12/18/25 - The Mo Egger Show w/ Chad Brendel

Chad Brendel filling in for Mo Egger talks Bengals, Bearcats Reds and More!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
This week, the Bengals and Dolphins meet up in Miami
for a South Beach showdown. Speaking of the beach, my
swimsuit of choice is a speedo European style. I don't
like those escape calves. The Bengals stool, the Dolphins get
the call live from Dan Lloyd and Dave Lapham. The

(00:20):
game kicks up a won VM with covered starting at
nine am Sunday. Stream for free are the new and
improved iHeartRadio app or ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home
of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
Here we go The Moulagger Show, hosted by not Mowagger
Chad Brenda filling in on a gloomy, chilly Thursday here
in the Queen City. Thank you as as always for

(01:13):
choosing me. I'll be here all afternoon. Tarren Bland on
the ones and two's Tarran and I both uh full full,
thanks as well. Once it's been a while, Tarran, Thanks
to our our folks at J and W Sandwich Shopping.

Speaker 4 (01:33):
Never disappoint never ever ever disciplined. I couldn't. I couldn't
hardly eat it.

Speaker 5 (01:40):
Yeah, you're a little bit more full than I am today.

Speaker 6 (01:42):
I mean it was huge. I had disciplined today.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
You did have discipline. You only ate half. That's the
thing about you know those double deckers. Once you start
the second half, like you got to eat it. You
can't just take a couple of bites out of the
second half and save that for later. You either eat
half and save half, or you eat the whole thing.
You went half seas today. I was pretty hungry. I

(02:07):
conquered the whole thing, feeling pretty good. But I also
feel like I could stretch out across this desk right
here and take a nap. That's all right. The good
news is things should be pretty lively today. A lot
to get to as winners go first, right, that's the
motto of this radio station.

Speaker 4 (02:26):
Winners go first, Aran Winners Go First.

Speaker 3 (02:29):
Cincinnati Bearcats with a win last night, albeit over a
by game opponent in Alabama State. But let's be honest,
Cincinnati hasn't exactly wowed in their by game opportunities this year.
They get this one eighty eight to fifty one, and

(02:49):
more importantly, the big news from last night, Gisel James
returns to the lineup for Cincinnati. Say what you will
about that situation. There's a lot, there's a lot to unpack.
There's a lot to discuss and dissect from everything that

(03:13):
happened this summer, to Gigsel James being removed from the program,
to Gisel James all of a sudden popping back up
around the program and then the path back onto the
floor last night. Was it handled right? Was it handled poorly?
There's a lot of opinions. I think most of those

(03:33):
opinions have validity to them on both sides of the conversation.
But it was really good to see Gisel James back
out there, smiling, having a good time with his teammates,
playing well, helping his team to a victory, a team

(03:53):
that going into the game was six and four. The
vibes weren't good around since Sinnati basketball leading up to
the game. They jump out to a fifty to twenty
five halftime lead, they cruised to an eighty eight to
fifty one victory. Anyway you slice it, I was happy

(04:16):
for Gisel James. Not only did he play well, but
it looked like there was normalcy return to his life.
He was having a good time on the bench with
Buck Harris and Dane Thomas. And if you followed this
situation closely, you know, there was a little bit of

(04:36):
bad blood between Gizsel and Buck Harris at the end
of at the end of the summer, there was it
was fair to question how would that go between those
two guys, and at least for one night, at least
for the return and at least for the that he

(05:00):
got when he checked into the game, the ovation he
got when things went well for him. It was definitely
a feel good story, and there have not been a
lot of those of late around the city. So it
was good to see Jisel back out there. It was
good to see him play well, and it was good

(05:22):
to see that smile on his face. And look, a
lot of what he went through is self inflicted. It
was a problem of his own doing. But that doesn't
mean you can't work your way through it and come
out on the other side of it. And hopefully last
night was a step in that direction. So we will

(05:46):
get to that today. A tough one for Xavior Boy
ninety eight to fifty seven forty one points, the biggest
loss in Sentas Center history. It's a burn the tape
deal in all honesty, and I know that's kind of

(06:09):
a corny, outdated term for when nothing really goes your way,
but nothing went Xavier's way.

Speaker 7 (06:17):
Last night.

Speaker 3 (06:19):
Creighton shot it really well, Xavier didn't. Xavier uncharacteristically turned
over the ball quite a bit. Creighton took advantage of it.
But for me, at least, the solace I'll take in
that is that if you look back to the start

(06:39):
of the season, that was a pretty rough start out
of the gate for Xavier, and Richard Patino was able
to course correct and get this thing back on track.
And I don't think I'm saying anything. I know Xavier
fans don't really want to hear from me about Xavier,
but they give me this microphone and I got to

(07:00):
talk about it. Sometimes I'll try not to insult your
intelligence and have fun at your expense while I do that.
Richard Patino has shown the ability to kind of navigate
the the the bad times.

Speaker 4 (07:18):
So far. The Big East is gonna be tough. It's
a high major league.

Speaker 3 (07:24):
Xavier is not going to really at many points this
year be the more talented team on the floor in
Big East games, but that doesn't mean they can't play
well and win some games in the league. Are they
gonna contend with with Yukon and Seaton Hall. No, probably not,
And I'm not breaking any news any ground by saying that.

(07:52):
I just think last night was one of those Maybe
they were a little uh riding the wave of playing
much much, much better basketball than they did at the
beginning of the season. They got a big win in
the Crosstown shootout, they protected home court, they extended the
street at sentas in the shootout. Maybe sometimes you got

(08:16):
to be brought back down a little bit to get
back up and to get back to a team that
was ultimately playing above their talent level. They were playing well,
and last night it didn't go well. But I don't
think that is an automatic sign that things aren't going

(08:39):
to go well the rest of the way, because I
think Patino will be able to navigate some of it.
Do I think he's going to be able to navigate
climbing to the top of the mountain. No, But from
what I've seen of the Big East, there's some wins
in there for Xavier. This is a team that can

(08:59):
finish middle of the pack in the league, which I
think would be a very promising year one considering you
had to start over. So yeah, it's okay to be frustrated.
It's a big one Saturday traveling to Georgetown. Georgetown at

(09:20):
times has looked like they might be getting things back
on track this year. At times they haven't looked very good.
So it'll be interesting to see how Xavier responds from
this loss and can they put it behind them quickly
or does it linger? And you just you don't want

(09:41):
to start zero to two in the league knowing you're
gonna be in a fight to get up to that
middle of the conference. So that's the big thing for
me is what does Saturday night look like in Washington, DC?
And then we're gonna get to a lot of Bengals
today and get to a lot of angles today, and

(10:02):
including first and foremost for me, everybody thinks they know
what's going on in Joe Burrow's mind.

Speaker 4 (10:13):
Everybody thinks they know.

Speaker 3 (10:16):
Joe Burrow is leaning towards that Carson Palmer exit, that
frustration with the front office, that feeling that they're not
going to be able to get it done here. And
while that's fair. While I think it's fair to say
Joe is wondering what this path to success looks like

(10:41):
in Cincinnati, I also think it's fair to wonder, and
I think we all agree. Joe Burrow's pretty smart guy, right,
pretty smart guy. How much of this do you think
is potentially Joe Burrow wondering about the things that he

(11:05):
has had a say in for this organization and is
it best to maybe leave some of that stuff on
the side. Joe Burrow's gotten everything he's wanted from the

(11:26):
Cincinnati Bengals, especially since he got the new contract. So
since playing in the AFC Championship Game, Joe Burrow's gotten
a lot of what he's wanted. He gets the type
of offense that he wants to play, which, as we
saw in twenty twenty four, it can be wildly effective,

(11:48):
but also does things like limits the running game a
little bit, does things like opens Joe Burrow up to
more hits, being more susceptible to more physical punishment, which
in turn puts Joe Burrow on injured reserve, puts the
Bengals in a tough place to win because so much

(12:11):
is invested in Joe Burrow leading them to victory. I
think we would also all agree T Higgins was on
his way out the door in this franchise until what
until Joe Burrow said I need T Higgins. I think
they were always going to extend Jamar Chase, but Joe

(12:34):
Burrow was at the front of the line.

Speaker 6 (12:36):
There.

Speaker 3 (12:37):
Need Jamar need t need, Trey Hendrickson, need Mike Kiseki
need my style of play, need to play offense the
way I want to play. Need to sign the guys
I want to sign. They've now missed the playoffs three
years in a row, and in two of those years
Joe Burrow had significant injuries. So how much of this

(13:01):
mindset that we've seen Joe Burrow fighting through through these
past couple of weeks is Joe Burrow wondering internally, maybe
front office isn't my spot. Maybe my spot's playing quarterback.

(13:23):
I'm really good at that, really good at that. And
that's not to say the things that he wanted are bad,
or the things that he wanted or wrong. But you
wonder a guy that's had that much time to reflect,
a guy that's had that much time as he was
rehabbing from the injury to think about things, doing a

(13:47):
little self reflection, doing a little self scouting. He's asked
for a lot, He's gotten it. You know what he's
also gotten he's also gotten a very young defense because
they haven't been in a position to pay a lot
of money on the defensive side of the ball because

(14:08):
the money's tied up where Joe wants it to be
tied up. How much of those injuries So you look
at and say, maybe maybe we this way, that we're
playing a little bit, taking less hits, getting less pressure,
running for my life a lot less. Maybe I need

(14:29):
to listen to the people that design offense and not
just say this is how I want to play. I'm
not saying that's absolving of anything else that he might
possibly be talking about. I am saying, maybe there is

(14:49):
some of that internal conversation that says, hey, some of
this is on me, and it's not on me because
of my play is a core back. But I'm getting
everything I want and I'm not getting the results that
I thought that would uh developed.

Speaker 4 (15:14):
So we'll get to that much much more.

Speaker 3 (15:16):
Phone lines are open five one, three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty, Lee Sterling at three point thirty, Kegan Nicholson
at four forty five, Jay Morrison at five point twenty.
Other than that, me and you just take a break
more after this the Moagger Show.

Speaker 4 (15:31):
Since that he's ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 8 (15:32):
Thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 9 (15:37):
Traffic in Ohio still got that crash on westbound two
seventy five at seventy five. It is off onto the
right shoulder. It's another accident and injury crash on Victory
Parkway at Dana Avenue and on col Raine. One more
accident at West Fork on at Eazelic with traffic this.

Speaker 10 (15:55):
Reason of the sun.

Speaker 4 (16:01):
Because what'd you think of this?

Speaker 6 (16:06):
Tarren?

Speaker 7 (16:09):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (16:11):
The album of the album, Yeah.

Speaker 7 (16:13):
Solid, they got it.

Speaker 5 (16:14):
I got in my top album favorite.

Speaker 4 (16:17):
That was really good.

Speaker 3 (16:20):
Beats are good, features are good, just a just a solid,
solid overall showing from uh from one of my all
time favorites.

Speaker 5 (16:32):
I'm a lot better than than the kids these days.

