12/3/25 - The Mo Egger Radio Show - Mo Egger

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Are bringing their own brand of football to Buffalo when
they go hunting for a win. Did I tell you
about the last time I was in bilow i ate
fifty wing missus leathered in hot sauce. Let's just say
I had to stampede my way to a stall in.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
The men's room.

Speaker 1 (00:16):
The Bengals peddle the Bills. Coverage begins 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 (00:30):
Right here we go. It's a we're a late start today. Huh.
Seven that for free? This is ESPN fifteen thirty. What's
up with that? I'm a langer in studio for what
feels like the first time in forever. It is awesome
of you to be with us. This is a special show.
First of all, the show preview video is available on
Twitter at mullager. Go check that out now. It's a

(00:52):
service of share Fax Credit Union. You can become a
member at Shaffax Credit Union and if you do well,
you'll be just like me because I'm a member. Check
out share facts dot org. We love our friends at Shaffact.
So I'll just tell you what's happening on the show
today really quick. Joe Burrow is gonna talk in seven minutes,
we think seven minutes. He has not been on time

(01:13):
for one of his press conferences this year, but maybe rejuvenated.
He's back. He won, Bengals won. Everybody's excited. Maybe Joe
will be compelled to be on time. Hopefully he is.
Will have it for you at three point fifteen. We
are looking forward to that. We have the Kyle Schwarber
thing to get to, which maybe it's unlikely, maybe it's
not gonna happen. I'm gonna do everything I can. I'm

(01:34):
gonna do everything I can to ensure that Red's fans
are demanding that the Reds go sign the raigning home
run champion in baseball. I'll do what I can. I'll
do my best. That's coming up here in just a bit.
Also Eric Wood later on in the five o'clock hour,
the Pride of Elder High School. He is currently the
and has been for a while, the radio analyst for

(01:54):
the Buffalo Bills, Bengals and Bills on Sunday at one o'clock,
we are looking forward to that. Going to talk in
a second, I did not have a chance to get
to this yesterday. But I'm no longer gonna tell Joe
Burrow no when it comes to him playing. As long
as the games matter, this game on Sunday matters, the
game on Thursday matters. I felt bad on Thursday night.

(02:15):
Not because the Bengals won. That was excited, the exciting.
I felt bad because I was one of those guys
who was I don't know, should yes, he should have played,
and he did play and he played well, went perfect.
There was some russ he had a chip off. So
we have that. We're gonna get to a little bit
later on. Today is our office Christmas party for advertisers

(02:36):
of the radio station, so we have a lot of
people who are going to be in the building having
a good time the holiday party. We want to be
a part of it, but you know, we it's hard
because we're doing a show. So over the last number
of years we've started an open door policy and maybe
you can hear in the background some noise. We leave
our door open. You could hear the Christmas music and
we basically invite people to pop in at any time.

(02:58):
So if there's a little background noise, if it's sound
like we're out at a bar or something. We're not,
although there is alcohol here. It's the iHeartMedia Christmas Party,
and we're broadcasting basically from it. We are going to
step aside, hopefully Joe Burrow right on time when we
come back ten after three. This is ESPN fifteen thirty
Cincinnati Sports Station now talking with the Assemble Pro Football Media.

Speaker 4 (03:20):
Would you imagine playing college football playoff for getting ready
to in your coach leaving.

Speaker 5 (03:28):
His own miss going to make the playoff?

Speaker 2 (03:29):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (03:30):
Yeah, that's certainly not an ideal situation.

Speaker 6 (03:34):
But uh.

Speaker 5 (03:38):
Does the rest of the staff stay or do they
go too?

Speaker 7 (03:40):
I think you let the OC loose to go back
you play caller.

Speaker 8 (03:45):
Ah, yeah, certainly, well, an ideal situation for a playoff run,
that's for sure.

Speaker 9 (03:50):
There's been multiple reports out about what exactly is the
shoe that's helping you as soon as experience be a
metal plate, a wh's been something else.

Speaker 10 (04:02):
What what is in your shoe and that's helping you
with your toe?

Speaker 5 (04:06):
Exactly? Carbon fiber plate and custom.

Speaker 10 (04:08):
Or thought, how does that help your toe?

Speaker 5 (04:11):
Well, they just.

Speaker 8 (04:12):
Can't shoe can't bend it because my toe can't go
backwards right now, still a little early for that, So
just keeps it firm and not bending it back.

Speaker 10 (04:23):
Is it comfortable?

Speaker 11 (04:25):
No?

Speaker 12 (04:26):
Are you wearing.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
Different cleats now when you were before.

Speaker 5 (04:29):
Before the injury?

Speaker 6 (04:30):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (04:31):
Yeah, these are the ones that I feel like give
me enough space and stability to do what I need
to do.

Speaker 2 (04:41):
Do you walk around in different shoes just like at home?

Speaker 5 (04:45):
At home, I'm just barefoot, but.

Speaker 8 (04:48):
Yeah, I try to be in the cleats as little
as possible.

Speaker 7 (04:52):
You settle on the sneakers being like the swapping out
and kind of why didn't you figre out that was
a good solution for you along the sideline?

Speaker 8 (05:01):
Well, I take it off throughout practice every now and then,
just to let it breathe and let it relax a
little bit.

Speaker 5 (05:07):
And these are what I put on, so I figured
I'd just keep it.

Speaker 9 (05:12):
The same whether obviously it was cold in Baltimore, but
it's supposed to be like really cold in Buffalo. Does
that impact the shoe work and what's in it and
your toe at all or not?

Speaker 4 (05:25):
Really?

Speaker 5 (05:26):
Well, it shouldn't. How difficult was it to get used
to the insert.

Speaker 8 (05:33):
It was certainly a process to figure out what worked.

Speaker 5 (05:37):
Best for me.

Speaker 8 (05:37):
And what was most comfortable and at the same time safe.
But we we worked through that and a lot of
different people were involved and we got the right stuff
on there. You have any idea for sure the rest
of this year and probably going forward, but we'll see.

Speaker 5 (05:58):
We look at the tape. How does it affect your mechanics.
I don't think that the injury affects my mechanics at all.
What'd you think of, you know, when you watch the
take how you threw? What'd you think after the end
out for seventy days?

Speaker 6 (06:15):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (06:15):
I thought I did some good things.

Speaker 8 (06:17):
I think second half I was pretty lights out really,
last half of the first half to the first could drives, missed.

Speaker 5 (06:25):
Some that I normally hit. But when when you're aligned
protects like that, you get back into the group pretty quickly.

Speaker 4 (06:33):
Your game surgery, if I had told you you'd be
back two games taps five, I've signed up for that scenario.

Speaker 8 (06:43):
Yeah, of course, you know we're in. We got everything
in front of us. We just got to go take
care of business.

Speaker 2 (06:48):
You're touchdown throw to Andre. What do you love kind
of about the pre snap puzzle that you went through
before the snap? There, you got everything set and then
it all worked out.

Speaker 5 (06:58):
Yeah, it was a big time pick up a front.
That's uh.

Speaker 8 (07:03):
They provide some challenging looks as a defense protection wise,
that's probably the most challenging look that they present, and Oline.

Speaker 5 (07:16):
Knocked it out. Drew was part of that, was part
of that.

Speaker 8 (07:19):
And then a great read by Dre taking the middle,
not just taking the middle, but noticing that they didn't
have a backsize safety and able to bend it a
little bit to the space. So that was an all
around great play.

Speaker 2 (07:31):
And you see it all move around. At what point
do you know Andres getting the ball down the field?

Speaker 8 (07:38):
Once I saw Roquwan getting out of there in the
field safety push into the field.

Speaker 5 (07:44):
I knew. I knew where I was going. As long
as we wroth on the same page.

Speaker 7 (07:47):
When you look back at last year, why were we
all so able to win when your backs working with
the ball, knowing you had to What enabled y'all to
string that success together?

Speaker 8 (07:57):
The same way you win any game, just discipline, winning
the turnover, battle, playing smart, playing physical, and going about
your business each and every day trying to get better.
There's no secret formula. You just got to go through
the process week to week. And attack the plan with
intensity and understand it. Understand it to a point that

(08:18):
you can go out and execute it in front of
the world. And that's that's what we plan to do.

Speaker 4 (08:21):
You haven't played them a lot, so you've had success
against this Bill's defense when you pace them.

Speaker 2 (08:27):
What has stood out or what just works for you?

Speaker 8 (08:29):
Guys their word coach, they make it, They make it difficult.
They give you a lot of different looks in the secondary.
They try to make everything look the same.

Speaker 5 (08:40):
And now they got good.

Speaker 8 (08:42):
Players that typically have been there for a while. Most
of their guys have been in that scheme for several
years now and understand the weaknesses and the strengths of it. Yeah,
we've had success against them in the past. We haven't
played them in several years. Every game is new, so
look forward to going improvement.

Speaker 13 (09:01):
What do you remember about the feeling of playing there
in the snow, you know, in the playoffs a few
years ago.

Speaker 8 (09:07):
Yeah, it was one of my favorite games since I've
been here. But like I said, that's in the past.
What we've we haven't done anything in a long time
against these guys, and we got to go improve it
every single week.

Speaker 2 (09:20):
That's really just like with Joe Brady these days.

Speaker 5 (09:23):
Yeah, Joe and I go way back.

Speaker 8 (09:25):
I guess it's way back at this point, just like
any time when there's As time goes, you talk less
and less. But you know, we could see each other
any anytime and sitting and chop it up for how
long we wanted to.

Speaker 6 (09:42):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (09:43):
He was great for my career.

Speaker 8 (09:44):
We did some fun things together and we got a
great relationship. So I look forward to seeing it talking
to him for sure.

Speaker 7 (09:49):
What's the biggest thing you gained by being with him,
especially that last year, And also what's the biggest thing
that you looked back and you've made made the biggest
impact on you.

Speaker 5 (10:00):
You know, bringing.

Speaker 8 (10:02):
All the NFL concepts to what we were doing at LSU.
And you know, fortunately, that's my strength, is being able
to read and react and get the bought quickly and
finding the right guys. And that's that's what that offense
was about. That's what this offense is about. That's what
a lot of offenses are about in this league.

Speaker 5 (10:21):
And you know, we we did some special things together
and worked through a lot of problems. We solved a
lot of problems, and.

Speaker 8 (10:35):
That's that's what great players and coaches do, so that
was a special time after your resurgery.

Speaker 9 (10:43):
You were pretty open about how you know, it didn't
always feel awesome and it was just something that you
were learning how to manage.

Speaker 10 (10:50):
How did your toe feel on Friday? And is it
similar to that where it doesn't feel great because you're
still able to play through it? Like, what's the difference?

Speaker 8 (11:02):
Like I said, everything we have in the shoe keeps
it stable and safe, and that provides me confidence to
go and play the way that I need to.

Speaker 13 (11:10):
How much do you pay attention to playoff scenarios? What
needs to happen for you guys to get in at
this point?

Speaker 8 (11:18):
Yeah, we pay attention. I think everybody does. But doesn't
you can pay attention to it and at the same
time not let it affect anything about your business and
about your day to day. Now that matters if we
don't go and win.

Speaker 7 (11:35):
We talked a lot about Payton manning frisship over the years.
Why is that in a relationship that's been a lot
to you? And kind of what's that kind of been
like as y'all have gotten oldered?

Speaker 14 (11:45):
Well?

Speaker 8 (11:45):
Number one, he is one of the best of all
time and has a lot of insight to provide, and
he's a great guy that wants to give back to
the game, to the younger guys, help us out. And
when you have a guy that played for so long
at such a high level that wants to see young

(12:07):
players thrive and get better and be great, that's good
for the game And shame on me if I don't
take advantage of that.

Speaker 7 (12:14):
Is that something you hope to do down the line,
like whenever you're done, is to kind of kind of
pass that on or pay forward.

Speaker 5 (12:20):
Yeah, yeah, of course.

Speaker 15 (12:22):
It's about as emotional as I've seen you after a game.
It seemed like this particular comeback seemed to kind of
strike a chord with you.

Speaker 5 (12:33):
You seemed to almost savored.

Speaker 15 (12:35):
Maybe I mod but it seemed like kind of old
the war or reflective.

Speaker 8 (12:42):
Yeah, I just think, you know, I've been through a
lot of these, and you know, haven't had the chance
to come back in the middle of a season like
this from any of the other ones that I've had,
and so this one has been special to me. Uh,
you know, I worked really hard to come back and
try to give myself an opportunity to get out there.

Speaker 5 (13:05):
Not just me, a lot of people worked hard for it, and.

Speaker 8 (13:09):
To be able to have a moment like that in
front of the world on Thanksgiving, that was that was special.

Speaker 15 (13:15):
I think it's just a matter of maybe getting older too,
and just stuff is starting.

Speaker 5 (13:22):
You're not old, but yeah, the more things, the more
things you go through, the.

Speaker 8 (13:27):
Especially when it's you know, the same thing over and
over again and you continue.

Speaker 5 (13:30):
To overcome it and.

Speaker 8 (13:35):
You know, I'm gonna continue to to do great things
and play well.

Speaker 5 (13:40):
At least that's the plan.

Speaker 8 (13:43):
You know, these will be in the review mirror mirror
at some point, but right now it's pretty fresh and
there's something I'm proud of.

Speaker 4 (13:50):
How long did it take you to go from I
can't believe this happened?

Speaker 5 (13:55):
Two?

Speaker 2 (13:56):
All right, I'm gonna be back this year. Thats like,
when how long did that take?

Speaker 5 (14:04):
Basically, it's always a process. I'm not sure. I'm not
sure I could pinpoint an exact.

Speaker 6 (14:15):
Time.

