Cincy 360 w/ Tony Pike & Austin Elmore -- 3/24/25

Tony and Austin talk about Sean Miller leaving Xavier, map out the Reds first month of the season, chat with Mo Egger, take your calls and TalkBacks, and more on ESPN 1530!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is Skyline Chile Cincy three to sixty about Cincinnati
from Cincinnati, sponsored in part by Skyline Chile. Stop by
Skyline Chili for a three way or cheese coney today.
Feeling good, It's Skyline Time. This is ESPN fifteen thirty
Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hey, good afternoon, Happy Monday. Welcome in to the latest
edition of Cincy three sixty on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati
Sports Station, or via the iHeartRadio app where you could
leave us a talkback, best talkbacked. End of the week
is gonna win a Cincy Shirts gift card or a
service of our good friends at Skyline Chili. And and

(00:43):
this is the last Monday show that we will have
before the start of the regular season in Major League Baseball.
How about that? Think about that for a second opening day?

Speaker 3 (00:57):
There?

Speaker 2 (00:58):
It is is Thursday, Yeah, which means this is the
last Monday we'll have for quite some time where we
don't have Major League Baseball to talk about. And we're
going to talk a lot about Major League Baseball today,
and rightfully so, there's a lot of conversation that still
needs to be had about this Cincinnati Reds ball club.

(01:20):
There are il list concerns with Spencer Steer, Alexis Diaz,
Andrew Abbott, Tyler Stevenson all starting the year on the IL.
That opens up a bullpen discussion, It opens up a
Spencer Steer discussion, and I think from a grand scheme
of things, leaves more questions than answers. As we get

(01:41):
ready for Thursday here on what's one of the best days,
maybe the best day of the year in the Queen
City here in Cincinnati, and that is Opening Day. Yesterday
it felt like the opening day lineup from the Cincinnati Reds,
a game that they won thirteen to two. We'll talk
about the need for a fast start. We'll look at

(02:02):
the first month schedule and we'll predict where this team
will be over the first month of the season. Will
also take a look at the numbers that Elie de
la Cruz has put together over the first month or
over the course of spring training. From an NFL standpoint,
there are remaining free agents. Do any of them fit

(02:23):
what the Cincinnati Bengals need. We'll get a Trey Hendrickson update.
It's Monday, which means we have a mock draft Monday
to get to and James Rapen asked earlier today. If
the Bengals were to not make another substantial free agent signing,

(02:44):
how would you grade their offseason. This goes to the
bigger question of are the Bengals running it back? And
if so, why we'll dive into that today. It's, of course,
now into the Sweet sixteen. This is a This is
a tough day because if you're like most or you're
like me, and you go from four straight days of

(03:05):
just consuming as much college basketball as possible and then
you get to this Monday and it's nothing. You get
nothing from a men's college basketball standpoint. There are women's
college games going on. We'll take a look at the
women's tournament as well, but we will update the NCAA
tournament and we will reset the field. Other college basketball news,

(03:27):
the portal is open, Yes, the transfer portal. This may
be news to you. It was news to John Calipari,
who was celebrating a victory over Saint John's over the
weekend when he was told the portal was opening on Monday.
He said, well, how am I supposed to coach and
get ready for the Sweet sixteen and hit the transfer portal.
It's one of the dumbest things I've heard in men's

(03:47):
basketball or college sports, and there's a lot of them.
The portal being open right now is absolutely insane, and
of course we have to talk about what's going on
at Xavier. Sean Miller reportedly is going to be the
next head coach at Texas. Now this is interesting Austin

(04:09):
because it is being widely reported all across college basketball.
I've not yet seen anything official from Texas. I've not
yet seen an official statement from Xavier, so it is speculation.
It does seem like this is happening, but it is
not official yet. If it becomes official or we'll just

(04:32):
kind of look down this path as well. A lot
of folks out there believe that it's Chris Mack's job
to turn down. A lot of folks have an opinion
on if it should be Chris Mack if Sean Miller leaves.
And of course the underlying issue here for both Texas
and Xavier is the portal being open and the minutes,

(04:57):
the hours, the days that now go by while you
try to get this sorted out. Our days you're missing
out with a coach in place to go get guys
out of the transfer portal, which is such a huge
part of college basketball right now.

Speaker 4 (05:10):
I'm curious to know how Xavier fans feel about Sean
Miller potentially leaving because I've read some stuff, I've heard
some stuff today that I don't necessarily agree with about
the way Xavier fans should feel. Okay, So because of that,
it's our Revivefitnesssystems dot com poll question presented by Revivefitnessystems

(05:31):
dot Com and coach PJ.

Speaker 2 (05:32):
Street.

Speaker 4 (05:33):
How should Xavier fans feel about Sean Miller potentially leaving
for Texas? Options are pissed, indifferent, sad, or expected not surprised.
You can vote at Audiel Moore at ESPN fifteen thirty
at Tony Underscore Pike fifty.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
So far, no one is sad about it. Yeah, no
one is sad.

Speaker 4 (05:55):
I think my answer here would be expected, not surprised. Yeah,
I mean, and that's just how it goes in college sports. Sure,
and he did this once before, correct.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
So over the course of the weekend, FC Cincinnati played
to a draw. Are we worried about FC Cincinnati? Not yet?
Too early? Too early to worry about FC Cincinnati. Tiger
Woods made an announcement over the weekend. He took to
social media. He confirmed his relationship with former daughter in

(06:28):
law of President Donald Trump. Put on social media said quote,
love is in the air and life is better with
you by my side. We look forward to our journey
through life together. He added, at this time, we would
appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts. Not
sure what that means from a post, but that's Tiger
Wood's major announcement. Ask a question, Sure, who cares? Sure

(06:49):
it's Tiger Woods though anything Tiger Woods, I don't unless
he made that post.

Speaker 4 (06:53):
Tiger's personal life has been in the news more than
most because of his multiple shortcomings.

Speaker 2 (06:59):
And I get it.

Speaker 4 (07:00):
She's related to to Donald Trump, connected to Donald Trump,
so I.

Speaker 2 (07:06):
Get made it more newsworthy. That's what made me confused, Like,
who cares? Why even throw it out there? Yeah, that's
what I didn't understand. Over the weekend, found out that
Jamis Winston is a giant. Go Jameis Jamis to the
Big Apple.

Speaker 4 (07:22):
That would be fun. It's going to be fun. Yeah,
I'm a Jamis guy. I do like Jamis. We talked
on Friday on the show.

Speaker 2 (07:29):
Again, if you were if you came out to Oakley Greens,
we appreciate it that was an awesome show. I had
a lot of fun talked on that show about Aaron
Rodgers in Pittsburgh meeting. There's still no word on what
happened or what came about from that meeting, So that
is something to uh to kind of keep an eye on.

Speaker 4 (07:44):
How many wins is Jamis Winston worth to New York Giants, all.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
Of them at least three, maybe two. It's got to
be better than what they had, right. Would you take
Jameis Winston right now or Daniel Jones? I would take
Jameis me too.

Speaker 4 (08:01):
I would also take Jamis over Tommy DeVito and Drew
Locke and any of the other bums that ran out.

Speaker 2 (08:09):
There for the gym. Do you think my league neighbors
is happy?

Speaker 4 (08:11):
I would think so a little bit, has so much.
Jamis is the best quarterback, yeah, that they've had there
in a while.

Speaker 2 (08:18):
You're right from a women's tournament. I mentioned that women's
action is going on right now today. I saw over
the weekend Yukon, who, by the way, in the second
round is a twenty six and a half point favorite
over South Dakota State. They were I think I think

(08:38):
the line went off on something crazy like fifty or
forty four points against Arkansas State in their first round
matchup Austin. They covered that convincingly. They won one oh
three to thirty four. That's pretty good. That's a pretty
good first round matchup for the defense. I'm sorry, not
the defending champ, but that's a pretty good matchup for Yukon.
UCLA is the number one overall. See they're onto the

(09:00):
sweet sixteen in Michigan State. Old Miss are in action
right now. Another one seed South Carolina has advanced to
the Elite eight. Number two seeded Duke is there. Tennessee
has moved on Ohio State. Their season comes to a
close yesterday and a loss to Tennessee. Another number one
seed is Texas and the other one seed Austin is USC.

(09:23):
You know, you know who USC's best player is, Juju Watkins.
Did you see the video over the weekend of her
sitting next to Jadon Daniels. No, so, there's a video
of her out a game and she's sitting next to
Jaydon Daniels and they seem to be I don't know
if spitton's a word, but they seem to be enjoying
each other's company. Oh, and they go to a commercial

(09:43):
and they come back from the commercial and Jaydeon Daniels
mom is sitting in the middle of them. Oh that's awesome,
and they both have this like weird look on their face.
They're not talking anymore, they're quiet, but it was them laughing,
cozying up a little bit next to each other. And
the next break you see her his mom sitting right
in the middle. She already said this once. None's coming

(10:04):
in between him right now in the game. So shout
out to jayde Daniels mom. That is so funny. It was.

Speaker 4 (10:10):
You want to talking about man standing on business?

Speaker 2 (10:13):
She is? She is. That's really really funny. It was,
It was. It was funny funny to watch. It's also
concerning a little bit. He can handle his own meanness.

Speaker 4 (10:24):
Yeah, he can handle his own business. And by all accounts,
Juju is a wagon you would want to hit yourself too, sure,
I mean that's yeah, we're gonna She's not like, you know,
what's the word I'm looking for. Juju is not a
gold digger, you know what I'm trying to say. No,
she's gonna be a first round picker exactly because she's

(10:46):
gonna have her own gold he's good.

Speaker 2 (10:48):
Yeah. College basketball news outside of.

Speaker 4 (10:51):
Already talked way too much about dating and relationships in
the first ten minutes of this show.

Speaker 2 (10:56):
Ben McCollum, the Drake head coaches, the new head coach
at Iowa Ole miss last night and beating Iowa State
became the seventh SEC team into the Sweet sixteen. We'll
dive into those other teams as we go. Kentucky has
moved on to the sweet sixteen. Do you think Mark
Pope was feeling a little pressure because John Calipari made

(11:18):
it to the sweet sixteen and then his former team
BYU who he left, made it to the sweet sixteen,
and then he follows suit and makes it to the
sweet sixteen as well. We'll dive into that matchup. And
the historic run of Yukon has come to an end.
Their NCAA tournament run under Dan Hurley ended at the

(11:41):
hands of the Florida Gators in a awesome game. It
was a seventy seven seventy five loss. It ended a
thirteen game NCAA Tournament winning streak. Hurley said after there's
some honor I guess in the way that this went down.
It's a tough loss, but we played in a manner
that gave us a chance to win. I thought it

(12:03):
was interesting, Austin after the game, Listen to this statistic.
If you were as the thirteen game winning streak started,
if you were to bet one one hundred dollars on
Yukon covering the spread over the last three tournaments, and
you won and just rolled those winnings over, you would

(12:25):
have ended up with eight hundred and fifty four one
hundred and twenty three dollars. That ain't bad, it's pretty good.
That is unbelievable, unbelievable. Can I ever do something like that?
Problem is, I'd never let it ride. It would get
to a certain point. I'm like, I'm cashing this out.
I'm done with it. Many many college troops we're gonna

(12:47):
get to when we get back to start here today,
I want to get the Xavier conversation going. We obviously
have a lot to get to with Major League Baseball
because opening day is here this week. We've got a
ton to get to from an NFL state point. The
good news for you listening today, just Austin and I today,
no guest, we have talkbacks, but plenty of time for
you to call in five one three, seven, four, nine,

(13:10):
fifteen thirty. You know, Austin. On Friday, we head on
the show with us the voice of the common Xavier fan.
You guys kind of buried the hatchet. Yeah, it was
a it was a beautiful moment, but we kind of
asked God, what would have happen?

Speaker 3 (13:24):
You know?

Speaker 2 (13:24):
Will he be checking in on Monday? Will he check
in with a talkback today? I'd like to know his feelings.
I want to know other feelings of Xavier basketball fans.
You know those same fans Austin that we hear that
leave talkbacks when you know things don't go well for you. See,
I want to hear from those Xavier fans today. I
want to hear your genuine thoughts on what's going on

(13:45):
with the program with Sean Miller. It's Chris Mack the
next guy. Are you happy about that? And how important
is timing and all of this knowing the urgency that's
needed in the transfer portal which is now open. Any
other portal news that comes about, we'll get to you.
Any updates with Sean Miller, we'll get to you. But
now let's take our first break. When we come back,

(14:06):
a look at the Sweet sixteen recapping everything that happened
over the weekend and looking ahead to what's next. Right
here on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station, a service
of Skyline Chile Team thirty.

Speaker 5 (14:18):
One bucket to keep it season alive, gi Lespie, from
the out of Pounds to.

Speaker 2 (14:24):
The Freshman Clean Who's trying to clo.

Speaker 6 (14:30):
On the right side of a buzzer beater with life
head to the Sweet sixteen.

Speaker 2 (14:38):
That the sound last night as Maryland knocks off Colorado
State the possession before Colorado State hit a three to
go up by one. You get the true March madness
buzzer beater last night. And you know what I heard
from that Austin, Just people bickering and complaining on social
media on whether he traveled or not. We just can't

(15:00):
enjoy anything we want. I saw all weekend. Oh that
there's not enough upsets. It's not a fun tournament. It's boring.
All the favorites are winning. And then here's madness, here's
a buzzer beater, and then we got to talk about it.
If he traveled or not.

Speaker 4 (15:14):
Yeah, people complained about the call and about the travel
or lack thereof, whatever.

Speaker 2 (15:20):
You want to say. Unbelievable.

Speaker 4 (15:21):
There is no satisfying everybody. There is nothing, never going
to have nothing. From a satisfaction standpoint, let's uh, let's
reset how we got here and where things stand going
into the Sweet sixteen. Austin that as we sit here today,
there is no eleven seed or higher in the Sweet

(15:43):
sixteen this year. There is ten seed at Arkansas, which
we'll get to in a second, and then the next
lowest seed are six seeds across the NCAA tournament. Auburn,
let's check in throughout the regions. Here how they got there.

