1/28/26 - The Mo Egger Radio Show - Mo Egger

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
That's to win one thousand dollars. Just enter this nationwide

(00:03):
keyword on our website.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Bonus. That's bonus. Enter it now.

Speaker 3 (00:08):
From reagency to the draft and everything in between, we've
got the Bengals off season covered on ESPN fifteen thirty,
the official home of the Bengals.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
You know what, good for the Miami Radhawks.

Speaker 4 (00:23):
And to a degree, thank you to Travis Steele in
his program Good for Miami. What's Up Mullegar, ESPN fifteen thirty,
Thanks for listening. Show preview is available right now at
moegar on Twitter and yes I still mostly call it Twitter.
Thanks to Shareffacts credit Union. Become a member just like me.

(00:46):
Go to share Facts dot org. I'll make a Bengals guarantee,
and I think we have to. I think we have
to make an admission when it comes to Halls of Fame. Plus,
in the five o'clock hour, both Chase Brown and t
Higgins at the exact same time will chat would at
five twenty Will also go to Mobile, Alabama for the
Senior Bowl to talk about some early draft storylines as

(01:07):
they relate specifically to the Bengals, and Rick Boring on
Xavier and NKU basketball. Later on this hour at three
forty five, I went to Mallett Hall last night and yeah, man,
like they're the talk of area college basketball, and so
I wanted to see Travis Steel's team in person. They
played at nine o'clock game during the week. That's easier

(01:29):
for me to get to than a seven o'clock tip off,
And so I went and watched Miami for much of
the night struggle to defend against U Mass. Played from
behind for much of the night against Frank Martin's team,
and yet the RedHawks, the twenty fourth rank RedHawks, still
find a way to win, making the plays down the stretch.
They hang on to beat UMass eighty six to eighty four.

(01:50):
Miami is now one of two unbeaten teams in college
basketball at twenty one and zero. They had to survive
a night where U Mass shot over fifty percent. They
had to survive a night where they got out rebounded.
They had to survive a night where offensively, their best
approach was simply trying to get to the free throw line.

(02:10):
They attempted thirty eight free throws last night. Good for Miami,
And look, I'm not a Miami fan, per se I'm
not a Miami grad per se, but good for Miami,
good for the Miami RedHawks, because this feels like a
really dark time for Cincinnati sports. Now, when I say
this feels like a dark time for Cincinnati sports, you

(02:32):
may not a long and go yeamo. This has been
most of my life. You may go yamo, this has
just been the last couple of months. That's what I'll
go with. Like the Reds did make the postseason, petered
out early, they have spent this offseason doing nothing while
they wait for their TV deal to get solidified.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
Yeah, that's boring.

Speaker 4 (02:53):
The Bengals just had an amazingly disappointing season. Call it
what you want. I will go with a disappointing third
straight year they don't make the postseason while Joe Burrow
is in his prime. The University of Cincinnati basketball team,
My team is ten and ten.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
Wish they were ten. Another ten and ten.

Speaker 4 (03:15):
Not going to make the NCAA tournament barring something totally miraculous.
This season has been defined by fan disaffection, Wes Miller
post game shows, and nobody feeling really good about the
on court product or the direction of the team. Xavier basketball,
I don't think there's disaffection, but it's it's sort of

(03:36):
the ups and downs and at times the low points
of almost the inevitable growing pains that come with a
new head coach. I think it's never been more difficult
to be a new head coach and a new place.
I also think it's never been easier to get the
thing turned around years two and three. We'll see if
Richard Patino does that. But if you're a Xavier fan
a program that for years was defined by being an

(04:00):
NCAA tournament mainstay, Muskies are probably not gonna make it
this season. You see, football just had a thoroughly disappointing
end to the season. So there's like lots of stuff.
FC Cincinnati, which just finished up a preseason game, which
we'll talk about a little bit later on. FC Cincinnati
feels in many respects kind of stuck right like good

(04:25):
well run, good players, very good players, good coach, not
able to get over the hump, and so like there's
there's not been a lot to point to and go hey,
in this part of the country, in this part of
the state, in this region, we have that. Now I'd
be willing to bet that there's an Indiana fan. Within

(04:48):
the sound of my voice, She's like, hang on, many way,
remember remember coach Signetti in the national title in Mendoza
and see what okay?

Speaker 2 (04:58):
Awesome?

Speaker 4 (05:00):
Beyond that, not a lot to point to, especially in
college basketball.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
This year.

Speaker 4 (05:04):
Kentucky is disappointing, U see is disappointing. Xaviers about what
most would expect. Maybe slightly better than what most might expect,
but not what you typically associate with Xavier basketball. Dayton's
been disappointing as far as I'm concerned. Ohio State, Eh,
Louisville okay, pretty good, but just got destroyed by Duke

(05:25):
the other night. Here amid all this, you got a
team that's twenty one to zero. I think that's cool.
I'm more than willing to say that. I think that's cool.
And I think most expected Miami to be pretty good
this year. They're pretty good last year, came this close
to making the tournament. Most will point out the fact
that their schedule left a lot to be desired. When

(05:46):
I say most, I'll include Travis Steel among those who
will point out, Yeah, man, our schedule, we wish it
was better, but at the end of the day, all
we can do is play. Who is going to be
on our schedule. It is abundantly clear to anybody who
follows the sport. But there are two twenty one to
oh teams in college basketball. You could say this, it's
not a knock on Miami. Miami's twenty one and oh
is not Arizona's twenty one and oh. But it doesn't

(06:09):
have to be. Doesn't have to be. That's the beauty
of this sport, right, So Arizona's twenty one to O
has come against some of the best of the best.

Speaker 2 (06:17):
Miami's is not. But you know what, I went to
the game last night.

Speaker 4 (06:21):
I will admit, like in my life, I haven't exactly
been a regular attendee of Miami RedHawks games. The last
time I went they played UC which would have been
the twenty twenty one twenty twenty two season. Beyond that,
probably since I graduated from college in nineteen ninety nine,
I would say maybe ten to twelve Miami games. I've

(06:43):
remember seen him play Xavier once or twice. I used
to be married to at Kent State grad We'd go
see him play Kent State, and then a handful of
occasions where I just had the time and thought let's
drive up to Oxford and go see Miami play. I
did it last night. There is something really fun. There
is something really fun about watching a campus community get

(07:03):
excited about what's happening with one of its sports programs.
There's something really fun when that happens in a college town.
And I do think that Oxford is a quintessential college town.
The games I've been to at Mallett Hall, there haven't
been that many people there. I remember, and I can
barely remember who they played. But when John Cooper was

(07:24):
the head coach, I remember going on on a Saturday
afternoon to a game and I think the announced attendance.

Speaker 2 (07:32):
Was like fourteen hundred people.

Speaker 4 (07:34):
And I looked at that and laughed because I'm like,
at one point in the second half us counting people.
Last night, they had their tenth largest crowd in the
history of Mallett Hall.

Speaker 2 (07:43):
It was packed.

Speaker 4 (07:44):
And we're driving up last night, it's about a quarter
after eight and like there's people just all over the place.
The parking lot is full, and you might go, well,
it's people jumping on the bandwagon, Like that's okay. Most
fans are bandwagon fans. Most sports fans are bad wagon fans,
it's okay to beat that. It was fun to watch

(08:05):
a really good game, really well played game, in front
of a great crowd, in the middle of an atmosphere
that you often associate with some of the other schools
in this area. That last night was center stage at
Mallett Hall. That's really cool. And so you know, Ian
Elmer was terrific last night. The mark of a really

(08:25):
good team and Miami has had to do this. They
didn't defend against Buffalo, needed an Ian Elmer shot at
the end of regulation, went to overtime, won that game,
blew a lead, big lead, I think a fourteen point
lead against Ken State a week ago up there in
front of a crowd that was frothing at the mouth
collectively Golden Flashes force overtime. Miami finds a way to

(08:46):
win on a night where again they didn't defend all
that well. They did not defend well last night. Travis
Deel on this show Monday talked about like we have
to be better defensively, and if you heard that, you
saw last night what he was talking about. But the
mark of a really good team is you figure out
a way to win. So on a night where we're
not necessarily getting stops on a night where we're not

(09:07):
necessarily doing what we should do on the glass, on
a night where it felt like UMass had an answer
every time Miami was going to make a run, Travis
Steel's team had an answer and ultimately got over the
hump and closed out the game in the final minutes.

Speaker 2 (09:22):
And it was really cool.

Speaker 4 (09:25):
And so we joke sometimes on the Tony and Mo
Football show that winners go first. I've been doing this
show for close to nineteen years.

Speaker 2 (09:32):
We have never.

Speaker 4 (09:35):
I don't think ever started the show by talking about
the Miami RedHawks men's basketball team. I'm not sure we've
ever started the show by talking about any Miami university team,
football or otherwise. Perhaps we did on the day that
Charlie Coles passed, because he was a beloved figure in
this in this region. Beyond that, we haven't done it.

(09:56):
But when you're twenty one to zero and yeah, have
your campus and alumni community excited. I ran into two
people last night. I'm not gonna say who they are,
but I ran into two people last night, one of
whom was wearing his Barkak gear, who are huge UC fans,
but we're kind of doing what I did last night,
which is this team's I don't want to say the

(10:18):
talk of college basketball, but it's one of going into
last night. Three now two undefeated teams want to check
them out in person, and I'm glad I did last night.
For a while, I thought I was going to be
like blamed as the Jinks, even though I don't believe
in Jinxes. Like, yeah, they win their first twenty then
modorcides to trek up I twenty sore Eye twenty seven,

(10:39):
Route twenty seven and they take a loss. Fortunately I
was spared, but it's really fun. And as a fan
of sports in this area, you know, I'm probably never
gonna wear a whole bunch of Miami year, but as
a fan of sports in this area where things recently
haven't gone great, it's fun that you got a team
that hasn't lost a game yet what it means for

(11:01):
them the rest of the season winning the MAC Tournament,
it still feels like an at large bid is probably
beyond their grasp, but you know, if they do run
the table, we'll see. But this in the moment is
if you went to Miami, if you live in Oxford,
if if you just love college basketball in this part

(11:23):
of the country.

Speaker 2 (11:24):
It's a really fun story.

Speaker 4 (11:25):
It's a really fun story, and to a degree, there's
a lot of involved here that we say we want
in college basketball, which we'll get to a little bit
later on. So congrats to the RedHawks. Really fun game.
By the way, I went to the game last night.
This is maybe what I liked most about it. Nobody
said to me, what are you doing here? Five point

(11:49):
three seven four nine fifteen thirty is our phone number?
Eight sixty six seven oh two three seven seven six
works as well. I am going to make a guarantee
about the Bengals next year that might be totally unprovable.
I'll explain next Cincinnati's ESPN.

Speaker 1 (12:11):
Cincinnati and iHeartRadio station guaranteed Human ESPN fifteen thirty I
heard radio.

Speaker 4 (12:21):
Hey, guess what we found somebody who wants to coach
the Cleveland Browns, Todd Monkin, who is the offensive coordinator
in Baltimore. Congratulations to the Browns, not only today become
the first team in Ohio to have orange pants, which
they're very proud of.

Speaker 2 (12:38):
I got somebody who wants that job. Awesome.

Speaker 4 (12:41):
Congrats twenty two after three ESPN fifteen thirty Molagger, thank
you for listening. Rick Boring on Xavier and NKU basketball
coming up in twenty minutes, Bearcat's play tonight. Dan Skillings
is coming back. We'll get to that a little bit
later on. And we have to make an admission about
not just the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but all
halls of fame that in the four o'clock hour. But hey,

(13:05):
Cleveland Brown's found someone to say yes. This is all
and I can relate to this. My high school and
college dating life can relate to this. You just you
were looking for somebody, anybody who wanted to say yes.
So congrats, the Browns found somebody who's like, okay, I
guess so Todd Monkin's going to be the guy. And

(13:26):
so the AFC North coaching roster head coaching roster at
least has been rounded out. The Browns have their coach,
Todd Monkin. This has been a weird coaching search and
it's a weird coaching hire. Not because Tom Munkin's not
going to do a good job. You know, he was
the guy that the John Harball apparently in Baltimore fell

(13:47):
on his sword for because Monkin was the offensive coordinator
there Management's like, hey, you know what, might want to
move on from the offensive coordinator. Harball's like, not going
to do that. Baltimore said, cool, you're done. Now John
Harble coaching in New Jersey. And now Todd Monkin's that
he's gotten a promotion, so to speak. He's going to
be the head coach of the Browns. If you can

(14:07):
call going from coaching Lamar Jackson as a coordinator to
being the head coach of the Browns and working for
the Haslims, if you can call that a promotion.

Speaker 2 (14:15):
Good for Todd Monkin.

