2/7/25 - The Mo Egger Radio Show

The Last Friday before Super Bowl LIX

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
In college.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Enter this nation wide keyward on our website. Now cash,
that's cash.

Speaker 3 (00:05):
Enter it now you found Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
What's up, Good afternoon on moegor this is ESPN fifteen thirty.
Thank you so much for listening.

Speaker 4 (00:16):
We are really.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
Excited to be at Twin Peaks in Westchester. That's right.
It's the home of the Tony and Mo Football Show.
It's not the Tony and Mo Football Show today, although
it'd be to be cool if Tony we're here. You know,
we do the Tony and Mo Football Show at Twin Peaks,
either here in Westchester or in Florence every week during
the football season. But occasionally, you know, once the Bengals

(00:38):
are done, we like to get a little Twin Peaks fix.
And so we're here today, and you could stop by
very close to very close to is seventy five Union
Center Boulevard exit. You'll be here in seconds. And a
great way to start the weekend. A great way to
start a fun sports weekend. A cool place to watch
your favorite college basketball team this weekend. Place to watch

(01:00):
the big Game I'm allowed to say Super Bowl in
this context, right, A great place to watch the Super
Bowl on Sunday. I just had I typically get the
meatball skillet, but I believe in transparency, and so I'll
tell you I got the chicken tenders and fries instead.
Their chicken tenders are outstanding, awesome beer selection, top notch

(01:21):
bourbon selection, a tremendous weight staff. So much happening here
at Twin Peaks. We thank them for their hospitality. Stop
I if you're in the Westchester area between now and
six o'clock tonight. Show preview video is up on Twitter.
Thanks too. Emery Federal Credit Union, your credit union with
heart since nineteen thirty nine. Go to EMORYFCU dot org

(01:45):
and be just like me and become a member. Lots
to get to this hour. Darren Horn, NKU head coach
that Orson won two straight games. They've got their homecoming
tilt tomorrow against Robert Morris. Darren joins us coming up
in just about forty minutes, and our guy James Orpene
from a bunch of different outlets is going to be

(02:06):
with us, coming up in just about fifteen minutes to
go over the news of the week, really the news
of the offseason, which is Joe Burrow's continued campaign This
has lasted two months now, his continued campaign to see
the Bengals retain t Higgins and sign him to a
long term contract. This has become the story of the

(02:27):
Bengals offseason. Frankly, it's become the story of the off season,
which obviously, the off season in the NFL really doesn't
begin until Sunday night, about ten thirty after the Super Bowl.
But t Higgins, according to some, is the best free
agent available. He's due to be a free agent right now.
You'll see different published lists of the best NFL free agents.

(02:48):
Tea is at the top of many of them. And
even if he's not the best, he's certainly going to
be a coveted piece. Which team couldn't use T Higgins?
Which team would want t Higgins? Obviously he might be
a better fit for some than others. Others might be
in a better position to pay him what he wants
than others. And so it does feel like the Bengals

(03:08):
are kind of at the epicenter of free agency, at
least to a degree where you've got this player that
everybody would love, who is, you know, showing a desire
to stay in Cincinnati and has his quarterback championing, championing
him staying in Cincinnati. Nothing else is gonna happen in
free agency until the Bengals do or don't do what

(03:30):
Joe Burrow wants, at least as it relates to the
wide receiver spot. So it's really kind of taken on
a life of its own here, but really around the NFL.
I touched on this a little bit yesterday. Joe Burrow
is putting a lot of pressure on the Bengals and
how much it matters how much they're listening to him,

(03:52):
how much poll he actually has we could discuss and
maybe remains to be seen. But he's he's putting pressure
on them. He's creating discomfort. Uh, he's perhaps forcing them
out of their organizational comfort zone. He's rattling cages. All
those things are awesome. We talked a little bit yesterday
about how he's he's kind of pressuring the guys he's

(04:15):
talking about too, Ta and Jamar and even maybe Trey Hendrickson, like, hey,
there's a way to get it done, and uh, you know,
everybody says, well, is does that mean you're going to
take a contract restructure? A restructure, by the way, doesn't
mean a pay cut, And I think what Joe is
kind of implying here is, you know, I'm not the
only one that might have to, you know, adjust. His

(04:38):
sacrifice might not even be the right word, but adjust.
I'm not the only person here who's going to have
to adjust. You know, if T really wants to stay here,
he might have to adjust. And if if Jamar wants
T to be here, well then you know, maybe he
has to adjust. But I think what I love most
about this is that Joe is asking for the onus
to be put on him. Now, any franchise quarterback carries

(05:03):
a lot of weight and carries a lot of pressure, right,
I mean, this year Joe was awesome, And yet many
of the conversations about quarterbacks haven't been so much about
the Bengals but about Joe Burrow and why he's on
the outside looking in and should he be doc for
that as we talk about the guys who are the
best of the best in the NFL. What I like

(05:24):
about what he is doing is he is saying do
it my way, here's what I want, do it my way,
and understanding that when he says that that he's he's
gonna take the bullets if it doesn't work. Now, those
bullets are relative, right, I mean, he's still gonna be
very well compensated. He's still gonna be a franchise QB.