Speaker 2 (15:56):
Auburn gets to the Sweet sixteen by beating Creighton eighty
two to seven. Michigan gets to the Sweet sixteen with
a ninety one to seventy nine victory over Texas A
and M in a game where Texas A and M
held the lead late before a huge Michigan run to
finish things off. The other two teams in the South
Region will be Old Miss, who did not let the

(16:19):
foot off the guests they stomped stomped Iowa State last
night ninety one seventy eighth. The game was never even
that close, but the Big twelve from a percentage standpoint,
has the highest winning percentage of any conference in the
NCAA tournament up to this point, New Mexico Richard Patino's
team held Michigan State, held a lead over Michigan State

(16:41):
at the half until Michigan State rallied. They advanced to
take on Old Miss. That's how the South Region Sweet
sixteen has set up. Duke had zero problem handling Baylor
eighty nine sixty six to the final. Duke advances to
the Sweet sixteen where they will face what I think
Austin's to be a phenomenal matchup Arizona, who went down

(17:02):
big against Oregon and then Caleb Love, the former North
Carolina tarheill remember that if they win, he gets a
chance to play Duke. He rolled Arizona wins. They advanced
to play Duke in the other East Sweet sixteen matchup
by you knocked off Wisconsin the three seed, and they
now await Alabama, who beat St. Mary's last night eighty

(17:26):
to sixty six. That's the top half of the bracket.
The bottom half. Florida came from behind to get a
win over Yukon seventy seven seventy five. They advanced to
take on the Call. You just heard Maryland who beats
Colorado State. That's Florida and Maryland over the weekend, and
the winners or the winner of that will take on

(17:48):
the winner of Texas Tech who beat Drake seventy seven
sixty four. They take on Austome. What I thought was the,
at least on paper, the game of the of the weekend,
Arkansas in Saint John's. It felt one of those games
like it was gonna be Rick Patino squad that comes
back in the second half like they have so many times.
But give credit to coach cal and Arkansas because they

(18:11):
they defended the run that Saint John's made and had
I think what might be the most impressive win of
the tournament up to this point, their seventy five sixty
six win over Saint John's that puts Arkansas against Texas
Tech and the Sweet sixteen.

Speaker 4 (18:26):
I was listening to the end of the Saint John's
game and they were interviewing Patino and prior to playing Arkansas,
and they asked him about it and he said that,
you know, that's the type of team that we have
not seen this year. Yeah, the athleticism, the size, the length,
they couldn't rebound against them, yeah, that Arkansas had. He

(18:49):
said that's going to be a really really big challenge
for us and the way that we're built, and he
was right. I mean I thought the way that they
were so active on defense and a good job getting
to the boards and all that. To say what Arkansas
made what two threes the entire game? Just a dominating
performance in that sense that they were able to score

(19:11):
out there other than from outside every time. Do you
consider Arkansas to be an underdog the rest of the way, Well.

Speaker 2 (19:19):
They're a five and a half point underdog against Texas Tech,
I know. But should they be no, because I think
they're healthier than they've been all year, right, I don't
think people realize how they've kind of been playing with
a little bit of a hand behind their back much
of the season. Remember they started SEC play zero to
five before going on a run. What I thought was
interesting was Saint John's Austin, as you kind of mentioned
all year. I've watched enough Saint John's to know that

(19:42):
they put a pressure on you. They get to the basket,
and they're more physical than their opponent. Arkansas was more physical.
Arkansas dominated the glass and R. J. Lewis Junior the
best player for Saint John's shot three of seventeen in
the game. That doesn't help either, But kudos to Arkansas

(20:02):
as they move on. And then finally in the Midwest,
it was Houston beating Gonzaga and Perdue beating McNeice, which
ends the Cinderella run of Will Wade, who is now
at nc State with unbelievable transparency. I appreciate everything Will
Wade did for the NCAA tournament and how open he

(20:25):
was to the media. I thought that was a welcome,
welcome sign to not play this whole well. I haven't
talked to NC State yet. No, he was open, he said,
the conversations happened. He's been open with his team and
I respect that completely. Houston Perdue is one of the
Sweet sixteen matchups. And then the final. How about this one, Austin.

(20:47):
You get Kentucky Tennessee Round three this year, Kentucky beats Illinois.
They really held Illinois and checked the whole game, as
did Tennessee in beating Mick Cronin's UCLA Bruins over the
weekend as well. Kentucky. Oddly enough, this will be the
third time they played Tennessee. They're two to zero against
Tennessee this season, but it's a much different animal. It's

(21:11):
hard to beat a team three times in a season.
It's hard to do so without Jackson Robinson as well.
But I was extremely impressed with the win last night
from Kentucky because I thought Illinois was an extremely tough matchup.
Kobe Brayle led the way with twenty three points for Kentucky,
but a balanced effort from the Wildcats. Taga Oway had fifteen,

(21:33):
Lamont Butler, playing injured, had fourteen. They got contributions all
over the court and it was a fun match. It
was a fun game to watch. Congratulations to Kentucky. Who
Austin do you know? This becomes the first team in
NCAA history to advance to the Sweet sixteen when they
returned zero percent of the previous year scoring. Wow. They

(21:56):
did not return a single point from a player that
contributed to that team last year. That's the first time
in NCAA history that a team makes a Sweet sixteen
while returning zero scoring from the year before. It's pretty amazing.
Shout out to the job that Mark Pope has done.
That is the field of sixteen. It is set. Those

(22:19):
games get underway Thursday. First one is at seven oh nine,
followed by seven thirty nine, nine thirty nine, ten oh nine,
late night Thursday, late night Friday, uh in the NCAA tournament.
Let's do this real quick. We're gonna talk about Sean Miller. Austin,
you and I were having a conversation with moeger Uh

(22:41):
in the hall before we came on air today, and
Mo has made this point on the show before, and
this kind of relates to what is happening right now
with Xavier and Sean Miller. Assuming that this happens, there
is never or there is rarely, and I don't say
never because there are different circumstances, but rarely, Austin, when

(23:03):
a coach leaves, is it going to be a a
good feel right? Very rarely? When a coach leaves to
take another job as a fan, are you gonna are
you gonna be happy? It just does? The endings don't
happen like that. And I say a couple circumstances, because
there are those situations.

Speaker 7 (23:21):
You know.

Speaker 2 (23:21):
Let's say Austin that that Tom Izzo next year, he
comes out and says, you know what, this is my
last year. I'm done after this year then I think
if you're a Michigan State fan, you kind of appreciate
the run that's happened. But that's if a coach is retiring.
If a coaches up and leaves, it's never going to
feel great. Thus, Sean Miller potentially doing that to Xavior
twice not going to feel good. It's why, and while

(23:46):
we'll talk about Sean Miller in a few minutes, it's
why Austin I have appreciated so much Will weigh this
whole process. Will Wade at McNee State has said, yeah,
I'm I've met with with with NC State, I've talked
to my players about it, and essentially has owned up
to the fact that McNee State is using him and
he's used McNee State to get to the next job. Yeah.

(24:09):
He's also been honest with his players when recruiting them, saying, hey,
come here, play for me for a year, dominate, and
then go somewhere bigger. He's playing the system. But it's
the honesty that throws everybody off. Why aren't more coaches
as honest as Will Wade has been in this process?

(24:29):
I don't know, that's my question.

Speaker 4 (24:31):
Like, I'm at the point now where I'm getting really
really tired of hearing people complain about the state of
college athletics right now. There is no end in sight.
There is no light at the end of the tunnel.
There is no belief that it is going to be
fixed anytime soon. And that is a legitimate grape. It's

(24:53):
a legitimate complaint, complaint, and I can understand why there
are college athletes at every level upset about that. But
in the meantime, you have to adapt and do and
play the game the best way possible. That's what Will
Wade is doing. And he is kind of just saying

(25:15):
the quiet part out loud, like coaches leave all the time.
The coaching portal, as it's known, has always been open.

Speaker 3 (25:26):
And.

Speaker 2 (25:28):
All of these.

Speaker 4 (25:30):
Players and coaches and the portal and nil and all
of it are just transactional relationships. One school is using
this player or this coach to get here, and this
player is using this school and this coach to get here.
Everyone's trying to make money, everyone's still trying to win,
but they're putting themselves first. More than any other time

(25:54):
in the history of college sports. A lot of this
stuff was already happening. It was just behind closed doors
and underneath tape and whatever you want to say. So
it's not going to change anytime soon. The teams and
the schools and the coaches and the players that adapt
to the system the best and are able to use

(26:15):
its I guess lack of structure to their advantage are
going to be the most successful.

Speaker 2 (26:21):
I just I mean, think about this.

Speaker 4 (26:23):
Even Will Wade is taking the student manager Yep, a
mere Khan, who is probably the story of college basketball
this week, the March madness guy that everyone It happens
every year, but one year it's Sister Jean, the next
year it's a mere Cohn. Or he's taking that guy,
the student manager, with him to NC State.

Speaker 2 (26:47):
Yep, he's playing the game. Listen. But here's why the
game can be played on both sides. I've said this before.
U see, I've played under Mark D'Antonio. We beat Rutgers.
He comes into the team meeting ram Awson, and he says,
I'm going to go listen to what Michigan State has
to offer. It's my dream job. But I wanted to
be transparent upfront with you. He talked to the players.

(27:07):
He was honest. Brian Kelly was not. Both left for
better jobs, but it was the way they left. Listen
to this stat and McNeese is using this And this
is why I say that everyone you can use everyone
else and you can still be successful. Will Wade said
that the footprint he's leaving is so that McNeese State
can be more successful going forward. Listen to these numbers.

(27:30):
McNeice tweeted this out, busting brackets and cash crashing websites.
Online interest in McNeese State has skyrocketed over two hundred
percent on social media, alongside over forty two thousand mentions online,
earning the equivalent of thirty six million dollars in paid advertising.

(27:51):
Come see what the buzz is about. Apply now they're
using it. It's not like Will Wade left them out
to dry. They're getting millions in millions and millions in
advertising and revenue because of this run. Yeah, and all
Will Wade was was honest, I'm taking this job because
I want to get back to the top. I'm not

(28:12):
gonna be here for a long time. But guess what,
Like any other coaching job Austin, if a coach comes
in and in a couple of years they're leaving, what's
that mean to the current school they're successful most of
the time, most of the time, most of the t
If you're leaving and taking a bigger job, then you've
had some success in your time as that coach. I'll
say this, If Scott Saderfield wins seven games this year

(28:35):
with you see, and the next year wins ten, guess
what he's going to be a hot commodity for other jobs.
That is just the nature of the business. If you're
Sean Miller and you go to Xavier and you make
a Sweet sixteen and you get back to the NCAA tournament,
your name is going to be a hot commodity, whether
you just you know, if you planted roots here and

(28:57):
you're coming back for the second time. This is how
college sports is always going to operate. I would just
appreciate a little bit of the honesty going forward. That's
what's missing. That's what drives so much anger.

Speaker 4 (29:10):
You kind of just you're at this point where if
you're one of those schools, and even Xavier to an extent,
zavis a little bit different because they're in a major conference,
but they are, whether you like it or not, probably
viewed as a stepping stone job. Okay, that's probably how
they are viewed to a lot of coaches around the country,

(29:31):
and so now not just Xavier, but the small schools
like the McNeese, like Drake, like whatever their goal is. Hey,
let's get a good coach in here. Let's maybe make
a run in the tournament. We'll go get all these
advertising dollars that comes with being in the NCAA tournament.
We might win a game or two and then get
the money from winning tournament games that comes with that,

(29:53):
and then get another good coach in here and do
it all over again, and maybe, just maybe one day
you get a magical run where you do make it
to the final four, or you do make it to
the national championship. That's basically that's the game right there
for those mid major schools. And I'm not telling anybody
anything they don't already know. But that's how it's going
to be. And I don't know how if you're Xavier

(30:16):
you get past what they are now, which is a
step above that but below the elite of the elite. Yeah,
I don't know how you make the change make up
the ground there.

Speaker 2 (30:28):
Well, let's let's do this, because we got to come
back from break. But before we get to break, here
it is Paul Frischner, friend of the show, has just
tweeted out a few minutes ago. It is official. Sean
Miller is the new head coach at the University of Texas.
There is no more speculation, there's no more wondering. It

(30:49):
is official. According to Paul Fritchner, Sean Miller is the
head coach at Texas. Xavier now immediately begins the search
for Miller's replacement. We'll talk about what that means as
soon as we get back. It's since he three sixty.
I want to hear from you, Xavier Nation. What are

(31:10):
you feeling about this right now? Is it as simple
as Chris Mack being the next guy. We'll go into
that a little bit when we get back as well.
We'll take some phone calls. We're just getting started. It's
Sincy three sixty ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station, a
service of Skyline Chile.

Speaker 8 (31:25):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (31:39):
Welcome back, since He three sixty ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati's
Sports Station, a service of Skyline Chili. We'll get to
some Reds and Bengals as we go. Austin. The news
is now official. Sean Miller is the head coach of
the Texas Longhorns, leaving the Xavier Musketeers after his second
stint with the Xavier Musketeers. Fitting in a way Austin.

(32:02):
I saw this from Lance McAllister. You go back to
two thousand and six, on this day in Cincinnati sports history,
U see hired Mick cronin on this day in two
thousand and six. Come home, Mick. He went two ninety
six and one forty seven in thirteen years, leading the
Bearcats to the NCAA Tournament each of his final nine seasons.

Speaker 4 (32:23):
I don't have a dog in the fight in the
uc zavior fight. I really don't. I root for the show.
In that sense, nothing would be better than mccron coaching
the Musketeers.

Speaker 2 (32:34):
Oh my gosh, can you imagine?

Speaker 4 (32:35):
Revivefitnessystems dot com pole question? How should Xavier fans feel
about Sean Miller leaving for Texas right now? Forty two
percent say pissed? Secondly, though thirty six percent say expected,
not surprised, fourteen percent are indifferent, seven percent sad. You
can vote at Audio Moore at ESPN fifteen thirty at

(32:56):
Tony Underscore Pike fifteen.

Speaker 2 (32:58):
Can we add a second poll question? We can? You
want to go ahead and tweet it out. Well, here's
the thing, and I'm thinking of this because this is
kind of where the direction I want to go. Sean
Miller is the new coach at Texas. It feels like
all I've seen on social media is Chris Max going
to be the guy. Chris Mack's going to be the guy.

(33:19):
It's Chris Mack's job. Now, there are other names out
there that I would if I was in that position,
that I would listen or look to. I don't think.
I don't know how, and I know I don't even
think you could pry him away at this point. I
don't know how. You don't even call Pat Kelsey to
see if he wants to come home with what he's
done at Louisville. Now, the money and the nil might
make that impossible, but it's a call you at least

(33:39):
got to make. I've heard the name Luke Murray thrown
around a lot. Been an assistant knows this city, knows
the recruiting very well. But my question is is it
as simple with Chris Mack as many folks lead to believe.
And if you're a Xavier fan that once Chris Mack.
But you're also mad at what Sean Miller's doing. Are

(33:59):
you fully invested and under the impression that Chris Mack
wouldn't do the same thing. That's that's my biggest thing.
I was surprised because I put it out there yesterday
on where the hiring direction should go, and so many
people said, Chris Mac, Chris Mack, Chris Mack. So many
folks are mad that Sean Miller's leaving. Chris Mack will
do the same thing. That's what would happen. I Sean

(34:25):
Miller said all the right things, how he wanted to
be here forever, and he was so appreciative of the
second chance and coming home. This is what it was about.
And the second there was an opportunity, He's gone. It's
what happens in this sports world. I think personally, it's

(34:49):
it's just it's not lazy, but it's it's the easier
decision just to say, okay, let's go get Chris Mack
back then than to put out a search and find
the next best guy. And I do think, I do think,
as we talked about earlier, that the portal plays a
big role in this sure, you don't really have time
to do a week long coaching search with a bunch
of interviews, because the portal is already open. You've got hours,

(35:11):
maybe a day, and you've got to get it figured out.

