Cincy 360 -- Tony Pike and Austin Elmore with Charlie Goldsmith

Tony and Austin talk with Charlie Goldsmith from Cincinnati.com about the Reds and Bengals on ESPN 1530!

Episode Transcript

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free shipping here it is free.Scottie all right. Charlie Goldsmith covers the

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Reds and thee Bengals for Cincinnati dotCom, and each and every Friday we
get a chance to catch up withour own good time. Charlie, Charlie,
what's going on? How are youon this Friday? I'm doing good,
Charlie, could not be better.Let's start with last night, because,
in the most appropriate form of whatbaseball is, here are the Cincinnati

(01:10):
Reds struggling going against an All Staroffense going against one of the best pitchers
in Major League Baseball and Tyler Glassnow and doing so in essentially a bullpen
game for David Bell and it turnsout being one of the most impressive wins
of the season for the Reds.It's a little poetic of what baseball is.

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But going into last night, couldyou have scripted an outcome like that
for the Reds. Definitely a decisivewin that was kind of like the formula
and the identity that they had beenhoping for all along. Obviously that hasn't
translated with the consistency and with thesuccess that the Reds envisioned for this season.
But like, let's give some flowersof the pitching staff or group that's

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consistency has flown under the radar becauseof how much the offense has really been
struggling recently. The Reds in theoffseason prioritized depth, versatility, experience in
the pitching staff and who won themyesterday's game, of course Elie Dela Cruz
did, But the plan they puttogether on a pitching side, what Nick
Martinez did on short rest five inningsout of the bullpen is efficient and as

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effective as he did as he wasthe ret haven't had a pitcher who could
do anything like that in a while, you know, the way Suitor opened
the game, or the way thatPagan kind of bridged the gap. Wilson
took the baton. All these veteranfree agents they signed made a big difference.
Again, there rent to have along way to go, but the
pitching staff's been sturdy, it's beensolid and kind of they got their moment

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in the sun yesterday. Obviously,one of the other guys that got the
moment in the Ellie de la Cruzfive at bats, one walk, four
hit, scored three runs, stolefour bases. You know, he joked
with with Jim dafter the game thatthat you know it's his city. Seeing
that type of game for Ellie,we know the potential, We know what
Ellie can become. When you seea game like that from Elie de la

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Cruz, from someone who covers thisteam, what does that tell you about
the confidence and the way that Elliefeels at the plate right now? It
really reminds me of some moments wesaw from Joe Burrow in twenty twenty one.
There were some games that season whereit was like, all right,
we already knew Burrow was what wasreally good at this, but then he
just took a too al completely differentlevel. When you improve on your strength,

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that's when you become a you know, you go from a good young
player to just a really good,too great player. And you're seeing Elie
de la Cruz get in that rangeright now. He already was the fastest
man in baseball last season, buthe still only sold thirty five bags.
He's already at thirty this season.To see the improvement in the leap,
in the adjustments he's made as abase runner, how he was already maybe

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one of the best in baseball atsomething and even took that much of the
leap with his base running, that'sreally special. And then you know,
obviously it's not just his base running. He backs that up with similar leaps
he's made on defense, similar leapshe's made with the swing change and his
approaches to play it. Like,he just keeps taking his game to k
new levels, his willingness to adjust, his ability to improve really quickly.

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He just keeps demonstrating those skills,and again, like that's just special stuff.
This team desperately needs guys to gowith Ellie to help Ellie last night,
Will Benson sets the tone? Howimportant? And I know the strikeout
numbers have been there for Will Benson, But to lead off a game,
to foul off three straight pitches,to have a six pitch at bat that

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ends in a home run, Iknow it sets the tone for the game.
But how important is that for WillBenson to start working the count,
They'll start making more contact and contributeinto this Reds offense as well. He's
the kind of guy who is like, I think the Reds is still figuring
out where the best place to hitWill Benson. They've been counting on him

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in the leadoff spot, obviously,that's ideally, that's freedom spot. Is
he a middle of the order bat? Is he a true table setter using
his plate discipline and his strike zonejudgment at the top of the order,
or is he a better guy roundingthings out in the seven through nine slot.
Like, Will Benson's such an interestingpiece to me on this team right

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now because what he is, thestyle of player in the role he fills.
In the long term, it's stillyou know, that story hasn't been
written yet. You know, he'sstill figuring that out. The Reds are
still figuring that out. So forhim, if he is able to be
that plate discipline approach, combine thatwith you know, swing that can look
as pretty as anyone, like hedid with that leadoff homer. Like that's