(05:45):
Everybody's still gonna love Joe Burrow and what he's done
for the Bengals and love him in terms of what
he's done statistically, and love much of his game. But like,
let's be honest, we're we're moving into this, like next
of Joe Burrow's careers played five years. Now, he might
play fifteen years, he might play twenty years. But let's

(06:09):
be reasonable about this. If you assume that Joe Burrow
is going to win a super Bowl, there's a better
chance that it happens in the next five years than
in the five years after that or the five years
after that. That doesn't mean that he can't play at
a very high level for a very long time. It
doesn't mean that if he doesn't win a super Bowl

(06:30):
after year six through ten, that he'll never win one
years eleven through fifteen if he if he plays that long.
But I mean, I think that's that's a reasonable assumption
that you might not be assuming that Joe is gonna
win a title at all. But if he's gonna win one,
chances are it's it's gonna happen sooner rather than later.
Rights it's gonna happen in the next five years least,

(06:54):
the chances of that are happening are higher than the
five years after that. So there's a lot riding on
these next five years for Joe Burrow. One of his contemporaries,
one of his peers, is sixty minutes away from winning
his fourth He understands how this works. These guys are
ultimately judged by how much do they win. He also
plays a very competitive position. Josh Allen was named MVP

(07:15):
last night. That's a peer, that's a guy who's gonna
have a chance moving forward to win. Same with Lamar Jackson,
same with a handful of others. So in this timeframe
now where you know this is, this is it these
next four to five years for Joe Burrow. I hate
to say it, but like this is if he's gonna
win one, it's it feels like it has to happen,
but before the end of the decade. So he's basically

(07:38):
saying like for most of the rest of the decade,
I want to play with Jamar and t I want
it done my way, and by the way, we want
to extend Trey Hendrickson, so he's with us into the
second half of the decade. So do it my way. Well,
the fallout from that is number one. If if they win,
Joe's gonna get all the credit the quarterbacks get when
their teams win. But if it doesn't work, this becomes

(08:00):
a thing that's about Joe Burrow. It's on Joe. We
did it your way, we did it the way you
wanted to, and you didn't deliver results. Like that's to me,
that's what that's that's one of the angles here. Like
you know, Joe wants his way. Joe thinks his best
chance of delivering a championship is you do this with

(08:22):
t You do this with Trey, you do this with Jamar.
You figure out the rest. And that's what I need
to bring us a championship. That's what I have to
have in order for us to win. And I'll be celebrated,
but so will we. I like it. I'm giving them
what he wants because you know what, if it doesn't work,

(08:43):
if we give you tea and the Jamar thing gets done,
and we do it your way with Trey and then
you know, we take what's left and we figure it out.
Guess what, man, we tried it your way, and if
it doesn't work, Joe's gonna take the hit. Joe's gonna
take the bullets. Joe's gonna be the one who is
put in the public crosshairs here and elsewhere more than

(09:04):
at any other time, at least so far. I like that.
I'm on board. Hey, look, Joe, you know what we're
gonna do it. The Bengals have done it their way
for a while. We're gonna do it Joe Burrow's way.
And if it doesn't work out, guess what, it's on
Joe Burrow. I like the fact that he is taking
on that responsibility. And and I'm I said yesterday, I

(09:27):
don't recall anybody in Cincinnati throwing their weight around like
this in sports. Many NFL players who really do this either.
So I think he's rare in that regard that you
got a guy who says publicly, many times emphatically, do
it my way. But Joe, if we do it your way,
you better win with your way. If not, that's gonna
be on you, and we're gonna judge you on the results.

(09:50):
It's thirteen minutes after three o'clock. We're obviously getting set
for a big college basketball weekend. If you didn't read
ESPN dot com today reports that Mike would and is
going to be done at Indiana by the end of
the season. He is had a shaky tenure in Bloomington.

(10:12):
Mike Woodson, who I'm I'm a fan of. He coached
the Knicks and won a playoff series with him. They
had a really good portal class. They were number seventeen
in the preseason EIGHTP Top twenty five, big nil budget,
and yet I think you'd have a hard time finding
a bracket projection that has them even close to the

(10:32):
field of sixty eight. Lost their last game by twelve
points to Indiana. They were down twenty six to four
five minutes into the game. It was gnarly. You got
the coach questioning his team's toughness and let's face it,
he's sixty six years old. It just hasn't worked. And
so that's the big college basketball story of the day.

(10:53):
A game tomorrow for uc a chance to take a step.
It had to start somewhere. Started on Wednesday night with
that win over UCF can continue tomorrow, hopefully the answer
is yes. Xavier's on the road on Sunday for a
tilt against the Villanova team that had the Musketeers on
the ropes in the game here before Ryan Conwell saved him.

(11:13):
Kentucky's got a game against South Carolina. I said the
game last Saturday against Arkansas should have been one of
Kentucky's easiest games. The Wildcats have completely forgotten how to
play defense. Let's face it, they weren't a great defensive
team to begin with. NKU plays tomorrow their homecoming game
against Robert Morris. Darren Horn's going to join us coming
up in just about thirty minutes. But first, our guy

(11:36):
James Rapine on a handful of Bengals issues. Next on
ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 5 (11:42):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 4 (11:47):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center. Heart disease is
the leading cause of death in the US. If you're
at risk, trusts the experts at UC help for innovative
and personalized heart care. Expect more at U see help
dot com. Eastbound two seventy five, the exit ramp to
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(12:08):
vision Way. Police activity over at I seventy five. Please
avoid the area endothbound seventy one seventy five slow traffic
from Turfway Road to Buttermilk Pike. I'm at exelic with traffic.

Speaker 1 (12:19):
This report a sponsored by any one ever. This is
ESBN fifteen thirty on my leg James R. Pen Is
with us Enter the Jungle mocked on Beangles, Bengals Talk
dot Com, author of Enter the Jungle uh and on
x at James Orpene. How's it going?

Speaker 6 (12:40):
Oh?

Speaker 7 (12:40):
Well, mo, how are you?

Speaker 4 (12:43):
You know?

Speaker 1 (12:43):
I'm doing well? You know, you you wrote that book
End of the Jungle about a year and a half ago.
You you you could probably start on this now and
it would be great. You could probably write a book
on this Bengals offseason that's starting.

Speaker 7 (12:55):
Oh, I probably could, and honestly, I should be able
to write it now because what the Bengals do should
be very predictable, and I'm serious, it should be very
easy to predict. Now. Maybe you get some of those
you don't know the draft picks yet, it's in their positions.
You don't know exactly who they're going to sign in

(13:16):
free agency, but what they do with their own guys,
it should be very, very predictable.

