Cincy 360 Hour 2 -- 9/24/25

Tony and Austin talk with Chris Welsh, take your TalkBacks, preview Week 4 in the NFL, and more on ESPN 1530!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Cincy Shirts Cincy three to sixty about Cincinnati
from Cincinnati, sponsored in part by Cincy Shirts. Cincy Shirts
All Cincy, all Day. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati
Sports Station.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Welcome back Cincy three to sixty hour number two thanks
to Cincy Shirts on the home of the Bengals, ESPN
fifteen to thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station. But we're not kicking
off our number two talking about the Bengals. We're kicking
off our number two talking about a playoff race for
the NL wild Card last spot available. Unfortunately, with last
night's loss, a couple with a Mets win, the Reds

(00:36):
now looking up at the Mets with five games to play,
they do hold the tie breaker. Let's talk more Reds.
Let's talk more reds Pirates with our guy Chris Wells,
who joins us right now. Chris, what's up?

Speaker 3 (00:47):
All right? Guys? How we doing? The Reds are refer
now right at least arnofficially by half a game, even
though the standings say that they're tied.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yes, yes, let's uh, let's discuss it. I want to
get into some pitching conversation. But since he's been a
Cincinnati Red, Chris Ellie de la Cruz. Somehow, some way,
it feels like when the lights are the brightest, he
plays his best. And last night in the most important
game of the year, you saw the Elie de la
Cruz that so many are are so fond of him.

(01:17):
Why they think he's got superstar ability? What is it
about the big moments that we get the best version
of Elie like we did last night.

Speaker 3 (01:24):
Well, you could say that the most important game of
the year happened every day for the last two weeks, right,
So I'm not so sure that a player actually is
able to switch the switch on, especially when he's only
twenty three years old. But you know, he's got immense talent.
We know that, and I think our expectations for Elie
are so high because he's got this great god given

(01:45):
talent that you know, you expect them to go out
there and be a superstar player. And you have to
remind yourself he's twenty three years old, so he's going
to grow through you know, cold, cold times and hot times,
and and you kind of have to ride the way
with him. And you know, for Eli, I think that
he falls into the same slumps that every other hitter does.
You know, you start guessing too much at the play,

(02:06):
then you take pitches right down the middle for strike three,
and then you start trying to hit your way out
of the slump, so you start chasing pitches out of
the zone. I mean, it happens to everybody, and I
think that right now he's beginning to see it a
little bit. He looks more relaxed at the plate, his
swing is a little bit better, and I think a
little bit of that has to do with him being
moved around in the lineup a little bit, because he's

(02:27):
now adjusting. You know, he went to number three all
year long, down at the bottom of the order, close
to it, and now he's worked his way back up
a little bit. And you know, a little bit of
fooling around like that by Terry Frankcona may have a
positive effect.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
I wonder you mentioned the youth of Elie Day the Cruz.
This is a young team with a couple veterans mixed in.
Talk about the playoff pressure that you go through as
a hitter. Maybe sometimes and maybe you do press in
situations like that. There's more fans, there's more build up,
there's a tenseness about out the ballpark, is that real

(03:01):
in Major League Baseball when you do have young players
that are playing in a game that feels like it
does have more meaning, like it has down the stretch,
and how much in those situations do you rely on
a guy like Terry Francona.

Speaker 3 (03:14):
I think that it applies to everybody, whether you're a
veteran or not. I mean, unless you're a guy that
has been in the World Series, you know six times
you're going to get a little nervous around these games,
and you should. I think the difference, however, with the
Reds this year, everybody in that clubhouse knows how what
a struggle that has been to score runs. I think

(03:35):
somewhere around fifty times this year they've scored, you know,
one run or few were in a ballgame. And so
when that happens, guys tend to go to the plate
and they try to do too much. They get outside
of their own ability level, and you know, they start
chasing pitches and they start making bad decisions at the plate.
Instead of knowing that the guy behind me can can

(03:56):
pick me up, they try to do too much themselves.
I think that is really the case that happens even
more with a young team that has never been through
it before. But I don't think this team's nervous. I
really don't. I think that they feel like they're playing
with house money right now because no one really expected
them to be this close to the playoffs, but their
pitching staff has carried them there and they realize now

(04:17):
that it is within reach.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
Chris, A lot of the conversation the last day or
so was around how you navigate the pitching matchups. Do
you throw Hunter Green last night and maybe allow him
to be available for Game one sixty two if needed,
Do you hold him for tonight's game against Paul Skeens.
How do you view that back and forth? And do
you believe that that it is the right choice to

(04:39):
hold Hunter Green for tonight against Skeens.

Speaker 3 (04:42):
Well, you know, it's one of these things where you
have to balance how a pitcher feels to your matchups.
And I think you're always going to see Terry francona
favor how the pitcher feels. If he feels like maybe
Hunter Green would be better with an extra day off
and be stronger going into the game tonight rather than

(05:02):
pitching him last night, that's the way he's always going
to go Terry, francon is never going to be accused
of using a picture when the pitcher feels like he's
fatigued or whether he sees something in him and that
you know, a lot of this has got feeling because
you can't find the answers in a spreadsheet for this
kind of stuff. And I think that's where Francona really excels.
He listens to his players and he's able to actually

(05:27):
make decisions based on that. So you know, this isn't
really an ex'es and o's decision by Francona. It's x's
and o's and then human being involved too.

Speaker 4 (05:37):
Chris, you talked about the struggle to score runs a
little bit. Obviously defense is important in these tight games,
but how do you balance maybe the defensive value of
a key Brian Hayes with the offensive value of a
Sal Stewart or maybe even include Matt McLean in that conversation?
How difficult are those decisions for Francona to make just
because of how much they need to score runs.