Speaker 5 (14:18):
You know, once you get a.

Speaker 8 (14:21):
Couple weeks out and you start to get back into
lifting and training and the rehab starts to progress and
you're doing more functional movement, then your mindset starts to
switch a little bit.

Speaker 16 (14:32):
You talked a lot Joe today about how what makes
you so special, Uh, getting your offensive line in the
right protections? How much you work at that, and why
that makes you the quarterback you are.

Speaker 2 (14:44):
When did you first start.

Speaker 16 (14:47):
Really spending a lot of time doing a lot of
homework on the right protections for each game.

Speaker 8 (14:54):
The first time it was really introduced to me at
the level that you start to critically think about it
was when Ryan Day got to Ohio State and here
was my quarterback coach. We started to talk about a
lot of things that from an NFL type perspective, it
just kind of made sense to me, and it kind

(15:17):
of always has from that point on.

Speaker 5 (15:19):
Just kind of.

Speaker 8 (15:21):
Makes sense, you know, seeing defenses and seeing body languages
something that I'm pretty good at, especially later in the
game after you see a couple of things a couple
of times. That's one of the reasons that I feel
like I'm so good, just because I can see what,
I can feel it, and I can react to it quickly.

Speaker 5 (15:43):
It's just kind of always made sense. Is an intuition
preparation combination of both, Yeah, it's a combination of both.
Our coaches come.

Speaker 8 (15:52):
Together and give us the answers to the test, not
like I'm coming up with the calls myself. They we
meet every Thursday and they show us all the different
looks and what calls you want to get in too
against certain looks, and then.

Speaker 6 (16:11):
You go from there.

Speaker 5 (16:12):
What's different about the offensive line this year?

Speaker 2 (16:15):
Why are they playing at the level of.

Speaker 1 (16:17):
Their straight up.

Speaker 5 (16:21):
Raps?

Speaker 8 (16:22):
Guys are older. We haven't had too many injuries this year.
When when you have a group that's together for eleven
weeks at this point, then they're gonna gel and can
continue to get better. We have guys that want to
get better, that love playing and have really taking a

(16:44):
step and take an ownership of what they're doing.

Speaker 13 (16:47):
You talk about your ability to read a defense, read
body language and things like that. Is there anything about
you specifically in your mind that makes you good at that?

Speaker 5 (17:01):
No, I can just I can just see it and
feel it and react to it. Yeah, it's as simple
as that.

Speaker 2 (17:10):
Memory.

Speaker 8 (17:10):
I wouldn't say that. I remember things pretty decent. Uh,
that's certainly not photographic like some people talk about.

Speaker 5 (17:19):
Were you a good test taker in school? Yeah? Yeah,
I could do I could. Yeah, I could take the
test and not really work too much beforehand.

Speaker 15 (17:31):
It's math, right, I mean, when you what you're doing
off there, testing and stuff.

Speaker 2 (17:35):
It's like math, it's more.

Speaker 5 (17:42):
Patternaction, pattern recognition and problem solving.

Speaker 3 (17:47):
There you go. There's a Joe Burrow talking about his
scholastic career taking math classes and how it relates to
playing quarterback in the NFL. He is set to go
to make his second start after coming off the injury list.
Is The Bengals take on the Bills in Buffalow Sunday
at one o'clock. You'll hear the game live on ESPN
fifteen thirty, pregame coverage beginning at nine a m. We

(18:08):
are loaded today, don't forget. Bengals game plan airs from
six to eight tonight as soon as we're done on
ESPN fifteen thirty, and we are is is that on
Fox Sports? I just we have NKU basketball tonight and
we have the Bengals and the Norse are going to
be on Fox Sports thirteen sixty. These are the sort
of things I should look up. They're after us all right.

(18:31):
Fifteen thirty has Bengals game plan and we've got the
NKU game with Jim Kelch and Rick Boring on Fox
Sports thirteen sixty. These are the things I would typically
know prior to the show. But as you could tell
by listening in the background, the iHeartRadio Christmas Party, which
started at three o'clock, is already in full swing. I mean,

(18:52):
there are folks this party officially goes until seven o'clock.
There are folks who are not going to make it
to like five. So if you're an uber driver in
the greater Kinwood area, you could, you could probably, you
could probably make some money this afternoon. Sports headlines are
coming up, and yes, yes, the Reds should sign Kyle Schwarmer.

(19:14):
We'll do that next on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 17 (19:17):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 18 (19:20):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center. U See Health's
Weight Loss Center offers surgical and medical obesity care and expertise.
Called five one three nine three nine two two sixty three.
That's nine three nine two two sixty three. Still got
that accident on eastbound two seventy five. It is on
the off ramp to southbound seventy one in Ohio. Right

(19:41):
lane is blocked on the ramp westbound Shepherd Lane and
accident blocking the right lane as well at seventy five
in eastbound US fifty accident after seventy one I'm at
ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 3 (19:53):
This report is spa set lines. Oh, that's right. We're
playing Christmas music because it's the iHeartMedia Christmas Party.

Speaker 6 (19:59):
That's right.

Speaker 3 (20:00):
So we're gonna see how many holiday music posts I
could hit. Sports headlines are a service of Kelsey Chevrolet.

Speaker 18 (20:11):
Night.

Speaker 3 (20:11):
Little sloppy. I was like, was like a half second early,
but it's the first one of the day. T Higgins
is practicing on a limited basis. Zach Taylor says he
is quote making good progress as the Bengals hope to
have him back on Sunday when they take on the
Buffalo Bills. Sean McDermott, the coach in Buffalo, says, Joey
Bosa week the week got injured in there went over

(20:32):
the Steelers on Sunday the game at one o'clock live
on ESPN fifteen thirty. Get a lot more tonight on
Bengals Game Plan from six o'clock until eight o'clock right
here on ESPN fifteen thirty. Our guy Ken Anderson has
been named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of
Fame Class of twenty twenty six. If the people in

(20:52):
charge of such things are doing it right, Ken will
be in Canton next summer. Former not a former oh
Hi State offensive coordinator, Brian Hartline is set to take
over as the head coach at South Florida. He will
be with the Buckeyes during their run in the College
Football Playoff. Tonight, college basketball NKU is at Cleveland State,

(21:13):
IU is at Minnesota. The NKU Cleveland State game is
on Fox Sports thirteen to sixty. By the way, I
neglected to mention that Zach Zach Taylor. Evan McPherson has
been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week
for his performance six for six on field goal attempts
and Pats six for six on field goals, two for

(21:33):
two on Pats had twenty points in the Thanksgiving night
victory over the Baltimore Ravens. And congratulations go out to
a guy that we're going to have on the show
at four twenty today, Ryan Kerwin. He has been named
the EHL Rookie of the Month for November, the Cincinnati
Cyclone first player to win that honor since Joe Howe
during the twenty thirteen twenty fourteen season. The iHeartMedia Christmas

(21:56):
Party rages on behind us. It's a festive afternoon at
this really, to me is the kickoff of the holiday season.
It's so festive that we play Christmas music on our show.
I'm reading Mark Sheldon last night MLB dot Com, who
does an awesome job with the piece headlined with this
why the dark horse Reds could be a uniquely enticing

(22:17):
fit for Schwarber, And he writes in the first two paragraphs,
and I'll have you go read the rest. He writes,
While it might have seemed like a long shot going
into the offseason, don't count out the Reds in the
pursuit of free agent slugger Kyle Schwarber, And he continues.
Multiple sources told MLB dot Com that the Reds remain

(22:39):
among the teams trying to sign Schwarber and are still
in contention for one of this winter's top free agents.
Here is a blurb. Greg Amsinger on MLB Network was listing,
I guess seven destinations that would make sense for Kyle Schwarber,
and he did list the Reds as number five. Here's
him explaining, let's move on to number five. Where's Kyle?

(23:00):
Where we're gonna go? This is too high, Greg, way
too hish. Culture Number one, I should be maybe number
one of us to go back home. You're going back home.
You got to get somebody with Ellie de Lacruz. Growing
back comes out of this bro You think the tea,
I love it. Look at green Ellie de la Cruz.
Give me that guy. Put Kyle Schwarber on the on

(23:20):
deck circle behind Cala Cruz. I would love. It's time
that Cincinnati Reds go get a big back Kyle Schwarber.
I'm just thinking this, folks, I'm thinking this. So and
there you go. There's Greg Amsinger, I believe with Yander
Alonzo on the MLB network. Now, I don't want to
come off as skeptical here, but there is something to
the idea of you know what, if we pick up

(23:40):
the phone and call Kyle Schwarber's agent, even if we
don't make a very competitive offer, we can at least say, hey,
we tried. And and by the way, the Reds brand
is unfortunately that they don't even try. Right we we
assume they're not going to sign Kyle Schwarber because they're
not even going to try to sign Kyle Schwarber. And well,
you can say that about us if we at least
pick up the phone and say, hey, would Kyle Schwarber

(24:02):
want to come to the Reds what would it cost?
And then you hang up the phone and you can
shrug your shoulders and say, well, at least we tried.
So keep that in mind. It behooves the Reds to
a degree to at least make it known. Well, we
jumped into the sweepstakes. We jumped into the pool, but
we didn't stay in it very long. So that's worth noting.
Number One, there is no good, non financial reason, no

(24:27):
good non financial reason to not sign Kyle Schwarber. I
get he's thirty two years old. If you're worried about
what you're gonna be paying him in a couple of years.
I would like to treat this offseason like the Apocalypse
is gonna happen next offseason, which may happen because there's
going to be a lockout. Maybe there's not a twenty
twenty seven season. I don't care about the twenty twenty

(24:48):
seven season. I don't care about the twenty twenty eight season.
I want to win now. I want to win while
they have a corps of guys in place that did
get to the postseason last year, and I don't want
to trade away from that corp of guys. I don't
have to trade paid for Kyle Schwarber. I just gotta
pay him a bunch of money. I'd rather pay Kyle
Schwarber a bunch of money than pay another team Nick
Lodolo or Andrew Abbott or Hunter Green or Chase Petty

(25:09):
or Chase Burns or another guy named Chase. There's no good,
non financial reason to not sign Kyle Schwarber. I get it.
The Reds have a budget. They should have it. We
all have budgets. There's a difference between, well, they can't
afford it and they don't have the budget for it.
There's lots of things I cannot afford. There are some

(25:30):
things I don't really have the budget for. There's a difference.
If the Reds want to give Kyle Schwarber a blank check,
they could probably do it. They do have twenty other owners.
There's a difference between we can't afford it and we're
not willing to pay for it, or it's not in
our budget, or we're not willing to go outside our budget.
I think we all understand that sometimes in life, there

(25:54):
are things that are worth going outside your budget. For
my wife and I are family. We have a budget
and we're pretty good at sticking to it, and we
set aside money for food and groceries and gas and
entertainment and necessities and emergencies and clothes and stuff for
the house. Like we said, we're pretty good at it.

(26:14):
There's a there's a little spreadsheet. My wife is really
into it. I've gotten into it. It's a good way
to live. It's a smart thing to do. We have
a budget. Occasionally there are things that come your way
in life that are worth going outside your budget for.
And sometimes those things are fun. Sometimes those things are necessities.

(26:38):
Kyle Schwarber, I would argue as both the Reds need
a guy who can hit home runs. Kyle Schwarber led
the league in home runs last year. Also, he's fun.
It's fun because he's from Middletown, which really should not
have anything to do with this, at least from a
Red's perspective. Kyle Schwarber could be from Middletown, Nebraska and
they should still be trying to sign him. But Okay,
there's that dynamic. Sometimes there are things worth going outside

(27:01):
your budget for. In January of twenty twenty two, the
Bengals won the AFC title, and I decided I'm going
to the super Bowl. And then we decided later on
we're going to broadcast from it, and I posted up
next to an ice machine. But the moment to the
moment that kick went through against the Kansas City Chiefs,
I'm like, dude, I'm going. Didn't know what a ticket

(27:24):
was going to cost. I had to go outside our budget.
I remember saying to my wife, like, look, I've been
waiting for this my entire life. I was eleven the
last time they went to the super Bowl. I wasn't
going then. I am going now. I don't care what
it costs. We're going to be fine. It's worth stepping
outside the budget for this once in a lifetime moment.

(27:47):
And you know, someone at the radio station was like,
can you get a media pass. It's like, yeah, I'm
not doing that. I'm want to be in the stands cheering, yelling,
and if they win, I'm going to hug my best friends.
And so I paid them on they didn't win the game,
completely worth it. Sometimes in life there are things worth
going outside your budget for. When you're a team that

(28:10):
just made the postseason. A dude who hit fifty six
home runs last year is worth going outside your budget?
For so, Yes, the Reds have a budget. It's not
a matter of affordability. It's a matter of willingness to pay,
willingness to maybe step outside the budget. If the Reds
were a sixty four win team last year, Kyle Schwarber
is not worth going outside your budget. If their pitching

(28:32):
was a mess, if they didn't have any arms, if
you had no idea who the opening day starter should be.
That's one thing. You got some pieces in place. You
need more than Kyle Schwarbert. You need some dudes who
will be with the team this year, who were with
the team last year, to be better than they were
last year. And you probably need some more outside help.
But I got a dude who can hit, even if

(28:54):
he has a down year. Is going to hit forty
in this ballpark? Are you kidding me? There is no
non financial reason. None. But if the reason is financial,
is this worth going outside your budget? Now? You and
I as fans, the answer is gonna be yes. I
would imagine it's gonna be yes if you own the club.

