10/2/25 - The Mo Egger Radio Show - Mo Egger

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now your chance to win one thousand dollars entered this
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Speaker 2 (00:05):
Dollar, that's dollar enter it now.

Speaker 3 (00:09):
Did someone say cat fight? Sorry, that's the first thing
that came into my mind.

Speaker 4 (00:15):
Let's move on.

Speaker 3 (00:16):
Detroit rolls into Cincinnati to take on our beloved Bengals.
Will the Orange and Blacks and the Lions back up
I seventy five with their tail between their legs? Catch
the goal live from Dan Hoord and Dave Lapon. Coverage
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(00:37):
official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 5 (00:41):
You know that game weeks ago felt like that's going
to be one of the best games.

Speaker 6 (00:45):
Of the year.

Speaker 5 (00:46):
Now I think we're all looking forward to it with dread.
We'll see what's up mulllegg or ESPN fifteen thirty. Thanks
for listening. Hopefully you're having like the greatest Thursday of
all time. Show rundowns available on Twitter at moegar thanks
to share Facts Credit Union, which has merged with Emery

(01:06):
Federal Credit Union at moegar. It's always weird, you know,
there's this mad dash to the postseason. Every game matters
for weeks on end, hyper intense. Now just over, we're
gonna look ahead, and frankly, I think it makes a
lot more sense to look ahead. Jeff Carr is gonna

(01:28):
do that with coming up in about fifteen minutes on
the Reds lots of Bengal stuff a little bit later on,
and the Bearcats with Chad Brendle coming up in just
about forty minutes, Lease Sterling as well. The Red Series
against the Dodgers went the way a lot of people
expected it to. The Reds chances of winning came down
to two things, and both probably had to happen. One,

(01:50):
this starting pitching needed to be excellent. Needless to say,
it was not. Number two. They were going to have
to play really clean baseball in the field. On the
they were gonna have to take advantage of any Dodgers' mistakes,
which they did to their credit in the first inning
last night when ti Oscar Hernandez dropped that ball down
the right field line. But the defense was leaky. The

(02:11):
starting pitching wasn't very good. Yes, they made it interesting
both nights, but if they were going to win this series,
They were not gonna win slugfests. They were not gonna
win by allowing the Dodgers to score ten runs and
then eight runs.

Speaker 7 (02:23):
It just it wasn't gonna happen.

Speaker 5 (02:25):
The series itself was severely compromised on Sunday, and I
don't blame Terry Francono for how he managed Sunday's game.
You got to manage that game, assuming you need to win,
not relying on the Miami Marlins, not looking at the
scoreboard going okay, we're cool.

Speaker 7 (02:42):
The Mets are losing. So he had to use Nick Lodolo.

Speaker 5 (02:46):
And in order to manage Game two of the National
League Wildcard Series, you've got to get there first. So
he did what he thought he needed to do in
that moment. But I think most of us, when Nick
Lodolo came into Sunday's game, huh, well, if they get there,
there goes your Game two starter. So their chances of

(03:06):
winning this series were compromised on Sunday before the series
even started, before the Reds even clinched a playoff spot,
Because I think every single one of us would have
preferred Nick Lodolo's start last night. I'm guessing he would
have been allowed to throw more than fourteen pitches instead
of Zach Lttel, who was pulled from the game a

(03:28):
few batters too late. But the series their chances of
winning it were compromised on Sunday. Their chances took a
nose dive on Tuesday when Hunter Green threw his fourth
pitch of the game and show, Hey, Otani nearly hit
it into the Pacific Ocean, and I think, just there,
you kind of thought, uh, oh, it doesn't look like

(03:48):
Homer has it.

Speaker 7 (03:49):
Homer Hunter has it.

Speaker 5 (03:52):
He might have been tipping pitches. You'll hear some audio
related to that coming up here in just a bit.
But you know, it was hard to imagine them winning
the series if the starting pitching wasn't awesome. I think
you kind of knew, if not the fourth pitch, certainly
for me at least by the end of the first inning,
even though LA only had one run, that the starting
pitching wasn't gonna be awesome.

Speaker 7 (04:13):
There are chances of winning the series.

Speaker 5 (04:15):
Took a nose dive in the first inning of Game one,
and then they totally went up and smoke when they
loaded the bases. And I put this on social media
last night. The Reds with the bases loaded and two
outs this season were atrocious. Only two teams had a
lower OPS in those situations bases loaded, two outs. Only

(04:36):
one team had a lower OPS in all of baseball
with two outs and runners in scoring position than the Reds.
So their chances I thought totally went up and smoke.
When they load the bases down three to two in
the sixth inning, they had their fourth, fifth and sixth
place hitters coming up, and they do not score ground
ball to shortstop, force out at the plate, pair of

(04:57):
strikeouts inning over game over season one. There were other things,
and we will discuss Terry Francona's decision making. We certainly
did that at nauseum yesterday about Game one. I don't
know why Nicolodola was pulled out for fourteen pitches, but
to me, like those those were the three things that
doomed the series.

Speaker 7 (05:20):
And so.

Speaker 5 (05:21):
Now a couple of things. The goal for next year
should be quite simple. Let's make sure Game one sixty
two doesn't matter. You know, we said it all year along,
because it looked like if the Reds were gonna make
the playoffs, they were gonna hang in there till the end.
Because the starting pitching was gonna be good enough, but
there was a very good chance that they were on

(05:43):
the outside looking in, maybe by just a game or two.
That's obviously not what happened, but it came close, and
we thought, we thought, you know what, if they're on
the outside looking in and they missed the postseason by
a game or two. God, there are so many games
we're going to look back on, starting on opening Day
when the bullpen gate flung open before the ninth inning

(06:05):
and Ian Jabou came charging out. Think of all those games.
I'm not going to torture you, I'm not going to
torture myself, but think of all those games during the
season that felt like they were there for the taking,
felt like they would win, felt like they were a
hit away from winning, or an out away from winning,
and they didn't. Tons of them, including just over the

(06:26):
last couple of weeks, and every single time, certainly in
the final two months of the season, you thought, you
know what, that might be the game we look back
on and agonize over if they don't make the postseason.

Speaker 7 (06:38):
Well, they did make the postseason.

Speaker 5 (06:40):
But yet you could still do the same thing because
the inability to get into the postseason before the final
game caught up to them. So ideally, next year they
don't need game one sixty two, They don't need Game
one sixty two to mean anything. That should be the
goal because it did catch up to him this year.

(07:02):
Nicolodolo may have started last night and may have gotten rocked.
That LA lineup is awesome. Nicolodolo may have started last
night pitched great, and then Andrew Abbot pitches to night
and the Red still lose. Who knows, but they didn't
have a chance to lay out their best laid plans
for the postseason because they had to work too hard
to get to the postseason because they weren't good enough

(07:24):
over the course of the entire season. That's got a change.
That's got a change. I think the hardest leap is
the leap the Reads have to spend this offseason making.
They are infinitely better right now than they were three
or four years ago, better positioned, better players, better farm system.

(07:49):
Making the postseason was not at all an insignificant development.

Speaker 7 (07:53):
It's a box. At some point, you got a check.

Speaker 5 (07:56):
We talked about this during the season, like that would
if they made the playoffs, that would be tangible proof
that this plan, which was hatched a long time ago,
is working, and I do think there's benefits here to
you know, these guys having gone through that stretch in
September where it felt like every night was an elimination game,

(08:17):
and there's benefit to playing in that environment they were
in in Los Angeles. There's benefit to looking up close
at what a World Series champion looks like and understanding
that's how we have to play, that's what we need
to do. So making the postseason, even if their stay
was very, very brief, more brief than anybody else in
the sport, there's benefits to that. It's a good first

(08:37):
step to take right. You can't be playoff perennials if
you don't make it the first time. So good step,
good step, good season. Not a great team by any stretch,
not a very good team by any stretch, slightly above average,
but they made the playoffs, and that's cool, that's great.
But I think the hardest lead to make is to

(09:00):
go from average ish slightly above.

Speaker 7 (09:05):
Look, at the end of the day, they won.

Speaker 5 (09:08):
Two more games than a team that finishes with a
five hundred record. They won eighty three games. Now that
the bar to make the postseason has never been lower.
So if the idea is to get in as the
sixth seed every year, okay, but I mean I think
the goal is something better than eighty three and seventy nine, right,
if the goal should be by that last week of

(09:29):
the season, you've got like an X next to your
name and the standings because you've clinched the division and
maybe you're playing for seeding, maybe you're playing for home field,
but you have the opportunity to lay out your rotation.
You can go into the postseason with a plan instead
of one that you're kind of trying to cobble together
on the fly, which Tito Francona was forced to do

(09:50):
because it took until the very last.

Speaker 7 (09:51):
Minute for this team to get to the playoffs.

Speaker 5 (09:54):
That step from where the Reds are to where they
need to be is I think the hardest step to
take to go from good ish, slightly above average a
playoff team with a not very impressive record to where
the Brewers are, or yeah, I'll go ahead and say it,
where the Dodgers are to go where those teams are

(10:18):
that don't need Game one sixty two to get in,
that have had an X or a y or whatever
letter next to their name for weeks to take that step.
This offseason is going to require I think some real
heavy lifting and some real tough decisions like this. This

(10:39):
matters because there is a track record here of the
front office kind of standing pat or in some cases,
like last offseason, not exactly standing pat, but not exactly
seeming like they were willing to go to the end
of the earth to construct the best possible team. It's
not to say there weren't good acquisitions made this offseason.
They won the Brady Singer trade. We like Jose Travino,

(11:02):
Austin Hayes had his moments, didn't have one with the
bases loaded in the sixth inning last night, unfortunately. But
there's there's still a lot of work to do, and
so the question becomes, does the front office do it
this offseason? Like you look at this roster, there's there's

(11:22):
players with upside. I think that's unquestionable. They've got a
surplus maybe, but at least a nice, well, you know,
healthy stockpile of starting pitchers. I think they're operating from
a pretty enviable place in that regard. But man, there's
room for improvement almost everywhere. Every outfield position, third base, offensively,

(11:44):
second base, short stop, corner infield, DH catcher. Now, room
for improvement doesn't mean that you're gonna swap out all
of those guys. I'm not sure Elie Delacruz should play shortstop,
but I feel like he's going to be a part
of the team next year. And that's fine. There are pieces,
there's some good pieces. There probably really aren't enough of them.

(12:08):
And so as the offseason starts, and granted it's you know,
gonna be weeks before they could actually do something to
their team because we have the rest of the postseason
to unfold in front of us, But the question becomes,
do you trust Do you trust this front office to
take this team and help it make that next but
oh so difficult step. I don't know, man, Like I

(12:32):
will be honest, because that's what we do on this show.

Speaker 7 (12:34):
I don't know.

Speaker 5 (12:36):
And in the back of my mind is and this
isn't all on Nick Krawl, but in the back of
my mind, there are so many instances where it felt
like the idea was to either sit back and just
wait for the next season to start to see if
players who were okay last year can be even better
or to make some moves but not the move to

(12:58):
acquire some players but maybe not enough. So this is
a huge offseason for this team. They have checked that box.
Make the postseason. Now what what now? We started talking
about all right, they got there. They barely got there,
they barely, they barely scraped in. But okay, they got there.

Speaker 7 (13:18):
Now what.

Speaker 5 (13:20):
Now What to ensure that they have the best possible
chance to advance once they get there next year, or
ensure that they go in next year better equipped to
compete because they don't need the last game of the
season to sneak in. I think most of us understand,
Like we're talking about the team offensively, we're talking about

(13:42):
the lack of pop. You know, we joked about it
all year in the second half that Ellie de la
Cruz went like twelve weeks without a home run and still.

Speaker 7 (13:50):
Led the team.

Speaker 5 (13:53):
You know, that's that's an indictment against Delli, but it's
also an indictment against the lack of pop on the team.

Speaker 7 (13:58):
So how does that get fixed? How does that get dressed?

Speaker 5 (14:00):
What does the composition of the roster look like at
the start of twenty twenty six compared to what it
was here at the end of twenty twenty five and
at the end of the day, do we really believe
this front office can take what they have and put
it in a better position to compete in the postseason
next year and be taken as legitimate seriously as legitimate

(14:23):
championship contenders. We will see five point three seven four
nine fifteen thirty is our phone number, UH eight sixty
six seven oh two three seven seven six. We do
have a lot of guests today, but we will carve
out some room for your phone calls if you care
to chime in at Moeger on Twitter. Thanks to Delta Dental,
Delta Dental is building healthy, smart, vibrant communities for all

(14:43):
good at Delta Dental, oh dot com. Uh the perspective
of our guy, Jeff Carr Locked On Red's Locked On
Bearcats podcasts.

Speaker 8 (14:50):
Next Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Traffic from the.

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An accident between California and Laidlaw Avenue. If you're heading
through there, expect delays. I'm at Ezelak with traffic this report.

Speaker 5 (15:28):
Speaking of said app, that's where we put all the
podcasts of this show, so listen to them.

Speaker 7 (15:33):
Anything you might have missed.

Speaker 5 (15:34):
Good baseball stuff from earlier this week, lots on the
Bengals as well, the podcast of the show or service
of Long Neck Sports Grow awesome place to watch college
and pro football this weekend. Wilder Hebrin and Richwood and
the host of the Roundtable show, which, by the way,
I had the Reds one I was going to host tonight,
which it would have been bittersweet because I would miss
this show, but I would have gotten to go to

(15:55):
Long Necks. I guess I can still go tonight to
watch Lance and Rocky, Jeff carrs with us Locked On
Red's podcast and the Locked On Bearcats podcast. It was, uh,
what a week ago today you called in drunk with
euphoria about how the Reds had been in the Pittsburgh Pirates,
and yet here we are a week later talking about
something entirely different.

Speaker 10 (16:15):
Jubilation, the consternation, the twenty twenty five Cincinnati Reds and deck.

Speaker 5 (16:20):
Actually, yeah, uh, one moment across the last two nights
that stood out to you.

