, it has not come in addition to this
sort of needle moving bat that everybody stated a desire
for the Reds to get once last season ended. Now
they may still acquire Louise Robert, and that feels like
it's been talked about now for forever. Luise Robert is

(46:37):
a guy who the Chicago White Sox have been waiting
for it to start playing better so they can get
more for him, and he hasn't started playing better, Like
his stock doesn't seem to be very high. Luise Roberts
last good year was twenty twenty three, which was forever ago.
But JJ Bleday, like, look at the opening day lineup
each of the last three years where you see names

(47:02):
over the last three years like Will Benson and Will
Myers and Jake Fraley, Jason Vossler, and then you see
how the seasons have unfolded with guys like I don't know,

(47:23):
Connor Caple and Jacob Herdabies and Connor Joe and a
seemingly long, endless line of players who sort of feel
like they're JJ Bleday. So the issue isn't the fact
that they acquire a JJ Bleday. The issue I think
is that they seem to have had an over reliance

(47:43):
on players just like him right, who aren't like dudes
who would start for the Milwaukee Brewers, or guys who
are among the best at their position, who are fringe
big leaguers who are bench bats on.

Speaker 3 (47:57):
A good team like that.

Speaker 2 (47:59):
That's the It's not acquiring a guy who's got a
you know, a chance to prove to be a good
acquisition based on the fact that you don't have to
pay them all that much. And there are players who
leave one organization and go to another, and the next
organization is just a better fit where there's better coaching,

(48:21):
or it's a change of scenery, or there's a more
ideal role for him. But if you've watched the Reds
in recent years and you've watched them truck out there,
you know nothing against these guys individually, nothing against them
as people. But Jake Fraley and Austin Hayes and Will
Benson and Will Myers, and it's either guys who were

(48:46):
good once upon a time, or guys who other franchises
simply didn't want, or guys who just don't seem to
from a productivity standpoint, have a very high ceiling. When
you are a franchise that has a prett record of
needing a lot of those guys, of playing a lot
of those guys, of using a lot of those type
guys in prominent roles, the fear becomes that a guy

(49:09):
like JJ Bledet is going to be asked to play
a lot, that he's going to be used as more
than just a bench piece, that he's going to be
used as more than just a fourth or fifth outfielder,
that he is a guy who's going to be basically
the centerpiece of what they do to their offense. This is, unfortunately,
like there's been so many of these types of players,
and some of them may work out, some of them

(49:31):
have had their moments. Will Benson has had his, Jake
Freeley has had his, But specifically in the outfield, there
haven't been enough guys that you go, you know, what
that dude's a top five player at his position, or
that guy has the potential to put together an all
star caliber season, or this guy has an opportunity to

(49:52):
provide a level of protection to everybody else in the
batting order. There haven't been enough guys like that, specifically
in the outfield. And so yeah, man, you can't help
but hold JJ Blade's profile against him because that profile
of player Thereats have rely on, relied on a little
bit too much more than they should. Five point three

(50:14):
seven four nine fifteen thirty is our phone number. Our
phone lines are open for the first time today eight
six six seven two three seven seven six You can
send a tweet at moegar thanks to Delta Dental. Delta
Dental is building healthy, smart, vibrant communities for auga to
Delta Dentaloh dot com. We are gonna do something in

(50:34):
just about fifteen minutes that I've I've wanted to do
here for a while, where, uh, we're gonna talk about
sports because that's what we do, but we're gonna talk
about law, and it feels like on a daily basis,
close to daily basis, the intersection of sports and law
becomes such a big part of what we talk about,
and God knows there is now and uh, specifically as

(50:56):
it relates this week to the NCAA and the the
wild West that but we can't stop talking about in
college sports.

Speaker 3 (51:02):
We're gonna do that.

Speaker 2 (51:03):
Coming up at about fifteen minutes on ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station, Cincinnati.

Speaker 8 (51:10):
This is Football in the NATI, brought to you by
Modern Office Methods on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home
of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (51:20):
Twenty four after four o'clock, We're at Oakley Greens. This
is ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (51:25):
Twn't forgets the Bengals and Browns.

Speaker 2 (51:27):
The season finale at one o'clock live on ESPN fifteen thirty.
Pre game coverage starts at nine to five Sunday. Joe
Burrow is gonna play even if he should. I do
think as it relates to twenty twenty six specifically, Look,
this Bengal season.

Speaker 3 (51:50):
You don't need me to tell you.

Speaker 2 (51:51):
It's been close to disastrous, as thoroughly unenjoyable a season
as I can recall. And I've rooted for this team
for four decades, and I've been through a lot of
losing seasons because of expectation, because of you know, the
deficiencies that bubble to the surface last year not being
addressed to the extent they should have been this offseason

(52:12):
for a thousand different reasons. This was a bad year.
And that is putting it as gently as I can.
To not make the postseason for a third straight year
while you have a bona fide a lister at quarterback
in his prime is inexcusable. Now, as you talked about
twenty twenty six, there are some things that have unfolded that.

Speaker 3 (52:36):
Bode well for twenty twenty six.

Speaker 2 (52:38):
One of them is the twenty twenty three draft class
has been pretty good. Now, you might not want to
like give all those dudes second contracts, but there's good
conversations to be had about, you know, the role of
Miles Murphy on next year's team, in the future of
DJ Turner, and what they do with Chase Brown financially
because he plays running back, and even Andre Yoshavas like

(53:02):
that draft class for twenty twenty six has guys who
you want to be on the team next year, who
you may want to extend, who you're.

Speaker 3 (53:09):
Certainly worth, who are certainly worth.

Speaker 2 (53:12):
Building around next season that matters for twenty twenty six,
even if it really hasn't helped the team win more
games in twenty twenty five.

Speaker 3 (53:21):
The other one for me is the offensive line.

Speaker 2 (53:23):
Like I'll say, the offensive line's fixed relative to how
we talk about that group every single year. When's the
last time going into an offseason when you talked about
like priorities that the first or second thing mentioned wasn't
the offensive line. Now, you're always looking for upgrades at
every position. You're always making roster decisions with the short

(53:47):
term in mind, but also the long term, and so
you know, long term, who's gonna play left tackle? Fair question,
There is always gonna be even when your offensive line
is great, you know, there's always gonna be a need
for death pieces and guys who are gonna play a
few years down the road. That's what they tried to
do in twenty fifteen. Twenty fifteen, the Bengals might have

(54:07):
had the best offensive line in the league that spring.
They drafted two guys who didn't play. But I think
all of us would be okay with the starting five
right now on the offensive line being the five day
start the season with Week one next year, that's good
That's not only helpful when you talk about protecting Joe Burrow,

(54:33):
it matters when you talk about the road map for
the offseason because Duke Tobin's got a ton of work
to do on the defense. That's an obvious statement. That
work is a lot easier when you could devote pretty
much all your time and energy and money to it.
And you could do that when you don't have to
devote all that much to an area that they have

(54:53):
spent years addressing and prioritizing and missing on, and that's
the offensive line. Hargis mim is a really good player.
Dylan Fairchild looks like he's gonna be a really good player.
Dalton Reisner, as much as you could have reasonably taken
issue with how long it took Duke Tobin to find
a solution at guard, Dalton Reisner has been one. Ted

(55:14):
Carriss continues to be a solid player. Orlando Brown is
no longer in his prime. You could do a lot
worse at left tackle. Like their offensive line is fixed.
So Duke Tobin goes into the offseason with one side
of the football that is, it's set. We'll do this
in the five o'clock hour. They're gonna be eighteen general
managers or personnel directors or de facto general managers who's

(55:36):
starting Monday have to take a non playoff team and.