Speaker 1 (13:20):
Though I feel like there's a desire and maybe I'm
guilty of it too, but I kind of feel like
there's we're over complicating this, right, We're over complicating sort
of the basics of the off season, all the stuff
that Joe Burrow was talking about. Do you feel the same.

Speaker 7 (13:41):
Yes, I don't understand. There is no debate for me,
like I know that there has been for some And
you can do that. And by the way, this is
coming from me, the person that loves trades and loves
transactions and loves to making news and loves being aggressive.
And I'm saying, hey, how about you keep with what
you know, and what you know is your second, third,

(14:03):
and fourth best players on your roster. You need to get paid.
That's what we're talking about here. And and when we
have those discussions, it's like, Okay, well, Jamar Chase. Everyone
agrees Jamar Chase should get paid a right, So he
gets paid, so we don't need to discuss that. And
then you look at Trey Hendrickson, the third best player. Yeah,
he's getting up there in age, but he's had arguably

(14:23):
the best season of his career, is still extremely productive
and the defense was awful around him. So it would
be like, oh, could you imagine if Jamar was thirty
and he had Jake Browning throwing him the ball and
he had fifteen hundred plus yards. That's what Trey Hendrickson
just had on this defense. Obviously, you pay him and

(14:45):
T Higgins, well, your franchise quarterback loves him, wants him,
and you haven't shown that you can draft another wide
receiver really since Jamar. And I'm not trying to insult
everybody that they've drafted since then because I like those guys,
but from a wide receiver tesday point, I don't think
there's a wide receiver too in the waiting in the wing.
So yeah, hey him, you're not paying anyone else, And

(15:06):
so that's that's where I'm at. I think that the
Bengals off season story, that part of it should already
have been written.

Speaker 1 (15:16):
What do you think will happen with T Higgins?

Speaker 7 (15:22):
I think T really wants to be in Cincinnati now.
I also think T isn't going to take a twenty
two million dollar on practice day in Cincinnati. He's not
going to take millions and millions off the table. And
to me, the the agent change is like the bat

(15:46):
signal for the Bengals front office and the fact that
that happened in line with Joe Burrow on December ninth,
after that Monday night game where no one really expected
this to come up. I mean, I think I think
before that's probably a month before that. If you would
have asked the Bengals and given them truth to him,
they said, oh, yes, he's going to walk in free agency.
Maybe we tag and trade him, but he's not going

(16:07):
to be on the team at twenty twenty five. They
don't know how. If you're that front office, you listen
to Joe Burrow and then you also watch what he
did this year. When to me, not by receiving yards
or receptions really closer receptions, but not by receiving yards.
Did he had his best year? But he had the
most touchdowns of his career. Was just a chain mover.

(16:30):
I thought he had some really big catches over the
middle and big plays. Was more physical than he's been
over the middle in past years. And he's twenty six
years old. MO. So when I put all that together, like, okay,
let's say he plays twelve games. Well, if you can
give me twelve regular season games and you're good to
go for the playoffs. I'm okay paying you, so I

(16:50):
would pay him. I think the best of t Higgins
is about to happen. I don't think it's happened yet.
I think it's about to happen, and I don't if
I'm the Bengals, I don't want to see that happen
in another uniform.

Speaker 1 (17:02):
What's your best guess as to what the course of
action is with Trey Hendrickson.

Speaker 7 (17:06):
I guess I didn't answer the t Higgins question all
the way. I think they resigned him because I'm not
sure how they don't in look show with a straight face.
So there you go. As far as Trey, they've gotten
two deals done with his agent before, and I think
that's a factor here. You get that initial deal done
before he's a superstar or a star. I don't think

(17:29):
he's a superstar, but he's a star, and then he
wants to get paid. You give him that one year extension.
So he's gotten two deals done with him. I don't
see how or why both sides wouldn't say, okay, well
this makes sense. And to me what makes sense is
all right, well you get a pay raise, around around
five to six million dollars year in that twenty five

(17:49):
million dollars per year range. You're under contract this year,
We'll give you a little bit more money this year, Trey,
and we'll we'll sign you for the next two seasons
through twenty twenty seven. That makes a ton of sense
to me. A three year, seventy five million dollar deal.
I think that gets done because I do think that
the Bengals plan on getting all three of these deals done,

(18:10):
and No wants to make sure they get done, so
he is not going to be shy publicly when asked
about it, and I don't think he's been shy privately.
So my expectation is for Te, Pray and Jamars who
all get done this offseason and part of that mode. Again,
I'm the transaction guy. I'm the guy that for ESPN

(18:31):
fifteen thirty dot com wrote about free agents years and
years and years ago that the Bengals probably never even considered.
Let's think about this now, Let's think about who it's
coming from. This free agent class is not what past
free agent classes have been. There are good players, but
Trey Henderson and t Higgins would be the top two
free agents obviously he may hit free agency that they

(18:52):
would be the top two. They're your guys, keep them
and so that's why my expectations are pretty high that
they keep their tree happy and keep all three around.

Speaker 1 (19:02):
What do you think Trey Hendrickson's true trade value would be?

Speaker 7 (19:09):
This is it's so interesting because obviously there's a defensive
end and Trey would probably disagree, but there's a defensive
end that's better than him that's available, and he's three
hours away, and so Cleveland could say he's not on
the trade market, but he is. And if you're a
team looking for a pass rusher, who would you rather have, Well,
you're certainly going after Miles over Trey. And that's no

(19:33):
insult to Trey. But I think that the market is
kind of held up. If I'm a team that's really
going after it and a contender, let's say the Lions, Well,
if you can get Miles Garrett, and it takes a
little more patience, and it takes an extra draft tick
or two, allow another asset or two, wouldn't you rather
have Miles Garrett to try to to maximize what you have?