Speaker 4 (14:17):
So what's been weird about the hire is Jim Schwartz,
the defensive coordinator, was also in the mix, and they
told him like, sorry, you didn't get the job, but
we really want you to still be the defensive coordinator.
And apparently the other candidates they were looking for candidates
who are like, yeah, we'll have Jim Schwartz. So the
Browns were like, well, we're still going to have our
good defensive coordinator. And then Jim Schwartz, evidently and reportedly

(14:40):
in Cleveland's like, yeah, no, I'm good. So we'll see
what happens. He is under contract for the Browns in
twenty twenty six. We will see. But the other part
of this that is weird is they had folks who
were in the mix, or that the Browns were interested
in that pulled up out. Grant Yatzinski said, yeah, I'm

(15:05):
I'm I'm good here. I'm I don't I want to
be a head coach, but I'm I'm good here, And
so he stayed in his capacity as offensive coordinator of
the Jacksonville Jaguars. He'd rather be Trevor Lawrence's offensive coordinator
than have to work for the Haslims and have Deshaun
Watson looming over so and then Jesse Minner and understandably so,

(15:29):
because he became the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
He withdrew his name from consideration because he knew he
could be the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. You
tell me which team you would rather coach. Pretty much
a no brainer for me. And then Mike McDaniel, the
former coach of the Dolphins, decided, I don't want to
be the coach of the Browns. Instead, I'll go be

(15:51):
Jim Harball's offensive coordinator with the Chargers, and I'll go
be justin Herbert's guy instead of working for the Haslims.
So this search has kind of been defined by a
lot of people not wanting the job, including a lot
of coaches who just didn't interview because they saw better
opportunities elsewhere. I do think it's interesting that you know,

(16:13):
often here with NFL openings or NBA openings or Major
League Baseball managerial openings, you know, well, it's only one
of thirty or it's only one of thirty two in
the NFL, one of thirty two. It's you know, only
thirty two jobs like it. And so if you have
a chance for one of those thirty two jobs, do
you say no? I think people realize it's smart to
be choosy, it's smart to be discerning. Don't you wonder

(16:38):
what Brian Callahan's career would look like if he didn't
leave the Bengals to go coach the Tennessee Titans. He
could have been attached to Joe Burrow for a couple
more seasons, including his MVP final a season, and then
you know who knows, by the way, the duty he
took over for is now in the Super Bowl. Well,

(17:00):
it's sometimes not about taking one of those jobs. It's
about taking a good job, even Dan Pitcher. Dan Pitcher's
current job is Bengals offensive coordinator, I'll say it, better
than head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Certainly doesn't guarantee
that Dan Pitcher's going to get a chance to be
a head coach. But if the Bengals have offensive success

(17:22):
offensive success in twenty twenty six, and I think most
of us imagine they will if Burrow stays healthy, Dan
Pitcher is going to get I believe at least some
credit for it. It's a better job being Joe Burrow's
offensive coordinator, even if you don't call plays. Is better
than having Deshaun Watson come into your office, better than

(17:44):
getting a paycheck from the Haslams. So but anyway, found
somebody to say yes, congratulations to the Cleveland Browns. Here's
a guarantee. Bengals may or may not have a coaching
vacancy next year. Hopefully they don't because hopefully they win
the Super Bowl. And it's hard for me to imagine

(18:05):
the Bengals will fire Zach Taylor if they win the
Super Bowl, although I'm sure you would find fans who
would want that to happen. The guarantee is this though,
if in a year Zach Taylor misses the postseason again
and the Brown family goes, all right, we're done. Reset

(18:25):
at least with head coach, they will not have multiple
candidates say nah, that doesn't mean the Bengals are an
exceptionally well run organization. I think all of us have
issues with a lot of the things they do. But
I feel comfortable in doing that guarantee they got a

(18:47):
vacancy in a year, you will not have folks who say,
you know, I'd rather just be a coordinator than be
the head coach in Cincinnati where Joe Burrow is my quarterback.
Caveat to that is if Joe or two in a
year demand a trade, retire that sort of thing, then
all bets are off. Then this organization has bigger issues

(19:09):
than who the head coaches like. Say what you want
about the Bengals. You're not gonna have anybody who's like, uh, yeah,
I I could not be a head coach, or I
could be the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (19:23):
I'll choose to not be a head coach. That will
not happen.

Speaker 4 (19:27):
There might have been stages in this organization's history where
that sort of thing would happen. Maybe there have been
stages in this organization's history where that sort of thing
did happen. But if they have a coaching vacancy that
means things went really bad this coming season. Even if
things go so bad that they have a vacancy, you

(19:47):
will not have multiple dudes who are like, yeah, we're good.
You may have people like Jesse Minter who just thinks
another head coaching opportunity is better and he chases it
and he gets it.

Speaker 2 (20:00):
That may happen. Ain't gonna have folks who.

Speaker 4 (20:02):
Are like, you know what, I'd rather make less money
as an OC than be Joe Burrow's head coach and
work for a famously patient organization. Hopefully this is unprovable
because the Bengals don't have a vacancy. If they don't
have a vacancy, my guess is it's the team, you know,
having a.

Speaker 2 (20:22):
Really good year.

Speaker 4 (20:24):
But if they do really at any point over the
next couple of seasons, let's say two seasons, you will
not have people withdrawing their name from consideration. Five point three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty is our phone number, eight six six seven
oh two three seven seven six works as well at
Moleger on Twitter.

Speaker 2 (20:44):
Thanks to Delta Dental.

Speaker 4 (20:46):
Delta Dental is building healthy and smart and vibrant communities
for all. Good to Delta Dental. Oh H dot com.
The one thing you absolutely cannot say about the Bengals
this offseason.

Speaker 5 (20:59):
Next Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 6 (21:05):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center with a stroke
every second counts, and so does your team. Home to
rapid life saving treatment and clinical trials. You see health
as the clear choice for strokecare. Learn more at u
sehealth dot com. Westbound two seventy five all lanes blocked
off due to an overturned garbage truck between Blue Rock

(21:25):
Road and seventy four. Westbound Ronald Reagan Highway also is
blocked off between Blue Rock and two seventy five due
to that accident. I'm at Ezelk with trap.

Speaker 3 (21:37):
This is ESPN fifteen thirty. Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 4 (21:41):
Sports headlines are a service to Kelsey Chevrolet, home of
lifetime powertrain protection and guaranteed credit approval from their family
to yours for life kelseyshow dot com. T Higgins has
been named to the AFC Pro Bowl Team for the
twenty twenty six Pro Bowl games. First career Pro Bowl
selection for Tea. It comes the tenth wide receiver in

(22:03):
Bengals history to be named a Pro Bowler. Of course,
Jamar Chase was a Pro Bowl selection last year. He
was originally Ta was selected as a second alternate on
the Pro Bowl roster. He replaces Baltimore Baltimore's Zay Flowers.
The twenty twenty six Pro Bowl Games take place on
Tuesday at the Moscown Center in San Francisco. It's still

(22:26):
a flag football game, right they play flag football. I
will admit to having not watched the Pro Bowl games
and will also admit to having not watched the actual
Pro Bowl, probably as an adult. But congratulations nonetheless to Tea,
who will be on this show right around five twenty.

Speaker 2 (22:45):
What else do we have?

Speaker 4 (22:46):
The Browns have hired former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Tom
Monkin is their new head coach.

Speaker 2 (22:51):
College hoops.

Speaker 4 (22:52):
Tonight, Dan Skillings is back as a Baylor's in town
to take on the UC Bearcats. Little bit of an
earlier tip off time than usual. That game is going
to start at six thirty pregame at six. I've got
to take the iHeartMedia helicopter to get there. Pregame at
six on seven hundred wl W. Also tonight, the e

(23:15):
Xavier Musketeers are in New Jersey to battle Seaton Hall.
That game is going to tip off at seven thirty
and you'll be able to listen to it's on fifty
five KRC Hockey.

Speaker 2 (23:27):
Tonight.

Speaker 4 (23:27):
The Columbus Blue Jackets skates and play hockey this evening
at home against Philadelphia and FC Cincinnati just finished up
preseason match number two.

Speaker 7 (23:39):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (23:39):
They finished in a one to one draw with Philadelphia,
So there you go. Uh, five point three seven four
nine fifteen thirty is our number eight six six seven
oh two three seven seven six. Kevin Denk scored FC
Cincinnati's loan goal for the second consecutive preseason game. Uh.
If you missed yesterday, Paul Dayner Junior from the Athletic

(24:02):
we went through his mock off season, which is the
spreadsheet that he uses. It's an exercise and roster building,
salary cap management.

Speaker 2 (24:11):
It's a very good tool.

Speaker 4 (24:13):
Now the dollar figures involved on the spreadsheet that he
puts out there, and I've tweeted out a link and
the interview we had yesterday about the mock off season,
So go check it out. The dollar figures aren't to
the penny, they're rough estimates. But to go listen to
the conversation. It's available on the iHeartRadio app or mypage
at ESPN fifteen to thirty dot com. I think if

(24:37):
you do the mock off season exercise, I think you'll
walk away with the same impression that I walked away with,
which is what the Bengals need to do this offseason,
at least financially, is doable. Now, you've got to get
players to want to come play for you, and then
the players who come play for you, you need more

(24:58):
out of them. You've got a draft well, and you've
got a draft for impact. But if the idea for
you is offseason defensive overhaul, what I don't think you
have to do is lean into the idea that, well,
they've spent too much money on offense. There's a lot
of dough available. You might not need to do a

(25:19):
spreadsheet in order to know that. But I talked about
this with Paul yesterday and I do think it was
a really good conversation. I went into that exercise wanting
five starting caliber players on defense. Now there's good discussions
to be had about you know where you should prioritize
on defense. Duke Tobin's kind of tipped his hand a

(25:39):
little bit. I think by saying that quote, pass rush
is king, but I wanted five starting caliber players on defense.

Speaker 2 (25:47):
I want to replicate. I think you would like this
if you're a Bengals fan.

Speaker 4 (25:50):
The idea should be to replicate on some level the
work they did in free agency to build the twenty
twenty one to twenty twenty two defense. Not the splashiest moves.
When the Bengal signed DJ Reider, and that was in
the early days of COVID because I remember doing the
show from home, But when the Bengal signed DJ Reader,

(26:11):
it didn't I don't remember the breaking news banner popping
up on the NFL networker on ESPN. It was Bengal
signed a guy from the Texans who had a good
year last season but kind of flew under the radar.
Trey Hendrickson was. There are a lot of folks who
were not on board with the Trey Hendrickson signing because
he wasn't great against the run or yeah, I piled

(26:32):
up a bunch of sacks, but they were coverage sacks
and on plays where it was third and fifteen, and
none of those guys Mike Hilton von Bell should o
be Woozia not a whole lot of those guys were
just major household names. I'm looking to do something similar here,
which is acquire starting caliber players, add some leadership, add

(26:56):
some experience, add some pa rush jeush pass rush juice
on the defensive line. Find better, more reliable linebackers. Maybe
maybe some older linebackers like Bobby Wagner, who I had
on my spreadsheet, But linebackers who you know are going
to be in the right position, can line people up,

(27:18):
can make the tackle.

Speaker 2 (27:20):
And a better safety.

Speaker 4 (27:22):
I was able to accomplish that doing the exercise, and
so I encourage you to do the same. But I
think this is now a lens through which we could
look at the offseason, which is.

Speaker 2 (27:34):
Financially and otherwise an.

Speaker 4 (27:37):
Overhaul as possible, financially and otherwise, you are going to
be able to attack the defense by bringing in players
who have significant NFL experience, And maybe not all of
them are going to be like huge difference makers, maybe
none of them are going to be stars. But what

(28:00):
you will often hear about the Bengals. And I bring
this up now because you know, super Bowl Week is
next week and it's when everybody really focus focuses in
on the upcoming offseason, and Burrow, I'm sure is going
to make the rounds. And many will say, like, well,
in Cincinnati, their hands are tied because of all the
money they've paid a handful of offensive players financially and mathematically,

(28:22):
that is not true. It is completely feasible to expect.
Let's make it four if you want, but I think
four or five, like legit starters on defense. And then
you know, because teams do do this, draft players who
can make an immediate impact.

Speaker 2 (28:38):
It is the most.

Speaker 4 (28:39):
Cliche thing we do every year, but it matters so
much this coming season. Three teams in the AFC North
with brand new head coaches. Maybe some built in growing
pains with all three. My guess is some built in
growing pains with at least one of them, maybe two,
maybe all three. Got to take advantage, got to take
advantage by getting off to a good start early, and

(29:03):
that means your draft picks have to pay almost immediate dividends.
But you could approach free agency from the standpoint of
we need guys who are instant upgrades and in week
one can help us win. And in week one if
we score thirty eight points, which it is debatable whether
or not they will because of some recent early season
offensive struggles, We're not going to waste the offensive performance.

(29:26):
So anyway, go listen to Paul. It's available on the
iHeartRadio app. Podcasts of this show or service of Long
Neck's Sports Grill. Which you got Wilder, you got Hebren,
you got rich? We you got three locations awesome place
for the Big Game a week from Sunday, for the
Pro Bowl games next week, for your favorite college basketball
team or whatever.

Speaker 2 (29:46):
Maybe just to post up and enjoy a cold one.

Speaker 4 (29:48):
Maybe sit in silence if that's what you prefer. Long
Neck Sports Grill. We love our friends at Long Necks.
Xavier's on the Roads and I trying to bounce back
after losing to Saint John's. The Muskies on Seaton Hall
NKU is at Detroit Mercy for the first of a
two game Michigan road trip. That game is going to

(30:09):
be on Friday. Rick Boring on both the Muskies and
the Norris.

Speaker 5 (30:12):

Speaker 6 (30:18):
Traffic from the UC Health traffic center with a stroke.
Every second counts and so does your team. Home to
rapid life saving treatment and clinical trials. You see Health
as the clear choice for strokecare. Learn more at u
seehealth dot com. Westbound two seventy five, all lanes remain
blocked off due to an overturned garbage truck between Blue

(30:38):
Rock Road and seventy four. Also on eastbound two seventy five,
the right lane blocked from an accident that one after
Lebanon Road. I'm at ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 2 (30:48):
This report is sponsored by Seaton Hall. That game is
going to tip off at seven thirty.

Speaker 4 (30:54):
NKU has the first of consecutive games in Michigan with
a tilt on a Friday evening against Detroit Mercy. Here
to talk about both is the owner of Musketeer Report
dot com and the color analyst on NKU radio broadcast.