Speaker 3 (55:40):
Get him back to the postseason.

Speaker 2 (55:42):
How many of them have like one half of their
team where they're set. There ain't many, There might not
be any. They're set, yes because of Joe Yes, because
of Jamar Yes, because of t Yes, because of Chase Brown.
They're mainly set because the offensive line is turned into
one that's pretty good and I think can only get better.

(56:02):
More on that coming up in the five o'clock hour,
twenty nine minutes after four o'clock. So we talk a
lot about the future of college basketball and college football
and what it's going to look like in a year,
how it's been professionalized, and the good parts of this
and the not so good parts of this. At the
core of all of this is the NCAA continually getting

(56:23):
its tail kicked in court. I want to know why.
We have our new sports law expert here to tell
us why.

Speaker 3 (56:29):
Next. On ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 8 (56:32):
You've been listening to football in the NATI on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati's
ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from.

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The uc Health Traffic Center from non invasive to surgical treatments.
The uc Health Backneck and Spine Center offers every option
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Cincinnati and northern Kentucky. Learn more at UCHealth dot com.
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(57:09):
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Expect delays as you go through. There also Dixie Highway
and accident at Woodridge Boulevard. I'm at eazelic with traffic.

Speaker 3 (57:20):
This report is sponsored by.

Speaker 8 (57:22):
CAP ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati sports station.

Speaker 2 (57:28):
I don't know that a day or at least a
week goes by without sports and the law intersecting. Heck,
the Stefan Diggs story, which is not good, would be
an example of that. We'll maybe spend some time on
that next week. And so I've wanted for a while,
I've wanted somebody on our show who could talk about

(57:49):
sports and the law and not necessarily an athlete getting
in trouble, but like with what's happening in college sports
right now, the courts are often involved, and when they're not,
they probably will be. And so, uh, we have can
I say we've we've gotten on retainer to use the
proper term. Stuart Penrose from the Manilo Law Group, It's
you're my new legal guy.

Speaker 9 (58:10):
I'm glad, glad to be Thanks for having me on
the show.

Speaker 3 (58:12):
MO, I appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (58:12):
You're gonna end up answering a lot of really dumb
questions from me.

Speaker 9 (58:16):
I answer dumb questions every day, both personally and professionally.
I've answered dumb questions on the radio with Kid Chris
for years. That's not new to me.

Speaker 2 (58:25):
Uh, well, he's better at asking dumb questions, yes he is.
All right, So so there's this is awesome and uh
and we're gonna have you every week. There's there's always
stuff floating around as it relates to sports and the law,
and sometimes it's like a real serious legal issue. Sometimes it's,
you know, something in the courts that's kind of complex
and beyond the realm of uh my understanding. Uh, And

(58:47):
sometimes we'll have some fun stuff. So it's gonna be
a mixed bag, but I'm excited to do this.

Speaker 9 (58:51):
It's awesome to have you as am. I very excited.

Speaker 2 (58:53):
Uh start with this, So college sports are are very
much at a weird place right. We have unprecedented challenges
in college sports as it relates to athlete compensation, the
transfer portal, and now we have players getting eligibility even
though they've already been drafted by an NBA team. And

(59:14):
at the heart of all this, it feels like the
n c Double A is basically saying, well, we're gonna
let this guy be eligible because if we end up
getting taken to court, we're gonna lose. The NCAA's track
record in court is not good.

Speaker 9 (59:25):
That's exactly what it is. The crux of it is
they've been losing anti trust lawsuits. Started with the the
Edo Bannon case. He's put in a video game with
his likeness and says, hey, this isn't right, ensues over it,
and he wins, and you know, that starts a string
of lawsuits that challenge the n c Double A on
antitrust laws. You had, you know, another case just a

(59:47):
few years ago, the ash In case that basically opened
nil completely supreme you know, the unanimous Supreme Court decision
says that you can't stop these players from earnning money
from their name, image and likeness that it violates anti
trust laws to to do that and stop them from
having open, uh, you know, markets for their compensation.

Speaker 2 (01:00:06):
So we hear the term anti trust, which is not
a sports term. It's a legal term, but it's used
all the time as it relates to sports. This is
a stupid question. What what are anti trust laws about markets?

Speaker 9 (01:00:17):
About having free markets, the ability to earn a living,
the ability to have free markets determine prices of goods
of services.

Speaker 3 (01:00:28):
It's about free markets.

Speaker 2 (01:00:29):
Baseball's gotten anti trust exemptions, professional sports leagues have gotten
anti trust exemptions. Good college athletics get anti trust exemptions.

Speaker 3 (01:00:37):
There are some limits to it.

Speaker 9 (01:00:40):
You're not going to see unlimited eligibility, for instance. There
are certain limits to where it can go with it.
But the n C Double A, they had an old
model of have heart, you know, very strict rules, focus
on preserving amateurism and then enforcing their rules, and by
losing all these anti trust cases, they've had to completely
switched to a new model, which is, don't stop losing

(01:01:03):
precedent setting lawsuits, be more adaptable, and that's what you're
seeing you're seeing the NCAA be a lot more adaptable
on eligibility, certainly on NIL, which you know, we're in
the wild West, and I mean that's a completely another
topic for a different day. You know, pros and cons
with that. There's some sort of very unhealthy things with NIL,

(01:01:24):
but they've had to adapt to it, to a new
model to reserve, to preserve some relevancy and ensure that
they're schools don't leave.

Speaker 2 (01:01:32):
Yeah, so we have another case that's going to go
through the courts. A guess we're Diego Pavia, the Vatderbille
quarterback Heisman finalist, right, is suing because he wants to
keep playing college football, right, and and there's there's a
lot of athletes watching how this may unfold. Who then
would go, Okay, well, I want to come back and
play college football, college basketball, whatever it is. Given the

(01:01:53):
NCAA's track record, it would feel like he is he is.
His legal maneuvering is going to be successful.

Speaker 9 (01:01:59):
You would think, I mean, essentially, what he's challenging is
he didn't want his junior college years, which aren't n
C double A, to count towards his nc DOUBLEA eligibility.
But he didn't play this year because the n C
DOUBLEA allowed him to play, or that he got a waiver.
He played because of Judge granted an injunction preventing the
NC Double A from enforcing their denial of his eligibility
for this year. N C Double A didn't, you know,

(01:02:21):
fight hard back on it. They see the writing on
the wall and they don't want to set bad precedent
to you know, further degrade their brand and you know,
lose more teeth than they've already lost. But yes, I mean,
he's my understands that he's going to the NFL. But yes,
all the other athletes are going to watch what happens
in this lawsuit that he's not dropping and I have
to believe twelve other athletes in this lawsuit as well too.

(01:02:42):
But that's going to set a lot of precedent that
will affect a lot of JUCO players going forward.

Speaker 2 (01:02:46):
I hear people say, well, the NC Double A is
so bad at this because their basic business model is illegal.
What would a lawyer say about that.

Speaker 9 (01:02:56):
It's it's not completely black and white. They are trying
how they do it is legal, but they are trying
to adapt to stay that way and they are getting
challenged left and right. So it is legal, but certain
aspects of it are being challenged, particularly with eligibility, with
different types of anti trust, with compensation models. It is legal,

(01:03:19):
but it's being parts of it are being challenged regularly.

