Monday Midday Quarterback with Tony Pike & Austin Elmore -- 10/20/25

Tony Pike returns and he catches up with Austin on all he's missed in the football world on ESPN 1530.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Monday Midday Quarterback Show, brought to you
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(00:21):
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Speaker 2 (00:42):
I want you to put the word up there. We
back them, understand me, We backham.

Speaker 3 (00:50):
Well, good afternoon, Welcome in. It's the Monday midday Quarterback
and you're listening on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.
And I I'm Tony Pike alongside here with Austin Elmore
and obviously obviously a lot is happening. And first and foremost,

(01:11):
let me just say I am excited to be back
in this chair talking to you right now. More importantly,
I am I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity here to
be back on the air with the Wcky family and
reconnect with obviously the listeners who have always supported me.
This journey at times takes unexpected turns. I'm here, I'm ready.

(01:34):
I could not be more excited to get back to
doing what I love doing, and that is talking to
you each and every afternoon from noon to three on
ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station. That today obviously goes
a little bit longer because I'll be with Moeger and
Florence from three to six, so essentially just here from
noon to two today, Austin has our number three. I

(01:55):
would be remissed as well not to just say a
sincere thank you, literally from the bottom of my heart
to everyone that has reached out, that has texted, that
has called, that has tweeted in some way or another,

(02:15):
that has reached out and supported me through what has
been a very difficult time, an unknown time. And again,
I'm grateful that I'm back here now. I didn't know
this over the last couple of weeks of what was
going to be next, and I have been blown away,
as has my family, on the support that those that

(02:38):
listen to this show have given since the time I've
been gone. I apologize to so many people that I
haven't even gotten back to yet. It is it was
a lot, It was a lot to take in. I
probably should be apologizing to my wife and my kids
because of how I've been the last week or so,
because I know I haven't been pleasant to be around,

(03:00):
and I, uh, I need to My wife needs to
know how much I appreciate her and and and who
she's been even more than what she normally is during
a very hard and difficult time for our family and
UH with my kids and and immediate family and friends
and everyone else. I'm I'm so grateful and I'm so
thankful to UH to have a chance to be back

(03:21):
on and UH to be back on alongside Austin as well. Austin,
obviously people were wondering, you know this, this has to
mean that you and I are still here, and yes,
in fact, we are still here. Austin is right there
as well. Hi, Tony, Hello Austin. Hey man, I have
to say, Austin, I uh, gosh, I believe this was

(03:41):
uh was it? Was it a Wednesday when the news happened,
and you know, I figuring out what the hell I'm
gonna do? So I we went and had I kept
the kids home from school so we could have like
a family day. And as we were getting UH to
our brunch, you came on the air and you delivered

(04:03):
what felt like for a little bit of eulogy. And
then I'm like pinching myself, like am I still alive?
I had to remind people.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
You you you did.

Speaker 3 (04:12):
You caught yourself about halfway through, you said, and Tony's
not dead, because had someone tuned in, they may have
thought that I had passed.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
I sent you up.

Speaker 3 (04:25):
I wanted to tell you in person as well. I
I appreciate the words you shared. I appreciated the words
most shared. It was emotional for us to sit in
the car we were, you know, we we ended up
we went for brunch. I think we ended up getting
lunched because by the time we gathered ourselves after hearing that,
we had already missed the brunch menu. But I appreciate
your words, and I look forward to UH, to continuing

(04:48):
to build what we've trying to been build to trying
to build UH since since we've been doing this, and
these situations were hard on me. I know they were
hard on you as well, and I want to thank
you and tell you I appreciated that as well.

Speaker 2 (05:04):
Well, thank you, man, I appreciate that. I meant every
word of it. And this is it's not easy. Even
this right now is a little bit weird just because
of the way things have moved, and so it might
take us a little bit maybe to fall back into it.
I don't know, but yeah, man, I think it was

(05:24):
from my perspective, it was really cool to see the
impact of you and of the show when the news
came out, and just to see all the different things
that people said about the show and the both of
us together, Like I never expected that sort of response.
So it did, you know, make me feel good that like, oh, yeah,

(05:47):
we're doing something right here, like we had been doing
something right and so I'm excited that we get to
continue that together. I think that was a big part
of it, is you. It's a bad way to get validation,
but you kind of get the validation the man. People
are enjoying this. And and again, you know to to

(06:09):
to everyone that that reached out. Obviously, it says your
your voice matters, Your your voice is heard and and
and it was heard throughout this process and in many
different ways. And then there's the side of it. Austin
from a sports side, missed quite a bit. I missed
I missed your trip to Green Bay.

Speaker 3 (06:27):
Yeah, I missed Joe Flacco be coming a Bengal and
for a while, Austin, I was a free agent. I'm
getting ready to watch last Thursday, and I'm like, well,
these guys are older than I am.

Speaker 2 (06:36):
Yeah, I don't see time to get to a field.
I didn't hear from you, so I assumed that you
weren't listening. But I did make the joke at one
point that the Bengals chose Joe Flacco over Tony Pike
and he's three years older than Tony Pike and they're
both available.

Speaker 3 (06:50):
I went to, uh uh. There was twice my brother
and I tried to go to two different fields to
shoot some video of getting back in the swing of things,
and the fields were taken up both times. I'm like,
maybe it's a good thing, and I'm glad. I'm glad
Joe Flacco's here in Cincinnati.

Speaker 2 (07:09):
Can I say something just to circle back to the
very beginning, too, you thank your family? Yes, I also
want to thank your family because they said some really
nice things to me. Personally, both your wife and your
brothers and others like reached out. Like obviously in that
moment they're thinking of you and trying to help you

(07:31):
and support you. But for them to like reach out
to me, that really meant a lot to me. Well,
Mayor was probably doing that to make sure I was.
She did. She did, She's like take care of tona like,
don't don't stop checking it on them. But also like
some of the other messages too, that that really meant
a lot to me. So I did not know they did.
I wanted to say thank you to them as well.

Speaker 3 (07:49):
Yeah, you know, I'm glad that it took Joe Flacco
coming in to realize if you just peppered the ball
to Jamar Chase twenty three times, good things are going
to happen.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
That's fun.

Speaker 3 (07:58):
We get to talk about that the Bengals have a
running game as semblance of a running game going. We'll
discuss that the winless Jets are coming in with guess who,
speaking of wanting to give it a go again, my
foe in the Orange Bowl in two thousand and eight,
Tyrod Taylor is back with the Jets. He's gonna start
a football game. Yeah, unbelievable time.

Speaker 2 (08:20):
He's excited Flacco and Tarrod Taylor, who were teammates in Baltimore,
gosh about fourteen years ago, which is kind of hard
to believe. I do know Aaron Glynn, the Jets head coach.
They do their media in the mornings on Mondays. He
said he hasn't made up his mind yet whether or
not it's Justin Fields or Torod Taylor.

Speaker 3 (08:40):
Who would you rather face? Tyrod Taylor? Oh, there's just something.
Justin Field still has a threat. I know he's not
great passing the ball, but his legs and the lack
of tackling on the Bengals defense worrying me a little bit.
I don't think Tyrod is as much of a threat.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
Okay.

Speaker 3 (08:57):
Also, may I say about them Bearcats? Oh, you're allowed
six and one, four and zero. The Big Twelve right now,
tied with BYU atop the league. The only two undefeated
teams in the Big Twelve of the Cincinnati Bearcats and
the BYU Cougars.

Speaker 2 (09:14):
By the way.

Speaker 3 (09:15):
BYU's next two weeks at Iowa State and then at
Texas Tech. Tough schedule coming up for BYU as well.
You see, in control of their Destiny to play in Dallas,
Texas for a Big twelve championship game. They beat Oklahoma
State forty nine to seventeen. Over the weekend, we'll talk
about the play off, Brendan Soresby, We'll talk about all

(09:36):
three levels of the Bearcats having success and what this
week holds to. Big week in Cincinnati, Austin Bengals on Sunday,
Homecoming on Saturday. Hall of Fame weekend Friday night. It's
a big weekend for Cincinnati sports. You say Hall of
Fame weekend for who? Hall of Fame weekend for what?

(09:56):
For the born and bred for you see, yeah, bornham raised.

Speaker 2 (10:01):
This is the So who's going to the Hall of Fame?
A couple of folks like who? Illustrious class?

Speaker 4 (10:06):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (10:07):
Who are some of the guys who Mike Mickens, Oh
I remember him.

Speaker 2 (10:12):
I'm gonna be inducted into the Hall of Fame Friday night.
I am.

Speaker 3 (10:17):
I get to take part in the Hall of Fame
homecoming parade on Saturday.

Speaker 2 (10:21):
Really, YEA, to be a Grand Marshall face should give
you like little mini footballs to throw people. I was
thinking that, Yeah, I was thinking that, just to prove
that you still you know, just to let sores be no.

Speaker 3 (10:31):
Yeah, worst falorat. Yeah's worst Falorat. That's exciting. Uh FC Cincinnati, Austin.
How about this post round? You're burying the lead. Michael
Jordan's a Bengals fan. Did you see this?

Speaker 5 (10:44):
No?

Speaker 2 (10:45):
I talked about this for like an hour the other day,
which is probably why you're back. Michael Jordan. Is this move?
Michael Jordans is a Bengals fan. According to Chris Collinsworth, Wow,
you and I love Michael Jordan the goat. We love
his company. He's the goat And according to Chris collins Worth,

(11:06):
Michael Jordan for some reason, grew up a Bengals like
his apparel. So now I watch every game thinking me
and Michael Jordan are doing the same thing right now,
and I just think we need to, you know, maybe
incorporate that in in some way, shape or form, you know,
like what you think I've been walking around the last
couple of days thinking about Joe Flacco. You think Michael

(11:26):
Jordan's doing the same thing. Absolutely?

Speaker 3 (11:28):
Yeah, when he wakes up before he goes to bed, Yeah, Flacco, man,
he still got it. Michael Jordan, He's just like a
he spins it man. Shout out to Michael Jordan, Shout
out to FC Cincinnati. Yes, how about this? Could you?
Could you write a better first round matchup than hell
is real opportunity to exercise some playoff demon Number two

(11:49):
f C Cincinnati, number seven, Columbus Crew. Gosh, I can't wait.
That's gonna be awesome. A week from today. Yes, over
twenty seventh Monday, Monday, that's gonna be awesome. Shout out
to FC Cincinnati. We will go around the National Football League.

(12:10):
We'll look around the college football landscape as well. Because
it is a Monday. I'll get out of here at
two o'clock head to Florence. Austin will take hour number three.
We'll try to keep this back to business as normal
and pick up right where we left off. Although, as
Austin said, hand up, it still feels a little different.
It has felt different over the last week and a

(12:31):
half or so that I haven't been here. I've watched
sports Austin in a different landscape. You watch it differently
when like you're not going to talk about him the
next day.

Speaker 2 (12:42):
Yeah, it is kind of nice to not try to
turn everything you see into an explanation or a take yep,
Like it is cool when you don't have to like
look at it in that line. Yes, and I understand
these are first world problems, but it is it allows
you to be a fan in.

Speaker 3 (13:01):
This Thursday night game. Yeah, was different. Sure, So I'm like, man,
this is just fun. I'm kind of caught up in this.
I'm looking around the rest of the AFC, look at
some windows that are opening. You just feel good about things.
I would be remissed if I did not mention though
here in the first segment. Services were had yesterday in
Blue assh for the great Jim Kelly, who passed away

(13:26):
last Sunday. To me and I mentioned this on the
UC broadcast Saturday night, but I wanted to reiterate it here.
I've never been to a service like I was last
night that had more people attending. It didn't start till
three o'clock. We got there like two forty five, and
the line was outside of the funeral home. It was

(13:48):
unbelievable the amount of people that showed up last night.
Scott Saderfield was in attendance, many others were in attendance.
And you get caught up in times like that just
talking sports and and talking about Jim, and I did
want to share how uh impossible it is to to

(14:09):
try to obviously fill into what Jim has done as well.
I can't fill the chair that that Jim held for
so long, but I share the passion for the University
of Cincinnati that that Jim held, and I hold that
very near and dear to me and to Jim's family.
I think last night was an opportunity to see how

(14:29):
loved Jim was, how amazing Jim was the person that
he was. The trip to Stillwater and we'll talk about
the UC game. The trip to Stillwater was different because
that's where I enjoyed my relationship with Jim the most.

Speaker 2 (14:44):
Was UC road games.

Speaker 3 (14:47):
Jim would be at the hotel bar, and he'd be
in the hotel lobby seemingly from the moment we landed
to when we would all go get dinner together and
come back, and all he wanted to do was talk
football and talk Bearcats to families and to people and
enjoy the atmosphere. And I thought I missed Jim a

(15:08):
lot after his passing and during the game last week.
Not having Jim on the road sucks, and I just
wanted to share how amazing I thought it was to
everyone that showed up yesterday for Jim and that we're
there and the legacy that he has obviously created through
his time on this earth, and I wouldn't be where

(15:28):
I'm at, I wouldn't have opportunities that I've had if
it was not for Jim Kelly, and I wanted to
add that in today as well. Let's try to keep
this as normal as possible, meaning Austin when we come back.

Speaker 2 (15:41):
So how do we do that because we haven't discussed
a show at all today. Yeah, that's luckily for you.
I've been preparing as if I was hosting a show.
It's a little different. I kind of had a show planned.
So we're good. Okay, good, I'll just lead it. Take this.

Speaker 3 (15:56):
I'm assuming Bengals football in the NATTI, ball in the Naty,
so just so you know, So the show is three
hours and I'm only having to today.

Speaker 2 (16:04):
In the first hour we have a football in the Natti.
In the second segment, let me write this down. Yeah,
and then second hour, at one twenty, we do a
thing called talkbacks, which the listeners they leave talkbacks for people, Okay,
which I don't even know if they're working because there
was a big internet outage this morning. Oh and then
in the third hour typically you're here, but you're not
gonna be here today. You got to go to Florence. Yeah,

(16:26):
there's a show down there called the Tonio Moo Football Show.
You do that with Moe Egger? All right, I like
mo Yeah, he's he's a good guy. And at the
end of show around two forty five, wall reconvene through
the power of the Internet and radio. What you guys
will be in Florence and I'll be here and we'll
do a thing called quick Hits, which is just go
through some of the you know, recap the show and
some of the top.

Speaker 3 (16:47):
Okay, So when we come back, Football in the NATI Yeah,
ESBN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station, the Monday midday quarterback.

Speaker 6 (16:55):
Now, this is Football in the Natti, brought to you
by Hey During Window Company on ESPN fifteen thirty, the
official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 3 (17:13):
Welcome back Football in the Natie. Yes, I'm I'm Tony Pike.
I'm back here. Austin is here on ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station. All the time, we're gonna have to
remind people every time. Yeah, in case they're just tuning in, Yeah,
what's happening.

Speaker 2 (17:30):
Because you know there's a lot of people, a lot
of text messages coming in right now. Yeah, I'm getting
a lot WTF.

Speaker 3 (17:36):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (17:39):
Our guy Johnny salz Arulo, longtime listening to the show
and first team all good guy. Yes. He he sent
a tweet in said loves the new guy with Austin Omore.

Speaker 3 (17:49):
Thank you Johnny the new here. Yeah, it's good to
be here. So is your clock reset now I have
more seniority?

Speaker 2 (17:57):
Yeah? Okay, I think everything resets here. Hold that over
your head.

Speaker 3 (18:00):
There's a lot that reset head, I think, and except mentally,
I think that's the only thing that hasn't reset in
about the last few weeks. Football in the Natty is
what we're doing now. How about this NFL standings as
we sit here today, the Bengals still on the outside
looking in, but they've got the head to head win

(18:22):
over the Jacksonville Jaguars. They're undefeated in the AFC North,
and I think Austin still very much alive in the
playoff picture because of what they did against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Speaker 2 (18:33):
Absolutely, what they did against the Steelers. And on top
of that, five of their next ten games YEP are
against teams that are currently in the bottom five in
the AFC. Those game feels different now this week against
the Jets it does. Obviously, we'll see what Lamar's status
is by the time that rolls around him. Sometimes those
hamstrings can be tricky, difficult situations. But five to the

(18:58):
next ten against teams that are in the AFC. Yeah,
and so those are games that you have to win.
You are you should be expecting to win, I guess,
and so it's right there in front of you to
be able to do it.