(29:15):
Isn't this one of those set of circumstances? Isn't this
one of those moments where you go, you know what
we're doing it. We're going outside the budget. I know
what the pushback is gonna be. Mo The Reds aren't
gonna do it. That's part of the problem. We just
assume they won't because they don't. I don't know if
us talking about it is gonna change that, but it

(29:35):
would be great if we can have legitimate conversations about
this happening. And the good news is there are some
folks who cover this sport very very closely who are
at least writing and talking about Kyle Schwerber and in
the same sentence writing and talking about the Reds. It's
a quarter to four, Rick brooring on Xavier who has
a game on Friday, and Nku who has a game

(29:56):
tonight next.

Speaker 19 (29:58):
Cincinnati's ESPN. In fifteen thirty, traffic from the.

Speaker 18 (30:03):
Uc Health Traffic Center. U See Health's Weight Loss Center
offers surgical and medical obesity care and expertise. Call five
one three, nine three nine two two sixty three. That's
nine three nine two two sixty three. Down to only
two accidents at the moment, the first one westbound on
Shepherd Lane that's over at seventy five right lane blocked
off the other one eastbound US fifty after seventy one.

(30:26):
That's got the left lane blocked and Fort Washington Way
eastbound traffic slow between seventy five and seventy one on
at Ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 3 (30:36):
Yep, you can hear the party raging behind us. Kind
of hit that most pretty good. It is raging behind us.
Ken brw just walked in exactly here. Ken Brew is
actually in the building. Yeah yeah, if folks for asking
him if he actually worked here in which is kind
of embarrassing. The iHeartMedia Christmas party continues. Meanwhile, we're getting

(31:00):
closer to the skyline Chile Crosstown shootout UC versus Xavier
at the Cintas Center. Also tonight, NKU opens up Horizon
League play with a tilt against Cleveland State. That is
on Fox Sports thirteen sixty. Here as he is every
Wednesday to talk Xavier and NKU basketball, the color analysts
on Norris broadcasts, and the owner and proprietor of Musketeer

(31:21):
Report dot Com, Rick Browing. Hi, Rick, what's up? Mal?
I'm just getting ready for this game on Friday night
and tonight, how about yourself?

Speaker 11 (31:31):
Likewise, I'm equally excited for both.

Speaker 3 (31:35):
Let's talk about Friday first. I feel like back when
the college basketball season began, this was, you know what,
the Musketeers are starting from scratch. Wes Miller has a
team that has more talent. He's in his fifth season.
This is the year where you see wins at the
Cintas Center. I don't think anybody feels that way anymore.
They don't feel like it's a sure thing anymore. Maybe
a fifty to fifty part of that has to do

(31:55):
with the Bearcats. Part of that has to do with
the improvement we've seen from the Musketeers, and f there's
more of an identity with Richard Patino's team right now
than Wes Miller's. Speak to that from a Xavier perspective.

Speaker 11 (32:07):
Yeah, it's really amazing how that has turned around so quickly, Mo,
because you know, we talked before the season started and
I told you about how I felt about bagers chances
in that game, and then a few games into the
season it was even worse, especially after they had suffered
back to back nineteen point losses to Santa Clara and Iowa.
So yeah, at that point, I was I was thinking

(32:29):
that this was going to be the year that duc
finally got it done at the Centa Center almost no
matter what, regardless of how they played, just because of
the difference in talent. But the way you see has
struggled on the offensive end, and the way Richard Patino
and his staff have kind of turned this around by
changing their playing style on offense is really impressive. And

(32:51):
so now we find ourselves look at the Crosstown shootout going.

Speaker 20 (32:55):
Who knows what's going to happen?

Speaker 3 (32:57):
How about Big East play, because it's a league that
thus far maybe beyond Yukon. I don't think anybody's impressed
by anybody.

Speaker 20 (33:05):
Yeah, I think that's fair.

Speaker 11 (33:08):
I've heard some people say, you know, it might be
Zavier saving grace this year that the Big East is weak.
I think most people when they say the Big East
is week, they think about it from a top end
perspective and how many teams are going to get in
n ncl A tournament perspective. The issue Xavier might have
is there aren't the bottom feeders that are really struggling

(33:28):
this year that we've seen in years past.

Speaker 3 (33:30):
You know, to Paul, but three.

Speaker 11 (33:32):
Years ago was ranked outside the top three hundred, Georgetown
was ranked low two hundreds that year. Last season, Seaton
Hall was outside the top two hundred. They were, you know,
only won two games in Big East play. It felt
like an easy win. This year, you don't have anyone
really playing that way. I mean, you know, yes, Xavier
is not the lowest ranked team. You've got to Paul

(33:53):
and Georgetown ranked behind them in ken Palm right now.
But the Paul that are like one fifteen in ken Pom,
they're not outside the top two hundred. So you know,
it's a little bit Vigger could be in every game
in bigg's play this year, outside of maybe the Yukon
and Saint John's matchups. But on the other hand, you
might be looking at yourself where going yet the Soft Conference.

(34:14):
But everybody is pretty similar and the Viager team is
still going to struggle to win games potentially, So I'm
not sure exactly how it's going to shake out for him,
to be quite honest, I think it's still going to
be a big challenge for them to win a lot
of games in the Big East.

Speaker 3 (34:27):
We have had with both schools. We have had coaches
come from other places and they get their first dose
to the shootout and the portal Era is not new,
but it was. It was striking to me listening to
Richard Patino today thinking about having a team where literally
nobody has played in this game before. From your perspective,
what's that like.

Speaker 11 (34:47):
Yeah, you know, I think it's it's different. I think
they can say all they want that they understand the
importance and they understand the gravity of the game. But
at the end of the day, more they don't live
in this area for the most part. You know, Isaiah
Walker obviously has a little bit of family history with
the game, is dad Tyrese having.

Speaker 3 (35:07):
Played in it.

Speaker 11 (35:08):
So it's a little bit different for a guy like
him maybe, but for everybody else, they're not from this area.
They didn't grow up with the rivalry. They don't now
have storylines built in from years past to go off of.

Speaker 20 (35:19):
So to try to act like these guys care.

Speaker 11 (35:22):
About as much about the cross Town shootout and it
means as much to them as it has to you know,
the Yancey Gates and Too Holloway teams for instance, is
just I mean, it's crazy to think that now, can
there still be fireworks? Can it still be a competitive game?
Because they they take on the personality of the fans
a little bit, and they understand it means lots of
the fans, sure, But I definitely think with all the

(35:45):
newcomers and with Richard Patino not having that built in
history that a guy like a Chris Mack or a
Travis Steeler Sean Miller did that, I think it's just
a little bit different. And not to say it's lost
its luster, which I'm sure we'll see that column here
and the next day or two. Yeah, but I do think,
you know, it's silly to act like these players care

(36:05):
as much about the rivalry as players in years past.

Speaker 3 (36:09):
I don't think it's lost since luster. I do think
it's fair to say that it's not quite the same.
That doesn't mean it's bad. Rick Boring, Musketeer Report dot Com,
NKU Radio The Norris tonight against Cleveland State at seven
o'clock NKU, opening up Horizon League play. On the strength
of a five game winning streak, including a road win
a blowout road win against Central Michigan. They have won
three consecutive games at home. They start Horizon League Play.

(36:32):
What have you learned about the Norris during the non
conference portion of their schedule.

Speaker 11 (36:36):
Well, there's a couple things that we've seen with Darreon
Horn's teams in.

Speaker 3 (36:39):
The past, and that is one.

Speaker 11 (36:41):
They almost always get better on the defensive end as
the season goes, and that's partly because that style of
the matchup zone that's just kind of a so pressurized
and it relies on so much chemistry and communication that
it takes a little while to feel it out and
see how your teammates are going to play around you
within it. And so the fact that they're all seemingly

(37:01):
ahead of schedule there and playing pretty well defensively, and
we know it's likely to get better because it does
every single year with darrens Horn's teams, that's a really
encouraging sign. The other is, I think we can at
this point pretty much safely say this is the most
offensive firepower Darren Horn has ever had since he's been
the head coach at NKU. Yes, he coached the schools
all time leading scorer in Mark west Warwick, but so

(37:23):
many times those teams were trying to get to fifty
five sixty points with Mark west Work scoring thirty of them,
and you know everything was running through one guy. This year,
you have two guards averaging around eighteen points per game
and Dan Grezger and Donovan O'Day and they have other
weapons around them too. A guy like Cale Robinson can
go off for twenty on at any given night.

Speaker 14 (37:45):
LJ.

Speaker 11 (37:45):
Wells is an experienced player within the league who was
picked All Horizon League and many people expect him to
be a double double threat and could have been MK's
leading scorer coming into the season had the Guards not
gotten off to such a great start. So I think
there's there's a lot of weapons on the offensive end
to this team too, and that's been excited.

Speaker 3 (38:05):
I'm coming at the game tonight that that's exciting. Well,
the last time I was at a game that you
were at was at a Xavier game and I said
right in front of you, and you kind of acted
like you didn't know me, and and I can't blame you.
A lot of people do that. Will the same dynamic
being played tonight if I come over and say Hi.

Speaker 11 (38:21):
No, that's first of all, that is a gross mixed
characterization of what I'm down at the Xavier game. It's
not taking into account how the media's space is set
up there. Tom iSER does a terrible job of separating
us and not making it easy to talk.

Speaker 20 (38:36):
So let's uh, let's let's be.

Speaker 3 (38:38):
Careful about that. That is not how I acted at all.
That is not true. Again, nobody could blame you, but
there were others there who are asking, like, man, you
and Rick got beef, and I said, no, it's Rich's
a little awkward around me. We'll see if there's a
similar dynamic in play tonight. We'll see you then, and
i'll see you much later this evening as well.

Speaker 11 (38:57):
Look, I'm just trying not to annoy you with a
lot of some stupid things that I want to say
and thoughts. I listened to your show all the time,
so I don't want to like get in person and
just pepper you with like a bunch of questions about
your job.

Speaker 3 (39:08):
So that's that's all it is, all right, We'll see it, man,
thanks so much.

Speaker 2 (39:12):
All right, we'll talk soon.

Speaker 3 (39:12):
Four o'clock on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 10 (39:18):
I'm Christine Leacy.

Speaker 14 (39:19):
Put Jana's Antetakoupo and the Bucks be headed for a breakup,
sources tell ESPN's sham Sharania, the two time NBA MVP
and his agent are having conversations with the team about
his future and whether his best fit is remaining in
Milwaukee or a move elsewhere.

Speaker 10 (39:33):
A resolution to the talks expected in the coming weeks.
Milwaukee's drop eight of nine is eleventh in the East.

Speaker 14 (39:39):
Past moves make it difficult for the Bucks to improve
their roster in ways that would please Giannis, says ESPN
NBA analyst Shane Whu McKay.

Speaker 5 (39:47):
And I'm not.

Speaker 21 (39:47):
Surprised because they've exhausted all options. In my opinion, they
not only empty the cabinet, they empty the tension, and
on top of it, for their future, they mortgage their house.
So what else is left for them to sort of move,
whether it is with or just on the team, Yeah,
to maintain this expectation and vision that they collaborated on
to win a championship.

Speaker 14 (40:06):
John's also reports before Chris Paul's shocking ouser from the Clippers,
he and coach tylu were not on speaking turns through
several weeks. The team felt Paul's leadership style had become disruptive.
NFL Chiefs rookie left tackle Josh simmons on injured reserve
following surgery to repair an injured left wrist, So he's
out at least the next four games.

Speaker 12 (40:25):
Hey, it's a resident Super Bowl champ, Chris Kenny coming
on Thursday.

Speaker 18 (40:28):
I'll tell you why one of the teams I picked to.

Speaker 12 (40:30):
Make the Super Bowl is facing an elimination game in
week fourteen.

Speaker 3 (40:34):
It's on Sports for like six am Eastern right here
on ESPN Radio, ESPN two in ESPNU.