Speaker 2 (01:03:22):
We basically in college sports, we you know, we have
no rules, right, and so in the Wild West now
it is the NFL has rules, right. The NFL has
rules that are collectively bargained and agreed upon. Right where
the players Association says, well, here's what we want, the
NFL says, here what the owners want, and then they
agree to a collective bargaining agreement. It lasts, however, many years.

(01:03:43):
So it works in the NBA. It's it works in
Major League Baseball. We don't have that in college sports.
In the absence of collective part of collective bargaining, can
the NCAA legally start to create and in force its
own set of rules to rain everything in?

Speaker 3 (01:04:01):
Good luck? Right? Good luck?

Speaker 9 (01:04:03):
It's not gonna happen.

Speaker 3 (01:04:04):
It can't happen.

Speaker 9 (01:04:04):
Everything's getting challenged. And let's be honest, there are powers
bigger than them. Right now, the conferences are more powerful.
In double A, the TV TV is more powerful. You know, Fox,
ABC and CBS. They control the money of college football,
along with the Big ten SEC and to some extent,
the Big twelve and the others. The money dictates the power,

(01:04:26):
and the n c double A has lost a grasp
of that completely.

Speaker 3 (01:04:29):
It's I mean, it is.

Speaker 2 (01:04:30):
You know, people talk about it like it's some governing body.
The NCAA is a collection of schools.

Speaker 9 (01:04:35):
It's technically a nonprofit right.

Speaker 2 (01:04:37):
So if the collection of schools got together and said, look,
he're the rules. You have four years to you have
five years to play for, which is what it used
to be five years to play for. You could transfer
once with that penalty. We're gonna put a hard cap
and what everybody can make in terms of revenue sharing.

Speaker 3 (01:04:52):
And these are the rules. They would be completely unenforceable,
is what you're telling me.

Speaker 9 (01:04:57):
In a lot of ways. Yes, I mean there are
some things that can be enforced. You can't, you know,
for instance, be on your third degree, be on your doctorate,
and being your ninth year. There's going to be limits
to it. Are some there are still some limits to it.
You're not gonna have a thirty six year old quarterback
in college football. There are still some things that just

(01:05:17):
defy logic and reasoning that that would violate anti trust.
On the other end, given that this is still some
level of amateurism, you know, quote unquote whatever's left of that,
there's still technically students and in a lot of ways,
that's how they get around being employees and having contracts
and being subject to employment law, insurance and all of that.

Speaker 2 (01:05:39):
How do you collectively bargain with a group of people
that's not a union.

Speaker 9 (01:05:43):
Well, some of those some of the schools are trying
to union I some of the players are trying to unionize.
So that's there's just a lot of precedents that hasn't
been set with some of this. But it's I don't
see how you could possibly do it when there's not
a set organization like the NFL, like any pro league.
It's too fragmented in college football, in college sports in general.

Speaker 2 (01:06:01):
Rather, let me ask you about the Ohio University. The
ex head coach at Ohio University, Brian Smith. So, in
the wake of the Sharon Moore thing, and I know
you're a Michigan guy, don't started right, this was sort
of like Sharon Moore light right, where you had the coach,
Brian Smith was terminated for a cause, and thankfully we're

(01:06:22):
not talking about somebody who went on to do something
that he's now you know, under you know, a felony
indictment for.

Speaker 3 (01:06:30):
But he loses his job for a cause.

Speaker 2 (01:06:32):
And the school says, well, you were having an extra
marital affair with.

Speaker 3 (01:06:37):
A student at Ohio University student.

Speaker 2 (01:06:40):
Uh So, first of all, because I think there's a
lot of folks that don't explain make the distinction between
firing with cause and without.

Speaker 9 (01:06:47):
Well, if you fire him with cause, he's not going
to get any of his buyout.

Speaker 3 (01:06:50):
Okay.

Speaker 9 (01:06:51):
Furthermore, you kind of become unhiable at least for a
period of time if if you've got a with cause firing,
that is a big stain on your record.

Speaker 2 (01:06:58):
With cause basically means you did something that compelled them
to fire.

Speaker 9 (01:07:02):
In breach of your contract and compelled you to fire
you and you know, brought some disrepute to the university.

Speaker 3 (01:07:08):
Without cause, you get your buyout.

Speaker 9 (01:07:10):
If you're just fired for performance the team's not performing
well enough, you get your buyout. Now he has counsel here,
he's disputing the allegations and the context of it. You
know my understanding for you know, he says that he
was in the middle of a divorce and that there
was no affair. And I'm not sure the age of
the student. I read somewhere that she was in her forties.
I don't know if that's true or not.

Speaker 2 (01:07:29):
But and you said there weren't going to be thirty
six year old quarterbacks, right right.

Speaker 9 (01:07:35):
But he disputes the you know, the nuances of what
he's being alleged by the university. These cases are almost
certain in a settlement of some sort. Yeah, he'll get
some sort of settlement of his buyout. He is going
to want to push for it to be without cause firing.
That's going to be the big win for him.

Speaker 2 (01:07:53):
So the school says, well, you were having an affair
with the student, and he says, well, you don't have
a rule against having an affair with the student.

Speaker 3 (01:08:00):
First all, I think there wasn't a rule against it.

Speaker 2 (01:08:03):
There no rule against having a sexual relationship with the student.

Speaker 9 (01:08:06):
Sure, I'm sure that there is some morality clause in
his contract, and some clause that if he brings some
disrepute or you know, bad press to the university. And
I can see how it can be construed with that.
My understanding is that he was living at the university
hotel at the time until he could find, you know,
a permanent home out there, and he was seen with
her with some of the players' families. There is what

(01:08:29):
I read, So I can see how it can be
argued a certain way. But there's enough gray area here
that the minds are going to meet in the middle somewhere.
Neither side wants this drug out into litigation where you know,
bad facts on both sides are coming out. People want
to move on and there'll be some sort of settlement.

Speaker 2 (01:08:47):
I would think if this guy wants to continue coaching
at any level, that it would make sense for him
to not have some of the senior details of his
life be spilled out into the public.

Speaker 3 (01:08:56):
Absolutely.

Speaker 9 (01:08:57):
In same thing for Ohio University, you don't want that either,
you know, saying that this happened under our watch.

Speaker 2 (01:09:01):
Yeah, they also said he had booze in his office.
And if every coach that I know who's had booze
in their office, God fired for there would be no coaches.

Speaker 3 (01:09:09):
We wouldn't have coaches to complain about college athletics.

Speaker 9 (01:09:11):
How about lawyers with booze in their office.

Speaker 3 (01:09:13):
Does that happen? No, No, yes, radio executives, not my office.

Speaker 9 (01:09:18):
You're off not my office.

Speaker 3 (01:09:19):
Well we can change that, all right. You're gonna join
me every.

Speaker 9 (01:09:22):
Tuesday, every Tuesday. Looking forward to it.

Speaker 2 (01:09:24):
It's gonna be awesome. Were my questions? These were dumb questions,
I will admit this.

Speaker 9 (01:09:28):
No, they were great questions. They were fantastic questions.

Speaker 3 (01:09:30):
Okay, very good.

Speaker 9 (01:09:31):
Hopefully I had decent answers.

Speaker 3 (01:09:33):
Very all right. I learned a lot. Well, thank you
very much, Minila Law Group, Stuart Penrose will see you
next Tuesday. Man, thanks so much. Thank you. Mo.