Speaker 7 (16:27):
Give it to me.

Speaker 10 (16:29):
I think it was Ellie with the bases voted in
the sixth as much as I didn't want it to
be as much as I wanted to be the other
way around, where it was all right, this is the
point where Ellie just transforms, and he didn't. And I
thought that based on his last couple of weeks in September,
he was getting his second win and he was.

Speaker 4 (16:48):
Going to be ready for the big stage.

Speaker 10 (16:50):
But he had a chance to transform that game and
really turned it into the Reds favor and he couldn't.
And I know there were two outs, and obviously the
two guys before him could have done something as well.
But if there's gonna be a guy in this lineup,
it's got to be him. And for much of the season,
at least in the second half, it was.

Speaker 5 (17:11):
I think of how many times this year we talked
about his performance in the context of what the Reds
were demanding from him. By many measurements, he didn't have
a bad year. By the measurement of what the Reds
needed from him this season based on how the rest
of the roster was constructed, he didn't do enough. And

(17:33):
so to me, the main goal next year is to
take some pressure off of Elie Dela Cruz. How are
they going to do that?

Speaker 4 (17:41):
They have got to focus.

Speaker 10 (17:42):
I think the main focus of this offseason and whether
it's trade, free agency, whatever, is to get that anchor
in the lineup because they don't have. And as much
as you know, we had hoped, different guys would step up,
and they would do it at different times, but not
in a consistent enough manner to the point where you
could count on them moving forward. But nobody really took

(18:04):
over that mantle where it was like, we need a
hit right now, you go give it to us. There's
nobody in that lineup that does that. And you know,
there's the opportunity, of course, that everybody's going to talk
about all off season of Kyle Schwarber, and that really
just depends on how much investment ownership really wants to
put into the roster, because they could do that. But

(18:24):
at the same time, that's me saying that and not
the folks that are writing the Chicks down their Grand
American Ballpark, So there's going to be some opportunities, and
I think Nick Carl's gonna have to get creative with
trades because on the other side of what they need
is what they have, and what they have is a
lot of the same thing. They have a lot of

(18:44):
infielders and not a lot of outfielders, and they gotta
figure that out. There's just too many there's too many
pieces that fit in the same place, and you can't
put two pieces in one place.

Speaker 5 (18:55):
We often talked leading up to this year and in
the early stretch the early going this season about the
lack of corner infield production. I think one of the
most damning things that happened with this team this year
is Christian and Carnassi on strand just did not work out.
I'm not sure how many more chances that guy is
going to get. They've got a third baseman in key
Brian Hayes, who is awesome with the glove. There's no

(19:17):
getting around that he is horrific with the bat. He
is below league average. They have a decent amount of chunk,
a decent amount of money invested in him moving forward.
He's got years of team control because of the contract
he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Speaker 7 (19:32):
Moving forward, for a team.

Speaker 5 (19:33):
That has such offensive deficiencies, can you have a guy
who's an offensive zero at third base?

Speaker 10 (19:41):
No, because there's there's already question marks about your second basement.
There's question marks about I love TJ. Friedel and his
on base ability, but I wonder about him moving forward
because he's not necessarily he's kind of on the downslope
of his prime, as it were, So what does that mean?
And then you have absolute blank question marks in you know,

(20:04):
left field and who's going to play first base, all
these different things, Like you could say, well, Spencer Star
is going to be here, Stouth Stewart's going to be there,
that's fine, but it doesn't seem like the Reds have
this appetite to want to do that. And so if
you're looking at third base and you're saying that we've
got this dude for seven and a half million for
the next four years, but you tell me that half

(20:24):
of his game is completely just a black hole a
deficiency like that's that's such a problem for me, Like
you've got to acquire somebody else in another position that
is just as good with the bat as he is
with the glove to make up for what he doesn't do.

Speaker 7 (20:41):
Am I wrong for wanting an entirely new alfield?

Speaker 4 (20:46):
I don't think so.

Speaker 10 (20:47):
I love the idea of the potential of Noel vi Marte,
but that is the story of the Reds for the
last thirty years, is that you love the idea of
the potential of what they've put on the field, and
none of it's really ever come to fruition. So there's
still too many question marks around noelvi Marte for me
to fully commit and say yes, they don't need to

(21:09):
worry about that position moving forward. And like I mentioned
with TJ Friedel, like, that's a dude that people constantly say, like,
how much longer is he going to be here? Well,
first of all, he's under team control for a couple
more years, so they don't have to necessarily worry about that,
and by the time that he's free agent eligible, he's
going to be to the point that you're looking to
replace him anyway.

Speaker 4 (21:28):
The way that this game is so.

Speaker 10 (21:31):
I'm with you, Like, I think that Nick Krawl could
get could you know, shot till you drop this offseason,
and it would make total sense to me.

Speaker 5 (21:39):
I'm conflicted about Matt McClain because I want to give
him a pass for the fact that he didn't play
at all in twenty twenty four, and even in a
really down year for him, he managed to hit fifteen
bombs last night, notwithstanding was decent with the glove, stole
eighteen bases. But they had him written in black magic
marker in the two hole this past season that ended

(22:01):
yesterday as the starting second basement. I don't think I
can do that, So what's the plan there moving forward?

Speaker 10 (22:07):
I think he's got to be written in pencil, but
you're right, definitely not in the top of the lineup
for sure. His glove is so good at second base,
and I think that if they decided something else, and
I don't necessarily believe that Elie de la Cruz is
on the way to the outfield, but if for some
reason that happened, he would be your short stop and
then you would really need to see him step it

(22:27):
up with the bat.

Speaker 4 (22:29):
But I tend to believe he will. But I think
they've got to definitely keep.

Speaker 10 (22:34):
One eye on him at the beginning of the season
because if we continue to see this where it's lots
of strikeouts, lots of weak contact, and every so often
you get something, but it's definitely not enough to really
trust it. Then they've really got to be honest with
themselves and say who is Matt McClean moving forward? Because
he did not play a full season in twenty twenty three,

(22:55):
but if you talk to most people, they feel like
he did. And it was the performance that he put
in twenty twenty three that put these expectations in our
minds about what we would get out of twenty twenty five,
and we got maybe fifty percent of that if you're
being generous. And so how does he attack twenty twenty six,
Because if it's not a quick start, then they've got

(23:16):
to have a plan be and maybe that is Gavin Lux.
Maybe they keep him around and he's the backup plan
for Matt McClain, But I don't think that you can.
Like you said right in a Black Magic marker, you
got to be honest with yourself and keep an.

Speaker 7 (23:30):
Eye on him early. Realistically, they have a lot of
starting pitching.

Speaker 5 (23:34):
It's an enviable group, man, and if you're going to
make a trade, you're going to deal from a place
to surplus. If you had your way, and you've got
to trade one of those guys because you know it's.

Speaker 7 (23:46):
Going to get you what you need in return. Who
you willing to move on.

Speaker 10 (23:50):
From, I'd say Nick Lidolo, just because I'm a little
worried that, and I don't even necessarily think it's specifically
the blister. He's just the guy that it seems like
injuries crop up on him.

Speaker 4 (24:01):
Every so often.

Speaker 10 (24:02):
You could also say the same thing about Hunter Green,
but I think I like Green ceiling more than I
like Lodolo's sailing, and I think that you could still
get a lot for Ladolo because he's not to the
point where people believe he's injury prone at this point
in his career, So I still think you could. Really
you could probably land your anchor of the lineup with
a guy like Nick Lodolo in that trade. So if

(24:25):
I were picking and it came down to that, then
that's probably where I may Because you also have Andrew
Rabbit from the left side. Yeah, Brandon Williamson from the
left side, so it's not as if you would be
depleting your rotation of a lefty per se, because you
still have other options. But I'm with you. I think

(24:45):
that if they're going to make an impactful enough trade,
there's going to be a name that we kind of
maybe squirm a little bit whenever we hear it.

Speaker 7 (24:52):
One more was next year's closer on this year's team?

Speaker 10 (24:57):
Absolutely, I think it's Connor Phillips. Connor Phillips is the
guy that you can trust. He may not be the
closer on opening Day, but I think he takes the
closer job relatively quickly.

Speaker 4 (25:08):
Next year.

Speaker 10 (25:09):
There's going to be a market for Amelio Pagan that
I think is beyond what the Reds are going to
want to pay him, or any closer for that matter,
just because they're a team that they put certain values
on certain players, and I don't think they have the
same value for a closer that almost had forty faves.

Speaker 5 (25:28):
The closed ru't opening The closern't opening day this year
was Ian Jabou. So as long as that's not the answer,
then I'm open anything. Jeff Carr locked on Reds podcast
and the Lockdown Bearcats podcast as well. Thanks man, I
appreciate it.

Speaker 11 (25:42):
I appreciate it.

Speaker 7 (25:43):
Go right there you go, Lee Sterling helps make us
some money.

Speaker 8 (25:46):
Next Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from.

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Traffic is running slow between Mitchell and Paddock a five
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Speaker 5 (26:24):
A guarantee credit approval from their family to Yours for life,
kelsey chef dot com. The Bengals are prepping for the
Detroy Lions on Sunday. You just heard the guy with
the deep voice. We've got the game on ESPN fifteen thirty.
Tony and I have the pregame show at Noone from
the Holy Grail. No Bengals injury report out as of yet.

(26:44):
The Reds are done playing, but the baseball playoffs continue.
Three do or Die game threes, Tigers and Guardians scoreless
bottom second in Cleveland, Padres and Cubs coming up at
five at Wrigley Red Sox and Yankees and the Bronx.
At eight pm tonight, our guy Lee Sterling joins us
Paramount sports dot com. We're, by the way, folks who
have used his this, folks who have used his service,

(27:06):
maybe I should slow down.

Speaker 7 (27:08):
Folks who have used his service can.

Speaker 5 (27:10):
Tell you he has won eleven straight NFL games, eleven straight,
by the way, on this show last week Lee went
three and zero and he had a forty unit play
last week on South Carolina covered with Ease in a
blowout thirty five thirteen. So Paramount sports dot com is
a place you should go. Lie is on Twitter at
Paramount sports Lee, what is up?

Speaker 6 (27:32):
Well, if you come down for the Bengals Dolphins game,
I think we can score tickets for like seventeen bucks
the beer. The beer might be more expensive.

Speaker 7 (27:40):
Here here, I'll give you a lock for that game.
Are you ready?

Speaker 6 (27:43):
Yeah?

Speaker 7 (27:44):
Right now?

Speaker 5 (27:44):
It's scheduled for primetime. That game will not kick off
in the dark.

Speaker 12 (27:49):
No, no chance, no chance, I'm gonna My brother in
law is always trying to get me going in December
when when things aren't looking good, I usually tell him,
like what's going on, like with the tailgate, and they'll
tell me oh, we got like subs.

Speaker 6 (28:03):
I'm like, unless you've got like surf and turf, I'm
not going.

Speaker 5 (28:09):
I understand. I understand. Let's start with college football. We've
got a game in the Big twelve Texas Tech big
favorites against Houston.

Speaker 6 (28:19):
So Texas Tech's best win was against Utah thirty four
to ten in Salt Lake City, and it wasn't a fluke.
They dominated three four eighty four to two sixty three
in total yards, so over two hundred and twenty yards advantage.
They played more than half the game with a backup quarterback.

(28:40):
Houston's best game and best win was against Colorado. That's right,
two to three Colorado, whose wins were only against Delaware
and Wyoming. They even have a common opponent, Oregon State.
Houston won in overtime twenty seven to twenty four. Tech
blasted them easypas forty five fourteen. Texas Tech's watched their

(29:01):
defensive line. All four new starters come from the Portal,
not high profile programs programs like Stanford, UCF, Northern Illinois,
and Georgia Tech. But these guys play, They are nasty.
They held Devin Dampier, the Utah quarterback who runs like

(29:21):
the win to twenty seven rushing yards Houston. I mean,
they're playing this game here, It's gonna be tough. Texas
Tech is top two in nil money this year. The
only team that's lost money lost the game in the
top six here was Texas and they had to play
another top nil team in Ohio State. So Tech is

(29:44):
loaded here. Houston is going into this gunfight with a knife.
I like Tech big here. Thirty eight to twenty one.

Speaker 7 (29:50):
All right, Lee backs the Red Raiders.

Speaker 5 (29:52):
Cincinnati is coming off a very good win on the
road against Kansas. I was still surprised to see them
slight home favorites against Iowa State.

Speaker 7 (30:00):
Should they be laying points?

Speaker 6 (30:03):
I think they should. And here's why. I Was State
lost their best to two defensive backs both were first
and second team All Big twelve last year. They just
don't have the depth there and they only rush for
one hundred and eleven yards on a whopping forty seven
carries against Arizona. So if I think if they control
of the line of scrimmage, which I think since he

(30:24):
has a chance to do, I think they're the right
side here. So you know, I think those three receivers
are going to do some real damage against the Iowa
State secondary. So you got to play to win here.
If they do, they get the job done here. I
like Cincy. They keep rolling. We called them last week
to win. They're also averaging eight point three yards per

(30:45):
play here, top ten in the country. Beer Cats roll
here thirty to twenty four. Lead.

Speaker 5 (30:52):
There you go, Lee Sterling, Paramount sports dot Com. Make
sure you check it out. The Bengals are big home
dogs against Detroit. This number is big.

Speaker 7 (31:01):
I think it should be bigger, how about you.

Speaker 6 (31:04):
Cincinnati's offensive numbers are awful. The adjustment since show Burrow's
injury has resulted in turnover after turnover at Minnesota, then
punt after punt in Denver. I don't want to go
all analytics on you here, but from every formation they've used,

(31:25):
they have a negative EPA Expected points added here. Good
teams come home off the consecutive road losses and whip
a bad team here. But the Bengals are not a
good team and the Lions are not a bad team here.
Detroit big thirty eight to seventeen.