(19:56):
So if you're Trey Hendrickson, I get to pay me
or trade me Mantra he had this week at Radio
Row at the same time, relax with your card a
little bit. I would be careful there because if the
Bengals offer you a fair value, I think the reason
you take it is because do you want to be

(20:17):
in Limbo? Are you happy in Cincinnati? Do you want
to go through it knowing you're under contract? And how
hard you have to push? I mean, he demanded a
trade last year and it lasted like twelve hours. I
mean it would have to get ugly. I think for
the Bengals to truly move him, because I do think
they want to pay him, So as far as value goes,
I think they would want a first round pick. I'm

(20:40):
not sure they're going to get a first round pick
for Trey. He needs to get paid. He's not Miles Garrett,
and if you're giving up a first rounder, you probably
want to get Miles Garrett. So I would say a two,
maybe a two and a five, a second rounder and
a proven player or something like that. But I don't
think it would be nearly as highs the Bengals would
have won or some same trade. Tray think it would be.

Speaker 1 (21:05):
Yeah, I I the more I think about it, the
more I agree with that sentiment. James Orpeene locked on
Bengals Bengals Talk dot Com, Enter the jungle. Now you know,
and I mean you you you've already addressed this, but
I'm gonna throw tea anyway, like you're gonna Folks who
hear this ago that sounds cool. Then what are you

(21:25):
gonna do with the rest of the team.

Speaker 7 (21:28):
Yep, yeah, I think that that's to me, it's such
a to me, that is a very simple answer. Now
to others that they're gonna say, oh, well, fifty five
million dollar quarterback, forty million dollar receiver, thirty million dollar receiver,
it's twenty eight million dollars pass rusher, and it just

(21:49):
it doesn't work that way. It doesn't. And for example,
Jamar Chase is it's all about Cat. Jamar Chase's salary
cap number is going to go down the moment they
signed into an extension this year'll have more money to
work with this year. And so long story short, without
getting tall the Cat minutia, they have plenty of cap
space after they cut the Sheldon Rankins is and they

(22:10):
get rid of the insert whoever you think that they're
going to cut. Maybe it's Alex Kapa. Maybe you think
that it's Sam Hubbard. Maybe you think that Sam Hubbard
takes a drastic pay cut. In space, they're going to
be able to free up so much money that they
should have plenty of cap space to work with to
not only keep that trio, but to go out there
in the free agent market and address guard and address

(22:33):
a defense that certainly probably needs playmakers that at at
least the first two levels defensive line and specifically defensive
cap Well, I think you're signing a veteran there, and
then you might sign a linebacker who knows what happens
with Jermaine Pratt. So they obviously have some needs. I
think they can address those still feel comfortable cab space wise,

(22:54):
and then go into the draft in a really good spot.
But it's going to take them being aggressive. And I
think the thing that concerns me MO in the past
couple of years, whether it's Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase last year,
these extensions and they didn't get Jamar done. They obviously
got Joe done. They went way too long. It went.

(23:15):
They went through free agency and said all, well, we'll
address this, we'll address this and to me, it's got
to be the opposite this year. Unless they're going to
be comfortable pushing the limit and free agency ahead of time,
you have to still maximize what you have, and so
I think the way to do that is to try
to get these deals done now and then by the

(23:39):
time mid March wolves around, you know exactly what you're
looking at from a cap space standpoint.

Speaker 1 (23:44):
When do you start doing mock drafts.

Speaker 7 (23:48):
Not yet. I'm still learning the players. I think it's
still the initial, you know, the initial look at this class.
I will say this, I think from a a needs perspective,
it's it's good and it's going to fit, it's going
to line up. But you don't draft for need. And

(24:08):
that's what I'm gonna have to convince everyone in this
town about over the next two and a half months,
because there's a scenario where they maybe pass on a
defensive player in the first round.

Speaker 1 (24:22):
Yeah, you know, you know how it's going to go, right,
I mean the right. Everybody's gonna remember what happened with
the defense last year, regardless of what they do between
now and the draft and free agency, and and there's
gonna be you know, screams from everywhere to address that
side of the football, and that's not how it's done,

(24:42):
and it's not how it should be done. And by
the way, it's not like they don't have needs on
offense either.

Speaker 7 (24:49):
That's it. That's it. I remember walking from practice in
like November, and I forget who I was talking to.
I was probably talking to multiple writers and reporters, and
I was like, you know, if they take a garden
round one, I wouldn't be mad at it. And that
was like November, like they were still on the playoff
on and I'm like, if they take a garden around one,
like knowing that they might not resign the guy long

(25:09):
term because they never paid guards big money, like noing, no,
I'm like, Ah, wasn't be mad at it. I think
it will make a lot of sense. So I think
there are a lot of scenarios where that's the case.
And that's why I'm I'm pretty open. There aren't many
positions that I would point to in at least at
this moment, there's no chance they draft that position because

(25:31):
they're open. I know that, and they should be open
because they have either a lot of needs or that
position isn't good enough to say how we need to
pass on the best player at that spot.

Speaker 1 (25:43):
Uh makes sense. Appreciate it, man, have a great weekend.
Thank you so much.

Speaker 7 (25:48):
That's thought you were going to ask me my draft take.

Speaker 1 (25:50):
See we got time. I hold you forever. I you know,
would do it. Like we're not We're not even to
the combine yet. The NFL season's not over. Do you
have like an early, early, early in the process draft take,
or like you know you're still learning the players, but like,
do you have a guy that you're like, you know
what this is the dude I'm gonna be talking about

(26:12):
for two and a half months. Give it to me.

Speaker 7 (26:14):
Well, there are all guys certainly that that are interesting.
I'm not there yet with the specific guy. Here's what
I will say on the Saturday after the draft, when
all the dust is settled. They only have six picks,
which I think is the silliest narrative ever. But they
have six picks. At least two of them will be
spent on skill players. One on a running back, one

(26:35):
on a tight end write that down, one on a
receiver of Tea leaves, but Tea better not leave, as
I mentioned earlier in the interview. But two on skill
players now at least, which is really going to get
people excited.