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the kind of stuff that's the kindof individual player development that turns the Reds
into a ninety five win team.Like what this Red season and this Red
you know window is going to beare people like Will Benson solidifying and establishing
the types of players they are.And it's moments like you know, hopefully
you know, for Benson it's aswing yesterday that gives him something to build

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on. That's the kind of stuffthat's going to determine what this ends up
being for the Red. Tyler Stevensona couple of multi hit games here as
of ladies hitting two eighty six inthe last thirty days. This was a
guy, Charlie, that we talkedabout. Even when the average wasn't there,
the contact was he was. Hewas squaring the ball up, the
velocity off the bat, everything youwanted to see you're now starting to see.

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I guess the water find the levelhere with Tyler Stevenson. But another
big part of this offense that isplaying pretty consistent right now. Yeah,
we can talk about in the shortterm and what it means, but like
for the long term, Like notthat it was a question, but you
could have the conversation. I'm sureyou asked me the question on this show
what Stevenson's long term future what theReds was like. I feel pretty comfortable

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now saying that Stevenson's the Red longterm answer a catcher. You know,
throughout this contract that he's on withthe red you know, his basically rookie
contract, the way he's working withthe pitchers, who has made a significant
leap. You know, Hart Green'sconfidence in pitching with him, Andrew Abbott
has had some impressive moments. Youcombine that with the fact that he's just
the guy you trusted the play andhe's been a very consistent piece, so

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much that they they're starting to catchhim just much more often than they did
last season in terms of the playingtime. Flit with Luke Mayley, and
he keeps answering the bell, takingadvantage of opportunities. You know, he
won't make he won't lead the leaguein barrel rate forever. That kind of
stuff doesn't sustain, but I thinkhe's going to be barreling up a lot
of pitches for a while. AndI think the improvements he's made working with

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the staff or another side that again, the Reds have their catcher again.
Not that it was a concern headinginto the season, definitely a conversation probably
that we had, and he keepsanswering those questions. For a guy like
Spencer Steer whose average has dipped andhas struggled in May and struggled over the
last thirty days, I know somuch about is adjusting to the adjustments that

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are made. What are you seeingfrom Spencer Steer or are you seeing the
things from Spencer Steer that makes youfeel confident that he's close, that he'll
get back to producing the way theReds need him to. Here's an interesting
one. I was talking with someone, you know, kind of before they
won yesterday about the red season asa whole and why it wasn't quite clicking.

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And I mean the point like,who's the red second best player?
What they're looking for right now?Has it got to be their second best
player the most you know, theirnext most consistent piece and game changer behind
Ellie Della Cruz, and I thinkthat probably should be Steer. I think
Steer's supposed to be that guy.We look at how the roster and the
lineup is constructed. Obviously, overthe last month he hasn't performed to that
level, and they've been missing thatagain, consistent, reliable, sturdy,

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patience and then the poppy he cantap into as well. He's what I've
seen and what I've you know,kind of been told as well. Maybe
trying to do a bit too much, trying to go for a bit too
much power, trying to make upfor so much with the Reds kind of
have been missing offensively. He's athis best when he keeps things simple.
And I know you can say thatabout a lot of guys, but Steer

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is about as you know, puthim first, put him seventh in the
LINEU, put him in the leastdeal, put him in first. When
he's at his best, he's justhandling everything the same way and just relying
on you who he is and justplaying the game. And again that seems
simple, but we've seen with Searhow far that approach can take him,
you know, again, trying totap into that power a little less,
just trying to work more tough atbest, stay more consistent without trying to

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make up for the REGI missing inthe lineup. That's probably the path forward
for a guy who's definitely been struggling, a guy that I'd definitely need more
from you make up you mentioned missingin the lineup. Since we've last spoke,
we've discussed Matt McClain, but TJ. Friedel is back on the injured
list. Nicolodolo went to the fifteenday. Jonathan India, missed for the

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Migrain, was not in the lineupyesterday. We did see Brandon Williamson is
another step further. But from ahealth standpoint, Charlie, what do we
know on this Friday from so manykey contributors that are not with this team
right now? I think the Freedothing hasn't been discussed enough. I mean,
that's just a killer, you know, to come back to have the
moment, So he had, hehad a couple of spark plug TJ.