Speaker 3 (16:34):
The kids these day, much like that twenty twenty five
brought us the the the the old heads brought some
heat in twenty twenty five for sure, Hopefully the kids
learn something about quantity, about quality. Quality Winners go first,

(16:56):
Cincinnati with a with a nice eighty eight to fifty
one over Alabama State last night, Big Night from Babon Miller.
Eleven of twelve from the floor, eight dunks. That's efficient,
eight of eight on dunks, fourteen rebounds, twenty six points
more importantly, plus thirty seven when he was on the floor.

(17:25):
More of that from bobon Miller. I'll take eight dunks
as many times as possible from bobon Miller. So a
good showing for him, A good showing for Gisel James,
who came in off the bench six of nine from
the floor, three of five from three, hit his only
free throw, four rebounds, two assists, only one turnover excuse me,

(17:51):
two turnovers, one steal, plus sixteen in his twenty minutes
of action. Probably I think think the plan was probably
a little less for Gizzle in terms of minutes, but
Buck Harris only played three minutes. Looked like his back
was acting up, and so that opened the door for

(18:14):
a little bit more run for Gisel James. But all
in all, I don't think you could have asked for
anything more in Gizzle's return. Kudos to the fans that
were in attendance for giving gizzl a big ovation last
night when he checked into the game. I don't know
what this looks like going forward. I'm just gonna be honest.

(18:38):
It's not like he's been playing basketball much from the
end of July. All the way through until the start
of November. He had much more important things to take
care of. The plan initially was was not for Gisel
James to play this year this season. Times change again.

(19:03):
There are some things about that decision I don't always
necessarily agree with. That's okay, but this is a team
that was six and four, and it was a team
that was spinning its wheels, and it was a team
that could not put consistent production and effort together over
forty minute games, and it had them in a bad

(19:27):
spot with Big twelve play looming. So last night you
get Jigsel back, he looks good. You look much more efficient,
much more crisp. But the reality is we're going to
find out a lot more about that Sunday when Cincinnati
takes on Clemson. Clemson's really good Top twenty five and

(19:48):
Ken Palm. They play solid defense, They're a little bit
more of a slow, methodical style on both ends of
the floor. Not going to be easy because that's a
team that it's playing really well right now. If Cincinnati
is going to get this thing back on track, we'll
probably have a much better answer Sunday at four o'clock.

(20:12):
If it's another loss, you're sitting at seven and five
in the non conference with Lipscomb on deck, who's a
really really solid mid major. And then you get Houston
on January third. We're not having great UC conversations next week,

(20:32):
but for now, for last night, for today, until Sunday
at two o'clock, can feel good about a win, a
win where they look good, a win where they got
their leading scorer from a year ago back and they
had a good story to go with it in the process.
Let's take a break. Lee Sterling up right after this.

(20:54):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 8 (20:57):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from.

Speaker 9 (21:01):
The UC Health Traffic Center. U See Cancer Center offers
advanced surgical options for complex liver and pancreas cancers, and
clinical trials you won't find anywhere else. Get a second
opinion now, Call five one three five eighty five UCCC
in Ohio westbound two seventy five. An accident blocking the
right lane between Mostellar and seventy five. It's an injury

(21:23):
accident on Victory Parkway at Dana Avenue and stop and
go traffic southbound seventy five from Hoppel to Fort Washington
Way on at Ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 4 (21:32):
This report he sponsored rolling right Along.

Speaker 3 (21:49):
Wednesday at three thirty Thursday at three thirty Thursday, Thursday,
right here on Thursday.

Speaker 6 (21:54):
Yeah, I'm messed.

Speaker 3 (21:56):
Up because I've got the BCJ podcast tonight, which is
usually on Wednesday, but because there was a game last night,
then we had to move it to Thursday. But my
brain tells me that it's Wednesday. I'm just lucky to
like to be here. Let's go out to Lee Stirling

(22:16):
from Paramount Sports. Lee, how the heck are you?

Speaker 7 (22:20):
I'm good. I'm good. Gonna be hunkering down, hanging out here.
My daughter comes in from New York City late tonight
and got my birthday in between December twenty ninth, So
I'm gonna be doing a lot of a lot of
time with family, friends, doing a lot of eating and Nita,
I say more, a lot.

Speaker 4 (22:38):
Of betting, a lot of betting.

Speaker 3 (22:40):
One of those. It's a while from now. I'm not
gonna get to talk to you. I don't think between
now and then, So I'm gonna we're gonna go ahead
and talk about it now. Navy minus six and a
half against Cincinnati on the second second, Yeah, second at
the Liberty Bowl in Memphis.

Speaker 4 (23:00):
Since that, he's opened as a favorite.

Speaker 7 (23:01):
Here.

Speaker 3 (23:02):
There's one thing that you don't want to see in
ball seasonally, and that's your team in transition with the
transfer portal and everything going up against a service academy,
especially one as good as Navy. This year, the line
has moved drastically. Some of that Brendan sorosby entering the portal,
But boy, this is going to be a tough one
for the Bearcats.

Speaker 7 (23:24):
It is, and on top of that, without scarsby your
defensive coordinator. I'm going back on Teck seven years. He
was at Iowa State before that.

Speaker 11 (23:33):
He is not.

Speaker 7 (23:33):
Based a triple option, so is he going to do
it on the fly? And they have the wrong defense.
The three three five defense doesn't work against this type
of option offense here, So it's based for spread offenses.
I know they have time to come up with something,
but you can't simulate it in practice. Practiced against it,

(23:55):
I've seen how it works, and you got to know
what you're doing. Big problem here. I think Navy's gonna
run wild here. I like Navy. I think they win
this game here thirty four to thirteen.

Speaker 3 (24:05):
I don't know if you remember this or not, leeve
but when Luke Fickle first got here, Cincinnati played Navy
and I think they ran for six hundred and something yard.
I mean, it felt like every play was like a
twelve yard game. And Marcus Freeman took that personal and
created a defense that they worked on for like a

(24:28):
year and a half. And then the next time they
played Navy and every subsequent time they got better and
took control of that. But that first time is a
nightmare when you've never played it before. I don't feel great.
I don't feel great.

Speaker 6 (24:44):
Nope.

Speaker 4 (24:45):
Broncos laying three against the Jaguars.

Speaker 7 (24:50):
So Knights set up here for a fall. Are the
Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence. He's a mediocre quarterback and that's
the best in the grand scheme of things. He's coming
off a six touchdown game against the Jets. Jets wouldn't
have a win if it wasn't for their special teams.
Their defense is that bad. I know. Jacksonville's won five

(25:13):
straight five against the spread. For the wins were by
twenty two, twenty eight, twenty nine, and seventeen points. But
they're going to be going up against a really tough defense.
Number three against the run and top two against the pass,
and they're going to travel and play it over a

(25:33):
mile high good name for a stadium there, Yeah, I.

Speaker 4 (25:37):
Think they should look into that.

Speaker 7 (25:38):
Yeah, might be a good idea. Sean Payton, I think
he's gradually, you know, feeling really comfortable with bone Nicks.
Earlier in the season, I mean it did not look good.
But right now bon Nick's playing with a lot of confidence.
And that's not even with running anymore. He hadn't even
had to unleash him there. So I think you're going
to see Trevor Lawrence throw two three picks here. I

(26:00):
like them for big thirty to thirteen.

Speaker 3 (26:02):
Finally, the Bengals two and a half point favorites against
the Dolphins.

Speaker 7 (26:08):
So I couldn't do it. I've been invited. I just
got an invite for surf and turf and a bunch
of different pies too, and I just can't go to
this game. I can't do it. I mean, it'll be
a little interesting and I'll watch the game. It'll be
one of the main games I'll be watching in my
man cave. But the Bengals just don't seem to care.

(26:32):
Dolphins are going to do it with Quinn yours now.
But they do have a winning record straight up and
against the spread at home, and I think they're gonna
be able to score some points here against Cincinnati. This
line switched from Miami being a one, one and a
half point favorite to Cincinnati being a four and a
half to five point favorite. Here, fourth road game in

(26:55):
six weeks here, Miami's won four straight before that Steelers loss.
They just can't play in cold weather. I think they've
won two games in like forty years where it's been
below forty degrees. I think Cincinnati wins this game twenty eight,
twenty seven. I'm gonna take the four and a half
five points in Miami.

Speaker 4 (27:14):
All right, there you go.

Speaker 3 (27:15):
And then the game of the week, Ravens two and
a half point favorites over the Patriots.

Speaker 4 (27:20):
That's a surprising line to me.

Speaker 7 (27:23):
Yeah, it's a big game here. Some people, some conspiracy theorists,
think it's coming down to the final game between the
Steelers and the Ravens. Made for TV. But we'll see
grams five callers get it for free. Yep, there's always
a script. Hey, someone tell me, I'm a Miami fan.
They told me that it's set up so Miami beats
A and M Carson Beck and Miami face Ohio State,

(27:47):
so it's a rematch of the two thousand and two
national championship. Then he faces his former team Georgia Finals. Yeah,
and then then Mario Christobal faces his old team Oregon.
I'm like, yeah, if you believe in that, you believe
in the Tooh theory. And I'm a Miami fan, So
anyone wants to hop on board. We went twenty one
to ten last year in the bowls. You get from

(28:09):
now through the thirty first two weeks of action college
football over twenty six bowls, two weeks of college football playoffs,
two weeks of the NFL, and we got seven games
we're going to release in the NFL this week, including
our NFL Game of the Year. Are forty to fifty
of plays. How about this. We're seventy four and thirty
one lifetime, so haven't had a big release like this

(28:31):
in six weeks. Do you want to come on board?
Check out all the specials, just one place, Paramount sports
dot com.

Speaker 3 (28:36):
There go lead thanks a lot, appreciate it. Has some
great time with your family. Enjoyed Christmas and enjoy what
you your thirty fourth birthday.

Speaker 4 (28:46):
As was that what it is?

Speaker 7 (28:47):
Yeah? Thirty fifth, thirty five?

Speaker 4 (28:48):
Okay, okay, man, my man, all right, thanks lev, Happy holidays, Thanks,
take care, appreciate it. All right, let's take a break.

Speaker 3 (28:55):
We'll get to the phones after this, Mike, mister acelou
and you.

Speaker 4 (29:00):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 8 (29:04):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty Traffic from the.

Speaker 9 (29:09):
UC Health Traffic Center. UC Cancer Center offers advanced surgical
options for complex liver and pancreas cancers, and clinical trials
you won't find anywhere else. Get a second opinion, now,
call five one three, five eighty five. UCCC still got
that accident on the Ohio side of westbound two seventy five.
It's blocking the right lane between Mostellar and I seventy five.

(29:31):
Another accident on Gilbert Avenue at Martin Luther king In
slow traffic eastbound two seventy five from seventy five to Loveland,
Madeira I at Ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 12 (29:49):
Just like noon.

Speaker 3 (29:56):
Besides, keep it rolling, bring an hour number one to
a close. Let's take some calls, Mike. How's it going,
my friend?

Speaker 11 (30:07):
Readings from Tory Pines, California, and my friend how are you?
And my man Terran?

Speaker 3 (30:13):
I mean, it's not a great day here. It's it's
it's not cold, but it's really windy. It's gray, it's gloomy.
It's a seasonal depression Thursday is what I would call it, Mike.

Speaker 11 (30:27):
Yeah, and it's not even February yet.