Speaker 1 (26:49):
Wow, I'm writing that down as perfect exactly what I.

Speaker 7 (26:56):
By the way, I think I'm not willing to rule
out skill player in one. There you go, not willing
to rule it out yet. Oh, people will be so mad,
so mad.

Speaker 1 (27:07):
You know that that show I do on the afternoon
of the draft. I want you to say that that afternoon.

Speaker 7 (27:13):
Okay, Oh, I can't I can't wait for it. I
have a big handled then on who they're picking. By
seventeenth overall, we uh, but we knew what Marius was
likely the guy last year. So yeah, well right, we'll
be ready to go. We'll be ready to go.

Speaker 1 (27:31):
Mo I can't wait. All right, You're the best.

Speaker 7 (27:33):
Thanks man, Thanks mom, Cia.

Speaker 1 (27:37):
James Epene locked on Bengals Bengals Talk dot Com. Enter
the Jungle at James Orpene twenty four from four ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 3 (27:45):
Thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty Traffic.

Speaker 4 (27:50):
From the UC Health Traffic Center. Heart disease is the
leading cause of death in the US. If you're at risk,
trusts the experts at U see help for innovative and
personalized heartcare. Expect more at uchelp dot com. Eastbound two
seventy five. The exit ramp to Mastellar Road is closed off.
That is due to an accident southbound seventy one seventy

(28:12):
five before Dixie Highway accident off on the right shoulder
and vision weights police activity at I seventy five at
Ezelik with traffic.

Speaker 1 (28:22):
This report is sponsored by Staples to Kelsey Chevali home
of lifetime power transprotection and guarantee credit approval from their
family to yours for life Kelsey chev dot com. Joe
Burrow still wants the Bengals to resign to Higgins. Super
Bowl fifty nine is on Sunday. Eagles chiefs Kansas City
A slight right now as I look at it, one

(28:43):
and a half point favorite. That line has gone from
a point and a half to a point, to a
point and a half to a point. Kind of really
hasn't moved all that much. ESPN's reporting that Mike Woodson
is not expected back in Indiana, but he will finish
the season. Dayton takes on VCU tonight tomorrow. U see
battles byu AT on seven hundred WLW UK Battle South Carolina.

(29:04):
Nku's got a home game homecoming game against Robert Morris.
Darren Horn joins us in five minutes. Miami battles Troy.
Why don't I say battles like five times? Indiana takes
on Michigan Sunday, Xaviers at Villanova, and Ohio State takes
on Nebraska tonight downtown. The Cyclone skate and play hockey
against Kansas City. Easily the biggest sporting event for Kansas
City fans this weekend the big game between Casey and

(29:26):
the Clones. Darren Horn next on ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 5 (29:28):
Thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 4 (29:33):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center. Heart disease is
the leading cause of death in the US. If you're
at risk, trusts the experts at UC Help for innovative
and personalized heartcare. Expect more at ucehelp dot com. Southbound
seventy one seventy five four Dixie Highways, an accident off
on to the right shoulder, traffic stomp and go southbound

(29:56):
seventy five Western Avenue to Fort Washington Way, and also
low traffic sup on seventy five Shepherd Lane to Town
Street on that he' zel like with traffic.

Speaker 7 (30:05):
This report is sponsored bys.

Speaker 1 (30:07):
And it's away from four o'clock. This is the ESPN
fifteen thirty on Moleger. Tomorrow it's nku's homecoming game, the
Norse taking on Robert Morris in a rematch of a
game that went three overtimes the first time these two
teams played. MKU is coming off a really good win
the other night against a Cleveland State team that came

(30:28):
to Highland Heights riding a thirteen game winning streak. Norse
have won their last two. They have scored eighty four
and eighty five points, so the next progression is eighty
six Tomorrow afternoon two o'clock tip off at Trust Arena.
It should be a lot of fun, all sorts of
stuff happening for homecoming and the Norse starting to turn
the corner. The head coach, Darren Horn always kind enough

(30:50):
to give us a few minutes. It is always awesome
to have you, coach. How are you.

Speaker 6 (30:55):
I'm doing great well, Thanks for having me man.

Speaker 1 (30:58):
You and I were texting this morning and he said,
I got time after a practice from noon to three?
Is are you doing a three hour practice this late
in the season, the day before a game.

Speaker 6 (31:07):
No, that that that includes you know individual film meetings
and group film. Our guys give with our strength.

Speaker 1 (31:14):
Coach.

Speaker 6 (31:15):
Every day we're about an hour to an hour and
fifteen on the floor. I do think one thing we
do a little different is Tommy years that we we
continue to go pretty hard to play live and then
really compete in practice every day.

Speaker 1 (31:28):
All right. I was gonna say, man, if you're doing
you're the ultimate throwback. If you're doing three hours the
day before a game, especially in February, so good for you.
Do you feel the last the last two games you
pulled out wins and I you know, I we'll we'll
talk about maybe some of the things that that led
to the losing streak you dealt with, but let's start
with a positive note. The two consecutive wins. You haven't

(31:51):
turned the corner, But do you feel like it is
starting to turn in the right direction?

Speaker 6 (31:56):
You know, I think it is And and and simply
put moo, I mean, you know, we felt like this
was a team that could play the way it's played
the last two games.

Speaker 7 (32:04):
Heading into the year.

Speaker 6 (32:05):
But you know, you got to get guys playing well, right,
and that's that that's our responsibility to to put them
int those spots and get them there to do it.
But we just hadn't had guys collectively playing well, you know,
be one or two guys and then three or four
not so great. And these last couple of games, it
just really feels like everybody has played up to their

(32:27):
capability and you know end roles, which you know we
say is determined about you know, your experience, your ability
and and you know what's being asked of you, and
guys are doing that now collective.