Speaker 3 (06:01):
Well, we watched this team all year long, right, and
you know that they have a problem scoring run. So
if you have a problem scoring runs and you have
a what a twenty two or twenty one year old
in South Stewart sitting in the sidelines thinking that he
can be the difference maker, or do you do what
you know has gotten you there, which is run prevention.
And I think that if you're going to hang your

(06:21):
hat on pitching, and the Reds have to do that.
And this one reason why nobody wants a base of
Reds in the playoffs is because they're starting pitching, you
have to continue to go with run prevention. And I
think what Kee Brian Hayes has brought to this ball
club is just a certain amount of stability at third
base that they haven't had. They had a revolving door
down there. They had guys that you know, may have

(06:42):
been matched up in the lineup because of offense, but
they didn't have anybody on this ball club that they
was there only because of defense. But the exception of
Espinall and I don't think that he's the guy that
they figured as an everyday player. So when keep Brian
Hayes comes over, now you've got some stability on the
left side of the endfield. Hopefully you think it would
make Eli de la Cruz a little bit better. I

(07:04):
think it has. But you've got to continue to play
the way that you got there, which is by run prevention.

Speaker 2 (07:10):
Obviously, Paul Skeens is a landslide favorite to win the
Cy Young and he has had a great amount of
success in his career against the Cincinnati Reds twenty three innings,
just one on run. If you're putting on your your
hitting cap or or talking to players, how do you
even go about trying to approach a guy like Paul

(07:30):
Skins in such a meaningful game.

Speaker 3 (07:33):
Well, you know, the guy has not only owned the Reds,
he's owned other teams as well. Yeah, he's just that good.
I mean, you know, there's a mediocre player and then
a few steps up there superstar players, and then you
have these guys like Schemes who are having a kind
of year that he's having which is basically unhittable. So
what you do is you go up there and you
battle every pitch. I can't get hitting advice. You know,

(07:55):
my best advice to hitters all along is the former
pitcher is swing down and run hard against against schemes.
You know, you just battle, and the key I think
is this, you played great defense and you take advantage
of whatever they give you on the base paths. If
Schemes can be run on, then you run. If you
need to bunt, then you bunt. But you've got to

(08:16):
put some pressure on him somehow, because you know what,
he's not used to giving up runs against the Reds.
If the Reds are able to tag him for a
couple of runs early on, he may change his whole demeanor.
Now here's the other part of that. Schemes was taken
out after his last start, to think, after three innings,
so he's probably not going to be out there, you know,
six seven or eight innings tonight. I think that they

(08:36):
want to make sure that that he stays healthy through
the winner. They want to make sure that he wins
a Sion Award, and I think it's going to be
kind of a cameo appearance for him tonight.

Speaker 4 (08:45):
How many hits did you have in your big league career, Chris.

Speaker 3 (08:49):
I don't know. I had one that left the ballpark
and Pete Rose met me at home played, but that's
about the one that I remember.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
The votes, Yeah, I just looked it up here.

Speaker 4 (08:59):
I got you four twenty six career hits, including a
big fly that ain't too bad.

Speaker 3 (09:05):
You know, one year I did hit two sixty three
and I drove in eleven runs. So you know what,
though my philosophy was don't strike out. When I got
two strikes on me, I choked up so much that
there was hardly any of the batch showing. But I
just wanted to boop them in there, and basically that's
what I did.

Speaker 4 (09:21):
I think we need more of that with the Reds.

Speaker 2 (09:26):
How do you view and how do you think in
a game like this, You got five opportunities left. Every
game is going to be played like a playoff level
atmosphere with Matt McClain, and we've seen the struggles and
those struggles were unfortunately on display last night with some
runners in scoring position. How do you balance a guy
who's still so young and fresh in his career and

(09:48):
you don't want to take away the confidence. You want
to give them those opportunities, but also find best ways
to construct this lineup. How hard does that become with
a guy like Matt McClain.

Speaker 3 (09:58):
You know, I don't know if macl reach a lower
point with his confidence this year. This kid's a good player,
He's a gutsy player. He's really a hard nosed guy
on the inside, and this is you know, you're eating
a lot of humble pie. You know, there's a thing
in baseball that I like to steal from my buddy
of mine, Tim Flannery. He used to say that there
are two kinds of players in baseball. There are humble

(10:20):
players and those that are about to be humbled. And
I think that McClain has lived that. I mean, he
thought that after having what ninety days of a really
good rookie season, he was going to come back and
take off from there, and it just doesn't happen all
the time. And last night was a perfect example of
him chasing some pitches out of his zone, not being
prepared for pitches that come down the middle. And that's

(10:40):
what you have to do well. I remember facing really
good hitters. What I found is that they every good
hitter has a zone that if you fill that ball
in that zone, he doesn't miss. And McLain is fouling
those off or taking those pitches. This year, he's going
to come around. I'm not so sure it's going to happen,
you know, overnight, but he's going to be a good player,
really good player or down the road. And let's just

(11:01):
hoping that he can relax a little bit and do
what he can do.

Speaker 2 (11:05):
The Cubs are in a downward free free fall. They
need to find a way to get a win today
against the Mets tonight. Atmosphere wise, with everything that's on
the line at Great American Ballpark and three two one
night and ticket uh tickets for eight dollars up top,
and you get Paul Skeens and Hunter Green on the mound,
what are you expecting just from a sheer atmosphere standpoint?

(11:27):
At Great American Ballpark tonight, it's going.