Speaker 4 (35:14):
I think it also has to change the way athletic
directors view their programs. You should have a big board
with potential candidates at all times.

Speaker 2 (35:25):
That was the talk of the Texas ad. Yeah, his history,
He's got the guy lined up before he even fires
a coach. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (35:31):
And whether or not you agree Sean Miller is the
right guy for that job. That's kind of the way
all ads are going to have to operate from here
on out. You're gonna have to have a list of
guys that you are almost always talking to because you
never know when your guy's gonna bail and you've got
to quickly be able to replace him because of the
portal schedule like that. That has to play a role

(35:55):
in the way that you operate your athletic department moving forward,
and primarily any football or basketball or anywhere else like that.
That's a huge part of it moving forward. And so
I wonder how prepared Xavier was for this. Yeah, And
you let's say, let's go back right before the first
four when those articles were coming out about Rodney Terry

(36:17):
need to win multiple games, and there was just this
hint of belief that maybe Sean Miller could be on
that list.

Speaker 2 (36:24):
Sure well, clearly that was true.

Speaker 4 (36:28):
At that point, did Xavier start asking around do they
already have a quick list?

Speaker 2 (36:33):
And I don't.

Speaker 4 (36:36):
This is not to go against Chris Mack. I don't know,
Chris Mack. I'm sure people would feel less than thrilled.
And I know you're gonna put the pole question out there. Xavier,
is a good enough job where you could attract a
good coach, Like, it's not where it's like, oh crap,
we got to go to Chris Mack. And Chris Mack's

(36:58):
a really good coach and was a one seed Xavier
or earlier on in his career. But it's a job
that's good enough to where it's like you probably don't
have to press the panic button right away.

Speaker 2 (37:08):
Yeah, you know, it's crazy, Austin.

Speaker 4 (37:12):
Is it worth taking a year where maybe you lose
some guys in the portal, but you get a new
coach because you know he can turn it around so
quickly in the portal the following year. Yeah, that's the thing.
Is it worth it to wait it out then to
hire a coach.

Speaker 2 (37:25):
That's the hard part is that you're not just dealing
with a coaching search anymore. You're dealing with having to
keep pace with the portal. And I think it's dumb
and irresponsible and so many other things that the portal
even opens today. As these coaches that should be rewarded
for making the Sweet sixteen now got to get prepared
for the Sweet sixteen and get into the portal. That's
the first mistake. What's also interesting in what's happened over

(37:47):
the weekend Austin. You know, in twenty seventeen, Sean Miller,
Will Wade Rick Patino, you know, they were all being
investigated by the FBI. Now Patino just lost with one
of the best teams in the country, will Wait as
a NC state and Sean Miller is now back at

(38:07):
the national level with Texas after being given that opportunity,
Xavier brought him back home, gave him the second opportunity
after he up and left, ripped the hearts out of
so many Xavier fans by leaving, he comes back, He's
given another opportunity and he does the same thing again.

(38:28):
What makes you ever believe that it'll be different, you
asked before the show, Austin, and I think it's a
good question. How many jobs in college basketball do we
talk about the same in college football that are just
untouchable dream jobs? Yeah, I mean at Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia.

Speaker 4 (38:44):
Let's just football. Let's just look at it from a
basketball perspective. There's only a handful of jobs that when
you get hired, the only way you're leaving is if
you get fired. Correct, North Carolina, Duke, Kansas May, Michigan State.
I mean, Izzo has has earned his way to that.
What are the other ones? Are there any other ones?

(39:06):
I don't know, Ucla maybe, I don't know. That's not
what it used to be.

Speaker 2 (39:10):
So there's only most of them before the show. Patino
left Kentucky before right.

Speaker 4 (39:15):
Right now, Mark Pope, I don't see him leaving because
he's you know, obviously has the history of playing for Kentucky.
But there's only a few of those jobs that it's
either going to end with you leaving going after one
of those jobs or a bigger job or whatever, or
you get fired.

Speaker 2 (39:36):
Yeah, like it it is.

Speaker 4 (39:41):
You have to, I think if you're athletic departments, because
now I'm looking at them, we want to make coaches
out to be the villains here or the players to
be the villains in the portal. The athletic departments have
to start fighting fire with fire. Be ready to go
like you should know, oh that it's never going to

(40:01):
end well, and you are ready to pivot to the
next thing, or the next person or the next player
at all times.

Speaker 9 (40:06):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (40:08):
It's one of the harder things about college sports Austin,
because anytime you're faced with that, you immediately asked the question.
Out of school like Xavier and a school like you see,
I've lived it. It's my team, my whole life. When
a team starts having prolonged success, you have to worry
about the coaches that are going to come calling. I
saw it with Luke Fickle with with every win that

(40:29):
piled on was more stress about the schools that were
going to come knocking. I saw it with Mick Cronin.
It's just it is the nature of what it was. Now.
Oddly enough, Huggins was probably one of those rare ones
that would have stated at Cincinnati his entire career and
things not transpired the way they did, but you just
don't find that much. And now with the Xavier Musketeers,

(40:51):
it's a hard day. But I want to hear from
you on what you think the best course of action
is going forward as you try to now fill the
void left as Sean Miller has officially now taken the
job at the University of Texas to be a Longhorn,
leaving Xavier here on the first day of the portal

(41:11):
being open without a head coach in place for next season,
We'll take one more break, We'll come back. We've got
phone calls, We've got Reds, We've got Bengals, and so
much more in between. Five on, three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty It's since E three to sixty thanks to
Skyline Chili on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. Come

(41:42):
welcome back, since E three sixty ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati
Sports Station, a service of Skyline Chili. Anytime you're feeling
good and hungry at Skyline time, will open up our
number two with the phone lines. Five one, three, seven,
four nine, fifteen thirty eight. I saw Austin as we
finish out this conversation for now on on Xavier and

(42:04):
Sean Miller. I saw a tweet here that says from
b Mack, I'm the type of Xavier fan who hates
U see. I root for their field hockey team to
go oh for however many games they play. However, I
now have a more hated team, the Texas Longhorns. If
you see in Texas were to play and Sean Miller's
the coach, give me you see all day. This coming

(42:25):
from a Xavier fan, what dislikes you see? My question
is why is Texas to blame here? Texas sing singled
out the guy they wanted, They made an offer and
he accepted. What is Texas supposed to do? Why do
you hate Texas? That's stupid. Are doing their job, that's it,

(42:49):
that's it. Texas has nothing to do with this, right.
Why is Texas in the wrong here? That's insane to me?

Speaker 4 (42:57):
Unless you, unless you're you know, transitive property using, you
hate Sean Miller? Yeah, I guess I just I would
just say I hate. I hope Sean Miller loses every
gaming play.

Speaker 2 (43:10):
It's insane.

Speaker 4 (43:12):
I feel bad for the Texas men's basketball radio team.

Speaker 2 (43:17):
What is that? Because they'll never get to talk to
the head coach of Texas again. Man, that's tough. That's tough.
Feel bad for their listeners. I feel bad for that,
And I feel bad for Xavier fans. They're they're they're
gonna be in their fields today. And as a UC fan,
I know all too well about this coaching search thing.
It does put emphasis on the athletic director. You do this,

(43:39):
you better make sure from an athletic director standpoint that
you have it right when you go through the hiring process.
Or I guess in this point, maybe the re hiring process.
Uh if it is Chris Mack for Xavier. Poll question
two point zero is out thanks to revia Fitnessystems dot
Com and our guy PJ. Street. If uh if? Now

(44:01):
with Sean Miller being gone, the coaching search is open.
Is it as easy as Chris Mack returning to the Musketeers.
That's for you to vote on at Tony Underscore Pike fifteen.
I'm sure Austin will retweet it as well.

Speaker 10 (44:13):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (44:13):
We are going to our number two. We'll take your
phone calls five, one, three, seven, four, nine, fifteen thirty.
We've got Reds, Bengals and more. To get to. As
we get going on our number two next since E
three to sixty thanks to Skyline Chile on ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station u s K.

Speaker 11 (44:28):
Wise Cincinnati, make us the number one preset on your
car radio and on the free new and improved iHeartRadio app.
Free never sounded so good, ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (44:38):
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Speaker 1 (45:35):
Cincy three sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati, sponsored in part
by Cinci Shirts Cinci Shirts all since E all day.
This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 2 (45:51):
Welcome back. It's our two of three year on Sincy
three sixty ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station and a
service of our good friends at Cincy Shirts. Very appreciative
of everything Sinty Shirts does for this show. Also thanks
to our friends at Cinty Shirts. If you are heading
Opening Day, if you're heading down to Smoke Justice to

(46:14):
see our broadcast on opening Day from noon to three,
or you're going to be around the banks anywhere, stop
at Sinty Shirts on the way and make sure you're
ready with any of their Reds baseball collection. It's phenomenal.
Check out Sincy Shirts any of the retail locations or
visit sintishirts dot com to find out more.

Speaker 4 (46:33):
You have your fit ready for opening Day yet not yet? Okay,
not yet, just wondering shoes are ready? The rest is
not same.

Speaker 2 (46:41):
This is a different opening day. I don't have Opening
day tickets. Normally I have tickets, but I don't think
I'm going to the game this year. All right, So
then the question remains, do you walk a block on
a bridge, hang out for a while, watch the game
somewhere or do you try to get home and be
able to watch and listen to the radio for the Reds.

Speaker 4 (46:58):
What I need is what was that little thing we
took from Smoke Justice to back to the other side
of the river.

Speaker 2 (47:05):
I think it was like a rigshaw. It's one of.

Speaker 4 (47:08):
Those little things that they drive drunk people around. Yeah,
and we hopped in one of those and they drove
us across the bridge.

Speaker 2 (47:14):
That saved me so much time. And it's not even
bad A block in a bridge, isn't It's.

Speaker 4 (47:18):
Not even that bad. But like, I need one of
those because I do have tickets to the game. Oh
and I'm gonna we have more people that I know
going to like basically all of Sydney is going to
the game.

Speaker 2 (47:29):
Nice. My whole crew is coming down, So I'm fired up. Man.
We're gonna spend more time talking about this week and
the Reds and much more going forward. Let's take ourselves
a phone call while we've got a chance. Jeff is
calling in. What's up, Jeff?

Speaker 12 (47:44):
Happy Monday?

Speaker 13 (47:44):
Jen?

Speaker 2 (47:45):
Yes, so Joy Thursday. Definitely, thank you.

Speaker 14 (47:50):
I think our guy definitely did walk on that play
last night, but the rest that game was wide open
called from the get go. Yes, that that number ten
guy for Colorado State gave a WWL WWC elbow to
one of our guys would have been a flavor two
and they didn't call it. So it is what it is.

(48:11):
You know, it's too bad. That's what people are talking about.

Speaker 15 (48:14):
Though.

Speaker 14 (48:15):
You think about the right handed guy falling away left
hand side of the backboard, putting in a bank shot
at the.

Speaker 2 (48:21):
Opposite foot, jumping off the right foot, going away from
his dominant hand.

Speaker 16 (48:25):
It was an incredible shot, exactly exactly so I think
under Austin's second poll I just posted, does Xavier really
want to be known to be like the carousel at
the Zoo?

Speaker 12 (48:36):
As far as their basketball coaching?

Speaker 14 (48:37):
Job.

Speaker 2 (48:38):
Yeah, I mean that's the worry. If I'm a Xavier fan,
and I think Austin made a good point. Are you
willing to sacrifice maybe a season of struggles if it
means getting the right guy in place? Or are you
so worried about the transfer porter that you just have
to go to something that is familiar, which would be
Chris Mack, so that you don't miss out on the

(49:00):
transfer portal. I do think some of this is on
the NCAA because I don't think it's right that there
are teams that are still playing in the sweet sixteen
that also have to try to navigate that the transfer portal.
I think it should be done. I think it should
be open when the college basketball season ends for everyone.
I don't think that's right from the NCAA, but I
do think it makes some of these decisions tougher. Oh,

(49:25):
it looks like we lost lost Jeff. I hope he
answered this question. I did too, he was able to
hear the answer distinction.

Speaker 4 (49:32):
The other thing about the Chris Mack thing is there's
no guarantee that he's this elite guy in the portal either. Yeah,
I mean he's been back for a year. They had
a good year at Charleston. I mean, who's to say
that he's going to come in and just dominate the
transfer portal?

Speaker 2 (49:48):
Right?

Speaker 4 (49:49):
I mean we saw a guy come in from a
small school like that and bring a bunch of his
guys with him at you see, and didn't go so great.

Speaker 2 (49:56):
Yeah, right, it is, Uh, it's it's a slippery slope
in my opinion. You know, it's one thing to just say, yep,
these you can't miss out on the portal. That's why
you got to go there, and you got to go
there quickly. Our guy, Rick Broering Musketeer Report dot com
already has his coaching board up and live. Chris mack, Luke, Murray,

(50:19):
Alan huss At high Point is a name that's rising up.
Richard Patino Junior, Tony Skin, Drew Valentine, Jeff Bowles, Adam Cohen,
Dante Jackson all names on the big board for our guy,
Rick Broing that he's put out with a Musketeer Report.
So go check out that. Check out friend of the show,

(50:40):
Rick Brouring and see what he's got to say with it.
There you go. That will We'll take your phone calls
along the way today if you want to talk about
the Chris Mack, the Sean Miller, everything that's developing with
Xavier and Miller leaving to Texas. We'd more than happy
to take your phone calls five one, three, seven, four, nine,
fifty thirty. I want to be able to spend more

(51:02):
time today on the Cincinnati Red so we'll do much
of our number three on the Red Legs. Which leads me,
Austin to a conversation that I see you've been partaking
on social media with a little bit right now, and
I saw stuff over the weekend as it pertains to
Trey Hendrickson. Yesterday, Jeremy Faller appeared on Sports Center Sunday

(51:27):
morning and had this to say on Trey Hendrickson. There's interest,
there's trade interest from other teams to make this work,
but it would take a really hefty trade package. Teams
aren't willing to do that from a contract standpoint, to
trade for him and then pay Hendrickson right now. Fowler
goes on to say, as much as I want to

(51:49):
go with the field, I still think the Bengals can
work something out for a new deal. It's been stagnant
as of late. Talks have stalled, but they have a
couple months at to try and shake this out and
get a new deal done. A couple things from this
latest report from Jeremy Fowler. One, I don't want it
to take a couple months because the longer it goes,

(52:09):
the more distraction and the more comments, and the more
it becomes a talking point that shouldn't have to be
a thing for the Cincinnati Bengals. It creates distractions. We
saw what distractions did to this team last year. Number Two,
I just don't know the leverage Trey Hendrickson has here
the Bengals. They granted his request, they allowed him to

(52:29):
go seek a trade, They got nothing in return. He's
under contract for the twenty twenty five season at this point, Austin,
Is there any side that you view where Trey Hendrickson
has leverage against the Bengals? No, not really. You think
he's gonna retire? No? I don't either, and m'd be
willing to bet that the Bengals are are gonna bet

(52:51):
on that as well.