Speaker 5 (31:44):
It hurts to hear you say that, but that doesn't
make it any less true. Lee Sterlingparamount Sports dot com
your game of the weekend, Houston and Baltimore.

Speaker 6 (31:53):
YEP, a great game here because all's on the line here.
Either team loses this game, there in trouble, almost no
shot of making the playoffs. So you want to get
Texans against the Ravens without Lamar Jackson, find out which
side to the right side. Just call eight hundred four
hundred nine seven one first five callers. We're going to

(32:14):
give them Texans and Ravens on me. And like I said,
we are rolling in football eleven straight NFL wins, another
forty max wager last weekend. We have a forty five
unit play going this weekend. We're seventy three and twenty
nine on those plays. Check out all the specials for football.
And first time ever in six years in the UFC,

(32:35):
we have a forty and a fifty unit selection on
the same card. We've won fourteen out of seventeen UFC cards.

Speaker 13 (32:43):
So you want to get.

Speaker 6 (32:44):
Involved seven selections fifty seven dollars, and we're also four
to zero Major League Baseball playoffs and get the rest
of the playoffs. It was to ninety seven last week,
ninety seven dollars through the World Series. Check out all
the Specials. Love to have you on for the ride.
Biggest weekend ever at Paramount sports dot com.

Speaker 5 (33:03):
Eight hundred four hundred nine seven four one Paramount sports
dot Com.

Speaker 7 (33:08):
Lee, You're the best.

Speaker 5 (33:10):
Sounds good came up all right, here you go, Lee
Stirling on Twitter at Paramount Sports. That is the lack
of the century. December twenty first Bengals Dolphins originally slated
for Sunday night football at Bad Boys going kick off
at one o'clock. Hey a might kick off that thing
at like nine am, just to get it out of
the way. Chad Brandle next to ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 8 (33:29):
Thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (33:34):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center.

Speaker 9 (33:37):
The UC Cancer Center offers personalized prostate cancer care, exclusive
clinical trials and treatments you won't find anywhere else.

Speaker 2 (33:45):
Call five one three five eighty five.

Speaker 9 (33:47):
UCCC A new accident in over on Montgomery Road. That's
at dal Breath and on Paddock Roads. Still got that
crash between California and Laidlaw Avenue on southbound seventy five
traffic slow Queen Western Avenue and Fort Washington Way. Five
minute delay on at e Zelic with traffic.

Speaker 7 (34:05):
This report is sponsored by Steve.

Speaker 5 (34:07):
We got the Rams and Niners San Francisco again with
like a billion injuries. That game is on Fox Sports
thirteen sixty. They're the answer to that question. Chad Brendle's
with us Bearcat Journal dot com. Bengals get slaughtered on
Monday night football reds get swept. So now many of
us penning our hopes on the Bearcats, who are trending

(34:29):
upward following their thrilling, stunning road victory against Kansas, now
hosting nationally ranked Iowa State on Saturday.

Speaker 11 (34:37):
Hi, Chad, tim how to going uh.

Speaker 7 (34:41):
Good from a UC perspective? Really good?

Speaker 5 (34:45):
Everything else we'll discard for the purposes of this conversation.
Cincinnati gets a big road victory. They win the sort
of game that they have lost so many times in
recent years. The script was flipped, I think on the
Noah Jennings catch. They hang on to win on the
road against Kansas. What did we learn about the Bearcats
against the Jayhawks?

Speaker 14 (35:05):
I think we learned that their offenses is as advertised
like there were. There were definite questions and doubts about
that after Nebraska, UH with the offense, the passing game struggling,
as bad as they did, they have picked.

Speaker 13 (35:19):
It up since then.

Speaker 14 (35:20):
And the the things that we saw on the practice
field throughout camp, with a deep wide receiver room, in
a deep tight end room, and you know, multiple weapons
out of the backfield from the running backs to Soresby
running the football, like, all of that stuff looked really
good in camp, but you never know until they started

(35:43):
playing the game. They played Game one and we all went, well,
maybe maybe it wasn't what it looked like in camp.
Since then it has been And you know, that's not
a great Kansas defense, but it's a power for quality
opponent and Scecinnati shredded them with their offense, So I

(36:04):
think that is now you know, this is going to
be a whole different animal because Iowa State is always
good on defense.

Speaker 13 (36:09):
They're going to make things difficult for you.

Speaker 14 (36:12):
But I think we can, you know, feel pretty good
about going into any games since the rest of the way,
Cincinnati should have a chance to win because their offense
is going to be able to keep up.

Speaker 5 (36:23):
They're favored against Iowa State, which I think was surprising
to some. What is the biggest challenge in this game
on Saturday, Well, they've.

Speaker 14 (36:31):
Played Iowa State twice since joining the Big Twelve. They've
not passed for one hundred yards in either.

Speaker 13 (36:35):
Game, so that's a concern.

Speaker 14 (36:39):
Also, this defense has not been good though teams have
been challenging them over the top. Teams have been completing
a very high percentage of passes. They have not created turnovers,
they have not gotten a ton of pressure. The stack
numbers have were pretty good up until Kansas where they
didn't get one. But this team is going to have

(37:03):
to figure some things out defensively to reach their potential
because teams are kind of effortlessly moving the ball against
them so far.

Speaker 13 (37:13):
And I really like Tyson Bte.

Speaker 14 (37:16):
I really believe because we've seen proof of concept of
how good Iowa State has been with this scheme that
they're is upside to this scheme. But they have not
impressed to this point. And if you're going to beat
Iowa State, this defense is going to have to get
some stops.

Speaker 5 (37:35):
We have injury reports in college football now, so Dante
Corleone is listed as questionable. Their defense gets a major
boost if he's available. What's your gut tell you about
his availability for Saturday.

Speaker 13 (37:49):
I think it's going to.

Speaker 11 (37:50):
Be another one of those.

Speaker 14 (37:51):
Let's see how he feels Saturday morning. I think he's close.
I think he was close last week. They just didn't
think he was quite there yet. That that generally gives
you a good feeling for this week. But I you know,
you know how this goes. I would have felt a
lot better if you came out as probable yesterday, still

(38:12):
being a questionable. This defense can't be as good as
it's not going to get a whole lot better if
Dante Corleone is not in the middle of that defense,
giving opposing offenses fits at the point of attack.

Speaker 13 (38:26):
So they need him back. Then.

Speaker 5 (38:29):
The UC men's basketball season begins one month from tomorrow.
What has practiced so far taught us about this team?

Speaker 14 (38:39):
I don't know a whole lot yet because I think
it's still kind of you know, Wes does three four
days of like defensive boot camp. I think they're still
kind of finding their groove. They're still working both of
the new European guards wings In and Lucas Attari and
Jordi Rodriguez.

Speaker 13 (39:01):
But I think this team, the thing that I've.

Speaker 14 (39:05):
I've gathered so far is that this group fits a
lot better together.

Speaker 11 (39:09):
There's not you know, Jeff.

Speaker 13 (39:12):
I heard Jeff Carr talk about the Reds.

Speaker 14 (39:14):
The problem they had is a lot of repeatable parts.
Last year, Cincinnati had a lot of repeatable parts. They
had a lot of pieces that didn't make a puzzle.

Speaker 13 (39:23):
They just kind of were pieces.

Speaker 14 (39:25):
You know, they look good sitting on the table, but
if they don't fit together, you're gonna have a hard
time having success. I still worry a little about a
little bit about who is that number one option on offense.
Who is you know, is day eight Thomas going to
take that step and be that, you know, have that
that breakout final year? What does that look like? I

(39:48):
think the main thing I think they got a chance
to be excellent defensively, especially with Daydae Thomas, Buck Harris.
If you don't know Sincere Harris is what you know,
the name on his birth certificate says he goes by Buck.
So if you hear anybody talking about Buck, that's who
they're talking about. Is Sincere Harris, Boba Miller, and Mustapha Chom.

(40:10):
With those four guys on the floor, I think you
can be top fifteen, top twenty good defensively.

Speaker 13 (40:17):
So that I.

Speaker 14 (40:20):
Think is the biggest thing so far is I think
they have a chance to be elite on one end,
but we still have some questions on what exactly it's
going to look like defensively or offensively.

Speaker 7 (40:32):
Excuse me, what's a cooler name? Since here or Buck?

Speaker 13 (40:37):
I mean probably Buck? Right?

Speaker 6 (40:40):
Oh, no, sincere.

Speaker 14 (40:45):
There's a lot of connotations with that, like he kind
of got to be a nice guy, right, true, And
I don't think.

Speaker 13 (40:52):
I don't think he necessarily is. I think he's got
some nasty to him.

Speaker 14 (40:55):
I think that's I think that's one of the things
that I mean, we talk talked about it a million
times that this team lack last year was toughness. That
they were not a physical team. They were not a
tough team. And I think a guy like Cincire Harris
definitely gives you a guy that plays with some edge,
and I think Jalen Haynes, the big Fine, gives you

(41:19):
some of that as well. I think that was definitely
a priority when they went into the portal, was we
can't be soft again because it just doesn't work in
this league.

Speaker 5 (41:29):
I'm going with Buck then Bucket is whatever whatever Buck wants,
Buck gets Chad, thanks so much.

Speaker 14 (41:35):
Well, that's the thing, he insists that you call him Buck,
So I'm gonna call him.

Speaker 13 (41:39):
Buck all right.

Speaker 5 (41:40):
If that's his preference. I have no problem with that
at all, Buck it is.

Speaker 11 (41:44):
Thanks so much, all right, thanks Mam.

Speaker 5 (41:47):
Chad Brendel, Bearcat Journal dot Com. It's far away from
four o'clock. Meanwhile, lef C Cincinnati has their final regular
season road game. Kevin Egan MLS Season Past Apple TV
is calling the match to join us at four h
five on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (42:05):
Thousand dollars. Enter this nationwide keyword on our website.

Speaker 14 (42:08):
Win.

Speaker 11 (42:09):
That's when. Enter it now?

Speaker 5 (42:11):
When When can em C Cincinnati win? Tomorrow night? And
orm Sorry it's our Friday Saturday night.

Speaker 7 (42:23):
Good God. FC Cincinnati needs help.

Speaker 5 (42:26):
Uh Philadelphia clearly in the driver's seat for the supporter
shield can clinch it with three points this weekend, but
FC Cincinnati's ummm. Their fate is not in their own hands.
But the only way they can leave Frog Philly is
by getting some help and taking care of business. They're
on the road, final roadmatch to the season for the
Orange and Blue as they take on the New York

(42:46):
Red Bulls seven thirty Saturday Night MLS Season Pass Apple TV.
Kevin Egan on the call, Kevin, it's awesome to have
you as always. Good afternoon.

Speaker 4 (42:53):
How are you, Oh Mo, I'm good.

Speaker 13 (42:56):
Thanks.

Speaker 15 (42:56):
I'm going to listening to you talking about Cincinnati's chances.
But for me, they threw it away. The team threw
it away, their opportunity at the shield in the final
few minutes, and as you really say, Philadelphia need to
slip up in a big time way to even open
the door for a Cincinnati team that I'm not sure
right now look like they're gonna win those games in
order to win it anyway.

Speaker 7 (43:16):
Yeah, I think that's the thing.

Speaker 5 (43:17):
You know, They've they've got to get healthier, and it
feels like they're inching closer as the playoffs draw nearer.
But I look at the last few weeks and Philadelphia
has been awesome. There have been stretches this year where
it's felt like they were never gonna lose, But this
really does feel like an opportunity loss for FC Cincinnati.

Speaker 16 (43:36):
I just think there's a nature about the Phillies game
right now that there's leaders stepping up in big time
moments for this team. They had one slip up where
they went to Vancouver and actually lost the game seven
mil on the road, and that was before a big
semi final in the US Open Cup as well, So
that was just a really bad week for Philadelphia. But
they bounced back and even when you know things weren't

(43:58):
going their way in the early going against DC the weekend,
he still felt that with the defending of Blesness and
of mccanya at the back, with the leadership that they
have in midfield, I think Dannie Jean Jack has been
sensational this year. There's something special about this group, and
they're a team. There's no real stars unlike Cincinnati that
have absolute stars in their team. I just thought that

(44:19):
that stoppage time window of seven or eight minutes against Orlando,
Orlando could have scored four or five goals. We were
in studio watching this and thinking where is the leadership?
What's going on right now? And this is where I
think Obina Wobedo coming back to full fitness now is
going to be enormous for Cincinnati.

Speaker 5 (44:36):
Yeah, and is active in training. Looks like will be
available for a selection on Saturday. It has felt to
me like right after the League's Cup that the air
kind of came out of the balloon, at least offensively.
For FC Cincinnati, how do they reinflate it.

Speaker 16 (44:53):
It's a question that I'm asking the analyst and I
still don't know the exact answer to it, quite honestly,
because the players, when you look at the eleven when
it's listed, you're thinking they're good enough to go and
win these games if fully fit, and you rightly said
that they've had some big time injury concerns and worries
in recent times. But get Kevin denk score and get
a vander in behind Brenner. I think it's been a really,

(45:15):
really good signing. But if you need him at times,
kay Kamara can be a really influential figure on the
field and a real leader on the field when you
need him. So it's just it's about pat Noon and
firing up this group now. I think the shield needs
to be forgotten about in a way for Cincinnati, and
at this point you turn your attention to the playoffs
and making sure that you hit it in good form,

(45:37):
good camaraderie, good momentum, and an overall good vibe around
the club.

Speaker 7 (45:41):
And how wide open is the Eastern Conference?

Speaker 11 (45:44):
How wide open?

Speaker 13 (45:45):
Right now come the playoffs?

Speaker 16 (45:47):
It's wide open. I think silly will wrap up the
Shield this weekend. If they win on Saturday, they win
the Shield. It's that simple now after Miami slipped up
during the week the Eastern Conference is anybody's game, and
I'm talking anybody. I'm talking even chicag Go Fire, who
will play in the playing game, most likely against Columbus.
They look really good. They scored five goals at Miami
just a few days ago. It's very much wide open.