Speaker 3 (11:30):
To be like playoff atmosphere because the pitching matchup alone
is worth the admission. I can tell you that even
he then double the admission. Yeah, because you don't get
this kind of talent on the mound very often at all,
maybe once a year. And these two guys budding just
InCred I mean they're there are one hundred mile an
hour plus guys. I mean, this is not going to
be a good night for hitters. Uh Now, A lot

(11:52):
of it may depend on what the weather holds, you know,
when when pitchers can come in there warm up, when
they're going to be maybe a rain delay. All those
things are going to be factors into this ball game,
but you ought to be a playoff atmosphere. And I'll
tell you I just can't wait to watch.

Speaker 2 (12:08):
Chris. Cannot thank you enough for joining us. We appreciate
you taking the time today and enjoy the guaranteed last
five down the stretch here.

Speaker 3 (12:17):
Well, thank you, guys. I enjoy your work very much.

Speaker 2 (12:19):
And hey go Red Chris, thank you so much. Man.
That is Chris Welsh. Awesome, awesome to get his time today.

Speaker 4 (12:28):
I did not know that Chris Welsh, the crafty left
hander had twenty six knocks, six of which were doubles,
eighteen runs batted in in a big fly.

Speaker 2 (12:39):
Well over the course in his career with runners in
scoring position? Was it higher than Mount McLain right, now,
give me just a second. Mount McClain has won ninety
two this year. Give me one second to look that up.
And Chris top that.

Speaker 4 (12:52):
Standby base is occupied with runners in scoring positions. That's
what we're looking for, yes, you said, Matt McClean is hitting.

Speaker 2 (13:04):
What this year?

Speaker 3 (13:04):
One?

Speaker 4 (13:06):
Chris Welsh in his career had runners in scoring position
forty one times. When he was at the dish, he
hit one ninety five. Oh, that is better.

Speaker 2 (13:20):
So you could make an argument that Well should be
in the six all tonight.

Speaker 4 (13:23):
Now, he mentioned that season that he hit two sixty
two and had eleven runs batted in. That was nineteen
eighty two with the San Diego Padres. That season, with
runners in scoring position, Chris Welsh hit four fifty five.

Speaker 2 (13:40):
Unbelievable.

Speaker 4 (13:41):
He was eleven for or excuse me, he was five
for eleven, four runs a double, ten runs batted in,
he walked once, only struck out twice. Unbelievable. That is incredible, man.
I honestly, I had never looked that up before. I mean,
I knew Chris had a good career, but I didn't

(14:02):
think he had many at bats as a relief pitcher.
That's pretty damn good. And he went deep. That's awesome, man.

Speaker 2 (14:11):
I love it. That is cool. I love it. So
take the over tonight is what we're thinking. Six and
a half.

Speaker 4 (14:19):
What if we just touch him up for like six runs?

Speaker 2 (14:21):
Man? What if we just shoot down his sah young helps?
What if we get him for like twelve? Now?

Speaker 4 (14:27):
How much does the does Livy dun play a role
in this great question? She's here, yep, I just saw
that she posted she's in Cincinnati. Yeah, she's playing chess
with Paul this morning.

Speaker 2 (14:36):
Okay, what he does every game?

Speaker 4 (14:39):
Maybe maybe breakfast with Livy, game of chess, get the
mind right, and then just go throw about one hundred
and four down the pipe.

Speaker 2 (14:48):
Aaron Judge is hitting three twenty five this year with
runners in scoring position. Chris Welsh crushed that number. Oh yeah,
crush that number. Oh yeah. I was asked something over
the break Yeah in uh in one are my group chats,
and I think this question becomes different right now because
of where the franchises are right now. The offensive line.

(15:09):
We talked about the struggles with where the roster is
for the Bengals and where the Reds are at. We
were asked, not counting this year, who makes the playoff
next REGI Bengals, not counting this year? Yes, take this
year out of it, Bengals. You still go Bengals, Okay,

(15:32):
you don't. I think it would have been a landslide
before the season if you ask me that question. Seeing
where this team is out on the offensive line right now,
in the defensive side of the ball, it makes me
worried that they're way further off than we thought. With
the Cincinnati Bengals. I still think I lean Bengals.

Speaker 4 (15:51):
What about when it's close, trade tray and get a
first round pick. Now we're talking. Now we're cooking with
that they draft. I don't know, uh, left tackle, move
Orlando Brown to guard. We should just do like a
flip Fairchild the right guard, Matt Lee or Seth McLaughlan
take cares the spot, Amarus Mims as sins bang like that.

(16:14):
Speaking of Amarus Mims, spotted last night, oh Kenwood Mall
at Great American Ballpark.

Speaker 2 (16:21):
Oh, I saw.

Speaker 4 (16:23):
Two Bengals offensive linemen, and I thought to myself, well,
you know I've been talking ill of these guys. I've
been calling him soft. So if they've been listening to
the show, they might confront me. I'd I'd be screwed.
Uh No, they didn't. It was a Cody Ford, who
I mean at this point, hell give him a chance.

Speaker 2 (16:42):
And I saw him. Oh, I saw him when a
Marius Mims went out of the dol I mean, not
at tackle. Don't put him at tackle. Cody Ford and
Amarus Mems I saw at the game last and Barrett
Carter throughout the first bitch. Okay, we just turned this
into a whole segment of texts we've received. I have
one more question, Okay, I throw it at you. Are
these am I getting these two? Or I haven't looked
at me? Can I throw you one more? Sure? Matt

(17:04):
McClain stinks, stink's defensive or stinks offensively? He's been okay
defensively in a game like this tonight. Would you think
about south Stewart starting over McLain?