Speaker 2 (01:09:39):
It is twelve away from five o'clock. We're at Oakley
Greens on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 1 (01:09:44):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 5 (01:09:48):
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(01:10:09):
from an accident after fields irdle another crash on southbound
seventy one seventy five between Donaldson and Turfway Road. I'm
at Ezelach with traffic this report.

Speaker 2 (01:10:20):
This is ESPN fifteen to thirty Molagger. We're broadcasting from
Oakley Greens. A great place to hang out with your friends,
great place to hang out with your significant other, great
place to post up with the family.

Speaker 3 (01:10:35):
It's an awesome place to watch pro.

Speaker 2 (01:10:38):
And college football, college hoops, spend New Year's Eve. It'd
be a great place to live if they would let you,
but you can't do that Oakley Greens. We love the
staff here at Oakley Greens and we thank them for
having us all throughout the football season.

Speaker 3 (01:10:53):
More on the Bengals coming up.

Speaker 2 (01:10:55):
I am going to play a SoundBite from John CALIPERI
I get a cued sometimes being the guy who loves
the wild West that is college sports.

Speaker 3 (01:11:03):
No like.

Speaker 2 (01:11:06):
The way college sports used to operate, I always felt
was grossly unfair. I was watching Chad Brendle's podcast on
YouTube two nights ago, where he was talking about just
the way college sports have devolved in recent years. A
lot of us were in favor of athletes getting paid.

(01:11:26):
Like I'm the ultimate free market guy. I as a
general rule, I don't believe in salary caps. I don't
believe in maximum salaries. I don't believe in anything that
puts limit on what people can earn, whether they're in
the private sector, whether they're athletes, coaches, college kids, like
I think, I think everybody should be able to go
and get every dollar they can, and ultimately the market

(01:11:50):
will dictate in many cases what everybody can get. I
as in favor of that and have been my entire life.
I frustrate a lot of my fellow Reds fans when
I say, like, I'm not in favor of a salary cap,
like I just philosophically don't believe in anything that puts
a cap on what people can earn. I also don't
believe that salary caps were ever initiated to give us

(01:12:13):
competitive balance. They were initiated to keep salaries level. But
that's a different topic. But as much as you know,
a lot of us didn't like the idea that, for instance,
a coach could block whether or not a kid was
going to transfer. That's how we used to It's how
we did things ten years ago. Or a player couldn't
leave a school if his or her coach left, and

(01:12:35):
the coach could leave, but the player couldn't. Like, all
of these things that so many of us railed against
and found unfair have been rectified, but they've been rectified
or changed with there being no guidelines or rules in place.
And I don't know how that changes. I don't know

(01:12:56):
how that changes without legislative intervention or collective bargaining.

Speaker 3 (01:13:02):
And I don't know how that happens. I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:13:05):
Like, so everybody wanted things to be less slanted against athletes,
and I think most wanted the student athletes to be
able to make money and let the market determine what
they're worth. I don't know that anybody was in favor
of their being anarchy. And that's what we have in
college sports right now. We have anarchy. People getting mad

(01:13:26):
at Scott drew A Baylor for recruiting the dude who
got drafted a couple of years ago.

Speaker 3 (01:13:31):
His job is to win basketball games.

Speaker 2 (01:13:33):
His job isn't to protect the sanctity of the sport
or collude with other coaches to not do something because
it's not the right thing to do for college basketball.

Speaker 3 (01:13:43):
Job's win basketball games.

Speaker 2 (01:13:44):
So I'll blame any coach for going and getting any
player here or she can get by whatever means are allowed.
The problem is now everything's allowed, and so it's to me,
right now it is the single biggest question in all
of sports today in the United States. How do you

(01:14:05):
draft and enforce rules for college athletics? And what is
this going to look like if there continues to be
no guideline, no structure, no rules. That's to me, it's
the biggest question. I can't find anybody who wants college
athletics to look like it did ten years ago, fifteen
years ago. I can't find anybody who has a huge

(01:14:27):
appetite for how it's worked right now. Somebody say to
me last night on social media, like they've canceled their
Xavier basketball tickets, but not because they disliked the school
or dislike Richard Patino. They don't want to get to
know ten to eleven new players every year. And I
understand that, like you have a lot of folks I
hear from them who the connection they had with the

(01:14:50):
program is gone because of the lack of the total
lack of continuity. I mean, I'll even say this is
somebody who has wanted to see college sports change in
many ways I miss watching a guy like Gary Clark
at UC for four years. I miss a story like
Kenyan Martin where you watch him his freshman year and
he looked incapable of playing. To his last year he

(01:15:11):
was the best player in the country. I miss stories
like that. We're not going to get those anymore. And
so it's to me it's the single biggest question facing
any sport.

Speaker 3 (01:15:23):
Any league, any entity.

Speaker 2 (01:15:25):
How do you take something that has no rules, no guidelines,
and actually have them and be able to legally enforce them.
It's coming up on five o'clock. We're at Oakley Greens
on ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 8 (01:15:37):
Thirty, ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 2 (01:15:44):
So it's six minutes after five o'clock. This is ESPN
fifteen thirty moth Leger. We are broadcasting today from Oakley Greens.
How do you not love Oath League games? How do
you not love Oakly Greens? We're here till o'clock nights
Pakley Greens. Tomorrow night, New Year's Eve, Cotton Bowl, Ohio

(01:16:06):
State versus Miami, the College Football Playoff three games on
New Year's Day, the Liberty Bawl on Friday too. NFL games,
Big NFL games on Saturday, although that Bucks Panthers tiled
is not a winner take all necessarily because the La
Rams have gummed up the works the NFL. The NFL
is fascinating this year for a lot of different reasons.

(01:16:28):
It's been a bit of an upside down season because
the Chiefs have been haven't been good, didn't make the postseason,
The Ravens have been nah, Joe Burrow's not going to
be in the playoffs again. The Bills didn't win the division,
the Super Bowl like it. There are years we say
this and it really isn't the case. It feels wide open,
like for instance, the Los Angeles Rams, and it's changed

(01:16:52):
a little bit. When that game ended last night. Rams
lose to the Falcons when that game ended night and
by the way, I thought that Pukin Nakua catch on
the sideline should have been a catch, should have been
a catch just because it was awesome. But anyway, Rams
lose that game and they are currently the sixth seed

(01:17:12):
in the NFCED. They cannot win the division. They can't
be the one seed. They could move up to the five.
Right now, they're the six and that is their most
likely landing. Spot sixth seed, and yet when the game
ended last night, they were the co betting favorite to
win the whole thing.

Speaker 3 (01:17:32):
Now it's changed a little.

Speaker 2 (01:17:33):
They were co betting favorites with Seattle, who obviously plays
in that massive tilt Saturday night against against San Francisco.
The odds have shifted a little bit. Both Seattle and
LA last night were plus five point fifty. I look
this morning, the Rams are plus six hundred, so the
second shortest odds to win the Super Bowl for a
team that is likely to be a six seed. I

(01:17:56):
think that illustrates how wide open things are, and really,
like if you love value betting, there are years where
it's like, you know, it's nobody's ever.

Speaker 3 (01:18:04):
Minus odds to win the Super Bowl.

Speaker 2 (01:18:06):
Sometimes you'll find a team that's minus odds to get
to the super Bowl. It's always a one seed because
they're the one that plays one fewer game. But you're
gonna be able to talk yourself into the value on
any number of teams to win the whole thing. And
I think LA is still the best team. I think
they're the most balanced team in the sport. Matthew Stafford,
I don't know if last night cost him an MVP,

(01:18:28):
but for my money, should be MVP this year.