Speaker 22 (40:43):
Joe Burrow is back and he plays here on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the Official Hall of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 3 (40:55):
Let's go, all right, it's seven minutes hafter four o'clock.
This is ESPN fifteen third. Wait or if you hear
a lot of noise in the background, it's because we
are broadcasting from the iHeartMedia Christmas Party. By the way,
that's because our show is cool. The Oar Show's happening
in this building right now. They shut the doll and
they're having a party. We want to be a part

(41:15):
of it. There you go, in about fifteen minutes. Ryan Kerwin.
Ryan Kerwin with the Cincinnati Cyclones is the reigning current
Rookie of the Month for the month of November, first
player to win that honor in sixteen years and non
sixteen or twelve years. I have had no alcohol, not me,
not while I'm on the air at the iHeartMedia Christmas Party.
I just made a mathematical faux pall eleven years. It's

(41:38):
been eleven years since the cyclone player won that honor.
Twelve years actually, yes, twelve, thirteen, fourteen to twenty five,
twenty six is twelve. Very good Tea Higgins making progress.
According to Zach Taylor, we're excited for that. Eric Wood's
going to join us in the five o'clock hour. Our
friend Amy Wagner from Dean Dorton is going to talk
sports money and Lane Kiffin coming up in just about

(41:59):
thirty minutes or so. We are looking forward to that.
You know, we were just talking with Rick brooring the
Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout, and I'm sure it's coming, whether
it's on the Internet, whether it's on social media, a newsletter,
a newspaper column, because I feel like it's part of
the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout tradition where you have to

(42:23):
hear or read about the fact that the shootout has
lost its luster. Let's be honest. Okay, these aren't great
teams at least to this point of the season. Neither
team has played very very well. Neither program over the
last number of years has consistently made the NCAA Tournament.
Xavier has made it, made it last year, made Dayton

(42:45):
beat Texas, then lost, and then Sean Miller went to Texas.
Two tournament appearances since twenty eighteen, the Sweet sixteen run,
Sean Miller's first year back. You see, hasn't played at
an NCAA tournament game since March of twenty nineteen. That's
forever ago, forever ago. And so this game is better
when both teams are good. It's been a long time

(43:08):
since both teams have been really good at the same time.
So yeah, there's a little of that. And the transfer
portal era has changed the dynamic of the game. Sports
are more fun when there's recurring characters, and in college
basketball there aren't as many recurring characters. Right, there's dana A.
Thomas has played in this game. Tyler McKinley grew up
here from a UC perspective, and so you know he

(43:30):
was on the bench hurt last year. No Xavier players
played in this game. It's changed it. That doesn't mean
Friday can't be a great game, doesn't mean the atmosphere
isn't going to be awesome because it will be terrific.
I actually think this year's shootout is really interesting because
let me start from a Xavier perspective, this is not

(43:51):
a team that's overwhelmingly talented. Even if the Big East
isn't great and it's so far this season appears to
be down, is still really good. Beyond that, I'm not
sure who's going to be good. I think Saint John's will,
but non conference so far in the Big East been
kind of down. That said, Xavier doesn't feel like an

(44:12):
NCAA tournament team, and so if you kind of accept
that likelihood, and again, sports are fun because they're full
of surprises, but they don't feel like an NCAA tournament team,
which means that you kind of have to grab on
to certain regular season mile posts and allow that to
define your season. If Xavier wins the Skyline Chile Crosstown Shootout,

(44:35):
you might argue that's par for the course because for
the last twenty six, twenty seven to twenty eight years
they've won it far more regularly than Cincinnati. But this
was not supposed to hear where they win it. And
so if you're a Xavier fan and they win the
game on Friday, Holy crap, Wait a minute. We can
cling to that no matter what happens this season, we
at least be the UC team that was viewed as

(44:55):
having the best chance to win at the Centa Center
since the first shootout at the Cintas Center twenty four
years ago. You can allow it to define your season.
If you don't think your season is going to be great,
that's no knock on the team they have. Just look
at it from a talent perspective. It doesn't look awesome now.
Acknowledging that when you look at the game itself, Zaeger's

(45:17):
team looks better. I watched that Santa Clara game. The
way they played then, as opposed to how they've played
against Georgia, how they've played against West Virginia, how they
played against Saint Francis the other night, night and day.
There's a little bit of an identity there. Roles are
starting to be carved out. That team looks like it's
trending in the right direction, just in terms of improvement.

(45:40):
I don't think you could watch the Bearcats right now
and say the same thing. They've played a month's worth
of non conference games, the loss to Louisville. Okay, I
thought in the first twenty minutes of that game, they
at least defended really well, But it doesn't feel like
they're dramatically better from what they put on the floor
in the first game, even if you acknowledge it takes time,

(46:01):
especially when you're just bringing dudes in from everywhere else.
The Bearcats as of December third don't look dramatically better
than the Bearcats of November third, and that's not what
any coach wants to say about their team. Wes may disagree,
but I think most who have watched the team would
kind of nod along with that sentiment. And that doesn't
even take into account just how they lost to Eastern Michigan.

(46:23):
And so there's this dynamic where a month ago it
felt like U See is going to go to Xavier
and bludgeon the Musketeers. I don't know anybody feels that,
anybody who feels that way, I'm not sure how anybody
could feel that way. Now. I think this game is
a pick them. I think this game is a pick them.
Line won't come out until late tomorrow night. I think
this game's a pick them. My guess is you See

(46:45):
is going to be a very slight favorite. We will see.
But I think what makes the game interesting, quite frankly,
is Wes Miller. Look, he did win the game last year,
and he won the game at home. No UC coaches
won a game at the Sinta Centers. It's December of
two thousand and one, when Bob Huggins was the coach. Like,
it's been a long time. UC hasn't won consecutive games

(47:06):
in the rivalry since the ninety five and ninety six
seasons forever ago, thirty years ago. So Wes Miller has
a chance to do something at you See that hasn't
been done in a while. Let's be honest, there's a
lot of skepticism about him. There's a lot of folks
who are disaffected when it comes to the men's basketball
coach at you See, it's year five, Richard Patino, it's
year one, and so there's this sense of that got

(47:29):
to make the tournament this year. Okay, are you gonna
feel even worse about that proposition? If they lose the
game to Zavi, they lose to Xavier. By the way,
Wes and the Bearcats were supposed to win the win
the game at the Cintas Center two years ago, frankly
didn't come that close. I think what's interesting about it
is just what the reaction from UC fans is going

(47:50):
to be. Was already pretty salty after the Louisville game,
understandably very salty after the Eastern Michigan game. Understanding they
played teams at home and on the road who are
much better than this year's Xavier team. You're trying to
break a drought, you're trying to build some equity, You're
trying to keep the walls from closing in on you.
You're trying to make people feel like this season could

(48:12):
still end up turning out to be pretty good. Can't
do any of those things if you lose the game
on Friday night. And so look, you know me, I'm
a UC fan. I want the Bearcats to win the game.
I don't run from that. I don't hide from that.
But I think it was a really interesting about this
game is if you see wins, they're sort of a well,
they're supposed to dynamic and play here if they lose.

(48:33):
If they lose, then can you even imagine And look, man,
I like Wes a lot, but can you even imagine
what it's gonna sound like? What it's going to feel
like in terms of the relationship between Wes Miller and
a fan base that is impatient, skeptical, and I think

(48:53):
to a large degree no longer assuming the Bearcats are
going to win this game on Friday, we will see
and look. Man, if you just if you wish it
was I don't know, nineteen ninety four again. If you
want to sit there and fold your arms and complain
about who's not here anymore, what college basketball isn't and
what the game isn't anymore, don't watch it, don't pay
attention to it. Those of us who love the sport

(49:15):
can't wait for Friday. I think from a Xavier perspective,
there's a you know what, we win it every year
at our building. We've got that in our back pocket.
Our team isn't proving we've got that in our back pocket.
If our team loses, well we were supposed to, I
cannot imagine. I cannot imagine what is going to be said,

(49:38):
what is going to be written, what's going to be tweeted,
what's going to be screamed about the direction of UC
basketball If they lose a game like this that frankly
four or five weeks ago felt like they were supposed
to win. Sixteen minutes after four o'clock, your phone calls
will welcome in a bit. Five point three seven four
nine fifteen thirty is our phone number at Moager on Twitter.

(49:58):
I may just do today's question. Who's gonna win the
game on Friday? You see R Xavier? Because I think
it's a fifty to fifty game and I don't know
a lot of UC fans. We're overly confident about Friday
and uh, I think there's a very quiet confidence that
Xavier fans have, even though they will acknowledge their team
from a talent perspective, doesn't make anybody feel like they're

(50:22):
gonna make the NCAA tournament. We will see, we will see. Uh,
let's see here. The Cincinnati Cyclones are off to a
good start. They have the reigning current rookie of the
Month Ryan Kerwin. Will spend a few minutes with him
when we come back on ESPN fifteen thirty. Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 19 (50:39):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty Traffic from.

Speaker 18 (50:44):
The UC Health Traffic Center. You see Health's Weight Loss
Center offers surgical and medical obesity care and expertise. CULL
five one three nine three nine two two sixty three.
That's nine three nine two two sixty three. On Clifton Avenue.
There is an accident in your world per Avenue. Another
crash on Harrison that is at Westwood Northern Boulevard. Also

(51:05):
on ken Wood Road. An accident at Glendale Milford Road.
In one final crash out there eastbound Woodford Road. It
is at red Bank Road. I'm at Ezelic with track.

Speaker 17 (51:15):
This is football.

Speaker 19 (51:19):
Ryan and bel Terror Park on ESPN fifteen thirty, the
official home of the Cincinnati Bank.

Speaker 3 (51:26):
We'll get to the Bengals here in a few but
as the iHeartMedia Christmas party rages on behind us, The
Cincinnati Sideclones are currently tied for second place in the
EHL Central Division UH they lead the league in overtime wins,
are coming off and win against first place Wheeling, and
they're back at home a week from Friday for a

(51:47):
tilt against Kalamazoo. That is their national Lampoon's Christmas Game,
where everybody has Clark Griswold sweaters. And on top of
all that, big reason why Side Clones are off to
a great start as the play of Ryan Kerwin, who
today was named the ECHL Rookie of the Month. He
is the first Cyclones player to be awarded Rookie of
the Month honors since Joe Howe in January of the

(52:08):
twenty thirteen twenty fourteen season. So it has been a while. Ryan,
kind enough, I'm guessing on his off day to give
us a few minutes. Ryan, congratulations on the ECCHL honor.
Good afternoon. How are you.

Speaker 6 (52:21):
Thank you. I appreciate it, and thanks for having me.

Speaker 20 (52:23):
On the call.

Speaker 3 (52:23):
I appreciate you doing this. So you guys, you've blended
in nicely, and like this maybe shouldn't be a good
way of looking at this, but like I see how
well you've done so early in your time as a
Cincinnati Cyclone. It's so early in your professional hockey career
that what I fear is now, because you're off to
such a good start, you're not going to be here
very long.

Speaker 23 (52:44):
Well, I don't know, you know, I think for me,
it's just you know, focusing what I could focus, and
you know I can't control.

Speaker 5 (52:52):
That type of thing.

Speaker 23 (52:52):
But I've been loving having my time here and the
guys are awesome and yeah, I mean we have a
winning team too, So I'm just going to keep on
doing that for the rest.

Speaker 6 (53:02):
Of the season.

Speaker 3 (53:03):
You were playing college hockey a little bit more than
a year ago, right, So walk me through with the
biggest adjustment starting last year with the Toronto Marley is
what the the biggest adjustment to pro hockey has been.

Speaker 23 (53:16):
Yeah, So I finished my season with Arizona State last
season and then I signed with Toronto, And you know,
the biggest adjustment is most likely, you know, the guys are.

Speaker 6 (53:26):
Just bigger and stronger and faster. It sounds kind of cliche,
but it is true.

Speaker 23 (53:30):
And everybody's so smart, so it takes a little bit
of adjusting.

Speaker 6 (53:34):
And you know, it's been absolutely awesome.

Speaker 23 (53:36):
And the guys in Cincinnati have been amazing, and everybody's just.

Speaker 6 (53:42):
Taking us under their their wings, and it's been awesome.

Speaker 3 (53:44):
Eight goals and seven assists during fourteen games played in
the month of November. Whether it was last year or
here in Cincinnati, have you kind of had a welcome
to professional hockey moment?

Speaker 23 (53:56):
You know, I guess maybe just your first game, seeing
the crowd, you know, everything like that.

Speaker 6 (54:02):
And you know, in Cincinnati, we get we're so fortunate
to have such great fans, and you know, I think
that kid's Day game too.

Speaker 5 (54:08):
We had about thirteen thousand.

Speaker 6 (54:10):
So maybe that screaming kids. So it's been awesome.

Speaker 3 (54:15):
You played your collegiate hockey, correct me if I'm wrong.
You started at Penn State and then you went and
played at Arizona State. Whilch you just mentioned. Now, pardon
this because I'm sure you've gotten this before. Arizona State
has hockey.

Speaker 8 (54:29):
Yeah, yeah, we get that a lot out there, and
you know, it was a lot.

Speaker 6 (54:33):
Of fun playing out there, and that's a cool thing. Right.

Speaker 23 (54:36):
So something we always like to joke about is, you know,
we got to make people know that we have a
hockey team.

Speaker 6 (54:42):
Yere if I'm playing well, so, but no, it was awesome.
I absolutely love my time there, all right.

Speaker 3 (54:47):
So why why? I mean, look, if I could go
back and do it all over again, I went to
a Midwestern Catholic school. If I could do it all
over again, I would have gone to Tempe Arizona State,
and I never played hockey. What what is it about that
hockey program that took a kid like you and decided
I want to go I'm gonna go play there.

Speaker 6 (55:05):
Yeah.

Speaker 23 (55:06):
Well, I mean, first off, I guess for me, Coach
Powers and Coach Hicks.

Speaker 6 (55:10):
Uh, best coaches I've had, and they've done so much
for me as a person and that player.

Speaker 23 (55:15):
And I think that something that that I sort of
realized is that Coach Powers was big on me and
my first recruitment back when I committed to Penn State
when I was young, So just having that relationship with
him and then you know, just just having the opportunity
to uh go in the transfer portal and then hear

(55:36):
from him. Once I was inside of that transfer portal,
I kind of knew that was the place that.

Speaker 6 (55:40):
I wanted to be.

Speaker 3 (55:41):
Has there been a veteran player on the Cyclones that
you've leaned on since you arrived in Cincinnati.

Speaker 6 (55:47):
Yeah, I think obviously Viver. You know, he's he's like
an icon here and it's amazing.

Speaker 23 (55:52):
And uh he's just just an amazing guy. Lincoln Griffin too.
Those are two guys for me for sure. I think
just the whole team in general. You know, we have
so many guys that have played pro game.

Speaker 20 (56:05):
Col Frasier although, you know, so just we have a great.

Speaker 6 (56:09):
Group of guys in that locker room.

Speaker 3 (56:11):
What do you do in Cincinnati when you're not playing hockey?
What have you learned about the city.

Speaker 6 (56:17):
I haven't tried skyline yet. Oh you guys a joke
about that.

Speaker 3 (56:20):
Oh well, we can rectify that. I'll take you to skyline.

Speaker 24 (56:25):
Yeah, that might have to be one of the things.