Speaker 4 (17:14):
Yes, I just had that conversation with some of our
guys in the salesroom. Yeah, I mean you got to
consider that.

Speaker 2 (17:21):
Why not him in the two with McLain and or
uh Ke Brian Hayes. Yeah, I would almost lean getting
him in for McClain. Now, I agree getting him there
and put him in the two hole Martine to three
and you kind of back everyone up after that. Or
you put south Stewart batting six after lli day of
the cruise and you give him a little more protection.

Speaker 4 (17:43):
Perhaps at least there's a thought that he could leave
the yard if your Paul schemes, do you just kind
of line up and throw it until I prove they
can hit it tonight? Yes, Like here's the heater, dude,
hit it.

Speaker 2 (17:56):
Come get it. He's gonna go up and get it
and come back with it.

Speaker 4 (18:00):
If I were him, in the first two innings, I
would throw nothing but heaters. Yeah, and then the next
two innings, I throw nothing but sliders. Man, good luck, dude,
just look completely completely out of sorts.

Speaker 2 (18:14):
Yeah. Twenty three innings, thirty three strikeouts against the Reds.
That's incredible. Twenty three innings, thirty three strikeouts, seventeen hits
in one run. All right, wasn't it his last outing
against the Reds with the Reds had opportunities early and
failed to capitalize. Sounds right, Yeah, sounds about right. Your

(18:35):
talkbocks are next on this the Home of the Bengals
ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. Thanks to Cinti shirts,
Dan Horde joined Dave Lapham and me for Bengals game
Plan tonight, starting at six on the official home of
the Bengals, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 5 (18:55):
It's the Temple, impressed the microphoncordio message then, and don't
please keep the clean.

Speaker 6 (19:07):
A sprinkles very good.

Speaker 5 (19:13):
It's our favorite party.

Speaker 7 (19:15):
Three sex days.

Speaker 5 (19:18):
Austin played at thecks on your screen and trying not
to sabotage it.

Speaker 3 (19:27):
All right.

Speaker 2 (19:28):
I don't think we've been sabotaging much anymore.

Speaker 4 (19:31):
I don't sabotage. I just don't play stuff that doesn't
need to be played.

Speaker 2 (19:34):
I think that's been around for a while. But nonetheless,
thanks to Sinsy Shirts, we got a gift card to
give away, so we're clear there was never any sabotaging.
There was a time where it felt like there was no,
but it's it's been kind up.

Speaker 4 (19:46):
If if you call sabotaging doing what's best for you
and me and the show, well then yeah, I'm a saboteur.

Speaker 3 (19:55):
Tony Austin, Jeff, all right, Jeff, I'm t all the
talk about how bad the Bengals were last week.

Speaker 2 (20:03):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, humbling, humble, lean is what they got.
That's what they needed. We go to Denver, we win
this one.

Speaker 6 (20:13):
We're three and one.

Speaker 2 (20:15):
Yeah, first place, first place or at least a tie.
Come on, now, go Bengals. Okay, tired of all the talk?
All right, all right, okay, Jeff, Sorry man, that.

Speaker 8 (20:26):
Was Like many others, I was definitely sad to hear
about the news of Rudy Jobson passing away yesterday. One
of my favorite Bengals and just a sad deal. Like
you all said, let people have had mental health issues
know that you're here for them.

Speaker 3 (20:38):
Yeah, check you in on them. They don't know that
you care.

Speaker 2 (20:40):
I don't know that the matter.

Speaker 8 (20:42):
Let them know that you're here just to listen to them,
and just just reach out to those people.

Speaker 3 (20:47):
And there's nothing wrong with saying that you need help. Folks,
a man, take care of yourselves.

Speaker 6 (20:52):
Ain't take care of each other too, well said, Thank you, Kevin,
it's great. Thanks to not give them all to Hunter Green.
Your a's who's been pitching lights out and who was
on regular rest. Has got to be Tito's dumbest move
over the year.

Speaker 2 (21:13):
Mm hmmmmmmm. Here's my hot take for the day.

Speaker 9 (21:18):
The Ryder Cup is slowly but surely turning into the WWE.

Speaker 2 (21:22):
Too much lead up, no.

Speaker 9 (21:23):
Talking, Just go out to the first tea on Friday
and start playing golf.

Speaker 3 (21:27):
Guys.

Speaker 2 (21:28):
Is that a bad thing?

Speaker 4 (21:29):
I don't think so. I don't know if I love
it for golf. I'm a golf I'm a WWE hater.
I don't know if it's a bad thing. The environment, man,
it's so good.

Speaker 10 (21:39):
Hey, Tony, the Hall of famer in Austin. Give me
more elmore.

Speaker 9 (21:42):
This is Mike from Delhi and I've been thinking a
lot about this turftil injury from Joe, and I found
the statistic to be alarming that I found out about today.

Speaker 10 (21:52):
Eighty three percent of all turftow injuries happened on artificial turf.

Speaker 2 (21:58):
It's called turfto. Can we not get grabbed us? Can
we not get grass at? Okay?

Speaker 4 (22:03):
Well, that is actually part of the reason why it's
called turf toe is because of artificial turf causing it
so much. The last time the Bengals tried to have
grass down there, it did not go well. It went
very poorly. I don't know why or what or how
they couldn't, especially with the advantage of technology in the
twenty years since then, that they couldn't do it again.