Speaker 3 (01:18:30):
But they're the sixth seed.

Speaker 2 (01:18:32):
So we'll see fun game last night, fun weekend of
NFL games, and whatever game you want to watch this weekend,
whether it's one that doesn't matter all that much like
Bengals Browns or the AFC North title tilt on Sunday,
any of the games with postseason implications, you can watch
them here at at Oakley Green's Danner was with us

(01:18:52):
in the first hour. I don't I don't think you're
I don't think you could accuse of being overly cautious
if you suggest that Joe shouldn't play the game on Sunday.
And like we've done this topic now for a while,
because the Bengals have been playing out the string for

(01:19:12):
a while now. Quite frankly, Joe came back and played
on Thanksgiving night, and the Bengals were right to have
him play the game. They were still in it, they
still had mathematically a chance. He worked his tail off
to play. I would have had a hard time telling
Joe Burrow, all right, all that's for naught, you're not
going to play on Thanksgiving night.

Speaker 3 (01:19:33):
And you know, when they lost to the Patriots.

Speaker 2 (01:19:36):
The prior Sunday there were some who said, you know what,
why even bother and you know, even to a degree,
why why when they lost to the Bills, And all right, well,
now there are chances which went from really really small
to almost fractional. There's still a chance. Go ahead and
play them against Baltimore. They lose that game, they had

(01:19:57):
three more to go. I expected Joe b to play
against the Dolphins. I would not have had a major
issue with the Bengals not playing them against the Dolphins.
But are right, fine, you're trying to be about the
right things. Joe does want to play. There are three
games to go, fine, even fine having him play against
Drew Bees Arizona Cardinals. Having him play this game on

(01:20:21):
Sunday is almost reckless. Let mean, just call it what
it is like Bengals have a lot of work in
front of him this offseason.

Speaker 3 (01:20:29):
Right, But the.

Speaker 2 (01:20:31):
The overall directive is is not.

Speaker 3 (01:20:35):
An overly difficult one.

Speaker 2 (01:20:37):
Fix the defense like not an it's it's more nuanced
than that. I get it. But you look at the team.
If you're Duke Tobin, Duke Tobin's in an extraordinarily enviable
spot relative to a lot of the people who have
the same task, which is take a non playoff team
and making a playoff team and maybe making a championship team.

(01:20:58):
A lot of those teams have no idea who their
quarter is going to be. Some of those teams know
who their quarterback is going to be, and they wish
they could get one that's better, but they can't. Some
of them are gonna be drafting later than the Bengals
will be. Some of them have salary cap issues that
are bigger and more difficult to navigate than the Bengals
salary cap issues are going to be. Some of them

(01:21:18):
have entire rosters that need work. Some of them have
bad offenses and bad defenses. Tooke Tobin has a team
or half of it is set, like it's an oversimplification,
but half of the team is set. Arguably the best
quarterback in the sport, the best do of wide receivers
perhaps in the sport, a terrific running back, good complimentary weapons,

(01:21:43):
solid offensive line.

Speaker 3 (01:21:46):
Like over here, you're set. Over here.

Speaker 2 (01:21:49):
You have all the work to do, and we're gonna
talk about it a lot in the coming days and
weeks about what the defensive overhaul should look like. To
me and Dana and I talked about this on his
podcasts today. To me, those questions revolve around what do
they do at linebacker? Are they gonna find players who
are just automatic, major established upgrades from Knight and Barrett Carter.

(01:22:15):
I don't think they're gonna cut either guy necessarily, but
they gotta find players who are better.

Speaker 3 (01:22:20):
Who do they find or.

Speaker 2 (01:22:21):
Do they decide to Hey, you know what, let's see
if those guys can benefit from the experience they gained
in twenty twenty twenty twenty five.

Speaker 3 (01:22:28):
We'll see.

Speaker 2 (01:22:30):
But do you know how much more of this gets
complicated if something happens to your meal ticket, Like we
have seen Bengals seasons go up and smoke because of
a Joe Burrow injury. We have dealt with off seasons
that have been filled with uncertainty because Joe is coming
back from an injury. We have watched Joe come back

(01:22:53):
from injury and start the season and not look at
his best because he wasn't quite where he needed to
be coming off off an injury.

Speaker 3 (01:23:01):
Why would you run that risk?

Speaker 2 (01:23:03):
On Sunday, Yeah, Miles, Garrett's gonna try to break the
sack record and maybe that adds an element of danger,
like beating the Browns and sweeping the Browns this season
would be fun?

Speaker 3 (01:23:14):
Is it worth it?

Speaker 2 (01:23:16):
Like even go back to Sunday, Joe played against the
Cardinals and played well, like the offense was terrific. He
took a couple of sacks late in the first half,
and come on and be honest with me. You're holding
your breath. And you may do that in any game.
It's one thing to do it in a game that matters.
It's something else to do it in a game like
that one on Sunday. I even said before halftime, I

(01:23:37):
put on social media like I'd reward Joe for his
solid first half by letting him just watch the second
half like he is the meal ticket is he is
the biggest and most important investment in the history of
Cincinnati sports. Why you subject him to whatever amount of hits, punishment,
physical danger he'd be subjected to playing this game. I

(01:23:59):
don't know, and means they lose to the Cleveland Browns
and they lose to the Cleveland Browns, or if it
means you know what, offensively, they're stuck in the mud. Okay,
they're stuck in the mud offensively against the Cleveland Browns.
Joe deserved earned the right to come back and play
those games he came back and played in, but the
Bengals have the right to tell him no. And he

(01:24:21):
came back and played well, showed the world who he is,
provided a glimpse into what this offense can look like
and to a degree, what the team can accomplish next
year if they fix the other side of the ball.

Speaker 3 (01:24:34):
Can you imagine?

Speaker 2 (01:24:35):
Can you even imagine if we're talking on Monday, the
first day of the offseason, and instead of wondering how
they fix the defense and talk about the different options
they may explore, should explore in free agency and in
the draft, we're back to talking about Joe Burrow in
an injury Like this is this is obvious, This is

(01:24:57):
unbelievably obvious. As far as I'm concerned, you do not
play Joe Burrow in this game.

Speaker 3 (01:25:02):
They will. I hope they run the ball every play.

Speaker 2 (01:25:06):
I hope they haven't played a series, and then yankom
like it's a preseason game, Like I doubt any of
that stuff is gonna happen. I'm all for taking the
most extreme measures to protect like all of the optimism
that summer feeling about the Bengals and the fact that,
you know what, if they could just get this thing
done this offseason, they're good, like they have a lot
of work to do in Kansas City this offseason. It's

(01:25:28):
a roster that has holes. It's an offense that has
looked broken now for a while. That would be the
case if Patrick Mahomes wasn't hurt. But he is, and
maybe he comes back and he plays the first game
and he ends up being the best player in the
league again next year. Maybe, But do you want to
confront the roster issues that are pretty significant and that

(01:25:53):
must be addressed with a quarterback injury question looming over
them or without a quarterback question question looming over them?
The answer for me, and I think for most quite frankly,
is quite obvious. Uh Sean sayed, Stats and Scheme Newsletters
is gonna join us. Plus you're gonna hear John Kella
Perry rand about there not being any rules in college
basketball on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 1 (01:26:14):
Station, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 5 (01:26:19):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center from non invasive
to surgical treatments, the UC help backneck and Spine Center
offers every option to improve quality of life with convenient
locations across Greater Cincinnati and northern Kentucky. Learn more at
UCHealth dot com. Northbound seventy one, there's an accident blocking

(01:26:40):
off the leapt two lanes after fields Ardle traffic stomping
go from two seventy five in Ohiowa. Fifteen minute delay.
Right now, I'm at Ezelac with traffic.