Speaker 3 (56:28):
Yeah, but we can. I you know, I know people,
we can. There's there's one like two blocks from the arena.
We could, we could easily, we could easily make that happen.
Ryan Kerwin and the Cyclones are off to a great
start at the EHL Rookie of the Month for the
month of November. It is. It's been cool to have
you. You guys are off to a great start. We'll get
you some Skyline. So I'll tell you what win Rookie

(56:49):
of the Month for December and we'll go to Skyline
and it's on me. Okay, that'd be awesome. Done, ma
can happen? Ryan, thanks so much, awesome, thank you for
having me, Ryan Kerwin the EHL Rookie of the Month.
The Cyclones second in the Central Division, just beat Wheeling
their home a week from Friday with their National Lampoons

(57:11):
Christmas Vacation game. Puck's gonna drop at seven thirty downtown.

Speaker 6 (57:15):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (57:17):
Two of my friends had kids go to education day.
The next time they play a ten to thirty game,
I'm going because I like daytime sports. Go watch some hockey,
go watch some pucks ten thirty am, and come come
to work. Maybe have a cold one while we're there.
Can't beat that. Congratulations to Ryan Kerwin Taren What is
it good? When do you think? Ryan like heard the

(57:37):
background noise and was like, man, what is this?

Speaker 6 (57:40):
Yes?

Speaker 3 (57:41):
Yeah, the iHeartMedia Christmas Party. I'll just look. Last year
we did our show from Turfway Park on the day
of the iHeartMedia Christmas Party, which loved being a Turfway Park.
It was great. But two years ago we have this
big party here. It's during the day, and you know
our operation, we're all sort of tightly bunched together, and
I'm like, look, if you're gonna have a party right
out side at our door, we want to be a

(58:01):
part of it. And so we open the door because
they put the DJ right next to the door of
the studio, so it's like, if they're gonna do this,
we're going to lean into it. And so you hear
behind us the party and it's raging. Our first seeing
the magician you gay this year the magician has not
shown up yet. Our friend Kim brought me a plate
of meatballs and a bud light. So right now, my

(58:24):
current favorite coworker twenty nine minutes afy four o'clock, Amy
Wagner is supposed to be here to talk sports and
money and Lane Kiffin. She's gonna weave her way through
all the festivities here. She literally just walked through the
door and so she's taken a break from the party
to join us. She'll be with us from Dean Dorton
next on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 19 (58:44):
You've been listening to Football in the Natti on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 17 (58:57):
Fifteen thirty from.

Speaker 18 (59:00):
The uc Health Traffic Center. U See Health's Weight Loss
Center offers surgical and medical obesity care and expertise. Call
five one three nine nine two two sixty three. That's
nine three, nine two two sixty three. On Harrison, there
is an accident over at Westwood Northern Boulevard. Also on
Kemper Road, a crash at Winton Road, and another accident

(59:21):
Clifton Avenue that's near Woolper Avenue southbound seventy five traffic
Stop and go between Western Avenue and Fort Washington Way.
I'm at exelic with traffic.

Speaker 3 (59:31):
This report is sponsored by Stick.

Speaker 1 (59:34):
This week, the Bengals are bringing their own brand of
football to Buffalo when they go hunting for a win.

Speaker 5 (59:41):
Did I tell you about the last.

Speaker 1 (59:42):
Time I was in below by eight fifty wings slethered
in hot sauce. Let's just say I had to stampede
my way to a stall in the men's room. The
Bengals battle the Bills. Coverage begins at nine am Sunday,
stream for free on the new and improved I Heart
Radio app for ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of

(01:00:05):
the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 3 (01:00:06):
Sports headlines are a service of Kelsey Chevrolet. Oh the
first day, that's pretty good. That's pretty good. Post hitting
right there, Let's see T Higgins limited in his participation,
which is a step in the right direction. Zach Taylor
says he is making quote good progress. Bengals and Bills
on Sunday. TODJ Brooks also limited. Both those players have

(01:00:28):
been in the concussion protocol. Trey Hendrickson to No One
surprise and no go. Jermaine Burton a full go today.
He's been dealing with an ankle injury and man once
that gets healed and Jermaine's career is about to take off.
Mort tonight on Bengals Game Plan at six o'clock on
ESPN fifteen thirty. Evan McPherson named AFC Special Teams Player
of the Week for his six for six and two

(01:00:50):
for two performance in the Thanksgiving night win over the
Baltimore Ravens. Ken Anderson named a finalist for the Pro
Football Hall of Fame Class of twenty twenty six. Ohio
State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, the new head coach at
South Florida NKU, hoops to night against Cleveland State at
seven on Fox Sports thirteen sixty. Indiana battles Minnesota, and

(01:01:11):
our last guest, Ryan Kerwin of the Cyclones named the
EHL Rookie of the Month for the month of November.
Our friend Amy Wagner is here wealth advisor Dean Dorton
Private Wealth. You can learn more about the Dean Thorton
Difference at Deandortonwealth dot com. Amy, this is a Senate.
We have all hell breaking loose. This is the epitome
of chaos.

Speaker 10 (01:01:31):
You know, I like a good party, though.

Speaker 3 (01:01:32):
The iHeartMedia Christmas party. I apologize for any of my
co workers. I apologize for anything that may happen here.
But it's nice of you to join us in the
middle of the party to talk sports and money.

Speaker 25 (01:01:43):
Hey, the first of all, this is like my tenth
year at this party. Second of all, I normally pop
my head in here and make fun of you for
having to work during the party. So now I'm just
going to work alongside you during the party.

Speaker 10 (01:01:55):
It's fine.

Speaker 3 (01:01:56):
Yeah, I get made fun of for having to work
at my job, which decides to have the party while
I'm doing my job.

Speaker 10 (01:02:04):
Happens every year.

Speaker 3 (01:02:05):
It does happen every year. So the biggest story in
sports is one that I just think is really interesting
from a number of different perspectives, and I think from
your perspective sports and money and business. There's some layers
to this. This Lane Kiffin story right where he's coaching
at ole Miss and ole Miss is having like their
greatest season ever and they're going to be in the playoff,
but he's being poached by a conference foe, and so

(01:02:26):
he goes to LSU and everybody's mad, and he wants
to stay at ole Miss in the playoff, and ole
Miss says, take take a hike, pal. And there's so
many interesting arms of this, but I think there's some
real life and real world application.

Speaker 25 (01:02:39):
Yeah, and I'm going to boil this down to the
top five things I think that we can all.

Speaker 10 (01:02:42):
Learn from Lane Kiffin. I'm gonna write them down, yep, yeah,
make your list, Kay.

Speaker 25 (01:02:46):
The first one is when you announce that you are
leaving your job, you no longer have control over what
happens after that, right, So he wants to stay around.
You mentioned this, right and coach them through the champion
and they're like, well you're going, dude, so go. You
don't get to stick around, so you can't be upset.
Once you give your notice about what happens, you don't

(01:03:09):
get to finish the project or go to the big
fun trip the conference and everyone else is.

Speaker 3 (01:03:14):
Going on holiday party.

Speaker 10 (01:03:15):
If you left.

Speaker 25 (01:03:16):
Earlier today, you don't get to come to the holiday party, right.

Speaker 10 (01:03:19):
So that's part of it.

Speaker 25 (01:03:20):
But also you can't control how other people respond. So
initially Lane Kiffin said, all my players want me to coach.
Now some of the players are coming out saying not
exactly like they're hurt too, and so you can't control
people's reactions.

Speaker 10 (01:03:36):
I think is part of that number two points. Don't
take another.

Speaker 25 (01:03:40):
Job before you know the details. He actually said in
his press conference. I don't really know what my contract
looks like. I think it's good, I don't know the
financial details of it. Listen, Lane Kiffin's going to be fine.
He is now the top paid college football coach. He's
going to be fine, right, But nobody should ever take

(01:04:02):
a job before you are fully aware of the details.
And a lot of people stop with salary, but it's
beyond that. It's what's the company match, what's the PTO situation?

Speaker 10 (01:04:11):
Is there a hybrid workplace?

Speaker 25 (01:04:13):
Are you going to expect me to be in this
office from nine to five Monday through Friday. You need
to know all of those details before signing on. Lane
Kiffin heard LSU boarded a private jets and he's gone, right.
I mean, and maybe if you're boarding a private jet
to do the interview, you should just know the other
details will probably be taken care of.

Speaker 10 (01:04:33):
But let's face it, I mean, Dean Dorton didn't bring
me in on a private jet.

Speaker 3 (01:04:37):
I'm just saying, right, I've only worked here my entire
adult life, and there was no private jet when they
hired me, so that's probably never gonna happen. There would
be now, there would be now.

Speaker 25 (01:04:46):
Of course, yes, the reputation that you've built, they would
virtually in a private jet without thinking twice.

Speaker 5 (01:04:52):
You know.

Speaker 25 (01:04:52):
I think another thing is know what you're getting into.
Lane Kiffin is coming from a place where he was
an SEC underdog punching above his weight, right. I mean,
that's a great story to tell. You're coming into an
LSU that is expecting results immediately Listen.

Speaker 10 (01:05:10):
Lane Kiffin's a guy that gets results.

Speaker 25 (01:05:11):
I know, he's brilliant, offensive, play caller, all the things.
There's no expectation that he's not going to do great.
But you have to walk into an environment knowing that
the pressure is on from the get go. For the
average person, when you are taking a job, one great
thing to do is to find other people on LinkedIn
who work there or who have worked there.

Speaker 10 (01:05:34):
Reach out, connect with them, ask them what is culture like?

Speaker 25 (01:05:38):
You know, it's I know many people who've done this
before and found out things that were game changers for them, right.
So I think it's important to not only be talking
to the people who are offering the job, but talk
to the people who work there too, and see what
kind of position you're walking into.

Speaker 3 (01:05:53):
And there's there's very little honeymoon, Like Lane Kiffin, there's
no honeymoon. It's you better win week one, you better
have us in the playoff next year, can peting for
SEC championships in the national title discussion. And I feel like,
and again take this from somebody who has never changed
jobs in his adult life, but you like, you get
a new gig somewhere. They're not gonna give you a
month and a half to figure out who does what?
You better start hitting it producing results immediately.

Speaker 10 (01:06:15):
Yeah, it doesn't.

Speaker 25 (01:06:16):
I mean doesn't have the choice here, right, I mean
he's coming into an LSU, which, by the way, that's
the next point is know you're worth LSU had one
person on the list, right, Lane Kiffin?

Speaker 10 (01:06:26):
Who else are they going.

Speaker 26 (01:06:27):
To go for?

Speaker 7 (01:06:28):
Right?

Speaker 25 (01:06:28):
So you know if you are the perfect person for
this position, that you can ask for things beyond the
salary that are important to you.

Speaker 10 (01:06:37):
An extra week of vacation.

Speaker 25 (01:06:39):
Pro tip, never take a new job without planning a
vacation before so that you can say I can start
on this date but also I have this on the calendar, right,
things along those lines.

Speaker 10 (01:06:49):
But you got to know, unless you're.

Speaker 25 (01:06:51):
Just getting out of college and you're starting your first job,
once you've gotten far enough along in your career, right, like,
you could make different demands today, mo Eggert for a
job than you could have when you first started here.

Speaker 3 (01:07:03):
Do you know who I work for?

Speaker 10 (01:07:05):
I do, and you and I have talked about. I'm
negotiating your next contract. So hope, I hope who.

Speaker 25 (01:07:11):
I hope who you work for is listening right now,
because I'm absolutely doing that.

Speaker 3 (01:07:15):
I know right I'll start working on that now. Yeah,
very good.

Speaker 10 (01:07:18):
I'm here for you.

Speaker 25 (01:07:19):
And then I think the last thing is whenever there
is a change like this, drama comes up, right like
when you hear that a coworker is leaving, when if
someone you loved or someone you didn't love, people are
talking about it. I really respect the new coach, Pete
Golding for saying thirty nine minutes after the press conference

(01:07:40):
was scheduled, I'm actually going to cancel this press conference
because this is a circus. Yeah, and my players don't
actually need a circus. They need to focus on the
upcoming game and being what they need to be, which
is players. And I super respect that. And I think
if you are an employer who's losing an employee or
one that's gaining one, focusing on here's the job at hands.

(01:08:02):
We might be losing someone, we might be gaining someone,
but the.

Speaker 3 (01:08:04):
Job is still the job.

Speaker 10 (01:08:05):
Let's keep our eyes on the ball here.

Speaker 3 (01:08:07):
Do you have any any a list, or any rules
or anything to suggest if people get out of control
at the company Christmas party? Because there is unending chaos
happening on the other side of our studio door.

Speaker 25 (01:08:19):
I'm usually part of the chaos, so I'm not going
to give anyone any I mean, you know, really well.
I mean maybe not to the degree of some others,
but you and I go back a few years.

Speaker 18 (01:08:29):
We do.

Speaker 3 (01:08:30):
I'll just say this. I had to run off some
copies during a break because I needed to print my
notes for our guest right before you, Ryan Kerwin. And
I'm using the copier when somebody came and handed me
a bottle of windecks. And I don't know what that's
all about. So there's some stuff going on out there.

Speaker 10 (01:08:45):
That it's fun. It's a holiday party.

Speaker 3 (01:08:49):
It is it is a holiday, But can I come
to the Dean Dorton holiday party. Oh yes, this weekend. Yeah,
you guys have your work party on the weekend.

Speaker 17 (01:08:57):
Yeah, must be awesome.

Speaker 10 (01:08:58):
So it's not while anyone's work. That's the point, right, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:09:02):
Well it's hard at a radio station to have a
party when no one's working, because it's list. As some
find out when they come here, it's a twenty four
to seven business.

Speaker 10 (01:09:09):
I came from twenty four seven. I get that more
than most people do.

Speaker 20 (01:09:14):
Very good.

Speaker 3 (01:09:14):
Amy Wagner from a Dean Dorton Wealth advisor, learn more
about the Dean Dorton Difference. She joins us every single
week to talk sports and money Deandortonwealth dot Com. Good
to see you as.