Speaker 4 (30:29):
No, we're starting early.

Speaker 11 (30:33):
Well, you know, you gotta be a trend setter.

Speaker 4 (30:36):
What's going on?

Speaker 11 (30:37):
I hope you're doing all right, Karen. I don't get
talked to you anymore like they used to, which I'm
sure you're thrilled to death about. I uh, right off
the bat before I forget, and then I got some food,
a little food thing. I want to talk to you
real quick. If you had to pick the two teams
and that you and Terrence, If you had to pick

(30:58):
right now, the two teams in the Super Bowl, who
are you gonna pick?

Speaker 3 (31:04):
I mean, I don't really trust anybody in the ASC
to be honest with you.

Speaker 5 (31:08):
Same but if I had a pig, I'm going to
Rams in Houston, Rams in Houston.

Speaker 3 (31:14):
Okay, I think I'm with you on the Rams. I
just don't know. In the a SC I mean, I
guess I'm gonna say this. If Buffalo doesn't do it
this year, when do they do it?

Speaker 11 (31:25):
Yeah, you got that right.

Speaker 3 (31:27):
I mean you're looking at no Borrow, no Mahomes, very
possibly no Lamar Jackson, like if he can't get them
there now eh eh, I'll go Rams and Bills.

Speaker 11 (31:46):
Yeah, you're right about the Bills if they don't do
a tissue. But see, everybody keeps saying, and I'm no
Denver pin, but everybody keeps saying, well, they're gonna get
that bubble burst. The offense just isn't quite good enough.
Blah blah blah, but it has been good enough to
win a whole hell of a lot of games. Yeah,
I lean towards Terrance. The two best bunch sevens in

(32:09):
the NFL are Houston and Denver, and the Rams are
probably third. Maybe see how now who do you like tonight?

Speaker 4 (32:18):
Rams? Sam Donald still the Seahawks quarterback?

Speaker 6 (32:22):
Right, yep? Okay, I'll go Rams over Stafford.

Speaker 11 (32:29):
Okay, you go ahead and do it.

Speaker 5 (32:31):
Karen Donald sucks against the Rams.

Speaker 11 (32:36):
Yes, it's a historically crowd.

Speaker 3 (32:39):
I mean, did you know this though, Mike what quarterback
has the most wins in the NFL since the start
of last season.

Speaker 11 (32:46):
I assume it's Sam Donald.

Speaker 3 (32:48):
It is zero playoff wins, no playoff wins, but he
wins a lot of regular season games. And this is
last I checked a regular season game. He just stinks
against the Rams. Terrence right on that one.

Speaker 11 (32:59):
It's just like the guy the Reds picked up, the
ex Dodger, Caleb Ferguson. Caleb Ferguson is an imposing figure
on the mount. He's a big, sick dude. He's a
left hander. He can put a good pitcher and his
stats will tell you that over the years. However, the
reason the Dodgers finally canned him after about six years
was he just gave up too many clutch hits and

(33:22):
hits late in the game when when it costs cost
him the game. So that that's why the Dodgers Candy.

Speaker 3 (33:29):
Unfortunately, the Reds won't really be in that position very often,
so he should be fine.

Speaker 11 (33:35):
That's my thing, man, my man, kit dad. I had
some piea last night.

Speaker 4 (33:42):
Oh I haven't had a good pie in a long time.

Speaker 7 (33:46):
Oh my god.

Speaker 11 (33:47):
And it was right on the fringe there of Tory
Pines in Delmore, not a couple of blocks from the
ocean there and I got I met Phil Nicholson. I
didn't get an autograph or nothing, but I met him.
He evidently he's co owner of this restaurant, and he
was walking around. I guess his wife was with him,
and and he's a big supporter of veteransine. There were

(34:09):
three or four of us here eating and he shook
our hands to talk to us for a minute. It
was really really pretty cool, very cool. Is he the
best left handed golfer you've ever seen?

Speaker 6 (34:19):
I guess he is, probably Yeah.

Speaker 11 (34:22):
I mean I can't think of anybody else, because there
really aren't very many of them that I can recall.
And in closing with this sparkling conversation, Mick, Mick's got
some shooters now, Chad. Finally Nick has got some shooters.

Speaker 6 (34:40):
It only took him twenty years. That's right.

Speaker 11 (34:48):
That boy he had got namer a hair on his.

Speaker 6 (34:50):
Sad bro right.

Speaker 11 (34:52):
But boy, they played a nice game last night against
Arizona State. They had fourteen three pointers last night, which.

Speaker 4 (34:58):
That usually takes two or three as for a Mick
team to get to for sure, for.

Speaker 11 (35:03):
Sure for years, if you like them to do anything.

Speaker 3 (35:07):
This year, I haven't had a chance to see him
a ton. Yet I like some of the pieces, Like
you know, I've I've heard Xavier Booker's playing well out there.
I've been a big Xavier Booker fan since he was
like a sophomore in high school. I know I knew
his AAU coach really well. It's hard to say, like

(35:30):
I'll need to see a little bit more of him
in the Big Ten. But man, there's nothing better than
the Mick quotes, like the line last week about like
when when you guys call and talk to the recruits
and they say they came here because of me, Just
know they came here because of money.

Speaker 11 (35:47):
You gotta love the guy, don't you. I'm telling you
if that's not Cincinnati through and through, nothing.

Speaker 3 (35:53):
Complaining about games that started eight thirty on the West
Coast when he's a West Coast team because it starts
at a let thirty and Cincinnati and Heap's not gonna
be able to stay up and watch it.

Speaker 11 (36:08):
Holdout kids.

Speaker 3 (36:10):
See you later, Mike, I got time for one more tear.
You want me to go break?

Speaker 5 (36:15):
Get a break in?

Speaker 3 (36:16):
All right, let's get a break. I'm gonna leave the
phone lines open. Uh, we don't have a guest again
until four thirty. So I know MO doesn't talk to
you guys a whole lot during football season. I'm like
the substitute teacher. I'm rolling in the TV with the VCR.
We're gonna watch a movie. We're gonna take some calls, uh,

(36:36):
for as much as you guys want to talk. So
the next two segments, the first half hour of the
four o'clock hour is wide open five one, three, seven,
four nine, fifteen thirty. We'll talk to you uh right
after this Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 8 (36:50):
This report is Spump ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 3 (37:10):
Therego our number two, The Mowegar Show. I'm not Mowegar.
Chad Brendle, Bearcat Journal dot Com fill in four mode
today Karen Bland on the ones and twos. I thank

(37:33):
you as always for choosing me. We will We'll get
out to Kegan Nickoson at the bottom of the hour.
From Bearcat Journal dot Com. There has been a lot
going on with the Bearcats. Gisel James return when last
night over Alabama State and convincing fashion, the three key
members the three returning eligible members of the starting offensive

(37:59):
line announced that they will be back today for the Bearcats.
Left tackle Joe Cotton, left guard Evan Tengstaal who was
a third team All American great season from Tengstah, and
Taran TiO, who will probably move to center next year

(38:19):
depending on how everything in the portal plays out. But
those three guys coming back to anchor that Cincinnati offensive
line next year, as they announced today. And the good
news is is that raises the floor. That was a
really good offensive line. There were a semi finalists for
the Joe Moore Award for the best offensive line in
the country. I think they only allowed five sacks on

(38:42):
the season. They are in a position to have another
really strong year up front. One good for your running game.
Two you probably gonna need a portal quarterback. With Britain
soorsby exiting stage left, it's a lot easier to sell
a portal quarterback when you say we've got a very

(39:03):
strong core of one of the best offensive lines in
the country returning next year. All right, let's go out
to the phones. We lost one call back. It's time
to go to the phones. I'm gonna save this whole
half hour twenty minutes now before we talk to keyan
for phone calls.

Speaker 4 (39:23):
Mister, who are you talking to?

Speaker 1 (39:28):
Yo Koto air shoes?

Speaker 4 (39:30):
What's going on?

Speaker 11 (39:32):
Hey?

Speaker 1 (39:33):
Hey air Shoes. Well, I went to college. I cannot
get to make it out to the game. Yesterday. Missus
Ace was not feeling well, so.

Speaker 4 (39:40):
I hope she's feeling back.

Speaker 11 (39:41):
Ryan.

Speaker 1 (39:42):
Think she's feeling a bit better today. But via Aladama
State University. Due to the fact that l is what
it is, there is a quarterback named Andrew Body that
I think that if if you scour the football statistics,

(40:04):
he was a conference player of the Year in the
Southwestern Athletic Conference in this football season, and he may
be a good match and possibly hopefully somebody the Cincinnati
Bearcats would look at and consider because their quarterback room
seems to be a little bit better without the I'm

(40:28):
not gonna completely call our Sowre and Sbee quarterback experience
where he was in Enigma, but I do feel as
though it was definitely a lot of meat left on
the bone from a coaching perspective, from the coach that
we do have at this point in time, that I
wish would somehow, some way have won one or two

(40:49):
more games. Somebody else would have signed them away, and
so we could start the Tony Pike football.

Speaker 6 (40:55):
Coach coaching aretball coach.

Speaker 1 (41:00):
He's not Tony Pike needs to be said Finnati's next
hand football coach. I'm telling you.

Speaker 4 (41:05):
As a head football coach. He is a hell of
a broadcaster.

Speaker 1 (41:10):
Is a good, very good broadcaster. But if we had
Tony Pike as our next football coach, one, I think
he would crush it in recruiting locally, and beyond two,
you could actually say you have somebody who has pro
football experience as your head coach. And then three a snap,

(41:33):
then we could have the Austin Fellmore experience for a
talk show and so I wouldn't.

Speaker 7 (41:40):
Just have to.

Speaker 3 (41:42):
Here, here's the reality of what you want. Though I
don't think Tony wants to work that hard. That's a
lot of work, man, it's.

Speaker 1 (41:52):
A lot of work. But I mean, snap, we want
Tony to get some some good gray hairs on his
heads from coaching, just because.

Speaker 4 (41:59):
Unless you Tommy Tuberville, then it's like a part time job.

Speaker 1 (42:03):
Man. Tommy Tubberville, man, I mean.

Speaker 7 (42:07):
Gave him money.

Speaker 1 (42:08):
And I can't you not having seen Tuberville up close
and personal, because I was still living in Alabama at
the time. I was disappointed at the just I mean,
I don't know if I would say I would say
he did a better job than our current coach, because
he did have somewhat of a better record, But well.

Speaker 3 (42:27):
This coach would have been fine if he was coaching
in the American Athletic Conference like Tommy Tuberville was.

Speaker 1 (42:33):
Tuberville, Man, I mean, you.

Speaker 3 (42:35):
Know, you know what he Here's here's here's what I
can tell you about Tommy Tuberville, mister Ace. You know
what he did and the practices I was at. He
spent more time standing there talking to us, the media members,
than he did coach in his football team. He'd come
over in the middle of practice and just stand there

(42:57):
for like an hour and talked up us.

Speaker 4 (43:00):
You know what I was.

Speaker 3 (43:01):
I'll tell you the exact moment I was pretty much
out on Tommy Tuberville. It was a Tuesday and Monday
night football. The night before Connor Barwin had a really
big game on Monday night football, and we're standing there
a practice on Tuesday and I said, man, Barwin looked

(43:22):
good last night, and Tuberville looked at me like I
had seven heads. He had absolutely no idea who who
Connor Barwin was, and at that point in time said
I think I'm out on this guy.