Speaker 2 (31:07):
Our friend Rick Rowing.

Speaker 4 (31:08):
Hi, Rick, Hey, Mel, how are you? I'm wonderful yourself
doing great good. Xavier overcomes a slow start against Saint
John's and they built a twelve point halftime lead and
then the wheels kind of fell off in the second half.

Speaker 2 (31:23):
They lose the Saint John's by five. What happened.

Speaker 7 (31:27):
Well.

Speaker 8 (31:28):
Saint John's played a lot more like Saint John's and
Xavier struggled to handle that physicality athleticism, especially on the
offensive glass and when their bigger forwards and centers were
taking it to them.

Speaker 2 (31:40):
Off the dribble.

Speaker 8 (31:41):
I thought that was the biggest difference in the game.
I know fans wanted to point to some of the
calls that were made down the stretch and point to
some of Xavier's failures, but you know, I thought they
were playing above their level to get that sixteen point
lead that they held early in the second half, and
they actually did a pretty good job of weathering the
storm late after Saint John's had made the run, gotten

(32:02):
back into the game, had taken the lead. Saviors still
gave themselves chances down the stretch to win that game.
But in those final moments, the better team made the place.

Speaker 2 (32:11):
Was the storm. Pun there intended or not?

Speaker 8 (32:16):
No pun intended, no pun intended. It's just how my
brain works, operating at a different level on this Wednesday.

Speaker 2 (32:20):
I understand. I like it, we appreciate it.

Speaker 4 (32:22):
What has stood out about how Richard Patino has coached
this team, and in particular relative to maybe what your
preseason expectations were.

Speaker 8 (32:33):
He's overachieved from my expectation. I mean, if you remember
when Chad Brendle and I came into your studio to
do the preview show, I had him at eleven and
twenty overall, and so I think he's done a good
job in terms of having Xavier as competitive as they've been.

Speaker 2 (32:50):
Now.

Speaker 8 (32:50):
The thing I talked about on my podcast at Musketeer
Report is you can look at this either way though
right now like that, the people who are optimistic and
positive and excited about Xavier basketball have all the evidence
they need from what they've seen from Richard Patina this
year to say I'm excited about the direction of the program.

Speaker 7 (33:08):
I think he'll do a.

Speaker 8 (33:09):
Great job going forward with a better off season, a
more productive offseason in the transfer portal, and the better
roster next season. But the people who are pestimistic or
want to be negative, they've got all the evidence they
need too when they can say we got blown out
at home by Santa Clara, we had the worst loss
in Cintas history to create in by forty one points.

Speaker 7 (33:27):
We got blown out by Yukon.

Speaker 8 (33:29):
We lost a sixteen point second half lead, on our
home court against Saint John's, Like, those people aren't going
to be persuaded by Yeah, they've been competitive and played
better than Rick Browing's expectations in the preseason, So it's
kind of an interesting situation and team from that standpoint
right now.

Speaker 4 (33:47):
Seaton Hall crept into the top twenty five. They had
a big game against Yukon in their building that I
thought for about three minutes in the second half of
that game they were going to win. That was the
first of a four game losing streak. How good or
bad are the Pirates.

Speaker 8 (34:02):
Well, it depends on what end of the court you're
currently playing on. If you're on their offensive end, they're
pretty bad. If you're on your offensive end, they're really good,
like elite top ten in the country. Good defensively, but
offensively not at all. They just don't have the skill
or shooting to be very productive in the half court.
So if they're able to get steals and get out

(34:22):
and transition and score, then they're playing pretty well. But
when you don't give them those turnovers and you make
them play in a half court game, they're not very
effective offensively. I mean, it's truly going to be two
completely opposite styles going at it tonight in New Jersey.
Xavier wants to be finesse, swing the ball around the perimeter,
play free, flowing and fast offensively and outscore you. Seaton

(34:45):
Hall wants to grind you to a pulp score in
the sixties and you just beat you by a couple
points at the end of the game. It's all about
physicality and toughness with them, which has not been Xavier's strength,
especially if you watch the second half of that Saint
John's game.

Speaker 7 (35:00):
So I'm interested to see how it goes.

Speaker 4 (35:02):
I went and watched, as you well know, NKU played
Cleveland State back in mid early to mid December, and
the Norris won that game. They were not awesome on
the defensive end, and you and I talked about, you
know what, that could end up being their fatal flaw.
Is that starting to sink this team based on the
previous two outings.

Speaker 8 (35:23):
Yeah, I think that the inconsistencies on the defensive end.
And I mean, again, as much as we want to
sit here and talk about NKU struggling defensively, they're still
I think they're now second in defensive efficiency in the conference.
Last week when we talked they were first in the conference,
so the metrics still say they're pretty darn good on
that end of the floor. But to your point, now,
I think in some of these games, in close games

(35:45):
the second half, in important moments, they have not been
consistent and they have not been able to come up
with the stops needed to win those games. And I
think Saturday was a bit of a step back for
NKU because it's the first time in conference play that
they've been defeated soundly. The other four losses were all
down to the final possessions and could have gone either way.
They just weren't able to come out with the win

(36:06):
the game at Right State. Your Right State was clearly
the better team. And so now if you're an MKU fan,
you're in a situation where this year in the Horizon League,
the top three seeds have a major advantage, or maybe
better put, if you're a fourth or fifth seed or below,
you put yourself in a much more difficult situation to
make a run to the Horizon League championship with the

(36:26):
way that they've changed the bracket. And so right now,
it's one thing early in the season and say, okay,
you let a couple of games get away from you.
But now when you've let five losses pile up, it
becomes crunch time. You have to really make a nice
run here at the end of the season to put
yourself in position for one of those top three seeds.
And with that in mind, this weekend series in Detroit

(36:46):
and Oakland are going to be huge games for NKU.

Speaker 4 (36:49):
How often does a team in the Horizon League play
three consecutive road games?

Speaker 8 (36:56):
Well, you know, if you're NKU, it seems to happen
all the time. If your other teams in the league,
you know, not quite as much. We haven't really been
able to solve why that is year after year. Uh,
but the league office, I'm sure we'll get back to
us soon.

Speaker 4 (37:11):
All right, Well, see if you can dive into that
and we'll talk next week.

Speaker 2 (37:15):
Thank you as always. Hi, Thanks Bob.

Speaker 4 (37:17):
That's our guy, Rick Browing Musketeer Report dot Com, NK
your radio.

Speaker 2 (37:21):
He and Jim Kelch will have the call.

Speaker 4 (37:23):
On Friday is the Norris Battle Detroit Mercy in Detroit,
and then two days later Greg Campies Oakland Grizzlies. Both
those games on ESPN fifteen thirty Xavier and Seaton hal Tonight.
Rick will have that covered for Musketeer Report dot Com
five point three seven four nine, fifteen thirty. We are
guest free until five o'clock. We're gonna go to mobile

(37:46):
uh and talk about some early NFL draft themes, some
storylines as they relate to the Bengals coming up at
five oh five and my conversation with t Higgins and
Chase Brown at five twenty.

Speaker 2 (38:00):
We are looking forward to that.

Speaker 4 (38:01):
Let's let's make an admission about Halls of Fame in
the aftermath of the clown Show that was the voting
that doesn't have Bill Belichick as a first ballot Hall
of Famer, which we That story came out while we
were on the air yesterday, and I've read a lot.
I've seen a lot of folks posts on social media.

(38:22):
I think we need to make an admission when it
comes to Halls of Fame. We will do that next
on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports station with.

Speaker 1 (38:32):
Mind Controls to win one thousand dollars. Just entered this
nationwide keyword on our website.

Speaker 2 (38:38):
Pay that's pay entry Enter it now.

Speaker 4 (38:42):
I get a poll question on Twitter, Who's the best
coach in the AFC North? Is it Zach Taylor been
to a Super Bowl? Is it Mike McCarthy who's won
a Super Bowl? Is it Jesse mentor is a new
head coach? Is it Todd Monkin who but a college
head coach and not an overly successful one? Vote now

(39:05):
at Moger poll questions on Twitter check them out now.
Yesterday we found out Bill Belichick, the former head coach
of the New England Patriots and the current head coach
at the University of North Carolina, who did not have
a very good first season and was talking more about

(39:25):
because of his girlfriend, which I think is the silliest,
most boring story that people paid attention to in sports
in twenty twenty five. Is not going to be a
first ballot Hall of Famer and the group. Among the
group of voters, fifty people voted, he needed forty percent
of the vote eighty percent. He reportedly hasn't gotten the

(39:45):
forty percent. I think there's no doubt in anybody's mind
who's reasonable that this news was leaked by Bill Belichick.
He will be in the Hall of Fame one day.
He's not going to be in the Hall of Fame
on the first ballot, which is stupid. It's it's stupid
for a lot of different reasons. And I buy this

(40:05):
explanation that among the people who didn't vote for him,
and we don't know if that number was eleven people,
if it was twenty people, that those who didn't vote
for him had their own reasons, and the reasons were
among these three possibilities or four possibilities. One, you may
have folks who believe that nobody should be a first

(40:27):
ballot Hall of Famer. That perspective is stupid.

Speaker 7 (40:30):
Sorry.

Speaker 4 (40:31):
You may have had folks who just said, you know,
he's going to be in the Hall of Fame one day,
but I'm gonna hold spygate against him. I don't know
why anybody would hold to flate Gate against Bill Belichick.
He really wasn't implicated in deflate gate, which was for
the most part a nothing burger.

Speaker 2 (40:48):
But whatever the.

Speaker 4 (40:50):
Spygate thing was real caused the Patriots a draft choice.
Bill Belichick was fine to half a million dollars like
that was a thing that he got punished for. And
so I would be willing to bet there were voters,
maybe only a handful, who decided I'm not voting for him,
at least on the first ballot because of that. I

(41:10):
don't agree with that perspective, but I don't think it's
that unreasonable. I don't agree with it. And by the way,
football voting is different than baseball voting. Baseball we have
a character clause. We should not have a character clause,
because baseball writers should be tasked with picking the best
baseball players, not picking the best people. I don't know

(41:32):
why we've decided baseball writers are the ones who decide
who the best people are. But that's neither here nor there.
There's no such clause on the Pro Football Hall of
Fame ballot. So surely you had voters who said, you know,
for all the accomplishments, I just can't get over the
cheating scandal, and realistically it's scandal singular, but okay, And

(41:55):
then I'm sure you have voters who just said, you
know what, Bill Bellich was prickly, he was off putting,
he was standoffish. I didn't like his personality. It was
off putting, and so I'm not voting for him for
that reason. That perspective is completely unreasonable. That perspective is stupid.

(42:18):
That perspective is we're it's punishment by personality. That is petty,
it's vindictive, and you're not supposed to be exemplifying those
traits when you're filling out a Hall of Fame ballot.
The idea is to pick the figures who should be

(42:38):
immortalized with football's ultimate honor. To allow personality differences to
get in the way is just obtuse.

Speaker 2 (42:49):
Like it just is ridiculous.

Speaker 4 (42:54):
And we see this to a degree in baseball, but
at least baseball they have the stupid character clause. I
also think this theory is worth subscribing to that you
have folks who believed, you know what Bill Belichick is
going to get in anyway, There's a limit to the
number of people I can vote yes for, and so

(43:16):
I'm not going to give Belichick a vote because me
not voting for him is not going to keep him out.
I think it's very fair to wonder whether or not
there were voters who looked at it from that perspective.
You've heard this with baseball, where the baseball writers are
allowed to vote for only ten people. Also stupid, but fine,
and I think at times a credible explanation for you know,

(43:40):
three people not voting for Ken Griffey Junior, is you
may have had a voter who said, look, Junior is
going to get in.

Speaker 2 (43:46):
He doesn't need me.

Speaker 4 (43:48):
I would have vote for eleven people, but I can't,
so I'm leaving Junior off the ballot to vote for
these ten. Again, kind of silly, but to a small
degree at least under standable. So, you know, for folks
wondering why didn't he get in, I'm not sure there's
any one reason. I'm sure there were a few different reasons.

(44:09):
Everybody has their own criteria and understanding that you probably had,
you know, some who just said there can't be any
first ballot coaches, and maybe some who said, I don't
want him and Robert Kraft to be in the same class.
That's two patriots heavy again, an idiotic perspective, as far
as I'm concerned. May have had folks who held the
cheating against him. I wouldn't. May have had folks who

(44:30):
held his personality against him, which is stupid. And you
may have had people who just said, look, he's going
to get in any way, he doesn't need my vote.
And you add all of those ballots up and it
turns out that well, at least at least eleven of
them didn't have Bill Belichick's name checked.

Speaker 2 (44:49):
So there you go.

Speaker 4 (44:51):
Can we make an admission about halls of fame? Can
we admit that halls of Fame I have probably outlived,
so to speak, their usefulness. Cooperstown's a cool place. My
dad and I went in two thousand and three. My

(45:13):
mom and I went when I was eleven. I have
no real burning desire to go back. Barry Larkin got
inducted in twenty twelve, my favorite all time player.

Speaker 2 (45:25):
I no real desire to go.

Speaker 4 (45:26):
Joey Vado is gonna get to Cooperstown one day, another
all time favorite.

Speaker 2 (45:31):
I don't know. It's this little, timey, tiny hamlet in
the middle of nowhere in New York, and it's a
pain in the neck to get to, and and nobody
going to Cooperstown. I it sounds romantic, it sounds neat.

Speaker 4 (45:48):
I know lots of people do visit, more would visit
if it wasn't in the middle of nowhere somewhere in
New York. I went to the Pro Football Hall of
Fame when I was in high school as a long
damn time ago.