Speaker 4 (52:51):
I think the most likely outcome is that these talks
get nowhere and Trey is like, all right, I don't
want to play on this deal, but I don't really
have a choice, and he will not participate in training camp,
basically do what Jamar Chase did, show up, play the

(53:12):
season and then leave.

Speaker 2 (53:15):
On that though I can I ask you a point
of rebuttal to that. Okay, new defensive coordinator, new defensive system.
Defense was awful last year. Can you afford to not
have Trey Hendrickson practicing a training camp? From the Bengals perspective? Yeah,
from a team standpoint, from a defense standpoint, from al
golden standpoint, who's trying to piece this together with what

(53:37):
feels more and more is the day passed, the day's
pass like pretty much the same roster coming back. Can
you afford with a new defensive coordinator to go into
training camp without your best player?

Speaker 4 (53:47):
I would say no, but it depends what you do
in the draft. Would you rather do that or give
the guy sixty five million dollars?

Speaker 2 (53:54):
So that's the hard part, that's the dilemma. And I
think that probably is the footing that Trey Hendrickson would heay,
you need me at training camp? You need me? That
is probably the only leverage correct because even if it's
a rookie, when the season starts, you're going to start
the rookie over try.

Speaker 4 (54:11):
But also, I mean the Bengals have said it without
saying it. They like Joseph Osai, they like Miles Murphy,
and they're probably gonna draft one. So in their sense,
and also by firing lu Ana Rumo was about getting
more out of young players, so they might be looking
at it saying, listen, hey, if Trey shows up, great,
If he doesn't, that's all right. We spent a draft

(54:34):
pick and we spend some money to get these guys back,
and we think that they're on the verge of breaking out.
I'm telling you that that's probably the mindset that they
are going to have, right, wrong or indifferent.

Speaker 2 (54:45):
That's probably how they're viewing it. And I guess it's
one thing. If under Luyanna Rumo he was the one
trick kind of guy, line up in the same spot,
rush from the same spot. If he's going to be
that under Al Golden, then it probably doesn't make as
big of an issue. But if there was any thought
in moving him inside, moving him to the opposite side

(55:05):
of the line, then you need him practicing at training camp.
So I guess a lot of it as well comes
down to what the Bengals want and envision themselves doing
with Trey Hendrickson on Al Gold's defense. I think that
is going to be vitally important. We'll take a look
later in the show of remaining free agents. Maybe there's

(55:25):
a fit still out there that would make sense, and
I think it's fair as we go in. James Rapine,
a friend of the show here, tweeted out earlier today,
asked about the Cincinnati Bengals off season up to this point,
he put it into poll question you could find it
at James Rapine. He said, if the Bengals don't make

(55:47):
another significant addition in free agency, what grade would you
give their free agent class? Above average, exceptional, below average,
awful or average? And those are with grades right now,
ninety two percent of the grades forty nine percent give

(56:08):
them a D or an F below average to awfal
forty three percent of the votes say average. That leads
eight percent to view what the Bengals have done in
free agency above average or exceptional, which drives the remaining
question home to me Austin. Outside of the flashy signing
of Jamar Chasin t Higgins, it feels more and more

(56:31):
likely that this team is set on bringing back the
same roster, which would lead to me to believe that
at least somewhere in that organization they're looking back and saying,
you know what, if McPherson makes a couple kicks, if
we win a couple of those close games, we're a
team that is dangerous in the playoffs and we can
make those steps forward. It feels more like that team

(56:52):
coming back than the mindset we heard from Duke Tobin
when he took the podium of we've got to bring
other guys onto this roster because last year wasn't good enough.
Is that how you would see this shaking out to
this point?

Speaker 4 (57:04):
Yeah, I guess so. I mean, I feel like we've
had this conversation a thousand times. They're not that much better.
They're slightly better on defense. I would give them or
D or an F because they don't have starting quality
offensive linemen at any spot at either of the guard spots.
So yeah, I mean, it's impossible to say because the

(57:27):
offseason is not completed. It looks that way right now, yes,
because there's just, I guess, more questions than answers right now.
But they're also in need of players at positions in
which there is depth in the draft, and you cannot

(57:49):
rely solely on the draft because they've sucked at drafting.
But there is at least an opportunity to still acquire
impact players before the season starts. So it's incomplete, honestly.
But right now, in James's exercise, if there's no other
big additions, how would you vote? I'd say DRF dr

(58:11):
F because the teams in the AFC North are better,
the teams in the AFC are better, and the Bengals
are not.

Speaker 2 (58:17):
Yep. I think it's gonna be interesting to follow along
with because of what looms in the Trey Hendrickson decision.
As it pertains to Al Golden as well. Dave is
calling in right now. What's up, Dave.

Speaker 12 (58:32):
With you guys talking about the nil and the tournament
and whatnot. What do you guys think about just dumping
the mid majors, having the five major conferences in there,
get rid of their league tournaments so you can start
the tournament a little bit early. I know there's a
lot about money in the mid majors and whatnot, but
you know, I kind of think, out of the five

(58:54):
big teams or the big conferences, the very worst team
in all those five conferences, if they had to play
a schedule with the twenty three mid majors that made
the tournament this year, they could have probably been eighteen
and five against them. So are we really getting, you know,
the best teams in the tournament. And I know it's

(59:15):
about money in mid majors, but give the mid majors
their own tournament, but have the big five, you know,
play it out.

Speaker 2 (59:23):
Yeah, Dave, I appreciate the phone call, thank you. I
just I think what goes away with that, Austin is
so much about what makes this beautiful, this this sport,
in this tournament, And I do wonder in the NIL
world has that changed a little bit of what has
made March Madness so spectacular in the past, where you
do get the upsets and things like that. But I'm

(59:44):
not going to jump to the conclusion of one year
where you don't see the eleven seeds or the mid
majors make the run and say, well you got to
do away with it.

Speaker 4 (59:51):
Yeah, I mean this, In two thousand and eight, all
four number one seeds made the final four. In two
thousand and seven, we had or just what seven years ago,
we had an almost identical bracket to what we have
right now. This happening once every few years is not
an indicator, is not indicative of a trend, right. I
think that the NIL and portal era make the mid

(01:00:12):
majors stronger now, it could also make the schools at
the bottom of the best conferences stronger, like kind of
we're talking about with the SEC, where all of a
sudden it's on a much more equal playing field both
in football and in basketball. But overall it can help
the mid majors, I think, to become better programs altogether.

(01:00:33):
It's too early to tell. I think the full impact
of this we may not see that for a few years.
But I don't think that this is a bad thing.
Like you look at the matchups like they're as good
as it gets.

Speaker 2 (01:00:45):
That's the thing. Like I love the Cinderella story, I
really do. I think it is.

Speaker 4 (01:00:51):
There is there any team out that was eliminated this
weekend that you're like, gosh, that team really could have
won that.

Speaker 2 (01:00:56):
After no, no, So I look, now we get Auburn
versus Michigan, we get Duke versus Arizona, you get Florida, Maryland, Houston, Purdue, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas.
Tech talks these matchups are great. It's gonna be competitive,
it's gonna be fun, it's gonna be two days of
madness on Thursday and Friday.

Speaker 17 (01:01:16):
It's just.

Speaker 2 (01:01:18):
It's good. If you're a fan of basketball, you should
be elated at the matchups you get to see on
Thursday and Friday. Just because there's there's that one off
does not mean you pull the plug and have to
restart and and and bring this back to ground zero.
NCAA Tournament's fine. It's good where it's at now. If

(01:01:40):
you're one that complains that there's not enough buzzer beaters
or excitement, then don't be the same person that complains
that there's a travel or no travel. When that buzzer
beater happens, that just seems a little bit out of touch.
But other than that, just enjoy the basketball. I contend Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
It's it's a fun, fun weekend on so many different levels.

(01:02:04):
Just enjoy it. And then having to deal with the
days now where you don't get basketball for a couple
of days makes you want that Thursday and Friday even more.
And oh, by the way, you get Opening Day thrown
in on Thursday as well. We'll talk much more about
Opening Day as we go, but when we get back
the Monday edition of Talkbacks ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station,

(01:02:25):
thanks to our friends at CINCI.

Speaker 1 (01:02:27):
Show Act on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 7 (01:02:32):
All Right, bough, let me hear you good loud, oh
wand too ah free, Let's listen to some tow backs.
Let listen to the clouds. Get me a bud of

(01:02:54):
Supprad Jones. We hope those other two due nevern't come
back because it's ruth totally.

Speaker 18 (01:03:05):
All ohing comes close to the show.

Speaker 7 (01:03:11):
We got hack right, Hello, over.

Speaker 19 (01:03:16):
Stars over talk.

Speaker 7 (01:03:18):
Back show, rads, weeld rads.

Speaker 2 (01:03:23):
Well, Oh, Reds win. It's a big week for Harry Carry,
It's a big week for the Reds, and it's a
big week for you talkbackerscause you get the opportunity to
win a Cini Schurch gift card on Friday with the
best talk back of the week.

Speaker 20 (01:03:38):
Yeah, Gentleman Craig and the Creek. It is a beautiful,
poetic day in the Natty. It was almost worth Xavior
getting their victory parade just to watch it devolve into
this Steve Wilcos episode where your man left you again

(01:03:59):
for the better looking girl.

Speaker 2 (01:04:01):
Enjoy that walk of shame, Muskies. Wow, you got some
makeup on your cheek now. I viewed a little bit today, Austin.
I wondered a little bit today if we would get
some rebuttals from, you know, people that aren't Xavier fans
about what's happened over now last days.

Speaker 4 (01:04:20):
If you're a UC fan, you do have like this
is good for you. You know, you beat Xavier in
the Crosstown shootout and now Sean Miller has left, you're
feeling good. If you're a Ucy f no, I still don't. However,
no school in the history of college athletics has less

(01:04:40):
room to talk about coaches leaving for a better system,
or a better program, or a better school than Cincinnati.
Some would say, some would say that's what you see
is known for more than anything else.

Speaker 21 (01:04:56):
Toby Austin, Happy Monday, Jadny from out out here?

Speaker 22 (01:05:01):
Who would make a better coach for the Xavier most
tears ballin ain't easy?

Speaker 5 (01:05:06):
Or Tony Pike?

Speaker 22 (01:05:07):
Wow?

Speaker 23 (01:05:08):
Also, if the Cowboys offer you Micah Parsons for Trey
Hendrickson and your first.

Speaker 9 (01:05:14):
Round pick, the Bengals obviously should take that right.

Speaker 2 (01:05:19):
Is that even a realistic trade or would we have
to give way more? What are your thoughts? Scooting one
From a head tend standpoint, balling ain' easy wouldn't get
a job because I would pull up the Memorial Day
results and that would squash him from the running two.
I I don't know what the overall number would be

(01:05:40):
that the Bengals won in return for Trey Hendrickson from
a draft picks standpoint, but for a team that only
has six draft picks and needs more, I don't think
that the picks would be the the defining factor. I
know that the report was out there that they wanted
a first, but I think if you came with a
high second and maybe another one for the Bengals, they
would do that. The hard thing is is that Trey
Hendrickson wants the deal in place as well. I think

(01:06:03):
that's gonna be a major sticking point. There's nothing due
with draft picks. They're not gonna pay Michael Parsons. If
they're not gonna pay Trey Henderson, this is not gonna happen.

Speaker 4 (01:06:10):
It would be you would just go backwards essentially, because
Parsons would want basically a contract like Jamar Chase.

Speaker 2 (01:06:19):
They're not gonna do that, and I gonna take everybody.
Hows your brackets looking?

Speaker 22 (01:06:24):
Mine?

Speaker 24 (01:06:24):
Not so good?

Speaker 25 (01:06:25):
Had Satan John's make it to the final four, but
they up and left like a fart and a win.

Speaker 2 (01:06:29):
Maybe we should call them the eighth Johns UK Wow
Cat back to.

Speaker 25 (01:06:33):
The Sweet sixteen first time since twenty nineteen. All they
had to do was move on from Cow and a
calf had to do make it back was move on
from UK. Hey, fellas we are three Ken Griffy Junior, Scooter,
Jennett and essel Craft, three days away from our red
legs open the day.

Speaker 2 (01:06:49):
Let's go on, Kevin.

Speaker 26 (01:06:52):
Hey, guys, you know I'm still trying to figure out
what a passenger princess and a lambeau or lamb chop is.

Speaker 2 (01:07:02):
Can you fill me in with that one? Audie help
me out here? What's he talking about? I don't know?
I don't either.

Speaker 27 (01:07:09):
Hi, Tony and Austin, I hope you had a great weekend.
Basketball was fine, go UK being the team they should be.
So we'll see what happens. Hey, Tony, I got a
bone to pick with you. You said, oh, there's nothing
on this Monday.

Speaker 28 (01:07:22):
Oh, no, no, it's that you let down or whatever.

Speaker 27 (01:07:25):
And then you went, oh, I better slipping that women's basketball.
It was on, you know, not unusual. I watched CBS
morning they had all men's highlights, nothing on women.

Speaker 2 (01:07:38):
Go. I didn't realize it was on today, especially this
early miscin State down twenty five to nine. After our
first cool.

Speaker 4 (01:07:45):
I told him during the pre show meeting Lynn Man,
I said, they got women's college basketball. We got go
over to that too, and he just scoffed at men's state.

Speaker 27 (01:07:55):
Sorry. I beat down on you about not mentioning the
women's and then you know, ten minutes later you went
into a women's digest on the on the college basketball tournament.
Uh huh, thank you, thank you, Tony, Thank you, Tony,
Thank you Tony, thank you Tony go big Blue you.

Speaker 17 (01:08:14):
Tony, Hey, Tony Austin. It's Tom and hr. iHeartMedia. We
got a little complain about Austin and making reference to
Juju Watkins.

Speaker 2 (01:08:28):
And uh and and her wagon.

Speaker 17 (01:08:30):
Oh just wanted to check in and just say, you
guys got a good track record. Let's just not get
too crazy over there on the airways, all.

Speaker 2 (01:08:38):
Right, Oh man, I don't know. We had an hr
to put. Yeah, we hear from every now. Yeah, I'm
sorry to go three times.

Speaker 27 (01:08:45):
But I also have to say I'm so glad that
Hurley did not come to UK. I'm just so glad
about that.

Speaker 2 (01:08:52):
And I don't think Mark Poe feels any pressure.

Speaker 27 (01:08:56):
Many other coach coach's success or whatever. He's just made
his team good with all the adversity.

Speaker 2 (01:09:05):
They're fun to watch, man, They're clicking. I'm happy they've
They've lost Kirk Chris and they lost Jackson Robinson, Butler's
been out at times. They have made it work and
they are They're a dangerous offensive team. Man.