(46:09):
Here's what I will say. Cincinnati's concerned. For me, the
biggest concern is home form at TQL Stadium. In terms
of home form, they're the ninth best team in the
East right now, and that was not the case MO
in twenty twenty three when the team won the Shield.

Speaker 11 (46:24):
You know, in twenty twenty.

Speaker 16 (46:25):
Four, this team was solid. TQL Stadium was a home fortress.
So the fans need to bring it to players absolutely,
to bring it to coaching staff as well, and make
sure the TQL Stadium is that fortress that we remember
from those golden years.

Speaker 13 (46:38):
Because this group is good enough. The players are good enough.

Speaker 16 (46:41):
I just there's one small tactical thing that I'm curious about,
and that is the wing back positions. At times, it's
such an offensive minded team with Brenner. As I mentioned,
denk A with the vander and the wingbacks tend to
nearly be wingers instead of defenders. So therefore sometimes you
can leave yourself a little bit exposed at the back.

Speaker 4 (47:00):
Thought.

Speaker 16 (47:00):
Mark shuk is a new player who was a winner
for Railsalt Lake, and he was in defensive position, so
I don't think he looked overly comfortable. In a few days.

Speaker 5 (47:08):
Ago, Kevin egan MLS season past, joining SFC Cincinnati on
the road Saturday night for a game against the New
York Red Bulls. When I think of New York and
FC Cincinnati, they've got a really colorful shared history, even
going back to you know, before f C Cincinnati was
a major league soccer club. In the US Open Cup,
They've had heated playoff battles. It's kind of gone sideways

(47:31):
for New York this year. They're not going to be
in the postseason. What's gone wrong?

Speaker 16 (47:35):
Yeah, it's and they made MLS coup remember last year. Yeah,
they've fallen off a cliffs in the same way the
LA Galaxy. Hap maybe not as bad as the Galaxy,
but it's crazy to think that the two teams that
made it to cook last year, won't be in the
postseason for New York.

Speaker 4 (47:49):
They've got a little.

Speaker 16 (47:50):
Bit of an identity crisis. I think they've gone with
two older, experienced veterans upfront, but traditionally they've been the
high obtained pressing team, and some of the players they
brought in, quite frankly, have not been good enough. So
I think Sandra Schwartz will be under a bit of pressure.
I think this is the perfect time for Cincinnati to
go there, quite honestly, because the air, like you mentioned,
the air being burst for Cincinnati. I can't imagine too

(48:13):
many New York Red Bulls fans have shown up to
support this team after the filt to make the playoffs.
So I think Cincinnati can go there and really, you know,
get on the front foot early, try and get a
few goals, and just turn around their mojo and focus
on themselves.

Speaker 4 (48:26):
But you're right, the Red.

Speaker 16 (48:28):
Bulls Cincinnati playoff history and the battles over the years.
Think of me Asga and that yeah the referee post game,
and I think of Luco Acosta and that goal from
nearly the halfway line. I was actually on the call
for that one in Cincinnati There's been some great games
between these teams, and it's never been easy for since.

Speaker 5 (48:47):
No question, we'll see if they can get three points
on the road and just regain their form. Saturday Night,
seven thirty, Kevin Egan MLS season past Apple TV.

Speaker 7 (48:56):
I hope you can join us at some point during
the postseason. Kevin, thanks so much anytime.

Speaker 13 (49:00):
Oh and listen.

Speaker 16 (49:01):
I hope Cincinnati turned it around, and I hope Cincinnati
make a ruin. I want to find myself at TQL
Stadium and my last coup day.

Speaker 7 (49:08):
Likewise, let's make that happen. Kevin, thanks so much.

Speaker 16 (49:11):
Cheers mout take care, you got it.

Speaker 5 (49:12):
Seven thirty, Saturday Night, MLS Season past, Apple TV FC
Cincinnati on the road against New York. Of course, you
could also listen to the match on ESPN fifteen thirty
thirteen after four ESPN fifteen thirty, on moegor your phone calls.

Speaker 7 (49:26):
We were were a little guest free for a bit.

Speaker 5 (49:29):
Dan Glaskins in just about thirty minutes, tarn is today
the last day for Brendanman and Jones on baseball?

Speaker 13 (49:36):
I believe so.

Speaker 7 (49:37):
All right, So the final.

Speaker 5 (49:38):
Brandiman and Jones on Baseball of the year coming up
later on this hour. Yeah, we started the show by
talking about the series, and honestly, like there are some
things you could second guess that Tito did. I would
have pulled Zach Lttel earlier than Tito pulled him. I

(49:58):
would have left Nick Lodolo to pitch longer than he
allowed them. The Dodgers were just better. The Reds were
gonna have to play perfect in the field.

Speaker 7 (50:06):
They did not.

Speaker 5 (50:07):
They were gonna have to take advantage of scoring opportunities
they did not. They did not on Tuesday, they did
not last night. The starting pitching was gonna have to
be great.

Speaker 7 (50:18):
It was not.

Speaker 5 (50:19):
I don't know that that two game series can be
boiled down to any one moment, but they've. It still
feels like and look, man, Sunday was fun. Sunday was catharsist.
They made the postseason like sports are supposed to be fun.
Enjoy the victories. If you went overboard on Sunday, awesome,

(50:42):
good for you, no harm. And having all those games
in September mean something, and the roller coaster ride and
preparing for the postseason and watching them play in the
postseason lots of fun. It still feels like the gap
between where they are and where we all want them

(51:04):
to be is pretty damn big. I don't think it
gets closed by doing nothing. And like, I bring this
up because right or wrong, if you care about the Reds,
you know that there's a bunch of different instances in
pretty recent history where it's kind of felt like the
plan has been for, you know what, the team to

(51:27):
just play better. Hey, they took a step this year,
they'll just naturally take one this coming season. To me,
the avatar for that, if you will, is twenty eleven.
That's forever ago, right, that's you know, nearly a decade
and a half ago. But twenty ten to twenty eleven,
I remember that offseason vividly going, hello, do anything to

(51:47):
make the team better. That twenty ten team was better
than this one. This year Walt Jockety was in charge,
God rest his soul. Dusty Baker was the manager. Did nothing.
I read a piece in The Athletic yesterday Brian Price
offering a first hand account of what it's like to
be fired for their leadership series.

Speaker 7 (52:05):
It's really really good.

Speaker 5 (52:06):
Brian Price was doomed to fail from day one because
his first team in twenty fourteen, remember the previous offseason.
They looked at that ninety win team that year that
lost to the Pirates and went, eh, you know, we
were kind of okay. I remember that offseason vividly screaming
do something. They didn't. They ended up losing more than

(52:27):
they won. Twenty twenty to twenty twenty one, twenty twenty
three to twenty twenty four.

Speaker 7 (52:35):
Hey, look we've arrived. We've got all these young players.

Speaker 5 (52:38):
Okay, well, you're gonna fortify the team, Gonna go get
some established guys. The answer was no, what happened last year.
The team was bad enough to get the manager fired.
And so, like when you're a fan, you have history,
and unfortunately there is a history of the Reds looking
at what they have and thinking, eh, we're good, completely

(52:59):
reasonable to be fearful that that'll be the case this offseason.
So and even this past offseason where they did stuff
and did stuff that worked, you walked away from the
offseason thinking kind of incomplete. The day before Opening Day,
Tony Pike, Austin Elmore and I were talking about what
the Reds might do at the deadline the day before

(53:21):
opening day, four months prior. If we're doing that this
March Nick Crawl will have failed. The hardest step is
to go from pretty good to really good, to fringe
contender to real contender. I don't think that's gonna happen

(53:41):
by just kind of being passive this offseason. Seventeen minutes
after four o'clock at moleggor on Twitter, where we have
a poll question. We'll get to your phone. Calls are
coming up five pint three, seven, four nine, fifteen thirty plus.
We'll go back to a night nearly six years ago
where Zach Taylor won me over.

Speaker 7 (53:57):
I'll explain.

Speaker 5 (53:57):
Coming up at four thirty five on ESPN th fefteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 8 (54:01):
Nation, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Traffic from the UC Health
Traffic Center.

Speaker 9 (54:09):
clinical trials and treatments you won't find anywhere else. Call
five one three five eighty five uccc use caution on
westbound two seventy five, getting reports of metal debris in
the right lane between Hamilton and Coal Rain southbound seventy
five near Western Avenue. It's an accident and another accident

(54:32):
on reading road over at Sunnybrook Drive. I'm at ezelic
with traffic.

Speaker 4 (54:37):
This report is sponsored by rapid Rate.

Speaker 8 (54:39):
This is Football in the NATI, brought to you by
Belterra Casino and Bealterra Park on ESPN nifteen thirty, the
official home of the Cincinnati Bengals the NATI.

Speaker 5 (54:53):
No, when I travel, people go more where you're from, Natti,
I would say nascinnati.

Speaker 7 (54:59):
I don't say nasty.

Speaker 4 (55:00):
No, they don't say.

Speaker 7 (55:01):
They don't say nasty natty either.

Speaker 13 (55:03):
Aron.

Speaker 7 (55:03):
How are your wings?

Speaker 2 (55:04):
Oh phenomenon? They just stand a chance.

Speaker 7 (55:07):
Paid off my my Bengals.

Speaker 5 (55:09):
Vikings back to Arran today with a couple of styrofoam
containers of wings.

Speaker 7 (55:14):
Uh from a place that is uh. I'm not gonna mention.

Speaker 5 (55:18):
Yeah, twenty four minutes after four o'clock, five one, three, seven,
fifteen thirty is our phone number.

Speaker 7 (55:24):
Jim, You're on ESPN fifteen thirty. Jim, good afternoon.

Speaker 4 (55:27):
How are you hey, Mo?

Speaker 11 (55:29):
How you doing well? What's up A listen?

Speaker 17 (55:33):
I'm sorry, man, I call in here way too often.

Speaker 7 (55:36):
Don't apologize for reality.

Speaker 17 (55:38):
Yeah, I don't get on all the time. But the
reality is is I sit in an office all day,
surrounded by a bunch of people who call me the
sportsball guy, and.

Speaker 7 (55:51):
You and me both Jim, I have the exact same existence.

Speaker 17 (55:55):
I mean, they will talk about Star Wars and Star Trek,
you know. I mean, look when I was seven eight
years old, loved it, loved it. But they feel to say,
I can't get a word in edgewise. So I call
in here just to talk sports with you.

Speaker 7 (56:13):
Well, it's nice, it's nice of you to do so.
And the floor your.

Speaker 17 (56:17):
Well what I want to mention, and I and I
don't listen to sports talk twenty four to seven, So
I don't know if this has ever been brought up,
but to me, I think what's happening right now with
the Cincinnati Bengals I would classify as the curse of Burrowhead.
I don't know that we ever recovered from that ridiculous

(56:38):
blunder that Mike Hilton, former Steeler and our mayor, your mayor.
I don't live, I don't live in Cincinnati, but you know,
we we haven't been the same game since. I mean,
if you if you look at it, we really haven't haven't.
And I think it runs deeper too. I think for

(56:59):
the quarterback perspective, especially with Joe Burrow, I think it
might be the curse of Greg Cook. Oh oh, or
maybe the ghost of Greg Cook. I don't know. I mean,
I'm not old enough to remember, but I've seen highlight.

Speaker 7 (57:15):
Uh, Jim, I don't know where you went, Johnny? Yeah, no,
I you know.

Speaker 5 (57:18):
Bill Walsh said Greg Cook was the most talented quarterback
he ever coached. You know what, da've The one thing
the Bengals have had often in their history is quality
quarterback play, right, Ken Anderson was an MVP, Boomer was
an MVP, and Carson Palmer had good years, Andy was
had his moments, and Joe Burrow has been terrific. But yeah, man,

(57:39):
I mean, if if you go back, if if I
would have said that the burrow head comment came from
Mike Hilton before they played in the AFC title game,
the second go round, right, the one that they lost.
And I think if if you or I would have
said that here, we would be two more than two
and a half years later. They still haven't been back
to the postseason since, and they're sitting here making us

(58:00):
talk about how this team compares to those of the
nineteen nineties. We would have said, well, man, a whole
bunch of stuff will have gone wrong, And that's exactly
what's happened.

Speaker 7 (58:08):
A lot of stuff has gone wrong.

Speaker 5 (58:09):
And you know, I was on Paul Danner Junior and
Jay Morrison's podcast earlier today, and you know, we were
talking about just our general thoughts, and mine is just
how the Bengals have gone from a good enough roster
just two years ago to survive with Jake Browning as
the quarterback and a good enough roster to get to

(58:30):
back to back AFC title games to what they have now,
which looks like a disaster, and how that reflects so
poorly on on Duke Tobin. You know, I mean, we
can hammer away at Zach Taylor and he deserves it
for that performance on Monday, and we can whale away
at Jake Browning. I think he'd be the first to
tell you he deserves it. But like, look at the team.

(58:52):
How many guys do they have that You're like, you
know what, that's a building block, that's a foundational piece.
So even if this season goes sideways, I want this
guy or I want these handful of players to be
here next year. There simply aren't that many.

Speaker 17 (59:05):
Yeah, and I don't know how much much research we
did on Scott Peters. But our offensive line doesn't look
I mean cohesives. They don't even look like they you
know that they have any stick on them to get
I mean, they're they're just.

Speaker 4 (59:21):
Nothing to do.

Speaker 7 (59:22):
They can't line up correctly.

Speaker 17 (59:24):
No, it's it's embarrassing. It's embarrassing. So I don't know.
I don't know what we can do. But Detroit might
put one hundred on us Sunday. I'm going to that game,
and quite honestly, I don't they're they're saying we need
to wear paper bags on our head. Quite honestly if
we lose. If we lose this game, I might want

(59:45):
to put a plastic bag over my head.

Speaker 7 (59:47):
Well, I please don't do that.