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Friedel type moments. And you can'tput a number on this, but and
usually I look at more things youcan put a number on, but there
was just something with the Reds,with the energy that freedom brought to the
field, being able to have himat the top of your order, to
look at the lineup and see himat the top of your order, having
the presidence out there in center field, like that's legitimate, that's tangible,

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even though you can't quantify it.And that's just a huge loss to terrible
break for Freedol the second time thisyear, completely out of his control.
What doll of the expectation is.You know, he'll miss the minimum twelve
twelve days and be right back inthe rotation. He's the type of guy
who because of the time he's missedand the lower body issues that he has
dealt with and will probably continue todeal with. I definitely understand that approach

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making sure you can put this scoringinjury out of the way. Williamson Endo
may pretty sure that's it from ashort term from a injury perspective. It
goes without saying, Charlie, theReds are back in action tonight at ten
ten. When you have a bullpengame like that yesterday, how important does
this start for ranky muntas become tonight? It was one of the big additions

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for the Reds offseason, the openingday starter. How much weight now,
how much pressure goes on Montas tonightto deliver and allow that bullpen some rest.
I mean, Montos is a guythat really the consistency of the fastball
in particular, It's been a reallyinteresting stint for him since he came off
the injured list. He gets activated, he of course had that two plus

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week break, and he's throwing harderthan he has in years. He's given
in ninety eight, ninety nine andjust blowing the doors down, kind of
like one hundred Green like style approachwith that fastball, and he was having
a ton of success with it.Then he faces the Giants and he tries
to keep leaning on that fastball.The velocity wasn't quite there. He really
throws too many of them. Inthe fifth inning, the wheels kind of

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fall off after four really efficient andproductive evidents to start the game. So
how much is Frank he able tosustain that fastball is really I think going
to be the key from over thecourse of the season. Whenever he struggled,
it's been a bad all day.Whenever he's been good, it's been
a good fastball day. What arethe approaches the really the adjustments and the
approach he can take to really takethat pitch to another level. That's probably

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how you get to a borderline AllStar Frankie Mantos as opposed to a solid
number two, number three starter,which he's been so fucked Charlie Goldsmith Cincinnati
dot Com. Since we last spoke, we now know the official schedule for
the Cincinnati Bengals. What were someof your initial thoughts and takeaways when you
saw the schedule released on Wednesday?Man, I must have missed the memo.

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And you know, this whole twoThursday night football game. Two Thursday
night football game became a thing thatthree three games and ten days. That's
a golfment. And what it reallyshines to me is what are your rotational
positions and how much depth do youbuild it? That's rotate snaps and alko
with the Bengals have done specifically atwide receiver, edge rusher, and defensive
tackle. Your real rotational positions,you know, corner and tight end or

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excuse me, running back and tightend as well. A little less important
there, just based on how thosepositions are used. I do really think
the Bengals have functional, impactful depthentering the season with those positions. I
think the receiver it'll be a genuinesplit kind of a platoon is what I'm
gonna call it, between Burton,Yoshivash, Jones, Irwin. All four

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of those guys can really do oneor two or a couple things very well,
and you can find ways to getthem more involved when you have games
in a short window like that.I think ed Rosher might be the bengals
sneakiest deepest position. Like I likeCedric Johnson a lot. You know,
their six round pick. He's verymuch their style of defensive end, and
he's probably their sixth guy right now. It's a good place to be and

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then defensive tackle. I bet theyonly end up carrying four. I think
you'll probably see more teams do thatthis year. You know that they'll they'll
carry the two rookies and the twostarters. But then even if they needed
to call someone up off the practicesquad, Like if you can keep a
J two failure Zach Carter or DominiqueDavis and your practice squad, you're in
pretty good shape from a depth perspectivethere, So the positions you'll have to

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lean in more for more snaps whenyou're playing these condensed games. I think
the Bengals are in a good spot, which you know, everyone's got that
dauntlet on your schedule, and Ithink the Bengals have built up some deaths.
Football is so first and forefront inso many people's opinion, and we
just eat up everything that happens inthe offseason, from the schedule release to

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phase two of off season workouts whereyou're not seeing an eleven on eleven,
you're not seeing seven on seven.Yet you turn on clips and there's Marius
Mims working through at right tackle.There's Jermaine Burton making plays down the field.
There's Joe Burrow releasing these fifty yardthrows. How much from a standpoint
of your role of covering this team, how much can you take away from