Speaker 3 (19:12):
If you look at where this goes from here. You
mentioned the game coming up. The Jets are are winless.
They're zero to seven. After the Jets, they do play
the Chicago Bears, and the Bears have done a good
job Austin with Ben Johnson four straight wins. They're back
to four and two. But I still think that's a
game going in. The Bengals are going to be favored,
So let's just start there. Five and four is on

(19:34):
the table going into the bye week. Would you agree
win the next two? You're five and four going into
the by Now come out of the by. You play
the same team you just kept your season alive against
in the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road. Austin, you hit
the nail on the head before the season, and I
thought they were going to be good. I didn't think
they'd be as good as they are right now. The
New England Patriots after what they did to Buffalo. I

(19:57):
saw they have gone on the road for the first
time three consecutive times with three consecutive wins. That's not
something they even did with Tom Brady. Three straight road
games in three weeks and they won all three. That
has not been done for the New England Patriots. That's
how good Drake May has been. Denver on the ropes.

(20:19):
Should have lost yesterday. The Giants can't get out of
their own way. You know the game against Denver that
already happened. You've beaten the Pittsburgh Steelers. Buffalo looks good.
They don't look unbeatable. The Chargers don't look unbeatable. The
Jagguarars don't look unbeatable. I'll tell you who it is
right now again, Austin, it feels like the Chiefs are
right back on the top.

Speaker 2 (20:37):
I was going through some of these teams, and I
wrote a little blurb about all of them, and when
I got to the Chiefs, I simply wrote, they look
scary again. Yep, Rashi Rice back, change your worthy healthy.
That obviously opens things up for Travis Kelson, Hollywood Brown
the same player that he was before. And their ability
to just run it consistently is still working on that.

(21:01):
And if you are looking at it from a gambling perspective,
all of a sudden, who's the favorite to win MVP again? Yep?
Patrick Mahomes hoty Mahomes.

Speaker 3 (21:11):
It's just an opportunity that has been carved out because
the Bengals were able to do what they did against
the Pittsburgh Steelers. The opportunity that has set itself aside
by Joe Flacco targeting Jamar Chase twenty three times, by
Chase Brown. I think for the first time, Austin looking
like the back that a lot of us expected him

(21:32):
to be this season. Now, the defense, oh boy, we
could talk a lot about the defense, but I thought
the offensive line held up. I thought Flacco looked comfortable.
The ability to run the ball changes everything, and let's
call it what it is, and it doesn't take rocket science.

(21:53):
You don't have to listen to me tell you you're going
to have a chance to win if you're peppering the
ball to Jamar Chase and T Higgins. Joe Flacco threw
the ball forty seven times, thirty three of those went
to Jamar Chase and T Higgins.

Speaker 2 (22:08):
And on top of that, I talked about it a
lot too, and we have talked about this over the
course of the offseason and training camp and going into
the year. If there is even the most minimal threat
of a run, it opens up the rest of the offense. Yep,
it creates those situations for Jamar Chase. I know that
you and I are both out on Zach Taylor, and

(22:30):
I still am. That hasn't changed in your absence. But
I thought that the Thursday game against the Steelers was
the best game Zach Taylor has called since the playoff
win in Buffalo in the divisional round. Yeah, it was
a nearly perfect game from Zach and considering the circumstances,
And you know, Flacco even said afterwards there was stuff

(22:51):
I was saying I didn't really know what it meant,
which is incredibly impressive. I thought that goes to again,
like the ability of Zach Taylor as a head coach
and how difficult that is. And I thought when he
needed it, he delivered a really good performance as a
play caller. And now you've seen so much different stuff

(23:12):
if you're the Jets, or if you're the Bears, or
if you're Pittsburgh, that you have to be prepared for
that allows the Bengals to beat you in a multitude
of ways on offense. It's the biggest shock I walked
away from Thursday that Pittsburgh didn't adjust defensively. And you know,
I don't know that I would be that surprised because
Tarrell Austin is their defensive coordinators. This is who we are.
I was at a game in twenty eighteen when Tarrell

(23:36):
Austin was the defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. The
New Orleans Saints scored on every possession. Fifty two to fourteen,
I believe was the final score. Yeah, and that was
I believe Arret Austin got fired after that. Marvin Lewis
started calling the defense. So I'm not surprised because Tarrell
Austin's a terrible defensive coordinator. They have too many good
players to be that bad. Yeah, what I like the most.

(23:58):
And I stayed up because I didn't get up for
work the next morning. I stayed up and I listened
to Joe Flacco and Jamar Chase come back out and
talk to the guys from Prime. And there was a
particular play where Flaco hit Yoshivash down the middle for
thirty seven yards and hearing him describe that play of like,

(24:21):
we knew going in that eventually they were going to
have to bracket both Jamar and t Higgins, and when
they did, we had to hit it. And Flacco was like,
he sounds like a kid in a candy story. He's like,
I came up to the line and they were both bracketed,
and I knew we had it now. He still made
an unbelievable throw. But I'm listening to Joe Flacco, who's

(24:41):
been around this thing a long time, Austin a long time,
and I'm listening to him, and I thought, man, he
sounds like anyone else that would get to be a
quarterback for Jamar Chase and T Higgins during the week.
I don't know if you caught it, but he was like, hey,
you know, we got out of Green Bay and we lost.
He had some good things in the second half, and

(25:01):
all week. I'm on the phone with my brothers, I'm
on the phone with my friends, and I'm like, guys,
like these two are amazing, Like just how giddy Flacco
is to get to throw the ball to these guys.
He looks like he's renewed, he looks like he's refreshed.
And to have that and somehow Austin they hit a

(25:22):
play late in that game. Flacco put the ball in
the air on a deep out well before Jamar Chase
was out of his break. Chase caught the ball, got
both feet in, moved the chains. That is a throw
that for many quarterbacks and receivers takes years to develop.

Speaker 3 (25:37):
He did it in ten days. It's one thing for
a receiver to be open and you throw them open,
but to have the timing and the discipline to not
only throw it to a guy twenty three times, but
that ball beyond the money to catch as many times
as it was. I can't speak at a quarterback level
how impressive it is what Joe Flacco did. And it's

(26:00):
even more impressive because everyone says, well, ten days, ten days,
ten days they played Sunday and then turn around and
played Thursday. You don't have the same game plan for
both games. So he actually had less time to get
ready for the Pittsburgh Steelers and still was able to
do what he did. It was one of the most
impressive quarterback performances I've seen, because I can't imagine how

(26:24):
hard it was to get caught up that quick, and
he did it and in doing so. I listened to
James Rapine before the game and he called it essentially
a must win game, almost an elimination game for the
Cincinnati Bengals. And now on the other side of it,
as we just discussed here, we are talking about a
team in the Bengals that should at home be favored

(26:48):
over the next two weeks, and if they take care
of business at home, they're five and four going into
the bye week. And do you know what happens if
you get to five and four going into the bye
Maybe you start to peak ahead, Maybe you start to
inquire about some Joe Burrow updates. Maybe you start to
see a light at the end of the tunnel there.
The Patriots are good, they come to town. The Ravens

(27:12):
still just one win. I don't think people are shutting
the door completely on them. But if things don't go
well for the Ravens over the next few what are
they playing for By the time those two games come around.
There are opportunities to be had, and that changed because
of what happened on Thursday night, and the Bengals have

(27:34):
put themselves into that position. We'll talk more about the
Bengals first. Let's talk more about the Bearcats when we
get back as well. It is the Monday midday quarterback
ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 6 (27:47):
You've been listening to football in the NATI on ESPN
fifteen point thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 7 (27:59):
For ten years.

Speaker 8 (28:00):
Jackson catches a shorter high snap, throws a slant, picked off, intercepted.

Speaker 2 (28:06):
Cincinnati is running it back.

Speaker 9 (28:07):
This is McDoom up the far sideline, tight roping the sideline.

Speaker 4 (28:12):
He's at the forty, the thirty, the twenty, the ten
to the end zone. Touchdown. Bear canally.

Speaker 3 (28:22):
About that, Oh, Matt McDoom baby mczoom mg zoom school record,
all time school record for longest interception returned by a
bear Cat. Previous record was held against Oklahoma State as well.
That was en route to a Bearcat's forty nine to

(28:44):
seventeen route of Oklahoma State. Good for our wind Shulers
call of the day, thanks to our friends at wind Shulers.
Don't take our word for it. Just go try wind
Shulers for yourself any of their four amazing flavors. It's
not really a tailgate, it's not really a holiday get
together if win Shulers isn't a part of it. So
make them a part of your next get together. Matt McDoom, Austin.

(29:09):
You know that was the first defensive where special team
touchdown that the Bearcats have scored in the Scott Saderfield era.
Wow thirty one games without a defensive or special teams
touchdown that ended thanks to mc zoom. It also gave
the Bearcats a much more comfortable lead they eventually went

(29:31):
at forty nine to seventeen. The stats speak for themselves
right now. With the Cincinnati Bearcats Austin, I I said
at the beginning of the year, I think they were
going to go over their posted win total. I didn't
know that they'd be where they are now, but looking
at this team's makeup and what they're able to do,

(29:54):
they ran the ball for five yards of carry on
Saturday night, Evan Pryor seven yards of carry Tywee Walker
thirty eight. Sworsby can run the ball, though he wasn't
much of a runner the other night, and now all
of a sudden, Austin, They've realized that Joe Royer is
an NFL tight end. He can block in the run game,
he blocks in the passing game. He's a strong receiver,

(30:17):
sure handed, but also can run after the catch. Joe
Royer is one of the top three tight ends that
will be in the draft this upcoming year. Noah Jennings,
Jeff Cadwell, Cyrus Allen all coming into their own. Caleb
Goodies had a big year. They have talent on the outside.
Royer's an NFL talent, Sworsby's playing as one of the

(30:39):
best quarterbacks in the country. They have a two headed
monster at running back, and behind all of that Austin,
they have an offensive line who's given up two sacks
on the year and has won Big Twelve Offensive Line
of the Week three times. Where's their offensive weakness? Special
teams night and day? Where they were Stephen Russknacks not

(31:02):
missed a kick dating back to last year. He's a weapon.
Max Fletcher is a weapon. Their return units, their coverage
units are weapons. Now you could say that the defense
needs to be better, and I'll.

Speaker 2 (31:16):
Agree with you.

Speaker 3 (31:17):
Oklahoma State offensively should not have been able to have
the numbers that they did. But in back to back
weeks it has felt like the defense has been gashed
at times. And yet you look on the scoreboard. They
gave up seventeen on Saturday night, and they gave up
eleven against UCF. They are the epitome of a bend

(31:38):
but don't break defense in between the twenties. They play softer,
not softer upfront, but softer coverage. They keep everything in front,
they limit the explosives, and then they are a really
good defense when the opponent crosses the fifty, especially when
the opponent gets into the red zone. Do you see

(32:00):
Bearcats in talking about the red zone? Austin perfect on
the season, best in college football one hundred percent scoring
in the red zone and the highest touchdown rate in
the nation by any team who has been one hundred
percent in the red zone. Baylor comes into town a

(32:21):
tough trip to Utah Arizona at home. I think the
best remaining team on the schedule is BYU, They host BYU,
and then they go to TCU Austin. There is a
path for the UC Bearcats to take care of business
and represent themselves in Dallas for a big twelve championship

(32:41):
game with what you've seen of UC, do you see
that as being attainable?

Speaker 2 (32:46):
Still, it's hard. It's kind of surprising, like to hear
you say that and like realize that is a possibility,
and they've done a great job of putting themselves in
that position offensively. Yes, you know, I was also and
I know I'm labeled the Bearcat hater a lot, but
I was also one of those people before the season
that said, I believe in this team. I believe in

(33:08):
Scott Saderfield, and I especially believe in the offense. Defense
needs to be more consistent, without a doubt. But it
goes without saying there is a path to get there,
and they've done what they've needed to do. They've taken
care of business, They've done it, you know, defensively this week,
I think, yeah, the score was what it was, but
I think a lot of people would still wait to

(33:29):
see a little bit more defensively. But if you're finding
ways to win and you continue to get better, they're
gonna have a chance. Yeah, it's not crazy to think
along those lines of like, okay, and.

Speaker 3 (33:42):
There's somebody said about winning and feeling like you've left
a lot out there.

Speaker 2 (33:46):
Yeah. Yeah, I mean Chase Brown said that Thursday and
he had a great game. But like, yeah, if you're
able to just understand this is what we did, this
is how we succeeded, this is what we could have done.
Apply that throughout the week going into a next game,
I think that that can bode well for you. See,

(34:06):
there are six teams Austin.

Speaker 3 (34:08):
I also can't help but think back to Arizona State
last year, YEP, in a similar situation where people are like,
I don't know if Arizona State's gonna make it, and
they made it.

Speaker 2 (34:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (34:16):
Right now, Austin, there are five teams with one or
one loss or zero losses in the Big Twelve. The
top six in the Big Twelve are Iowa State, Houston,
Texas Tech, Arizona State, Cincinnati BYU Cincinnati By you're the
only undefeated teams left. You have a heads up win
over Iowa State already they have two Big Twelve losses.
You don't play Houston on the schedule. You don't play
Texas Tech on this schedule, and you don't play Arizona State.

(34:41):
So the three one loss teams aren't on your schedule.
The other undefeated team is at Nippert Stadium, and I've
watched enough Utah that i know it's gonna be tough
to go on the road at Utah. I'm not wowed
by Utah's offense. That would be what concerns me if
you're go against the Bearcats. I think they can score

(35:02):
against anybody. Elite offenses would worry me. You toss, not
an elite offense. So just look where the standings are
right now in the Big twelve, and you've got a
shot now that starts with taking care of business at
homecoming on Saturday. You're a five and a half point
favored against Baylor. But they are a very good special

(35:26):
teams unit. They are an extremely impressive offensive unit. And
Austin whet in this city, he's taken a lot of heat.
He deserves credit as well for what Scott Sadderfield's built.

Speaker 2 (35:38):
I agree those.

Speaker 3 (35:38):
Players being in the locker room after the game, they
love Scott Soaderfield. You look at Royer and Swarsby and Corleone.
They all decided we're coming back because they believe in Scott.
So the locker room believes in him. Now you're starting
to see his imprint on this offense. And what are
we also seeing at the same time off they're running

(36:01):
Luke Thicke Loot of Wisconsin. Scott Souderfield looks to be
the guy at the University of Cincinnati, and there's a
lot of people that owe him an apology for that,
but it all means nothing if you don't take care
of business at home. On Saturday. They are Bowl eligible,

(36:22):
so they are going bowling. But being around this team,
it's not just something they say now that you want
to win a championship. Everyone starts a year and says, oh,
our goal is a Big twelve championship. They legitimately believe
that they can win the Big Twelve championship, and I
think that makes them even more dangerous. Let's take a break,
let's come back. More football ahead. On the Monday midday quarterback.

(36:46):
You're listening on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati sports station.

Speaker 2 (36:49):
You seek wise since it not going on in the NFL.

Speaker 10 (36:52):
Getting ESPN is fifteen thirty from iHeartRadio.

Speaker 3 (37:05):
Hey, welcome back Monday Midday Quarterback ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati
Sports Station. Yes, this is not a rerun from weeks
or months ago. I am I'm back here. I'm with you.
Austin is here, Austin. I think Rob Johnson. I got
to shout him out on social media because I think
he figured things out. I was on a ten day

(37:28):
deal with an NFL squad. That's where I went that.
I can't say legally. I had a ten day contract
and I was checking the transaction wire. I didn't see
that come through. Yeah, you wouldn't have seen it was
it was. It was the Kentucky barrels. And much like

(37:50):
Jake Gruden, much like Jake Gruden said years ago, I
just didn't have the confidence. But the ten day is over.
I did not make the cuts, and I'm back and
I'm very appreciative to be back. What else happened across
the college football world? Austin a lot? Uh Luke Fickle?
How does he still have a jam? Oh my gosh,

(38:11):
has there ever been shut out in back to back
weeks at home against Iowa? And has there ever been
like a just a more demoralizing thirty four to nothing loss,
Like there was no point in that game where I
thought like Wisconsin was even going to score.