Speaker 6 (43:37):
I think I'm out of this.

Speaker 1 (43:40):
I would definitely say that Tuberville did leave a lot
to be wanting a whole lot more as a coach
at U see, having seen what he did down at
an I was a Holburn University sympathizer if anything, because one,

(44:01):
I mean, you're getting to see this stuff up close
and personal too. Tuberville never he did win some of
the games against futile coaches when they got I forget
a FRENCHIONI beat them. But as soon as they switched
over to saving. Saving helped Tuberville be escorted out of Auburn,
Alabama because of his futility as a coach. And I

(44:25):
expected more for Tuberville when he got hired by UZ
just because like, all right, you've got southern tides where
you can recruit down there. Cincinnati and the state of
Ohio and northern Kentucky are really great hot beds for
athletic talent for college football. And the fact that Tubberville

(44:46):
just was horrible in terms of like his recruits being consistent.
I'm not saying that he never got anybody good then.
But it's like you expect a bit more, and I
think it was like the constant wife Wilf I'm not
hitting the local area as much as he possibly could
have if he left a whole lot of meat on
the bump.

Speaker 3 (45:07):
He had a lot of good players while he was here.
He just didn't care to coach him.

Speaker 4 (45:12):
I mean, I was there, I saw it.

Speaker 3 (45:15):
The biggest thing I think for Tuberville and I gotta
I gotta run after this, mister Ace. But the biggest
thing I would think for Tuberville and it's it's it
hurt Luke Fickel as well. Coaches are very good at
that initial staff right when they get the job, they
got their staff ready, they're ready to go, and then
over time you lose a guy here, you lose got
it there, guy moves on, you fire guy whatever. He

(45:37):
could never replicate the quality of staff that he had
when he first got here.

Speaker 4 (45:43):
Fickle had kind of the same issue.

Speaker 3 (45:45):
The problem for Fickle was that first staff he had
when he was a Cincinnati was like an all star team.

Speaker 4 (45:50):
We just didn't know it yet.

Speaker 3 (45:53):
Mike Denbrock, Marcus Freeman, Brian Mason, who's the special teams
coordinator for the Colts, who I think is the best
sports special teams coordinator in the world. Like, there were
a lot of really good names on those early fickle staffs,
and then as he had to start replacing guys, it
didn't go as well. Appreciate you, miss Race. You have

(46:14):
an awesome Christmas. All right, my friend you all right,
I have a going Let's go to Nick in Blue ass.
Nick wants to talk the return of Gisel James. What's
going on?

Speaker 10 (46:25):
Nick?

Speaker 6 (46:27):
Hey, Chad, how's it going.

Speaker 4 (46:28):
I'm good.

Speaker 13 (46:28):
You a lot better after seeing that game last night.

Speaker 4 (46:32):
It definitely helps. The winning helps, it cures a lot.

Speaker 7 (46:35):
Nick.

Speaker 13 (46:36):
Yeah, I had two things on the con turn or
so of what I saw. One was it feels like
he has a Kashmir Ray Troykpain feel to him, and
that the offense feels a little bit more calm and
or overall the team feels a little bit more calm
when he's on the floor. And two the fans they
love him. Yeah, he feels like a Gary Clark, Like

(46:59):
we know he is issues off the court, he's fixed those,
but it feels like he's loved by all in this city.

Speaker 4 (47:06):
Well, that was.

Speaker 3 (47:08):
I will say this, that was because he was coming
back and he played well. People are pretty angry right now.

Speaker 6 (47:15):
Nick.

Speaker 3 (47:16):
If things go south and he's not playing well, I
think it Hopefully we don't see it because I want
to see him do really well. He does have a
little bit more of a calming influence because I don't
think one they don't really have anybody that can get
downhill now. I have talked about my issues with Jisel

(47:37):
over the years that he doesn't go all the way
to the rim. He'll get to like six feet and
then hit a fade away, you know, twelve footer as
opposed to continuing the attack all the way to the
rim with his body getting fouled and going to the
free throw line. I don't think he gets to the
free throw line enough for a guy that's a eighty
plus percent free throw shooter. So there are still things

(48:00):
that I think we're gonna have to find out with
him as the competition level jumps back up into Sunday
and going forward. But overall, the smile on his face
last night, knowing what he's been through, knowing how tough
of a time this has been for him, it was
great to see all of those things come to fruition

(48:21):
last night.

Speaker 4 (48:22):
I was really happy for him.

Speaker 6 (48:24):
I was too.

Speaker 13 (48:25):
Do you think it helps with the spacing in that
we I know we haven't shot well from three, but
we have shooters on the team, and we have Chom
and McKinley when he's healthy down low, but we never
really had a mid range guy coming into this year.
I think that would help the offense in terms of
the spread.

Speaker 4 (48:42):
Maybe.

Speaker 3 (48:42):
But you know what, Nick, I hate the mid range jumper.
I hate it. I enjoy it. It's the least efficient
shot in sports. I mean, he's shot like thirty nine
thirty eight percent the mid from the mid range last year.

Speaker 6 (48:58):
That's not good enough. That's not good enough.

Speaker 10 (49:01):
Like it.

Speaker 3 (49:03):
You're either and you know the game has evolved. It's layups,
dunks and threes. I think there is a place for some,
but you can't be a mid range merchant. You can't
be a guy that hunts seventeen footers or what. David
de Julie has always used to drive me nuts. He'd
shoot long twos with his heels on the three point line,

(49:24):
move back six inches and take the damn three. So
I don't love it when he relies on it too much.
I do think there's a place for it when it's
an open spot in the defense and he can rise
up and take an easy one.

Speaker 4 (49:40):
I don't mind those as much.

Speaker 3 (49:42):
He took a lot of tough ones last year, hand
in his face, fading away, you know, just shots that
aren't efficient offense. If he can take less of those
and more of the open stuff, I think it can
be a little bit more successful. I'm super interested to
see what this looks like on Sunday, because that's a

(50:03):
really good Clemson team that they're facing Sunday.

Speaker 13 (50:07):
Yes, it is too and I'm excited to thank thanks
for taking a call.

Speaker 4 (50:09):
Appreciated, Nick, Thank you. All right, let's take a break, tea.

Speaker 6 (50:15):
We will.

Speaker 3 (50:19):
We'll get to something when we come back. Phone lines
are open. Five one, three, seven, four nine, fifteen thirty.
This is Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 8 (50:26):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 9 (50:30):
Traffic northbound seventy five at Town. It's an accident blocking
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Speaker 14 (50:48):
This report is sponsored Batti, brought to you by Belterra
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home of the Cincinnatis.

Speaker 3 (51:08):
Yeah Awdah, Welcome back Molegger's show since Anty's ESPN fifteen thirty.
Key and Nickoson coming up here in about seven to
ten minutes something like that. Bengals injury report is out.

(51:28):
Joe Burrow on the injury report again, but listed as
a full participant in practice on Thursday with the knee
DNPS today, BJ Hill, Chris Jenkins, Charlie Jones, Joseph Osai
on that list as well, along with no those are

(51:50):
those are the guys that were out limited no offense
and T Higgins Higgins trying to come back from concussion protocol.
Everybody else listed as full participants Joe Burrow, Dylan Fairchild,
PJ Jules, Amarus, Mims, samajp, Ryan Drew Sample, Shamar Stewart,

(52:14):
who says that he is anticipating being available on Sunday,
and DJ Turner as well. A lot of ankle injuries
in there. You're getting to that point of the season.
Everybody dealing with a little something ankle, sore knees, sore
neck is, sore hamstrings, barking. Three weeks left, so everybody

(52:39):
trying to gut it out until the end, and those
injury reports tend to get at a long.

Speaker 4 (52:46):
Let's take a break.

Speaker 3 (52:47):
Kegan nickoson coming up after this, We'll talk some Bearcats
right here in Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 8 (52:53):
You've been listening to football in the Natty on ESPN
fifteen thirty, Official home of the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati's ESPN
fifteen thirty.

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(53:30):
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Speaker 6 (53:41):
This report is sponsored by super Sure.

Speaker 4 (53:55):
Say what, Say what?

Speaker 15 (54:06):
I means the soul with the Jungle Patrol, Welcome back,
my legger show.

Speaker 5 (54:20):
Hold up, this is a rotation for you and the
old Memphis Right.

Speaker 3 (54:25):
Oh yeah, Well, I think we're driving separate. He's he's
gonna come back for the Houston game and we're gonna
spend some family time in Nashville with UH with Kelly's sisters.

Speaker 4 (54:36):
So I don't think we're going to drive down together.

Speaker 3 (54:41):
He would probably like that though, Like you know how
much he enjoyed the trip to Kansas City.

Speaker 4 (54:46):
Tern He really had a good time.

Speaker 5 (54:48):
I mean, you see he's back in Kansas City this year.

Speaker 6 (54:51):
Yeah, I don't think I'm going out there for that.

Speaker 4 (54:53):
What do you think, kikes?

Speaker 12 (54:54):
Yeah, I'll enjoy that trip out there by myself knowing
that I don't have to sit behind someone who smokes
a cigarette every forty five minutes and puts the window
down in twenty degree weather.

Speaker 6 (55:08):
They're going eighty.

Speaker 3 (55:09):
Toughness, Kegan, where's your toughness? Where's your toughness? That was
a rental car. You don't smoke cigarettes and rental cars.
Come on, everybody knows that Anyhow, Keigan, How was uh,
how was it to have a little bit of a
change of uh vibes last night in the third arena

(55:32):
with the return of Gisel James and the team handling
an inferior opponent with relative ease.

Speaker 12 (55:41):
Yeah, it felt like a decent vibe change, But I
don't think it really convinced.

Speaker 6 (55:48):
A lot of the fans that it was gonna, you know,
be a fix say that.

Speaker 12 (55:55):
I think if if they beat Eastern Michigan and pulled
one off cost either Louisville or Georgia.

Speaker 16 (56:02):
Maybe it's different. Maybe the fans are thinking differently, But
I still think.

Speaker 12 (56:07):
The team has some pretty deep seated issues that one guy.

Speaker 6 (56:11):
Isn't going to fix. But it was it was good.

Speaker 12 (56:15):
I think just the whole story about the.

Speaker 6 (56:21):
Return is interesting to me.

Speaker 12 (56:22):
And hearing from West last night about how it all
went down, especially about what Gisel had to do to
get back to earning his coaches trust, earning his teammates trust,
how he wanted to be on the team knowing that
he probably wasn't going to play anyway. That was something
that meant a lot to me. So that was nice

(56:44):
to hear. But you know, I'm looking forward to seeing
what he can do and what he can contribute to
the team the rest of the season.

Speaker 3 (56:51):
Here's one thing we can confirm for everybody. Kegan west
Miller said that Gisel James and pretty much everybody around
the was told that he would not be returning to
the team this year.

Speaker 4 (57:05):
Yeah, we can't confirm that.