Speaker 2 (46:02):
You've got these halls of fame.

Speaker 4 (46:04):
The Basketball Hall of Fame is in Springfield, the Pro
Football Hall of Fame is in Canton, Baseball Hall of
Fame is this museum in Cooperstown. These places where nobody
has a real, burning desire to go. That's not that
they're not nice places. I'm sure Canton is lovely. I'm
sure Springfield, Massachusetts, an hour and a half west of Boston,
is a nice place to visit. Anybody have a burning

(46:26):
desire to go to any one of those three places.
I'm just making it about those three. We could fold
the Hockey Hall of Fame, which admittedly isn't a really
cool city.

Speaker 2 (46:34):
If you want so.

Speaker 4 (46:35):
You've got these museums in these places that nobody has
a burning desire to go to. The Internet will tell
you the story of a sports history in ways that
a hall of fame cannot. More, teams have their own
halls of fame. You can drive ten minutes from where
I live to go to the Reds Hall of Fame
and get a better sense of Red's history, which is

(46:56):
the team we care about than Cooperstown's gonna teach you.
Various cheating scandals, various impossibilities when comparing eras have made
it really hard, I think, more than ever before, to
really identify who the true Hall of Famers are when
I was a kid is pretty easy, right In baseball, five.

Speaker 2 (47:19):
Hundred home runs got you in the Hall of Fame.

Speaker 4 (47:20):
Now because of steroids, now because of juiced balls or
ballparks or just different eras now because you know, winds
don't matter like they used to, which is a good thing,
by the way, Like it's I just I've thought about
this a lot, even Hall of Fame debates. When the
Hall of Fame class gets announced, there's just anger, like

(47:41):
poor Kenny Anderson. If Kenny Anderson gets in this year,
which I hope he does. And the one good thing
about Belichick not being in is it may it may
increase the odds that Ken does get in, But the
moment that he does get in, and what you're gonna
hear about is not so much how Ken deserve to
get in, or what his career was all about, or
what he accomplished, or why he had to wait so long.

(48:01):
It's gonna be people complaining about who didn't get in.
And that's not what Hall of Fame voting is supposed
to be. Hall of Fame voting is really supposed to
be sort of a celebration I just as a lifelong
hardcore sports fan who historically, ever since I was a kid,
has loved a good Hall of Fame debate. I've never

(48:22):
really cared less.

Speaker 2 (48:23):
And I feel like I'm not alone.

Speaker 4 (48:25):
Among sports fans. Hell, you had be cool if kN
Anderson got in. But do do you need if you're
a Bengals fan, do you need the Hall of Fame
to validate how you feel about can Anderson. I'm a
huge Joey Vado fan. I do not need baseball writers
to validate how I feel about Joey Vado. I had

(48:45):
front row seats for his career. I watched ninety percent
of his at bats. I know how good the guy was.
I know I'll tell my daughter about watching him in
his prime. I know that's the best reds hitter of
my life. I don't need seventy five percent of baseball
writers to tell me that Joey's going to get a plaque. So, now, hey,
that guy, he's a he was at all time great.

Speaker 2 (49:07):
I know he was. I know he was.

Speaker 4 (49:10):
Halls of Fame are to me no longer that useful.
Used to be museums that kind of told the story
of a sport. Do you need a museum to tell
you the story of baseball? Do you need a museum
and can't Know Ohio to tell you the story of football?
Professional football? What it's meant, what it's meant to this country.

Speaker 2 (49:30):
How it grew.

Speaker 4 (49:33):
We have any number of resources available to us that
don't involve a drive to Can't Know, Hio. And again,
if you're from Canton, I'm sure it's an awesome place.
I'm sure it's an unbelievable place. Do you need to
go to Can't Ohio to learn about the history of
the NFL or to understand the most impactful players? I

(49:56):
watched Bill Belichick's coaching career unfold. Need forty to fifty
football writers and historians to validate for me? Actually, yes,
this guy not his six Super Bowl championships, but our
vote tells you he's an all time career I just
may sound harsh, but tell me I'm wrong. Halls of

(50:21):
fame have sort of their usefulness has expired, or their
usefulness to the degree.

Speaker 2 (50:28):
They used to be useful.

Speaker 4 (50:29):
Like the Baseball Hall of Fame, we don't have the
all time home run leader. We don't have the all
time hits leader in the Pro football Hall of Fame.
The headline for the class of twenty twenty six is
we excluded the dude who won the most championships, the
most accomplished coach in the history of the sport. Not

(50:52):
good enough for our hauls. Okay, fine, And I don't
care for you know, Bill Belichick's sake. It doesn't matter
to me Bill Belichick. A bad day for Bill Belichick
is a good day for everybody else. I just I,
for the first time in my life, I do not care,

(51:13):
other than wanting it for Ken because I've gotten a
chance to know him and he's been awesome to our show,
and I know.

Speaker 2 (51:20):
What it would mean to him. Yes, I want him
to get to camp with Joey Vado.

Speaker 4 (51:27):
Understanding that this dude had a career that kind of
had to push back against a lot of people who
just didn't think he drove in enough runs.

Speaker 2 (51:35):
It would be neat for him.

Speaker 4 (51:38):
Beyond that, I don't know that sports fans have ever
cared less.

Speaker 2 (51:45):
There were no good Hall of.

Speaker 4 (51:46):
Fame discussions two weeks ago when the Baseball Hall of
Fame class at twenty twenty six came out. I'm not
sure there's going to be any good Hall of Fame
discussions when the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of
twenty twenty six gets announced next week. So yeah, the
voting makes no sense. That people using punishment by personality

(52:09):
is ridiculous. Holding against Bill Belichick the fact that might
not have been the warmest and fuzziest person at the
podium is just absurd. But do you need those people
to tell you that Bill Belichick's careers unmatched?

Speaker 2 (52:28):
No, now you don't.

Speaker 4 (52:31):
And if you believe, as I do, that Joey Evades
should be in the Hall of Fame, do you need
baseball writers to validate for you your belief the Joey
Vado is an all time great.

Speaker 9 (52:40):
I don't.

Speaker 4 (52:42):
Going to go to a museum in some city you
would otherwise not go to to celebrate.

Speaker 2 (52:47):
I just I don't know.

Speaker 4 (52:52):
Hauls of Fame for me. Yesterday that was the day.
That was the line of demarcation completely. Just their usefulness
has expired. After four five point three seven four nine,
fifteen thirty is our phone number. Bengals got really good
news today. I'll tell you what it is next.

Speaker 10 (53:09):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic.

Speaker 6 (53:13):
All westbound lanes on two seventy five were Main blocked
off from an overturned garbage truck that's between Blue Rock
and seventy four, and westbound Ronald Reagan Highway also blocked
off between Blue Rock and two seventy five due to
that accident. I'm at ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 4 (53:30):
This report is like running away with our poll question,
who's the best coach best head coach in the AOC
North at Maleger Taylor, McCarthy, Mintter, Monkin. By the way,
I put the choices in alphabetical order, going by last name,
so don't don't read into the order that I put

(53:52):
the names. I went alphabetically. I tried to. Usually when
we do pole questions like this, forty four point eight
percent of you say Zach Taylor, which I guess you
could look at that one of two ways. Fifty close
to fifty six percent of you fifty five percent of
you say that's somebody who's not Zach Taylor is the
best head coach in the AFC North twenty eight point

(54:12):
six percent of you so far. It's early in the voting,
by the way, say Jesse Minter twenty five point one.
Say Mike McCarthy, Todd Munk in one point five percent
Jesse Minter. This is tough because not that I know
Jesse at all, but I do appreciate Rick Minner's contributions
to UC football. Jesse was a graduate assistant on the

(54:34):
staff is Mount Saint Joe Grad. There's there's a part
of me that wants him to have NFL success, but
it's hard to root for a team in the Bengals Division.
So I hope he has success with his second head
coaching job. I don't know how you could say he's
the best head coach in the AFC North.

Speaker 7 (54:55):
Now.

Speaker 4 (54:55):
I do this exercise because understandably a lot of folks
are really down on Zach Taylor.

Speaker 2 (55:01):
But like Jesse Mitcher has never been a head coach before.

Speaker 4 (55:03):
He may end up being awesome, And you may argue
he's in the best situation for short term success because
of Lamar Jackson, because of having still a pretty good roster.
Maybe it works out, but can you really say that
somebody who's never been a head coach is the best
coach in his division. Mike McCarthy is interesting man because
he's won one, but I think the overall, the overall

(55:32):
general opinion when it comes to his tenure in Green
Bay is just slightly underwhelming because of all those seasons
where he had Aaron Rodgers and didn't even get to
another Super Bowl. And I can't recall off the top
of my head, and I'm sure I could look this up,

(55:53):
but I can't recall off the top of my head,
you know, starting with the year in oh to nine
where they won eleven and five, which the game that
I remember most about the Packers that year is when
they lost to the Bengals Week two, where Antoine Otam
had a big game. But starting then clear through the
end of his time in Green Bay, I'm not sure

(56:14):
they ever missed the postseason. They had a fifteen to
one record one year where they lost in the first
round of the playoffs, like a lot of years ten wins,
twelve wins. But you know, with Aaron Rodgers, they still
had a lot of regular season success. And he is
a Super Bowl champion coach in Dallas. He won a

(56:35):
lot of regular season games. Man, that's a franchise over
the last thirty years hasn't had a ton of success.

Speaker 2 (56:41):
You know, he had years where he played, had a
year where he played in the NFC Championship Game.

Speaker 4 (56:45):
They had three consecutive years where he won twelve games,
And yet I don't know if at any point during
his tenure, either in Green Bay or his tenure in Dallas,
that he was viewed as one of the best coaches
in the National Football League. Does he go from never
being branded as one of the best coaches in the
National Football League to suddenly he's the best coach in his.

Speaker 2 (57:06):
Division with Zach Taylor. Yeah, he has appeared in a
Super Bowl.

Speaker 4 (57:11):
He's also missed the postseason last three years and completely
wasted a great year from not only Joe Burrow, but
Jamar Chase and Trey Hendrickson two seasons ago. Nobody's voting
for Todd Monkin, and why would they? But I think
it's kind of an interesting question. You can vote now
at Moegar. The Browns have a coach, by the way,
it is Todd Monkin. So again, congratulations to the Browns

(57:34):
for finding someone who says yes to that job.

Speaker 2 (57:37):
Now, the way this.

Speaker 4 (57:38):
Has apparently unfolded in Cleveland is the defensive coordinator there,
Jim Schwartz, who's I think very highly regarded for his
work with the defense, used to be the head coach
of the Detroit Lions was a candidate interviewed for the job.
There were reports twenty four hours ago indicating that there
was positive momentum for Jim Schwartz to be the head coach.

(58:03):
What is being reported is that the other candidates, the
other serious candidates, one of the questions they were asked
and by the way, if they apparently were asked to
write an essay, which I would say, the hell with that.
I'm never doing a job interview where i have to
write an essay. I'm not in the eighth grade. But anyway,
above and beyond that, what they were looking for were

(58:23):
head coaching candidates who were open to the idea of
keeping Jim Schwartz. If Jim Schwartz didn't become the head coach, well,
Jim Schwartz didn't become the head coach. The Browns told
him as much, and according to a couple of different
reports that are out there, he went in and talked
to the other coaches and was like, yep, see, I'm done.
I'm not coming back. He is under contract to work

(58:44):
for the Browns in twenty twenty six. So let's assume
for a second that he's not going to work for
the Browns. In twenty twenty six, and maybe he was
acting emotionally and he'll come back and work for them.
Maybe they'll say, look, we do want you to be
the defensive coordinator. You are under contract, but we're going
to throw a bunch of money at you that'll make
you happy. I don't know, but it certainly seems like

(59:07):
it's possible that Jim Schwartz is going to be leaving
the Cleveland Browns. And the only thing that Cleveland Browns
have had good going for it has been their defense
in recent years. Schwartz has been the decordinator the last
three years, so defensive coordinator in twenty twenty three when
they made the postseason with Joe Flaccus quarterback on the

(59:29):
strengths on the strength of a really good defense. In
recent years, when the Bengals have played Cleveland, you've heard
it a lot right bad matchup. Number Game one Bengals won,
but spun their tires on offense, and immediately it was
it's just a bad matchup. The Miles Garrett has a
lot more to do with that than maybe Jim Schwartz,

(59:52):
but the person in charge of putting together the defense
that was a bad matchup, possibly no longer going to
be in Cleveland. How could that be anything but a
good thing? The one thing this franchise, the Browns have
had going for it in recent years, has been the defense.
Certainly hasn't been quarterback play, hasn't really been anything they've

(01:00:16):
been able to do on the offensive side of the football.

Speaker 2 (01:00:20):
Today, perhaps that bad matchup defense was made worse.

Speaker 4 (01:00:24):
If you're a Bengals fan, if you work for the Bengals,
how can that be anything but a good thing?

Speaker 2 (01:00:31):
Vote our pop question now.

Speaker 4 (01:00:32):
At Mowegger College Basketball tonight, we started the show by
talking about the Miami RedHawks. Another point on them and
you was now twenty one to zero. We chatted with
Rick Boring about Xavier and nk uc plays tonight against Baylor.
Dan Skillings is back. We watched Dylan Mitchell play for
Saint John's against Xavier and he was really good on Saturday.

(01:00:54):
You can't help but wonder what if? And we'll do
that next on ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 10 (01:00:58):
Thirty, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty Traffic from.