Speaker 2 (38:27):
And it never really felt like Ohio State even played
that well. No, to be honest, that's a crazy thing.
What Matt Patricia has done with that defense is insane,
and Julian Sayan has been phenomenal. Yeah, he continues to
like kind of take the next step in a college
for them, But.

Speaker 3 (38:44):
In a college football world where I don't know how
many good teams they are far and above the upper
class of this season, like Miami was number two. They
lose on Friday Night. Yeah, Nebraska got walloped on Friday Night.

Speaker 2 (38:57):
Iowa just lost their best defense or not Iowa? Indiana
just lost their best defensive player for the rest of it.
Do they play Ohio State regular season or no, they don't.
I was talking about this earlier. If I'm an Ohio
State fan, which I am, why do I care about
the Big Ten champions? You don't. The only reason really

(39:17):
would be seating, and that obviously would come into you know,
play a little bit closer to the actual game. But like,
so long as they win out and even if they
lose to Michigan, which Lord knows that's the possibility. It's
kind of reached the point where that's the expectation until
Ryan Day proves otherwise. But like you kind of at

(39:40):
the point where it's like, you know what I mean,
Like the Big Ten Championship game has no value anymore,
no other than seating and how Oregon won it last.

Speaker 3 (39:48):
Year and they got screwed in the seating. It's just
the weird stuff I'm thinking about is out at Florida.
What about you, Luke? What about Mike Norvell?

Speaker 2 (39:59):
Luke got the dreaded vote of confidence today? Did you
see that from the ad Athletic Director Chris McIntosh wrote
a letter to Badgers fans today. So this season has
fallen well short of our standards. Blah blah blah, says
Coach Fickle sees the potential and what this team can
be as do I, and he shares the same disappointment
and frustration. We continue to stand and fight with character

(40:22):
and pride as we battle through this moment of adversity,
and they deserve our supporting battle.

Speaker 3 (40:26):
I saw an article that said the Athletic director has
backed Luke Fickle and has targeted a financial push can
you imagine in Wisconsin saying, hey, Luke's our guy.

Speaker 2 (40:36):
But we need more money. You need a little bit
more cash, no chance, probably give it to the basketball team.

Speaker 3 (40:41):
What's Florida's take going to do with Mike Norvell? Remember
when they were good at the start of the year. Yeah,
they got beat by Stanford. They all said they were
back and they're not back. Like right now, who in
college football is No One's on Ohio State's level. Who's
on the next level, who's on the tier just below?
I would say Indiana, is there, Texas, A and M

(41:02):
maybe Alabama. Like I don't think Georgia's is dominant. I
don't think Oregans is dominant.

Speaker 2 (41:07):
Alabama's heading in the right direction, but it's like Georgia
Tech Old Miss.

Speaker 3 (41:12):
I don't know, there's just it doesn't feel like there's
a lot of clear cut.

Speaker 2 (41:17):
Dominant teams this year. So I don't know.

Speaker 3 (41:24):
I you gotta feel good if you're an Ohio State
fan right now? Yeah, I mean, how much different does
the Penn State game all of a sudden become I.

Speaker 2 (41:32):
Know, and that you know, we're kind of counting on
a game like that at some point to you know,
help legitimize what you're thinking. But there is a narrative
out there around Ohio State that suggests that they aren't
as good maybe as we think, because their quote unquote
best win barely survived Kentucky over the weekend with what

(41:52):
Texas is doing and dropped a spot now behind Cincinnati
at number twenty two in the AP pole. So I
do think there is that narrative out there that maybe
Ohio State just hasn't played anybody good. And the schedule
has been Texas, Grambling, Ou, Ohio, Washington, Minnesota, beat Illinois
number seventeen at Illinois, at Wisconsin, Penn State isn't what

(42:15):
you thought they would be, at Purdue, Ucla, Ucla who
has come on strong, Rutgers, and then Michigan, who's ranked
at the moment as well. Yeah, so it isn't the
strongest schedule. I'll be the first to admit that. You
want to talk about a schedule. Now, Wisconsin, Now you
got to go to Oregon, then play Washington, and then
you're at Indiana and then you play Illinois. I don't

(42:37):
know if Wisconsin wins another game, do they score another point?

Speaker 3 (42:41):
Did you see what their team total is for Saturday?
I did not take a guess, Beani just over under
has been set at this number on how many points
they'll score fourteen and a half, seven and a half,
Oh my god, seven and a half. All Wisconsin needs

(43:03):
to do is score a touchdown in a field goal.
I don't remember seeing a total that low.

Speaker 2 (43:10):
I don't either. The total for the game is.

Speaker 3 (43:15):
Forty two and a half, forty six and a half,
but the spreads thirty four and a half, seven and
a half is the team total.

Speaker 2 (43:25):
That's wild. That's unbelievable. It seems unfathomable. It is college
football Wisconsin.

Speaker 3 (43:32):
Unbelievable stuff going around with uh with Luke Fickle, we'll
get back to the Cincinnati Bengals and we'll take a
couple of phone calls as well. Starting hour number two,
Monday midday Quarterback ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 7 (43:45):
KWY Cincinnati, make us the.

Speaker 11 (43:47):
Number one pre set on your car radio and on
the free Knew it Improved, iHeartRadio add Free never sounded
so good.

Speaker 1 (43:53):
ESPN fifteen Show brought to you in part five eighty
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(44:15):
Quality black Topping, Cincinnati's most trusted company, and by Thomas
Moore University. Accelerate your career with a business degree from
Thomas Moore University. On the ESPN fifteen thirty, the official
home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (44:33):
All right, welcome back.

Speaker 3 (44:34):
It's our number two Monday midday Quarterback ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station. And yes, if you missed it earlier,
I'm Tony Pike. I'm back. Austin is still here. Nothing
has changed between Austin and I. Although it is feels different.

Speaker 2 (44:52):
There are going to be some changes. Yeah, it feels different.
They're they're putting your name on the show. Yeah, they're
gonna put my on the show. It's a big thing.
It's gonna be called Tony Pikes. Since he three to sixty.
That's catchy. Yeah, let's catchy. So I'm chopped liver and
then we'll add him with Austin Elmore. It's gonna be funny.
It's like, oh, this is Tony Pike. Since he three

(45:14):
sixty and Tony's gonna be gone for an hour. Here's
Austin Elmore.

Speaker 3 (45:19):
It's Austin Elmore's Monday midday quarterback two to three.

Speaker 12 (45:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (45:24):
I didn't really think that one through, did they. What
about when you leave on Fridays to travel with the meercats.

Speaker 3 (45:28):
There's a lot of things that maybe need to be
thought through. I'm glad you're back, though I don't want to.
I don't want to come off, do you opposite? Do
you know who else is glad? Sincey shirts? Oh and
I'm glad for Sincy shirts. Did you see what Cinty
shirts were released today?

Speaker 2 (45:46):
Yes? I did. Now I'm a.

Speaker 3 (45:48):
Big fan of Cinti shirts already Sincey shirts posted earlier today.
It says Tony has always been in our Hall of Fame,
but this weekend he gets to go into another one.
Come to Loveland or Fort Mitchell get this shirt this
week They've got the Tony Pike Hall of Fame Class
of twenty twenty five shirt.

Speaker 2 (46:05):
And what I love about it is the predominant photo
in it is when you were playing with a broken
left arm. Yes, just all around toughness. Yeah, the tough
Tony Pike, grit Tony Toughness Pike, Grit Week, Grit Week,
Grit Week. And you can see the big cast on
your left arm yep as you raise your hands into

(46:25):
the air, and then a couple one with your your
looking mobile another when you're you're cocking back to throw
one to Cam Chancellor. So, I mean, just really cool,
really cool photo it is. Ah, it's awesome. Thanks to
Sincy shirts. You can go buy one if you want
to come, if you're coming to the event on Friday,
or you're coming to the game Saturday. Now Austin, they

(46:47):
sent out a that they sent out like an itinerary
for Friday and Saturday, and the dress attire for Friday
is called bearcatch chic. What the what's the word?

Speaker 5 (47:00):
She mean?

Speaker 2 (47:01):
You want the official definition? Yes, all right, give me
just a second. Uh chic elegantly and stylishly fashionable. Okay, chic?
Can you spell it?

Speaker 7 (47:17):
No?

Speaker 2 (47:19):
I can't spell it.

Speaker 10 (47:21):
C H.

Speaker 2 (47:22):
I see now eloquently, elegantly and stylishly fashionable.

Speaker 5 (47:28):
Okay.

Speaker 3 (47:29):
So I don't know if that shirt would be bearcat chic.
I don't know if that's something you would wear Friday night,
but you can certainly wear it Saturday. I think you
wear it whenever you want down to the game. You
can find a way to dress that up. Man, I'm
gonna be getting dressed up on Friday night. More to
come on that. I don't know what that means. Well,

(47:50):
you know you you uh, I don't know if you did.
You see the photo that you see put together when
they they threw me under the bus by putting that
like fresh in year suit photo where I was in
a suit that I think the off I think like
offensive lineman were in the same suit. It looked like
it was eighteen sizes too big for my is hues
in the same jacket, you said, yeah, same shirt. Yeah,

(48:13):
I'm gonna get fitted. I'm gonna get fitted for Friday night.
Good for you, man, I can't wait. How many hall
of Fames does this make you? You in Redding Hall
of Fame Honor. I'm I'm in reading you're in Cinci
shirts has one apparently, Yeah, you're in their Hall of Fame.
You since three sixty Ring of Honor.

Speaker 2 (48:28):
You self inducted yourself into the Sincy three sixty Ring
of Honor a few years ago, and now this would
be the UC Athletics Hall of Fame. Yes, that's so mean.
That's a pretty impressive resume. It is.

Speaker 3 (48:42):
There was another one I got inducted in, but I honestly,
on the top of my head, I can't remember.

Speaker 2 (48:46):
The name of it. Wow, dude, so Southern Ohio High
School Football Hall of Fame or something like that.

Speaker 3 (48:52):
It was.

Speaker 2 (48:52):
It was it was something like that.

Speaker 3 (48:54):
Yeah, still outside, I've always enjoyed the l Rosas. I'm
outside looking in on the on the lo Rosa. Still
what l Ross has a Hall of Fame in Cincinnati? Yeah, oh, I.

Speaker 2 (49:05):
Didn't know that. Yep.

Speaker 3 (49:07):
Okay, it's interesting. It's pretty good. But wait to see
what the the folks uh from Waldo do here. Uh
this Friday, I'm gonna get fitted, man, no idea what
you're talking. I'm getting fitted. I'm gonna look better than
that that picture that they they threw out there. But
shout out to Cynthy Schurch for getting that done. And uh,
I'm happy to be back.

Speaker 2 (49:27):
Go check them out. I am.

Speaker 3 (49:29):
I'm glad to be here. And uh, more than anything,
I'm just glad to be able to talk some football.
That's what the Monday Midday Quarterback is about.

Speaker 2 (49:37):
And in doing so.

Speaker 3 (49:38):
One of the things I've missed most Austin is being
able to talk to the listeners as well.

Speaker 2 (49:42):
Can we do that?

Speaker 4 (49:43):
Sure?

Speaker 2 (49:44):
Can we take a phone call or too? Yeah, what's
up John, Tony.

Speaker 13 (49:48):
It's so great to hear you. It really is.

Speaker 2 (49:51):
Thank you.

Speaker 13 (49:52):
I had so much hope that you come back, and
I think what has happened is I don't think you're
gonna release this story, but this is my take and
I'm gonna stick with it. I think you would pulled
off the air so you could go under cover because
you've broken the flat hold to the Cucinnati Bengals deal.
Then you degraded him in the city. He's a little
older than you, and you're like, just throw it into
my chase and see Higgins and you'll be fine. I

(50:13):
think that's I was really what you were doing in
the last two weeks.

Speaker 3 (50:15):
I'm going that I can neither confirm and deny that
I might have been called before Flacco and things may
or may not have worked out poorly on that on
that workout.

Speaker 13 (50:24):
Now, as far as dressing up on Friday night, you
have the most stylish quarterback in the NFL in Cincinnati.

Speaker 7 (50:29):
And Joe Burrow, So I think you've got.

Speaker 13 (50:31):
To reach out to him or his stylist.

Speaker 5 (50:33):
He has a stylist.

Speaker 13 (50:34):
I think you were a little taller than Joe, if
I'm not mistaken, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (50:38):
Yeah, I'm taller. I don't think I could pull off.
You know, I thought about maybe the back list suit,
but I don't think I could pull that off.

Speaker 13 (50:46):
No, we're getting too old for that kind of stuff, right,
that's that's reserve. If it's twenty something, correct, you're telling
me their sixties. I certainly could not pull it off.
But it's great to hear you and Austin you are
you are anything but chupliver with my friends.

Speaker 5 (50:56):
I love to listening to both of you guys.

Speaker 2 (50:58):
Thank you, Jos.

Speaker 5 (50:59):
Absolutely.

Speaker 13 (51:00):
As far as Thursday Night's game, in terms of the
running game, we've talked about this all season long, how
much more effective the running game is when the quarterback
is under center, and we saw that on Thursday night.
Going forward, when Borrow comes back, will they be able
to get him under center more often so that it will.

Speaker 2 (51:17):
Help the running game?

Speaker 13 (51:18):
And I think I watched obviously Drake may you know
every week here with the New England Patriots since they've
been multiple with him. He's zoomed up, like the MVP
discussion incredibly because he's under center a lot. But he's
also in the gun. You can throw from under center,
you could run from the gun. There's just a lot
of you know, a lot of options there. I would

(51:38):
love to see them do that with Burrow when he
comes back, because that obviously helps with containing the pass rush.

Speaker 2 (51:44):
We saw that the other night.

Speaker 13 (51:45):
The ability to run just kind of held that pass
rush back and Flacco was pretty clean in the pocket.

Speaker 14 (51:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (51:50):
That and the more I see this, John, that's the
more I question, is this something that Burrow just says
absolutely not, I don't want to do. Because if not,
and you saw the success years ago that Browning had
in that stant under center, and you saw what Joe
Flacco going under center did for this offense, then you
would just immediately think, well, that just that's better. They

(52:12):
operate better. But if you go back to what Joe
Burrow did that year at LSU, his senior year, he
was he was out of gun on everything, and I
wonder how much his level of comfort says I'm not
going under center and he just nixes that. I don't
know if that's the case or not. But when we
see other teams and other quarterbacks for this team have

(52:33):
success under center, why else would you not be under center?
If you're the Bengals with Joe Burrow.

Speaker 13 (52:39):
Well, no question. I mean I love Borrow obviously heard me,
you know, talking enough about him over the last six
eight months. But sometimes quarterbacks, and you're quarterback, you need
to be coached and you need to be held to
a higher standard and to protect yourself. Maybe he doesn't
like doing it, but I think some of these injuries
have come because you know, he's getting rushed. One point

(53:00):
three seconds was the last in You know, maybe that's
not going to happen if you're on the center because
there's the possibility of a rush. So obviously maybe Flacko,
being a forty year old quarterback, is here. Maybe going forward,
he's a backup quarterback who knows he seems to really
like it, and he could be the guy who can
kind of communicate with Borrow and say, look, this is
better for you than just being in the gun the

(53:21):
whole time. LSU.

Speaker 2 (53:22):
That was a joke.

Speaker 13 (53:23):
I mean that that we had the best quarterback in
college football and the two best wide receivers. I mean,
they could have done whatever. He could have thrown left
handed and brought me when the height and trophy. But yeah,
I'm so with you on that because I just watched that,
and I watched Drake Man every week, and he's he's
really doing some great things with the Patriots. He's under
center a lot, then he's in the gun. They can
run out of the gun, they can throw under the center.

(53:43):
It's just it's multiple, a multiple offense, which just opened
up so many things for quarterbacks. Whereas with Borrow, it
seems like he almost wants to make it more difficult
on himself. We know he's very bright, but you know,
sometimes make it easier and you know things will be
even better.

Speaker 2 (53:58):
A great great John. Great to hear from you, man, Thank.