Speaker 5 (59:49):
You know, the the darkest eras in Bengals history. When
I think of them, I think of that feeling, not
so much on Sunday, but in the days leading up,
when you thought, for a couple of how are they
going to lose this week? How are they going to
embarrass themselves this week? And you know, while there were
certainly seasons where they were far from championship caliber for

(01:00:12):
the most part, for a large stretch of time in
the early twenty tens, and over the last four years,
you've never done that. Even if they were underdogs. She thought,
you know what, they've got a puncher's chance. You're not
going to find anybody, Jim, and I'm not either, who's
going to think they have even a remote chance of
winning the game on Sunday. That's how far things have fallen.
And to me, that same feeling is what has defined

(01:00:36):
so many of the worst teams in Bengals history and
so many of the darkest periods in Bengals history.

Speaker 17 (01:00:42):
Well, our captains need to need to rally the team
and now. And I include the three hundred million dollar
wide receivers that we have out there. Who paid these guys.
And I don't know how many replays I've seen of
Jamar Chase giving up on a play, giving up on
a block. You know, those are the kind of things
that we're paying money for you to be a leader,

(01:01:05):
not just a great football player, to be a leader.

Speaker 7 (01:01:07):
And you know it's it's sad, Jim.

Speaker 13 (01:01:13):
All right?

Speaker 17 (01:01:13):
Can I mention something about baseball real quick?

Speaker 7 (01:01:15):
You can do whatever you want.

Speaker 17 (01:01:17):
All right. I just want to say I took a
little exception to what you said yesterday about not wanting
a salary cap. I understand your point about the Dodgers. Hey,
they have the money, they're doing the right thing, go
and spend it. But you know, we have generations of
people that grew up in this town that have never
seen the Reds win a playoff game, and you're going

(01:01:38):
you're losing those.

Speaker 4 (01:01:38):
People them, no doubt.

Speaker 17 (01:01:41):
The only thing that can save them is if we
make this thing fair. And it's never going to be
fair for the Cincinnati Reds until we get a salary cap.

Speaker 7 (01:01:51):
But why why why then is it fair for the
Milwaukee Brewers?

Speaker 17 (01:01:55):
The Milwaukee Brewers, are you got it? You gotta admit
they're doing amazing things. Also do the related job scouting
and sure, and you could admit they're one off. They're
one off, and they've never they've never won a World Series. No,
but I mean Mariners have never won a World Series.

Speaker 5 (01:02:19):
Sure, short, and the New York Mets haven't won one
in thirty nine years, and the New York Yankees have
won one this century, and the Dodgers prior to COVID
hadn't won one since nineteen eighty eight. I mean, I
think if there's one thing we learned about this year.
And look if here's my thing about the salary cap. Okay, Like,
just as a basic philosophy that has less to do

(01:02:40):
with sports than anything else, I am opposed to anything
that restricts what people can make. My business doesn't have
a salary cap. Sometimes we act like it, but but
your business, I would imagine, doesn't have a salary cap.
So I am opposed. Salary caps were not put in
place in other sports originally to ensure competitive balance. They
were put in place to strict salaries, and if they

(01:03:02):
guaranteed competitive balance, I could tell you, as a fan
of the New York Knicks, I spent the last thirty
years wondering when they're going to be competitive in a
salary cap league. But I guess for me a number one,
I'm philosophically opposed to anything that prohibits people from making
what they are worth. But that said, if you want
to go, okay, fine, there needs to be a salary cap.

(01:03:25):
Two things have to happen. The owners need to be
completely unified on doing everything they can to get one.
In the history of baseball's labor negotiations, that has literally
never happened. Owners have caved pretty much every single time.
Number two, if they are unified in wanting a salary cap,
they're going to have to come up with something that
the players want.

Speaker 7 (01:03:45):
Now.

Speaker 5 (01:03:46):
One of the things that often gets mentioned is, well,
give them earlier free agency. Okay, earlier free agency, So
free agency after four years instead of six, all right?
That means Elie de la Cruz would be a free
agent at the end of this year. How do we
feel about that? Like, you know, so so people want
a salary cap, and I always ask like, all right,

(01:04:06):
in order to get the players to say yes to it,
which they never have. Owners have been trying for forty
five years to get one. In fact, beyond that, what
are you going to give the players? And I have
literally never gotten the answer to that. That would that
would be to the satisfaction of the players union. They
don't want to increase the minimum salary anymore, which they

(01:04:29):
did during the last CBA. They don't want to give
them earlier free agency. In no other sport to do
players play for six years before they hit free agency.
And no other sport could a team literally control you
for twelve years if they stash you in the minor
leagues for six Owners will not give that up. And
so if you want to say, well, they need a
salary cap, cool, what are you willing to give the
players in order to get one? And I've never heard

(01:04:51):
what the answer is.

Speaker 17 (01:04:54):
Yeah, I know some some sort of revenue share or something.
I don't know the answer either mode, but I know
the jectory that the NFL is on versus the trajectory
that the Major League Baseball is on. You know it's
not competitive. Yeah, major League going the way of Tennis.

Speaker 5 (01:05:12):
Maybe, But I don't know that that has to do
with financial equity. The Kansas City Chiefs have made the
Super Bowl five of the last six years. Has the
AFC been competitive? But I mean like in a salary
cap league.

Speaker 7 (01:05:27):
One team has been to the Super Bowl in one
half of the league in five of the six years.
So so the salary cap has obviously not guaranteed competitive balance.

Speaker 17 (01:05:37):
No, there's a lot of luck to be involved in it.
Hidting Patrick Mahomes instead of John Ross might have might
have helped the Bengals a little bit.

Speaker 5 (01:05:45):
I mean, I would argue, I would argue we have
more parody in baseball right now. We're just over the
last quarter century. We've seen the Kansas City Royals make
consecutive World Series. We've seen the Tampa Bay Rays go
to the postseason time and again. The Milwaukee Brewers are
a small and success. There's randomness to the postseason. They
haven't made the World Series, but they've got a shot
every year. As a Reds fan, I'll take that. Put

(01:06:08):
me in October in seven of eight years, and I'll
roll the dice. The Saint Louis Cardinals and not a
big market, just ran the National League Central for a
quarter century. I refuse to subscribe to the belief that
a team gets a pass because it's a small market team.
I will absolutely acknowledge that the Dodgers have advantages that
the Reds do not. Fine, but other teams find ways

(01:06:32):
to be more competitive on an annual basis than the
Reds have for thirty years despite having that advantage work
against him.

Speaker 17 (01:06:39):
Yeah, the Reds have been embarrassing. But I will say
that there's a little kid out there somewhere who absolutely
loves the Reds and absolutely loves Ellie da la Cruz,
and he's not going to get to watch him play
for his team in a few years because of this.

Speaker 5 (01:06:56):
Sure, but having a salary cap isn't going to guarantee
that Dela Cruz stays in Cincinnati.

Speaker 17 (01:07:04):
No, but it gives us a better shot at it.

Speaker 7 (01:07:05):
It might give him a better shot.

Speaker 5 (01:07:07):
But but I mean, players change teams all the time
in the NBA, it's kind of a league defined by
player movement. Players changed teams all the time in the NFL.
So and and by the way, like I'll swing it
back to what I said a few minutes ago. If
if you say, well, baseball needs a salary cap, and
they're willing to give players earlier free agency, which I
would bet they would want, and you've developed Eli Dela

(01:07:29):
Cruz and the nine year old kid has fallen in
love with him. Instead of enjoying Eli Dela Cruz for
six years now, he's going to enjoy him for four.

Speaker 7 (01:07:37):
But hey, he's got a salary cap.

Speaker 17 (01:07:41):
I think we'd have a chance to sign him after
four years if if we had that. Yeah, but Dal
Stewart or any of these guys, I mean, you know,
it's tough to see. First of all, a lot of
times we keep players in the minors because we don't
want to start their flock.

Speaker 11 (01:07:55):
No doubt, don't agree with that either.

Speaker 7 (01:07:56):
No, no, doubt no. But but I mean, like, but okay.

Speaker 5 (01:07:59):
So now out in the NFL, we have a salary
cap league, right, and then teams have to be broken
apart because you can't pay them all.

Speaker 7 (01:08:06):
Right, Bengals have a salary cap. Right, Bengals have a
salary cap.

Speaker 5 (01:08:10):
And well, you know, I mean for you gotta let
good players walk because you can't pay them all.

Speaker 7 (01:08:15):
Because there's a salary cap. You got to fit them
all out of this.

Speaker 5 (01:08:18):
Now, you know, it's a different sport because one guy
is going to occupy so much of the payroll. That's
not necessarily going to be as much of the case
in baseball if you had a cap. But we have
players that have to move teams all the time because
teams can't afford them because they can't fit them under
the cap. So let's just say you decide we want
to pay Elie de la Cruz, and we want to
pay you know, one or two of these pitchers, and

(01:08:40):
then Sal Stewart hits you know, free agency, and it's, uh, oh,
we can't pay him because we can't fit him under
the cap. So having a salary cap, by no stretch,
is going to ensure that you have a better chance
to keep your kid's favorite players.

Speaker 7 (01:08:54):
Jim, I've enjoyed it immensely.

Speaker 5 (01:08:56):
Call again, man, thanks so much, all right away, late
twenty three from five ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 8 (01:09:03):
You've been listening to Football in the NATI on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati's
ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:09:19):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center.

Speaker 9 (01:09:22):
clinical trials and treatments you won't find anywhere else.

Speaker 2 (01:09:30):
Call five one, three five eighty five.

Speaker 9 (01:09:32):
UCCC on eastbound two seventy five and accident blocks off
the right two lanes. That's on the Combs Hail Bridge.
Right now, traffic stomp and go back from three mile
up to an hour's worth of delays northbound four to
seventy one. Right lane blocked from a disabled vehicle on
the Big Mac Bridge. I'm at ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 5 (01:09:51):
This report is sponsored Bye try Dan Klaskin's host of
Fantastics Insider Football on Sirius XM Fantasy to Talk Fantasy Football.
Give us some fantasy football advice, which I badly need.

Speaker 7 (01:10:04):
Dan.

Speaker 5 (01:10:04):
This week, my oh to four team is going up
against Richard Skinner's oh and four team should be an
absolute fantasy football classic.

Speaker 4 (01:10:13):
A battle of the football brains, right there, no doubt
about it. You know the toilet Bowl.

Speaker 18 (01:10:21):
Usually comes at the end of the season. You guys
are getting an extra special treat early.

Speaker 5 (01:10:25):
Yes, and by the way, I have the second most
amount of points in the division I'm in. But I'm
oh and four. This is not my fault. I'm abdicating
myself a responsibility for this.

Speaker 4 (01:10:36):
There we go, There we go. Well, you get an
adda boy for that mo you get an ata.

Speaker 7 (01:10:39):
Boy, Thank you so much.

Speaker 5 (01:10:41):
The key this time of years, you got to navigate
bye weeks, which begin in week five.

Speaker 4 (01:10:46):
Yes, no doubt about it.

Speaker 18 (01:10:48):
There's bye week blues kicking in four teams on by
this week, the Falcons, the Bears, the Packers, the Steelers.

Speaker 4 (01:10:53):
Make sure they're out of your lineups.

Speaker 18 (01:10:55):
But we got by and eight of the next nine
weeks outside of Thanksgiving week and week thirteen you got.

Speaker 4 (01:11:00):
Three weeks, but three buys.

Speaker 18 (01:11:02):
You got Week eight stix byes by mcgeddon, whatever you
want to call it, it's definitely something worth playing before
and here there's some helpful.

Speaker 13 (01:11:10):
Tips to deal with bye weeks.

Speaker 18 (01:11:12):
Plan ahead, not too far ahead. You don't need to
be worrying about Week eleven right now because things change
pretty quickly.

Speaker 4 (01:11:18):
But definitely looking ahead these next couple.

Speaker 13 (01:11:20):
Of weeks not a bad idea.

Speaker 4 (01:11:21):
Watch the wire.

Speaker 18 (01:11:22):
My favorite part of bye week starting up are players
and fantasy managers. They're being forced into cutting players they
don't want to. So be sure to stay on that
transaction wire each day of the week. And then, obviously,
as these bye weeks start coming, as you make trade
for players, you know, if a guy's already threw is by,
that's one last game you'll have to miss after you acquire.

(01:11:44):
So keep all those things in mind.

Speaker 5 (01:11:46):
All right, let's start with some critical Week five injuries
beginning in New York.

Speaker 18 (01:11:53):
Yes, oh my goodness. Actually, let's start with tonight's game. O.
I shifted that on your sense the notes, because I mean,
we got to talk about the forty nine ers. It's
the indur your report.

Speaker 13 (01:12:02):
It should all be tonight.

Speaker 18 (01:12:06):
There's no Brock party, there's no Juwan Jennings, there's no
Ricky pearsall. It's Christian McCaffrey.

Speaker 4 (01:12:12):
Time and pray and hope.

Speaker 18 (01:12:14):
But they're almost ten point dogs, so the forty nine
ers very dicey this week.

Speaker 4 (01:12:18):
You mentioned the Giants.

Speaker 18 (01:12:19):
The buzz kill of the week with Malik Neighbors and
suffering that gruesome knee injury ending his season. Right when
the Giants get their young quarterback off the bench and
things are looking exciting Giants fans, I mean they can
relate to U S Bengal fans, I think quite a bunch.
But fantasy managers dealing with life without him turn to
guys like Darius Layton whatnot. But Tyreek Hill another season

(01:12:42):
ending injury there, so he's.

Speaker 4 (01:12:44):
Out for the Dolphins.

Speaker 18 (01:12:45):
And my wife, Kelly, you think you got it most
she had Molik Neighbors and Tyreek kill on.

Speaker 4 (01:12:49):
Oh, it was a rough week for her.

Speaker 13 (01:12:53):
Rough week.

Speaker 18 (01:12:53):
If you're waiting on Terry mclaughin two, I'm not sure
the Commanders.

Speaker 4 (01:12:55):
Are getting that wide out back. They are trending.