Speaker 1 (32:38):
No coach wants to deal with a losing streak, but
you do it long enough, they're they're gonna happen. I've
seen teams where, you know, you start to see guys
in the middle of it hit the ejec button a
little bit. And so the hard part is losing. But
beyond that, what's the biggest challenge during a stretch like
the one year team just went through.

Speaker 6 (32:58):
Well, I think it's a little different for us. Uh,
you know, then then then then it might be for
some other team for two reasons. One, uh, you know,
we're still ultimately about three days in March, right. As
long as you don't let it get completely away from you,
can you continue to improve and play your best when
it matters most, because if you're underfeet of going into
the tournament, we're not playing in the NA Tournament without

(33:19):
winning three games. And I think the other part is that,
you know, I mean, we got champions in our locker room, Mole,
I mean Sam Benson and Trey Robinson and and some
of those guys. I mean, you know what, they've been
at their best when it matters most. They've not endured
in a losing streak that's six games, but that they've
been a part of the ups and downs and having
to right the ship and finished strong. And I mean

(33:41):
all Saint Vincent's done is playing conference championships. You know,
he miss missed last year's tournament because of his knee injury.
And so, you know, I think we've got a high
character locker room that understands what it's about here when
you get to February and March.

Speaker 1 (33:55):
You and I talked before the season about players making
the lead to this level. Dan gerez Or is one
of them. You've relied on him the last two from
a scoring perspective, is has it taken a little bit
longer for some of those guys to kind of figure
out like this is what competition is like, at this level,
is this about when you thought it would start to

(34:16):
unfold the way you would like walk me through that.

Speaker 6 (34:19):
Yeah, you know, I think it does take some time
for certain guys, and definitely for Dan, and he was
a guy that kind of had to scale back a
little bit.

Speaker 1 (34:27):
You know.

Speaker 6 (34:27):
The issue early on is he's he's a guy that's
a scoring point guard. But you know, at one point
he had three assistant twenty turnovers on the season and
the stats and so we kind of had to get
him to scale back and say, hey, man, just just
take care of the ball, get shots for teammates, be
solid defensively.

Speaker 1 (34:45):
You're so talented.

Speaker 6 (34:46):
If you'll do those things, the scoring and the playmaking
and all that other stuff will come. And it was
just a process, I think for him to go through.
And I think where it's impacted our team the most
is not that he's been fantastic scoring the ball in
the last two games, but it's taken the ball out
of Sam Vincent's hands and Josh Dillon's hand in terms
of ball handling responsibility and allowed them to get back

(35:09):
to what they do best, which is kind of just
be complete players. In Sam's case, impacting the game offensively
in a lot of ways that Josh's case, spacing the
floor and being a ball mover and making shots.

Speaker 1 (35:22):
You think back to that Robert Morris game, which feels
like forever ago, and it goes three overtime, so it's
a marathon. What went wrong that day that has to
go right tomorrow?

Speaker 6 (35:33):
Well one, and we've got to play some defense. We
were didn't look anything like ourselves in terms of how
we have to play defensively. And I think the second
thing is, you know, we've got to be a much
physically tougher team on the class and finishing around the
rim and driving the basketball against them, and we did
not do that. They had two bigs that are having

(35:54):
great seasons, that are really good players, but just absolutely
dominated us in a way that we think accept the ball.

Speaker 1 (36:00):
And so we we we've got to be the.

Speaker 6 (36:02):
Most physically aggressive team tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (36:03):
Thames, You've got a homecoming game tomorrow. Now, homecoming obviously
is something you typically associate with football. Northern Kentucky University,
for all of its qualities, does not have a football program.
What does homecoming mean at NKU? With a men's basketball
game tomorrow? The centerpiece, Well, I.

Speaker 6 (36:22):
Mean it's it's you know, like you said, no football.
So this this is our time to bring alumna back
and former players and and then kind of rally around
m k U and the Norse station and get everybody
out because you know, this is uh, this is the
opportunity that we have to do it. And so uh,
you know, I'll be the first admit we we haven't
given our fans much to cheerbout in some of these

(36:45):
home games, and uh, I could see why they didn't
want to come out. But this group is playing really
well now in his homecoming. Uh hope we have a
great turnout for at two o'clock tip tomorrow against Robert Morris.
Calgating hasn't been moving inside mode. Doors open at noon,
come in, have a good time, get properly juiced for
the game, and let's go on and have a great home.

Speaker 1 (37:06):
Atmosphere properly Jews for the game. I like it. Two
o'clock is absolutely perfect, the Norse hosting Robert Morris. They
have two more home games after this left, so at
a golden opportunity to see NKU and again coming off
consecutive wins. A very good win against a really strong
Cleveland State team the other night and hopefully the Norse

(37:27):
can make it three straight. It's always good to have
you coach. I appreciate the time. I appreciate you having
me on MO. You the best, Thanks man, anytime, Darren Horn,
head coach, NKU Norse versus Robert Morris tomorrow, two o'clock
homecoming at Truest Arena. A phenomenal place to go see
a game, and that's a program. Look, they've they've had

(37:49):
a tough year relative to I think what a lot
of us have come to expect from NKU. The Carrott
is still being dangled of an NCAA tournament appearance with
the Horizon League Tournament. See if this team can go
into that with a measure of momentum. They have eight
seven games to go, I'm sorry, seven games to go,
including obviously the one tomorrow, two o'clock tomorrow at the Truest.

(38:12):
NKU versus Robert Morris. Darren Horn's fun to talk to.
It is five minutes away from four o'clock. We're broadcasting
today from Twin Peaks in Westchester. We are here until
six o'clock tonight. We're guests free until our buddy Paul
Frischner coming up at four to twenty on ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 2 (38:31):
Now your chance to win a thousand dollars. Enter this nationwide,
Keward on our website. Bills, that's bills. Enter it now, Bills,
It's up. It's four oh three.