(22:28):
Most places now have turf because of the multi use
facilities and the concerts and the other things. The Bengals
rarely do other stuff. It's part of the point of
contention with Hamilton County over the summer. If you remember
at that stadium. I think I would love it if
it was a natural grass. I wish it was natural grass.
I don't know that we're going to see that for

(22:50):
the rest of the life at Bakor Stadium.

Speaker 10 (22:52):
I don't Hello, this is former President Ronald Reagan, and well,
what's wrong with the Bengals reads like a list of
effects from weiser and no amount of tailand all will
help this coood aheadache go away. Perhaps the Reds can
provide the much needed remedy for our Bengal boues. Well,
now it's off to fencing class with Nancy on guard.

Speaker 4 (23:19):
You take a lot of Tyler atom. No, I don't, Okay,
sure you do.

Speaker 8 (23:23):
You know, after last night's Reds loss, they got me
thinking between that and the Bengals and Cincinnati with our proteins,
it feels like US fans still.

Speaker 2 (23:32):
With a lot of opium and a lot of copium.
You can sign which one goes with?

Speaker 3 (23:36):
What teams go red?

Speaker 4 (23:38):
I think the Reds still have hope. Yeah, I think
the Bengals. It's copium people trying to justify Russell Wilson
about who they lusion.

Speaker 2 (23:47):
Tony, You complaining about parking, man, I mean how long
you lived in Cincinnati, dude?

Speaker 3 (23:53):
Just buy a.

Speaker 11 (23:55):
Parking pass for the East Garage.

Speaker 12 (23:57):
They're seventeen bucks.

Speaker 2 (24:00):
Let me tell you something pregame man, let me tell
you something online.

Speaker 1 (24:06):
And then you pull up, you park, and you walk
your happy ass in.

Speaker 3 (24:09):
It's like a two.

Speaker 2 (24:11):
Minute walk if it's right. If it were me, I'd
park and walk my happy ass from Fountain Square. That's
what I do. When you got a four or five
and a one year old, it becomes a little bit different.
How so there you got young legs or run is
not even walking? Just can't take a stroller in. Just kidding.

(24:32):
Kids are tired. Blame it on the kids.

Speaker 4 (24:35):
They're wagging behind. Blame it on the kids. So the
other night, was it Friday night? I go to the game,
and I typically park a Fountain Square just because it's
the cheapest and the walk is not hard. But when
you time it up correctly, you can hop on the
connector and come right down to the bad Oho. So
that's what I did. Hop on the connector and it

(24:57):
goes one block south and stops.

Speaker 2 (25:01):
Oh, and this thing's.

Speaker 4 (25:03):
Packed full of people going to the Reds game, and
full of October Fest people too, wearing all their stuff.
And the driver gets on there makes an announcement, I
have a flashing red light. I cannot move until my
supervisor gets here. I need everyone to leave the trail
somewhere in the middle of the street. The flood out

(25:25):
of this connector. We went one block, you got to go.

Speaker 13 (25:28):
Yeah, it's the Lord. On a Wednesday, I got another
start bench cut for you quarterbacks. You think we should
sign plus co Jameis Winston, Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins.

Speaker 2 (25:41):
If money were not an option, I'd start Cousins. Yeah,
I'd sit Russ and I'd cut James. I guess I
agree with that.

Speaker 14 (25:48):
Well, so fella's move from out healthy. Just sitting here
thinking about the Bengals in their current state. The state
is that they haven't improved since the Super Bowl year.
They actually gotten worse. They've lost depth and a lot
of key defensive players. So I think the thing is

(26:09):
all the draft picks that they missed on have come
home to roost.

Speaker 2 (26:14):
Yeah, I mean that's certainly helped. That certainly hurts you. Yeah,
I mean it's something we've talked about a lot.

Speaker 4 (26:20):
They got they got old fast on defense, and the
young guys just weren't there to supplement it.

Speaker 2 (26:27):
And I think that's one of the biggest issues.

Speaker 4 (26:29):
I think often about the got the ball back trailing
chance to win the game in the AFC Championship game
in January of twenty three and they had to punt. Yeah,
that one. I think we give them too much of
a pass on it. That one hurt.

Speaker 12 (26:50):
Hey, Tony and Austin always in the game last night too,
and I was I was pretty impressed with the crowd.

Speaker 3 (26:56):
Uh it was.

Speaker 12 (26:57):
It was late coming in. I didn't have any problem
because I got there early. But man, what a downer
when they hit them three straight endings of ending inning
double plays, especially that last one.

Speaker 3 (27:10):
At the end. I don't know.

Speaker 12 (27:13):
Maybe they can get it together. We'll see. We need
a miracle. Go Ridge, go Blue and who.

Speaker 2 (27:19):
Go what ken? He said? Go Blue? Better be big Blue,
go big Blue? And Gay let's go Cubs go yeah? No,
Cubs go Yeah.

Speaker 15 (27:27):
What a rough night in reds Land. You think they're
gonna win? Bugging Diamondbacks mats come back from huge deficits.
I don't think the Tigers or my Astros are ever
gonna win again. The Guardians have been unbelievable. Boy, the Bengals,
it's hard to envision than winning Monday Night. I hope

(27:49):
this offensive line can do something Monday night.

Speaker 2 (27:53):
Yeah, I agree with that.

Speaker 11 (27:54):
Man listening to how condescending Austin is towards Tony's opinion.

Speaker 3 (28:01):
Out ridiculous. Man, it's so hard to listen to Austin.

Speaker 2 (28:06):
Oh no, Tony Freak played in the NFL. Dude, I
think he didn't play.

Speaker 3 (28:11):
Manos unbelievable.

Speaker 4 (28:13):
You didn't play, So just because Tony played, we should
accept his opinions as truth.