Speaker 4 (01:09:18):
I also think Mark Pope just kind of rocks to
the beat of his own drum.

Speaker 9 (01:09:23):
Yep.

Speaker 4 (01:09:23):
I don't think he gets too caught up in the
other stuff, and he understands Kentucky.

Speaker 29 (01:09:28):
Probably up Health Traffic Center where our CRDIO rectal surgeons
are world renowned for removing heads from asses, except for
those within the UC Athletic Department.

Speaker 28 (01:09:39):
Aboard the road there was once known.

Speaker 29 (01:09:41):
As Victory Parkway in front of Doorwood Community, a technical
college clean up from a basketball team being dump truck
by a truck out of Illinois on Fridays. The drivers
believe to have plesancy and it's headed towards Texas. I
bet he's got like what traffic.

Speaker 2 (01:09:56):
Oh gosh good, they have our first entry. And this
situation at Zavia reminds me of the Scorpion and the Frog.
I'm unfamiliar, are you? I don't know. I don't know that, Tony,
Happy birthday.

Speaker 30 (01:10:13):
Spring break is over. I'm back, And dude, you were
big on the Hawaiian Islands. When the locals there found
out I was from Cincinnati, they all were like, oh,
Pike Twins that we started talking about the show. It
was pretty epic and unexpected. Cincinnati mangles, Stop dragging your feet.

(01:10:34):
Let's get Jamar and t signed Xavier. I know they
have a run in him.

Speaker 4 (01:10:39):
I'm excited to watch the time stops when he's in
the Hawaiian Islands.

Speaker 2 (01:10:43):
Welcome, good Heaven. I also, I don't believe the Hawaiian
folks talk like that. I don't know either. I don't
think they do. I don't think so.

Speaker 23 (01:10:51):
Hey, guys, Jeff and Richmond, Hey Austin. Early last week,
you played Sean Miller's comments about having his over for
the tournament drawl. That kind of rubbed me strangely, and
I kind of thought, well, maybe something's going on. Well
maybe this is what it was. So not surprised that

(01:11:15):
he's leaving. It's a hornet's nest, good luck.

Speaker 2 (01:11:19):
I don't think that played a role in it. I
thought that was pretty normal. Yeah, I just if it
were not that case. I just don't think you want
to if you're a bubble team, you don't want to
have the big thing in the gym where fans coming
and you don't make it and you just look bad.
I think it was more, hey, come over to the house,
let's let's watch this and hope for the best.

Speaker 3 (01:11:35):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:11:35):
It is unique and it is a little interesting that
they end up playing Texas in Dayton and then he
goes to Texas, a team that they played. Maybe there's
some meetings that happened in Dayton while they were there
with Texas and Sean Miller.

Speaker 31 (01:11:48):
Tony and Austin Kin from the left here, I'm glad
that you didn't play my talkback that I sent in Friday,
not realizing there you weren't going to have talkbacks. In
that talkback, I said that Patino would coach circles around
coach Cal but coach Cayle really showed me.

Speaker 2 (01:12:08):
I'm kind of happy for him anyway.

Speaker 31 (01:12:11):
Anyway, I'll see you guys Thursday to smoke justice.

Speaker 2 (01:12:14):
Go rids h go big Blue. Heck yeah, Congressman, very nice,
Thanks Ken.

Speaker 28 (01:12:19):
Hey, guys, I think get the nail on the head.
I think this is a small market college city. I
don't think either one of these programs are gonna get
enough no money to even spend the twenty million or
whatever it is the NCAA is going to allow for
next year. I just don't think these programs get the
financial backing from the big dollars in this city.

Speaker 22 (01:12:41):
Yeah.

Speaker 28 (01:12:42):
So I think until these athletic directors learn how to
play the game, I think we're going to continue to
see this.

Speaker 4 (01:12:48):
That's true. The format of how that money is dished
out changes. I think what this summer. Yeah, I don't
know all the details. I want to ask Justin Williams
about that. He's going to be on with us at
two o'clock tomorrow, big time college sports writer for the Athletic.
He's Hollywood now, but I would want to ask him
about that and how that will he thinks impact schools

(01:13:11):
like Cincinnatian Xavier.

Speaker 10 (01:13:13):
Put me down as a hard no for Chris Mack
coming back and any other mid retread head coach that
has already had their best success. I would take a
look at three different coaches that we see in the
NCAA term of this year, Bryce Drew Grand Canyon, James
Jones at Yale, and Alan huss at High Point. Okay,
all three of those guys would be great. Fitz Xavier,

(01:13:35):
pick any one of the three and I'd be happy.

Speaker 2 (01:13:37):
All right, there you go.

Speaker 21 (01:13:40):
Hello, Well this is Wayne d Roberts. I heard I
being county. I had a retired I had put myself
to pass ya when it comes to the chat backs,
but one Ludacris Stateman from One Tony pick. The idea
that Paul Settonfield they you see Clifton football coach could
win seven games next year and then ten the following

(01:14:02):
and go on to be a big time football coach
is so preposterous.

Speaker 15 (01:14:07):
I had to call it.

Speaker 2 (01:14:08):
Oh man, I missed you talk backs. It was it
was a hypothetical that if that were to happen, that
would be what preceded it.

Speaker 4 (01:14:18):
Hey, Tony and Austin, I just want to say it's
great being one of the only men's basketball schools in
the city.

Speaker 12 (01:14:27):
To be playing still in the postseason and to still
have a.

Speaker 2 (01:14:31):
Basketball coach, that's it, that's all, thank you. They are
still playing a couple more weeks till the crown gets
under that and the BA blues.

Speaker 21 (01:14:41):
Anyways, I'm for completely overturning the athletic department down there.
You see Clifton starting with that athletic director. That's scumbag.
That guy could by a coach if he was looking.
A't eye here in Lombardi my number one pick since
the Sinclair head of the Veterinarian Science Department. The people

(01:15:02):
who ask there's a man that knows how to run
an apartment, there's a man who can bring us back
to prominence.

Speaker 4 (01:15:07):
Back all right. Name calling is a bit much. We
don't even call anybody a scumbag.

Speaker 3 (01:15:14):
Man.

Speaker 32 (01:15:15):
Watching the first weekend of the term is maybe realize
how far away you see is from competing against any
of those teams. It's very depressing. Just like all the
other Cincinnati teams when you watch the playoffs in their sport,
you realize how far they are, you know, from competing
for a championship. You know, some people might think the

(01:15:36):
Bengals are closed. But I'm here to tell you. You
trudge that defense out there again, You're you're gonna get
the exact same thing you got this last year and
the year before.

Speaker 33 (01:15:44):
They're not okay, Sean Miller, Williams David University.

Speaker 30 (01:15:51):
The reality of the situation is the University of Hope.

Speaker 15 (01:15:55):
Somebody wants to take there.

Speaker 28 (01:15:56):
And that's not happening.

Speaker 2 (01:16:00):
I know about that.

Speaker 34 (01:16:03):
Fylas Hank Hill Here, Bar, I'm gonna tell you what.
If you're a Xavier, you've got to know when to
hold them oh yeah, No, when to foul, No, when
the hawk away, when Sean Miller runs. I'm gonna tell
what UC fan. But I've watched some of that all

(01:16:23):
in UH series that they were doing, and I can't
believe he was telling the team to get all in
when he was one half foot out. Unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (01:16:33):
It's tough. Yeah.

Speaker 24 (01:16:35):
I remember when Sean was a point guard at Pittsburgh,
go way back with him. I remember when he left
Avery the first time, the fans were pretty upset. I
was surprised to hear him leaving today. I remember gotting
a lot of trouble with their zona and the FBI.
But I think Bill Murray's son would be a good hire.

Speaker 3 (01:16:57):
Yep.

Speaker 24 (01:16:57):
And don't be mad at Texas the robber.

Speaker 12 (01:17:04):
Follow up to my phone call?

Speaker 35 (01:17:05):
When you move on to the Reds, can you guys.

Speaker 14 (01:17:07):
Lay out where the bullpen is going to be and
who and if we are going to have a closer.

Speaker 2 (01:17:12):
Yes, that's on the plan. We'll talk about it well.

Speaker 33 (01:17:14):
Dyl Big shout out to Zach World b Fremantle for
a six year career at x and a bomb voyage
and a good riddance to Sean Boomerang Miller. If Xavier
hires Chris Mack, they could change the name to Boomerang State.
Remember the University of Cincinnati. Our coaches only desert us once.

Speaker 2 (01:17:39):
That sounded like a pregame announcement at anc basketball game.
How about that?

Speaker 5 (01:17:43):
Hey, fellas, it's Vinnie. What what are we doing?

Speaker 2 (01:17:46):
Man?

Speaker 19 (01:17:47):
So what?

Speaker 5 (01:17:48):
Man? Why people can't be mad as someone walked or
traveled and hit a buzzer beater? Man, that's what we
do as fans. You guys sound like Lantha McAllister man,
It's okay if somebody hits a buzzer beater after a
walk or a travel that's my ride. To be passed off. Man,
Tony imagined that was the Bear Catt Allson, that was

(01:18:08):
the Buckeye. You'd have a heart attack.

Speaker 19 (01:18:13):
I don't know.

Speaker 36 (01:18:14):
Hey Audi, Hey Tony, this is Paul formally positive Paul
uh oh. Question, what do you think the over under
is on years that Sean Miller is going to last
in Texas? I'm saying three and a half and then
Xavier is gonna end up hiring him back.

Speaker 2 (01:18:33):
Probably your thoughts, probably three years, and then he takes
over like a top tier job in college basketball and
then goes on to win a title. I would take
the over. He might not. He might be there the
rest of his life. I mean, they just got rid
of a guy that went to a Sweet sixteen and
back to back NCAA tournaments.

Speaker 35 (01:18:50):
Yeah, this is a rebuttal to all of the UC
fans would work all of a sudden and wanting to
roll on Xavier. Heye, you know you you compar us
to the boyfriend who keeps losing his girlfriend better than
the boyfriend who has the girlfriend that they just can't
figure out how to get rid of. I mean, goodness, gracious,

(01:19:11):
can I get any more complaints about your football coach?
Or your basketball coach, and well they're gonna be around
another year.

Speaker 4 (01:19:19):
Listen, if I was a Xavier fan, I'd probably just
kind of sit there and take it today. I don't
know that you have a lot of room to talk today, Fellas.

Speaker 5 (01:19:27):
It's Vannie double dep Vannie Austin again, mar Reffoonery. Man,
you can't equate UC's coaches leaving to Xavier. Man, they
didn't even have a football program. When's the last you
see basketball coach I left for a bigger program? Man,
don't say Mick Cronin. Man, don't say man the time
year was done. Austin take it back, Tony, call him out. Man,

(01:19:48):
we can't let this. We can't let this stand. Man,
we can't let him. We can't let him take shots
at you see, Unnecessarily.

Speaker 2 (01:19:54):
I take shots at everybody equally, right, Yeah, I would
say necessarily not on thisss. Necessarily. Yeah, Craig in the
creek with the double dip. Oh.

Speaker 13 (01:20:03):
I got to respond to my boy Attie who called
us out, saying, you see, has less room to talk
about coaches leaving than any program. To Shay, However, I
can't recall unless you've got one that you can point
out a coach that we took back after they left
us apples to oranges, my boy.

Speaker 4 (01:20:24):
Yeah, Well, I wasn't talking about that. I was just
talking about coaches leaving. I wasn't talking about coaches coming back. Now,
if you're talking about coaches coming back, that's entirely different story.
But it hasn't happened.

Speaker 26 (01:20:34):
The Kentucky Wildcast made the Sweet sixteen, and it's been
so long. I don't even drink alcohol before then, haven't
done whatever a lot of things. I wasn't even a
high school graduate. And I also never felt the sweet
touch of a woman. Now I still haven't. Maybe that'll
happened one day, but the cats are back.

Speaker 4 (01:20:53):
Has it really been that long since Kentucky's been It's unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (01:20:57):
That's crazy.

Speaker 18 (01:20:59):
It'swell beat day here in a tri state son of
shining person, Come on, god, uh talk about earlier. Referring
to Jamar Chases verbiage, it's a Lamborghini and he had
his daughter and they went for a ride.

Speaker 4 (01:21:15):
Who oh, okay, okay, I've not yet watched Jamar's latest vlog.

Speaker 2 (01:21:21):
Passenger Princess. I thought was someone that just you know,
gets in the gets in the front seat, rides along
but doesn't really do much of the work. That's what
I understood of Passenger Princess. That's when I looked it up.
At least yeah, I mean I think that's right. I
don't know that was our last one. Okay, uh we
got at least one or two in the hopper we uh.

(01:21:43):
I know. Jeff left to talk back about the Cincinnati Reds.
We'll dive into that in hour number three. A little
bit more on the Bengals here. Phone lines are open
from now to the end of the show. Five one, three, seven,
fifteen thirty. It's Cinty three sixty on ESPN fifteen thirty
Cincinnati Sports Station thanks to CINTI shirts.

Speaker 6 (01:21:59):
In fact, supply knows that a winning season team thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:22:15):
We'll bright let fifty ride here for a second. Welcome back,
Cincy three to sixty ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station,
thanks to Cincy Shirts.

Speaker 4 (01:22:26):
We're over halfway through. This show is flying. This Flying
by Cincy three sixty. Pole questions brought to you by
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Speaker 2 (01:22:36):
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and you can get started for under four dollars a day.
Question number one, how should should Xavier fans feel about
Sean Miller leaving for Texas? Thirty nine percent say expected,
not surprised. Just edging that out at forty and a

(01:23:09):
half percent, people say Xavier fans should feel pissed, they
should be angry.

Speaker 2 (01:23:16):
Uh pull.

Speaker 4 (01:23:17):
Question number two, Now that Sean Miller is officially gone,
should it be as simple as Chris Mack coming back
to Xavier return of the mac? Fifty three percent say yes, good,
it is that simple. Forty six percent say no.

Speaker 2 (01:23:32):
I'm in the forty six percent for reasons we've already discussed.
But again, the overlying factor here is the transfer portal
and the time in which you have to assemble this,
which again leads me to believe. And I would wonder
if the athletic director at Xavier, if he had any
idea this was coming. Do you think, Austin, do you

(01:23:53):
think that any types of meetings took place while in
Dayton the way that this played out, these two teams
seeing each other in Dayton, there had to be some conversation,
right I do we think that.

Speaker 4 (01:24:08):
I would think so, because that's also when it started
to ramp up that there was interest. So it could
have been that, you know, they were seeing.

Speaker 2 (01:24:18):
Does Texas have anyone? No, but it works on the selection.

Speaker 4 (01:24:21):
Committee text that they weren't supposed to say does.

Speaker 2 (01:24:23):
Texas have anyone on a selection committee that maybe put
those four in Dayton. You know, I'm not familiar to
make sure that they could have that meeting. I'm not
familiar with the selection committee's full grasp of things. Latest
NFL updated free agent list. We've talked about this before.