Speaker 18 (01:12:58):
Though, to get back quarterback Jayden Dangles with his knee issue.
So we get one of the best fantasy quarterbacks back,
right when we lose one of the best fantasy quarterbacks
and if not the best fantasy quarterback Lamar Jackson out
this week, probably multiple weeks with this knee issue.

Speaker 4 (01:13:11):
I think he sits.

Speaker 18 (01:13:12):
Out through the by I don't think we'll see him
until week nine. Bucky Irving, the running back we're all
keeping our eyes on. Doesn't look like a serious long
term issue, but I don't expect him to play this week.
You can miss multiple weeks as you're getting second opinions
on his acorn foot issue. Juba Hubbard he didn't practice today.
That's two days in a row for the Panthers. I'm
starting to get.

Speaker 13 (01:13:31):
Worried about his status.

Speaker 18 (01:13:32):
Let's check that Friday injury report, Freeco Daddle. With all
these injuries and all these buys, If Choopa Hubbert's out,
this guy's a starting RB two potentially. Joe Mixon doesn't
look I keep coming back at all this season. I
don't know what happened there, Mode, but I do know
if he's sitting on your fantasy bench, you can go
ahead and cut him. With Marx has arisen in that
Texans back so really like the rookie guy j Spears.

(01:13:55):
He's trending in the right direction towards the return.

Speaker 4 (01:13:57):
Might not be this week, but hopefully soon.

Speaker 18 (01:13:59):
With the ankle, there's the Titans can use him and
Brailin out and the Jet's gonna be without him.

Speaker 4 (01:14:03):
He's placed on IR.

Speaker 18 (01:14:04):
I expect Breife Hall to get more volumes, so he's
definitely seeing his fantasy stock on the rise.

Speaker 5 (01:14:10):
Dan Klaskins is with us on Twitter at Dan Klaskin's
host of Fantastics Insider Football on Serious XEM Fantasy, Give
me your week five studs, duds and sleepers.

Speaker 18 (01:14:23):
Yes, sir, Let's finish and start here with our studs.
Marion Hampton. I am a little concerned. The Charger is
going to be without left tackle Joe Walt, so that
is problematic. They're already without their right tackle as well.
But man, with je Harris out for the season, it's
volume and that's what I like here for Hampton, he
had a twenty five plus fantasy points last week. I
expected to get close to twenty again this week. Versus

(01:14:45):
the Commanders George Pickens also benefiting from injury Ceedee Lambs out.

Speaker 4 (01:14:50):
He's really stepped up big.

Speaker 18 (01:14:52):
Time for the Cowboys. The former Steeler really haven't heard
a lot about his locker room problem seeing any of
the antics Alsborthkyan's production. He's a top ten fantasy wide
this week.

Speaker 13 (01:15:00):
In the game.

Speaker 18 (01:15:01):
I expect to be fool of fireworks for fantasy between
Dallas and the Jets. On the dud side, I know
bo Nicks look like he should be in the Hall
of Fame when he played against.

Speaker 4 (01:15:09):
The Bengals on Monday night, but I don't.

Speaker 18 (01:15:11):
Expect the same results in Philadelphia where they actually have
a defense. Bo Knicks outside my top fifteen this week,
which means all of his passing targets down there as well.
Outside the JK Dobbins. Not really trusting too many Broncos
in my starting lineup. We're gonna sit te Higgins. I
don't need to tell you why. It's pretty obvious you
need a quarterback to have a receiver. T Higgins now

(01:15:32):
outside my top forty, which is really disappointing for what
was a third round pick. He needs to play his
way back into your lineups. And some sleepers. Love me
some Matthew Stafford tonight. I don't think it's going to
be huge numbers, but I do got him in.

Speaker 4 (01:15:46):
The top fifteen.

Speaker 18 (01:15:47):
I looked for him to throw for multiple scores the
defense with them they Bosa also banged up for the
forty nine ers, and love me some cans STATFHO loved
this dude when he was at Arizona State. Didn't get
enough shares of him in season long, But now with
the Giants back to belonging to him and him alone,
be it is in my top ten this week, actually
number twelve, So he's ad RB one this week versus
the Saints, who are better than any think it's going

(01:16:10):
to be a pretty good game here. I actually think
Skataboo ends up with twenty plus touches. That certainly makes
him fantasy valuable.

Speaker 5 (01:16:16):
Dan Klaskins is with us to talk about fantasy football. Also,
you're involved with something coming up on Saturday, November the eighth,
which will help honor America's veterans.

Speaker 18 (01:16:26):
Yeah, definitely, mo. I want to tell people about our
DAV five K. It's coming back. It's fourteenth annual year.
We're super excited about it. As you said, Saturday November
eighth at the Banks in Cincinnati. It's a race, walk,
a role all honoring America's veterans. And you can't make
it in person, you can still take part virtually all
November one wherever you are. The DAV five K supports
DAV We're a nonprofit here locally, but we help more

(01:16:50):
than a million veterans every year in life changing way
through our pre programs and services.

Speaker 4 (01:16:54):
It's really more than a race.

Speaker 18 (01:16:55):
It's way just to thank the man and women have
served our country.

Speaker 4 (01:16:58):
And if you want to learn more, sign up.

Speaker 18 (01:17:00):
We'd love to have you there at dav five k
dot org. The website to.

Speaker 5 (01:17:03):
Do it, Saturday, November the eighth, dav five k dot org.

Speaker 7 (01:17:08):
Well chat next week. Thanks so much.

Speaker 4 (01:17:11):
All right, I hope you the best of luck playing skinny.
Somebody's got a way you gots. You gotta end up.

Speaker 7 (01:17:16):
Pie, probably tie.

Speaker 5 (01:17:18):
Probably, That's that's how my life works. Yeah, yeah, well
we'll see Dan. Thanks so much. Dan Klaskins follow on
Twitter at Dan Klaskins. Dylan Dingler a solo homer in
the top of the sixth inning for the Detroit Tigers,
giving them a two to one lead over Cleveland Game three,
decisive Game three of that AL Wildcard Series.

Speaker 7 (01:17:39):
Cubs and Padres getting underway.

Speaker 5 (01:17:41):
At the top of the hour, Brendiman and Jones on
baseball for the final time this year.

Speaker 8 (01:17:45):
Next Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

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Speaker 5 (01:18:41):
Minutes and somebody told me, Hi, what's up late forty hour?
This is ESPN fifteen thirty A bow egger, thanks for listening.
It's the bud Light five o'clock happy hour. You know,
Bengals pep Rally bomps O show on Fridays. So this
is my Friday, so this is my last hour. That

(01:19:03):
well working Saturday and Sunday because that's what we do
in this business, and I'd have it no other way. Still,
bud Light five o'clock. Hap Yet you can go for
a nice cold bud Light right now. Probably we'll have
a few tonight Sports night too. He got the baseball,
got an interesting Thursday night football game despite all the
San Francisco's injuries. Bud Light, easy to drink, easy to enjoy.

(01:19:26):
Jay Morrison coming up in just a few minutes. We'll
spend a few minutes on the Bengals with him. I
didn't get a chance to get to this last hour,
but I do want to go back to December of
twenty nineteen and compared to what we saw on Monday
night that here, in just a bit, we have put
a bow on the Red season, which you know, they

(01:19:47):
always faced a very uphill battle and beating the Dodgers,
they were gonna have to play completely clean in the field.

Speaker 7 (01:19:54):
They did not.

Speaker 5 (01:19:55):
I thought that series was compromised when Nicko Lodolo had
to pitch in Game one sixty two. I thought it
took a nose dive when Hunter Green just did not
show up in Game one, and I thought the final
straw came in the sixth inning when they loaded the
bases down by one and couldn't get a run in,
with Elie de la Cruz fanning to end the six inning.
I also thought the Red's bottom of the order allowed
Yoshi Yamamoto to really kind of settle down after that

(01:20:19):
rough first inning. And the rough first inning was a
byproduct of an error by ti Oscar Hernandez. But I thought,
you know, once the Red score two runs, you could
feel Yamamoto settling in, and I think the offensive issues
at the bottom of the order allowed him to settle in.
And so now we look ahead, you know, like Sal Stewart,

(01:20:40):
you can't help but wonder what does the make of
it this team look like had they called him up earlier.
And that is a player who you're obviously excited to
be on the team next year. But like where like
one of the things that happened this season that totally
killed them was Christian and Karnasi on Strand. I don't
even want to say turn into a pumpkin, just that

(01:21:00):
may be what he is, a four to a player,
a bench bat like he was by now supposed to
be like the starting first basement of this team maybe
getting some Djack bats. So what they do at first base,
your guess is as good as mine. Maybe it's going
to be Sal Stewart. His natural position, if you will,
is third base. You have an offensive zero out there.

(01:21:22):
And I asked this after the trade deadline. Look keep
Brian Hayes. I kind of wish he would have charged
that ball he let just roll over to third base
last night. But as a defensive player was magnificent. But
how good does his defense have to be for you
to put that bat in the lineup every day when
it gives you next to nothing? So this team has

(01:21:44):
to be better offensively next year. Do you just go
into the offseason thinking third base is going to be
an offensive zero?

Speaker 7 (01:21:50):
Really?

Speaker 5 (01:21:52):
So you can make a case that they need a
whole new outfield. You can make a case they need
something different than what they have right now with both
corner infield spots. They have to get better production from
second base, they have to find protection for behind Ellie,
and they need more guys on base in front of Ellie.
Ellie himself has to perform better. I would really like

(01:22:14):
to think that next year we're not talking about where
he plays anymore because it's settled. Either he's a good, big,
leading shortstop who doesn't make as many errors, or he's
playing somewhere else. Like, there's still a lot of uncertainty.
So they made the postseason. That's not insignificant, that's tangible
proof of progress. It was a fun ride in September.

(01:22:37):
But to go from where they are to what they
need to be is going to require some work and
some really tough decisions. And we'll see if this front
office is up to the task. Eleven minutes after five o'clock,
we have folks waiting. I don't want to make them
wait any longer. Mike, go ahead. You're on ESPN fifteen
thirty and I gotsh small.

Speaker 7 (01:22:59):
For Can you take me off the speakerphone please?

Speaker 13 (01:23:03):
Oh it's not that.

Speaker 19 (01:23:04):
I was just coming back from the bathroom. I apologize. Hey,
thanks for putting me on. I appreciate.

Speaker 14 (01:23:12):
Well.

Speaker 5 (01:23:13):
Yeah, looking at your emails, you've seem like you've been
such a fan of the show so far that I
couldn't wait any longer.

Speaker 19 (01:23:19):
Yeah, you know, I'm a big sam though. I congratulated
Tony on his ACE anniversary today, but I said, hey, Tom,
I've been talking to Mo on the radio since two
thy ten. Sure, so he got a little ground.

Speaker 13 (01:23:40):
You got to make up.

Speaker 19 (01:23:41):
Derek cowboys on his way.

Speaker 7 (01:23:43):
He and Austin are both on their way.

Speaker 19 (01:23:46):
Yeah, he was a little bit disgruntled today, but you know,
like that's why, Hey, U, you were talking to that
guy earlier about the salary cap and stuff, and I
bet you're I've bet you are in the camp of
thank God for Kirk Flood, right, thank you, thank you.

(01:24:07):
I know people know what that means.

Speaker 7 (01:24:09):
Should should be, should be in the Hall of Fame.

Speaker 19 (01:24:13):
Yep, great center fielder.

Speaker 5 (01:24:15):
Very very good player, but the central figure in bringing
free agency to baseball and subsequently all the professional sports.

Speaker 13 (01:24:23):
Yep.

Speaker 19 (01:24:25):
You can't getting back to the series tonight. You can't lose.
You can't give up eighteen rounds and two dams and
most anybody. And that's what's so perplexing, though, is that's
what we had our hopes riding on. Was it was
the pitching. And that's what got Niece of doggone frustrated?

Speaker 3 (01:24:47):
What what?

Speaker 19 (01:24:49):
What were you mad or just disappointed or how did
you feel about it?

Speaker 5 (01:24:52):
I don't think mad is the right word. I was
I was disappointed. I can't say that I was stunned,
you know again, like on Sunday when I saw Nikolodolo
jogging in from the bullpen, My thought was, Okay, that's fine,
You've got to manage today thinking about today and nothing else.
But that is probably gonna hurt their chances of winning

(01:25:14):
Game two. And it's a best of free series, right,
you know, you can only lose twice, So that that
amplified to me at least, that amplified the pressure on
Hunter Green, and he just wasn't up to it. I mean,
you know, Hunter, you know what a big fan I am.
You know what I think he has meant to this
team this year. But if they were going to beat
the LA Dodgers twice, chances are those games we're going

(01:25:36):
to be three to two or four to three, a
low scoring game.

Speaker 7 (01:25:41):
They were not going to win a slug fest.

Speaker 5 (01:25:42):
Hunter Green throwing batting practice on Tuesday night meant that
the only way the Reds were going to win that
game was going to be via slugfest. And that's that's
not how they're built, and it's not how they're built
against the team that can run at you. Blake Snell
and Yoshinobo Yamamoto now the Dodgers' bullpen is a mess,
which is I think at some point going to catch
up to him here in the postseason. But the way,

(01:26:04):
the way the Reds had a chance was they're starting pitching.
The starting pitching basically, uh remove them from having a
chance against the Dodgers well going forward.

Speaker 19 (01:26:15):
And I hate I know you hate to talk about
this because I do it too. Okay, next year, next year?
What are we gonna do next year?

Speaker 11 (01:26:22):
Next year?

Speaker 19 (01:26:22):
I've heard you say this, You you get aggravated with
that pold next year crap.

Speaker 7 (01:26:29):
But I but I don't now.

Speaker 5 (01:26:30):
I don't now, because that's where the conversation should go,
like what do they do that's better?

Speaker 7 (01:26:34):
What do they do that's next?