Speaker 3 (54:00):
You, Yes, Sir Austin Nutt. That was one of the
things I was looking back Thursday and thinking, because I
don't know how there's not a coincidence, and how good
the running game looked against the Steelers, and seeing Flacco
under center more, could you see Joe essentially saying I
don't want to be under center?

Speaker 5 (54:22):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (54:22):
And if so, how do you handle that? If you
were Zach Taylor well, I think part of it has
been in the past that Joe Burrow doesn't like to
turn his back to the defense, especially if you're going
to play action right, So you take the snap from
under center, you turn, you play fake to the running back,
and by the time you turn around, where is everybody?

Speaker 3 (54:41):
Right?

Speaker 2 (54:41):
So I understand that if I'm Joe Burrow, but also
his superpower is supposed to be his processing, his ability
to see the field, nowhere guys are going and what
they're doing. If you noticed against the Steelers on Thursday,
the Bengals did something they never ever ever do, which
is that they did a straight pass out of under center.

(55:03):
I think it was four or five times where Flacco
under center, took the snap, did a three five seven
step drop whatever it was, and throw the ball. This
is slowly but surely coming back in the NFL, YEP
and the Bengals, I don't know that they have ever
done that since Zach Taylor has been the head coach,

(55:25):
and so because of that, I think it all of
a sudden, Pittsburgh's like, oh crap, they might throw it
when they go under center instead of a run to
the right of the left or a play action we
have time to let it develop. It adds something else
that a team has to be prepared for. And a
couple of those were quick hitteror that went for big games,
and so that I think is a way to mitigate it.

(55:47):
The desire of Joe Burrow not to turn his back
to the defense. Okay, snap it into a five step drop.
There was.

Speaker 3 (55:52):
There was I believe only a handful of instances in
twenty nineteen he was under center. And that's even like
short yardage. They were almost exclusive shotgun. And I wonder
how much of that and the success hehead in that
is saying I'm not I don't want to go under center.
And again, what I think is difficult now, Austin, if

(56:15):
you're Zach Taylor, how do you go about that? Like
do you have to sit down as the coach and say, listen,
I know you don't like to do it, but if
we're going to operate effectively.

Speaker 2 (56:25):
You have to do it.

Speaker 3 (56:27):
I think that's part of it, and I think that's
hard for Zach to do with Joe. Yep. So I
think that's a hard conversation to have. Let's give a
couple more phone calls here, what's up Kevin.

Speaker 15 (56:37):
Hey town, gonna see you back man, here you get
back on the radio.

Speaker 5 (56:41):
Big.

Speaker 15 (56:42):
That was a big blessing to hear you guys today
back together, and maybe maybe they made it feel like home.

Speaker 13 (56:47):
I'm like, some are saying, you.

Speaker 5 (56:48):
Know, who's this new guy?

Speaker 15 (56:49):
I think it is it hit guy helped made to
Kelsey's famous there at Cincinnati or you know, but Austin,
you're definitely not chopped Lever. You're definitely not Jake Browning
probably of.

Speaker 7 (57:01):
The scene either.

Speaker 2 (57:02):
So I hope God.

Speaker 5 (57:04):
I say you're more like Flaco, more like Burrow.

Speaker 2 (57:07):
There on that. Man, I'll take that thing.

Speaker 15 (57:10):
But man, but that just man, wow, just maybe my
day maybe thanks Vin, And yes, sir, and I'll say
this and that's what else.

Speaker 12 (57:18):
Have a turn?

Speaker 15 (57:19):
Man, how bad you gotta feel if you're Jake Browning.
Here's this veteran comes in in ten days and operates
this whole offense better than you have in three years.

Speaker 4 (57:29):
It is.

Speaker 2 (57:29):
It's tough, man, It's tough.

Speaker 4 (57:31):
I think.

Speaker 3 (57:31):
As much as that is, it also speaks volumes to
how unbelievable Flacco is at this point in his career
to still be spending it like that. Uh, he was awesome.
He was awesome and so much more so, keV. Thank
you so much, man, I appreciate the words.

Speaker 5 (57:46):
Yes, so yes, sir, thank you guys.

Speaker 2 (57:49):
Thanks Kevin.

Speaker 3 (57:50):
You know Austin as impressive as Flacco was the fact
that Rogers, when he needs to, can still put the
ball seventy yards in the airs.

Speaker 2 (57:57):
Nuts sixty nine point eight yards is the longest unbelievable
air in air throw, I guess is the way to
describe it since twenty seventeen. And according to next g.

Speaker 3 (58:09):
Instance and that throw he put on a rope to
friar Moose to take the lead was incredible. Yeah, now
he's doing now says he's walking around line of scrimmage.
Why why Geno Stone is playing cover two? Is the
safety on the hash or on the numbers? I don't know.
We'll get to that at at some other point of
a breakdown. But how about how about Rogers getting tackled
after that? Did you see his reaction when his lineman

(58:32):
tackled him after the touchdown pass? It's unbelievable. Guys, just
forty one years old throwing a touchdown pass and he's
he's getting tackled by his lineman. Not a good look.
Not a good look, but uh a win. Nonetheless, we
got time today. We'll take a couple more phone calls.
Mike Independence, what's.

Speaker 2 (58:52):
Up, hey, Tony, how you doing good?

Speaker 16 (58:57):
Good Austin, Nice to hear you both. I will up
this morning.

Speaker 12 (59:00):
Thought I was hallucinating this afternoon I turned on the show.

Speaker 16 (59:03):
Was to go twelve nine, just start to play on
them talking here? What's going on?

Speaker 14 (59:06):
But yeah, good to have you back.

Speaker 16 (59:09):
It was a great game on Thursday.

Speaker 9 (59:11):
It seemed like the Coachmanel lost some sleep over the
week and had some wrinkles in there and put some
deep thought in what they could do to help out
the offense. Uh, and it seemed to work so great
atmosphere loved it as far as U see goes Man,
it's exciting right now. Offense is clicking. I feel like
the defense has got so much speed. It just got

(59:32):
to get a little bit better and technique and where
they're at, and they're gonna be doing great things as well.

Speaker 14 (59:37):
So sciding year right now, deciding to have you back.

Speaker 16 (59:40):
I liked Austin by himself.

Speaker 9 (59:42):
I ain't go live, but Tony a little bit extra
to the show.

Speaker 3 (59:46):
I appreciate it all.

Speaker 7 (59:46):
You do.

Speaker 12 (59:47):
Good luck this weekend, my friend.

Speaker 3 (59:49):
Yes, sir, you know one of the uh one of
the things about the game as well. Austin and I know,
stat wise, it doesn't show a ton. I think Ryan's
been really good for this team.

Speaker 2 (59:58):
I agree with that.

Speaker 3 (01:00:00):
Again, his stat line is just seven carries for thirty
one yards, but his pass protection, he runs hard. I
think he's been a welcome site for this.

Speaker 2 (01:00:08):
Team's been a bit of a change of pace from
Chess Brown, different styles of runners, maybe a little bit
more patient than Chase Brown. He's been solid in special teams,
been solid in the kick return game. Yep. And I
thought Chase Brown also had one of his best games
in past protection on Thursday as well. And I do
think some of that is credited to the impact of

(01:00:28):
Sama JP Rhn agreed, Paul. What's up, Paul?

Speaker 12 (01:00:34):
Hey, how's it going.

Speaker 17 (01:00:37):
I have to admit to this. I met you at
the Reading Taylor game.

Speaker 3 (01:00:41):
Yeah, when I met you. When I met you, Paul,
Reading was in much better shape than what they finished in.

Speaker 17 (01:00:47):
Yes, that what a crazy ass game that was. It
was pretty crazy.

Speaker 3 (01:00:50):
Although Taylor's had that ever since then, they've had some
comfort behind victories.

Speaker 17 (01:00:54):
I'm actually seeing a specialist this week for my heart.
The last three weeks has been absolutely nuts. But what
I was gonna say is, after meeting you and then
all of a sudden you weren't on the radio, I
started blaming myself, like I jinxed you in some way,
And then when I heard you on the radio today,
I'm like, oh, thank you.

Speaker 7 (01:01:12):
It wasn't me.

Speaker 17 (01:01:13):
I didn't do it. So but yeah, what you said
about samaj Peter, and I was literally just thinking that
he has been the difference maker. It's not always about
the stats, it's that it's that leadership, little bit of
leadership there. And I mean, I still can't believe Joe Flacco. Austin.
You mentioned all the guys that the that the Bengals

(01:01:37):
were looking at as possible candidates, as backups or to
bring in, and I'm looking at that list that I'm thinking,
there's only one name on there that I would have taken,
and that was Joe Flacco because of the experience. Yeah,
nobody else there really was showing me anything. And I thought, man,
I really think we got a steal of a deal
for I mean, we got a what a fifth round pick?

Speaker 7 (01:01:58):
We gave up.

Speaker 17 (01:01:59):
I mean and we got six of them. I mean,
we really gave up a case of you know, football's
for this guy. Yeah, to me, that's that's amazing.

Speaker 3 (01:02:07):
Yeah, absolutely, Paul, thank you so much for the words. Man,
appreciate the call.

Speaker 2 (01:02:11):
Yeah. I think it was about roughly eighty spots that
the Bengals moved back in the draft right around that.

Speaker 3 (01:02:16):
Now, I mean, we know what p Roun was before
he left here. They thought enough of him in key
situations that he was the guy in the game over
Joe Mixon.

Speaker 12 (01:02:23):
Sure.

Speaker 3 (01:02:23):
The Flacco thing, Man, if you're a Browns fan and
now you see Mike Tomlins, you can see why he
got why he was pissed. Yeah, you're you're in a
division and you traded your opening day starter for nothing.

Speaker 2 (01:02:35):
And they brought up they brought back the clip from
when Flacco is with the Colts a year or two
ago and they were playing the Steelers, and Mike Tomlins
said he told Flacco came into the game after Anthony
Richardson got hurt an engineer to come back to beat
the Steelers, and Mike Tomlin said he had told his
defense to keep Richardson upright, we don't want Flacco in

(01:02:57):
the game. Yep, so Mike, I'll will just lose his
sleep over Joe fla good good, great good. Uh Steve,
what's up?

Speaker 7 (01:03:07):
What's up? Buddy?

Speaker 18 (01:03:07):
How are you welcome back? Man on the So I
met Tonya at the Holy Grail a couple of weeks ago.

Speaker 7 (01:03:14):
Yeah, so, uh, now that.

Speaker 18 (01:03:16):
You're coming back, now, I gotta I gotta pony up
that that battle of packing.

Speaker 3 (01:03:21):
Let's go.

Speaker 17 (01:03:22):
I'll Sunday, Yeah, I will, so I live here.

Speaker 12 (01:03:26):
Unfortunately, I'm slammed and work.

Speaker 18 (01:03:28):
I let my operations manager have my tickets, uh to
the Thursday night whiteout game. And now I think he's
gonna ban me from the stadium because he thinks I'm
a schlep rock. You know, every time I go to
a game, it seems like they get.

Speaker 5 (01:03:39):
Their ass kicks.

Speaker 12 (01:03:39):
So but uh, so you guys are talking about Samogi.

Speaker 18 (01:03:42):
You know what, whenever it was Samaji and Joe on
the team, Joe Mixon, I think I would have rather
let Joe go and kept Sumoji because if you remember,
whenever they were playing together, anytime they put Sumaji into
a short, that dude pushed the entire line of scrimmage like.

Speaker 14 (01:03:57):
Four or five yards.

Speaker 18 (01:03:58):
Yes, he was almost automatic.

Speaker 12 (01:04:00):
And then Joe came in and.

Speaker 18 (01:04:01):
He was he's a great running back. But I was
whenever they said they were going to bring him back. Man,
I'm so happy that he's back. I think Joe Flaco,
he's like he's reborn again. I just love watching this guy,
just the calmness, the way he jokes. Thursday Night football,
he showed up to the to the desk with no
shoes on.

Speaker 2 (01:04:19):
Yep.

Speaker 18 (01:04:20):
I think I think everybody's just relaxed. Man, They're so
relaxed with him around.

Speaker 2 (01:04:24):
But it's a different vibe.

Speaker 7 (01:04:25):
Welcome back.

Speaker 12 (01:04:26):
It is whenever I get back up there.

Speaker 2 (01:04:28):
Man, I got your bottle.

Speaker 14 (01:04:30):
I got Mo's also.

Speaker 2 (01:04:30):
Brother, Let's go, thank you, happy man, have a good one.

Speaker 4 (01:04:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:04:34):
Steve came up at the the last Holy Grail show
I did and said, hey, I'm I'm uh. I live
in Charlotte, but I listened to to you guys a
ton and he said, I know you and moa bourbon guys,
he said, I and I meant to bring a bottle
of bourbon that I have for you and Mo. And
I like, oh, man, thanks, he said. It was a
poppy oh and I'm like, well, that's a different your
ears perk up now?

Speaker 2 (01:04:54):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:04:55):
I text moa text Thursday. I said, hey, let me
know if Steve showed up, come on down.

Speaker 2 (01:05:02):
All right?

Speaker 3 (01:05:03):
Obviously, you know, in today's world of technology Austin, sometimes
things are just not working. Yeah, talkback. We must have
broke talkbacks today. Well, so many people wanted to leave one.
There was what's called Amazon Web Services. There was an outage.
I believe it's continuing as we speak. That affects a
bunch of different websites. And I know there's also been

(01:05:24):
some maintenance going on with talkbacks and the system that
we use. So there was one talkback that actually got
delivered today.

Speaker 5 (01:05:31):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (01:05:32):
I know that there have been hundreds, if not thousands
submitted in the Return of Tony Pike, but there's only
one that actually made it through. So we'll take a break.
We'll do the intro, we'll play that one talkback.

Speaker 3 (01:05:46):
And then we'll do talkback calls. We'll go back to
the phone, should we do we? I mean, we've done
this once before and it was a great success.

Speaker 2 (01:05:52):
You're gonna make me nervous. I know what you're thinking.
Talkback phone calls? Yeah, who cares? Let's just do.

Speaker 3 (01:05:56):
It Monday midday quarterback continues next thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 19 (01:06:02):
Now is that time for talkbacks?

Speaker 20 (01:06:05):
Press the microphone, handy coach, your message for us, stand
in tone, please keep it clean and don't be mean,
and a sprinkle, sprinkled, drip drip.

Speaker 2 (01:06:17):
It's that time for talkbacks.

Speaker 15 (01:06:19):
It's our favorite.

Speaker 4 (01:06:20):
Part of Sancy three sixty.

Speaker 15 (01:06:24):
Austin, Buddy, play.

Speaker 20 (01:06:26):
That talkback on your screen, and please try not too sabotage, dude.

Speaker 3 (01:06:30):
Do Yeah, well, we're not sabotaging it. They're just not
working today.

Speaker 2 (01:06:35):
Yeah, I mean, somebody somewhere is sabotage.

Speaker 3 (01:06:38):
There is no bigger fan than I am of listening
to your talkbacks.

Speaker 2 (01:06:41):
Well, so all right, let's just be honest here. So
I was under the impression that I'd never speak to
you again on the air. Yeah, and all of our
talkback jingles feature your name and mind, And so I
put it out there to the people. Hey, maybe if
you guys have time, can come up with a new uh, yeah,

(01:07:06):
come up with a new talkback jingle. So I find
out on Friday, minutes before I take the air that
you're gonna be back on Monday. Then over the weekend,
I get an email with a new talkback jingle. Oh,
take a listen to this.

Speaker 3 (01:07:19):
It's a time for talkbacks.

Speaker 21 (01:07:21):
Go and grab your phone and record a message.

Speaker 4 (01:07:25):
Just hit that microphone.

Speaker 2 (01:07:26):
Please keep it clean.

Speaker 21 (01:07:28):
And those sprinkle sprinkle drip drifts.

Speaker 2 (01:07:33):
It's a time for tacks.

Speaker 21 (01:07:35):
It's stuck favorite party since e three sixty. So Austin, buddy,
play those talkbacks on your screen and please drite not
to sabotage it.

Speaker 3 (01:07:47):
Nice.