(01:24:44):
In the top five Austin are two corners. Well, Mike
Kilton is ranked number five as the as a remaining
free agent, there are two others, A Sante Samuel Jr.
And Russell Douglas. Russell Douglas, according to ESPN, is the
top available free agent remaining the corner of the Buffalo

(01:25:05):
Bills Stefon Diggs two, Amari Cooper three, and as Sante
Samuel Junior is four. I know we talked about this
last week and we kind of laughed at the fact
with Charlie Goldsmith that going into the season right now,
with how the positions are stacked up, secondary is probably
a strength and everyone got benched at one point or
another on the secondary last year. Are we resigned to

(01:25:29):
the fact that they're probably not in free agency going
to bring in a corner at this point? Yeah? Does
it feel like just the draft? I don't even know.
If i'd say they's the draft, I would say I'm
not saying they would draft, but if they were to
add a corner, it would probably be in the draft
and not free agency. Correct, At this point? JK. Dobbins
is out there, Keenan Allen is out there. Brandon Sheriff

(01:25:54):
is now the tenth rated free agent available. Is this
the week that we get Brandon Scheff to be a
Cincinnati Bengal. Who's we We've pushed for it for a while,
We've connected the dots that Brandon Sheriff. So I think
I would say you and I I would say others

(01:26:16):
are pushing that it makes too much sense for Brandon
Cheff not to be a Bengal. So is this the
week that we are proved right, he's the only guy
out there that makes sense? For them.

Speaker 4 (01:26:26):
Schematically, he fits more than anyone else, and they have
needs that you might be able to find better players
in the first couple rounds of the draft to fit
those needs rather than guard and so because of that,
you would like to be making a push towards signing

(01:26:48):
Brandon Shurf. However, it seems like Brandon Shurff is considering retirement.
So it's hey, you want to come play for the
Bengals or do you want to retire? And that's probably
what he's dealing with right now. The draft is one
month from today. I don't care when he signs, but

(01:27:09):
if you're going to sign him, I would like it
to be done over the next twenty eight days rather
than the next twenty nine or thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:27:17):
Yep, get it done before the draft. There are three
names on this list. They're ranked eleven, twelve, and thirteen.
If you could only have one of them, which would
you choose to add to this defensive line immediately? Thirty
nine year old Kalais Campbell, who has had five sacks
at least in each of the past three seasons. Even
at age thirty nine, two hundred and sixty one regular

(01:27:39):
season games under his belt, veteran presence in the locker room.
Zadarius Smith, the edge rusher is going to be thirty
two years old. He had nine sacks and thirty eight
pressures combined with the Browns and Lions last year. Or
Matthew Judon, who in twenty twenty two had fifteen and
a half sacks, but his tape would show a player
that starts to decline. Kaleis Campbell, Zadarius Smith, Matthew Judon,

(01:28:05):
You get one, you take who? How old is Matthew Judon?
Thirty three?

Speaker 4 (01:28:12):
So after a really good season at the age of
thirty or thirty one, he's declined. He's declined significantly. Roy Hendrickson,
that's interesting. I would take Kalas Campbell.

Speaker 2 (01:28:22):
Yeah, it's you know. I For me, the production is
still there and thirty nine is getting up there. But
he's played in a lot of games and each of
the last years, you know that means thirty six, thirty seven,
thirty eight, he's had at least five sacks coming from
the interior part of the defensive line. What I like
about him, he sets the edge, he can play in

(01:28:44):
multiple fronts, and what I think is missing and not
talked about enough the presence he provides to a locker
room where he goes, Yeah, based on a lot of
successful teams.

Speaker 4 (01:28:54):
Been around the block. He's had a lot of success.
He's a former Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner.
And when you have a defense that is full of
young players like the Bengals are, and assuming you're going
to add to that on the defensive line with draft picks,
there's almost no one better to learn from than Kaleis Campbell.
And you talk about interior pass rush is not what

(01:29:15):
he used to be, but he can play inside on
third downs and his size in and of itself can
at least have an impact and of being able to
bat balls down and stuff like that. I've said it before,
Kalaiis Campbell is the most ginormous person I've ever seen
in person. M Like it takes your breath away how

(01:29:35):
big of a man that is. And if you look
at like games he's played in, you can see it
on TV like he's just a huge person. And I
do think his size could play a role, especially in
the inside.

Speaker 2 (01:29:46):
I still contend, I've said this before on the show,
from a quarterback standpoint, I would rather have to deal
with a very good edge rusher than I would interior
pressure because it prevents you from pushing up and getting out.
There's always some pressure in your face, which means you're

(01:30:08):
stepping and you're driving in and you're a little hesitant there.
Pressure up the middle disrupt so much. If I've got
pressure from an elite edge rusher, I can try to
have the tackle push him around me. I can step
up just a little bit. I could change my drop depth.
Outside pressure, you think of all the things you can
do to help right. You can ship with a tight
end or a running back. You can send a tight

(01:30:29):
end over there, you can run away from it. Interior
pressure from a quarterback standpoint has a lot to deal with,
and I think for that reason, Caleas Campbell would be
the perfect type of player to be on the Cincinnati Bengals.
There are other positions of need that are still free agents. EJ. Speed,
a linebacker who's just going to be thirty years old.

(01:30:50):
Deontay Johnson, how about him for a wide receiver? Three?
You want that Justin Simmons. The safety is out there.
Julian Blackman at safety is out there. Tyler Lockett number twenty.
I would in a heartbeat, bring Tyler Lockett into be
wide receiver number three. Von Miller is still out there.
He's gonna be thirty six Will Hernandez. We talked about

(01:31:11):
Will Hernandez a little bit last week and wondering why
he hasn't been more on the raidar of some teams
or even being talked about here in Cincinnati. But from
a remaining standpoint, those are the best remaining free agents
out there, and I do think some of that coincides
with best remaining fits for the Cincinnati Bengals. Do they
do anything, I don't know at this point. I hope

(01:31:32):
they do. But those are some of the names that
are out there. Let's switch gears to the Cincinnati Reds
when we come back. Before that, we'll update things on
where things stand with Xavier Musketeers. Will take some phone
calls five on three, seven, four, nine, fifteen thirty. We'll
kick off our number three when we return the SBN
fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station thanks to CINCI.

Speaker 11 (01:31:48):
SHIRTSK Wise Cincinnati and C three sixty of Vound Cincinnati
from Cincinnati, countered in part by Pennstation East Coast Subbs,
handcrafted hot grilled subs, fresh cut fries and lemonade.

Speaker 1 (01:32:02):
It's all about good taste. Penn Station East Coast subs
order online today. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 2 (01:32:11):
Welcome back, thanks to Penn Station. It's our three of
Sincy three to sixty on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Here's what we're going to do. We're going to talk
to Mowager at the end of this hour for quick hits.
Get you set up for the Moager Show, which comes
up from three to six in the afternoon. Right here
on ESPN fifteen thirty. We're going to talk a lot
about the Reds in this hour as well. But I

(01:32:32):
wanted to round out some of these phone calls. We've
got full phone lines right now. Let's kick off the
hour with some of these phone calls. And uh, we
have to start here Austin, because we were joined on
Friday by two guests, one Jordan Cornette, NBC Sports covering basketball.
He's doing some golf covers.

Speaker 10 (01:32:53):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:32:54):
We were also joined on Friday by the voice of
the Common Xavier Fan and it was a long time coming,
Austin and the voice buried the hatchet. They've moved on
to greener pastures. But I'm I'm willing to say Austin
that when we spoke to the Voice on Friday, he
was a little bit more upbeat than he is today.
They were getting ready for a game against Illinois. Sean

(01:33:14):
Miller was still the head coach. A lot of things
happen over the course of a weekend, and now he's
calling us the voice of the common Xavier fan. How
are your voice?

Speaker 24 (01:33:23):
Town?

Speaker 15 (01:33:24):
I took a page out of Johnny from Mount Healthy
and I've been drunk since Friday at eight and I
don't see that streak ending anytime soon.

Speaker 2 (01:33:33):
Is this Is this a big surprise? There were rumblings
when these teams got together in Dayton, even before the
game happened, there were rumblings of is there anything going
on with Sean Miller? In Texas, the view was that
Rodney Terry was going to be out. I didn't foresee
this happening as a Xavier fan. How shocked are you
at what's transpired? Yeah?

Speaker 15 (01:33:54):
I got admit I was completely blindsided. I did not Yeah,
I thought Terry was gone. But honestly, what John said
several years ago, I thought I took it to hert
and thought he'd be here. But I will say Tony
that the landscape of college sports has changed in that
three years since Sean came back, and I think that
had it been like it was in twenty twenty March
to twenty twenty two, I think he's still here. But

(01:34:15):
I think there's so much with the ail that we
don't know about that we don't know if Xavier can compete.
And I think Sean took me out. I mean, Texas
has the biggest NIL budget probably in the nation. So
I can't blame a guy. I don't have to like it,
but I can't blame it.

Speaker 2 (01:34:29):
With that being said, there's a lot of avenues that
point to Chris Mack being the guy, and I think
what plays it in a large majority of this is
the transfer portal is now open, So it's not like
in years past where you can bring in a committee,
you can interview a bunch of different candidates, take your
time and make the higher. You are now fighting against

(01:34:51):
the clock because the portal is open and you are
a college basketball team without an acting head coach. That's
a scary thought in today's world. Your opinion is Chris
Mack the right hire to come back and lead the Musketeers.

Speaker 15 (01:35:05):
I do think he is, but I will say this,
if one recruiting cycle we fall short, if we get
the right guy in place, I can live with that.
I don't want to make a hire just to make
a higher So they have somebody that can give out scholarships,
get the right guy. I do think Mac is the guy.
But I'll let you on a little secret here. I'm
out at blue Ass Airport and I saw a plane

(01:35:25):
just landing. I believe that looks like Jay Wright getting off.
I think that's Jay Wright getting off the plane out
here at blue Ass Airport.

Speaker 2 (01:35:33):
Well, you know you got Jay Wright. Maybe you throw
Mick Cronin's name in the mix. If it's not Chris Mack.
Do you have names that from a following this program?
Are there names that stand outs as maybe potential shooters
if it's not Chris Mac the Xavier.

Speaker 15 (01:35:51):
Well, I've heard the ones that everybody on social media saying,
the Luke, Murray and Nick won't come back. Our coach
has to be over five seven.

Speaker 2 (01:35:58):
We can't have that.

Speaker 15 (01:36:00):
They get, they got they can't have booster seats at
on the bench at SINTA. They don't so, but I
don't know. The thing about Murray or the guy from
High Point is I believe that's still just a stepping
stone and we're going through the same thing three years
from now or four years ago or from now or
two years mac. Maybe maybe the guy that, hey, he
went to school here, he uh, he's admitted on before

(01:36:24):
that he believed he made a mistake, so maybe he stayed.
I don't know. Just not a real good time in
the household of the voice of the common Xavier fan,
that's for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:36:33):
Well, we appreciate you still calling in sharing with us,
and we look forward to hearing from you again soon.
Thanks for your call.

Speaker 15 (01:36:41):
Hey, appreciate it Town.

Speaker 2 (01:36:43):
Yes, sir, but you guys all right? That is uh,
that's the voice of the common Xavier fan Austin. Yes,
So if it's Chris Mack for those reasons, maybe it
makes the most sense. But from a Xavier fan perspective,
if it's the if it's the higher just because it
means getting on the recruit cycle faster, I don't think
that makes it the right hire. I think you got

(01:37:04):
to dig a little deeper than that. Brian is also
calling about Xavier.

Speaker 3 (01:37:07):
What's up, Brian, Hello, guys, I just would like to
talk about Sean Miller. I thought, you know, since after
the second first time he left a second first time
he left, became and came back the second time, I
at least you a little more loyal stay here. But
I just think that's it's a disappointing day. Be they
your basketball. They have the clean house. Now, yeah, here's

(01:37:31):
the coach.

Speaker 2 (01:37:33):
I mean the question remains, you know, does Sean Miller
take anyone from the current roster? What does that make
the roster look like when all is said and done,
and how quickly does the new coach have to be hired?
In your opinion as a Xavier basketball fan, Brian, who
do you want to be the next coach?

Speaker 3 (01:37:51):
I mean, I remember he's talking about much, but I
thought maybe they should go after your Mexico's coach, Rick
Matina Jr. Yeah, you might have. You might have a
pipeline for New York too.

Speaker 9 (01:38:01):
It could help.

Speaker 3 (01:38:01):
It could be her cret more from New York, more
players in that city.

Speaker 2 (01:38:08):
Yeah, yeah, very good point as well. We appreciate the
phone call. Thank you. I think it's going to be interesting.
I do not often I guess how quickly do you
think this process moves for Xavier a day two days
before they name a head coach. I don't think it
goes very long. I guess I mean this. I think

(01:38:29):
this is close to being wrapped up.

Speaker 4 (01:38:30):
I think if it's if it's Chris mack it's probably
already done. Yeah, Like, if it's Chris Mackett will be
done within the next two days. Yeah, I would think
somebody else. I don't think that that's Vie.

Speaker 2 (01:38:40):
From from a fallout standpoint, the one thing I want
to know through all of this, was Xavier prepared for
this to happen? Did they know leading up or have
any inkling that this was going to happen which allowed
them to prepare for this moment? That's what I think
is the most fascinating about this. As we go a
couple more phone calls here, Greg is called up Greg.

Speaker 22 (01:39:02):
How they're going, Hey, I just want you to know
this is show sixty eight unbelievable. That's that's not why
I called it. Hey, I'm a U SI fan. Okay,
half the family's U. See the other half Xavier. So
I got the I got the fifth third, five games,
I got the sentas for eight games. Now what I

(01:39:24):
saw between the two programs. I saw Sean Miller coaching
his ass off every game, in control of everything was
going on on the floor. On the floor, I didn't
necessarily see that it's.

Speaker 2 (01:39:37):
Fifth third, but whatever, that's not a big deal.

Speaker 22 (01:39:40):
But I think today's kids, I think they're okay. Just say,
I'm a four star recruit. I'm in Cincinnati. I don't
want to leave Cincinnati. There's two good programs here, and
just from what me Greg the fan saw, I'll tell
you where I'm headed. I would have been headed over
to the Xavior just because of the fact that I

(01:40:01):
know Sean's a better coach. He's gonna coach me up
to get to the next level. I just think that's
the most important thing. And as far as you know
Chris Matt, I mean, I think he's good enough for Xavier.
He's at least the name is. I just think today's
kids go to the coach first, the school second. Yeah,

(01:40:22):
that's just my opinion.

Speaker 2 (01:40:23):
Whatever, that's fair. I think you're right, Greg, that's fair.
We appreciate the phone call. Thank you for listening. Uh
one more and then we got to get to some
Cincinnati Reds. BROB wants to talk about the offensive line
here the Bankers. What's up, Rob? Rob? Can you get
to a quieter area?