Speaker 8 (01:26:50):
This report is sponsored Football in the NATI, brought to
you in part by Postman Law and Vice. Skyline Chile
on ESPN fifteen thirty is the official home of the
Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 3 (01:27:04):
One more time.

Speaker 2 (01:27:05):
In twenty twenty five, we chat with our buddy, Sean Sayed,
one of the co authors of the Stats and Scheme newsletter,
which shows up in your inbox twice a week. He's
with U suomer sports dot com. You could use sumer Brain.
You know, there's lots of lots of things on the
internet right now, chat, GPT, things like that. There's only

(01:27:26):
one one of those vehicles that matters to me, and
that's sumer Brain at suomer sports dot com.

Speaker 3 (01:27:30):
Sewan is with us now sewn. Happy New Year, Good afternoon,
what's going on?

Speaker 6 (01:27:34):
No, happy almost New Year. I'm very excited for the
NFL playoffs. It's the best time of year, you know.
I wish we were talking about Bengals games, but so
many fun things still going on in the NFL.

Speaker 2 (01:27:45):
Someone like yourself, when you're watching a game like Sunday
Night between San Francisco and Chicago, what's that like?

Speaker 6 (01:27:52):
I mean, oh man, it is ah, It's just it's
just a huge smile, just constantly like you're trying to
pick up Okay, well, how are the forty nine ers
attacking the Bears? How are the Bears attacking the forty
nine ers? And at a certain point, it's just like,
oh wow, Rock Perdy just continues to like find ways
outside of the pocket to make some of these plays,
and it makes you want to adjusts, like well, what

(01:28:12):
is your thinking of party?

Speaker 10 (01:28:14):
Like can anyone stop the forty nine ers?

Speaker 6 (01:28:16):
Like all these thoughts going through my head, like why
would you want to face this offense in the playoffs?

Speaker 10 (01:28:20):
You absolutely wouldn't.

Speaker 6 (01:28:21):
And now we're so lucky that Saturday Night will get
forty nine or Seahawks.

Speaker 10 (01:28:25):
I think it should have been the Sunday Night game.

Speaker 6 (01:28:27):
But you know, I understand we have to support friends
in the AFC North.

Speaker 2 (01:28:31):
Yeah, no, those two teams should play like Sunday morning
at ten o'clock. I want to see San Francisco in
Chicago rematch in the postseason.

Speaker 6 (01:28:39):
Now, I mean that would be awesome, And we might
get a few rematches in the postseason in the NFC,
Like we could get Chicago Green Bay early on.

Speaker 10 (01:28:47):
We can get Los Angeles Philadelphia early on.

Speaker 6 (01:28:49):
We could get San Francisco and Seattle playing again. So
it's really like a funny playoffs. I know that everyone
says like, oh, it's the weirdest year ever. We don't
have my homes Burrow, we might not have Jackson, but like, honestly, truly,
it is quite weird because I keep looking at well,
who if MO asked me, who's my favorite? I just
have no idea, Like there's flaws in all of these teams,

(01:29:13):
there's great things in all of these teams. With that,
I think that should make everything more fun.

Speaker 2 (01:29:16):
Well, I just I just said this the segment before
you came on. I still think the best team is
probably gonna be the sixth seed in the NFC.

Speaker 6 (01:29:24):
It's crazy, right, And they just got like they got
beat by the Falcons of all teams, and yes, you
have a nice comeback. You see them get back to
a competitive spot there. You obviously get that block, bill
go or turn for a touchdown. Then they didn't have
Davante Adams, so that's a big thing. And then Matthew Stafford.
You know, quarterbacks are gonna have a game like that.
So I do also feel like, yeah, we probably should

(01:29:46):
look at them, but I get a little bit scared
just thinking about their defense. I think you can take
advantage of their cornerbacks.

Speaker 10 (01:29:52):
On the outside. I mean, if I'm the Eagles and they.

Speaker 6 (01:29:55):
Have to face the Rams in the first round, like,
that's not a matchup that you want to have. That's
the It's like a bummer where you'd be like, hey,
we won the division and now we get the team
that everyone thinks is going to win the Super Bowl.

Speaker 2 (01:30:05):
I am going to ask you about the Bengals using
an offensive lineman as a wide receiver. We'll get to
that in a second. But you mentioned the AFC North
Championship game Baltimore and Pittsburgh, and unfortunately one of those
teams has to win.

Speaker 3 (01:30:17):
Start with the Ravens.

Speaker 2 (01:30:19):
For me, are they better off with Tyler Huntley at
one hundred percent as opposed to Lamar Jackson.

Speaker 3 (01:30:25):
If he's not one hundred.

Speaker 6 (01:30:26):
Percent, I mean, I guess it depends how low below
one hundred percent we're talking about for Lamar.

Speaker 10 (01:30:31):
I mean, I love they're better off with Lamar come
and I think that even at.

Speaker 6 (01:30:34):
A relatively low percent, you would still be better off
with Lamar, even just by his presence on some of
those run plays where you know a second set of
eyes is going to just be held even longer than
you would be with Tyler Huntley there. So you're hoping
that Lamar is able to get in their healthy if
you're a Ravens man, I thought it was really nice
just to see the Ravens really be able to just
absolutely pound a team on the ground, really really take

(01:30:56):
advantage of the Packers, where Derrick Henry has had I
think some ups and down on this season, but you know,
you open your eyes, you're at the end of the year,
and he has like all.

Speaker 10 (01:31:04):
These yards and all these touchdowns. So I feel like
they're going to be able to do that again.

Speaker 6 (01:31:09):
I think, maybe not to that level again, but still
be able to run over the Steelers.

Speaker 2 (01:31:13):
So Pittsburgh's offense, right, Like, Aaron Rodgers is old, fine,
he's certainly capable of of his moments, but you're you're
not gonna get vintage Aaron Rodgers. And they didn't have
DK Metcalf on Sunday and won't have him for this
game against Baltimore. But like when I watched the Steelers
offensively it and it's been this way for a while,

(01:31:35):
there's something that's just broken. There's something that just feels
to me like it completely lacks imagination. Why do things
look that way on a consistent almost year and a
year out basis with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Speaker 6 (01:31:49):
I think the Steelers are a case where they haven't
had like an influx of new ideas kind of coming
in on a year to your basis where you hope
you're able to refresh, get some more people in there,
get different ideas.

Speaker 10 (01:32:01):
You're changing certain things offense to adjust to your players.

Speaker 6 (01:32:04):
And I do think that you know, at this point
Aaron Rodgers' career, you can look at his time to
throw is extremely low, like he wants to get rid
of that ball really really quick, and that's gonna naturally
limit some of the things that you can do as
an offense. So it just feels like there's a little
bit of an ellenis there's a little bit of hey,
we're not gonna be able to extend in the pocket.
We're not gonna be able to move the pocket as much.

(01:32:26):
I will say they were able to get the running
game going at least a little bit two weeks ago,
but I mean fourth down against the Brown that was
like not a situation that you feel particularly good about
your offense. So I mean, if they find their way
into the playoffs, I think whoever pieces them on the
AFC side, it should feel like pretty decent. Even when
you're going into Pittsburgh if they're the division champ.