Speaker 1 (38:44):
This is ESPN fifteen thirty. Good after noon. Hope you're
having a an awesome Friday. I hope your weekend is
on to a great start. Ours is off to an
amazing start because we are broadcasting from Twin Peaks in Westchester. Yes,
the home of the Tony and Mon football show. No,
so Tony is not here. It's just me today. But
I needed a Twin Peaks fix, and so I told

(39:07):
I told my guy here, Mike Mills, producing the show
on side, I said, grab your gear, We're going to
Twin Peaks. I'm getting my fix. And so here we
are Westchester location. We'll do a show in Florence here soon,
but right now we're in Westchester, right off the Union Center,
Bulevard Exit. Great menu, great beer selection, great place to
watch college basketball this week, great place to watch the

(39:30):
Super Bowl on Sunday. By the way, I've noticed not
as many people this season and maybe maybe it's gonna change.
We're still, you know what, fifty hours away from the game.
But one of the tropes in recent years has been
those folks who will go out of their way to

(39:51):
bang on the table to claim that one of two
things should happen. A The super Bowl needs to be
on Saturday, which is never gonna happen because the city
wants that super Bowl Saturday night, and then the game
on Sunday. Uh. Or you get the folks to go
the Monday after the super Bowl should be a national holiday.
And I haven't detected as much momentum for that movement

(40:14):
this year, which, look, I love holidays, but no, I
ask this every year. The game is gonna kick off
at about six thirty. It's going to be over. I
get it. It's a longer game than a usual, you know,
regular season NFL game. The halftime show is forever, the
commercial breaks are longer. But it's gonna be over by
ten ten thirty, right, which is not you know, it's

(40:36):
not early, but we're not talking about one o'clock in
the morning. It's not gonna end when your typical World
Series game ends, right, And you get those folks who
talk about, well that we gotta have a the Monday
has gotta be a holiday. And my question is always
what are you doing on Super Bowl Sunday that you
can't go to work on Monday? Like what's what? Why?

(40:59):
Why do we need uh? Like if you want to
take the day off, like I'm there are certain days
I take off and I'm not going it. Like I
always take off the Friday that the NCAA tournament starts, right,
I plan ahead the Thursday before the Thursday of the tournament,
we do is show from ten to twelve in the morning,

(41:19):
and then I'm off. I plan that out. I burn
my vacation days because I I want to be like
watching the games and I want to be on opposite
the games, right that there are there are times where
it's like I'm gonna take this day off and I'm
gonna use one of my days off because maybe the
night before I'm I'm gonna have a little bit too
much fun and I don't want to wake up the

(41:40):
next day and have to to work, Like you know,
like you're a lot. Burn a vacation day, burn, burn
one of burn one of your PTO. I I always
ask like well, what what are you gonna be doing
on Sunday that you can't get up and you know,
work the next day. The game's not gonna end one
o'clock in the morning. So thankfully that that momentum seems

(42:03):
to have stalled. I don't know if it's gonna be
a re ignited this weekend, like I think. In fact,
our school is to our school district's doing an in
service day, which is pretty pretty strategic our our school district.
I was just reminded of our school district when my
daughter goes to school, they're having an insert is it?

(42:25):
It's in service day on Monday, the day after the
Super Bowl, and in service day, which, if I recall,
wasn't a thing until the Bengals went to the Super
Bowl and then suddenly they started planning in service days
the day after the Super Bowl. Yeah, okay, I'll be
working on Monday. I'll be here, Tarren will be here.

(42:45):
I will not be here at Twin Peaks. Chiefs and Eagles.
I like Philly in the game. I'm taking the better roster.
I am gonna stick to something that I felt like
was gonna happen all season long, and thus far I
have been proven wrong. Kansas City went fifteen in two,
really fifteen in one, but they went fifteen into and

(43:06):
deserve all the credit in the world for having a
great regular season, getting back to the super Bowl as
an organization, being on the cusp of a historic Super
Bowl three pete being in their fifth super Bowl in
six years, it's a dynasty. It's an AFC dynasty at least,
and another one this year. Then it's like it's a

(43:31):
legitimate dynasty. So good for them that before in six years.
Like they're a great organization. It might pain me to say,
it might pain you to hear it. Andy Reid's a
Hall of Fame coach. Patrick Mahomes is a Hall of
Fame quarterback. Travis Kelsey's a Hall of Fame tight end,
Chris Jones might be a Hall of Fame defensive lineman.
They're a really well run organization. Andy Reid got that

(43:51):
thing turned around instantly while Patrick Mahomes was still in college. Which,
by the way, Tommy Tubberville has been making the rounds
this week claiming that he recruit him, which is factually inaccurate.
Far be it for me to point out Tommy Tumberville
not telling the truth, but anyway, so good for the Chiefs.
I'm rooting against them, and I'm rooting against them for
two reasons, and in three I guess as a Bengals fan,

(44:13):
they're just you're not supposed to root for him, right
like their rivals. The Bengals and Chiefs have one of
the NFL's best kind of organic rivalries right now, and
so I'm not supposed to root for him. But they're
really two major reasons. One is when the Chiefs win,
the whining is out of control. I'm not rooting for them,

(44:36):
but when the Chiefs win, the griping and the whining
and the complaining and the sniveling and the yelling and
screaming that the league is fixed. I like people talk
about like there's Chiefs fatigue, and I have Chiefs fatigue,
but I have Chiefs whining fatigue, not them whining. I

(44:58):
have whining fans. I'm fatigue over the fans whinding about
the Chiefs, so if they lose, there won't be as
much as that. Mainly though, rooting against them, and it's
no love for Philadelphia Eagles have won a Super Bowl recently,
like I do like Nick Sirianni, I do like Jalen Hurts,
Saquon Barkley seems like a good guy. I like to