Speaker 12 (01:40:40):
Yeah, I'm trying my best. I'm trying to even turn
my head set off.

Speaker 37 (01:40:44):
Is that any better?

Speaker 27 (01:40:44):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:40:45):
What's up?

Speaker 15 (01:40:47):
All right?

Speaker 37 (01:40:47):
So the o lineman at the Bengals signed, you know,
I mean they're kind of getting you know, he's kind
of I understand.

Speaker 12 (01:40:55):
I'm a layman. I don't understand a lot of this stuff.

Speaker 37 (01:40:57):
But the guys started seventy of the games, hasn't allowed
a sack in the past.

Speaker 24 (01:41:04):
Who he is?

Speaker 35 (01:41:05):
So?

Speaker 22 (01:41:05):
Why is he just kind of.

Speaker 2 (01:41:07):
Like a journeyman type.

Speaker 37 (01:41:08):
I know he would have got signed in the first wave.

Speaker 12 (01:41:10):
But he was great.

Speaker 37 (01:41:11):
I'm just curious as to what I'm missing because if
Barah don't get pressure up the middle, he's anyway. That's
my question. Why is he like a journey He's like
in the fact he doesn't give up any stats.

Speaker 4 (01:41:23):
He's like a fine player at multiple interior positions. His
versatility is what the Bengals like. He hasn't been outstanding
at anything, especially not in the run game. He's been
fine in the past game, but not spectacular, and he's
usually had some good offensive linement around him. So I
think the overall belief is good veteran player, nothing special.

(01:41:48):
They could do better is the is thet but an
upgrade from what was there? Correct?

Speaker 37 (01:41:55):
Absolutely, And it kind of sounds like, well, when they
signed Troy Hendrickson, I heard the same thing. I mean,
he's not good, but he has some holes in pass blocking,
but he didn't give up any sacks for two years.

Speaker 12 (01:42:06):
That doesn't add up for me.

Speaker 2 (01:42:09):
Yeah, I think that's a I think that's a fair comparison.

Speaker 15 (01:42:12):
Rob.

Speaker 2 (01:42:12):
We appreciate you, man, Thank you, you got it.

Speaker 37 (01:42:15):
Guys, thank you.

Speaker 10 (01:42:16):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (01:42:16):
Lucas Patrick is who Rob is talking about. The Bengals
signed him to a one year deal. He started ten
games last year for the Saints. As Austin mentioned, experience
at guard and center. Uh, it just cost the Bengals
two point one million dollars sixty four point six overall
great according to Pro Football Focus last year for what.

Speaker 4 (01:42:37):
He also, that's worth returned to kick Oh yeah in
his career, So maybe Darren Simmons found his guy.

Speaker 2 (01:42:43):
It was the second highest mark of his grading career.
He didn't allow a sack over the last two years
in eight hundred and ninety three pass blocking attempts.

Speaker 15 (01:42:53):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (01:42:53):
Before going to the Saints, he was with the Chicago Bears,
where he did not really pan out fifty seven fifty
five fifty in three years from a grading standpoint, but
I'm with you versatility and upgrade from Shirley what they
had there. But I don't think someone that you're comfortable
with saying on day one, all right, the offensive line
is now set. There is still room in that offensive

(01:43:13):
line to grow.

Speaker 4 (01:43:14):
I also think that signing Lucas Patrick could be indicative
of the way they feel about Matt Lee. Who if
Ted Carris goes down, who do you think is going
to play center, right, Lucas Patrick or Matt Lee.

Speaker 2 (01:43:26):
Probably at this point Lucasas is going to be Lucas Patrick.
I lied, we have one more phone call to get
to and then we'll get to the Reds. What's up, Marcus.

Speaker 22 (01:43:34):
Happy?

Speaker 12 (01:43:34):
D Angelousy?

Speaker 36 (01:43:35):
Menus day?

Speaker 24 (01:43:36):
Boys?

Speaker 2 (01:43:36):
Yeah, let's go.

Speaker 9 (01:43:40):
H So, obviously, with the news that came yesterday about
Diaz starting on the I l I've seen some names
thrown out for possible closures until he gets back, like
but Gon's been out there. I've heard Ashcraft's name possibly
being a closer, which I'm not against. Why is no
way talking about possibly Rogers being the closure?

Speaker 4 (01:44:03):
Well, I think some people are actually I read Charlie
Goldsmith this morning talking about who he considers is like
the front runners to be the the closer, and that
was on the list of guys. It was Tony Santy
and Emilio Pagan and Taylor Rodgers. I think Rogers might

(01:44:24):
have the most experience in that role, and he's been
solid throughout spring, so I do think it's gonna be
one of those three guys.

Speaker 2 (01:44:34):
Yeah, I'm with you on that.

Speaker 9 (01:44:36):
Okay. Yeah, Like I said, the ashcrafts is really fascinating
because I still think he should be in the bullpen,
not a starter. I did they name a fifth starter
yet in the rotation.

Speaker 2 (01:44:47):
It's gonna be Carson Spires to start the season.

Speaker 9 (01:44:50):
Okay, yeah, okay, so maybe Ashcrat will be we'll start
a bullpen then.

Speaker 2 (01:44:54):
Yeah, I do think he's in the bullpen start. I
just don't know if I'm comfortable with him parading out
there in the ninth inning right now at this point,
not having done it before. Marcus, we appreciate.

Speaker 9 (01:45:02):
You, man, Yep, Thursday, Yep, thank you.

Speaker 4 (01:45:06):
Yeah, we can get into it in the next segment,
but it is official that that Ashcraft is going to
start the season in the bullpen. Uh, there's a couple
still things to be done roster wise, because Diaz is
going to start the season on the injured list, as
is Abbot, and as is Spencer Steer and Tyler Stevenson.
So four guys that ideal to start the season.

Speaker 2 (01:45:28):
Yeah, let's talk about that and what this week is
and what still needs to be accomplished this week for
the Cincinnati Reds when we come back thanks to Penn Station.
At since he three to sixty right here on ESPN
fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 19 (01:45:41):
Loweger, reality is they're probably not good enough.

Speaker 8 (01:45:45):
He dissects the local sports scene.

Speaker 2 (01:45:47):
They're not consistent enough.

Speaker 8 (01:45:48):
The way up fourth grader dissects.

Speaker 2 (01:45:50):
Across not reliable Lowegger.

Speaker 8 (01:45:52):
Today at three on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (01:45:56):
Your stomachism is back on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 2 (01:46:12):
Welcome back. It's Cincy three to sixty. We're rolling along
here our number three already thanks to Penn Station. The
Cincinnati Reds start the regular season this week, the regular
season already upon us Thursday. Things get underway. We me, myself,

(01:46:34):
Austin and Mouager will be at Smoke Justice from noon
to three on Thursday, leading up into the game. We're
blocking a bridge away from the ballpark there at Smoke
Justice in the bourbon room. It's going to be fantastic.
It's Reds, It's San Francisco Giants, It's Hunter Green versus
Logan Webb. That much we already know. Let's talk about

(01:46:57):
what we don't know with this Reds team, Austin. Let's
start with Spencer Steer. We don't know when Spencer Steer
we'll be back with the Reds. Alexis Diaz is now
on the injured list, Andrew Abbott will start the year
on the IL, as will Tyler Stevenson. Those are four
significant players to the success of this Cincinnati Reds team.

(01:47:23):
Is there a way that they can make up for
those losses in a short amount of time, Austin? Or
is it just trying to now survive until you can
get these guys healthy.

Speaker 4 (01:47:34):
I think it should be just trying to survive until
you get them healthy. To be completely honest, it kind
of feels like the only option that they have because
they didn't go out and get people that they can
rely on offensively. Steer was supposed to be a big
part of that. And I think you feel okay about
the starting pitching, you feel okay about the bullpen. And

(01:47:57):
I thought it was interesting A referenced earlier that Charlie
Charlie was writing about the bullpen situation that they're in,
and he made a good point that this is not
abnormal what's going on with Alexis Diaz. The Reds did
something similar with Lucas Simms. They did something similar with

(01:48:19):
Buck Farmer where they kind of put them on the
il right before the start of the season. They got
them back mid to late April and they were fine
after that. So I assume that's what this is with
Daz tweaked a hamstring early, hasn't really recovered from that.
Since then, they've got the inflammation in the hamstring, give
him a couple of extra weeks to get right and

(01:48:40):
then see what he can do after that, because you know,
he didn't pitch much and pitched poorly last year and
it kind of bled into the season. He was really
really bad in the first month of the year, and
then after June he was fantastic. So they're just not
taking any chances with letting him get out there and
hurt the team again this year.

Speaker 2 (01:49:01):
Let me ask you about Spencer Steer. I saw see
Trent rose Krantz wrote about this in The Athletic. Here's
the timeline for Spencer Steer is so intriguing to me.
No major offseason surgery, no type of surgery at all,
gets to camp, problems going on with the shoulder. And
then if you remember, on March first, he received the
court of zone shot. He hit in a minor league

(01:49:24):
game on Thursday, his resume throwing. But Terry Francona announced
on Saturday that he's going to start the season on
the injured list. He's going to come back to Cincinnati
with the team. He's going to be examined here. Francona said,
there's several factors that go into this, but it's too
early to tell when he comes back on the active roster.

(01:49:49):
More concerning or less concerning for you right now seeing
this update with with Spencer Steer.

Speaker 4 (01:49:54):
Less concerning, I feel better about it. The fact that
he has resumed throwing, that he has hit in a
minor league game, the fact that he said he is
improving daily and feels better. That is all opposite of
what we heard the first two weeks of spring training.

Speaker 2 (01:50:11):
Team.

Speaker 4 (01:50:12):
Yeah, that all makes me think, Okay, things are are
definitely trending in the right direction, but the Reds are
not going to rush it, which I have no problem with.

Speaker 2 (01:50:22):
Right, I get and we'll get into it in a minute.

Speaker 4 (01:50:25):
When you look at the first month of the season,
it's like, Okay, they should be able to hold their
own until they get these guys backs, and it seems
like Abbott being out is not going to be an
extended amount of time. He pitched really well again the
other day. I think it's just building him up to
being able to be fully stretched out to start games.

(01:50:48):
With the off days that they have, that allows a
little bit extra time for him to get ready, and
in the meantime, Carson Spires is a viable option at
the end of the rotation. So it feels like the
short three of those four guys is the short term.
What happens with Stevenson is the big question mark.

Speaker 2 (01:51:06):
Yeah, yesterday we saw what I think Austin and I
think many people the opening day lineup, TJ Friedo, Matt McClain,
Ellie de la Cruz, Austin Hayes, Gavin Lux, Jay mccandelario,
Christen and Carnassio and Strand, Jake Fraley, Jose Trevigno in
that lineup that was run out. Now, not all those

(01:51:28):
players incorporated into this, because some of this happened late.
The Reds won the game thirteen to two. They also
got six innings of three hit, one run, seven strikeout.
Baseball from Nick Lodolo. Ian Jabou was good. Sam Mall
was good over the course of an inning. I think
if there's a positive way to rap spring, they did

(01:51:50):
it yesterday. They also did it in a way that
gives you more hope going forward. Elie de la Cruz
two for two in the game. We'll get to his
numbers in just a second. Matt McClain wraps up the
spring at two fifty five. TJ. Friedo was two seventy one.
Austin Hayes hit three ten. Gavin Lux has been playing

(01:52:10):
better down the stretch. Cees had a striple triple yesterday.
Gavin Lux hit a home run. Jake Frayley had a double,
a guy that we talked about yesterday or last week.
Austin Hayes doubled as well. But for me, a lot
of feel good stories, a lot of things to watch
for this team. Ellie de la Cruz spring training numbers

(01:52:31):
eighteen games, forty four at bats, four h nine average
five nineteen on base percentage seven seventy three slugging. His
ops was one point twenty nine to two, four doubles,
four home runs, twelve RBIs fourteen runs. He struck out
just twelve times while walking ten. What an unbelievable spring

(01:52:54):
training for Eli da la Cruz. You have to feel
good about him getting ready to start the season on Thursday. Yeah,
him more so than anyone else on this roster based
on what he was able to do. Yeah. Again, there
are good stories, there are positive things to watch Ellie.
It wasn't just a five to six game sample size,
forty four at bats. That's a hell of a spring

(01:53:15):
training from Elli da la Cruz. Yeah. And the other
thing is didn't strike out very much. Yep.

Speaker 4 (01:53:19):
And we've talked about that over and over again. If
he can just cut down a little bit on the
amount of strikeouts that he had, you're gonna feel much
much better about Ellie daa Cruz as a batter and
as a player this season and that's gonna be a
huge part of their success.

Speaker 2 (01:53:38):
I think it'll be very interesting to watch. More interesting
that we can get into as the week goes on
leading up to opening Day. But when we come back Austin,
you alluded to it in an article that you wrote
on Friday that we talked about on the show Fast
starts that have plagued the Reds Fast starts for Terry
Francona coach teams, and what that looks like day. Let's

(01:54:01):
expand on that start. Let's look a little bit at
like the first month of the season. Let's project where
this team should or needs to be. We'll run it
through May one, which is when the Saint Louis Cardinals
wrap up a series here in Cincinnati. Let's talk about
the schedule where you foresee them being after a little
over a month when we come back, a't Cincy three
to sixty thanks to Penn Station on ESPN fifteen thirty,

(01:54:23):
Cincinnati Sports Station, Tractor supply knows that a winning season.

Speaker 8 (01:54:26):
He's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:54:41):
All right, welcome back since e three to sixty. ESPN
fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station, a service of our good
friends at ten station. Right, here on ESPN fifteen thirty
Cincinnati Sports Station Austin. Just as a quick refresher before
we dive into this, you wrote the article on Terry
Francona and the fast starts. You've also added the starts

(01:55:05):
that have kind of plagued the Reds. Can you give
the overview of that that we talked about on Friday
as we lead into the first month a little bit
plus of the season and how the Reds need to
start fast.

Speaker 4 (01:55:18):
Yeah, the Reds typically don't start fast and they haven't
really started fast much at all over the last twenty
five seasons or so. Their best start since two thousand
was in two thousand and six, when Jerry Narron was
in his first season as the Reds manager. They started
twenty and ten. Their best start in the last ten

(01:55:39):
years dating back to twenty fifteen was last season. They
were sixteen and fourteen. Last year they were sixteen and
fourteen and twenty seventeen. So over the last twenty five years,
they've been below five hundred eleven times. In the first
thirty games, they've been at five hundred six times, so

(01:56:02):
six or seventeen times in the last twenty five years
they've been below five hundred or at five hundred since
for the last twenty five seasons. Meanwhile, Terry Francona, in
twenty three seasons as a big league manager has been
at five hundred or above five hundred sixteen times. His
best start was in seven when they won the World

(01:56:24):
Series with Boston. They were also twenty and ten. His
best start over the last few years he was eighteen
and twelve in the twenty twenty season with Cleveland.