Speaker 3 (57:08):
If you wonder why I was on this show or
on with you, were on with Tony or it talked
about it on all the shows on the Bearcat Journal
Network or on Bearcat Journal dot com like it didn't
think Gisel would be back this year, why, because that's
what everybody was told, everybody, including Gigsel James. Sometimes things change,

(57:33):
sometimes the situations evolve. Keegan, And look, I agree with
Wes Miller when he says the injuries, you know, the
the numbers started to pile up a little bit, and
and you're getting down to a point where you're worried
about your depth. And I'm sure, based especially on the

(57:54):
reactions from guys on the team when Gisel had success
last night and how everybody was for him, that was
a part of it.

Speaker 4 (58:03):
The guys wanted him back on the team.

Speaker 3 (58:04):
But it's okay to call a spade A spade teag
and it's okay to say we were six and four,
the plans changed. We got to win. Yeah, everybody's dying
for them to win. Right, You put your leading score
back out on the floor and you see if maybe
that changes some things.

Speaker 6 (58:23):
Yeah, makes sense. And he looked good.

Speaker 12 (58:26):
He looked efficient, He looked like he had been training
and keep it in shape.

Speaker 16 (58:31):
There was a few lobs that were short that looked.

Speaker 6 (58:33):
Like they needed some additional touch and you just have
to get back into actual game flow.

Speaker 16 (58:39):
But he definitely looked good enough to be a plug
and play guy, which.

Speaker 12 (58:43):
They need to have him be at that level.

Speaker 16 (58:46):
As they go in the conference play.

Speaker 3 (58:48):
I think the plan was probably twelve to fifteen minutes,
but then Buck Harris has his back start acting up.

Speaker 4 (58:56):
He only played three minutes.

Speaker 3 (58:58):
Jisel gets twe When you're looking at Sunday afternoon against Clemson,
do you think it's twenty plus? Do you think twenty
is about the number?

Speaker 7 (59:10):
Like?

Speaker 4 (59:10):
Where do you think Gisel's minutes sit in that environment?

Speaker 12 (59:15):
Yeah, I think they'll play Gizzl much more in lieu
of playing Keishan Tillery much more, because that's a big
reason why Tillery played last night, was because since your
Harris missed so much or at least some of his

(59:36):
minutes where he was gonna.

Speaker 16 (59:37):
Play regardless because they were upped so much, So.

Speaker 6 (59:40):
That wouldn't surprise me at all.

Speaker 16 (59:43):
It's just a completely different team when Gisel's on the
floor compared to since your hairs, because you can do
so much different stuff. You're much better offensively, but you're
definitely not as good defensively because since your Harris is
one of the better defenders in the Big twelve. So
that'll be interesting to see what the identity of the

(01:00:05):
team is and how they kind of react to Diesel
basically being the lead point guard on the floor, because
it wouldn't.

Speaker 12 (01:00:12):
Surprise me if from that first Houston game a Big
twelve player that Chisels the starting point guard. Seeing how
kerk Krisa has struggled offensively and his ability to make.

Speaker 3 (01:00:23):
Sure, Yeah, the curR thing is interesting because seven assists
one turnover, Like for your your you know, one of
your primary ball handlers is outstanding, but there are you know,
diminishing returns. If that guy's also one of nine from three,

(01:00:45):
it's not great. The problem is Kegan, He's it feels
like he's getting good looks. It feels like he's open
and he's taking good shots. He's been a good shooter
his whole career. Right now, the ball was just not
going in for him.

Speaker 12 (01:01:03):
Yeah, and like they were counting on getting that West
Virginia kirkrias of the year before he transferred to Kentucky.
Then he goes to Kentucky, I think he plays in
nine games, gets hurt, and now he's.

Speaker 6 (01:01:16):
Not really contributing that much and.

Speaker 12 (01:01:18):
He's still taking a few questionable like step back, pretty
long s freeze.

Speaker 16 (01:01:24):
But that's his game, that's what he that's what he
knows he can make, and he's just not making him
right now.

Speaker 12 (01:01:30):
So if he's going to continue to start, I would
like to see the volume go down a little bit,
maybe work it inside out.

Speaker 16 (01:01:38):
Like we saw him stuffa chom do for the first.

Speaker 12 (01:01:40):
Time, and westmoy brought that up postgame because when that happened,
I was floored that they threw it into sham and
then he immediately throws it back out to Baba who
makes a three.

Speaker 6 (01:01:50):
That's a huge part of their offense that needs to
continue to develop.

Speaker 4 (01:01:55):
Speaking of Bob A.

Speaker 3 (01:01:56):
Miller, how stark is it the difference, especially in critical situations.
You go back to the Louisville game when he when
he had the hip injury, or the Georgia game when
he gets the foul and then the technical and has
to go to the bench. Like, watching this team in

(01:02:17):
pivotal situations with Boba Miller off the floor is pretty
jarring in terms of how important it is for him
to be on the floor for this team.

Speaker 6 (01:02:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 12 (01:02:30):
Absolutely, he changes everything great in transition. He gandles the
ball at the guard and he I.

Speaker 16 (01:02:40):
Think did he make one or two threes left side?

Speaker 6 (01:02:42):
I know he made the early one.

Speaker 3 (01:02:43):
I don't think he he made he took it. He
took one early in the first half and made it.
He took one early in the second half and missed it.
So he's eleven for twelve, eight dunks, one made three,
and then fourteen rebounds for twenty six points.

Speaker 12 (01:03:01):
Yeah, that's the thing that he's been so good, but
he's not even touching the cusp of what he can
do from shooting beyond the arc, and it feels like
there's just another level that he can get to if
the offense can continue to kind of evolve and I
asked him, like, how do you think you benefit from

(01:03:21):
Jizsel being back, and he said, well, Gisel always makes
the right read and he's always ready to make the
right read. So I'm looking forward to seeing how much
better can Baba get offensively with Jisel on the floor,
because I feel like there's another step that he can take.
But I did not expect him to be as good
defensively and on the.

Speaker 16 (01:03:41):
Boards as he has been. That was completely shocking to me.

Speaker 12 (01:03:45):
But like when you think about it, the six to
eleven frame and crazy length, that makes sense. He just
plays a little bit harder than I thought he was going.

Speaker 6 (01:03:56):
To, which is a psych to see.

Speaker 4 (01:04:00):
Been an interesting point, Keg.

Speaker 3 (01:04:01):
And when you look at the best teams around the league,
there's always that one two punch that you know, Toppen
and Anderson at Texas Tech and Bradley and Pete at Arizona,
and some teams have three or four guys because this
league's so good, But you know Tuggler and Uzon and

(01:04:23):
Sharp at Houston. Does Gizsel and Baba actually give Cincinnati
maybe not an upper echelon one two punch? Maybe not
with the best of the league. Darren Peterson and Floria,
but Dona. I could keep going on it's ridiculous how
good this league is. But does this at least give
him a puncher's chance because they've now got, you know,

(01:04:43):
those two guys that you can center things around and
not have to be super creative on offense because I
think we've learned over five years. Maybe that's not Wes
Miller's forte. Maybe he needs a one to two punch.

Speaker 12 (01:05:01):
Yeah, maybe, And like I still think it really that
specific question will come down to what Baba does from
free and how much he can kind of score from everywhere.
But like we saw with the behind the back path
to Baba and transition for a dunk last night, like
they already seem like they have the good chemistry. They

(01:05:22):
both thrive on those plays. Like I've never been more
impressed with Baba than just seeing him take two strides
with which I feel like, take up like from the
half yeah to the rim and then donks on like
two people. So I think if you're wanting to get
out and pace and play that really fast brand.

Speaker 6 (01:05:42):
That really helps. But they're both.

Speaker 16 (01:05:45):
Talented enough to be that one two punch. I just
want to see, does Gi will.

Speaker 12 (01:05:52):
Come back, and does he want to be an offensive
volume guy who's taken a ton of shots, or does
he want to be a balance sky like we saw
last night when he's kind of just easing his way
back into it, because that's the offense looked really good
when he just chose to, you know, facilitate a little bit,
pass it around and when he gets his open shot,
take it and I want to see if Cincinnati can

(01:06:15):
take advantage of him.

Speaker 4 (01:06:17):
Well was that?

Speaker 3 (01:06:19):
Maybe the most surprising thing is how efficient the chisel was,
Like that's the gripe on jizzle, right, He's not the
most efficient basketball player on the planet. Last night incredibly efficient.

Speaker 6 (01:06:33):
Yeah, he was picking last night, like that's what I'll say, and.

Speaker 12 (01:06:38):
You were laughing when the first shot he took was
a nineteen footer.

Speaker 3 (01:06:43):
He almost pulled another one the first time he touched
the ball.

Speaker 6 (01:06:47):
And he passed.

Speaker 12 (01:06:50):
He wanted to shoot a really really low percenta's long
mid range, which is what we're used to seeing him do.

Speaker 6 (01:06:58):
So I uh, he was very very good.

Speaker 12 (01:07:01):
Some of it was garbage time when Alabama State was
out of it, but look, Cincinnati's issue a lot of
the season has been missing open shots. So seeing some
open shots go in from a guy who hasn't played
all season is a really good sign.

Speaker 3 (01:07:16):
Let's let's get Sunday real quick. Do you give this
team much of a chance against Clemson? Did did last
night change anything in terms of how you look at
that Clemson game? Because I think coming out of the
Georgia game, we all looked at it and said, no way,
no how? Are you still a no way?

Speaker 9 (01:07:35):
No how?

Speaker 3 (01:07:37):
Or did the window crack a little bit for the
game Sunday? And there is a way and the window
crashed a little bit. But if I was a gambler,
I would not be putting any money on Cincinnati to
upset Clemson.

Speaker 12 (01:07:55):
I still haven't seen them really play well in a
hostile environment, and that that Greenville crowd is going to
be heavy Clemson.

Speaker 6 (01:08:03):
So I still think Clemson is.

Speaker 12 (01:08:05):
Going to win and they're going to go into Big
Twelve play kind of really scratching for anything.

Speaker 6 (01:08:13):
To go their way.

Speaker 3 (01:08:14):
Clemson is currently thirty first in Ken Palm, forty seventh
on offense, thirty third on defense. They lost an early
game to Georgetown. Their other two losses are Alabama and BYU,
neither of them at home. One away one neutral they have.
They have beaten South Carolina, they beat Georgia, they beat

(01:08:35):
West Virginia. It's it's not going to be an easy one,
but good measuring stick. If this team's going to get
back on track, they're going to have to be Clemson
on Sunday quickly. Football, Do they have you out there
practicing for this Navy game or what are the numbers

(01:08:57):
look like? I was there earlier in the week in
out the little finn out there, didn't it.

Speaker 7 (01:09:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 12 (01:09:04):
I didn't play football in high school, but my high
school ran the triple options, so I can. I can
go out and give him some tips on how to
defend it.

Speaker 4 (01:09:11):
Are you running scout team quarterback?

Speaker 12 (01:09:13):
Kegan Nicholson, I'm running scout team quarterback with a look
at starting next season.

Speaker 6 (01:09:20):
Okay, I'd be a true goal threat guy.

Speaker 3 (01:09:24):
But to either get sacked or be taken off the
field on a stretcher.

Speaker 6 (01:09:28):
Yes, that's my ThReD ability.