Speaker 2 (28:18):
I think everyone's opinion matters. I think everyone is.

Speaker 4 (28:21):
I think it's good radio than when I push back
on their opinions, gets their opinions. I'm just playing a
little devil's advocate. Sometimes I agree with Tony, Sometimes I don't.

Speaker 11 (28:31):
Yeah, I think Tito did a poor job of forcing
the issue last night, giving the statistics on the Pirates
catcher throwing runners out. This team's not good enough offensively
to sit back and wait. They have to force the issue,
especially if it's there for the taking. So hopefully to
night'll be a different story.

Speaker 4 (28:47):
It's a good point Red's got runners on and what
the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, the nights, I.

Speaker 2 (28:51):
Think it's hard to like. I get the defensive mentality,
but when you go down early in the game and
you're so deficient offensively, I think you need to go
to those changes quicker. By the way, yes, real quick.
I didn't realize. The Guardians, I don't want to talk
about it. And the Tigers, it was a fifteen and
a half game lead on July eighth, Yeah, twelve and

(29:12):
a half on August twenty fifth. Yeah, that's unbelievable. Yeah, wow, awful.

Speaker 4 (29:18):
And then they might play each other in the playoffs
first round. They got to get there first.

Speaker 16 (29:22):
Hey, guys, Jeff and you Richmond, listen, as far as
the Bengals go, we have the two biggest narcissist in
the world that are the faces of the organization in
Zach Taylor and Duke Tobin. They've never been wrong in
their lives, just ask them. And this organization has always
been reactive, not proactive. They're not going to sign a quarterback.

(29:45):
They've got four of them. So anyway, if you fire
Zach Krue, you're gonna.

Speaker 2 (29:51):
Get exactly where are you gonna go? I believe Zach
Taylor's the problem. He's the common denominator.

Speaker 17 (29:58):
When Browning has success in the past, it was with
Brian Callahan calling the plays and Burrow is dragged and
carried this team to all success under Zach Taylor. And
if Zach tayl doesn't want to give up to play calling,
then he should leave. And I would like to see
John Gruden come in as the new head coach. Oh,

(30:18):
Derek Carry even selling Dan Patrick he was successful?

Speaker 4 (30:22):
Oh well. First of all, Brian Callahan never called the place.
Zach Taylor always called the place. Second of all, I
don't know that. I didn't vote the name of Brian
Callahan right now. Things aren't going great. Third of all,
I think you're it's a fair point.

Speaker 18 (30:36):
This is DJ Tony listened to Addie. Yeah, I'm all
all four, not standing pat, But bringing in just an
old quarterback who's gonna fall down when the line collapses
is not going to fix anything. Yeah, if you can
find a running quarterback or some of them will roll
out that, I'm good with that.

Speaker 2 (30:55):
But this team is too broken. If that one change
was the whole offensive line for it, well, I'm not
listening Austin. He didn't play football. Not true. Did you
see my post last night? The tape job on the
left hand, it's.

Speaker 19 (31:10):
Chris go all right, I know we can't hold on
to the twenty twenty.

Speaker 3 (31:14):
Two Super Bowl.

Speaker 19 (31:17):
But I was just wondering, like, after we win that
Super Bowl, If we win that Super Bowl, do we
build a statue of Jamar Chase and Joe Burrow in Sittine?

Speaker 20 (31:29):
God Bless.

Speaker 2 (31:30):
Probably.

Speaker 4 (31:33):
I don't know that the Bengals would build it, the
city would fund. I don't know that there's gonna be
any statues until long after current members are gone.

Speaker 2 (31:41):
You think Hamilton County would have to get together and
fund it.

Speaker 4 (31:43):
I think there would have to be a fan funded statue.
There should be three statues. There should be everybody who's
Pro Football Hall of Famer, so Ken Riley, Anthony Munio's,
Paul Brown. Okay, after that, I don't know who would
be the most deserving of a.

Speaker 2 (32:02):
Of a statue? Who do you? Does anybody come to mind?
I don't know. I don't know the Hall of famers.
Like you said, for sure, Chad, it would be difficult
to say no to yeah, because statues are so much
too about just the fans and the fans that embrace them.
And who better than Chad? Yeah?

Speaker 9 (32:21):
So has Zach Taylor explored all options to this point,
changing the scheme, changing the plays, do you remember when
they played the Colts. I think it was a couple
of years ago. I can't remember if it was Mick
Center or Brown. They torched the Colts just running a
screen because I don't think they could run the ball
in either, So I'd like to see him try that.

Speaker 2 (32:42):
Sure, what else do we have to lose?

Speaker 9 (32:46):
This is gonna get bad, real, real bad.

Speaker 4 (32:48):
Yeah, glad he brings this up. I was listening to
Paul with Moe yesterday. You know that play where the
Bengals had a under center play action screened to Chase
Brown and he took it to the house. He had
like twenty one miles per hour on that. Do you
know how many under center play action screens to Chase
Brown the Bengals have run since that day in late

(33:08):
twenty twenty three too zero? Oh they've run one from
Pistol and it got twelve yards.

Speaker 2 (33:16):
I feel like so twice in those two years. I
feel like the most I hear from people, they talk
about the lack of screens. Yeah, run more screens. I
don't know why they don't.

Speaker 7 (33:29):
After the worst case scenario last night, is it too
much to ask for? Maybe like a rain delay happening
after the first inning. That way schemes is pulled, and
then maybe Hunter Green is available for Sunday.

Speaker 4 (33:48):
I don't hate it, but my fear would be Brent
Souter pitches tonight.