Speaker 2 (01:32:46):
Were you pro going for too late in the game
in Buffalo or play for ot This.

Speaker 10 (01:32:52):
Is a great question.

Speaker 6 (01:32:53):
So I think that they didn't feel good about their kicker.

Speaker 10 (01:32:57):
They cut their kicker.

Speaker 6 (01:32:58):
I think the next day just about like our, well,
you've had one block.

Speaker 10 (01:33:01):
So that's the situation there.

Speaker 6 (01:33:02):
I think if the Bills played them in overtime, I
would have felt quite good about that because the Eagles
offense was just lesson zero, like a litterle negative in
the entire second half, and the Bills offense was able
to get things going, So I guess I don't have
too much of a problem though, because I like the
aggressive push.

Speaker 10 (01:33:20):
I'm not gonna blame someone for being aggressive.

Speaker 6 (01:33:21):
You already had a kick block and there was a
wide open receiver in the back of the end zone.

Speaker 3 (01:33:25):
It just ended up.

Speaker 10 (01:33:26):
I mean, I'm sure Josh Allen is still kicking him
off about missing that throw, so I'm okay with that.

Speaker 6 (01:33:30):
But it wouldn't have been a situation where I was like,
oh man, you had to go for two moments and
this month and then I think you could have beat
them in overtime.

Speaker 10 (01:33:36):
But I mean, at the end of the day, a
guy is a wide open You have.

Speaker 6 (01:33:39):
A perfect design in the back of the end Unfortunately
you're not able to connect with it there.

Speaker 2 (01:33:44):
Sean Saide is with the Stats and Scheme newsletters. Subscribe
at Summer Sports dot com. The NFL is a copycat league.
People say, so, do you think there's gonna be a
lot of teams moving forward who decide they're gonna take
like their seventh offensive linemen and line them up wide
like the Bengals.

Speaker 6 (01:34:00):
Well, Cody Ford, his catch was so nice, Like, yeah,
people play multiple teams there.

Speaker 10 (01:34:07):
It's so impressive.

Speaker 6 (01:34:08):
Like you put an offensive lineman on the field a
sixth one, right, you're trying to get make it feel like, hey,
the defense needs to be heavy, We're just gonna run inside.

Speaker 10 (01:34:16):
You put him outside there. I mean, it's like, what
thirty to seven.

Speaker 3 (01:34:18):
At that point.

Speaker 10 (01:34:19):
Kind of later on in that third quarter, it was
inspired work.

Speaker 6 (01:34:22):
I can't burrow through them the ball like I figured
Burrow would have thrown the ball into the stands and
been like all right, like we just put it out there,
guess for the spacing of the concept.

Speaker 10 (01:34:29):
So I like doing that.

Speaker 6 (01:34:31):
You know, you have a little fun late in this season.
And Cody Ford, I hope that that ball.

Speaker 10 (01:34:36):
Ends up in his locker room. Let's frame it, let's
keep it in his house forever.

Speaker 6 (01:34:39):
A beautiful play and again an impressive, impressive catch.

Speaker 2 (01:34:43):
No doubt we have after this week, the thirteen games
that matter the most. This is when people need to
subscribe to these stats and scheme newsletter.

Speaker 10 (01:34:52):
No.

Speaker 6 (01:34:52):
I think that it's gonna be a lot of fun
breaking down these teams in the playoffs. You're gonna get
all the information about every single team, every single matchup, really,
really good regular stuff like, oh, when the Bills run
to the left, this is what they're backstadt and those
kinds of things where you can help me. Maybe you
get a little bit of an edge of you if
you're in fantasy, if you're doing something about wagering, potentially enough,
I wouldn't ye might here that, But just a lot

(01:35:14):
of the different data and information that you can use
kind of just give yourself a more ball rounded view
of a particular matchup.

Speaker 2 (01:35:23):
Uh, you're the man. I'll bother you next week. Thank
you as always, Happy New Year.

Speaker 10 (01:35:27):
Thanks so much for happening to hear.

Speaker 2 (01:35:30):
That's our guy, Sean sayed Summer Sports dot Com. Subscribe
to his newsletter because it's awesome. The Stats and Scheme
newsletter John Keller Perry Ransom raves about not having rules.

Speaker 8 (01:35:41):
Next, you've been listening to football in the NATI Brought
to you by Cincinnati Tax Resolution powered by Tope Sheldon
on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Speaker 5 (01:36:02):
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(01:36:23):
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Speaker 1 (01:36:33):
This report is sponsored byce.

Speaker 2 (01:36:35):
ARLEYE Crue because we didn't go to every road game.
By the way, it's eighteen forty six. This is ESPN
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Speaker 3 (01:36:41):
Were a little short on time I was gonna play this.
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Speaker 2 (01:36:46):
Well, he basically says there needs to be rules in
college basketball. He's not wrong.

Speaker 3 (01:36:50):
Good luck and forcing him.

Speaker 2 (01:36:52):
Uh, nobody covers the Bengals like ESPN fifteen thirty. Is
something we say, But we didn't go to every road
game the way Michael Turner did. Michael Turner is playing
this weekend at Go Bananas. He has wound up. He's
a stand up comedian who's a Bengals fan. He has
finished up his Road Warrior tour where he's he's he's
performed in every city the Bengals have played, and so like.

(01:37:16):
For instance, and this this is probably not the most
advanced concept that I have to explain, but like when
they played the Vikings in Minneapolis, Michael Turner was there performing,
checking out tailgates that sort of stuff. So you know,
he's been there for this entire awesome season and he's
with us.

Speaker 3 (01:37:32):
Now, Michael, how you doing.

Speaker 11 (01:37:34):
I'm good, and I'll correct you on awesome season. I
don't know if I'd go that far, but it was
a season.

Speaker 12 (01:37:41):
And I would deal with you.

Speaker 11 (01:37:43):
Ennisode out the gate forty I think I left it
forty eight to three.

Speaker 12 (01:37:48):
I think I left that one.

Speaker 3 (01:37:50):
Yeah, I know.

Speaker 2 (01:37:52):
I know people who were at that game who were
on a plane back to Cincinnati by the time it
ended after changing their flight.

Speaker 3 (01:37:57):
So tough one, I know.

Speaker 11 (01:38:01):
Yeah, But yeah, Man, appreciate you having me on Man.
Been a fan for years. I've been listening to you forever.

Speaker 3 (01:38:05):
So well, that's that's way too kind. So this is
the correct me If I'm wrong.

Speaker 2 (01:38:09):
This is the third year you've done this where you've
gone to play at a venue in every city the
Bengals are in.

Speaker 12 (01:38:15):
One hundred percent. Yeah, I've been doing it three years.

Speaker 11 (01:38:17):
I've gone to every single road game that the syciety
Bengals will played that does a show the night before.
Like you explained, I go to hit the tailgate, mess
with the fans, and then I go to the game
and people always like, oh, that's so cool. You get
to go to all the games. It's like, look, man,
the worst part of my weekend is usually the three
and a half hour window that is the game, because
people are coming to be the last three years.

Speaker 12 (01:38:37):
They're like, yo, you.

Speaker 11 (01:38:38):
Started this and it hasn't gone well the last three seasons.
And then yeah, it's fair. I started three years ago.
Burrow got injured the first year, the second year, Burrow
is healthy, nine and eight. This year, obviously, Burrow injury again,
and we're looking, we're hoping for seven and ten and
they're like, this might.

Speaker 12 (01:38:55):
Be your fault, and I'm like, I'm thirty nine years old.