Speaker 19 (01:26:36):
But we got to get a We've got to figure
out a way to get a legit home run hitter, right,
everybody knows it. And and do you and do you
think our pitching staff, for as good as it is,
it's just still a little bit young and we could
use uh, well singers on you. I'm just wondering that
in his playoffs, it looks like if we had a second,

(01:26:58):
more season starter you see it after Hunter's lost, Yeah,
I could be totally wrong, But what do you think you.

Speaker 7 (01:27:06):
Can never have enough pitching.

Speaker 5 (01:27:08):
I think though, that the pathway to get a bat
more likely involves I think them trading from one of
their trading from their surplus of pitching and moving one
of those guys. They need a guy who can hit
the ball out of the ballpark, and if Sal Stewart
can be one of those guys, awesome. I don't know
that you can turn down the opportunity to get a

(01:27:29):
thumper because you think Sal Stewart, who's been in the
big leagues for a month is going to hit thirty
home runs for you. But they just need better offense
top to bottom. It's not like they were a great
team getting on base. Their two hole production this year
was the worst in the sport. That was supposed to
be Matt McClain. That's got to be fixed because, yeah,
you want a guy who can hit the ball out

(01:27:50):
of the ballpark, but I don't want thirty solo home runs.
You want more traffic on the base pass. I think
they have to figure out what they want to be
in terms of their offensive identity, because they stop stealing
bases this year below league average and stolen base rate
they were below league averaging on base percentage, They were
below league averaging home runs. So it's one thing if
you're you know what, we don't have a thumper, but

(01:28:12):
we're gonna be more aggressive on the bases.

Speaker 7 (01:28:13):
We're gonna run more.

Speaker 5 (01:28:14):
We've got a lot of high on base percentage guys.
Neither ended up being the case this year, and so
I'm kind of curious, all right, who's your thumper that's
gonna protect Ellie? But are they gonna have more guys
who are good at getting on base next season? Are
they gonna have better production from the two spot?

Speaker 7 (01:28:30):
Can they move.

Speaker 5 (01:28:31):
Forward with the lack of outfield productivity we saw this
year where you know, Austin Hayes was okay, but you
can do better than that.

Speaker 7 (01:28:40):
TJ. Friedel's a nice player. You can do better than that.

Speaker 5 (01:28:44):
God knows they can do better than the production they
got topped about him in right field? Is Noel ve
Marte really the answer out there? Does he plays center field?
Are they gonna have more depth where we're not watching
Jacob Hurdabees and Blake don in a revolving door of
like you know, for a play in the outfield, like
there's there's some really really important things that have to
be addressed. But I'm with you. I think you start

(01:29:06):
with a guy who can hit it out of the yard.
But I'm not sure that by itself is the only
remedy for their offense.

Speaker 19 (01:29:15):
You know what I was thinking, the reincarnation of Kevin Mitchell.

Speaker 5 (01:29:19):
Well, Kevin Mitchell fortunately is not dead, so we don't
need the reincarnation. But yes, I would take a guy. Mike,
thank you was always I gonna run Iould. I would
take some version of that. It goes without saying Jay
Morrison next to ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 8 (01:29:32):
Thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from.

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Speaker 2 (01:30:06):
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Speaker 8 (01:30:10):
This is Football in the Natti, brought to you in
part by Postman Law and Vice Skyline Chile on ESPN
fifteen thirty to the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 5 (01:30:22):
Jane Morrison joins us on Thursdays Bengals Talk dot Com,
also part of the Growler Podcast with Paul Dayner Junior.
If if you want to read something really sobering, god
to Bengals Talk dot Com and.

Speaker 7 (01:30:37):
Read about what the Bengals are in jeopardy of doing.

Speaker 5 (01:30:41):
If they get beaten by the Detroit Lions on Sunday,
which pretty much everybody thinks is going to happen. So
let's Jay. It's nice to have you as always. So
in the aftermath of Monday night, I guess the question
is now what.

Speaker 20 (01:30:55):
Get back on the horse, get back to work, And
I mean there's no other answer. This is ah, this
is not the kind of game you can put your
head down and pout and they've they've got to come out.
It's been interesting. I was I was really interested to see,
you know, yesterday they had a night walk through and
they were free to go after that. They had had
all their meetings done and everything. And so by the

(01:31:16):
time Jake Browning was done with his press conference, we
walked in the locker room into Ghost Down. Nobody's in there.
They'd all gone home for the night. So today was
really the first day we got a chance to kind
of take the pulse of the locker room and talk
to some of the leaders. And it was it was
it was what you would want to see. And hear
Jamar talking about addressing the team after the loss and

(01:31:39):
telling people we want to see them get mad and
angry and and not just take the loss. And Ted
Carris was pretty about as animated as I've seen him
since since he's been here. Whether that translates to Sunday,
I don't know, but it does seem like they are
in the right state of mind.

Speaker 19 (01:31:55):
You get the same turn around.

Speaker 7 (01:31:56):
Who are the leaders of the team on defense?

Speaker 20 (01:32:00):
Yeah, that's a great question. I mean, Logan Wilson is
just he's been here for a long time, he's respected.
He's maybe not playing like the kind of what you
would expect from a leader. You know, he's getting a
little bit older, but that there is a major absence
there on that side of the ball. I mean, they

(01:32:22):
voted Trey Hendrickson a captain, but he's just kind of
in his own little world and I don't know what
he's like in meetings and that type of thing, but
he's he's not the one that's working in the locker room.
He's rarely in the locker room when we're in there,
and I think that's more.

Speaker 11 (01:32:36):
Product of us than his teammates, but it is. That's
that's an area where they are lacking. And that's another thing,
just not not just defense, but everybody focuses on what
Joe Burrow can do as the player and the loss
of him in that regard, but he's the one guy
that was the vocal guy that was getting in guys'

(01:32:58):
faces and really stepped into that role, and losing him
in that role as a leader, it's almost as important
as losing him on the field as a player. So
there's there's some voids there and they're looking for guys
to step up.

Speaker 20 (01:33:10):
And I'm not sure, you know, we kind of talked
about on the podcast today, who do you want to
build around on that defense? There's not a lot of
answers how.

Speaker 5 (01:33:20):
Long is Jake Browning's leash, whether it be in terms
of finding a guy from elsewhere, or just seeing if
Brett Rippon could do any better.

Speaker 20 (01:33:31):
Well, if it's the latter, If it's if your answer
is gonna be Brett RiPP and I think the leash
is a little bit longer. If it's going out and
getting someone somewhere else, I think it's it's shorter. I
think it's something they have to be open to, especially
if Sunday looks like the last two weeks. Now, if

(01:33:51):
they come out and they getting a shootout with the
Lions and they still lose, I think that changes things.
But if this offense is as dreadful as it's been
the last two weeks on Sunday, I think they really
have to start considering it because at some point you
wait too long. If they don't beat Detroit.

Speaker 11 (01:34:06):
Does anybody think they're going to go to Green Bay
and win? Does anybody have a lot of confidence they're
going to beat Pittsburgh all of a sudden, you're.

Speaker 13 (01:34:12):
Two and five.

Speaker 20 (01:34:13):
Is it worth it at that point to give up
assets and try to go get a quarterback and get
somebody in here and get this thing turned around. If
they're gonna go out and get somebody else, it needs
to happen soon and Sunday might be the determining factor.

Speaker 7 (01:34:25):
I think that's the fear.

Speaker 13 (01:34:27):
You know.

Speaker 5 (01:34:27):
I think a lot of us came out of that
Denver game not so much thinking about all right, you know,
how do they survive these next few weeks? But but
how bad? How bad is this going to get? And
if it gets as bad as we all fear, what's
what's that going to mean for coach? What's what's that
going to mean for the staff? What's that going to
mean for the direction of this organization?

Speaker 20 (01:34:48):
Yeah, it's there's gonna be some tough questions. Because we
talked about it even last year when they fired Lou
that you only get to do that once. Blow it up,
find escapegoat. If things go south this year, it could
be Zach on the chopping block. And I don't know
that he gets a path with Burrow being heard because
they've he's already proven it once. He had a winning

(01:35:09):
record when Burrow got hurt two years ago. So if
this thing goes super south, I do think that he
would be in jeopardy of not coming back. I don't
think it's going to happen in the mid season. It
makes no sense. There's nobody on this staff with head
coaching experience. You're not going to be better by by
promoting a rookie head coach. And even if it's like it,
it was someone like dam Pitcher. He's never even been

(01:35:30):
a play caller before. So I don't think anything's going
to happen in season. But if this thing does go
the way a lot of people see it going, then
there could be a change at the end of the year.

Speaker 5 (01:35:39):
This is this is not the conversation I thought we'd
be having right now about a month ago.

Speaker 7 (01:35:46):
Jay awesome as always, man, Thanks so much.

Speaker 13 (01:35:49):
Okay, thank him.

Speaker 5 (01:35:50):
That's our man, Jay Morrison read them Bengals Talk dot
com and part of the Growler podcast with Paul Daaner Junior.

Speaker 7 (01:35:57):
I believe we are guests free the rest of the way.

Speaker 5 (01:35:59):
Fine, I have won three seven four nine, fifteen thirty
and eight sixty six seven two three seven seven six.
We do have a pole question or pole questions come
your way. They're on Twitter thanks to United Heartland Insurance.
You know it's it's October Q four Q four, as
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(01:36:22):
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name it well, United Heartland Insurance can help you save
boatloads of money. Find out more uhi ns dot com.
Considering the entire body of work, regular season and postseason,
how would you assess Terry Francona's job performance this season?

Speaker 11 (01:36:46):
Great?

Speaker 7 (01:36:46):
All right? Not good? Or awful? Right now? Alright leads
the way with sixty four percent. Vote Now at mullger here,
I'll retweet myself. I might pin it.

Speaker 5 (01:37:00):
No sports headlines and looking back on December twenty nineteen.

Speaker 8 (01:37:04):
Next, you've been listening to football in the NATI brought
to you by Cincinnati Tax Resolution powered by Tofe Sheldon
on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty Traffic.

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Speaker 3 (01:37:58):
Did someone say cat fight? Sorry, that's the first thing
that came into my mind. Well, let's move on. Detroit
rolls into Cincinnati to take on our beloved Bengals. Will
the Orange and Black send the Lions back up I
seventy five with their tail between their legs? Catch the
goal live from Dan Hoord and Dave Lapon. Coverage starts
Sunday at twelve node stream for free on the new

(01:38:20):
and improved iHeartRadio app or ESPN fifteen thirty, the official
home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 5 (01:38:28):
Our headlines are a service to Kelsey's Chevrolet Home of
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Speaker 7 (01:38:40):
The Bengals are getting.

Speaker 5 (01:38:41):
Sent to play the Detroit Lions in a game that
does not feel like a Super Bowl preview. It'll kick
off at four to twenty five Sunday. You just heard
the guy with the deep voice. Pregame coverage with me
and Tony at the Holy Grail starting at noon. You
want to injury report, here you go. Charlie Jones, now
go again, Shamar Stewart, No go again, no offense full,
which is good news coming out of concussion protocol. BJ

(01:39:02):
Hill limited, Daxhill that they're saying rest and knee non
injury related limited today, Matt Lee limited as well. The
Roundtable Show tonight at six from Long Necks Richwood on
seven hundred w WELW starring Lance and Rocky. Thursday Night
Football Tonight, Rams and Niners that is on Fox Sports.

(01:39:23):
Thirteen to sixty wheels have come off for the Guardians
in Cleveland Detroit, putting a four spot on the board
in the seventh inning, and Tigers lead Game three, the
final game of that series six' to, One guardians coming
to the plate in the bottom of the. Eighth winner
of that game will take on The Seattle mariners in
The Alds padres And cubs playing right now At Wrigley,

(01:39:46):
field bottom.

Speaker 7 (01:39:47):
Two The cubs.

Speaker 5 (01:39:49):
Lead The cubs do not lead the game of, scoreless
but The cubs have guys on second and.

Speaker 7 (01:39:52):
Third nobody.

Speaker 5 (01:39:53):
Out winner of that series advances to Play milwaukee And
The yankees And Red sox played tonight In New.

Speaker 7 (01:39:59):
York first pitch at eight.

Speaker 5 (01:40:01):
Pm, obviously the winner of that series, advances and we'll
take on The Toronto Blue. Jays there you, go, uh
you AND i the rest of the. Way, wow we
have full, lines. Unbelievable try to get, everybody everybody we can. In,
bob go, ahead thanks for hanging.

Speaker 7 (01:40:18):
On what's?

Speaker 9 (01:40:19):
Up?

Speaker 13 (01:40:20):
Hey?

Speaker 19 (01:40:20):
Well how you?

Speaker 11 (01:40:21):
Doing i'm.

Speaker 7 (01:40:21):
Wonderful how about?

Speaker 11 (01:40:22):
Yourself, well actually. GOOD i just kind of out of
the hospital day or so, ago But i'm. Doing what's going?

Speaker 21 (01:40:29):
On?

Speaker 7 (01:40:29):
Man is everything?

Speaker 11 (01:40:30):
Okay, yeah everything's. GOOD i had a low blood sugar.
Thing i've had diabetes for fifty, years but gotcha one
smart enough to catch on with. It but, no everything's good. Man,
Hey first, off tomorrow, NIGHT i Got Eric Church Buddy.

Speaker 7 (01:40:46):
Refereena, Yeah i'm. JEALOUS i WISH i was, going.

Speaker 11 (01:40:50):
Well we we'd love to see you, there BUT i
wish well listen to him.

Speaker 4 (01:40:57):
INSTEAD i.

Speaker 5 (01:40:58):
UNDERSTAND i. WISH i WISH i was my original plan
when that show was. ANNOUNCEMENT i would be there tomorrow,
night but other obligations have pulled me in that.

Speaker 11 (01:41:09):
DIRECTION i got, you, hey you guys were talking About
Kurt flood a few minutes, ago and of, course being
a former, CARDINAL i have some fond memories Of Kurt.
Flood but the guy who really needs to be in
The hall Of FAME mo is a guy who's still talked,
about probably more than any ballplayer on a regular basis than.