Speaker 2 (01:07:48):
I mean that is like good, actually professionally done by
our guy. And I'm blown away by that. Now that
is like seriously good, like we he could be paid
for that. Yeah, now don't quote me on that, but
I think we might have to use that might be

(01:08:09):
the jingle moving forward now we're talkbacks, especially because one
of us will probably.

Speaker 3 (01:08:13):
Get was the system down on the Wednesday when I
wasn't here?

Speaker 2 (01:08:18):
It was? It was not I know, in order to
preserve my job. I didn't blame him.

Speaker 3 (01:08:23):
I knew I did started and then I was like,
probably pretty good idea to not air those today.

Speaker 2 (01:08:29):
Yeah, And that was I do want to clear the
air on that because a lot of people said that
iHeart like said I couldn't do it. That's not true.
I had the choice of whether or not I wanted
to do that. I chose not to, so just to
out of fairness. A right, here's the one talkback we
got this morning.

Speaker 7 (01:08:48):
What our body man?

Speaker 22 (01:08:49):
Still thinking about that Bengals waying on fires Day? I
was nervous when money back went out, So we go
kick that field gold. I was havingt flashed back to
a few years ago when he could have wanted against
pitch Berg and him. Oh man, Roger's throwing at seventy
yard barling like, oh no, they're not going to catch you.

Speaker 14 (01:09:04):
Sorry.

Speaker 22 (01:09:05):
So anyways, now we're on to the j E T S.
What is that really stand for?

Speaker 4 (01:09:10):
J E T S?

Speaker 2 (01:09:11):
Just in the season? Man, I like it. I like it.
I like it when people mess with acronyms. Yep.

Speaker 3 (01:09:20):
So now, because we can't get talkbacks today, we'll take
some phone calls today.

Speaker 2 (01:09:23):
Let's do it.

Speaker 3 (01:09:25):
How about our former president of both this country and talkbacks?

Speaker 2 (01:09:31):
Ronald Reagan?

Speaker 8 (01:09:32):
Hello, Hello, Tony, there there you go again, And I'm
glad you. Did you know when the show started this
morning or this afternoon? No kidding. My first reaction was
I hollered out to Nancy, and I said, hey, Nance,
check it out. Bodie's even starting to sound like Tony.

(01:09:53):
I couldn't believe in my ears when you came on.

Speaker 16 (01:09:56):
Yeah, I'm so glad.

Speaker 7 (01:09:57):
In fact, I was.

Speaker 8 (01:09:58):
I was in such a funk cal all week last week.
I started just writing off sports left and right. It
was so bad I even watched soccer. But seriously, hey, Audie,
you are not Chop Liver. You and Tony are like
Lennon and McCartney, Arnum and Bailey.

Speaker 2 (01:10:17):
I mean this, man.

Speaker 8 (01:10:20):
I am so glad to be able to listen to
you guys every afternoon again. And I promised to reinstate
all the budget cuts I went hastily just pad last week.

Speaker 2 (01:10:30):
So yes, we appreciate that. Thank you, mister president.

Speaker 8 (01:10:34):
Thank you have a great show.

Speaker 3 (01:10:35):
Yes, sir, there you go again again. What's up, Chris?
What's happening?

Speaker 7 (01:10:42):
Hey, Tony? Welcome back?

Speaker 5 (01:10:46):
Hey again.

Speaker 14 (01:10:48):
It's it's great here and you go. You both back
on the radio here together again. But in regards to
Joe Flacco running the offense, I've said it since Thursday.
It seems like I feel much more comfortable with Flaco
running the offense compared to what Joe Burrow does. Is
that because just the way that Flaco in terms of

(01:11:13):
like you know, it was more willing to go under center,
and because we had a running game on Thursday night
compared to what we normally do with Burrow, who likes
to go you know, spread five wide and everything like that.
Is that something that I mean? Obviously, you know Burrow
being our quarterback is phenomenal, But in terms of running
the offense and the way Zach Taylor likes to call it,

(01:11:35):
do you think it's fitting better with Flaco than compared
to what Burrow?

Speaker 2 (01:11:40):
Chris, thank you for the phone call.

Speaker 3 (01:11:41):
I think that the way Zach is comfortable in calling
the system is more under center stuff. But I also
think it's the coordinator's job to adapt to the personnel
you have. And you know that Joe Burrow wants to
run more out of shotgun, So can you game? Can
you build personnel differently to accommodate that from Joe Burrow?

(01:12:05):
I think is the question because it's look, it's Flacco
is not better than Joe Burrow. Let's let's start that
right now. Joe Flacco went under center. That helped out
a ton, but he also was smart enough to Pepper
Jamar Chase twenty three times in t Higgins ten. I
think there's a lot of success that's built into that,

(01:12:28):
and Joe does have the ability. In Flacco, Joe's ability
is to go under center, and that does help out
the running game and is Austen alluded to earlier, it
helps out because when they go under center, they have
the threat to pass now as well. So yeah, it's
it's not Flacco's better than Burrow. But I do think
Zach is more comfortable as a play caller being able

(01:12:50):
to utilize more under center stuff.

Speaker 2 (01:12:52):
I think that part is fair. Uh, what's up, Johnny?

Speaker 5 (01:12:57):
Oh hate Tony?

Speaker 7 (01:12:58):
Long time?

Speaker 2 (01:13:00):
You know it's been a while. It's been a while.

Speaker 12 (01:13:04):
Also, just wait, Henny.

Speaker 2 (01:13:09):
Yeah, figure it out, Johnny or something.

Speaker 14 (01:13:12):
I feel like I feel like talkback matters die right,
you're messing up this.

Speaker 7 (01:13:17):
I'm so sorry, Tony.

Speaker 23 (01:13:20):
I was talking to someboddies.

Speaker 18 (01:13:21):
I was like, you know, what think of your average
listener that only like listens like twice a week. They
probably got on the radio today hurt Tony Pike and didn't.

Speaker 5 (01:13:30):
Think much of it because the other two times.

Speaker 23 (01:13:32):
They put in like ah, I heard Chad Brandell's in
every now and then and hurt often. I heard it
feels that way and just part of the course for
part time Pike.

Speaker 18 (01:13:41):
Don't you think.

Speaker 3 (01:13:42):
That's just just another vacation.

Speaker 2 (01:13:45):
It's another ten day triumph.

Speaker 17 (01:13:46):
Another vacation.

Speaker 23 (01:13:48):
Right, Hey, I know you've missed a little bit, but
you've missed a lot because Johnny has Flacco fever right
now stop. I bought one of those you know, those
vendors that are like outside the stay held stuff for
way too much money. Oh yes, uh yeah, Well guess
what drunk Johnny saw a flock around and find out
Shane and I won't tell you how much I paid

(01:14:11):
for it, but I'll tell you it was worth every
penny because I was walking out of that stadium drunk
as a skunk, and White is all hacked because those
bangles are awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:14:21):
Man.

Speaker 13 (01:14:21):
I'm gonna hang up and let you talk.

Speaker 3 (01:14:23):
Now around and find out those vendors that's their audience,
Johnny after a couple of drinks coming out and being like, yeah, baby,
that matches, Yep, that matches.

Speaker 2 (01:14:38):
What's up?

Speaker 24 (01:14:39):
Jt Hey, Tony said, legs her back on the air,
and when you went off to be honest, with you.
I had to see a psychiatrist and he diagnosed me
legit with parasocial break up the stress. This is an emotional.

Speaker 16 (01:14:52):
Reaction that occurs when a parasocial relationship.

Speaker 5 (01:14:55):
Comes to an end.

Speaker 16 (01:14:57):
One might ask, where's a parasocial relationship answer? This is
a one sided psychological bond that an audience member forms
with a media figure like an actor, celebrity, or radio host.
I feel like you know them even though they don't
know you. In conclusion, this phenomenon is phenomenon, is not uncommon,
and your feelings are normal. According to my shrink, It's

(01:15:18):
a normal response to the termination of the meaningful, albeit
one sided connection.

Speaker 2 (01:15:23):
Wow, oh man, JT. I hope you're better now. Sorry,
we cause on medication.

Speaker 16 (01:15:28):
They gave me some They give me some Pike antibiotics,
and I think I'm back on my way to being
a functional member of society.

Speaker 2 (01:15:35):
JT. Thank you, man, I appreciate your j that's on
your diagnosis.

Speaker 3 (01:15:40):
This, this now, Austin, is where things can get dangerous.
You know, this is our normal talkbacks A lot talkbacks
are down today, so I have five calls here. We
don't know who we're going to be talking to. We're
just going to take these at random. Let's start with
number four. Hello, Caler, you're on the air. What's your name?

(01:16:01):
Oh y, yeah, it's you.

Speaker 25 (01:16:05):
Hey, Tony, Brody Tony, It's Brody the Cicada. There ain't
ever been a bigger comeback since I return. I just
want to wish you a happy return. It's so glad
to hear you, browdcasting across the airwaves again.

Speaker 2 (01:16:22):
I tried Brody, Addie.

Speaker 25 (01:16:24):
And it just didn't hit it hard as your return has.

Speaker 17 (01:16:28):
So this would be great.

Speaker 7 (01:16:30):
I can't wait.

Speaker 5 (01:16:30):
I can't wait to have Brody Brody Tony.

Speaker 20 (01:16:33):
This weekend at the Hall of Fame aduction. I might
even come back again. Broke you to Cicada out. So
glad to hear you color number four, I should be
called number one, Addie.

Speaker 7 (01:16:46):
It's so good to hear your baby.

Speaker 2 (01:16:48):
But Tony Tony's Brody the Cicada.

Speaker 3 (01:16:56):
What is happening already?

Speaker 2 (01:17:00):
Wow? Did he use Broadway? I think he did. I
don't know if that was like, because cicadas are brudes.
I don't know if he was going for that. What
a world we're in, man, I got people in therapy,
we got people cosplaying as Cicadas man, that was one

(01:17:21):
of my all time favorites.

Speaker 3 (01:17:22):
And connections to Pappy van Winkle, that was one of
my all time favorites. When our Cicada experts, Austin, what
numbering would you like to take you to?

Speaker 2 (01:17:31):
Number two? Hello caller? What's your name?

Speaker 7 (01:17:35):
This is Adam and Mount Adams.

Speaker 2 (01:17:38):
How you doing fellas wonderful?

Speaker 5 (01:17:41):
Hey U?

Speaker 24 (01:17:41):
Just real quick.

Speaker 26 (01:17:42):
I leapt out of my chair at work this morning
or what this afternoon when I heard Tony's voice. It
was like a Vanderscuorter free kick, but I was celebrating
the return. Welcome back to brother, Thanks for taking the call.
Yeah yeah, just real quick, Like you two are the
best together.

Speaker 17 (01:17:55):
Man.

Speaker 16 (01:17:56):
You compliment each other well.

Speaker 26 (01:17:58):
The post traumatic breakup disorder the guy who's talking about
it's kind of real. I was listening to Austin, you know,
missing a part of the relationship, but this is the
best part of the show. You guys just compliment each
other so well. So it's good to have you back, man,
Thank you, thank you. Just want to touch on. We
got a big week. Hell is Reel is coming to
Monday Bengals. Yet my Hoosiers are number two and those

(01:18:21):
is a Heisman favorite.

Speaker 7 (01:18:23):
Welcome back, Tom.

Speaker 5 (01:18:24):
Thank you for the best.

Speaker 3 (01:18:25):
Thank you, we appreciate that. Listen, you know, Austin in
all honesty, this you see game on Saturday is massive.
The Bengals getting back to five hundred massive, and then
hell is reel on Monday. That's a heck of a
Saturday Sunday Monday. Oh yeah, we're back, baby, sports is
back number one.

Speaker 2 (01:18:44):
What's up?

Speaker 5 (01:18:48):
It's the Lord?

Speaker 2 (01:18:49):
Lord? Hello, Lord? Hello? Have you heard I've been trying
to talk to you a lot. We've been trying to
get in touch with you, big fellow.

Speaker 27 (01:18:58):
Welcome back, Tony. Hey, are you going to be doing
the Tony Imo Football Show as well?

Speaker 2 (01:19:05):
Yes?

Speaker 3 (01:19:06):
Yes, on that as well.

Speaker 2 (01:19:07):
Yeah, I means as well as I know.

Speaker 27 (01:19:10):
I was watching some football this weekend and I watched
the train wreck that was the Miami Dolphins and the
New York Jets. And if the Bengals don't beat the
Jets like two touchdowns, then they should be kicked out
of the league.

Speaker 2 (01:19:22):
Fair fair, But we just want to win at this point.

Speaker 27 (01:19:25):
Lord, Yeah, welcome back.

Speaker 3 (01:19:28):
Thank you talking to him a lot. Oh how about six?
Hello caller, Hello, it's Mike.

Speaker 2 (01:19:41):
What's up?

Speaker 4 (01:19:42):
Mike?

Speaker 12 (01:19:44):
What's shaken, dead man?

Speaker 2 (01:19:45):
This is it. We're back.

Speaker 12 (01:19:48):
It's like, uh yeah, I'm very glad to hear that.
It's like, it's pretty epic. It's like Lazarus coming back
from the dead in the Bible.

Speaker 5 (01:19:59):
You know.

Speaker 2 (01:19:59):
My we had we finally have something in common with Jesus.

Speaker 3 (01:20:02):
A little behind the scenes, Mike, we had a we
had a member of the sales team here that had
a healthcare I believe some time ago, and uh and
was was just brought back into the office today. And
I was sitting here talking with him this morning, and
Moe walked in and Moe literally said, Wow, two people

(01:20:23):
are back from the dead. And it felt it felt
pretty pretty pretty true.

Speaker 12 (01:20:29):
That's pretty cool, ton So how long were you gone?
A couple of weeks.

Speaker 2 (01:20:33):
I think it was twelve days somewhere around there.

Speaker 12 (01:20:35):
Well what twelve days three hours that I.

Speaker 3 (01:20:39):
Yeah, not that I haven't breaking broken down into seconds,
but somewhere around there, long enough that I have a guy.
I congratulate you. Your Dodgers are back in the World Series
waiting the winner of Game seven tonight.

Speaker 12 (01:20:51):
Yes, sir, and they are showing there. They're finally healthy.
They're finally healthy. After this whole year battling nothing but
terrible injuries. And I don't care if it's I can't
see the Mariners or the Blue Jays beating them, not
not unless they just completely crept out. But I'm hoping
for an all West Coast series because that never happens.

(01:21:13):
You get a lot of East Coast stuff, Philly Yankee, but.

Speaker 3 (01:21:16):
That the power, the power in Toronto makes them interesting
because they can score when they're hitting the ball well.
But I love what Dave Roberts. I love that he
leaned into the villain role and said we got four
more wins to ruin baseball. I thought that was fantastic.

Speaker 12 (01:21:32):
It was really I thought I got a big kick out. Hey,
I bet Mayor, and Mayor was glad you came back
to work because you were probably driving or not.

Speaker 2 (01:21:39):
She couldn't wait to get me out of the house.

Speaker 12 (01:21:41):
Mike, Hey, how about the Ramps? How about Matthew Stafford
slicing and dice and the Jags without without Puka, And
they just demolished that team. And he's thirty seven years old,
so I'm not worried about his back. I think he's
going to be all right, don't you.

Speaker 3 (01:22:01):
Yeah, he looks great. They look great in the NFC
West right now. I love everything that they're doing. San
Francisco got a heck of a win last night, as shorthanded,
as devastated as they've been with injuries, that was a
heck of a win. I still love Tampa in the NFC.
They're short handed to night against Detroit, which should be
a phenomenal game.

Speaker 2 (01:22:20):
But man, it's.

Speaker 3 (01:22:21):
Almost like the the the powers have shifted. The NFC
is now the dominant conference.

Speaker 2 (01:22:26):
They are.

Speaker 3 (01:22:27):
There are legitimate title contenders across the NFC, whereas there's
not as many, I think as people thought in the
AFC right now.

Speaker 12 (01:22:34):
Yeah, and that was pretty much a consensus with all
these alleged experts. Did you shoot? I hate it when
I do this, when I lose my training, so it's kind.

Speaker 5 (01:22:44):
Of stam it.

Speaker 12 (01:22:46):
Anyway, forget it. So I heard a rumor over at
the VA that you were kind of like Stephen A. Smith,
that you were on sabbatical doing guests, cameo appearances on
a general hospital.