Speaker 10 (01:09:25):
Always, always good to be here, and now we'll join
the party.

Speaker 3 (01:09:28):
Have a good time, be safe. Just I'll tell you
who to steer clear. Fight already some folks started the
party like this morning, right, No work got done at all.
Richard Skinner at five twenty elder product and former Louisville
Cardinal and obviously longtime Buffalo Bill. Eric Wood is the
Bill's color analyst. He is going to join us at

(01:09:49):
five forty. I think we're guest free until five. I
say it's my show. I should know when the guests are.
We're guest free till five twenty five, three seven nine,
fifteen thirty, and we'll try to get you in. It's
a quarter to five. This is ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati
Sports Station.

Speaker 19 (01:10:06):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Traffic from the.

Speaker 18 (01:10:11):
Uc Health Traffic Center. U See Health's Weight Loss Center
offers surgical and medical obesity care and expertise. Cullpipe one
three nine three nine two two sixty three. That's nine
three nine two two sixty three. On Harrison there is
an accident at Westwood Northern Boulevard. Another crash on Plainfield Road,
over at Montgomery Road, and on Kemper Road. Accident at

(01:10:32):
Winton Road. Traffic right now slow on eastbound two seventy
five between Mostellar and Loveland Madeira Road. I'm at Eazelic
with traffic.

Speaker 2 (01:10:44):
Alright.

Speaker 3 (01:10:45):
It's eleven away from five o'clock, in the middle of
the iHeartMedia Christmas Party. I'm Alegard Richard Skinner coming off
at five twenty. We have we got a few minutes
to take a phone call or two. I believe we do.
Uh Ron in Milford you're on ESPN fifteen thirty run
good afternoon. How are you?

Speaker 24 (01:11:05):
I am okay, Mo, how are you doing?

Speaker 3 (01:11:07):
I'm doing well?

Speaker 4 (01:11:08):
Man?

Speaker 3 (01:11:08):
What's up?

Speaker 6 (01:11:10):
Man?

Speaker 24 (01:11:10):
I can't believe you know, the talking heads they think
the Bengals won a game, so not too obviously, but
the talking heads on es handall like, Man, the Bengals
have really got a chance to win this division? Now really,
I mean, Mo, the Bills. I think the Bills are
going to put an end to that luckily this week
when they run wild, because let's face it, as we know,

(01:11:35):
the Ravens offensive coordinator probably did the Bengals a favor
by not handing the ball off to Derrick Henry. More
because the Bengals can't stop They still can't stop anybody
from running it. And if the Bills got like two
hundred and sixty yards against the Steelers defense, which I think,
as we know, is better than the Bengals defense, the

(01:11:55):
Bengals are gonna have some issues.

Speaker 3 (01:11:57):
Yeah. Now, Number one about the Baltimore game, or right,
all night long, I was baffled by the lack of
Derek Henry usage. He had five carries in the first half.
I do think they did a decent job the week
prior against Trayvon Henderson, who had come into that game
playing very very well. I do think the Bengals defense
is collectively performing a little bit better. But you're right

(01:12:23):
to have any faith in the Bengals defenses to putting
faith in something that doesn't deserve it. I think the
optimism is based more on what the Ravens and Steelers aren't.
But if you lose on Sunday, you're three games behind
one of them, and then the math gets really, really hard.
I do think though, look from an offensive perspective, let's
assume t Higgins is going to play on Sunday and

(01:12:45):
he did practice today. I think you're more you feel
more comfortable with them being able to outscore people than
he did with Flacco, even though he nearly outscored a
couple of teams. But at the end of the day,
putting a lot of faith in the Bengals defense is again,
you're putting faith in something that doesn't deserve it. I will,
I will acknowledge that, while at the same time acknowledging

(01:13:05):
that they are playing better but not exactly great.

Speaker 24 (01:13:11):
Yeah, now that's true. And I guess the other thing
MO is I couldn't believe until I guess it was
like yesterday. It's all and I don't know, but you
probably have.

Speaker 2 (01:13:19):
A better idea.

Speaker 24 (01:13:19):
But like I saw, the Bengals ran eighty three plays
on offense. When was the last time I had had
the ball long enough to run eighty three plays? That's incredible.

Speaker 3 (01:13:30):
I don't have the answer. It certainly stood out. Look,
the Baltimore Ravens were way complicit in their own demise.
A touchdown that was taken off the board. They should
have scored a shaky pass interference call. The five turnovers.
Lamar is not himself. I think the optimism is based
on number one. Neither Baltimore or Pittsburgh look great. You're

(01:13:51):
certainly hoping that the two teams split the two games
they have remaining number two. There is a track record,
and the track record in December and January has been
that they went seventeen and five since twenty twenty one,
fourteen and two since twenty twenty two. Some of those
games Joe Burrow didn't play. You do have Joe Burrow
back pretty healthy on offense. If you can win this
game on Sunday, and by the way, Burrow and the

(01:14:13):
Bengals have a good track record against Buffalo. It's limited,
but it's a good track record. If you can win
this game on Sunday, it's a pretty good chance they're
favored in their last four. I don't think anybody is
making reservations for the second weekend of January, when the
Bengals would play in the playoffs. I don't think anybody,
if all things are if all things are equal, are
feeling like, you know what, the Bengals are gonna overcome

(01:14:34):
a two game deficit against two teams, but it is
on the table, and it's on the table because they won,
and one of the reasons why they won was a
unit that has been horrific was at least a little
bit better and they did get Burrow back.

Speaker 24 (01:14:49):
Yeah, it seems like the talking heads are more thrilled.
I feel like they would be. They're more thrilled at
the opportunity to have Joe Burrow in the playoffs than
anything else. Care less about the Bengals. It's just having
Joe Burrow in the playoffs would give them something to
talk about.

Speaker 3 (01:15:05):
I feel like, well, yeah, but I like, I can
understand that the Bengals as a team aren't great. Joe
Burrow is like, if if you or I weren't Bengals fans,
and hey, we're gonna watch a Bengals game in the
wildcard round, what would you get excited about? Did you
get excited about watching Miles murphin? I get right, so
I can understand that. Look again, like you watch the

(01:15:28):
Pittsburgh Steelers. They feel broken, fans are chanting fire Tomlin,
Aaron Rodgers is old and hurt. They have no identity
on offense, their defense is massively underachieved. You're putting a
lot of faith in that team and the Ravens, who
deserve a lot of credit from digging out of the
one in five hole. Like the Steelers missed an opportunity

(01:15:48):
to bury the Bengals, and they've been very uneven on
offense for a while. And so like, I get it.
I think there's I think the Bengals are interesting. I
think it's fair to introduce the Bengals into the conversation
when it comes to winning the AFC North. But are
there a lot of things that get in their way? Yes,
mainly them.

Speaker 24 (01:16:08):
Yeah, they are definitely. I think we agree the Bengals
are their own worst than me. They can force a
couple turnovers this week. We're not talking about five. They
can force a couple turnovers maybe this week, then perhaps
and like you said, if they win this week, then
there is perhaps more optimism because like you said, you've
got to figure then that the Bengals are favored and

(01:16:29):
the last four and then you know, maybe can they
do it?

Speaker 27 (01:16:32):
Sure, but I'm not.

Speaker 24 (01:16:33):
Jumping on the bandwagon like some of these guys on
ESPN based.

Speaker 3 (01:16:37):
On one win. No, and Ron, thanks very much for
the phone call. I think the ESPN stuff number one,
it's a different storyline than what they've been talking about
for twelve months. It's also a different storyline for us.
This game on Sunday, either I believe extinguishes any Bengals
playoff discussion, or it kicks it into a second doesn't

(01:17:00):
kick it into fifth gear, but it kicks it into
a different gear. And then you look at you know,
they play the Baltimore Ravens, who they just beat by
eighteen points. You know they're gonna be favored against Miami.
I believe there's only gonna be favored against Arizona, gonna
be favored against Cleveland Browns. They do have Joe Burrow back.
The odds in the math are not in their favor,

(01:17:22):
but the doors at least cracked open because the Ravens
refuse to shut it and the Steelers couldn't shut it.
When you have a team with a great quarterback in
a wide open conference and you've left the door open
for him, you at least have to entertain the possibility
that they knock it down. They have to bang against
it even more on Sunday against the Bills, coming up

(01:17:42):
on five o'clock. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports
Station Bory.

Speaker 28 (01:17:47):
Join Dave laploman me for Bengals game plan tonight starting
at six on the official home of the Bengals, Cincinnati's
ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 18 (01:17:56):
That is us.

Speaker 3 (01:17:57):
It is, and we have one here in studio. It's
the bud Light five o'clock Happy Hour on ESPN fifteen thirty.
Thank you for listening the bud Light five o'clock Happy Hour,
thanks to bud Light. Easy to drink, easy to enjoy,
and we're enjoying one right now because the iHeartMedia Christmas

(01:18:18):
Party is happening and we are broadcasting from it. I
think this has been the best iHeartMedia Christmas Party we
have ever had. I think it's been the best show
we've ever done. From the iHeartMedia Christmas Party, We've had
a lot of stuff to get to today. Richard Skinner's
gonna join us at five twenty. You're gonna hear Wes
Miller and Richard Patino at five thirty five. And Eric Wood,

(01:18:41):
who obviously played his high school football at Elder is
the radio analyst for the Buffalo Bills. He is gonna
join us at five forty five. We're stoked for that.
Don't forget Bengals game plan one hour from now with
Dan Horde and Dave Lapham, and I believe Tony Pike
is their their guest for the first hour of the show,
so that'd be cool. That is one hour from now.
Bengals news today. T Higgins is practicing. He practiced today.

(01:19:05):
They've already had their practice limited. But that's a step
in the right direction coming out of the NFL's concussion protocol.
From an offensive perspective, they're healthy and like, look, we
were just talking about this with our last caller, Ron
from Milford. The odds are not in their favor right
they have to leap frog two teams with only five

(01:19:29):
games to go, they're two back. Even if they went
on Sunday, they're gonna be two behind either Baltimore or Pittsburgh.
They would basically in all likelihood have to win out.
Like that's really really hard. This team's defense has not
totally turned the corner. There have been some good things
that have happened. Miles Murphy's playing better, DJ Turner's having

(01:19:50):
an excellent season. Joseph Asai was awesome on Thursday Night.
What they're going to try to do is a massive undertaking,
and like, hopefully a year from now, we're not doing
the same thing looking at the playoff odds and staring
at the deficit and how many teams need to lose,
Like it'd be great if at one point in December
they could be looking down at teams that said. I

(01:20:14):
think one thing, you know, it's it's often not the
best team who wins, it's the healthiest. That's attrition is
a every year injury shape every NFL season. Injuries affect
every NFL season. The Bengals would like to have Trey
Hendrickson back. That goes without saying offensively, they're in really

(01:20:36):
good shape for December for going what is this? This
is gonna be week It's week fourteen. They're in really
good shape for December on the offensive side of the ball,
like their dudes are healthy. So assuming the tea continues
to make progress and come back on Sunday, that's something

(01:20:56):
you have to consider. The Bills have injury issues on
the offensive line. They've been very inconsistent all season long
throwing the football. They've really had to lean on James Cook.
When James Cook hasn't run for one hundred yards. The
Bills are oh it for this season. So you know,
the optimism, the optimism can be cut into if you

(01:21:18):
just do the basic math, if you understand they're kind
of just baked in deficiencies. They have the burrow Is back.
They're underdogs on Sunday. They're not playing a great Buffalo team.
They're playing a Bills team. They've had success against Bengals
late season. Track record of success has been well documented.
And they're healthy on the side of the ball where

(01:21:40):
their identity rests. Like if they were fully and completely
healthy on defense. By the way, it's not like they're
without a whole bunch of dudes. Frankly, Cam Taylor Britt
was not having a very good season before he got hurt.
It'd be nice to have him, I guess. But if
you're like man, they're healthy on defense, so what they're
healthy on the side of the ball where they have

(01:22:00):
to win, and that's that's that's worth not ignoring. So
you know, if you sound remotely optimistic, you have people
in your life that can't wait to throw cold water
over the optimism. And if you sound remotely skeptical, you
have people who just get mad that you're not, you know,
ready to declare this team super Bowl favorite. Like multiple

(01:22:24):
things can be true. We say this all the time.
The math is really hard. The Bengals have a deeply
flawed roster. They have massive deficiencies. Their margin for error
is almost nonexistent. But the defense has performed better recently.
Joe Burrow is back. The Bengals are better when Joe
Burrow is here. The schedule is not that unforgivable. Baltimore

(01:22:48):
Ravens aren't great. That doesn't mean they can't win here.
But Baltimore Ravens are a six and six football team
for a reason. The Miami Dolphins aren't playing better, but
not very good team Cardinals are awful, Browns are wretched.
Even the Bills are good. You don't look at them
and go, man, no chance David versus Goliath here. So

(01:23:09):
the math is hard. The season has been deeply frustrating.
None of the criticisms that we have lobbed at the
Bengals are suddenly invalid because they won one game, But
because they did win that one game, and because they're
in a bad division, and because they got their guy back,
for my money, the best quarterback in the NFL, and

(01:23:30):
because they do have a good track record late in
the season, it's okay to be at least a little
bit perked up. And by the way, it's okay to
do whatever you want process and however you want. For me,
it's oh, this team's interesting again. I look at it
from a gambling perspective. And I said this on Monday,
and I might have did it again yesterday. But if

(01:23:50):
the odds were equal, you would not bet on the
Bengals to win the division. Why would you. They're two
behind two teams five games to go. They'll be two
behind at least one team on Sunday if they win.
But the odds aren't equal, so I can buy the
Bengals and Joe Burrow in a healthy offense and a
good track record, or I can invest in Aaron Rodgers no, okay,

(01:24:13):
Or I can invest in the Baltimore Ravens, who have
been less than dominant all season long, not doing that either.
So don't let somebody tell you that you shouldn't feel
at least a little something when it comes to this
team going into this game on Sunday, and if they
get blown out, then that probably ends it. But I'll
take this as opposed to the alternative because had they

(01:24:35):
lost to Baltimore, it's lights out, lights out. I've wanted
to do this for a couple of days, and then
we'll try to get to a phone call or two
here between now and six o'clock Richard Skinner in a
few minutes when the Bengals lost to the Patriots. My
take was an exaggerated one, but it was put Joe

(01:24:55):
Burrow on ice see you next year. And you could
certainly find folks, smart folks who are like, what's the
point of playing it? But human beings do change their minds,
and dude, change their perspectives and mind when it comes
to Joe Burrow changed when I listen to him on
Thursday night. Now, if the Bengals are playing in games

(01:25:20):
where it doesn't impact the playoff race for either team,
I wholeheartedly believe he should not play. Wholeheartedly believe they
should protect their investment. But as long as there's a chance,
and as long as you have a guy in this
era of load management in one particular league where it's
like these dudes don't want to play, which is not

(01:25:43):
entirely fair to the players. Here you have a guy who,
in the midst of dire circumstances, with a guaranteed contract
that is making him generationally wealthy, dude worked his ass
off to come back and makes it known playing and
playing my best and winning matters. How could you tell

(01:26:05):
that guy no, I get the risk again, we all
understand the math. But you got a guy who says, look, man,
this is hard. We got a very uphill battle. But
I want to play. I've worked my ass off to play.
I want to be with my teammates, I want to
have something to say about how this season goes. I'm playing.