(01:41:31):
Anyone and his name Is Tommy. John For Tommy John
surgery won two and eighty eight games in his career
mode to eighty. Eight you will have no argument for
me for just the surgery, ALONE i mean the you,

(01:41:51):
know the guts to have that thing done and all that.
Stuff i'm, like my, god how was that guy not
in pitch twenty six?

Speaker 5 (01:42:00):
Seasons Tommy john aded dramatically in the mid seventies By
Tommy John surgery pitched until he was forty six years
old and pitched. Effectively he was An All. Star he's
a guy who never gave up home. RUNS i should
probably well know don't care too much about pitcher wins and,

(01:42:20):
losses but he does have two hundred and eighty eight.
Wins as you, MENTIONED i would have us.

Speaker 11 (01:42:27):
It meant a whole lot more back in those days.

Speaker 7 (01:42:29):
Too there's pitchers pitch deeper into.

Speaker 11 (01:42:31):
Games, Absolutely Bob gibson has more complete games than he has. Losses,
Yes but you know, what you guys were talking about
one other, thing and it made me think about the
year That Trent green went down with the injury for The,
rams and they brought up this guy Named Kurt warner

(01:42:56):
who turned out to be pretty. Good it was, okay, yes, yeah,
Yeah AND i you, KNOW i know that's one of
those rare things that happened that that you, know, nobody
nobody ever sees.

Speaker 5 (01:43:11):
Coming but my, Favorite, bob my favorite Non bengals team
of all time was the greatest show on. TURF i
love that. Era, YEAH i love that. Era you, know
they played The. Bengals in, fact it was tomorrow's twenty
six years ago. Tomorrow they played a game At Riverfront
stadium early in the. Season Kurt warner kind of an,

(01:43:31):
unknown AND i Remember Aza keem jumping over. DUDES i
Remember Isaac bruce AND i remember going like this is
this is a brand of Football i've never seen.

Speaker 7 (01:43:39):
Before and that stretch which was fleeting.

Speaker 5 (01:43:42):
Right it was basically three, years you, know played one
to One Super, bowl lost the First Brady Super bowl
to The patriots at the end of the all one.
Season that is my favorite Non bengals team of all.
Time like, that that era of football with the greatest
show on turf In Saint louis was just unlike ANYTHING
i had ever.

Speaker 11 (01:43:59):
Seen HE, amo, here, listen listen to this. Story. Man
this is the first year THAT i worked for The. Titans,
okay nineteen ninety. Nine, yeah and the fourth or fifth
game of the year we played The rams In nashville
and The titans, Won and of course that year the

(01:44:20):
two met in The Super. Bowl and HERE i, am
my first of ten years with The, titans And i'm
rooting for The.

Speaker 7 (01:44:28):
Rams you, were you were rooting against the, team you,
were absolutely.

Speaker 11 (01:44:33):
Yeah but you, KNOW i mean did your co workers know?

Speaker 19 (01:44:37):
That?

Speaker 11 (01:44:39):
Uh, well you know, WHAT i only worked really with
THE pa, Guy, okay so he knew, It but you,
know beyond, HIM i, mean there weren't there weren't here
in the course of the. Game you talk to a
few folks here and, there and you, know people you'd
meet before and, afterwards but.

Speaker 13 (01:44:57):
You, know beyond, That, no not, really but BUT i,
UH i.

Speaker 11 (01:45:04):
Always thought that that was one of the funnier things that.
HERE i am working for these guys and rooting for
those other.

Speaker 5 (01:45:11):
GUYS i WOULD i would imagine that in the in THE,
uh in the in the, profession in the industry of pro,
sports that happens on a somewhat regular. BASIS, BOM i gonna, run,
man thanks so. Much all, right well, thanks all, right
have a have a great, day have a great. Weekend, Uh,
josh go, ahead you're ON espn fifteen. Thirty, Hi, josh.

Speaker 19 (01:45:33):
It's good to talk to.

Speaker 7 (01:45:34):
YOU i, Worry i'm wonderful. YOURSELF i can't.

Speaker 19 (01:45:37):
Complain i'll say seven out of, Ten, okay not, bad
they not.

Speaker 18 (01:45:42):
Bad.

Speaker 21 (01:45:42):
Yeah the couple of things, here THE uh the guy
that called, earlier he was making some really good points
about the.

Speaker 13 (01:45:50):
Salary.

Speaker 21 (01:45:50):
CAT i tend to side with you and THAT i
don't think that's the. ANSWER a couple of THINGS i
would do to try to make, it, HONESTLY i would
institute a salary floor like THE nfl. Has that, way
you don't get teams like The marlin spending sixty seven
million on their roster and Then dodgers spending you know,

(01:46:11):
whatever they spent upwards of three hundred.

Speaker 11 (01:46:13):
Million there needs to be a.

Speaker 10 (01:46:15):
Floor it can be.

Speaker 19 (01:46:19):
Done you can win in a small.

Speaker 21 (01:46:21):
Market The Kansas City royals did it ten years. Ago
you have to, draft you have to, Develop you have
to have an ownership group that cares about, winning which
in The red, CASE i don't think they, do considering
the ownership of the team looked you in the face
a few years ago and said they weren't.

Speaker 4 (01:46:38):
Interested so.

Speaker 11 (01:46:42):
But it can be.

Speaker 21 (01:46:42):
DONE i don't think the cap is the big issue.
Here LIKE i, SAID i would institute a salary floor
and correct me If i'm. Wrong don't the individual teams
in baseball have to negotiate their own media, Deals.

Speaker 7 (01:46:55):
Yes Which Rob manford to a large degree is trying to.

Speaker 5 (01:46:58):
Change And i'm not sure that's a bad, thing but,
yes Major League, baseball that needs to be.

Speaker 21 (01:47:03):
Changed, yeah because you need you need to be able
to get one big deal and then split the loop.
Evenly because The reds in The valley situation that that
has hampered.

Speaker 5 (01:47:12):
Us uh, sure, YEAH i, mean when when you've had
and the regional sports network model has had better, Days
we'll put it that. Way but when you have you,
know the The yankees and The mets and and others
who can start.

Speaker 7 (01:47:27):
Their own television networks.

Speaker 5 (01:47:30):
And and and collect all that, money all the revenue
from owning those television networks are at least a part of.

Speaker 13 (01:47:35):
It it.

Speaker 7 (01:47:36):
Does it widens the.

Speaker 5 (01:47:38):
Gap it widens the gap that was already there between
a big market and small.

Speaker 21 (01:47:42):
MARKET i understand that's the bigger issue to me is
in the cap you, know things like that.

Speaker 19 (01:47:48):
Switching.

Speaker 21 (01:47:49):
Gears as far as The, BENGALS i know J morrison
just kind of hit on. It i'm truly afraid that
ownership is going to give each more time under the
guise of, well got injured.

Speaker 7 (01:48:02):
FEELING i think that fear is uh is.

Speaker 5 (01:48:06):
LEGITIMATE i Think Joe burrow getting injured and not being
available Cuts Zach taylor some. Slack it does not give
him a, pass at least for. Me you, know you
you could acknowledge that you don't have the quarterback you
want that limits your ability to, win but that doesn't
excuse you for having your team unprepared and what or

(01:48:27):
not having solutions to problems that other teams or that
your your team itself. Presents h and, so like WHAT
i watched On monday, Night Tony pike has done a
marvelous job of pointing out Where Jake browning's deficiencies cost the.
Team he has to play, better and it is completely
fair to wonder would they be better with almost anybody,

(01:48:49):
else but remove that from. It that team On monday
night looked. UNPREPARED i think the worst thing you could
say about an athlete is that he or she quit in,
Competition AND i think the worst thing you could say
about a coach is that his or her team is.
Unprepared WHAT i saw On monday was a horrible reflection
Of Zach, taylor AND i.

Speaker 21 (01:49:09):
Think they've given up on the. MAN i, Mean Jamar
chase said it himself in the post. GAME i, mean
you don't make comments like that IF i think he's
lost the locker.

Speaker 7 (01:49:16):
ROOM i Think.

Speaker 11 (01:49:19):
James.

Speaker 21 (01:49:19):
RIGHT i, MEAN i don't think they're going to fire
a mid, season although there's plenty of owners of. WOULD
i just feel like he's going to get a. Pass
it sure looks more and more game and game. Like
burrow is fighting a lot of coaching. Deficiencies it's becoming very.

Speaker 5 (01:49:38):
Apparent, yeah coaching, deficiencies roster, deficiencies front office, deficiencies AND
i just what they're doing is not. Sustainable it may
work in a given. Week it may work for a,
month it may work for an entire, season although it
didn't last. Year what they're doing putting everything on, him
which means he's got to stay. Healthy this is it's not. Sustainable,

(01:50:02):
josh thanks very, much.

Speaker 13 (01:50:05):
Thank.

Speaker 5 (01:50:05):
You you know there was a night twenty, TWENTY i
think BEFORE i accidentally MISTAKENLY i, SAID i guess said twenty,
nineteen twenty, Twenty Joe burrows rookie.

Speaker 7 (01:50:14):
Year he got hurt.

Speaker 5 (01:50:17):
And income The Pittsburgh steelers For Monday Night football on
an evening where we thought they were gonna get. Destroyed
The bengals came into that game with a record of
two ten and one and The steelers had a. Record
they were not entirely in free, fall but they were

(01:50:37):
starting to show. Cracks but that was a team at
that season at one point was eleven or. Zero they
lost a couple of games in a. Row then they
came To cincinnati to take On Ryan finley and The.
Bengals The bengals won that. Night Ryan finley wasn't great
by any remote stretch of the. Imagination he completed seven

(01:50:59):
pass but The bengals won the game twenty seven to.
Seventeen AND i remember that night Thinking bengals might have their.
Coach they were two and fourteen the year. Before they
were not very good that. Season they weren't great Before
joe got injured at the end Of. November BUT i

(01:51:20):
remember that game that night thinking they have a coach
who figured out away with nothing really to play, for
with the franchise still reeling from the aftermath Of joe
suffering an injury that ended his rookie season against a better,
team hall of fame coach on the other, sideline washed

(01:51:42):
up but hall of fame quarterback on the other, team
and they he figured out a way to piece together
a game plan that had the team ready to play that.
Night what they did On monday was the antithesis of,

(01:52:02):
that having a team handicap by not having their starting,
quarterback having a team handicap by a roster that just
doesn't have a lot of very good. Players there just
aren't a ton of. Them but a head coach who
before has found ways to piece together enough of a

(01:52:28):
plan and get his team just prepared enough to go
and compete could not do it On. Monday and so
when that happened in twenty, TWENTY i thought like they
got their. Guy seeing the exact opposite makes me think
they no longer have their. Guy so that's Why Zach

(01:52:49):
taylor's in my. Crossairs, yes cut him some slack for
not Having Joe. Burrow you get no slack for not
having your team. Prepared, actually When i've seen you do it,
Before i've seen you do it with. Less by the,
way they won the next week with a different. Quarterback
in twenty, TWENTY i remember thinking that year like that's
pretty damn good, coaching, Man like that's this team.

Speaker 7 (01:53:12):
Has zilch to play. For neither of these guys are
very good.

Speaker 5 (01:53:15):
Quarterbacks Ryan finley, NEVER i don't think he ever threw
a pass in ANOTHER nfl. Game i'm not sure he
ever appeared in AN nfl game after. That WHAT i
saw On monday night was the exact. Opposite WHAT i
saw In monday night was a coach that just threw
up his hands and had no. Answers now there's that
part of. It there's also the part where you look
at this roster is currently. Constructed they will take a

(01:53:36):
ton of heat For, hey look you Paid jamar and.
T one of my reasons for Paying tea was who
else you're gonna. Pay who else you're gonna give the money.
To who else are you stashing money aside to keep long?
Term look at this roster right. Now you might think
they've misappropriated money for T. Higgins you may think they're
silly for paying two wide. Receivers there's fair things to

(01:53:57):
be said about. That look at this team right. Now
who else are you putting aside money to? Keep look
at the last three draft?

Speaker 7 (01:54:04):
Classes.

Speaker 5 (01:54:05):
Huh you got a dude In Jermaine burton who never,
plays third round pick from last. Year get a guy McKinley,
jackson fourth round pick last, year never plays in a
whole slew of draft classes that have yielded next to.
Nothing so this ain't just About Zach. Taylor it certainly
ain't just about not Having Joe. Burrow it is also
about a roster that has all sorts of. Issues AND

(01:54:26):
i think the really frustrating thing is we knew what
some of those issues would be because we saw the
same players create the same issues last, year and those
players are back this. Year so, yeah, Man, zach, dude
you gotta have your team ready to. Go you've done
it before with. Less you didn't On. Monday, NOW i

(01:54:48):
wonder if you're the, Guy Duke. Tobyn you created, this
you put this team. Together you have a team full
of guys That i'm not sure have any foundational. Pieces
i'm supposed to trust you to get this fixed this
coming off season with The Joe burrow Clock ticken Oh,

(01:55:09):
man gotta, Go we're Back Monday twin peaks In, Westchester
tony AND mo football Show bengals Pep rally pushes us
out of the way. Tomorrow have a great. Weekend thank
you for. Listening anything you might have missed go find
on The iHeartRadio app and don't Forget we're The Holy
grail On Sunday tony AND i starting at noon Before Bengals.

(01:55:31):
Lions thanks To Tarren bland for Producing. TARRAN i hope
you enjoyed The. Wings have an awesome. Birthday thank you very.
Much have an awesome.

Speaker 7 (01:55:38):
Night have a great. Weekend this IS espn fifteen Thirty
Cincinnati Sports, Station.

Speaker 8 (01:55:47):
CINCINNATI'S espn fifteen Thirty traffic from.

Speaker 9 (01:55:52):
THE Uc Health Traffic. Center THE Uc Cancer center offers
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(01:56:15):
westbound two seventy, five another accident After Springfield pike that
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Speaker 2 (01:56:21):
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