Speaker 6 (01:01:04):
The UC Health Traffic Center with a stroke, Every second
counts and so does your team. Home to rapid life
saving treatment and clinical trials you see help as the
clear choice for stroke care. Learn more at u seehealth
dot com. On westbound two seventy five between Blue Rock
Road and I seventy four, now the two right lanes
blocked off from the earlier crash involving an overturned truck,

(01:01:26):
The highway is now reopened to traffic northbound seventy five.
Accident cleared approaching seventy four at Ezelk with traffic.

Speaker 4 (01:01:34):
Alright service to Kelsey Shovla Home off lifetime powertrain protection
and guaranteed credit approval from their family to yours for life,
kelseyshow dot com. T Higgins has been named to the
AFC squad for the Pro Bowl Games, replacing Zay Flowers.
Congratulations to T. T. Higgins will be on this show

(01:01:56):
at five twenty. I'm gonna pull back the curtain here
really quick. Gonna not gonna dwell on this when we
begin to interview at five twenty. This is one of
those deals. This is one of those like Super Bowl
Radio Rowe type interviews where you're given a chance to
interview Tea and Chase Brown together, which is an awesome opportunity,
but it's one of those where you get you get

(01:02:19):
like ten minutes and they're they're pitching a product. So
you'll hear T Higgins and Chase Brown at five twenty
where we'll talk about football and you know, offseason and
each player's respective career to this point, and we'll ask
Chase Brown about long term contract extension and then very

(01:02:40):
clumsily at the end, we've got a pivot to talking
about bounty paper towels. And so these are these are
not my favorite type of interviews. But if you have
a chance to have T Higgins, a beloved player in
Chase Brown a terrific player in his own right, if
you have a chance to have those guys on your show,

(01:03:00):
you don't say no.

Speaker 2 (01:03:02):
And the cost of business doing business, the cost.

Speaker 4 (01:03:04):
Of the interview is you gotta let them talk about
the quicker Picker Upper. So just so if you're here
for it at five twenty ess and you I'm sure
if you listen to any kind of sports talk radio,
any kind of sports podcast in or around the Super Bowl,
you know, the bigger shows, we'll get like Dan Marino,

(01:03:25):
and they'll talk with Dan Marino about like the Dolphins
have a new head coach and what do you think
of these quarterbacks and memories from your playing career. And
then it's like, all right, Dan, well tell us what
you're doing here on behalf of Jareditol I just made
up Jared. I don't give you anything. All right, great,
great to have Dan Fouts with us. Now tell us

(01:03:46):
about your partnership with Pepsi. So it's gonna be one
of those I'm just warning you now.

Speaker 9 (01:03:52):
But well, Pepsi is better than some of the stuff
we had in passed.

Speaker 4 (01:03:56):
I'm trying to think we've done refresh my memory. We
had we had one guy that wanted to talk about
beef jerky, wasn't it.

Speaker 2 (01:04:02):
Do we remember who that was? I don't They never
sent us anything. They never sent us any beef jerky.

Speaker 4 (01:04:10):
Yeah, yeah, it's like we have. I've done the show
from Radio Row twice, once in Indy, once in New Jersey.
And we did not want to be at Radio Row
at the super Bowl, which may have been a strategic
mistake because I didn't want to be flooded with interviews
like that where it's just, you know, here's washed up

(01:04:30):
former player that nobody cares about, and you have to
make sure he mentions fill in the blank. And I
think for the most part, those interviews are useless, but
there are exceptions, and t Higgins and Chase Brown. If
it means we have to listen to one of them
talk about paper towels for a minute, then we'll gladly

(01:04:50):
have both on. But over the we've we have. We
used to just say yes to all of those, and
now it's like now we're good, We're fine, but we
have done them. I forget who the athlete was that
was hawking beef turkey. We once had Scott Van Pelton,
and this was not around the Super Bowl tearan. I'm

(01:05:11):
not sure if you were producing, but Scott Van Pelt
was speaking on behalf of a national pizza chain, and
we decided, you know what, we're just going to get
the plug out of the way first, which the way
you're kind of supposed to do it is you do
eight to nine minutes and then you do the plug
at the end. And Scott Van Pelt, who I think

(01:05:32):
is the best broadcaster working in the United States of America,
the host of the single best television show in the
United States of America, his Midnight Sports Center, gave me
what I thought was a very flattering compliment for getting
the plug out of the way first, He's like, you
know what, that's actually how we should do it, because
we did it. It was I'm not going to mention

(01:05:53):
the name of the National Pizza Chain because they're not
paying me to. But it was like, all right, Scott
Van Pelt is here, Scott, let's do this first, talk
about your partner with Phil in the National Pizza Chain,
and then we did like eight minutes of good sports
talk radio.

Speaker 2 (01:06:07):
What else?

Speaker 9 (01:06:07):
Most remember one I was a part of you with
was Dwayne Haskins.

Speaker 2 (01:06:12):
Oh what was doing? I remember this? What was he plugging?
It was some sports card company? Yeah, it was Paninis,
Panini sports Cards. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:06:22):
Didn't he give us like a Matt Harvey type interview
where in God rest Dwayne's soul? But didn't he give
us like a Matt Harvey type interview where he was
only there to talk about the sports cards?

Speaker 2 (01:06:34):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:06:35):
Matt Harvey was on the Dan Patrick Show when he
was pitching for the Mets. And you know again, it's like,
I think it was on behalf of Motorola, So he's
got to do the plug for Motorola.

Speaker 2 (01:06:45):
And Dan Patrick was supposed to get like ten.

Speaker 4 (01:06:47):
Minutes of him talking about, you know, pitching for the Mets,
and Matt Harvey answered every question like, yeah, I'm just
here to talk about Motorola. It's like nobody really cares
that much. Dwayne Haskins, as I recall, gave us something
very similar.

Speaker 2 (01:07:02):
What else do we have?

Speaker 4 (01:07:03):
Browns have hired a former Ravens offensive coordinator, Tom Mounkett
to be their head coach. You see in Baylor tonight
at six thirty. Dan Skillings plays for the Bears. Baylor
has just one big twelve win. Dan is having an
okay season for Baylor. Dylan Mitchell was here this weekend
playing for Saint John's and was a big reason why
Rick Patino's team won that game, came back after trailing

(01:07:25):
at halftime. The way last season ended was interesting where
UC played in the Crown and then when the Crown ended,
it felt like everybody was simply ready to just move
on players and coaches alike. And you know, with some

(01:07:47):
of those guys like I remember Tony and I talking
about are we.

Speaker 2 (01:07:51):
Sure you don't want to do what you can to
keep Dylan Mitchell.

Speaker 4 (01:07:55):
So last year's team, a lot of people concluded me
among them, some really good players, some really good pieces,
but they just don't fit. And then almost instantly, many
of those players ended up at high major programs Tyler
Betsy arrenton page Josh Reed, some having more success than others.

(01:08:21):
Here's what you can't help, but wonder you see brought
in basically an entirely new team, including some players who
are quite good. Baba Miller's a really good college basketball player.

Speaker 2 (01:08:34):
Not perfect.

Speaker 4 (01:08:35):
I wish he was a little bit more refined on
the offensive end, but he's a really good big twelve
college basketball player. Yet a whole bunch of new parts,
a whole bunch of figuring out who can do what.

Speaker 2 (01:08:50):
Here's what you can't help, but wonder? What if?

Speaker 4 (01:08:54):
What if more of the players from last year's team
came back and played on this year's team. What if
there was a little bit more continuity to benefit from.
Maybe the results would be the same, maybe the results
would be better, maybe the results would be worse.

Speaker 2 (01:09:09):
But just.

Speaker 4 (01:09:12):
Admittedly, what made me think about this was watching Miami
last night. And it's not apples to apples, but Travis
Steele would be the first to admit said it on
this show on Monday, Like I benefit from the fact
that I had ten dudes from last year's team. There's continuity,
and it's the one thing about college basketball, and look,
coaches have been ushering in entirely new teams for a while.

(01:09:33):
It's why John Kella Perry for years I thought had
the toughest job in college basketball and was doing the
best job in college basketball for a while because he
brought in a whole new team every single year. But
there is something about continuity. And maybe none of those
players would have come back no matter what. Maybe the
coaching staff couldn't wait to move on. But well, you

(01:09:55):
just you look at some of those guys and it's
like you could have benefited from Dylan Mitchell coming back
and dance skillings.

Speaker 2 (01:10:00):
We did not have a.

Speaker 4 (01:10:00):
Good year last season coming back, Like you just wonder
had some of those players that we all acknowledge those
are high major players, could there have been a continuity
payoff this year? Xavier plays to night against Seaton Hall
in Newark. That game tips off at seven thirty on
fifty five KRC. FC Cincinnati todd with Houston in a

(01:10:20):
preseason tilt. Kevin Denk with the lone goal for FC
Cincinnati again and the Blue Jackets skate home tonight against Philadelphia.
Let's see here, Nick, You're on ESPN fifteen thirty. Nick,
Good afternoon.

Speaker 7 (01:10:34):
How are you good? Afternoon?

Speaker 2 (01:10:36):
Moh, I'm great.

Speaker 7 (01:10:37):
Hey.

Speaker 11 (01:10:38):
Before I get I want to comment on the Pro
Football Hall of Fame. But before I do that, as
one Flyer alum to another, I sat there last night
after the defeat to Rhode Island, and I trust me,
I've been the biggest anti Grant supporter over the years.

Speaker 2 (01:10:59):
I think it's time.

Speaker 11 (01:11:00):
I want to get to get your thought on that
before I comment on the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Speaker 4 (01:11:04):
It does feel like it's time, and it feels like
it's time, and it's time for all parties. Like it
feels like it's run its course for Anthony Grant at
the University of Dayton, and it feels like it's run
its course for the University of Dayton under Anthony Grant stewardship.

Speaker 2 (01:11:22):
I don't think I don't think he's done a terrible job.

Speaker 4 (01:11:24):
I appreciate the season they had in twenty twenty, appreciate
the team they had a couple of years ago that
advance in the NCAA Tournament. He is an extraordinarily classy
man who has gone through some unspeakable family tragedy while
being the head coach of the Flyers. He is a
proud alum. I think it would be best understanding his
stature inside the program as a player, understanding just who

(01:11:50):
he is as a human being.

Speaker 2 (01:11:52):
Kind of seeing this.

Speaker 4 (01:11:53):
Kind of plateau and flat line a little bit in
recent years, I think it would be best for the
relationship to be severed by the end at the end
of the season.

Speaker 11 (01:12:02):
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I don't know who you
go out and get. I guess you know. Time will
tell following March, but I think, yeah, I think it's
run its course. Nineteen to twenty was fun and he's
had some good good couple of good runs. But yeah,
I think it's time. But anyway, my comment about the
Hall of Fame, I totally, I totally agree with you.

(01:12:25):
I am not a Phil Belichick fan in the slightest.
I think he's a jerk, but.

Speaker 12 (01:12:31):
I but but the fact remains, he's got one of
the best resumes of any coach who have ever coached
in professional football.

Speaker 11 (01:12:43):
I do think that the idea of a Hall of
Fame is rather outdated, although I do want to comment.
My buddies and I went up to see the Bengals
play at Lambeau and that place. I mean, if there's
a Hall of Fame not or you know, outside of
Campton's awesome to see. Yes, yeah, yeah for sure. But

(01:13:04):
I do think the idea of pro football, well a
hall of Fame in general, is kind of outdated. But
I think it's ridiculous that, you know, a voter couldn't
get past the whole spygate thing yesterday. Just put the
guy in, you know. I mean, if we don't need
another a duplicate of you know, Major League Baseball's Hall

(01:13:25):
of Fame and have to look at their characters, just
look what he did on the field, and put him in.
I think, coming from a guy that can can't stand.

Speaker 4 (01:13:31):
Him, yeah, And I think with the with the spygate thing,
you know, people often say about Barry Bonds, well, you
know what, before he cheated, before he started juicing, he
was already a Hall of Famer. I subscribe to that belief.
Spygate went down in two thousand and seven, if I'm
not mistaken, two thousand and seven, two thousand and eight,
Bill Belichick was already a Hall of Famer, had already

(01:13:53):
been a three time Super Bowl winning head coach, had
already won two others as a highly impactful defensive coordinator.
So the body of work was Hall of Fame worthy
before Spygate. I understand dinging him for that that I
do because I think that falls under the level of
things in the football body of work. Now, to me,

(01:14:15):
the overall body of work is so good that I'm
willing to allow for a blemish what I don't understand,
and I'm sure there were voters who did this, I
don't understand. Look, this guy was a prickly personality. This
guy was standoffish, this guy was uncooperative, and so here's
my chance to get come up. And I don't know
for a fact that that motivated anybody's vote. But understanding

(01:14:37):
humans the way we do, would you be surprised? I
think the answer is no. And that doesn't make any
sense to me.

Speaker 11 (01:14:45):
Yeah, exactly, And I think despite you know how reporters
may have the interactions they've had with him, you know,
you look at the body of work and it's there.
So anyway, thanks for taking my call.

Speaker 7 (01:14:58):
I appreciate having good day you two.

Speaker 4 (01:14:59):
Nick, Thanks thanks for listening. And for the U and
for the phone call, like I lambeau Field has. The
Packers Hall of Fame is terrific, the Reds Hall of
Fame is awesome. Like I just not that they're not
cool places, because they are. And it's been twenty three
years since I've been to Cooperstown, it's been thirty two

(01:15:20):
since I've been to Canton.

Speaker 2 (01:15:22):
It's been.

Speaker 4 (01:15:25):
Twenty since randomly driving through Springfield, we went to the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Speaker 2 (01:15:32):
They're need places.

Speaker 4 (01:15:34):
I just feel like, as storytelling venues, they've outlived their usefulness.

Speaker 2 (01:15:38):
I feel like as institutes.