Speaker 3 (01:09:34):
Uh do they have anybody left in the secondary?

Speaker 10 (01:09:39):
Uh?

Speaker 16 (01:09:39):
Yeah, They've got some true freshmen and red shirt freshman.

Speaker 6 (01:09:43):
And I don't know.

Speaker 12 (01:09:44):
If Matthew mcdoon is gonna play, but he's been with
the team, so that'll be interesting to see. The safeties
are also like in large part gone, and I think
one guy to look out for is CJ Right, really
Langsy safety who they they've.

Speaker 6 (01:10:06):
Put a lot of stock in.

Speaker 12 (01:10:09):
And then Patrick Williams is a corner. As I mentioned earlier,
Tyson Bite is really really high on him, and I
think anyone that is with the team and practicing right now,
Tyson Bite is really really.

Speaker 6 (01:10:23):
Putting a lot of stock into. It's one of those
things that.

Speaker 12 (01:10:26):
He said at practice was look, if you're here practicing
right now, it means you love football. And we like
guys who love football.

Speaker 6 (01:10:32):
So I'm not exactly worried about.

Speaker 12 (01:10:36):
Carry because because the triple option is in a big
passing threat.

Speaker 6 (01:10:43):
But we shall see.

Speaker 3 (01:10:45):
If you want to hear more from Kegan tonight, BCJ
podcast eight o'clock on the Bearcat Journal YouTube channel, Keigan,
Dave Simone and I will We'll have plenty plenty more.
Thank you, sir, and I'll talk to you tonight. All right, brother, yeh,
all right, hey you go, that's gonna wrap up ower
number two. Let's take a break. Our number three in coming.

(01:11:06):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 8 (01:11:09):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Traffic from the.

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UC Health Traffic Center. U SE Cancer Center offers advanced
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Call five one three five eighty five. UCCC northbound seventy
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right shoulder that was in the two right lanes. Another
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On that EZAC with traffic.

Speaker 12 (01:11:45):
Ten athletes will face the time.

Speaker 2 (01:11:47):
This week, the Bengals and Dolphins meet up in Miami
for a South Beach showdown. Speaking of the beach, my
swimsuit of choice is a speedo European style. I don't
like those escape calves. The Bengals stooled the Dolphins. Get
the call live from Dan Lloyd and Dave Lapham. The

(01:12:07):
game kicks off at one VM with coverage starting at
nine AM Sunday. Stream for free are the new and
improved iHeartRadio app or ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home
of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 3 (01:12:39):
Here we go our number three Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.
Chad Brenda sitting in for mo Egger. Glad to have you.
Thank you for choosing me. A lot of Bengals coming

(01:13:01):
up here in hour three. Jay Morrison joins us here
in about fifteen minutes or so. Get his thoughts on
another very interesting week in Bengaledom. But first, I told
you the phone lines are open all day, so we're

(01:13:23):
gonna go out to the phones.

Speaker 6 (01:13:24):
Bob and bowling Green. Bob, how the heck are you?

Speaker 1 (01:13:28):
Hey?

Speaker 11 (01:13:28):
Ched?

Speaker 10 (01:13:28):
I'm doing well.

Speaker 6 (01:13:29):
How about you?

Speaker 4 (01:13:30):
I'm doing good.

Speaker 3 (01:13:31):
It's a little gloomy, so it's not a bad day
to waste away here in Kenwood.

Speaker 10 (01:13:37):
That's not much different down here either, So.

Speaker 4 (01:13:41):
Bob, I got you.

Speaker 7 (01:13:42):
Bob.

Speaker 4 (01:13:42):
Have you driven down to Nashville for in and out yet?

Speaker 1 (01:13:48):
Well?

Speaker 10 (01:13:48):
I have driven to Nashville, but not for in and out?

Speaker 4 (01:13:51):
Have you had in and out before?

Speaker 10 (01:13:55):
I don't think I ever have.

Speaker 14 (01:13:57):
No.

Speaker 3 (01:13:58):
Would you wait in line for five hours for in
and out like some people did on the tenth?

Speaker 6 (01:14:04):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:14:06):
It's pretty good. It's not five hours good. I'll tell
you that much right now.

Speaker 10 (01:14:11):
Yeah, Hey, Ken, I've got a basketball question for you
and a couple of football questions.

Speaker 4 (01:14:17):
Yeah, you can.

Speaker 10 (01:14:20):
Basketball wise, if Wes is not successful in keeping his
job at the end of this year, who would you
envision to be perhaps some of the leaguing candidates.

Speaker 3 (01:14:35):
I think there's two names that are probably the most
popular in the fan base right now.

Speaker 4 (01:14:42):
One of them is.

Speaker 3 (01:14:43):
Josh Schertz, who is the head coach at Saint Louis.
You might remember him a couple of years back from
the NIT when Cincinnati played Indiana State with Ryan Conwell
who eventually ended up at Xavier and is now at Louisville,
and Robbie Avila, Larry nerd As what's his nickname? Yeah, Uh,

(01:15:07):
he is at Saint Louis now they are having an
incredible season. Uh.

Speaker 4 (01:15:11):
And then the other name.

Speaker 3 (01:15:13):
I think a lot of people are monitoring one because
he's he's a good coach, and two because of his ties.
Not only is he an alumni of Cincinnati, where he
worked as a graduate assistant under Bob Huggins, but also
coached at West Virginia as an assistant for five years
under Huggins. And his name is Jared Calhoun. He is

(01:15:35):
at Utah State and they are. They're having a very
strong season as well. Tony Skin at George Mason would
be a name, uh to keep an eye on. You know,
there'll be others if the job does come open, that
pop up. But at least for like the the hot

(01:15:56):
names on the market, guys that it very much look
like are going to get a chance to move up
the ranks in this spring.

Speaker 4 (01:16:05):
Those are the big names so far.

Speaker 7 (01:16:08):
Yeah.

Speaker 10 (01:16:09):
And did Cincinnati even consider at any point perhaps bidding
goodbye to West and looking at Pat Kelsey?

Speaker 3 (01:16:23):
No, you have to remember that was Kelsey hadn't really
you know, ascended. He had had a career very similar
to Wes Miller at North Carolina Greensboro. When he was
at Winthrop, he was there for nine years, had success
and then things hadn't really like spiked at Charleston yet

(01:16:44):
for him at that point in time. Plus you get
into I just I think it's and I would.

Speaker 4 (01:16:54):
Say the same for Xavior.

Speaker 3 (01:16:55):
If you know, like hiring Jared Calhoun at Xavier, hiring
a Cincinnati guy, you're hiring a Xavier guy at Cincinnati.
I wouldn't do it if I was the athletic director,
it would not be something I would uh venture into
because I just think it puts your it puts your
fan base in a in a tough spot if things
don't go well, it's uh, we hired the Xavier guy,

(01:17:17):
and if things do go well, you you worry, you know,
is he is he gonna leave? Because he's, you know,
a guy with deep ties across town. So I don't
think so. I know they didn't really at the time
because his name wasn't top of mind. It's easy to
you know, a lot of people were doing it with
Kurt Signetti now too, he had not had his breakout

(01:17:40):
year yet. Uh, when Cincinnati was in the market for
a coach, he did have that breakout year and then
that led him to Indiana. You know, it's easy to
look back on those and wonder, but I I really
don't think Pat was that hot of a name on
the on the market at that point in time when
Cincinnati was replacing John Brannon.

Speaker 10 (01:18:02):
Wait, you know what, you just made me think of something,
because I'm wondering if perhaps like a Chris Mack would
ever enter their mind.

Speaker 3 (01:18:12):
No, No, I don't think so. No, They're not having
a great year at Charleston right now.

Speaker 10 (01:18:21):
Yeah, yeah, And I know things didn't go well in Louisville,
but I I thought, uh, his time at Xavier, I
thought he was great.

Speaker 3 (01:18:28):
Yeah, and sometimes it's right place, right time, and you
know it didn't work out at Louisville. I I like Chris.
I got to know Chris pretty well while he was here.
I just don't think it's something that is wise in
the rivalry to go that route.

Speaker 4 (01:18:46):
It's not something I would do.

Speaker 10 (01:18:48):
You remember the name kay Baker Snati then yeah, but
Chad is it is it? With the transfer portal on
everything nowadays, I would imagine a new guy coming in,
it's got to be much easier to get a competitive team. Correct.

Speaker 3 (01:19:12):
Maybe, I mean it depends on what happens to the market.
You know, last year was insanity because teams were trying
to empty their NIL coffers because they knew the revenue
share stuff was getting ready to start. NIL was going
to be changed. The market kind of exploded and there

(01:19:32):
were you know, everybody talks about, oh, they spent ten
million on the roster. Yeah, that was probably five million
for that roster the year earlier. And I think it's
going to level back out some I'm hearing it already.
I was talking to a football source at a very prominent, high,
high level, you know, blue blood in college football, and

(01:19:56):
they had like a you know, like a mid level starter,
a guy that it wasn't a star, wasn't like an
All American, All Conference type guy, but a solid starter.
That guy came into their GM and said, I want
one point five million. GM said, well, here, here's six
hundred thousand. If you want one point five million compliances
down the hall, you can put your name in the

(01:20:17):
transfer portal because you're not getting one point five million here.
So it's gonna be interesting to see if the market
stabilizes some.

Speaker 6 (01:20:24):
If it does, then yeah you can. You can go
out and you can build a.

Speaker 3 (01:20:28):
Pretty competitive first year roster at a at a good price.
Last year was just insanity because there were guys that
were probably four hundred thousand dollars, guys that were getting
one point two one point three million in college basketball.
So until we see some stability, yeah, there's gonna be

(01:20:50):
some guys that hit. There's gonna be some guys that don't.
I don't think it's as easy as people think it
is because you're you're probably paying a lot more than
you should for guys that are maybe you know, an
okay starter, a replacement level starter, or a bench guy
that you're going to have to pay like an All

(01:21:11):
conference player. It makes things difficult.

Speaker 11 (01:21:15):
Does does you see?

Speaker 10 (01:21:17):
Are they looking at some of the guys that have
left over the last two years, especially guys who have
done pretty well in their new spots, and go, why.

Speaker 7 (01:21:30):
Couldn't we get that?

Speaker 10 (01:21:32):
Or these guys, Bob Well, like say a Victor Lockton
last year.

Speaker 4 (01:21:37):
Victor and Victor also learned a lesson.

Speaker 3 (01:21:43):
I think the problem at Cincinnati was Victor was convinced
he was a power forward and he wanted to play
power forward. Now this is this is on the coach
to tell him you're not a power forward, you're a center.
But they gave him the opportunity to play power forward
and he wasn't very good at it, and.

Speaker 6 (01:21:59):
They and he goes to Clemson.

Speaker 3 (01:22:00):
They move him back to the five, and he looked
a lot more like he did two years prior at Cincinnati.
But like you know, I hear a lot of this
and this is not you in general, Bob, but people
will focus on like you know, Dylan Mitchell has one
good game and must say, oh, look what you missed
out on. When you look at his numbers, he's having

(01:22:22):
the exact same year at Saint John's that he had
at Cincinnati.

Speaker 4 (01:22:27):
I know last year at all and Dan.