Speaker 2 (33:52):
Yeah, oh gosh, so get through the first rain pours down?
M hmm, fifty minute delay. You can't roll skins back
out like a two hour and forty minute though. Okay, yeah, okay,
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (34:09):
Okay, Hey guys, I mean, if Chase Burns can restart
the Bristol game, why can't Hutter restart a game tonight?

Speaker 2 (34:14):
That's true? Hey, guys, how you going listen? What up?
This season's over.

Speaker 21 (34:19):
Winston ain't gonna help, Wilson ain't gonna help. You're not
gonna win it all with those guys. They're just not
gonna do it.

Speaker 2 (34:25):
Joe can come.

Speaker 21 (34:26):
This season needs to be used as a rebuild. And
here's how you rebuild. Couse, your strategy didn't work. Your
trade t your trade tray. You get number ones for
both of them. You have three number ones next year
and a ton of cap room. You'll be contenders instantly
next year when Joe comes back.

Speaker 2 (34:43):
Who day? Okay, what if you get to the playoffs
and Joe comes back.

Speaker 4 (34:48):
You know you you guys are like old buddy from
Castaway Tom Hanks, just crying about Wilson all the time.

Speaker 2 (34:55):
Wilson, That's what I'm gonna start turning into. Se is
fired the next few weeks. On the staff you think
would take over as interim.

Speaker 4 (35:02):
Coach Darren Simmons either be Darren Simmons or Al Golden,
I would assumed, just because of their head coaching experience. Golden,
of course in college. Darren Simmons has been here for
one hundred and fifteen years.

Speaker 22 (35:15):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (35:15):
Maybe Dan Pitcher, but I would doubt it.

Speaker 3 (35:18):
Good afternoon, gentlemen.

Speaker 23 (35:20):
Seems to me that we've had three offensive line coaches
under this illustrious head coach of ours, and they seem
to keep getting the same kind of results, and we
keep complaining about the offensive line coaches and the offensive line.

Speaker 22 (35:32):
No.

Speaker 23 (35:32):
Last year, I was Toldal was probably the personnel. Our
personnel was better than what he dealt with in New England,
and it'll be better here.

Speaker 2 (35:39):
I'm starting to wonder is.

Speaker 23 (35:40):
It the scheme of the head coach of his offensive ideas?

Speaker 4 (35:44):
I mean, I mean, could it be Paul schemes he's
leaving a talkback that asking about what has been the
number one topic on this show for the last three days.

Speaker 14 (35:53):
Yeah, I have no idea what Francona is doing not
starting hundred green last night.

Speaker 24 (36:01):
Like like it's been said, if you starting last night,
then you had him available for the last game of
the year.

Speaker 3 (36:07):
If you need it.

Speaker 24 (36:08):
If you don't, and you got to you know, a
game lead, because at the tiebreaker then you don't pitching
me and you still got to bail for.

Speaker 2 (36:14):
Game one of the playoffs.

Speaker 24 (36:15):
But if you if you try to save him for
game one, you might not get to the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (36:19):
It makes no sense.

Speaker 24 (36:20):
It's like he's been infected with this disease that this
franchise has.

Speaker 2 (36:24):
And my thought last night was everyone said, if you
start him last night, he's available for one sixty two,
that is, if you needed him in one sixty two.
If not, then he has a couple extra days rest
before the playoffs. But to just hull home throw Brady
and Brady Singer's been really good and he had one
bad ending two point one and one bad inning last night.

(36:46):
I get that as well. Less since into July. It's
just anyway that.

Speaker 22 (36:57):
Coaching Cassel is a rock and when the job openings
are a racking. Yeah, coach sata Fence a knacking. I'm
telling you boys, he's not here. We're gonna get rid
of him. You have to take one of these big
time jobs. Somebody else will, and he'll sneak his way
into a mid major guarantee.

Speaker 2 (37:18):
Bah, thank you Brett.

Speaker 25 (37:21):
Hey, guys, quick question for you. Anybody who's washed MacLean
obviously knows he's struggled all season.

Speaker 7 (37:28):
But one thing I noticed is that the guy consistently.

Speaker 25 (37:30):
Struggles to hit breaking balls away, and he's a shorter
player with shorter arms. I just been frustrated as to
why he doesn't make any adjustments, either moving closer to
the plate or helping the box to try to hit
that pitch. We've seen the same swing and approach the
entire season. Isn't that an Indapmen on the hitting coach.

Speaker 2 (37:50):
Chris La Yep, good question.

Speaker 13 (37:54):
Tone.

Speaker 6 (37:55):
Austin balling ain't easy. Yeah, the mere mortals are taking over.

Speaker 15 (37:58):
There an American ballpark.

Speaker 23 (38:01):
Probably gonna go bother Austin in the boat t hie bar.

Speaker 3 (38:05):
I don't know, get into some trouble. I might wear
a full red uniform.

Speaker 4 (38:08):
Did you see our guy Balling was in full uniform
a couple of weeks. Yes, I did, and I respect
the heck of it. I also saw that he kind
of gave up on the season on.

Speaker 2 (38:16):
Twitter, Yeah, which I respect. I did too, and I'm
surprised he's now going to show his face again. I
did too, But he is. He's just a mere mortal falling.
I'm not gonna be there tonight, so have a couple
for me. He's just a mortal Bengle talk.

Speaker 24 (38:30):
I'm tired of all the real listic people out there
being honest. I need you guys to lie about this team.

Speaker 2 (38:39):
No was Ner fault. They lost forty eight to ten.
The Carson Wentz. No tar wall is talk man.