(01:26:29):
You can't tell him no, So it's not some much
a mia Kulpa didn't have any major issue with him
playing against the Baltimore Ravens. But for as long as
this goes, they don't have a great chance, but they
do have a mathematically possible chance as long as they do.
I don't understand how you could say to Joe Burrow. Yeah,

(01:26:52):
it's cool that you want to be out there. It's
cool that you've worked your tail off to get back,
it's cool that you're putting the team ahead of yourself,
but we're gonna put you on the bench in games
that matter. Can't do it, and I'm with him in particular,
I'm not gonna do it again. Now if it's Week
eighteen and it's Bengals Browns and Cincinnati is trying to

(01:27:15):
avoid an eleventh loss, and there's an E next to
their name in the standings, and they're cooked, and they're
not playing in January. No matter what play, Joe Flacco play,
Jake Browning, play Sean Clifford, run a contest, and have
a frustrated former high school quarterback play whoever it is,
doesn't matter to me. Then we go into investment protection mode.

(01:27:40):
But until that happens, the mode is Joe, try it,
Try to do what you can, and we appreciate your efforts.
Fourteen minutes after five o'clock, I haven't gotten to a
pole question yet because we've been busy. We have the
iHeartMedia holiday party happening behind us, and it's going for

(01:28:00):
a while. As as as holiday parties go, this I'm
not even sure it's hit its peak yet. It might
not peak until Like Lance is done with his show. Tonight,
we'll find out. Richard Skinner is gonna join us from
a Local twelve, Eric Wood, Buffalo Bill's coloring. The party

(01:28:21):
ends at seven. Yes, officially, I'm gonna go to the
NKU basketball game go on, you know, I mean we are,
we are broadcasting from the party, but it's it's not
that much fun to show up to a party late, right,
you know, like three hours late. Everybody's head here. I
am like maybe the basketball games at seven, maybe I'll

(01:28:43):
hang out for We'll see, We'll see how I feel.
We'll see who's here Eric Wood. In about thirty minutes,
you'll hear Wes Miller and Richard Patino their final availabilities
before the Skyline Chili Crosstown shootout. But first our friend
from Local twelve, Richard Skinner.

Speaker 17 (01:28:59):
Next Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (01:29:04):
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Speaker 3 (01:29:36):
This report is this weekend.

Speaker 1 (01:29:39):
The Bengals are bringing their own brand of football to
Buffalo when they go hunting for a win. Did I
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I ate fifty wings is leathered in hot sauce. Let's
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Coverage begins at YEP Sunday stream for free on the

(01:30:02):
new and improved iHeartRadio app or ESPN fifteen thirty, the
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Speaker 3 (01:30:10):
Richard Skinner, I got the thanks.

Speaker 19 (01:30:14):
Talk to you in part five Postman, Law and Vice
Skyline Chile on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of
the Cincinnati Bengal.

Speaker 3 (01:30:23):
Richard Skinner from Local twelve joins us every Wednesday Local
twelve dot com at Local twelve Skinny to talk about
the Bengals as they get set to take on the
Buffalo Bills. Hi Skinny, Hi Mo.

Speaker 20 (01:30:36):
How are you have the party?

Speaker 3 (01:30:37):
The party is it's almost out of control. I'm almost
afraid to get off the ear to see what is
happening when I leave this room. I'm afraid for the
future of some of my coworkers. A lot of mayhem,
a lot of mayhem, and in the day and age
of the camera phone, some questionable decisions are being made.
Hey are the Bengals good now?

Speaker 27 (01:31:00):
Not good now? But I think you see signs of life.
I mean, there's no doubt there's an energy level that
Joe Burrow coming back, I think brought the entire team.
But face the stats are stats. In the three weeks
since the buy, the defense has given up twenty points,
nineteen points and fourteen points and four five turnovers in
that fourteen point game, so it's showing signs of life.

(01:31:22):
I think that's all you needed. That's why I think
it is conceivable that they they do run the table here.
I think it's very much on the table that they
run the table.

Speaker 3 (01:31:30):
I think it's very much on the table because not
only is Joe burrowback, they're healthy offensively and speaking of good,
I think they may actually have a decent offensive line.

Speaker 27 (01:31:40):
No, and that's the group that I think's really gotten
better as the season has gone along. And I'd like
to point the continuity, but it really hasn't been because
the guard's spots has been influx at different times. Feels
like just when you settled in to a group, but
Jalen Rivers gets hurt. But then Dulton Riser comes in
and actually they're not playing great in the stint when
he played earlier this season, he's been really good couple

(01:32:00):
of games, and so now you've kind of got him
in there is the right guard, And yeah, I think.

Speaker 24 (01:32:04):
That's a big part of it.

Speaker 27 (01:32:05):
They've won the ball effectively pretty much for but five or.

Speaker 20 (01:32:09):
Six games in a row.

Speaker 27 (01:32:09):
Now, I guess you can take the Bears game out
of it, but they threw the ball a lot because they.

Speaker 20 (01:32:13):
Were behind, so really it wasn't they weren't effective run
the ball.

Speaker 11 (01:32:16):
He didn't run it very much.

Speaker 27 (01:32:17):
Yeah, they're they're showing really good balance on offense and
so yeah, I think this.

Speaker 20 (01:32:21):
Team has a shot to make us say it again.

Speaker 27 (01:32:24):
Yeah, this team was pretty good.

Speaker 3 (01:32:25):
Is the light bulb flickering on? Or is it like
fully on for Miles Murphy.

Speaker 27 (01:32:32):
It's funny. Paul danerm Junior and I both without talking
to each other, made a b line for him in
the locker room today, So I guess he decided he
was one of the stories of this week.

Speaker 6 (01:32:41):
Yeah.

Speaker 27 (01:32:41):
I mean the last three games this is damning praise,
and he's improved his PFF ranking by eighteen spots from
where he was going into buy when he get his position.
He's been noticeable in good ways.

Speaker 26 (01:32:51):
I know.

Speaker 27 (01:32:52):
I heard Paul bring it up yesterday the show, and
he brought it up to Miles to day. I mean,
the athletic breaking of running a running back down thirty
forty yards down the field is just that those are
some of the things he can do. I think the
fact he's getting more consistent reps in games I think
has helped probably get him into some kind of rhythm
where instead of being just a rotational piece, you're in
there until you get tired. He kind of mentioned that

(01:33:13):
a little bit today of just being able to be
on the field consistently has helped. That's probably true. And
listen the other part too, It is I was as
down on Miles Murphy as the bye week as anybody.
Guys evolved at different paces. We'd love them to evolve
by the third game of their rookies year, right, or
at least sometime in their second year. And my god,
he's better do it at some point in your third year.
And he just looked like it was never going to come,

(01:33:34):
and all of a sudden.

Speaker 20 (01:33:35):
Wow, well and behold it has.

Speaker 3 (01:33:38):
I'm going to ask you this every time I have
you on for the rest of the season. Has Trey
Hendrickson played his last nap with the Bengals.

Speaker 27 (01:33:46):
No, I don't think so. I think I think it's
a very interesting case because we can all point say, yeah,
making a business decision. I've seen this with an AJ
Green playout before like this. It's also he could just
be trying to get himself to literally not stepping on
that field until I'm one hundred percent and there's a
part of me that even thinks, if this is a
mild business decision, that's ninety five percent that you get

(01:34:09):
to those last three games when it means something against
some teams you can probably I don't want to say
pad sacks against them, get some sacks against to at
least show people, hey, but I'm helping. I think that's
that's the part to me. He's got to show people
that he can still play at a high level, even
as for a small batch at the end three games.
Here again, I don't think he's going to free agency
expecting to get a.

Speaker 24 (01:34:29):
Bag of gas if he doesn't play another down for
the Bengals.

Speaker 27 (01:34:31):
Issuer. I just don't think there's any team that's going
to be willing to throw a ton of money at him.
A thirty few year old guy's coming off whatever it
was in fact, yet tell his business is an issue.

Speaker 3 (01:34:39):
What is the longest you have ever been stuck on
an airplane for?

Speaker 18 (01:34:45):
I was on a.

Speaker 27 (01:34:45):
Tarmac once I was connecting for a flight to Arizona
to cover the Bengals a couple of years ago, and
I remember we were waiting for a gate at Ohare
for almost two hours and It was painful because I
had left myself a nice connection time and still didn't
make that connection. And there's nothing more frustrating that, especially
when you run to the gate like an idiot, knowing
the gates about the closed, and by guy you've just

(01:35:07):
closed and she was gonna have none of opening it
back up for me. And all I remember saying there
is you're gonna find you another airline to get on,
and you're gonna.

Speaker 11 (01:35:14):
Do it right now.

Speaker 3 (01:35:15):
All right, that's not bad. Did you Did you bond
with the people that you were with?

Speaker 27 (01:35:19):
No, I'm a window seat, put your piece in and
watch the TV on the back of my screen kind
of guy.

Speaker 3 (01:35:25):
Likewise, well, thank you so much, and we'll have you
next week and I'll ask you about Trey hendrickson the
exact same question. Looking forward to it, and it'll be
a valid question. That's no question, skinny. Thanks many. That's
our guy, Richard Skinner from Local twelve and Local twelve Dot.
We could have just done one of those like old
school talk radio deals where it's like tell us about

(01:35:46):
your worst travel experiences, but for many people these this
day and age, it'd be like every single time you
try to fly on an airplane. It's twenty nine after
five o'clock. I'm putting the poll question up right now.
We're gonna go We're gonna go early, and we're gonna
go so easy, and we're gonna go obvious. Here it is,
which men's basketball team will win this season? Skyline Chili

(01:36:06):
Crosstown Shootout. Vote now at Muleger speaking of said men's
basketball game. Richard Patino and Wes Miller talked today and
you'll hear them next on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 19 (01:36:18):
You've been listening to Football in the NATI, brought to
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Speaker 10 (01:37:07):
This report is sun.

Speaker 28 (01:37:08):
This is Dan Horr joined Dave Lapoman me for Bengals
game plan tonight starting at six on the official home
of the Bengals, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen sir Hoards.

Speaker 3 (01:37:18):
Headlines are service of Kelsey Chevrolet, home of lifetime powertrain
protection and guaranteed credit approval from their family to yours
for life Kelsey chev dot Com. T Higgins did practice limited,
same for Taj Brooks. They're coming out. We're trying to
come out of the NFL's concussion protocol. Bengals getting set

(01:37:38):
to take on the Bills on Sunday at one, the
game live on ESPN fifteen thirty in Buffalo. Joey Bosa
considered a week week. It doesn't look like he's gonna
play at all. More Tonight Bengals game plans starting at
six on ESPN fifteen thirty. Ken Anderson one of five
finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of
twenty twenty six. The other five. The five finalists are

(01:37:58):
Bill Belichick, Robert c Roger Craig who should be in
the Hall of Fame like Ken Anderson, ELC Greenwood and
Kenny Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, the new head
coach at South Florida NKUS, won five straight. They played
their first Horizon League game tonight against Cleveland State. Tips
off at seven on Fox Sports thirteen sixty. Indiana's at

(01:38:19):
Minnesota tonight and it congratulations to Ryan Kerwin, who was
on the show earlier. He is the EHL Rookie of
the Month for the month of November. By the way,
it's close to fifty to fifty on Twitter at Moeger
thanks to United Heartland Insurance pay lass for insurance. Go

(01:38:39):
to uhi ns dot com. Which men's basketball team will
win this season Skyline Chile Crossdown Shootout Early voting just underway.
Fifty four percent of you say the Bearcats, Eric Wood
in just a few minutes. Richard Patino and Wes Miller
did talk today their final media availability before before Friday

(01:39:01):
Nights Tilt. Here is the first year Xavier head coach
on how he is treating his first Skyline Chili Crossdown Shootout.