Speaker 3 (01:22:30):
Skillings like he have a really good game for Baylor
and people bring him up and then you watch him
play and you go, no, that's that's Dan Skillings.

Speaker 4 (01:22:36):
That's that's what he looked like at Cincinnati.

Speaker 6 (01:22:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 10 (01:22:39):
Well, I guess I'm thinking of CJ. Anthony and Tyler Betsy, And.

Speaker 3 (01:22:43):
Well, Tyler Betsy is no different than he was here.
I love CJ Anthony. C J Anthony's I mean, he's
scoring twenty points on nineteen shots. Yeah, you'd have a
you'd have a panic attack if CJ. Anthony was getting
nineteen shots here, wouldn't you?

Speaker 11 (01:23:01):
Probably so, But I'll tell you what.

Speaker 10 (01:23:02):
There would have been times last.

Speaker 7 (01:23:04):
Year or that.

Speaker 4 (01:23:05):
Yeah, that the problem with that game.

Speaker 3 (01:23:07):
The problem with that was they had already agreed coming
into the season that they were gonna sit him so
that he could go somewhere else and play his senior year.
I think he could have helped last year for sure.
I agree with that too, too.

Speaker 10 (01:23:21):
All right, Chad, Oh, hey, one other things tell me this.
It sort bees gone right.

Speaker 5 (01:23:28):
Oh yeah, so.

Speaker 10 (01:23:32):
Is there a chance or is this even possible? Are
guys able to are they able to sign guys for
more than a year?

Speaker 4 (01:23:41):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:23:41):
That so there are And I've heard Soresby had a
a buyout in his contract. Uh he signed for more
than one year, so that he's gonna have to pay
some money back to Cincinnati for leaving. Okay, but so
you I gotta run Bob terns in my ear yelling,
but yeah, there is there are buyout clauses in those contracts,

(01:24:04):
and uh, team guys are gonna have to pay that
money back. All right, Thanks Bob, appreciate it. Have a
great Christmas. All right, let's take a break. Jay Morrison.
Up next. Cincinnati's ESPN thirteen thirty.

Speaker 8 (01:24:17):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic.

Speaker 9 (01:24:22):
Southbound seventy five. There's a disabled vehicle that is on
the off ramp to Hopple in Florence, Kentucky. It's an
accident on Pleasant Valley Road at Oakbrook Drive and on
Queens City Avenue. An accident over at Work Road. I'm
at Ezemach with traffic.

Speaker 6 (01:24:38):
For more information about contests on.

Speaker 8 (01:24:41):
This is Football in the NATI brought to you in
part by Postman Law and Vice Skyline Chilly on ESPN
fifteen thirty to the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 4 (01:25:03):
Here we go.

Speaker 3 (01:25:08):
The scenario is we're talking to Jay Morrison, beat rider
for Bengals Talk dot Com and h Jay is cruising
through Cincinnati traffic right now, so hopefully nobody cuts them
off or makes a man.

Speaker 12 (01:25:24):
How's it going, Jay, I'm good. My goal was to
get off of my exit by the time I talk
to you guys. So I am rolling from Hamilton into
Fairfield right now. I don't have to worry about the
highway traffic anymore. That's where most of the cuss words fly.

Speaker 4 (01:25:39):
Are you on your way to an Arby's near you?

Speaker 16 (01:25:43):
I actually have one in iesight right now, but I
am not going right past that to the bar.

Speaker 3 (01:25:47):
I mean, you could probably get some jalapeno poppers with
some Bronco berry sauce and just finish those off on
your way to the bar.

Speaker 11 (01:25:56):
You know.

Speaker 16 (01:25:56):
I did on my way to the stadium a little
earlier this afternoon. I did a little in the shopping
and I swung into a Panera and I had a
late heavy lunch.

Speaker 6 (01:26:04):
Barbie's gonna have to wait.

Speaker 4 (01:26:06):
All right after the bar, after the bar.

Speaker 6 (01:26:08):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:26:09):
Yeah, Speaking of existential crises, Joe Burrow, What is going
on in Joe's head? And I know we're all trying
to psychoanalyze. I had a theory earlier. How much of
it is Joe wondering? Maybe leave some of that stuff?
I demanded tea. I demanded, you know a lot of

(01:26:31):
things this offseason. I've had my hands and things. It
hasn't worked. Maybe I should step back. How many different
ways can we spin this?

Speaker 1 (01:26:38):
Uh?

Speaker 4 (01:26:38):
Trying to figure out what Joe's thinking right now?

Speaker 16 (01:26:42):
Now, there's a lot of different ways. I think we've
only scratched the surface. But if you ask me, the
big part of it coming back, I don't know. After
that Buffalo loss was the postgame press conference. There is
when it.

Speaker 6 (01:26:55):
Really seemed different, and I just see he.

Speaker 16 (01:26:59):
Said it's it's personal and football is there's something going
on in his personal life. Everybody knows how when something
like that's going on, it can affect your work. And
most people's work isn't as public as Joe Burrow. So
we don't know what's.

Speaker 6 (01:27:10):
Going on there.

Speaker 16 (01:27:11):
But I think he worked his thought off to get back. Yeah,
and I just think there's some real disappointment.

Speaker 12 (01:27:19):
And I don't know if regrets the right word, but
you go. I mean, any rehab is far, but you
work so hard that you get back a month or
so early, and then you lose and it's kind of
over and you kind of like, why did I go
through all that?

Speaker 6 (01:27:33):
And so I thought that was.

Speaker 16 (01:27:34):
Part of it, and plus just the way that that
loss happened, where yeah, seven of the points were on him,
but it's still it's a game where the opponents.

Speaker 6 (01:27:43):
Scores thirty nine and how many times have we seen
the Bengals.

Speaker 16 (01:27:46):
Score thirty something and still lose? And just the crop
the thought has to be cropping into his head again,
here we go again? Is this ever going to change?
It's two years in a row where thirty plus points
is not enough to win games, And so I think
it's just all kind of building up. And I don't
I don't know that there's anything, any specific plan, any

(01:28:07):
method to his madness in terms of the.

Speaker 6 (01:28:09):
Comments he's putting out there. And the one thing I.

Speaker 16 (01:28:13):
Do think is legit and I don't think it's lip service,
is he really does endorse Zach and this coaching staff,
and I think changes that he would like to see
be made would be more in the the the overall
bigger picture of front office type of thing. But he's
not gonna, he's not gonna he's not gonna push for

(01:28:33):
any specific changes, but he did say he would like
to be kept abreast of what's going on there.

Speaker 3 (01:28:38):
I mean, the thing is Jay when I look at it.
Did they have to be better at drafting? Yes, of course, yeah,
But I thought the plan was right right, Like, you
knew Joe's contract was coming up, you knew you needed
help on defense. So you go and you get a
bunch of young guys on defense spread out over two
three drafts, and you hope, like, did you answer your

(01:29:01):
problems that way? And unfortunately they just haven't hit at
a high enough rate. I mean, you look at some
teams around the NFL. I know the Rams are one
of them. When you look at their last three drafts,
it's like starter, starter, starter, fifth sixth round, starter, starter.
And you look at the Bengals and it's like, ugh,
I don't know about that guy. Oh they cut that
guy like six weeks after they drafted him. Like that's

(01:29:25):
got to be part of the frustration.

Speaker 7 (01:29:26):
Right.

Speaker 3 (01:29:27):
It feels like the plan, what they wanted to do,
was right, but the execution of said plan has got
to improve.

Speaker 4 (01:29:35):
If this situation is going to improve.

Speaker 6 (01:29:39):
Yeah, somewhat.

Speaker 16 (01:29:40):
But I still go back to free agency, and yeah, this.

Speaker 6 (01:29:43):
Is in hindsight.

Speaker 16 (01:29:44):
We everybody knew in March they needed to improve it safety,
and they didn't sign one, and they didn't draft one.

Speaker 6 (01:29:49):
And they needed help.

Speaker 16 (01:29:50):
At linebacker and they didn't sign one, and they waited
and drafted two and at the second fourth round, and
now those guys are starting and going through some serious
growing pains. They needed a pass rushing three technique, didn't
sign one, didn't draft one, went ahead and signed a
run stopping defensive tackle. It's just the needs were so glaring,

(01:30:11):
and they just.

Speaker 6 (01:30:11):
Blew him off. And part of the reason they blew them.

Speaker 16 (01:30:13):
Off is because they tried to hammer every little penny
out of the Jamar and Tea contracts, and it carried
over into free agency and by the time they finally
got those deals done, So I think that's part of it.
I think the front office dragging its feet so often
and trying to just bleed every single penny out of
every single negotiation, you kind of get away from that

(01:30:36):
and just it's a guy. You need a position, you
need go get him and you know, maybe take a
little bit of a hit, maybe overspend a little bit,
just to get it done and get the plan moving.

Speaker 4 (01:30:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:30:47):
I mean that that part has been their mo for
so long, and there have been a couple exceptions here
and there, but it feels like we've seen this many times.
I think throughout the years, a lot of times they're
one year late, Like they're one year late to realize. Oh, like,

(01:31:08):
if they do it this offseason, it's gonna be one
year late because they could have been active and proactive
last year and change this situation, and instead they waited
a year just to just to make sure that they're
bad ideas were actually bad ideas.

Speaker 16 (01:31:25):
Yeah, And I just like, you know, they knew they
were gonna ask genostone to take a pay cut. So
that's your plan, is to ask your starting safety to
take a pay cut, but not go get help or
get somebody that can compete for the job.

Speaker 1 (01:31:38):
There.

Speaker 16 (01:31:39):
It just it's really head scratching some of the moves.
And you can debate whether it's smart or not to
sign tee when you've already got Jamar I think you
look at what this offense is, and now this offense
is set, This entire offense is going to be back
next year. So they are set up in that regard.
But they've just they need to come up with a
real plan this offseason to fix that defense. And they've

(01:32:00):
got the eighth most gap space. They've got money to
go out and sign guys in free agency, and they,
like you said, they have got to do a better
job in the draft this year, and that needs to
be a defensive heavy draft.

Speaker 3 (01:32:12):
Once again, I know nobody is going to tank. It's
a taboo word, and players are gonna play hard. But
how much of the best interest is it for Cincinnati
to lose? What's the range right now? I think they could.
They could draft anywhere from second to sixteenth, depending on
how these last three games go. We have seen this

(01:32:33):
front office capitalize when they're near the top of the draft.
We've seen them really struggle when they're in those those
late teens, early twenties, whatever. I'd never I think maybe
a Times team should tank, but that's not how players'
minds work. I've been around you know enough players to
know they're gonna play hard through the end. Does it

(01:32:55):
benefit them if they lose these last three or are
two of these last three? How much does it benefit them?
I guess I think it definitely does benefit them.

Speaker 6 (01:33:05):
Yeah, I mean it would help with the draft position.

Speaker 16 (01:33:07):
But you know, I know there is the report this
week and Zach's got two more years on his contract
and he's most likely back.

Speaker 6 (01:33:14):
But it's not a rubber stamp.