Speaker 4 (01:15:41):
That validate careers, they've out outlived their uselessness or usefulness.
I should say they're more useless now than useful. I
just I've thought about this a lot. It's like, you know, again,
the Ken Anderson thing. I think Ken Anderson's a Hall
of Famer. He's a Hall of Fame human being. What

(01:16:03):
he accomplished is incredible. He completed seventy one percent of
his passes in an era where dudes were like completing
fifty percent of their passes, and it was a good year.
He had things work against him that he had no
control over. He's a Hall of Famer. I want the
induction for him because I think it would be an
awesome moment for him and his family. I no longer

(01:16:26):
need I don't need baseball writers to tell me how
good Joey Vada was. I know that's one of the
best hitters I've ever watched in my lifetime, the best
hitter the Reds have ever had. I don't need the
baseball writers to put a stamp on that.

Speaker 2 (01:16:44):
That's nothing against the baseball route. I just don't need it.

Speaker 4 (01:16:47):
I don't need them to okay the commissioning of a
plaque in a museum that most of us are not
going to go to ten away from five o'clock at
Moeger On Twitter three seven nine, fifteen thirty, This is
ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 10 (01:17:04):
Station, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:17:09):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center.

Speaker 6 (01:17:12):
With a stroke, every second counts, and so does your
team home to rapid life saving treatment and clinical trials.
You see health as the clear choice for stroke care.
Learn more atu seehealth dot com. Westbound two seventy five.
The right two lanes remain blocked off from an earlier
accident between Blue Rock Road and seventy four westbound seventy

(01:17:32):
four left lane blocked from a disabled vehicle between Rival
and two seventy five and at Ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 7 (01:17:39):
This report is.

Speaker 4 (01:17:40):
Waiting waiting for the accountant to pick up the phone
and tell them how much money don't make from their
TV deal, and then they will start the off season.
That's what they're waiting for. Just gonna find just we're
just waiting. I could see Nick crawl in his office
right now with his landline. Just come on now, maybe
gets get that phone call today. Get that phone call today.

(01:18:01):
Let's let's find out. Get the phone call from from
their TV partner, whoever it is. Here's how much money
we will pay you to carry the games, and then
Nick can get started on the off season and making
the offense better. Any day now, that phone may ring
any day now, hopefully his voicemail is on wor's answering machine.

(01:18:25):
I'm sure Nick has an assistant or a secretary. Hope,
hopefully you know she is ready to take that call
and Casey is out of the office. Nick, Yes, games
are gonna be on TV. Here's how much money they'll
pay now now, you can try to go get a
U Hanes Warez and then first Nick has to call
all the other teams to say, hey, guys, thanks for

(01:18:45):
waiting for us. We now know how much money we
have to spend, so by all means, go ahead and
resume your off seasons. Ours is just getting started. That's
what's happening in baseball right now. The Senior Bowl is
this week in Mobile, and we're obviously exceptionally early in

(01:19:08):
the draft process.

Speaker 2 (01:19:09):
It's just under three.

Speaker 4 (01:19:11):
Months away, but some early storylines starting to unfold, and
we'll see what they may mean for the Bengals. We'll
go to Mobile and talk with one of our draft experts.
He's there when we come back. Also, t Higgins and
Chase Brown are going to join us to talk about
their offseason continuity, Chase's possible contract extension and paper towels.

(01:19:38):
All of that coming up and some college basketball as well.
Vote now in the poll question who is the best
coach in the AFC North?

Speaker 2 (01:19:46):
Since the Browns found someone to say.

Speaker 4 (01:19:49):
Yes at Mulllegger, Zach Taylor is running away with it,
first time he's ever run away with anything.

Speaker 2 (01:19:57):
Congratulations to him.

Speaker 4 (01:20:00):
Do we have anything you might have missed on this
show or may miss in the future, go find on
the iHeartRadio app podcast of the show. Our a service
of long Nex Sports Grail. It's coming up on five
o'clock on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 2 (01:20:13):
Hit your Wednesdays.

Speaker 1 (01:20:15):
Now, here's your chance to win one thousand dollars. Just
enter this nationwide keyword on our website, gold.

Speaker 2 (01:20:22):
That's gold. Enter it now.

Speaker 4 (01:20:26):
We see Higginson Chase Brown in just about twenty minutes
on molegor.

Speaker 2 (01:20:30):
This is ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 4 (01:20:32):
Hopefully you're having an awesome Wednesday afternoon. We'll do some
college basketball a little bit later on this hour as well.
It is Senior Bowl Week. Senior Bowl Week in Mobile, Alabama,
which is where our guys, Sam Brookhouse is from U
sumer Sports. Let's get right to it. I've got some
Bengals specific stuff, but before we do that, with the
Senior Bowl game coming up this weekend, the practice is

(01:20:55):
unfolding this week. It's sort of the epicenter of the
NFL universe. Give me some over our raft themes that
are starting to develop.

Speaker 7 (01:21:02):
Yeah, I think the interesting thing is trying to figure
out this draft order. Earlier on last week we got
news that Ruben Bain was going to be playing. Now
he's not playing. That's a name that's in the mix.

Speaker 13 (01:21:14):
At the top, you have what seemingly some.

Speaker 7 (01:21:17):
Other top players in different positions, Fernando Mendoz at the
quarterback position, Man Sword the lane from Lsu at the
cornerback position.

Speaker 13 (01:21:25):
But this draft has not really taken form.

Speaker 7 (01:21:28):
Last year in the way that at least last year's
than drafts previous has.

Speaker 13 (01:21:32):
And so what I think we're trying to figure out
is where do.

Speaker 7 (01:21:35):
The guys that are playing currently at the Senior Bowl,
who are in that twenty to thirty.

Speaker 13 (01:21:40):
Ten Census Big Board range, how do they stack up
against those guys who.

Speaker 7 (01:21:44):
Aren't playing and seem to be guys that are more locked.

Speaker 13 (01:21:48):
Into the top ten. And I think that's been the
biggest question.

Speaker 7 (01:21:51):
Things that I've been quite impressed with Day one was
there was some true standouts on the offensive defensive line.
I think I still need a little time for the quarterbacks,
particularly at the Shrine Bowland at the Senior Bowl, to
get a little bit more comfortable with these wide receivers
before I make an evaluation on any of the wide
receivers quarterbacks, running backs, et cetera. But overall, this is

(01:22:13):
a very talented group. I'm just not sure where anybody
stacks up as.

Speaker 2 (01:22:18):
It stands right now, all right here in Cincinnati.

Speaker 4 (01:22:21):
You know, I would imagine they're not going to just
draft defense, but they could, they could get away with it.
They've got to overhaul that unit. Where on defense do
you expect this draft class to be at its deepest.

Speaker 7 (01:22:34):
I'm starting to really.

Speaker 13 (01:22:35):
Like this in tire defensive line group.

Speaker 7 (01:22:38):
I mean, you got guys like the two guys from
Clemson here, you got Lee Hunter who has looked extremely
well from Texas Tech. You got guys from Tennessee, across
the SEC, Alabama, ALTI, Overton. There's a great group I
found of into your defensive linemen. And frankly, that's a

(01:22:58):
position that needs for the Bengals for a certain degree.
I mean, most of the positions on defense one could
call a position of need for the Bengals. So I
think that really is, in my head, is shaping up
to be the strength of this draft slots.

Speaker 4 (01:23:09):
All right, you mentioned the name before, Ruben Bain. Now
the Bengals have the tenth overall pick. There are a
lot of Cincinnati fans who watched the National Championship game
and watch Miami's run to the College Football Playoff title
game and said, like, that's that's the guy. That's the guy.
We'll see how the next few months play out. Is
there any chance that dude is there at number ten?

Speaker 7 (01:23:28):
The hope is that people get freaked out about his
armless and some of his other measurables. I don't know
if that's going to happen. That was the skinny on
Will Campbell last year, and obviously ultimately Will Campbell goes
on to get drafted very highly and is now will
be playing in the Super Bowl. We'll be starting in
the Super Bowl. I think the what to expect from

(01:23:49):
Ruby Bain is he's an extremely violent player, and I
think people really like his ability to kind of fist
fight in the trenches, whether that's at the three tech,
whether that's at the five tech, or whether that's far
out on the edge as an ad rusher. And so
I think he's a really unique player in that we
haven't really seen someone with the physical characteristics of him,

(01:24:12):
you know, six three.

Speaker 13 (01:24:13):
Two eighty two ninety not necessarily going.

Speaker 7 (01:24:16):
To be an athletic freak. But someone who has shown
the ability to create pressure and pass rushing for multiple
different spots. The only player I can really think of
in recent years who was like that was a physical freak.
That's Aiden Hutchinson. Uh And I think maybe his profile
is similar, but the athletics different.

Speaker 4 (01:24:33):
Sam Brockhaus from Summer Sports is with this from Mobile
Senior Bowl happening this week. I think if you were
to ask most Bengals fans as the season played out
the college prospect that they were most interested in the
Bengals having a chance to take in Round one. Now,
obviously their their final draft positioning wasn't solidified until the
season came to an end, but certainly in this part

(01:24:56):
of the country, folks watched Caleb Downs play at Ohio
State and knowing the issue the Bengals had at safety,
knowing the issues the Bengals just had on defense overall,
I think a lot of folks have locked in on
him for months on end. It has been forever since
a safety has gone that early in the draft, right.

Speaker 2 (01:25:12):
I've seen some.

Speaker 4 (01:25:13):
Say, look, he's a top three player in the draft.
If you're a drafting a ten and a top three
player is there I don't know how you take him
talk about If you don't mind, just give me an
assessment of Caleb Downs as a draft prospect.

Speaker 7 (01:25:24):
So when you look at Caleb Downs's approach, this is
a dude who's quality of basically everything. He can do everything,
and he did it. In twenty twenty five, he basically
was a glorified linebacker for the Ohio State Buckeyes. This
year he's played deep safety, He's played near the line,
and our scouts also think he could moonlight out on
the outside at corner in some more exotic sets to

(01:25:48):
the defensive coordinator want to.

Speaker 9 (01:25:50):
Use him there.

Speaker 13 (01:25:50):
So I think he has a very.

Speaker 7 (01:25:52):
Interesting profile as a safety that mirrors a growing trend.
In particular, this is a copycat league. And you see
Mike mcdonnald and the Seahawks in the championship game in
the Super Bowl, and you look across the league just
the Zach Orr and the Baltimore Ravens where Mike McDonald
was in the past, and you see.

Speaker 13 (01:26:12):
Kyle Hamilton as a guy who.

Speaker 7 (01:26:13):
Plays that type of role. You go look with the Seahawks,
they got Nick him and warr and Jesse Mintter. With
the Chargers they use Derwin James in that kind of
big safety guy that can kind of do it all role, and.

Speaker 13 (01:26:25):
You never know where he's going to be, and he
may be rushing the.

Speaker 7 (01:26:27):
Passer in slightly different role, but telling know WHU. Fungo
with the Broncos also plays a very similar role.

Speaker 13 (01:26:34):
I think the safety position, if you can get.

Speaker 7 (01:26:36):
A premium level of talent there.

Speaker 13 (01:26:39):
Is becoming a position that people and defenses.

Speaker 7 (01:26:42):
Want to use. Particularly as teams run more twelve personnel,
it's going to be important to get a safety who
can kind of do it all there. As a result,
I do think that he's almost certainly going to go
in the first round. The problem is is just in
terms of the sheer market value of the safety right now,
you're not going to get a ton of surplus value.
It is slightly higher paid than the linebacking position and

(01:27:03):
the running back position. However, it's not a premium position
and you can get good safeties. In free agency we
saw guys like Kevin Bayard who have been in the
league for a very long time being All Pro this.

Speaker 13 (01:27:15):
Year and generate a ton of tern remembers. So two competing.

Speaker 7 (01:27:18):
Priorities, one old the market for safeties is not great one.
New defenses are changing to include safeties more to counter
twelve and thirteen personnel. So as a result, I think
a team's going to go ahead and take a shot
at him. I is that what's best for the Bengals.
I don't necessarily know. We've seen them go away from
Jesse Bates after his first contract and allow him to

(01:27:41):
go to the Falcons. At the time, that seemed like
the correct move given their their cap situation with quarterbacks
and wide receivers and other premium positions coming up. You know,
you look back, perhaps that was a mistake. He hasn't
been the certified primo player on the Falcons at all,
but he has been a solid contributor. So well. All
that to say, it's kind of a gray area. I

(01:28:02):
don't think it would be a terrible pick if the
Bengals went with Caleb Downs, but I do think that
it potentially could fall flat just out of sheer what
we call surplus value, which is meaning you're gonna have
to pay that guy a lot and you're going.

Speaker 13 (01:28:14):
To expect him to be an all pro fairly early.

Speaker 4 (01:28:16):
All right, So the answer to this question is probably
going to change. If I ask it to you in
a month or if I ask it to you in
the middle of April. But as we sit here right
now and the draft process is just now starting to
take shape, We're weeks away from the combine. Free agency
has to happen. Bengals need to be active in free agency.
But let's flash ahead based on what you know right now.

(01:28:38):
It's night one of the draft. Bengals are on the
clock at ten. They're not going to trade the pick, Like,
is there is there somebody that you're like, you know what,
rush to the podium to take that dude.

Speaker 2 (01:28:47):
Based on what you know right.