Speaker 29 (01:39:08):
Well, I mean, I would say as boring as it
sounds on a day to day, we approach it, you know,
like any other game, and you know that's the responsibility
of a coach. With that being said, you know, we
know how passionate our fan base is. We know how
passionate their fan base is. We're all so close together,

(01:39:30):
you know, so we totally respect the rivalry and you
know the amazing tradition that the game has. Our guys
know it, you know, But on a day to day
we're not working any harder, I can promise you. You see,
he's doing the same thing. But we obviously know it

(01:39:50):
is a huge game for both programs. You know, we're
gonna fight our butt off to see if we can
get a win.

Speaker 3 (01:39:56):
It's Richard Patino. Here's Richard Patino on how difficult it
is to explore to first year players, which is pretty
much all of them, how important this rivalry is. No, no,
it's not.

Speaker 29 (01:40:08):
I mean, certainly if you had players playing in the
game last year. But UC's dealing with the same thing.
Everybody in college basketball is dealing with the same thing.
Just because nobody on our team has played in the
game doesn't mean that they don't understand how important it is.
You know, it's a huge rivalry game, and so you know,
big game, certainly the next game as well. But you know,

(01:40:33):
I don't try to make a bigger deal of it
as we're scouting, as we're preparing, than we would any
other opponent. But everybody knows the gravity of the game
on both sides.

Speaker 3 (01:40:46):
I had a teacher in high school, Scott my senior year.
He taught I think it was business law. Maybe he
sounds exactly like him. Richard Patino does exactly like him.
Here's Wes Miller, who doesn't sound like any of my
high school teachers. He was asked what did he learn
in last year's Crosstown shootout win? And he can apply

(01:41:07):
to this year.

Speaker 26 (01:41:09):
I just think that experiencing you know, the game now
for a handful of years, I think I have an
appreciation for what it means to this community, the importance
of it historically. Again, we're gonna play a lot of
big games and a lot of meaningful games. I don't
even mean to say that none of them are meaningful.

Speaker 12 (01:41:30):
They're all meaningful.

Speaker 26 (01:41:30):
But we're gonna play a lot of games where there's
a lot of excitement. But this one's special because it
means so much to Cincinnati and I've learned to really
appreciate that, respect that and just you know, appreciate that
I get to experience a rivalry like that.

Speaker 3 (01:41:49):
Is he doing his press conference from the bottom of
a well, here's things to camera? Like is in like
four K Maybe they took that audio different, like somebody
drop a bucket down for Wes to grab onto or something.
Here's Wes Miller talking about how he is looking forward
to seeing how his team responds to the hostile environment

(01:42:10):
on Friday night.

Speaker 6 (01:42:12):
Yeah, I think.

Speaker 26 (01:42:17):
You know, we all are The games are fun, right this,
competitors and the moment that the games aren't fun, then
you guys can catch me on the first t you know,
I mean, I got seriously like, the games are fun,
and so then you know, the higher the level of
the game, you know, the more excitement there is. So yeah,
there's there's always excitement for all. We're gonna play a

(01:42:39):
ton of big games and they're all they all matter,
and they're all big to me. But you know, the
big twelve games and the Power four games and the
games and big environments. Yeah, that stuff's fun. There's no
coach speak here. That stuff's fun. Competitors enjoy those type
of things. And yeah, I think there's excitement about that.

Speaker 3 (01:43:00):
All right, there's Wes Miller talking earlier today, Terry, we
have Eric Wood in a few minutes. How are we
doing on time? We got about two minutes that we
could air. Every day, we sit down and we try
to put together and sometimes we succeed and sometimes weil.
We try to put together a good show, a combination
of commentary and guests and opinion and perspectives that we

(01:43:23):
blend together, and what we hope is a good, solid
three hours of free sports talk radio entertainment. And yet
there are folks who believe we should blow all that
up and just revolve around one person's phone call. That
person is waiting. Mike, you got about a minute. You're
on ESPN fifteenth thirty.

Speaker 20 (01:43:42):
Hey, granks for taking care of me. I appreciate you, buddy.

Speaker 24 (01:43:45):
Hey, I wanted to ask you.

Speaker 20 (01:43:48):
Remember when you were interviewing the Rookie of the Month
and the ECLS and you made a comment you said, boy,
I wish I had it went to Arizona State. You
still ever say of stuff like that? Is he gotten
older all the time?

Speaker 3 (01:44:03):
Yes, yes, all the time.

Speaker 20 (01:44:05):
Because I know how much you're fond of warm weather
and all that stuff.

Speaker 3 (01:44:09):
I wish, I love, I love Mi Alma Mater. There
is a part of me that wishes that I would
have gone to school in a different part of the country,
or gone to a school were college football is a
big deal.

Speaker 20 (01:44:22):
I still think Zager's going to win this game. I
just think Patino is gonna help coaching. But I found
out something whether Shwar was saying so intriguing. I'll talk
to you about it some other days. Very intriguing and
with a lot of fun. I agree with you, But
the Cowboys, and I hate the Cowboys with a passion
since the Little Boys. But I found out today they

(01:44:43):
have four linemen offensive linemen that are twenty four years
of age or under, and they've been playing great. So
I think the two dark horses in the NFC is
the Cowboys, or maybe not a dark horse now. And
I think that that Texans team is really serious.

Speaker 3 (01:45:01):
With that defense, don't you. I do? I do, and
more of a factor this year because of how wide
open the AFC is. Now. We'll see if they're capable
of scoring enough. But that defense, that defense plays in
a way that a lot of people don't think you
can play defense anymore. And you're right about the Dallas Cowboys.

(01:45:23):
They have absolutely nailed it in the draft when it
comes to the offensive line, and they have again this
year that their offense makes them legitimate too.

Speaker 6 (01:45:33):
Mike.

Speaker 3 (01:45:33):
I've enjoyed talking about pro football in the state of Texas,
but I got to get to Eric Wood. Thank you
as always, Thank you so much. Will You're very welcome.
Elder High School's Eric Wood is the color analyst for
the Buffalo Bills Radio Network and he joins US.

Speaker 17 (01:45:47):
Next Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (01:45:52):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center.

Speaker 18 (01:45:55):
You see Health's Weight Loss Center offers surgical and medical
obesity care. Bertise Cullpipe one three nine three nine two
two sixty three. That's nine three nine two two sixty three.
An earlier accident has been cleared out on eastbound two
seventy five, that is after Coleraine on Paddock Road. Another
accident that is near Town Street southbound Princeton Pike also

(01:46:17):
still got that crash before Progress Place and Queen City Avenue.
Crashed between Keebler Avenue and Quebec Road on at Ezelic
with traffic.

Speaker 10 (01:46:25):
This report is sponsored by Servati Cincinnati.

Speaker 3 (01:46:28):
Pabamer standing by with Bengals game plan coming up as
soon as we're done at six oh five Bengals and
Bills on Sunday. Eric Wood, the former Elder Panther and
Louisville Cardinal, is the color analyst on the Buffalo Bills
Radio network and kind enough to join us. It's awesome
to have you, as always love having you whenever the
Bengals played the Bills. Buffalo is eight and four. How

(01:46:49):
would you describe the season to this point?

Speaker 20 (01:46:53):
It's been a roller coaster rode.

Speaker 12 (01:46:54):
You come into the season with a lot of expectations,
high expectations at that start off the season four to
oh and then with injuries and a lack of a
passing game at times and turnover issues that are rearing
the taed this year, find ourselves at eight and four,
but still a long way to go in this season,

(01:47:14):
and there's still plenty of optimism around the franchise, But
with the injuries, especially at receiver in them including Dalton
Kinkadar tight end in that and on the defensive side
of the ball, it's led to some more struggles this
year than we're probably anticipated.

Speaker 3 (01:47:30):
So Obviously, James Cook has been a savior. He's been
awesome this year. I'm not sure the Bengals are equipped
to take him away. But when teams do take him away,
where does Buffalo find more consistency in the passing game?

Speaker 12 (01:47:43):
Well, against the Ravens early on in the season and
against the Buccaneers, those are the two games the passing
game really came a lot this year.

Speaker 6 (01:47:52):
It's spreading the ball around.

Speaker 12 (01:47:53):
They have this philosophy of everybody eats and they want
to spread the ball around to all their different playmakers.
The backs out of the backfield will catch the ball well.
The most consistent pass catcher on the season has been
Dalton Kinkaid, the tight end who was drafted as more
or less a receiver, not necessarily an inline blocker in
the first round out of Utah, and so when he's

(01:48:14):
been healthy, which has now been a consistent thing this year,
he's been the main focal point of the offense in
the passing game. We hope to get him back this week.
Josh Palmer was brought in a free agency and he
was likely going to be our top receiving threat on
the outside beyond Khalil Shakir. But he's been dinged up
for a majority of this season and doesn't sound great

(01:48:36):
for him to return this week.

Speaker 3 (01:48:38):
Josh Allen, when he's at his best, he's an MVP.
I've seen him at his best at times this year,
not all season long. We've talked about the injuries. How
would you grade his play this season? Yeah, I think
it's been up and down.

Speaker 12 (01:48:51):
And you know, a lot of what the Bills have
done this year is if you can't stop the run,
they'll simply run it into submission, and so there's games
where he doesn't have to do a whole lot. The
design runs for him have been down this year. I
think that's by design. Where As he progresses throughout his career,
you want to use him less like a battering ram
out there, but they will turn to it, especially in

(01:49:12):
the red zone. But they're trying to get away from
that as much as possible and lean into more of
a traditional run game to quite frankly, extend his career.
This is an organization that you know, the leadership within
our organization in the front office and head coach, we're
around for Cam Newton in Carolina and the last thing
they want to do is break him down in similar.

Speaker 27 (01:49:33):
Ways that they did to.

Speaker 12 (01:49:37):
What the Panthers did with Cam Newton in Carolina. So
that being said, I think he's had some great performances
this year. They haven't had to rely on him a
ton this year. But I will say this, the passing
game has been one of our weaknesses this year. At
times it looks great and then there's other times where

(01:49:57):
he misses a couple throws, there's a couple of pen these,
there's a turnover to and a lack of separation on
the outside and it doesn't look great.

Speaker 3 (01:50:06):
We all watched the Bills play the Steelers on Sunday,
rooting for Buffalo. Pittsburgh's offense seemed broken. It did feel
like a step in the right direction for the Bills.
On defense, it'd be great from your perspective if you
had Joey Bosa moving forward. We will see. But what's
the strength of this Buffalo defense.

Speaker 12 (01:50:25):
Yeah, I would say the strength of the defense is
the past defense. Christian Benford's our lockdown corner. I would
expect him to travel a bunch with Jamar Chase throughout
the game. And this is one of the top ranked
secondaries as far as the statistics go. In the league,
and we've gotten younger and more athletic in the secondary
at a few different spots. Cole Dish of second year

(01:50:46):
safety is playing great. On the back end of the defense.
The tackling has improved. That's been an issue at times
this year where you've seen some of these monster rushing
performances against this defense.

Speaker 3 (01:50:57):
That has seemed to improve.

Speaker 12 (01:50:59):
In Shack Timpson filling in that linebacker this season, which
I would expect him to start again this week against
the Bengals, he has been a boost to this defense.

Speaker 3 (01:51:08):
So we'll see.

Speaker 12 (01:51:09):
You know, this is a defense that kind of similar
to the offense, has been on a little bit of
a roller coaster rode.

Speaker 6 (01:51:15):
That's where you see us at eight and four.

Speaker 3 (01:51:16):
Sean McDermott has been there for what feels like forever,
and in NFL term, since twenty seventeen. That is an eternity.
What's the biggest strength of Sean McDermott as a head coach?

Speaker 12 (01:51:28):
Yeah, I got I was fortunate enough to play for
him for one season and remain friends with him to
this day, and I would say the consistency that he
brings from his leadership that permeates into the team where
he doesn't get too high, he doesn't get too low.
He generally gets this team peaking towards the end of
the season. In the last since twenty twenty, I believe,

(01:51:51):
from the last week in November through the end of
the regular season, the Bills are twenty eight and five
since twenty twenty.

Speaker 6 (01:51:58):
One of those is.

Speaker 12 (01:52:00):
A meaningless game where we didn't play our starters, and
two of those are overtime losses. And so he generally
gets this team to peak towards the end of the season.
But I would say his strength is just the consistency
that he brings each and every day, modeling it by example,
but then that permeating into the team.

Speaker 3 (01:52:18):
Awesome stuff. Eric, It's got to be fun when you
call a game between your team and your hometown team.
Should be an interesting game on Sunday. We appreciate the
time as always, Thanks so much.

Speaker 12 (01:52:28):
Yeah, for sure, it's always fun to call this matchup.
It was fun to play in these matchups and always
look forward to seeing my man Dave Lapham, you know,
one of the biggest personalities in the broadcast booth area.
Whenever I get to see him, so always enjoy it.

Speaker 3 (01:52:44):
Ring of honor inductee Dave Lapham. You got to make
sure you mentioned that when you see him on Sunday.

Speaker 12 (01:52:49):
Okay, absolutely, I need to bring him a note and
congratulate him.

Speaker 6 (01:52:53):
There you go.

Speaker 3 (01:52:54):
Eric Would, longtime Buffalo Bill, former Elder Panther, former Louisville Cardinal,
the color analyst on the Buffalo Bills radio network. We
are done. Bengals game plan is just a few minutes away.
Brian Anderson from TNT Sports is calling the Skyline Chile
Crosstown shootout. He is going to join us at five
oh five tomorrow. We are back at three oh five tomorrow.

(01:53:14):
Don't forget Tony Pike since E three sixty at noon,
and there you go. Bengals game plan is next to
have a great night. Thanks to Tarren Bland for producing,
and thanks to you for listening. Have an awesome night.
This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station.

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