Speaker 11 (01:38:58):
The Bengals have been bad for way longer.

Speaker 12 (01:39:01):
Than the last three years, Bud. Don't come at me
with that.

Speaker 2 (01:39:05):
When when you perform in cities where the Bengals are
about to play, do you tell people that you're a
Bengals fan?

Speaker 3 (01:39:11):
Oh?

Speaker 12 (01:39:12):
I mean yeah, I live that life.

Speaker 11 (01:39:14):
We got to say it with our chess, you know,
and and and you know what the thing is, if
we don't have I think, you know as much as
anybody being around Bengals fans as much as if we
can't laugh at it.

Speaker 12 (01:39:24):
We'll cry. So like, yeah, we all are.

Speaker 11 (01:39:27):
We could be self deprecating, like more so than when
I go to the brown the Browns will be like
two and six and still be confidence, like we know
how to be two and six in Cincinnati.

Speaker 12 (01:39:37):
And uh, we don't have that. We have that humbleness.
So it's fun.

Speaker 11 (01:39:41):
And you know that's probably why I create humor because
I was born in nineteen eighty six, so it's been
bad most of my life.

Speaker 2 (01:39:50):
So yeah, yeah, well, I mean I'm older, so like
my memories of like the nineties are maybe a little
bit more crystallized than you. So like I at Lisha
to like suffer through that the way the way that
I did. Of the cities you performed in the last
three years, so a lot of NFL cities obviously you know,
some repeats AFC nor that sort of thing. Which are

(01:40:10):
your favorites? Sure to just go for the for the
football experience.

Speaker 11 (01:40:14):
You know, you know what, all the football experience, one
under the best experience is Green Bay. It's just so,
it's just so, I don't know, like people.

Speaker 12 (01:40:24):
Can tell you how cool it is and.

Speaker 11 (01:40:25):
Then you're like, ah, whatever, you roll your eyes, and
then you show up and you're.

Speaker 12 (01:40:28):
Like, man, this is this is great.

Speaker 11 (01:40:30):
And I've been lucky enough to have some good connections
that I went for the NFL Draft, made some connections,
and then this year in.

Speaker 12 (01:40:35):
Green Bay was really cool. Regardless of the score. Buffalo
is awesome.

Speaker 11 (01:40:41):
Those ones that are just like their They're stadiums in
neighborhoods with people that are highly functioning alcoholics, and uh, they.

Speaker 12 (01:40:49):
Get good fried food. When you lose in these cities,
you get to eat poorly and drink good beer.

Speaker 11 (01:40:54):
Like that's what you really want for the experience, right
if you lose, can I get drunk and eat bad
food and feel better? And that's what Buffalo and Green
Bay have that in Spade.

Speaker 2 (01:41:04):
You know, I pretty much wake up every day and
ask myself that question whether or not the Bengals are playing,
So that that sounds like a good.

Speaker 12 (01:41:10):
Roadmap for life exactly. I will say to give credit where.

Speaker 11 (01:41:15):
To I grew up obviously always hating the city of Pittsburgh.
Now that I go there once a year, it is
people say, like, you know, we hate Pittsburgh. Obviously through
the division I work. It's the same city as Cincinnati
in a lot of positive ways. Once you get in there,
they're good people. They you know, we can have our hate, and.

Speaker 12 (01:41:34):
I still definitely have that that hate for the team.

Speaker 11 (01:41:37):
But the more I go there, the more I'm like,
it's kind of life Cincy in a positive way.

Speaker 2 (01:41:42):
So yeah, you know, whenever, like you go to Pittsburgh
and you come back and you tell people how you like,
you have to apologize for having a good time because
I've actually, aside from being sporting events, I've never had
a bad time there.

Speaker 12 (01:41:57):
That I can't wait for the draft.

Speaker 11 (01:41:58):
I'll go for the draft and have a great time
and and it's great when we win, and when we
lose it's annoying. But like you know, I don't know,
they're softer fans, and we want to expect to a
lot of the hardcore fans are now in their fifties
and sixties, they're not They don't they don't swing with
the same punch anymore.

Speaker 2 (01:42:14):
So you know, yeah, I still hope their team loses
by a thousand points on Sunday. You are performing this
weekend and Copenhatta is correct.

Speaker 11 (01:42:25):
Yes, Yes, I will be at Gobinetta's this weekend.

Speaker 12 (01:42:28):
I booked it earlier.

Speaker 11 (01:42:29):
In the season, optimistic on a nice Borough run didn't happen.

Speaker 12 (01:42:33):
I was thinking maybe.

Speaker 11 (01:42:33):
We'd be playing for a playoff spot did not go down.
Shout out to the Jets, shot for the Bears, shots
for the Bills. But but I will be there and
it'll be fun, and we will be on stage, and
I'll be I make jokes about our our sports teams
quite a bit, and it'll be fun and we'll we'll
crack some jokes with this team that has treated us
so poorly this season.

Speaker 2 (01:42:55):
Friday and Saturday, and correct me if I'm wrong. Two
shows per night, right.

Speaker 11 (01:43:00):
Yep, Two shows seven thirty nine forty five, both nights
Friday and Saturday. If you've never seen me live, you've
probably seen my reels on your Instagram or on your Facebook,
and uh, it's it's time to finally come see me live.
It's a good time and I'm a good Cincinnati boy
coming home doing the right thing.

Speaker 12 (01:43:15):
So y'all should appreciate that.

Speaker 2 (01:43:17):
All right, when when you have time at some point
and maybe things slowed down when the season ends, you
got to come like hang out in studio.

Speaker 11 (01:43:24):
Okay, one hundred and I am an adamant Reds Bearcats.
I would I didn't attend another university, but still Bearcats
basketball means a lot to me. Bearcats, Reds Bangles. So
any any sports season, I'm down to talking up.

Speaker 2 (01:43:41):
You can, uh, you can follow the Reds around this
year and play like eighty one road nights.

Speaker 12 (01:43:47):
I don't don't tease me. Really a good time.

Speaker 11 (01:43:50):
I'm going to Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Chicago already, so I'll be
popping around. I love combining the thing I love with
the thing with comedy. So unfortunately the thing I love
most of Cincinnati sports, but luckily I know how to
laugh at it.

Speaker 2 (01:44:05):
So you know, we're we're pretty similar in that regard.
You're just much funnier. All right, Well, let's let's make
that happen. Come visiting studio and we'll talk sports and
laugh and stuff.

Speaker 3 (01:44:15):
Thanks man, enjoy.

Speaker 12 (01:44:16):
Good, appreciate you men. Thank you so much.

Speaker 3 (01:44:19):
Moe. You got it.

Speaker 2 (01:44:20):
That's Michael Turner and went to every Bengals game performed
in every city the Bengals are playing in the night before,
done that each of the last three years. We are
done Tomorrow, Chad Brenda on tomorrow. I'm not back Monday.
Have a great evening, have a great New Year's Thanks

(01:44:41):
to Tarren Bland for producing and ken Wood. Thanks to
Drew Wester Heidi new Arizona Cardinals fan for producing on site,
and the staff here at Oakley Greens as well for
having us all season long.

Speaker 3 (01:44:53):
We're done.

Speaker 2 (01:44:55):
Enjoy the rest of twenty twenty five. This is ESPN
fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 1 (01:44:59):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 5 (01:45:08):
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(01:45:29):
accident onto the right shoulder between Feiffer Road and two
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Speaker 1 (01:45:40):
This report is