Speaker 7 (01:28:48):
Now, I think it's difficult to know how it's going
to shake out. And I think with Joe Burrow's injury
and with general concerns about the offense line, it's going
to be really hard if Spencer Fano or Francis Maliga
is falling down. Both of these guys have experience at

(01:29:09):
the tackle position. Now I go to play at the
right tackle position. Our scouts think you could play left
tackle position by first. For Spencer Fano, I really think
it's going to be hard if an offensive lineman is
there to go to not go with you know, the
third most premium position, fourth most premium position in the
league after the quarterback position, just because I think that's

(01:29:30):
the true core level of talent, and I think those
guys could potentially fall just as a results of the
reshuffle of the draft. That being said, there's going to
be a ton of good edge rushers. Faulk out of Auburn,
I think, is another name to look out for. Bain
if he falls, is another one to look out for,
and then Mansword Delan, also at the cornerback position, a
place where the Bengals have struggled mightily, is another guy

(01:29:53):
that I would look at. So I think tackle, cornerback,
edge rusher, defensive tackle is the four spots where the
Bengals could really hit and get good value at their pick.

Speaker 4 (01:30:02):
Stay at tackle for me, because you know they drafted
Marius Men's two seasons ago. So far, so good. They
still have Orlando Brown. My guess is he is still
going to be the starting left tackle in twenty twenty six.
They're gonna need the swing guy, and I think they're
gonna need somebody who ultimately is a replacement for Orlando
Brown down the road. So let's say that's not where

(01:30:23):
they go with the tenth overall pick. Is this a
deep class at tackle.

Speaker 7 (01:30:28):
I'd say it is.

Speaker 13 (01:30:29):
It's still trying to figure it out.

Speaker 7 (01:30:30):
But this is another trend for recent years. And you
look at you mentioned Orlando Brown, probably want to get
any younger guy, probably can go in a different in
a different route. The issue is, I just think Fono
and Mago are two guys who are probably the two
most talented guys in the draft, and they pop up
in the.

Speaker 9 (01:30:47):
Data really well.

Speaker 7 (01:30:48):
So we've seen the Bengals be value drafters before.

Speaker 13 (01:30:53):
We saw him do it frankly last year with SAMR. Stewart,
and and so that's kind.

Speaker 7 (01:30:58):
Of why I think it could be a little bit
more in the mind than we really think it is.
That being said, the tax position right now, we started seeing,
really past the first fifteen picks, a lot of people
just be willing to invest in swing offensive linemen. You
think about a guy like Kelvin Banks last year who
ends up being a left tackle for the Saints. A
lot of people had him projected at guard. There was
a lot going on talking about maybe he plays right tackle.

(01:31:22):
In another setting. They had Fuaga who ends up being
a swing tackle for them, and so there's a couple
guys that you can look at. I've had my eyes
on Cage Casey Ow the Boise State, who I think
can be a swing tackle at the Senior Boise State
traditional guy red shirted its first year at Boise State,
played three years now, he's in the Senior Bowl. I
think he struggled a little bit.

Speaker 13 (01:31:42):
Yesterday at the left tackle position.

Speaker 7 (01:31:44):
I'm interested to see if they move him to the
right tackle or guard position in one on ones today
during practice. However, its data is extremely good, and that
Boise State team has been very competitive and they frankly
played a pretty good level of non conference opponent over
the years. So I'd be interested to see if that
could be potentially a guy, you know, the hundredth kind

(01:32:06):
of the turn of day two, day three that potentially
teams could target.

Speaker 2 (01:32:10):
All Right, one more for you. You've been generous with your time.

Speaker 4 (01:32:12):
You mentioned Shamar Stewart and and he you know, was
at the epicenter last April of this discussion about you know,
leaning into the traits and the and the raw physical
tools and what you see when a guy's you know,
having a tape measure held up to him versus what
you see when you put the tape up and Shamar
Stewart didn't have a lot of sacks. It wasn't that
he was not disruptive. He actually was, but it kind

(01:32:36):
of felt like the Bengals leaned into the physical specimen
that he is more than the production or lack thereof
what do you what do you?

Speaker 2 (01:32:44):
What do you make of of?

Speaker 4 (01:32:46):
Kind of that position where it's you know what, Yeah,
we value what's on tape, but we'll lean into the
traits and we're going to be a little bit more
willing to ignore what maybe a guy doesn't show on
tape versus Look, give me a guy who's making plays.
Give me a guy who's finishing plays, getting to the quarterback.
Give me a guy who's actually impacting winning more than

(01:33:07):
you know, here's what the guy looks like when when
he's in his underwear and he's standing on a scale.

Speaker 7 (01:33:13):
Yeah, so I think it's it's really interesting. There's a
couple approaches to this. Obviously, in the data, you want
to get a guide who is productive. I think that's
really key, and it just checks a lot of boxes.
The problem is you can ask the data scientists like myself,
the correlation be wildly over fifty percent, and that's fifty
out of one hundred. So there's still a lot of

(01:33:36):
complexity that we do not understand how to quantify. But
that Mays said, if you can check boxes, that's what
you do in terms of production. One of my favorite quotes, however,
which is a guiding light in my data science research,
is from Mike Tomlin. You know, no longer the Pittsburgh
Steelers head coach. You don't have to see him anymore
in Cincinnati, so maybe you can be a little bit
more accepting of this quote than you wear in the

(01:33:57):
previous years. But he says that a lot of the
stuff he sees in scouting reports and production is actually
a result of coaching, and it's the job of the
coach to take those traits and mold them into players.
We saw them do that again in again at the
wide receiver and addressing positions, and so I always try
to keep mind of that, particularly when you evaluate offensive linemen, cornerbacks,

(01:34:18):
stuff like that, because sometimes the coaches just ask them
to do stuff that they can't do, and if they
get in the new scenario, it may look better. So
as a result, I see both sides that the former player.
I also tend to believe in the traits and that
it's the coach's job to put them in the position
to succeed and the player's job to get their body
ready for the season and develop their technique and develop

(01:34:41):
their skills. So I kind of see both sides. I
like to use analytics as kind of the checkboxes, especially
when it comes to things that you know are threshold
statistics and stuff like this. But at the same time,
I think you have to believe in the traits and
you have to kind of take the context away, take
the team if they were on a way, and really

(01:35:01):
evaluate the player as they are themselves.

Speaker 4 (01:35:04):
Well said, enjoymobile. Can't thank you enough for the time.
We'll check out sumersports dot com. Love having you, Sam,
Thanks so much.

Speaker 7 (01:35:11):
Yeah, thank you so much.

Speaker 4 (01:35:13):
Make sure you check out sumer sports dot com. That's
s u me Er sports dot com. Sam joining us
from the Senior Bowl in mobile. We'll be joined next
by t Higgins and Chase Brown. This is ESPN fifteen
thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 10 (01:35:28):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty Traffic from.

Speaker 6 (01:35:32):
The UC Health Traffic Center With a stroke. Every second counts,
and so does your team home to rapid life saving
treatment and clinical trials. You see health as the clear
choice for stroke care. Learn more at u seehealth dot com.
On westbound two seventy five, the right two lanes are
blocked off from an accident between Blue Rock Road and
seventy four. Traffic is stop and go back from Cole

(01:35:55):
Rain about a twenty minute delay. And on Alexandria Pike
and accident at Martha Lane Collins Boulevard. I'm at ezelic
with traffic.

Speaker 4 (01:36:03):
This report some college basketball with Rick Boring, specifically about
the Musketeers on the Dorse coming up here in just
a few minutes. We have with us a pair of Bengals,
including one that we found out today is going to
appear in his first ever Pro Bowl games. T Higgins
and Chase Brown with us, both with us on behalf
of Bounty the Ultimate Wingman ahead of the Super Bowl. Gentlemen,

(01:36:25):
it's awesome to have you. Good afternoon. How are you great?
Thanks for having us, appreciate.

Speaker 2 (01:36:29):
You guys doing this.

Speaker 4 (01:36:30):
I'll start Tea, I'll start with you and Chase, I'll
let you answer the same question. So the off season's
been underway and ideally you guys are playing and I'm
talking to you maybe from Los Angeles next year. But
the theme of the off season for the Bengals so
far has obviously been continuity, right, same coach, same staff
to Tobin is back. So t first of all, from you,

(01:36:51):
give us an idea of how you think the Bengals
this year will benefit from continuity.

Speaker 14 (01:36:58):
I think, you know, they're gonna be built the right way,
and you know, come back this offseason, come together, you know,
reflect on things that that we could have did better
know the past.

Speaker 15 (01:37:07):
Season, and come this next season and put it together.

Speaker 2 (01:37:11):
Chase, how about you.

Speaker 16 (01:37:14):
Know, I think there's a lot of positives and having
the same people around, so you know, Zach knows what
he's doing, Duke knows what he's doing. So I'm excited
to see what they do and I look forward to
next season and just being a better player with Tea.

Speaker 4 (01:37:31):
I think with what the Bengals offensively for years, it's
been obviously an elite quarterback, obviously elite weaponry, looking for
the offensive line to perform at a similar level, and
I feel like, especially in the second half of the season,
that happened, and I think now the Bengals we can
legitimately say have a good offensive line. There's a lot
of us who want to make sure they bring back

(01:37:53):
Dalton Reisner. But Chase describe what it was like working
behind that offensive line this year maybe compared to some
of the offensive lines you ran behind over your first
two seasons.

Speaker 9 (01:38:04):
I think it's great.

Speaker 16 (01:38:05):
I think the main thing with Uh that people don't
really you know, get to hear about or know that
much is how close they are. The way that you know,
Ted leads the guys in the room, and I mean,
you know, to build off of that. Football is also
a huge game communication wise, and you know, when Ted

(01:38:27):
makes a call, everybody on that front five plus the
running back that we all know what you know we're
trying to achieve, whether it's a protection or in the
run game.

Speaker 9 (01:38:37):
So that was really exciting to be a part of.

Speaker 16 (01:38:39):
And you know, I'm I look forward to, you know,
Ted continue to build on that, and it would be
nice to bring Dalt back and everything.

Speaker 9 (01:38:48):
So it'll be good Tee.

Speaker 4 (01:38:49):
I would imagine you would echo everything that Chase just said.

Speaker 15 (01:38:53):
Oh yeah, for sure, they get my boy to back
there some time.

Speaker 4 (01:38:58):
Good right, Uh, you know, this season didn't go as
any of us would have liked. But a high point
was Joe Flacco coming in and I want you both
to talk about this. So Joe Flacco comes in with
no time to prepare and he's on the field against
the Green Bay Packers, and I felt like during that
week he exhibited a level of professionalism. He was obviously

(01:39:21):
a quick study. He was exactly what you guys needed.
And then you know, the next game, you guys go
on to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tease start with you
describe the experience of having a guy come in from
the Cleveland Browns on a Tuesday and you're playing with
him on the road against a good team on Sunday.

Speaker 14 (01:39:39):
Yeah, for me, it was strange. You know, I mean
it's first time I ever seen something like that happen.
But you know, he walk in locker room, I look back,
some tall six to six guy behind him, like you
know what I'm saying?

Speaker 9 (01:39:52):
He like, how you do?

Speaker 14 (01:39:53):
I'm Joe going to introduce ourselves, and man, then it
was just crazy. How he came out acte that first
day was just you know, knowing plays.

Speaker 15 (01:40:03):
Obviously he messed up on a few play calls, but
that's what me me and Chase are therefore to help
him out things like that.

Speaker 14 (01:40:11):
But it was just you can just tell he's been
there and done it, you know what I mean, because
he came in and it was just like like night
and day means just slinging the.

Speaker 4 (01:40:21):
Ball chase from your perspective, Joe Flacco comes in. I'm
sure if te Higgins has to introduce himself to Joe Flacco,
you at least had to introduce yourself. Uh similarly, what
was it like to Joe Flacco experience?

Speaker 9 (01:40:35):
Yeah, it was, it was. It was interesting.

Speaker 7 (01:40:38):
Man.

Speaker 16 (01:40:39):
I really didn't know what to expect at first, because
you obviously see everything on you know, social media first.
But what I was most impressed by was his ability
to recite the place. Like the first walk through, he
was like, you know, Zach would tell him to play
and then he would recite it.

Speaker 9 (01:40:55):
Damn They're perfect every single time.

Speaker 17 (01:40:57):
So it was so fast though, it was so fast
like and it was just like he was just like
it was just smooth too, and I don't know, it
was just it was just I was shocked because I
could I don't even think I can recite one play
right now, but I know how to, like listen to them.

Speaker 4 (01:41:13):
Sure, I mean, you know, I don't know that outsiders
appreciate that. That's that's awesome.

Speaker 16 (01:41:18):
But that is not normal, right, No, No, it's it's
it's not easy.

Speaker 9 (01:41:23):
I mean it would be. It would be hilarious.

Speaker 16 (01:41:26):
Like if one day, you know, somebody got like random
fans to recite like real football players, like they hear
it one time and then they got to recite it
like it would be.

Speaker 9 (01:41:35):
It would be it would be hilarious.

Speaker 4 (01:41:37):
You know, if if you could recite one. Now, we
could try that if you want. But Chase, you said
you can't remember, Tea, how about you.

Speaker 15 (01:41:44):
A Chase correct?

Speaker 8 (01:41:48):
Wrong?

Speaker 9 (01:41:50):
Right?

Speaker 7 (01:41:53):
Too?

Speaker 15 (01:41:53):
Scat easy?

Speaker 7 (01:41:58):
There you go? All right.

Speaker 4 (01:41:59):
So so obviously you guys are gonna have to get
back in the facility quickly because you're you're already rusty
when it comes to the playbook. But that's okay, that's okay, Chase.
You're eligible for a contract extension this offseason. Right, three
years in the league, well established member of this offense.
You've had a great run here in Cincinnati. Tea, could

(01:42:21):
you give Chase any advice on what it's what it's
going to be like to negotiate a contract extension.