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anything that's happened this week from theBengals and some of these players that have
been on the field. It's alot like spring training. I actually think
you actually learn a lot in trainingcamp that really matters. I think okas
are a lot like spring training ina lot of a's and spring train is
two of these things matter of everythingthat's happening, and it's up to you
to figure out which two of theone hundred things that are going on actually

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end up matter and like it's funnylike the real winners and you know,
other beat writers and I bet Bengalscoaches would back me up on this.
The winners of OTAs for the Bengalslast year where Zach Carter and Brad Robbins,
and that did not go well foreach of them, and that is
true. But certainly there are thingsin here when you look at like the
the you know quickness of Jermaine Burton, you saw like Joe Burrow work on

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the same route with him multiple timesand perfect that. You look at a
marus Men getting into the mix withwith first team reps very quickly. I
think Mal Murphy looks great. Ithink Andrea Yoshivash and Chase Brown both physically
are in a different spot than theywere last year in a good way.
Jordan Battlety gether faster and he's workingmore on covering the deep half of the
field. I think you see Vonbell is right back into that captain role

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like he was never gone. Sodefinitely things I'm seeing interesting takeaways, But
how much does it end up matter? Again, probably two of these things
better hopefully for more right on whatthey are than we were last year when
Zach Carter and Brad Robbins with abig waves. Charlie, you mentioned an
interesting name there, von Bell.I think some people have wondered how exactly
he is going to fit into thedefense. Obviously when they acquired Geno Stone

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as well, Jordan Battle played sogood and we know Dax Hills moving to
corner. How do you envision louAna Arumo using Von Bell on that defense?
I that's around The best sense Iget is is it's going to be
a safety rotation really for the firsttime in luin o remost career. It's

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going to be a different style ofdifferent look. I think you'll see battle,
Bell and Stone all in the mixbased on really specific tendencies of the
opposing offense and specific matchups with theopposing offense. So I think von Bell
is at his best as a downhillrun stopper, and then I think they're
going to trust him just kind ofspying the quarterback kind of in that range,

(16:59):
being in zone coverage as well,kind of instinctual pass coverage plays.
I think Vong can really shine inthose areas. Kind of the chess piece
we've all seen him be. Ithink Jordan battles, a guy who's working
a lot on defending the deep halfof the field, trying to really improve
and build on his range. That'sprobably gonna be an area they need to
use him more in twenty twenty four. And then he's a guy who can

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kind of be a tough matchup overthe middle of the field as well in
zone or you know, really inzone, not really in man. And
then Geno Stone kind of he's theHe's the piece here you're looking for from
a playmaking perspective, a jumping routsperspective, the guy you want to get
aggressive with with where you line himup kind of almost in a Jesse Bates

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way, except with maybe a littlebit less pure speed. So they all
do different things. I do thinkwe'll see like Dax, he'll be a
part of this as well, whetheryou want to call it a safety roll
or a corner roll. When theyget in dime defenses, they're such a
versatile defense that everyone will end updoing different things. A lot of good
moving piece, which is probably themost versatile defense they've had, and it's

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safety specifically. I see that beinga rotation. Charlie, are you comfortable
with where this team is with thecorner positions as the offseason continues of if
they don't address corner from now tothe start of camp, are you comfortable
with where they are there? Theanswer to the question is a question,
which is how is dj Ivy doing? I think dj Ivy is a very

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good sixth corner right now, andagain that's that's not a huge compliment,
but like, seriously, like djiv guys who have the length and power
and can contribute on special teams likehim is exactly what you walk from that
spot and I think there's a longterm upside there as well. So I
mean the story of the season thatwe're going to be talking about all year
is how dj turned our Dat's hillon that defense end of planet outside corner.