Speaker 2 (01:56:33):
So that would lead to the conversation that we've had
a lot on this show about the starts and how
important they are. I think it also you need to
throw in the fact of what we just talked about
in the last break there, and that this team has
major questions about guys that they're going to be missing,
that they're going to rely on, that aren't going to
be with the team at the start of the year,

(01:56:55):
right Spencer Steer, Alexistias Andrew Abbitt, Tyler Stevenson. When they
get them, hopefully sooner rather than later, then we can
kind of reassess where things are. But it does give
us an opportunity to at least take a look at
this first month plus of the season. I threw it
in Austin as the first thirty two games that this

(01:57:19):
team plays. That takes into account where this team is
as they start Thursday, and it would run through the
Saint Louis Cardinals coming into town for a four game
set that concludes on May first, thirty two games will
be played. To put it into perspective, the Cincinnati Reds

(01:57:40):
from a win total standpoint, are at seventy eight and
a half this season. In the first month of the year,
they will play four teams a total of thirteen games
of teams projected to be lower than that from a
win total, four against Saint Louis, three against Colorado fifty

(01:58:01):
eight and a half is their total. Three against the
Miami Marlins sixty three and a half wins is their total,
and the Pittsburgh Pirates come in just under the Cincinnati
Reds at seventy seven and a half wins. They do
play teams that are projected to compete the Baltimore Orioles
on the road. Eighty seven and a half wins is
that projection. The Texas Rangers come in the second series

(01:58:23):
of the year eighty five and a half wins. We
talked about the Milwaukee Brewers at eighty three and a half.
But it's not the hardest thirty two game stretch you'll
see for the Cincinnati Reds. If you were to project
out where things need to be after thirty two games, Austin,
what does that number look like in your opinion?

Speaker 4 (01:58:43):
Seventeen and fifteen. Okay, if you look six of their
first ten series, So in that thirty two game stretch
are against teams that are expected to have a win
loss record better than the Reds. The Reds are at
seventy eight and a half. Sam for Francisco, Texas, Milwaukee, Seattle,
Baltimore all have higher totals win totals in terms of

(01:59:07):
they're projected win totals from Vegas. So I think if
you're able to win, if you split the six games
with San Francisco, you'd be thrilled.

Speaker 2 (01:59:18):
Yep.

Speaker 4 (01:59:18):
If you split the four games with Milwaukee, you'd be thrilled.
If you split the four games with Saint Louis, you'd
be thrilled. If there's one thing the Reds did really
well last year, it was beat the bad teams. Colorado
and Miami are projected to be two of the three
worst teams in Major League Baseball. I have them going
two and one against Colorado and sweeping Miami. I think

(01:59:40):
you would be thrilled with five in six games against
those two teams all together. Have them losing series to Baltimore,
to Seattle, to Texas. I would have them at seventeen
and fifteen entering May, and hopefully by that point getting
Tyler Stevenson back.

Speaker 2 (01:59:56):
So I was very similar to you. I had him
at eighteen and fourteen, and the way that I have
them getting to eighteen and fourteen, you take two out
of three at home versus San Francisco and Texas. Not
easy to do. But start four and two is a
good start for this team because, again, Logan Webb is
a tough he's a good pitcher. Texas is projected to

(02:00:16):
win eighty five and a half games, that's their win total.
That's tough at Milwaukee. Like you said, i'd be I'd
love two and two, but for the sake of airing
on the side of caution, I said, they're one and
three in Milwaukee. Their trip to San Francisco, I have
them winning one out of three, then come home, take
two out of three from the Pirates, take two out
of three from Seattle at home. Good team, go on

(02:00:39):
the road. I have them stealing one against Baltimore, sweep
the Miami Marlins, who are god awful, and just to
keep it, I guess fair two and one against the Rockies.
If they're five and one after Miami and Colorado, that's successful.
And then I have them splitting against Saint Louis. That
gets me to eighteen and fourteen. This is the toughest

(02:01:01):
stretch to open up a season for the Cincinnati Reds,
but it's more vital than ever in my opinion. That
should take care of your business early.

Speaker 4 (02:01:09):
But the other thing is about it if you quickly
then turn the page to May. You have three against
the Washington Nationals, who many experts believe are going to
be a much better team than a year ago. A
deeper team, young talent, could be the surprise of the
National League. Then you play four in Atlanta, three in Houston.

(02:01:29):
You get a bit of a reprieve with the White Sox,
but the Guardians, and then two series against the Cubs,
a good team in Kansas City.

Speaker 2 (02:01:37):
Yep.

Speaker 4 (02:01:37):
Like it can get difficult quickly in the month of May,
and then it's it's scary in June. So you better
figure it out.

Speaker 2 (02:01:47):
Yeah, just to just to peak June, Milwaukee, Arizona, Cleveland, Detroit,
who came in here and walloped them last year, Minnesota,
Saint Louis, the Yankees, the Padres, the Boston Red Sox,
the Phillies. It it's gonna quickly. I have them at
eighteen and fourteen. I think if they're a game better
or a game worse, like you said seventeen and fifteen,

(02:02:08):
nineteen and thirteen, you'd be happy.

Speaker 4 (02:02:09):
I know we should never say this and never believe
it as a whole. I would be over the moon
if this team was fifteen and fifteen going into May,
that guy would be thrilled with Yeah, seriously, especially because
offensively they have nothing but question marks. I don't know
what the Stevenson injury is going to look like, and

(02:02:30):
you would assume by that point Steer, Diaz and Abbott
are all back.

Speaker 2 (02:02:36):
Yeah, it look flat out. It's not an easy start
for the Reds. I mean, San Francisco coming in is
an improved team. Texas is a team that's competing. They're
trying to win a championship.

Speaker 4 (02:02:49):
In San Francisco, you're gonna get Logan Webb and Justin
Verlander out of the gate.

Speaker 2 (02:02:52):
Yeah, so good luck. That's not easy. No, you know
you have de Gram Nathan Eyavaldi for the Texas Rangers.
That's a team that is trying to win with Jack Peterson,
Adolas Garcia, Evan Carter, Wyat Langford, Corey Sieger. I mean
they have a roster now. The first six at Great

(02:03:12):
American Ballpark are not easy.

Speaker 3 (02:03:14):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (02:03:15):
We'll talk more about that and how it plays out
as the week goes on Opening Day on Thursday, But
for now, Moweger is next on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati
Sports Station for quick hits on Cincy three sixty tuition.

Speaker 1 (02:03:26):
Cincy three sixty continues on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
It's time for Cincy three sixty quick hits on ESPN
fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (02:03:37):
Was looking for Mo can't find him. He's not here
yet now most been here. He's been preparing for his show.
I'm assuming he'll be in here in just a second.
Final results of our poll, Coon, so that was gonna go.
How should Xavier fans feel about Sean Miller leaving for
Texas forty one percent wins?

Speaker 4 (02:03:54):
They say, pissed? Second thirty eight percent say expected, but
not surprise, followed by twelve percent in different and seven
percent sad. On the one that you posted, which still
has twenty two hours left, Sean Miller is officially gone.
Should it be as simple as Chris Mack coming back
to Xavier? Fifty three percent say yes Chris Mack.

Speaker 2 (02:04:15):
Okay, that sounds like, uh, what's the majority of thinking?
Moe is here? Moe's getting ready for the Moe Eggers Show,
and we have a lot to get to you see.
By the way, for those that are still keeping track,
eight and a half point favorite, even though they don't
play for another couple of weeks. When they take the
court in the crowd from there an eight and a

(02:04:37):
half point ye favorite. Let me ask you real quick,
because I know we're gonna dive into Xavier and some Reds.
What we're hearing is that you see his entire team
plans on playing in the Crown, while some players man
or the Portal. They'll still play in Vegas. My question
would be, why if you're not going to be on
the team in the future, I got no interest in
you being on the team at the end of the year.
Let's go ahead and start with with who's gonna.

Speaker 19 (02:04:58):
Be here because the school wants them to put team
on the floor, and the guys can make money by
playing in this tournament in Vegas.

Speaker 2 (02:05:05):
There's the answer.

Speaker 19 (02:05:06):
There are players who have entered the portal who are
playing in the NCAA tournament. Still sure they are teams.
So this is just this is just how it works.
Like I think it's dumb that the portal opens today.
I think to have it open while the season is
still unfolding and you have multiple tournaments, although the NCAA
doesn't really want anything to do with the college basketball

(02:05:27):
crown like this is this is a very quick fix.
Open the portal the week after the national championship game
or the Wednesday after the night, however you want to
do it. To do it now just doesn't make any sense.
They they need seven guys, the school wants them to
have a team and so but like there were players
who played in the college football Playoff who put their

(02:05:49):
name in the portal and then played for their teams.

Speaker 2 (02:05:52):
I have no issue with the portal.

Speaker 19 (02:05:54):
I like this era that we're in, but it is
silly to have the portal open now.

Speaker 2 (02:05:58):
I wonder how much of the portal opening now is
going to play a factor in what the Xavier Musketeers
will be doing. I would assume pretty fast now the
news is official, Sean Miller is heading to Texas. I
know you're going to cover this on your show today,
But how much does the portal play into maybe an
AD's decision now of do you go through the longer
hiring process or do you have to hire quickly because

(02:06:20):
the portal's already open and your Dalan Swain has already
entered the portal. Yeah, for what it's worth for Xavier.

Speaker 19 (02:06:25):
Yeah, I mean I would like to think that Greg
Christopher is well informed enough to know that on the
moment the game ended on Friday night, there was a
good chance this was going to move very quickly.

Speaker 2 (02:06:36):
I mean, he has internet access, his team.

Speaker 19 (02:06:40):
His school was playing in Dayton with Texas in the
same pod beat him in the first four, and so
I would like to think that Greg Christopher didn't like
wake up yesterday and go.

Speaker 2 (02:06:49):
What what huh?

Speaker 19 (02:06:51):
So understanding the likelihood that this may happen, and understanding
who some very obvious candidates would be, and understanding the
reciprocal interest by some of those candidates, including one who
have may had the job before. This is not the
sort of thing that should have take very long to

(02:07:11):
get done. I would maybe argue it should be over
by six o'clock tonight.

Speaker 2 (02:07:16):
What uh that would be in the threshold of your showtime. Yeah,
what else do you have coming up during your show today?

Speaker 13 (02:07:22):
Well?

Speaker 19 (02:07:22):
I like this concept of Sean Miller. He betrayed Xavier Allen.
He was all in, how how did he betray Xavier?

Speaker 2 (02:07:30):
Yeah?

Speaker 19 (02:07:30):
I want to know that question. Does anybody did anybody?
Did he lie to anybody at any point? And maybe
maybe he did. I don't recall Sean Miller saying quote,
I will be the head coach at Xavier University for like.

Speaker 2 (02:07:43):
I will never leave again.

Speaker 4 (02:07:44):
He did say they would take the program to heights
they'd never been to before.

Speaker 19 (02:07:48):
Okay he didn't, he didn't, But did he say he
was going to be here for the rest of his career? Like,
there's two concepts I need help with. There's a lot
of concepts I need help, but specifically as they relate
to this Number one, if you feel betrayed, isn't that
your fault?

Speaker 2 (02:08:03):
Sure not Sean Miller's fault.

Speaker 19 (02:08:06):
So there's there's that There's also this idea that Xavier
gave Sean Miller an opportunity when nobody else would. Did
you notice who else coached in the NCAA Tournament this week?

Speaker 2 (02:08:18):
Did who?

Speaker 19 (02:08:20):
Will Wade and Rick Patino both coached, by the way,
both used a job that they got to go somewhere else. Now,
Xavier is not mcne state, Xavier is not Iona, but
there is this concept out there that I, well.

Speaker 2 (02:08:33):
They gave him a lifeline.

Speaker 19 (02:08:35):
No, they gave him a job, and I'm gonna guess
somebody else would have eventually too. So we're gonna talk
about this. I'm I always have to be the guide
that provides help, and whenever there's you know, but hurt
feelings about a coach leaving, I'm here to help. And
I'm gonna help out Xavier fans. I'm gonna help fans
of every college program. Moving vice, What did we learn

(02:08:59):
about the during spring training?

Speaker 2 (02:09:01):
Allie had a really good spring. Okay, we know he's good.
What I learned is I now have more questions Spencer Steer,
Alexis Das, Andrew Abbitt, Tyler Stevens and all starting on
the eel.

Speaker 19 (02:09:10):
What I've learned is I'm still reading about this team
needing bats at the deadline.

Speaker 2 (02:09:15):
The debts was your favorite topic? The deadline for what
opening day? Yeah?

Speaker 19 (02:09:20):
So did they really have a good offseason if we're
still getting to the end of the offseason thinking about
what they still need to go get from another team.
So that's a good question that could pertain to the Bengals.
It could and should the Bengals call Trey Hendrickson's bluff.
I think the answer is yes, to call his bluff. Yeah,
you know, you guys talked about this a little bit.
He's he's gonna sit out. I don't believe that for

(02:09:42):
a second. I don't believe that for a second. So
call I like Trey Hendrickson. I think I'm gonna ask
Trey if I could be his agent?

Speaker 2 (02:09:52):
His agent, they've they've made some questions, will do certainly
just kind of like making it up as they go along.

Speaker 19 (02:09:56):
Do you think the NCAA Tournament is not as good
because we don't have a lot to Cinderella.

Speaker 2 (02:10:00):
I love the tournament.

Speaker 19 (02:10:01):
Ina tournament games this weekend, we're not awesome. We're not
a ton of close games.

Speaker 2 (02:10:08):
People just complained about a travel You think it was.

Speaker 19 (02:10:12):
Maybe I don't think it was by how that is
always effaci.

Speaker 2 (02:10:17):
I give the benefit of the doubt that the guy
going opposite opposite his strong hand, jumping off opposite opposite
foot and still making it.

Speaker 19 (02:10:23):
You're allowed to have dribble, But in real time I
thought it was a travel Yeah. But we're gonna get
awesome matchups this weekend. So good, So help me with this.
The rise of women's college basketball, right, it's never been
more popular. We never have Cinderella's No, the last twenty
eight Final four teams, none of them were seated lower
than three.

Speaker 9 (02:10:42):
Yep.

Speaker 19 (02:10:42):
So in women's basketball, this is what is driving popularity
in the sport. We get Caitlin Clark can, we get
Page Beckers, and we get the South Carolina game Cocks,
and we get Juju Watkins, right, we get the stars
and this is what we want. But in men's basketball,
we wont schools that nobody can point to on a map.

Speaker 2 (02:11:01):
I'm with you. Thursday and Friday is going to be fantastic.
The Mowiger Show is going to be fantastic. Next right
here in ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. Thanks for listening,
Thanks for being a part of the show. Thanks for
making the show happen. Have a great rest of your Monday.
We'll do it again tomorrow on ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 11 (02:11:15):
Thirty WCKY, Cincinnati. Make us the number one pre said

(02:11:46):
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improved iHeartRadio app. Free never sounded so good, ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (02:11:54):
Join us for the r