Speaker 4 (01:23:00):
No, I was.

Speaker 3 (01:23:01):
I was trying out for NFL teams. You know, Stafford
is thirty seven, uh, Flacco's forty. Rogers is forty one.
I thought, I'm just now coming into my quarterback prime. Unfortunately,
none of the tryouts work, so I'm back here.

Speaker 2 (01:23:12):
You should strike while the iron's hot and start a
cameo account you and Jimmy Claus and can do them together.

Speaker 12 (01:23:18):
Yes, I got you. I know you gotta go there.

Speaker 2 (01:23:21):
Thanks, Mike.

Speaker 12 (01:23:22):
I'm really glad you're back.

Speaker 2 (01:23:24):
Appreciate you, Mike. Good to hear from you.

Speaker 12 (01:23:26):
God bless you, brother, God bless you.

Speaker 2 (01:23:27):
Thank you. It's always fun when we can do this.
Mike was one of the people I was most worried
about because of how much he just loves sports talk radio. Yeah,
so good to hear Mike. I also did I think
the day, the day after everything happened, I said, when
the time is right, I was gonna make a joke

(01:23:49):
about you getting fired before Zach Taylor.

Speaker 3 (01:23:53):
You told me that in person, or you told me
that over the fame, Like, when the time is right,
I'd like to do them like I I've had it, man,
I never even got a chance have at it. We'll
take a break, we'll come back one segment, ye two,
we'll forget how this will do one segment. It'll be
football in the net all right, that is next. I'll

(01:24:13):
head to Florence after that, Austin. We'll have hour three
all coming up next. The Monday Midday Quarterback ESPN fifteen
thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 6 (01:24:24):
Is Football in the Natti, brought you in part by
Bud Light and by Oakley Greens on ESPN fifteen point thirty,
the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (01:24:37):
Welcome back.

Speaker 3 (01:24:38):
It's the Monday Midday Quarterback ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.
I'm happy to be back if you missed it any
anytime earlier, just tuning in, Grateful to be back, Excited
to be back, looking forward to so much that's ahead, Austin.
If someone were to tune in in the next segment,
they would probably know nothing's happening.

Speaker 2 (01:24:57):
Yeah, should I just should I not say anything?

Speaker 3 (01:24:59):
Yeah? I would just keep going. Okay, just see how
if you can get away with everything? It will be
Austin in the next segment, because I'm gonna head to Florence.

Speaker 2 (01:25:07):
Y'all.

Speaker 3 (01:25:08):
Twin peaks in Florence real quick. To Monday night football
games tonight. One's a good one, one's a bad one.
Texan Seahawks's I think the bad one Buccaneers Lions should
be a good one. I saw a lot of this
yesterday Austin of folks commenting on with all the games
being moved overseas with Monday night doubleheaders, are we ruining

(01:25:29):
Sunday football in the NFL.

Speaker 2 (01:25:31):
You're taking away from what makes Sunday special. And I
think you're also taking away from the standalone games on Mondays,
on Thursdays and to an extent, on Sunday nights.

Speaker 3 (01:25:43):
That lineup yesterday stunk. Those games were awful, Yeah, And
I get why they do the the overseas games. Those
games are normally not good either. Yeah, They're either boring
or their non competitive.

Speaker 2 (01:25:54):
There's two more coming up, one in Germany and one
in Spain. At least the Colts are going to be
playing in one, and they seem to be a real
uh contender, which is a good thing. But yeah, I mean,
it's just it's difficult and Berlin is.

Speaker 3 (01:26:08):
The Falcons and the Colts, Yeah, which I mean, on
paper is not a bad game.

Speaker 2 (01:26:12):
The Falcons have had a lot of standalone games, yeah
this year. I just it's just something I just I
wouldn't continue to mess with. Well, the NFL eventually wants
it to be where there's an international game every week. Yes,
I think they want to do like a twenty week
season and maybe two bye weeks or whatever. But like,

(01:26:32):
if that's the case, the NFL Players Association has to
make it a living hell on the owners. Number one,
And I don't know how much the Players Association has
to do with this, but like, no more publicly funded stadiums.
If you're going to be taking away one game a year,
yeah from us, from that, then you can fund your
own damn stadium. Number one. Number two, Every single place

(01:26:56):
we play better have natural grass, And we want more
guaranteed money. If you're gonna extend the season by a
game or two and make us play an overseas game
every single week, then those would be my starting demands.
If I'm with the NFL Players Association and everybody knows
they want more guaranteed money. But I've always wondered, and
I tweeted about this, if the NFL would get so

(01:27:18):
big to a point where it screws something up. And
it does feel like for the common fan who isn't
subscribed to Red Zone or isn't subscribed to NFL Sunday Ticket,
you're making the product worse for them. Yeah, that's an issue.
And by the way, when you spread out more Monday
doubleheaders and Thursdays and nine am games, you're also making

(01:27:41):
the product worse for those people who've subscribed to your
digital assets.

Speaker 3 (01:27:44):
Correct, doesn't make sense real quick. From the NFL yesterday,
Ho about the Carolina Panthers are four and three? Bryce
Young high ankle spring. Yeah, Andy Dalton, time here we go.
Rams dominant overseas. Bears have won four in a row.
They beat the same Dolphins are terrible. Who gets fired first?
Fickler McDaniel. I thought Mike McDaniel would get fired today

(01:28:08):
and he didn't. Quinchawn Judkins looks like a real deal.
Cleveland's rookie touchdowns. Patriots dominated the Titans. Chiefs as we
mentioned earlier, uh oh, Chiefs starting to play better thirty
one to nothing over the Raiders. Eagles beat the Vikings.
How about the Broncos dropping thirty three in the fourth quarter?

Speaker 2 (01:28:26):
Amazing? They dropped thirty three points.

Speaker 3 (01:28:28):
Giants score and take the lead with under a minute
left in that game to go up thirty two to
thirty and then miss the extra point. Bo Nicks drives
Denver back down. They win it at the gun thirty
three thirty two Colts. The final score wasn't even indicative
as how dominant they were, thirty eight to twenty four.
They dominated the Chargers. Colts are for real Austin.

Speaker 2 (01:28:49):
Yeah, I wrote that down today as well. Is okay.
I want to see exactly who they are and they
got on the West Coast. The physical team in the Chargers,
even though LA has got some injuries. Who are the
Colts and they keep answering the bell on offense and
that run game makes it a lot easier. Are the
Cowboys a threat?

Speaker 3 (01:29:07):
No? Their defense is like worse than the bank. Yeah,
Commanders are in a bad shape.

Speaker 5 (01:29:11):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:29:11):
Now Jayden Daniels with the hamstring injury, he's getting evaluated.
Packers win. They keep doing so.

Speaker 3 (01:29:18):
They're four to one and one, although I don't think
as dominant as maybe we thought earlier in the year.

Speaker 2 (01:29:22):
Yeah, I'm not convinced that the Packers are a really
good football team.

Speaker 3 (01:29:25):
Yeah. You know who's really good Christian McCaffrey. He is
last night dominant for the San Francisco forty nine ers,
who continue to find ways to win. They're five and
two and they have been dealt so many devastating injuries
and yet they find ways to win. Disappointing effort from
the Atlanta Falcons. I keep waiting to see if they're
for real or not. It does not look like they

(01:29:46):
are a legitimate contender. But good on the San Francisco
forty nine ers. McCaffrey one hundred and twenty nine on
the ground, two scores. He also led the team in
receiving with seventy two yards and was back to his
dominant self too. Monday Night Games Tonight, a whole nother
hour of the Monday Midday Quarterback coming up next with
Austin Elmore.

Speaker 2 (01:30:05):
I'm heading to Florence.

Speaker 3 (01:30:06):
Come on out, Twin Peaks and Florence, y'all from three
to six for the Tony and Mo Football Show. This
is still the Monday Midday Quarterback. Next on ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 6 (01:30:15):
You've been listening to Football in the NATI on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati BENGALSCIT.

Speaker 1 (01:30:29):
This is the Monday Midday Quarterback Show, brought to you.
In Part five, Ae Dorned Window Company. They sell the
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(01:30:52):
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Accelerate your career with as this degree from Thomas Moore
University On ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the
Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (01:31:08):
Hi, Hello, welcome in our three of the Monday midday
Quarterback here on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (01:31:14):
My name is Austin Elmore. It is a beautiful Monday,
and in a way a victory Monday, even though the
Bengals played on Thursday. Definitely a victory Monday when you
consider the dismantling of Oklahoma State that the Bearcats had
over the weekend in a big win for Scott's adderfield
and his program taking care of business the way that

(01:31:35):
they were supposed to. So yeah, it's a victory Monday.
Coming up at three o'clock, the Tony and mo Football
Show returns. That's right in case you missed it at
noon at one o'clock or earlier today. On social media,
Tony Pike has returned. The big Fella will be back
in the chair weekdays from twelve to three right here

(01:31:58):
on ESPN fifteen thirty. And yeah, I'm I'm thrilled for
him because I love working with Tony and he makes
every day fun. And I talked about all of that
in the aftermath of him being laid off by iHeart
and I'm not gonna lie.

Speaker 2 (01:32:17):
So, you know, I've been how do I want to
talk about this? So I've been told as I get,
you know, work my way up through this business and
try to make a name for myself, that I need
to come up with a shtick, you know, like I
need to have a shtick. Everybody who's on air has

(01:32:39):
a shtick, and I've wrestled with that. I've been told
that a couple of times. What's your stick? And I
don't know that I have one. I think maybe my
shtick is that I don't have a shtick. That I'm
just brutally honest, like I'm transparent. I'll tell you what
I think and how I feel. And so so I

(01:33:00):
do kind of want to start the hour that I'm
on by talking about that, because I received a ton
a ton of wonderful messages and support messages in support
and supportive phone calls and everything. When I was on
this show a week ago Tuesday, and I had been

(01:33:21):
told that it was mine for the foreseeable future, and
I was really excited about that. I was thrilled. I
had no idea that Tony returning was even a possibility
or something that was being talked about. And next thing
I know, I'm told that Tony is coming back. So
it's been an up and down. It's been a roller coaster.
I didn't know any of that was happening. I didn't know.

(01:33:42):
It's been a wild couple of weeks. And so on
one hand, I feel like an idiot for eulogizing the
guy for two weeks and then saying I'm excited to
take over the show and put my own spin on it,
and then two days later I find out Tony's coming back.
So in a way, I feel like an idiot for
doing that. But also I'm not gonna lie to you,

(01:34:05):
like I'm just I don't believe in that. I believe
in transparency, especially with this audience who has been so
great to us. And so yeah, it's been difficult. It's
been weird. It's been strange. There's been tears, there's been frustration,
But Tony and I are in a good place. He's
still one of my best friends. I have a ton

(01:34:25):
of respect for him, and I am thrilled to keep
working with him and alongside him. And as I said earlier,
the show is going to change a little bit. They're
gonna do a rebrand of it and put Tony's name
on it and all that, so it is going to change.
I don't know what the next day is going to bring.
That is the nature of this business. You never know

(01:34:47):
what the next day, what the next hour, what the
next minute is going to look like. So it's been
a strange, strange couple of days. But I hope that
Tony coming back and this show coming back to what
you've been known and grown accustomed to, can provide some
comfort to you the listener, and can provide some excitement

(01:35:11):
and some normalcy to you, because we love doing the
show together. We love working together, we love having fun,
all the laughs. Like that's what's made the last couple
of weeks so hard, is because you don't get to
share it with someone anymore, and you think back of
all the different memories and all the different things that
you know you've gotten to do together, and it just
is difficult when it goes from two to one. And

(01:35:33):
so I'm thankful that it's back to two and that
we get to do that. But I'm always gonna be
honest with you. I'm always going to be transparent with you.
That's my belief. I feel strongly about that, and I
think our audience deserves that. And so yeah, I found
out that Tony was coming back on Friday right before
the show started and then really wasn't sure what to

(01:35:56):
expect until today, And for the most part, I feel
like we kind of picked up where we left off.
So I'm happy about that and happy about the future
of since E three point sixty, whatever it may be called.
And I do appreciate all the people who reached out
to me, especially last week, and gave me some words

(01:36:17):
to support and offered to help and all that stuff.
That really does mean a lot to me, and I
do appreciate it. So maybe we can stop talking about
our own personal drama and lives and start talking about
sports again, because I think everybody wants to get to
that point, and so for me, obviously not a Bengals
game to talk about from over the weekend. But when

(01:36:40):
I look around at the rest of the AFC and
where the Colts are at, and as we was just
talking with Tony, it feels like, Okay, that's a legitimate team.
They have arrived. Their quarterback play is steady, it's consistent,
they have a good run game, and there are weapons
in that offense that allows Daniel Jones to move it

(01:37:02):
around to not really be predictable. They can stretch the field,
they can go underneath, They've worked that seam in the
middle of the field with Tyler Warren, and obviously Jonathan
Taylor is a threat in both the run and the
pass game. And defensively, lou An Arumo's group feels pretty
solid right now, and they've created turnovers and they've got
some good players, and so Indianapolis deserves credit and they

(01:37:25):
certainly are a deserving number one seed in the AFC
right now. And I understand it's a little bit ridiculous
to start talking playoff seatings in the month of October.
I mean, let's be honest, how many times over the
last couple of years have the Bengals been dead in
the water or basically useless in the middle of October,
and next thing you know, here they come in November

(01:37:48):
and December. A lot can change between now and the
end of the season, and the Bengals are gonna need
that to happen. The Bengals are gonna need the Patriots
to come back down to earth, and they have an
oppera tunity against the Patriots here in a week or two,
a couple of weeks to beat them here at pay
Corpse Stadium. Now they already let the Denver game get

(01:38:08):
away from them. But I still can't quite figure out
the Broncos. They're five and two. They should have lost
that game yesterday, and yet they found a way to
win thanks to some rookie mistakes and some bad coaching
decisions I think by the New York Giants. But Denver
is right there and kind of keeping the Chiefs and
the Chargers at an arm's length in the AFC. West

(01:38:33):
Pittsburgh is four and two. But I don't know that
anybody would really tell you they feel confident about the
Steelers' ability, and maybe even Steelers fans would say that
because of how bad that defense has been. It really
comes down to can Aaron Rodgers work his magic and
can that one and seventy five million dollar defense or

(01:38:53):
whatever it is, finally show up. Buffalo was off this week,
but there are some fans in Buffalo clamoring for a
better offense. Joe Brady has kind of fallen out of
favor with Buffalo fans. Their offense is inconsistent and at
times has completely disappeared. I think that's an interesting one
to keep an eye on the Chargers. They've got injuries

(01:39:16):
left and right, and especially injuries up front and in
their running back room, which is their identity under Jim Harbaugh.
And I think you've seen over the last couple of
weeks when it's all on Justin Herbert, it's not always effective.
And that is a team who with the surging Chiefs

(01:39:36):
and the Broncos ahead of them, I wonder about their
staying power. You've got Jacksonville after that at four and three.
The Bengals have already beaten them, and they have come
crashing back down to earth over the last two weeks
and got their face bashed in in London on Sunday
by the Rams and Matthew Stafford through for like three
or four touchdowns in one hundred and seventy yards. It
was wild. Then you've got Kansas City at four and three,

(01:39:59):
and as we talk, they look scary. All of a sudden,
they look scary again. And Mahomes is the odds on
favorite to win the MVP. But overall, I look at
the AFC and all those teams ahead of the Bengals, Chiefs, Jags, Chargers, Bills, Steelers, Broncos, Pats, Colts,
and I think, Okay, there's not one team outside of

(01:40:21):
maybe the Colts and maybe the Chiefs that I feel
like is a surefire bet to go deep into the playoffs,
like I believe until proven otherwise, that Patrick Mahomes is
gonna do it because he always does. And the Colts,
I just love the way that they're built right now
that looks like a formidable team. All those other teams,

(01:40:44):
their flaws feel like they could be fatal, which brings
me to the Bengals. Do you feel like, after listening
to that list and watching those teams in the AFC,
that the Bengals are heads and shoulders above any of
those teams. I don't. I want them to be, but

(01:41:07):
I don't see them as heads and shoulders above any
of those other teams, and as we talked about earlier,
the teams that are below the Bengals, like Houston, like
the Titans, Teams like that, like the Bengals, have opportunities

(01:41:27):
coming up in their schedule against teams that are well
below them in the standings, Teams like Cleveland at the
end of the year, Baltimore twice, Miami, who's a complete
train wreck, And obviously this week the Jets. Five of
the next ten for Cincinnati are against teams in the
bottom five of the conference Baltimore, Miami, Tennessee, the Jets,

(01:41:52):
and Cleveland. And so that right there in and of
itself is an opportunity for the Bengals. But my honest
question for you, as a Bengals fan and as a
consumer of professional football, does it feel like the Bengals

(01:42:12):
are closer to the bottom five in the AFC or
the top five in the AFC. Now, I'm not trying
to pour cold water over an awesome win on Thursday
over Pittsburgh. And anytime you win you should celebrate. Anytime
you beat Pittsburgh, you should celebrate. And anytime you win
in primetime, you should celebrate. Because we know those three things,

(01:42:36):
especially when combined have been fleeting at times over the
years as a Bengals fan. But are the Bengals closer
to the Colts, Patriots, Broncos, Steelers, and Bills, or are
they closer to the Browns, Ravens, Dolphins, Titans and Jets.
Keep in mind, this is Joe Flacco at quarterback, and

(01:42:57):
while he was phenomenal the other night, that is an
unbelievably bad defense in Pittsburgh. The defense that you're going
to go up against with the Jets, it's a much
better group than Pittsburgh is. Overall. The Jets are seventeenth
in the NFL and defense and against the pass. You
guys know about Sauce Gardner. They're ninth in the NFL

(01:43:20):
against the pass, not as great against the run, twenty third.
But still I don't know that the Bengals, when you
look at their rankings across the NFL, and we'll get
into them in the next segment, with the uncertainty of
the quarterback position and with other position groups that I

(01:43:41):
feel like are question marks, I don't know that I
go into Sunday with supreme confidence even though the Bengals
are three and four, and even though the Jets are
zero and seven that the Bengals are gonna curb stop
New York in pay Corp Stadium. How do you feel?
Five three, seven, four nine, fifteen thirty phone lines are open.