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So you need one of those guysto take a step forward. That's
a different conversation than the depth conversation, though I think Cam's like the fifth
best player on the team. Imentioned those two guys. Ya we got
Mike Hilton in the slot, JoshNewton. I mean the investment, the
profile. Just like I've be asolid guy, you walk through that fifth
corner spot with the added versatility too. So if I be's okay, I

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think you're in a solid spot.If he's not okay, like looking maybe
adding a Sidney Jones type. Youknow, we didn't end up really seeing
him last year. But someone whoyou know knows where to be, someone
who you know has played ball,who if you need to throw in there,
won't be overwhelmed. Like. That'sthe kind of guy who if you
do end up needing that added depthcould be, you know, an important

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piece to have. But if Bjabby'snot okay, Like I've let the kids
play. That's exactly what the Chiefshave done in the secondary, and that
athleticism has carried them and developed thatunit's identity. So I'm kind of leaning
towards that approach with the secondary rightnow, Charlie, If if I had
to ask one player, we brieflytalked about Miles Murphy, Jordan Battle,
We talked about some of the receiversdrafted. Who do the Bengals need the

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most to make that year two jumpgoing into this season. It's a good
question. I mean, it's gottabe Miles Murphy, right. This has
been since the twenty twenty two,Yeah, twenty twenty two AFC Championship Game,
where You've talked about the Bengals passrushing not having that that second weapon.
You know that Jamal Murray to hereNikola joch Jokic like the Bengals have

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with Trey Hendrickson, who's one ofthe best pass rushers in the game.
Murphy looks bigger and I've talked tohim about this as well, his size,
his frame, his play strength andthe way he combines up with his
technique, and then the way he'sembracing the opportunity to add versatility and make
that a bigger part of his gamein twenty twenty four, you know,
rushing some up the middle. Reallyhe's focusing a lot on rushing from the

(20:41):
right side. He's the kind ofguy who you know, when you look
at the ceiling of the Bengals defense, it really is the young core.
You know, the guys the Bengalsadded the veterans. You know, your
Geno Stones, your Von Bell's,your Sheldon Rankins is. Those raised the
floor of the defense. But it'sreally gonna be up to Cam and Logan
Wilson and Miles Murphy and DJ Turnerturned up to Chris Jenkins represent the ceiling

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of this defense and Murphy is theguy they really need that added past rush
year from because that's what creates turnoversin the secondary. Those create the explosive
plays that end drive. That's reallyhow you beat guys like Patch Mahomes.
Charlie. Before we let you go, your reaction to the EA Sports College
Football trailer that today we know you'rea Madden guy. Are you going to

(21:23):
make the return to EA Sports Collegefootball? You know me as a Madden
guy at hard I'm a college footballSo am I going to make the return?
I have? I have that weekbooked out, and I have I
have a program to build? Isall on you? Do you do?
You get like one of the smallschools and build them up? Is that

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what you do? What I've beenthinking a lot about too, is in
the modern game, how do youwant to build the identity of the program?
Always all the run game is theclearest pass towards building that style of
small school program into a contender onthat stage. How am I going to
use the transfer portal? It's veryinteresting thing that I'm thinking about, is
I prepare for my plans? AmI gonna want guys to transfer down from
big schools? Am I gonna wantto get am I gonna want to really

(22:07):
build to a high school class.How worried am I of those guys going
from bigger school? How do Iget my program into it? Rock and
routine the top of my roster?Like I'm thinking about this. Do you
have a school picked out already?You know, you know, first time
through I'll probably do you see,Oh that's a small school where you do

(22:30):
you have to build death program?We all gon't want to like the like
Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois. Youknow, well one of those very keep
a regional. I like to keepa regional, so like bul State in
Indiana would be Central Michigan's classic Charlielast last thing. We have to do
this each and every Friday. Hasanything changed with your NBA champion? Who's

(22:51):
winning it all? Game seven ofthe NBA Finals is Game seven of the
Western Conference. Okay? I likethat. I that I like Jamal Murray's
track record in these types of moments. He has to be better. He
has to challenge Edwards more defensively totake away more from him. I like
Minnesota's overall plan against Jokic, usingGobert as a help defender and throwing guys

(23:12):
at him, but I'm still bankingon the Jokics. We saw in game
five like one of the best quarters, the kind of quarter you would expect
from a three time MVP generational player. I think Jokic has more of that
in him and his calm, hissteady like. Again, usually I look
at matchups, but these type ofintangibles from a guy who's already an all
time great have me leaning Denver,but I have Minnesota wins. They got

(23:36):
this, and I think they're readyto run. As Anthony Edwards said,
Charlie, if you ever see mefighting a lion in the forest, help
the lion. You've been phenomenal.Thank you for your time. As always,
we'll talk again next week. Seeyou guys all right. Hey,
Charlie Goldsmith always always gracious with histime. Almost three six did a podcast
Charlie in fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports StationYour Talkbacks Next thanks to Ciny shirts.

(24:02):
Hey Google,