Speaker 18 (01:42:27):
Well, from my perspective, it was tough. It took me
all of my five years to get that extension. I
would just say, be patient. They value, they value. They
just gonna take time, but just be patient and it
a come row.

Speaker 4 (01:42:47):
Yeah, Chase, I got time for one more unfortually all right,
Uh really quick, Chase? Give me Have they come to
you about a contract extension?

Speaker 7 (01:42:58):
Have we? Yeah?

Speaker 16 (01:42:59):
I mean we We've some conversations. My agent has had
some conversations. So you know, that's all I'm going to
really say right now. But you know, team with the
great advice and you know, always being there when I
needed and so appreciate my wing men right there.

Speaker 4 (01:43:16):
All right, well done, well done. Let's talk about wing
men and bounty. So you've you've got the super Bowl
coming up. I think of the Super Bowl, I think
of wings, I think of wing men, and I think
of bounty roll the all those in the same package.

Speaker 15 (01:43:30):
For me, I mean, when you like me, I host
Super Bowl parties, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 14 (01:43:34):
I host watch parties and things like that like this
past College Notational Championship how to Watch party.

Speaker 15 (01:43:41):
And you know, we had wings, we.

Speaker 14 (01:43:43):
Had nachos, we had peace, so we had all types
of things, but would come with wings and nachos, you know, messy,
messy hands and things like that.

Speaker 15 (01:43:52):
And you can't have wings without domming.

Speaker 4 (01:43:54):
So I want to get an invite to one of
your parties. What do I have to do to get
a invited? This I'll bring bounty.

Speaker 2 (01:44:01):
What do I have to do get an invite to
the super Bowl party?

Speaker 15 (01:44:03):
Just let me know and I'll send you in adjust.

Speaker 9 (01:44:08):
You need to bring a bunch of bounty paper toiles.

Speaker 2 (01:44:10):
I know you know.

Speaker 4 (01:44:13):
The stores are still well stocked with bounty, which is great.
It's the ultimate wingman for any party, any super Bowl party.
And so I'll bring the bounty. You guys provide everything
else and I'll be there. Cannot thank you enough. Enjoy
the rest of the off season and enjoy the super Bowl.
And thanks to you guys as well as Bounty. Much appreciated.
All Right, there you go, T Higgins and Chase Brown.

(01:44:35):
Nice to have them on behalf of course of bounty.
If you need to wipe something up, get Bounty to
wipe it up. I mean it's they're not going to
wipe it up for you, but you could use bounty
to wipe up that stuff. T Higgins going to his
first Pro Bowl Chase Brown in the middle of an
off season where Bengals can give him a contract extension,
we will see. Sports headlines are next on ESPN fifteen

(01:44:57):
thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 10 (01:44:58):
Station, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Traffic from the.

Speaker 6 (01:45:05):
UC Health Traffic Center with a stroke Every second counts
and so does your team. Home to rapid life saving
treatment and clinical trials. You see help as the clear
choice for stroke care. Learn more at you sehealth dot com.
Westbound two seventy five, the right two lanes remain blocked
off from an accident that's between Blue Rock and seventy four.
Traffic slow back from Coleraine with a twenty five minute delay.

(01:45:28):
Also reports of a disabled truck southbound seventy five near
Glendale Milford Road. I'm at ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 2 (01:45:35):
This report is sponsored by.

Speaker 3 (01:45:37):
Is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 4 (01:45:41):
Sports Headlines are a service at Kelsey Chevrolet, home of
lifetime powertrain protection and guaranteed credit approval from their family
to yours for life kelseyshow dot com. T Higgins has
been named to the AFC Pro Bowl team for the
twenty twenty six Pro Bowl Games. First career Pro Bowl
select for Tea becomes the tenth wide receiver in Bengals

(01:46:03):
history to be named a Pro Bowl or. Of course,
Jamar Chase was a Pro Bowl selection last year he
was Originally, Tea was selected as a second alternate on
the Pro Bowl roster. He replaces Baltimore Baltimore's Jay Flowers.
The twenty twenty six Pro Bowl Games take place on
Tuesday at the Moscown Center in San Francisco. It's still

(01:46:26):
a flag football game, right, they play flag football. I
will admit to having not watched the Pro Bowl games
and will also admit to having not watched the actual
Pro Bowl, probably as an adult.

Speaker 2 (01:46:37):
But congratulations nonetheless to Tea. What else do we have?

Speaker 4 (01:46:41):
The Browns have hired former Baltimore Ravens offensive coording to
Tom Monkin is their new head coach. College tips Tonight,
Dan Skillings is back as a Baylor's in town to
take on the UC Bearcats. A little bit of an
earlier tip off time than usual. That game is going
to start at six point thirty pregame at six. I've

(01:47:02):
gotta take the iHeartMedia helicopter to get there. Pregame at
six on seven hundred WLW. Also tonight, the e Xavier
Musketeers are in New Jersey to battle Seaton Hall. That
game is gonna tip off at seven point thirty and
you'll be able to listen to its on fifty five
KRC Hockey.

Speaker 2 (01:47:22):
Tonight.

Speaker 4 (01:47:23):
The Columbus Blue Jackets skates and play hockey this evening
at home against Philadelphia and FC Cincinnati just finished up
preseason match number two. They finished in a one to
one draw with Philadelphia.

Speaker 2 (01:47:39):
So there you go.

Speaker 4 (01:47:40):
Xavier's on the roads and I trying to bounce back
after losing to Saint John's. The Muskies taking on Seaton Hall.
NKU is at Detroit Mercy for the first of a
two game Michigan road trip. That game is going to
be on Friday. Rick boring on both the Muskies and
the Norris.

Speaker 10 (01:47:57):

Speaker 2 (01:48:02):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center.

Speaker 6 (01:48:04):
With a stroke every second counts and so does your
team home to rapid life saving treatment and clinical trials.
You see health as the clear choice for strokecare. Learn
more at u seehealth dot com. Westbound two seventy five.
The right two lanes remain blocked off from an accident
that's between Blue Rock and seventy four. Traffic slow back
from Cole Ring with a twenty five minute delay. Also

(01:48:27):
reports of a disabled truck southbound seventy five near Glendale
Milford Road. I'm at ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 4 (01:48:33):
Does Seaton Hall? That game's going to tip off at
seven thirty. NKU has the first of consecutive games in
Michigan with a tilt on a Friday evening against Detroit Mercy.
Here to talk about both is the owner of Musketeer
Report dot com and the color analyst on NKU radio broadcast.

Speaker 2 (01:48:50):
Our friend Rick Brooring.

Speaker 4 (01:48:51):
Hi, Rick, Hey Mel, how are you? I'm wonderful yourself
doing great good. Xavier overcomes a slow start against Saint
John's and they built a twelve point halftime lead and
then the wheels kind of fell off in the second half.

Speaker 2 (01:49:06):
They lose to Saint John's by five. What happened?

Speaker 8 (01:49:10):
Well, Saint John's played a lot more like Saint John's
and Xavier struggled to handle that physicality athleticism, especially on
the offensive glass and when their bigger forwards and centers
were taking it to them off the dribble. I thought
that was the biggest difference in the game. I know
fans wanted to point to some of the calls that
were made down the stretch and point to some of
Xavier's failures, but you know, I thought they were playing

(01:49:33):
above their level to get that sixteen point lead that
they held early in the second half, and they actually
did a pretty good job of weathering the storm late
after Saint John's had made their run, gotten back into
the game, had taken the lead, Xavior still gave themselves
chances down the stretch to win that game. But in
those final moments, the better team made the play.

Speaker 2 (01:49:54):
Was the storm pun there intended or not?

Speaker 8 (01:49:58):
No pun intended but intended. It's just how my brain works,
operating at a different level on this Wednesday.

Speaker 2 (01:50:03):
I understand. I like it, we appreciate it.

Speaker 4 (01:50:05):
What has stood out about how Richard Patino has coached
this team, and in particular relative to maybe what your
preseason expectations.

Speaker 7 (01:50:13):
Were, he's overachieved from my expectation.

Speaker 8 (01:50:18):
I mean, if you remember when Chad Brendle and I
came into your studio to do the preview show, I
had him at eleven and twenty overall, and so I
think he's done a good job in terms of having
Xavier as competitive as they've been. Now, the thing I
talked about on my podcast at Musketeer Report is you
can look at this either way though right now, like that,

(01:50:40):
the people who are optimistic and positive and excited about
Davior basketball have all the evidence they need from what
they've seen from Richard Patina this year to say I'm
excited about the direction of the program. I think he'll
he'll do a great job going forward with a better
off season, a more productive offseason in the transfer portal,
and a better roster next season. But the people who
are cestimistic or want to be negative, they've got all

(01:51:03):
the evidence they need to when they can say, we
got blown out at home by Santa Clara, we had
the worst loss in some Tous history to create in
by forty one points. We got blown out by Yukon,
We lost a sixteen point second half lead on our
home court against Saint John's.

Speaker 2 (01:51:15):
Like, those people aren't.

Speaker 7 (01:51:16):
Going to be.

Speaker 8 (01:51:18):
Persuaded by Yeah, they've been competitive and played better than
Rick Browing's expectations in the preseason. So it's kind of
an interesting situation and team.

Speaker 4 (01:51:28):
From that standpoint right now, Seaton Hall crept into the
top twenty five. They had a big game against Yukon
in their building that I thought for about three minutes
in the second half of that game they were going
to win. That was the first of a four game
losing streak. How good or bad are the Pirates.

Speaker 8 (01:51:45):
Well, it depends on what end of the court you're
currently playing on. If you're on their offensive end, they're
pretty bad. If you're on your offensive end, they're really good,
like elite top ten in the country. Good defensively, but
offensively not at all. They just don't have the skill
or shooting to be very productive in the half court.
So if they're able to get steals and get out

(01:52:05):
and transition and score, then they're playing pretty well. But
when you don't give them those turnovers and you make
them play in a half court game, they're not very
effective offensively. I mean, it's truly going to be two
completely opposite styles going at it tonight in New Jersey.
Xavier wants to be finesse, swing the ball around the perimeter,
play free flowing and fast offensively, and outscore you.

Speaker 7 (01:52:27):
Seaton Hall wants to.

Speaker 8 (01:52:29):
Grind you to a pulp score in the sixties and
you know, just beat you by a couple points at
the end of the game. It's all about physicality and
toughness with them, which has not been Xavier's strength, especially
if you watch the second half of that Saint John's game.
So I'm interested to see how it goes.

Speaker 4 (01:52:45):
I went and watched, as you well know, NKU played
Cleveland State back in mid early to mid December, and
the Norse won that game. They were not awesome on
the defensive end, and you and I talked about, you
know what that could end up being their fatal flaw.
Is that starting to sink this team based on the
previous two outings.

Speaker 8 (01:53:06):
Yeah, I think that the inconsistencies on the defensive end.
And I mean, again, as much as we want to
sit here and talk about NKU struggling defensively, they're still
I think they're now second in defensive efficiency in the conference.
Last week when we talked, they were first in the conference.
So the metrics still say they're pretty darn good on
that end of the floor. But to your point, now,
I think in some of these games, in close games,

(01:53:28):
the second half, in important moments they have not been consistent,
and they have not been able to come up with
the stops needed to.

Speaker 7 (01:53:34):
Win those games.

Speaker 8 (01:53:34):
And I think Saturday was a bit of a step
back for NKU because it's the first time in conference
play that they've been defeated soundly. The other four losses
were all down to the final possessions and could have
gone either way. They just weren't able to come out
with the win the game at Right State. Your Right
State was clearly the better team. And so now if
you're an MKU fan, you're in a situation where this

(01:53:56):
year in the Horizon League, the top three seeds have
a maze your advantage, or maybe better put, if you're
a fourth or fifth seedt or below, you put yourself
in a much more difficult situation to make a run
to the Horizon League championship with the way that they've
changed the bracket. And so right now, it's one thing
early in the season and say, okay, you let a
couple of games get away from you, but now when

(01:54:17):
you've let five losses pile up, it becomes crunch time.
You have to really make a nice run here at
the end of the season to put yourself in position
for one of those top three seeds. And with that
in mind, this weekend series in Detroit and Oakland are
going to be huge games for NKU.

Speaker 4 (01:54:32):
How often does a team in the Horizon League play
three consecutive road games?

Speaker 8 (01:54:39):
Well, you know, if you're NKU, it seems to happen
all the time. If your other teams in the league,
you know, not quite as much. We haven't really been
able to solve why that is year after year, but
the league office, I'm sure we'll get back to us soon.

Speaker 4 (01:54:54):
All right, Well, see if you can dive into that
and we'll talk next week.

Speaker 2 (01:54:58):
Thank you as always, Thanks both. All Right, there you go.

Speaker 4 (01:55:01):
There's our guy, Rick Boring Musketine Report dot Com, NKU
Radio the Norseback in action on Friday night with the
game against Detroit Mercy. You'll hear it live on ESPN
fifteen thirty. Chad Brendle joins us tomorrow I have to
jump on the iHeartMedia helicopter and get to fifth third Arena,
so have an awesome night. Thanks to Tarren Bland for
producing and thanks to you for listening. This is ESPN

(01:55:22):
fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station

All Episodes

1/28/26 - The Mo Egger Radio Show

Episode Transcript

Mo Egger News

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know

Dateline NBC

Betrayal Season 5

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}1/28/26 - The Mo Egger Radio Show

Episode Transcript

Mo Egger News .css-1q01m3q{margin:0 0 -2px 0;}

Popular Podcasts

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Stuff You Should Know

Dateline NBC

Betrayal Season 5

All Episodes