(01:44:02):
I also put up a poll question at Audiel Moore
A U T y E L M O r E.
If you could only watch one tonight, which are you
watching a ALCS Game seven Seattle at Toronto or Monday
Night football Tampa at Detroit right now? Fifty one percent

(01:44:23):
say ALCS Game seven between Seattle and Toronto. You can
go vote at Audiel Moore AU T y E LM O.
Are you well, take a break, We'll come back. Phone
calls and continuing the Bengals conversation on the Home of
the Bengals ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 19 (01:44:40):
Snap Back on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 2 (01:44:47):
Welcome back in Monday midday Quarterback on Austin Olmore. This
is ESPN fifteen thirty. Phone lines open at five one, three, seven,
four nine, fifteen thirty, twenty five minutes from right now,
Tony Pike and Moegger Toni and mo Football Show. Let
me trying to give you a dose a reality here.
The Bengals have a bad offensive line, and they have

(01:45:08):
a bad defense, like a really bad defense. Overall, Bengals
thirty first in total defense in the NFL. That's second
from last. They're the thirtieth worst pass defense in the NFL.
Teams can just throw all over them. They're the twenty
seventh worst run defense in the NFL. Now they're going

(01:45:31):
up against a Jets offense that is the worst passing
offense in the NFL and the ninth best rushing offense
in the NFL. So I think the plan for the
Jets is going to be run the football and get
it out the playmakers in space, because you've seen the
blueprint of how teams are trying to attack the Bengals.
Get it out to the perimeter, force them to make

(01:45:53):
a tackle. The Bengals don't tackle well. So let's just
put this all this all up together. You have a
bad offensive line, you have a bad tackling defense, and
you overall don't have a good defense. Those three things
are imperative to being a good football team. Cincinnati is

(01:46:16):
three to four. They won a game against Pittsburgh on
Thursday Night football. That's a good thing. They have given
themselves a chance. But if they tackle the way they
tackled against Pittsburgh, if they allow running the way that
they allowed it against Pittsburgh, if they continue to be
inconsistent in the secondary, and certainly, if you tackle the

(01:46:39):
way you tackled against Pittsburgh, I'm gonna say it again,
you will get beat by the New York Jets. First
and foremost, this is the National Football League, and if
you've been watching the way I've been watching, it does
not matter who your opponent is. You can get beat
any given Sunday, especially this season. The Jets are embarrassed.

(01:47:02):
They don't know who their quarterback is going to be.
There's already talk about Aaron Glenn getting fired before his
first season is even over. This is a team that
wants to win badly, and they are good at something.
You're not ninth best rush offense in the NFL against
the twenty seventh worst rush defense in the NFL. There

(01:47:28):
has to be something here for the Bengals to focus on,
to hone in on, and to take control of, even
though they're zero to seven. When you have three bad
units like Cincinnati does that secondary, that offensive line quite frankly,

(01:47:48):
the defensive line. Hopefully Trey plays, but if he's not.
I mean, good lord, we saw that even to Rod
Taylor can sit back there and dice up a defense. Hell,
I would even say Justin Fields can do it. He's
beaten the Bengals before. But let's just say the point
I'm trying to make here. When you have a bad defense,
a bad offensive line, and you can't tackle, there are

(01:48:11):
no easy wins in the NFL. You cannot go into
a game, even against an zero to seven team, expecting
to win. I say that as a fan of the team.
I don't just every game the Bengals play expect them
to win. The Bengals, I don't think should just go
into every game the players and the coaches themselves expecting

(01:48:32):
to win. It should be we need to do these
things if we want to win. It starts with tackling,
It starts with protecting the quarterback, and it starts with
getting pressure on the opposing quarterback. They're not good of
any of those three things. So while I am excited
about a game in which the Bengals are gonna be

(01:48:54):
favored to win, and this opened up with Cincinnati a
six point favorite, it's already down to five and a
half against a winless opponent after a big time win
and a mini buy. It's all in the direction pushing
in the direction of the Bengals. Bengals, Bengals, Bengals, You've
got to take advantage of it, because I know if

(01:49:14):
you tackle and perform the way you did defensively against Chicago,
you will get beaten that game too, like you will.
So while we can all be happy that the Bengals
are where they are and they have given themselves a chance,
don't let that overshadow the issues that still plague this team.
You will get beat in the National Football League if

(01:49:36):
they don't clean it up. It doesn't matter if your
opponent's all in seven or nine, doesn't matter if it's
justin Fields or Aaron Rodgers, doesn't matter if it's Josh
Allen or Tarrod Taylor. You'll lose if you don't do
the essentials. And I hope that the Bengals understand that
and aren't just, you know, kind of sleep walking in
to this game against the Jets this week expecting to win.

(01:50:00):
Let me rewind the clock for you. Let's go back
to twenty nineteen. Do you remember that season, that dreadful
two and fourteen season that the Bengals had well, it
was Week twelve, if I'm not mistaken, Week twelve or
Week thirteen, and the Bengals had just benched Andy Dalton

(01:50:21):
for three games. You remember that it was Andy Dalton's birthday,
and they're like, hey, man, uh, we're gonna bench you.
We're gonna go with Ryan Finley. Now, this was all
probably part of the ultimate ploy to stink bad enough
to get Joe Burrow. But the Bengals benched Ryan Finley.
I think they went out to Las Vegas or they

(01:50:41):
went out to Oakland and played the Raiders. Whatever. They
had lost three in a row with Andy Dalton on
the bench. The Bengals were zero and eleven when the
New York Jets came to town in twenty nineteen. Andy
Dalton returned after a three week exile, as it was known.
So the Bengals are zero to eleven, the Jets are

(01:51:03):
four and seven, and they come into pay Corpse Stadium.
Bengals were not favored in this game. Nobody expected the
Bengals to win the game. Cincinnati beat him twenty two
to six, first win in the career of Zach Taylor.

(01:51:29):
Bengals smoked them twenty two to six. Nobody believed that
the Bengals could win that game. Andy Dalton was twenty
two of thirty seven. Joe Mixon had nineteen carries. The
Bengals leading receiver that day, Audentate, he had sixty six yards.
It was a bad football team that went out and

(01:51:51):
beat the New York Jets, and nobody expected them to
do it. Similar situation here. Jets are row and seven.
Bengals are the darlings of the NFL again because of
Joe Flacco, former New York Jet quarterback Joe Flacco. But
the Bengals have issues. You know, I've been watching that

(01:52:13):
clip it's been going around social media this weekend from
Brian Kelly a couple weeks ago at LSU Nick Saban
when he was the coach at LSU, and it was
probably a month or so ago. LSU wins a game,
but they play really bad on offense. It was the
game I think against Florida where they had five interceptions,

(01:52:34):
but offensively they were awful. And the first question to
Brian Kelly was about the offense, and he lost his
mind that we just won a football game and you
want to focus on the negatives. And then he goes
out and says that LSU fans are spoiled and the
media is spoiled. Well, no, it's not that they're spoiled.

(01:52:55):
It's that there is an expectation, and you understand when
the expectation is not being met, and you know that
when the expectations not being met, there could be signs
of a problem. There, there could be cracks in the foundation,
and you know that could come back to bite them
later on. Well, let's come back to bite LSU. Their

(01:53:18):
offense stinks and they lost again because the standards not
being met when Joe Burrow got here. After that twenty
twenty season, and you go into twenty one, go to
the Super Bowl, twenty two, back to the AFC Championship game,
and all of a sudden, there's a standard that's been set,

(01:53:40):
an expectation for how you want to play. And even
in twenty three, prior to Burrow getting hurt, and even
after Burrow getting hurt, when they went on that run
to nearly make the playoffs, the expectation had been said, Okay,
this is how we expect to play football. And so
last years start going south. Burrow's playing out of his mind,

(01:54:02):
but the defense isn't tackling well and the young guys
aren't showing up. And that's why we asked all those
questions of Miles Murphy after the twenty three draft, and
you know, what about this guy? And what about Jackson
Carmen And why'd you decide to go with this pick
over that pick? And why isn't Dax Hill doing this
blah blah blah blah blah, because you know, there's an
issue with the foundation here of this defense. And so

(01:54:25):
I'm trying to point that out again, not because I
expect the Bengals to lose on Sunday, but because just
because you beat the Pittsburgh Steelers doesn't mean that you're
just gonna roll over the New York Jets. There are
still issues that have to be fixed. And while winning
makes everything better, losing can happen still too. And just

(01:54:51):
because the Jets are winless doesn't mean you just say, ah,
easy win, easy win.

Speaker 4 (01:54:56):
I hope it is.

Speaker 3 (01:54:56):
Hope the Bengals blow him out, Ring of Honor game,
Dave Lap, them leaping Lamar Parish, sign me up.

Speaker 2 (01:55:02):
I hope they do. But go Lee, man, you can't
overlook this football team. All that positive momentum can be
ripped right out from underneath you. I think we all
know what that feels like. We've been there as humans
and as fans of the Bengals, when just when it
feels like things are going well, you rip the rug
out from underneath you. So I hope that Zach Taylor's

(01:55:24):
team is focused this week and they understand based off
the way the rest of the conference is playing and
the way the rest of the division is playing, and
the confidence that you've established by beating Pittsburgh on a
home Thursday night game, that it's it's still within reach
here and there can be no false steps against teams
like New York. You've got to avoid the dreaded hangover

(01:55:47):
game after a mini bye. If you're the Bengals. Five
point three seven four nine, fifteen thirty is the phone number.
Take a break, we'll come back. This is the Monday
Midday Quarterback on ESPN fifteen thirty at.

Speaker 6 (01:55:57):
Exercise ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:56:05):
Monday Midday Quarterback, ESPN fifteen thirty High. I'm Austin hillmore
Tony and MO Football Show three to six this afternoon.
They'll join us about ten minutes from right now. From
Twin Peaks in Florence. But between now and then it's
phone calls. We've got a couple of lines taken up.
You can call in five on three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty. Let's start in Newport and talk to Calvin.

(01:56:28):
Hey Calvin, what's up?

Speaker 14 (01:56:30):
Hey, Hodi, how are you doing?

Speaker 2 (01:56:31):
I'm all right man, what's on your mind?

Speaker 28 (01:56:33):
I'll tell you what you were talking about? The Bengals
maybe looking a little too far down the calendar. And
it reminds me of a Reds fan when we swept
the Yankees and then came home and got swept.

Speaker 17 (01:56:43):
By the Tigers.

Speaker 28 (01:56:45):
Yeah, and I'm wondering if maybe the old man Joe
Flacco might might have a few of those experiences himself
and help keep the locker room under control.

Speaker 2 (01:56:54):
Yeah, that's a good that's a good point. I don't
know how much of like a leader he can become
right away, but I would imagine based off the way
he played on Thursday, at the bare minimum, they have
confidence to be like, Okay, we can still do this,
and the way that his personality seems to be showing
through in the media interviews, and I would imagine it's

(01:57:16):
very similar behind the scenes. I do think that's a
breath of fresh air, and it's like a guy that's
easy to kind of get behind.

Speaker 28 (01:57:24):
Yeah, and it definitely seems like t and Jamar have
a fire lit under.

Speaker 7 (01:57:28):
Them this season.

Speaker 12 (01:57:29):
Says that's nice to see.

Speaker 2 (01:57:31):
Yeah, and I think you bring up a good point, Calvin,
thank you for the phone call, specifically about Jamar Chase.
Jamar Chase has been the guy, maybe unexpectedly, but he's
been the one who's emerged as the leader. He's been
the guy in the absence of Joe Burrow that has said,
we have a standard that we're not meeting. We have
to be better. He said it about the defense, he

(01:57:53):
said it about the offense. He said it about himself,
about the run game. He's been unafraid to go up
to Zach Taylor, knowing the cameras around him, and make
his voice heard. He's been transparent about his conversations and
his feelings about Zach Taylor, and in the biggest moments
he showed up. He's put the team on his back.

(01:58:15):
I think back to that run that he by Chase
Brown on Thursday, or who's down there forty yards downfield
block informs Jamar Chase and Zach Taylor had said, you know,
I'm showing that to the team like this is a
guy who's the highest paid wide receiver in the history
of the National Football League. He very easily could mail
it in on a play where he's not supposed to

(01:58:36):
be getting the ball and instead he's busting his butt
down the field to go get a block for Chase Brown.
And in times.

Speaker 3 (01:58:44):
Where things are difficult, Chase jamar Chase chose to do that.
That sort of stuff, coupled with the belief alongside Joe Flacco,
can give a team a renewed energy, a renewed focus,
a renewed confidence to make it happen. Let's go out
to mister Ace. What's up, mister Race.

Speaker 5 (01:59:06):
Austin. I am very happy to see the dynamic duel
that we have here in Cincinnati at midday teaming back together.
And even though I'm still somewhat selfish for my desire
to see Anthony Pike is the next head football coach

(01:59:26):
of the University of Cincinnati, I'm willing to hold off
one that at least until Saderfield is hired by our
bigger program.

Speaker 2 (01:59:34):
Oh boy, and I guess some.

Speaker 5 (01:59:36):
Point next year because it looks like he's going to
have the Bearcats bowling with another win.

Speaker 2 (01:59:42):
Are you all in on coach Sat now, mister Ace.

Speaker 5 (01:59:45):
No, not all. I said, I'll hold off on my
Anthony Pike from make ucy coach until around Jay you
were now, hey, I'll put it like this. If Satterfield
wins the Big Twill, I hate to say it, he
will not be UC's coach next year. There will be
somebody who will buy his contract out and he will

(02:00:07):
most likely be in a Big ten job or a
SEC job, because unfortunately, they got more money. If you
can fire a coach like Penn State and it's a
state university and you gotta pay this guy millions of
dollars and not have people who are just like regular

(02:00:29):
people in the state of Pitchburg, people from Philadelphia, people
from Pitchburg, people from Happy Valley that are unhappy about
you paying for a college coach to be fired early.
Then you got a lot of money. I told you, well,
y'all know why I used to live in the SEC,
and I told y'all all my SEC stories from time

(02:00:50):
to time and how those are the most obnoxious fans period.
But they got to go away. Money, and they will
fire folks to send them away and keep on moving. Yeah,
think that that will happen.