Speaker 24 (38:47):
Even though they lost third quarterback for the third time
in six seasons and ain't got a shot in hell.

Speaker 2 (38:53):
I don't want you guys talking about him like that.
Tough times, man, Alright, we're done. It's tough times. We
got a football in the NATI coming up, Yeah we do. Yeah,
let's get pumped about the football in the NATI. Next
on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 20 (39:10):
Thanks to Cinti shirts, Eddie brought you in part by
Blood Light and by Oakley Greens on ESPN fifteen point thirty,
the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (39:23):
Oh okay, welcome back since he three to sixty ESPN
fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station Football in the NATI. Let's
look here quickly, Austin Week four games coming up? How
about the Thursday night football one Tomorrow night Seahawks Cardinals.

Speaker 4 (39:39):
I think on paper, you're like, eh, but there's actually
some interesting storylines there.

Speaker 3 (39:44):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (39:44):
How many drops from Marvin Harrison Junior? Yeah? Not great?

Speaker 4 (39:48):
How well is Jonah Williams gonna play?

Speaker 2 (39:50):
Oh? Great? Point?

Speaker 4 (39:52):
Sam Darnold playing a pretty high rate. Is this the
first game where we see the rivalry uniforms?

Speaker 2 (39:59):
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (40:00):
I think I could have made that up, but I
thought this is when Arizona's going to play where they're
like sand Gray whatever.

Speaker 2 (40:08):
Some other Week four matchups. Viking Steelers, that's in Dublin.
I think that's an interesting one. Commanders Falcons. Interesting with
the Falcons now because they pulled Pennix last week in
a thirty nothing beating up by Carolina. Now you go
back to him, he's your quarterback going forward. It just
baffles me. They can't find more ways to get Bejon

(40:29):
Robinson the ball. I feel like they do have weapons,
but they just can't figure it out. Biggest spread of
the weekend and a team that is on a collision
course to the worst Recornolla football. The Saints are going
to get sixteen and a half from the Buffalo Bills
in Orchard Park. It's crazy that's gone up. Yeah, it
was fifteen and a half last time I saw it. Lions,
Brown's eight and a half. Brown's defense is just on

(40:53):
another level. Yeah, I don't know if I'm crazy about
that number.

Speaker 4 (40:56):
Yeah, Detroit short week, maybe you know, let down a
little bit after a big win over Baltimore. Cleveland is
just wrecking havoc on people. Even though Detroit's strength is
their offensive tackles, still cleveland strength is their defensive line.
I expect Detroit to win, but I don't know if
they go running away with it. Chargers, Giants, Jackson Darts

(41:18):
first start. Yeah, good luck kid, Eagles, Bucks, I'm all
for this one. Give me everything with this.

Speaker 2 (41:24):
Yeah, it loses a little bit because Mike Evans is
out I think four to six weeks, which is disappointing.
Godwin's still not back. Yeah, some's got to give Titans
Texans both are zero to three. Titans already gave a
little bit. Brian Callahan's not calling plays anymore. See how
that pans out. He might get canned if they lose
that one. How about the conversation around c J. Stroud
He's I told you all this, Listen, he's going backwards. Yep.

Speaker 4 (41:48):
He has no offensive lineman. One of his receivers is
still recovering from a knee injury. He's out for the
whole season. Is running back starting running back Joe Mixon.

Speaker 2 (41:56):
He's hurt. Yep. I knew that team would stink. Colts
keep it going against the Rams or the Rams bring
the Colts back down to reality.

Speaker 4 (42:03):
I think the Rams are like, uh, yeah, we got you.
How about the battle of one and two teams. Sean
McVay might embarrass lou Anarumo.

Speaker 2 (42:11):
One in two Kansas City hosting one and two Baltimore, Yeah,
what gives in that one?

Speaker 4 (42:16):
I would imagine it's going to be Baltimore blowing them out.
Micah Parson City does not look good.

Speaker 2 (42:21):
No, Micah Parsons returns to Dallas on Sunday Night Football
and then a pair of Monday night football games. Sunday
Night game Bengals, Broncos, Jets, Dolphins. Your Monday night football,
that's your Week four. You know we were talking about uniforms.
Have you seen the uniform matchup for the Bengals on
Monday Night. Bengals are going orange helmets, white jerseys, orange pants,

(42:44):
white socks, so they're gonna have them orange bridges on okay,
which made me say Halloween.

Speaker 4 (42:49):
Look, if the Bengals are going with the orange bridges,
that probably means Denver's not gonna wear their orange jerseys.
And I've been proven correct. The Broncos going with their
midnight navy ooh all blue for Monday night football midnight
against the Bengals. That kind of sounds tough.

Speaker 2 (43:06):
Yeah it does.

Speaker 4 (43:07):
Did you know that the Eagles official color of green
is called midnight Green?

Speaker 2 (43:10):
Oh yeah, Okay, we'll be back a touch and go.
We'll get us to our number three. John Shearon a
is e Sports covering the Bengals. We'll kick off our
three with us coming up on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati
Sports Station. Thanks to our good friends at CINCI shirts.

Speaker 20 (43:25):
You've been listening to football in the Nati on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (43:36):
Hey it's Mullagger, join us time and balm the bottle
in loose killing time. Yes, sir, wouldn't be a Wednesday
if we didn't have to kill some kind of time.
John Shearon, a is E Sports covering the Bengals, kicks
off our number three next on the Home of the Bengals,
ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 3 (44:00):
All see.

Speaker 19 (44:02):
That is my Gostel.

Speaker 2 (44:06):
The stars, the stripe,