Speaker 16 (01:33:15):
I mean, if two of the next three games are
losses and they look like last week against Baltimore, then
then maybe this thing does get blown up. And so
I don't think that benefits anybody. I know the fans
would like to see a change there, but the continuity
is important, especially when you got the entire offense coming back.
You would think you would want to play caller and
the head coach back. I just you're right, you can't

(01:33:38):
thank you can't play NFL football half speed. You're gonna
get hurt. You're gonna get other people hurt. The players
are playing to win. Now when it's ten degrees and
the ankles start hurting, and you know, maybe maybe the
focus wanes a little bit and the want to is
not quite there. You know, go, Yeah, a lot of
ankles going down to Miami. The weather's gonna be nice.

(01:34:01):
I do think that they are embarrassed by what happens Sunday.
I think they're gonna go down there with something to prove,
and not just Miami. But these last three games. Will
it have any bearing on carrying momentum into twenty twenty six, I.

Speaker 6 (01:34:15):
Don't think so.

Speaker 16 (01:34:15):
But it'll make them feel a lot better about this
season and what the plan can look like moving forward,
And especially for those young guys on defense, if they
can get some real momentum and some more reps and
some more experience, everything's valuable this at the stage for
those guys.

Speaker 6 (01:34:31):
So yep, it would help.

Speaker 16 (01:34:33):
They would definitely get a better draft pick if they
lose these games.

Speaker 6 (01:34:36):
But I don't think.

Speaker 16 (01:34:36):
Anybody in that organization, from front office to coaches to
players wants that to happen.

Speaker 3 (01:34:42):
Play well and lose. What's that play well and lose? Well,
yeah there you go. Yeah, yeah, everybody. Everybody feels good
about it, and you still improve your draft stock. Well,
you've talked about this number a lot this week. Why
is this team so bad against rookie quarterbacks? It's insane. H.

Speaker 16 (01:35:05):
I have no idea because it's it's I mean, it's
all the way back to the start of time for
this ranch.

Speaker 3 (01:35:10):
Yeah, the whole franchise is bad against rookie quarterbacks.

Speaker 16 (01:35:14):
Yeah, different coaches, different, different defensive coordinators, different everything. I
think part of it is just the law of averages.
This team is bad more.

Speaker 12 (01:35:23):
Than it's good, and when it's bad, it tends to
be really bad. Yeah, and so I think that's a big.

Speaker 6 (01:35:29):
Part of it.

Speaker 16 (01:35:29):
And you know, they're eight and fourteen against quarterbacks making
their NFL starting debuts, and then forget about the starting debut,
just rookie quarterbacks in general are twelve and four in
the last sixteen, so the quarterbacks are. The Bengals are
four and twelve against rookie quarterbacks. So it's and that
goes back to mid twenty tens and back to twenty sixteen.

(01:35:51):
So multiple defensive coordinators, multiple coaches, it's just it's a
it's a.

Speaker 6 (01:35:57):
Stunning number, it really is, and it's kind of.

Speaker 16 (01:35:59):
Like covering tide. Just for whatever reason, it's something this
franchise has never been able to figure out.

Speaker 3 (01:36:06):
Do you think the weather helps getting out of the cold.
It looked like they just they were frostbit on Sunday.
Do you think maybe a week to get down into
the nice sun in Miami like refreshes some guys maybe
for this stretch run.

Speaker 16 (01:36:23):
Yeah, I think so, And I don't think they were
alone in that. I think if you were to go
back and look at games that were in the teams
or single digits, I bet there's very few comebacks like
can you fall behind by a score? Get out of here?
Like I said, the focus kind of wings and the
want to to stick your nose in there and tackle.
It's like, let's just get this game over with.

Speaker 6 (01:36:44):
So I do think that was a big part of it,
and not.

Speaker 16 (01:36:47):
An excuse because the Ravens played in that weather.

Speaker 6 (01:36:49):
Too, and they just wanted it more and looked like it.

Speaker 16 (01:36:52):
But I do think it'll help to go down to
Miami and just play a game in good weather and
maybe a little too hot, I mean eighty one degrees
this time of year. The body is not going to
be used to that, and I think hydration is going
to be a big factors. I know that's something they're
working on this week. You can't wait till the night
before the game.

Speaker 6 (01:37:10):
To get hydrated.

Speaker 16 (01:37:11):
But I do think it'll help to go down there
and they can play their best football, especially the way
this offensive plays.

Speaker 6 (01:37:17):
You want to play in weather like that? Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:37:20):
Where can I find you? Jay?

Speaker 7 (01:37:23):
Yeah?

Speaker 16 (01:37:23):
On Exit by Jay Morrison and on the Growler podcast
on YouTube and Spotify, Apple podcasts, all the podcast platforms,
Bengals Talk dot Com. As you mentioned on the open
all my stories are up there, and really if you
can't find on one of those three places, just listen

(01:37:43):
to this show.

Speaker 3 (01:37:44):
There you go, Thanks, Hey, appreciate it. Have a great holiday, man,
Thanks Jed. All Right, there you go. That's Jay Morrison.
Let's take a break. We're after this. Since ANYSESPN at thirteen.

Speaker 8 (01:37:53):
Thirty, you've been listening to Football in the NATI, brought
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Speaker 6 (01:38:46):
Are you ready for some football?

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We are borrow to chase happens here. This is the
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Speaker 16 (01:38:55):
ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 12 (01:39:08):
Go.

Speaker 4 (01:39:13):
Happy birthday, right, Aaron Yes birthday to Goggle.

Speaker 5 (01:39:22):
The birthday was thrown cloth Steve.

Speaker 3 (01:39:23):
Off Nice, you know who I share a birthday with,
Quick eminem quick me and slim Shady.

Speaker 5 (01:39:40):
With a ready with a real Chad Brindle.

Speaker 3 (01:39:43):
Please stand up, please stand up, Please stand up. Closing
things out today, close them out with a couple of
thoughts on on the Joe Burrows stuff. And we didn't
get to Zach Taylor today. I don't know what you
want me to say about that. He's got two years
left on his contract. As we discovered yesterday, the Bengals

(01:40:07):
are the Bengals. I don't know why they didn't announce
that they signed Zach Taylor to an extension after the
AFC Championship Game. You know, you go to the Super Bowl,
you go to the AFC Championship Game, nobody's going to
be mad at you for extending your coach. Why was
that a secret? Why are we just finding out about

(01:40:28):
that three years later? That's weird to me. It's weird.
It's your prerogative if you want to do things in silence,
and part of the reason you do things in silence
is because nobody ever talks. Nobody in the Bengals front
office does what twice a year get Duke Tobin at
the Combine and you get Mock Turtle Soup Day And

(01:40:49):
those are the two days a year you hear from
the people that run the Bengals. So I'm not surprised
that he signed a contract extension and we didn't know
about it. But why wouldn't you champion that you have
a coach that took you to the Super Bowl in
the AFC Championship Game in back to back years for
one of the worst franchises in the history of sports.

Speaker 4 (01:41:12):
Should want to talk about that.

Speaker 3 (01:41:14):
But the Burrow stuff, whatever, it is professional, personal whatever
it is, the Bengals better figure it out and fix it.
Because if you think perception is bad about this franchise
now in part because of what happened with Carson Palmer, Yeah,

(01:41:37):
number one overall pick. He wasn't a bust, he was
very good, and he retired instead of playing. Here they
got lucky that the Raiders were desperate and willing to
overpay because Carson Palmer said, screw this.

Speaker 4 (01:41:55):
I'm out get you a gang.

Speaker 3 (01:41:57):
And that's what Carson Palmer's said to Mike Brown, How
was my cartman tarn? Was that pretty good? I about
to stick that to you? Okay, Yeah, I mean it's
not a great one. But you know, if that happens again,
if you have a generational another generational number one pick,

(01:42:20):
and Joe Burrow's better than Carson Palmer, significantly better if
you let it happen again. And we're sitting here at
the end of the twenty twenty six or twenty twenty
seven season, and Joe Burrow says, I went out and
that story hits Joe Burrow demands a trade. Joe Burrow

(01:42:43):
willing to retire instead of playing another snap of the
Cincinnati Bengals you're talking irrepairable damage to your franchise. I
don't know that you can come back from that.

Speaker 5 (01:42:59):
I'm gonna say it.

Speaker 3 (01:43:01):
Because guess what, Like you know, everybody was talking about
Joe Burrow should decline being drafted number one overall by
the Cincinnati Bengals should have decline. Say no, I'm not signing.
Whatever the consequences are. The consequences, but I'm not signing
with that franchise. We laughed it off. Come on, the

(01:43:22):
Carson Palmer thing was a one off, diva you know
nothing to real. But if it happens again with a
kid from Ohio that took you to the Super Bowl,
took you to the AFC Championship Game, and four five
years later that guy once out, I don't know how

(01:43:43):
as a franchise you ever recover. And they're never gonna sell.
It's a family business. It's never gonna happen. So whatever
it is, whatever is at the root of this, you
better figure it out this offseason. If it's ten more
scouts in that scouting department, go hire ten more scouts

(01:44:06):
in the scouting department.

Speaker 5 (01:44:09):
I'm available.

Speaker 3 (01:44:11):
I'm available too. I'm pretty good at it. More basketball
than football. I'm pretty good at basketball scouting football. They
talk about things like swiveling hips. I'm not watching anybody's
hips tearing. I'll watch footwork, I'll watch shot preparation. I'm

(01:44:31):
not watching how anybody's hips swivel. It's not my thing.

Speaker 4 (01:44:35):
But whatever it is, you better get this figured out.

Speaker 3 (01:44:41):
You better get on the same page as Joe Burrow,
because this franchise is only as good as Joe Burrow
takes them, and even then sometimes it's not good enough.
That's gonna do it begos pep rally tomorrow. I'll be
in next week a couple times, so we'll see you then.

Speaker 4 (01:45:00):
That is the Mowagger Show.

Speaker 3 (01:45:01):
This says Cincinnati is ESPN in fifteen thirty.

Speaker 4 (01:45:07):
And I'm listening to the radio.

Speaker 6 (01:45:10):
I'm listening to a.

Speaker 4 (01:45:11):
Sad girl sang sang about it.

Speaker 17 (01:45:14):
He got a cord Rod movie too.

Speaker 6 (01:45:19):
I just want myself to that Duro.

Speaker 17 (01:45:21):
When you only gets Fidel, don't act this.

Speaker 6 (01:45:25):
If you did, you talk? She let me play with her.

Speaker 17 (01:45:30):
I'm working late, I said, I'll soon be home. All
about the girl was home. Let me tell you what
your crime?

Speaker 7 (01:45:38):
Phone?

Speaker 1 (01:45:39):
Why?

Speaker 6 (01:45:40):
Because I'm flying super flyn Nate, I'm flying.

Speaker 7 (01:45:48):
You know need super fly with me.

Speaker 6 (01:45:49):
I'm sitting with Duper and I'm super duper fly.

Speaker 8 (01:45:52):
Fly Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic.

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Northbound seventy five. It is an exodent on the left shoulder.
This is on the Ohio side between two seventy five
and Union Center Boulevard, with a fifteen minute delay back
from Glendale Milford Road. Also an accident State Route one
point thirty two at Benton Road. I'm at Ezelic with

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Traffic from the Wyoming Air Tempstar Weather