Speaker 2 (02:01:01):
Well, I hope it doesn't, mister Ace, thank you, thank
you for the phone call. I hope it doesn't because
I would like to see him with an opportunity to
keep building. And I think he's done a really good
job in the portal. The Bearcats as a whole have
done a good job in the portal to kind of
fix some of those weaknesses. And if you can continue
to do that, and I've seen they flip some commitments recently,
then you can have some positive momentum going in the

(02:01:24):
right direction. If you're Scott's Saderfield, I'm sure he'll get
a phone call.

Speaker 4 (02:01:27):
They all do.

Speaker 2 (02:01:28):
It's a coaching carousel, that's how it works. I don't
know that Penn State is, you know, going crazy trying
to pick up the phone for Scott's Sadderfield, but you know,
it is an unfortunate reality with the history of the
Bearcat football program is that you get a coach that's good,
and get a coach that builds something, and then another
team comes calling. I would hope that now that they're

(02:01:48):
in the Big twelve and now that they do have,
you know, a reputation as a program that you can
win at and you can be in the conversation and
the way that the College Football Playoff is expanding and
may continue to expand. I would say that's a good
job that it's not going to be easy or as

(02:02:08):
easy for coaches to leave. It's not going to be
as easy for coaches to leave Cincinnati as it has
been in the past. If that makes sense, We'll take
a break, will come back. When we do, we'll talk
to Tony Pike and Mo Egar. Yes, Tony and Mo

(02:02:30):
the Football Show coming up from three to six this afternoon.
They'll join me for quick hits next. This is Monday
mid day quarterback on the home of the Bengals Cincinnati
is ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 19 (02:02:40):
Sixty continues on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati's sports station. It's
time for Cincy three sixty Quick Hits on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (02:02:51):
Yes, indeed it is. Even though this is the Monday
midday quarterback, we still do quick hits, and we do
so now with Tony Pike and Moeger. Ahead of the
time Tony and Mo Football Show, The Fellas at Twin
Peaks in Florence.

Speaker 3 (02:03:03):
Hi, guys, Hello, Austin Audie.

Speaker 4 (02:03:06):
How are we doing?

Speaker 5 (02:03:06):
You know what?

Speaker 2 (02:03:07):
I'm not doing too bad. I'm trying to think of
some of the great comebacks of all time. You know,
you had Michael Jordan go to play baseball and then
he came back. Yeah, you had was the Bills were
down like thirty five to three in the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (02:03:21):
The Broncos yesterday.

Speaker 2 (02:03:22):
The Broncos yesterday thirty three points in the fourth quarter.
I mean, mo, when you see Tony Pike sitting across
from you at Twin Peaks right now, what comes to mind?

Speaker 4 (02:03:32):
I'm just happy. Then I'll leave it at that. I'm
just happy Tony's here. I've said a lot.

Speaker 29 (02:03:38):
About what's happened over the last two weeks, publicly and privately.
You know what people don't know is this wasn't an
iHeart thing. You may have followed, I don't know if
you follow politics. The president of the United States is
now commuting sentences?

Speaker 4 (02:03:53):
Is George Santos?

Speaker 5 (02:03:54):
Guy?

Speaker 29 (02:03:55):
Yeah, who like invented a persona to become elected to Congress?

Speaker 4 (02:03:59):
This is Trump?

Speaker 3 (02:04:00):
Yep, got a ton Yeah, so thanks to Trump. Also,
what I was actually doing over the last twelve days.
I had a couple of tryouts. Did you Stafford thirty
seven is still slinging? And then you watch Joe Flats
was black on Rogers and I'm like, okay, I was
on a ten day deal. I can't announce the team
that I was on.

Speaker 2 (02:04:18):
But you did say earlier the Kentucky barrels. We're interest
Kentucky barrels have reached down.

Speaker 29 (02:04:22):
Here's here's the welcome however, that we have gotten here
for Tony coming back. We're a twin peaks and Florence.
One of the servers just asked us to turn it down.
So okay, we're welcome.

Speaker 4 (02:04:32):
Back to It's good to have you.

Speaker 5 (02:04:34):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (02:04:36):
Is James or Pene gonna walk into the next ten minutes?
Anybody tell him he's not on the air today.

Speaker 29 (02:04:40):
James for texting me like noon, He's like, so I'm
not needed today. I'm like, buddy, inn' come on out
and fill in for me. Hell, everybody probably prefer that,
but no, So so I had a discussion with James.
So I do thank James for filling in last week. Yes,
and I'm I'm.

Speaker 4 (02:04:58):
Sure week one of next year, ton no you're gonna
go play golf, so James.

Speaker 3 (02:05:01):
Will and I know Maso was still gonna come last week.
I would have came with him and just been a
fan of the show.

Speaker 4 (02:05:06):
That I was kind of waiting for that when I
saw them walk in.

Speaker 3 (02:05:09):
Longtime co host, first time audience member. Glad to be here.
Could I have won the giveaway last week?

Speaker 4 (02:05:16):
We didn't have a giveaway last week.

Speaker 29 (02:05:17):
Today, we do have tickets to go see Nate Bargatzi
Sunday downtown. Yeah, so you could come by. We have
a pair of tickets to give away for that show
on Sunday. You can maybe make it a downtown Sunday night,
which is not a joke. I'm gonna go away from
that one, but you can.

Speaker 2 (02:05:34):
I mean, you already dipped into politics once, you might
as well keep going.

Speaker 29 (02:05:38):
You can watch the Bengals play the Jets. Austin just
made it sound like they're playing the Joe Namath Jets.
And then you could go see Nate Bargatzi downtown.

Speaker 2 (02:05:47):
Wow, there's a lot going on. What's gonna be on
the show this afternoon, The Tony and Mo Football Show.
I mean, I'm assuming it's gonna be Bearcats, Bearcats, bear Cat.

Speaker 3 (02:05:56):
Well, well, my biggest question from a couple of weeks ago,
go first is what we did? Yeah, both teams won.
Who goes first?

Speaker 14 (02:06:04):
Now?

Speaker 3 (02:06:04):
And how will Texas Tech respond to the big news
today that they're banning throwing tortillas at their stadium.

Speaker 4 (02:06:10):
It's a good question. It's a good question.

Speaker 29 (02:06:13):
What I'd like to talk about is the guy who
I want to work for next is Wisconsin's athletic director. Yeah,
voter confidence came out today and he's like Nap, Luke's
our guy, but we need some cash.

Speaker 3 (02:06:23):
We like Luke, we're staying here. We need you to
pony up some more money.

Speaker 4 (02:06:28):
That guy guy can't get fired.

Speaker 3 (02:06:32):
No, so it's harder for him to get fired and
Wisconsin it was for me at iHeart.

Speaker 29 (02:06:43):
Okay, So you know since Tony was last with us,
a lot has happened, right, Yeah, yeah, I mean you
think about the last Tonymo football show was two weeks ago.
Since then, Joe Flacco has been traded for played against
the Packers, played against the Steelers. Now the Bengals might
not lose another game, so we'll spend some time on that.
Everything that went down yesterday was really fun. Sunday, Week

(02:07:03):
seven of the NFL. The Bearcats win again. Cincinnati is
now Bowl eligible. Can they go over their posted total
this season on Sunday? There is a lot to discuss
here at Twin Peaks in Florence.

Speaker 2 (02:07:16):
Let's say you can only watch one tonight Game seven
ALCS or Monday night football Tampa at Detroit. What are
you watching?

Speaker 3 (02:07:24):
Why not Houston Seattle?

Speaker 2 (02:07:27):
But it's not an option.

Speaker 3 (02:07:28):
Oh, I will still watch football tonight.

Speaker 4 (02:07:31):
Fortunately it's twenty twenty five.

Speaker 29 (02:07:34):
Yeah, and I don't have to get off my couch
and walk over to the set top television and change
the channel during commercials.

Speaker 3 (02:07:41):
But if let's say the game's tied in the NFL
and the fourth and the game's tied in the sixth.

Speaker 4 (02:07:45):
It's a game seven?

Speaker 3 (02:07:46):
Well, it's game seven, man, right?

Speaker 29 (02:07:48):
I mean, if I can only pay attention to one,
I would ask which prison am I in? But if
I can only pay attention to what game? If you
said you could have a ten, you gonna have a
ticket to one of those games, that's a better way
of putting it, you get, I'd say give me game
seven right now.

Speaker 2 (02:08:07):
On my Twitter, I asked that question poll question fifty
percent game seven fifty percent Monday Night Football Tampa to
try out.

Speaker 29 (02:08:16):
Yeah, if like, if like the second prize was Monday
Night Football Lions Bucks. Dude, I'm in like that's that's
a really fun game. But if I can only go
to one, it would be it'd begin.

Speaker 3 (02:08:27):
Will you be in?

Speaker 5 (02:08:27):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (02:08:28):
What would your plans be? Wednesday night?

Speaker 29 (02:08:30):
Nix Calves Mix Calves, New York three and a half
point favorite over Cleveland. One might say these are the
two favorites in the East. We'll see Boston and.

Speaker 4 (02:08:38):
Indiana could still have something to say about that.

Speaker 2 (02:08:40):
Through Bzeless and the Bulls.

Speaker 29 (02:08:42):
But yeah, I believe Detroit is going to have something
to say about that. But I'm stoked. This is this
kind of feels like championship or bust.

Speaker 3 (02:08:49):
It is the football show. Yeah, we branched into baseball
at one point this year. Will we talk at all
about the ongoing dominance of the UC Bearcats against the
Big Ten and exhibition games?

Speaker 4 (02:08:58):
Did you? Yeah? Did you?

Speaker 29 (02:09:00):
We did not watch it live, we were in Oklahoma,
So did you watch the game on YouTube?

Speaker 3 (02:09:05):
I've watched highlights of the game, so I scrolled through
it this morning.

Speaker 4 (02:09:09):
Yeah, Shanabayev. I'm gonna be a fan of his.

Speaker 3 (02:09:12):
Yep, I'm not gonna overreact. Reacted when they beat Ohio
State in the exhibition last year.

Speaker 2 (02:09:17):
That was my thought too.

Speaker 29 (02:09:19):
Who's more guilty of overreaction Bearcat fans, because for now
Yaxel Landenborg might be the best player in the country
and you see had no answer for him in the
second half. You see fans like us overreacting to that
road win in an exhibition or Xavier fans who believe
the team might not win a game this season.

Speaker 4 (02:09:37):
Murray State.

Speaker 29 (02:09:38):
And by the way, I get Richard Patino credit because
he was having fun with it on Twitter. Yeah, and
even like came out to say, like, this doesn't counts.

Speaker 3 (02:09:44):
We have a lot of work to do, which is
what you're supposed to say.

Speaker 4 (02:09:47):
If you lose the exhibition game, this doesn't counts, right, if.

Speaker 3 (02:09:49):
You win the exhibition game game on loves love what
we're seeing.

Speaker 2 (02:09:54):
I learned my lesson last year because after watching Ohio
State and you see in person, I was convinced the
bear CA's we're going to the Final four. I'm gonna
give them a couple more to figure that out.

Speaker 29 (02:10:05):
Fair I'm gonna I want them to play great in
November and December, but Big twelve plays a different animal,
and so what I I didn't feel like they were
ready for Big twelve play after they played all their
non conference games. And that came despite beating Dayton, came
despite beating Xavier, came despite going to Georgia Tech and winning.

(02:10:30):
I think Wes would be the first to admit that
whatever skepticism is built in is deserved because of how
last year's team performed.

Speaker 4 (02:10:38):
But we've said it often.

Speaker 3 (02:10:39):
Tony.

Speaker 29 (02:10:40):
I think they constructed a roster this year instead of
just accumulating talent, and I think that's gonna pay off.

Speaker 2 (02:10:46):
Yeah, speaking of different animals, is the greatest baseball player
that's ever lived.

Speaker 4 (02:10:53):
He's the greatest show in sports right now.

Speaker 3 (02:10:56):
Mod I had a front row seat to that on
Friday night.

Speaker 4 (02:11:00):
We were not at the game.

Speaker 3 (02:11:01):
We weren't at the game, but we were the only
two sitting at a bar watching it.

Speaker 4 (02:11:06):
That's a surprise.

Speaker 3 (02:11:08):
Bartender couldn't have told you what was going on either,
had no idea about anything with sports or anything else
or anything else for that. But it was probably the
most impressive game performance I've ever seen across any sport.

Speaker 4 (02:11:20):
Yeah, I think he's the greatest show in sports right now.

Speaker 29 (02:11:22):
You know, to do that three homers, strikeout ten, hit
more home runs than hits given up in a clinching
game against the best team in baseball, or at least
the team with the best record in baseball. I don't
know if he's the greatest baseball player ever.

Speaker 4 (02:11:39):
There have been.

Speaker 29 (02:11:40):
You know, if you Babe Ruth was a two way guy,
but holy crap, there's nothing like that in sports. And
I know it's the Dodgers, and people hate the Dodgers
and they resent that they've got certain financial advantages. But
if you're just a fan of the sport, how you
don't at least have a deep appreciation for what that
dude does.

Speaker 4 (02:11:58):
But first of all, his home runs are no doubts.

Speaker 2 (02:12:01):
One left the stadium entirely.

Speaker 29 (02:12:03):
Yes, he seems like and again it's just watching from
a distance.

Speaker 4 (02:12:08):
Seems like his.

Speaker 29 (02:12:08):
Teammates adore him, seems like a good guy, takes the ball,
hits like he's the best shown sports.

Speaker 3 (02:12:17):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (02:12:18):
I was thinking about it this weekend. Like we've seen
Tom Brady, Who've seen Michael Jordan, He's in that conversation
already and obviously if they go and win the World
Series again this year's he's right there towards the top
of it.

Speaker 3 (02:12:30):
But look, said Michael Jordan.

Speaker 2 (02:12:31):
Yes, Bengals fan Michael Jordan.

Speaker 4 (02:12:33):
But here's the thing.

Speaker 29 (02:12:34):
Okay, I'll localize this all right now. Nobody is in
shoe Hayo Tani's class. But shoe Hayo Tani toiled in
obscurity with the La Angels, and for years we would
go God, unless you like you get the MLB package
and stay up late and watch West Coast games, you
never get a chance to watch him.

Speaker 4 (02:12:49):
Yep, he got the postseason stage.

Speaker 29 (02:12:51):
Last year, got injured in the World Series, but he
got the postseason stage last year. He's got the postseason
stage this year. If you're a certain shortstops lash center
fielder maybe who has aspirations of being the best in
the sport, that's the stage you want. How he kind
of got it this year and frankly failed on it.
But that's the stage you.

Speaker 7 (02:13:11):
Want, is it?

Speaker 3 (02:13:11):
Banner Worthy? If the Reds were to be eliminated by
the World Series champions.

Speaker 4 (02:13:16):
Well, I mean they already made the playoffs. I expect Banner.

Speaker 3 (02:13:19):
We'll make the playoffs and lose to the eventual champions.

Speaker 29 (02:13:23):
Yeah, Or what if they lose to the Mariners. If
the Mariners win tonight, do they hang a banner like, oh,
we used to have a uhaneos Warez and Luis Castillo.

Speaker 2 (02:13:33):
And they got half of our old team. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:13:36):
Probably still playing some of those.

Speaker 2 (02:13:37):
Wonderful Tony and Mo Football Show with more groundbreaking analysis
like banner Talk coming up from three to six this afternoon. Boys,
Thank you. I'll be listening all right, man, thanks. Thought
is Tony Pike Moeggar Tony and Mo Football Show coming
up next? Mac at it again tomorrow with uh since
E three to sixty or Tony Pikes since E three
to sixty or I don't know, they haven't really told

(02:13:59):
me the name yet. Either way, It's coming up tomorrow
noon to three Tony and Mo Football Show next. Thanks
for listening. This has been the home of the Bengals,
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 7 (02:14:09):
Thirty WCKY Cincinnati.

Speaker 11 (02:14:16):
Make us the number one preset on your car radio
and on the free new and improved iHeartRadio ad Free never.

Speaker 7 (02:14:21):
Sounded so good. ESPN fifteen thirty