(45:19):
have players I like, but I don't want Joe Burrow
to be Peyton Manning. Now you might be going, what
are you talking about? Like, Peyton Manning is one of
the greatest quarterbacks who's ever lived, and he is had
an unbelievable career, broke tons of records, remade football in Indianapolis,

(45:43):
I mean legitimately, like remade football in Indianapolis. The first
you know whatever it was fourteen fifteen years of the
Colts in Indie. They were largely a non entity, good
teams here and there, played the Steelers in a memorable
championship game one season, but you know, largely a relatively

(46:05):
anonymous franchise. And Peyton Manning like remakes the Indianapolis Colts
and has this awesome career with this incredible next chapter
in Denver and wins the Super Bowl in both cities
and goes to four. And yet he exists in the
very large shadow of the greatest of all time, Tom Brady.

(46:27):
And it's I think because Tom Brady and Tom Brady
played much longer than Peyton Manning did and won Super
Bowls after Peyton Manning retired. But Tom Brady's shadow is
so large that it kind of dwarfs all the cool
stuff that Peyton Manning did. So Patrick Mahomes is obviously
a phenomenal quarterback, right He's had an amazing career, and

(46:49):
just as an NFL fan, it could be fun to
think about where that career may go. Joe Burrow is
measured against Patrick Mahomes, by the way, so is Lamar Jackson.
So is Jalen Hurts, So is the current MVP Josh Allen,
So is Justin Herbert so as to a tenga I Lowe.
Like a lot of guys measured against Patrick Mahomes, it
becomes more and more difficult to be measured against Patrick

(47:12):
Mahomes the more he wins, Like Joe already has his
hands full trying to win one, trying to win one. Now,
winning one won Super Bowl as a quarterback is a
remarkable accomplishment. It kind of makes you exempt from a
lot of the silly quarterback discussions we have right now.
At the same time, you know, you talk about quarterbacks
like the Drew Brees, well he only won one. Aaron Rodgers,

(47:35):
well he only won one. Brett fare Yeah, but he
he only won one. Some of those guys came closer
to winning it a second time, but like Peyton Manning,
won two, and yet everything he did is dwarfed by
Tom Brady. I don't want Joe Burrow to suffer the
same fate. He already has his hands full winning one.

(47:56):
If he wins one, the conversation instantly becomes Okay, well
can you win two? And can he win as many
as Patrick Mahomes Patrick Mahomes as three? If he gets
a fourth, that task becomes all the more difficult, And
he's doing it in this climate where you know, you
get the sense Lamar still is not done having a
shot to win one, and neither is Josh Allen, and

(48:16):
neither are so many others. So I'm rooting against Kansas
City because as a Bengals fan, I'm kind of supposed to.
I'm rooting against Kansas City because I've I've wagered on
Philly and I've I've bought value with the point spread.
More my prop bets are on the Eagles. I'm rooting
against Kansas City because if they if they lose, there's
not going to be as much whining, but more than anything.

(48:38):
As a Joe Burrow guy, I want Joe to have
a chance. I want Joe to have a chance to
catch Patrick Mahomes. And he already has his work cut
out for him just to get one, much less three,
but think about him having to win four to measure up.
I don't want that to happen. So there's a lot

(48:58):
of reasons there why I'm for Philly. That's the Burrow
angle for me is at the top of the list.
I think Philly can control this game on the ground
as good as Kansas City has been defensively this year,
and I think they can reac havoc upfront against Kansas
City's offensive line. And I thought it all season long

(49:21):
that they the Chiefs were winning at times in spite
of themselves, in spite of shaky performances by their offense,
and in spite of some constant offensive unevenness. And to
their credit, they've played very well here in the postseason
and played well toward the end of the regular season.
I have thought since midway through the year that it's

(49:42):
going to catch up to him. It has one more
game where it can catch up to him. I think
it catches up to him on Sunday, and when it
does well, then Patrick Mahomes is stuck on only three
and it's at least a little bit easier for Joe
Burrow to catch him. By the way, that is no
knocking Peyton Manning. I'm looking at my email right now.
Like Peyton Manning was awesome, but like he's in the

(50:05):
shadow of Tom Brady. That is inescapable. It just it is.
It's a quarter after four. Uh, five point three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty are our phone numbers. We're here at Twin
Peaks in Westchester. Uh, it's a busy loaded college basketball weekend.
We're gonna get to the Bearcats coming up in just
a bit. Had Darren Horne with his last hour. Kentucky's
got a game tomorrow where you would expect them to win.

(50:28):
At some point, Mark Pope has to get his team
playing better on the defensive side of the floor. And uh,
I'm not even sure where you begin with that. We'll
get to the UC side of things with the Bearcats
taking on a team that just two weeks ago beating
them by twenty eight points. But a big opportunity for
the Xavier Musketeers on Sunday as well, a Q one
chance for XU as they play Villanova on the road.

(50:50):
Mister college Basketball, Paul Frischner joins us next on his
way to Philly on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 3 (50:57):
Station cincinnati'ses P fifteen thirty. Traffic from the UC Health
Traffic Center. Heart disease is the leading cause of death
in the US. If you're at risk, trusts the experts
at u se help for innovative and personalized heartcare. Expect
more at uchelp dot com. An accident now cleared away

(51:18):
westbound Ronald Reagan Highway. That's after Coleraine Avenue southbound seventy one,
seventy five before Dixie Highway. Accident on the right shoulder
and sethbound seventy five slow traffic from Shepherd Lane to
Town Street. I'm at ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 1 (51:34):
This report exactly for twenty ESPs fifteen thirty one. Moeggar
broadcasting today from Twin Peaks in Westchester. Paul Frischner is
Mister College Basketball, part of the Shawn Miller podcast, part
of the Rebound Rundowns Save You're taking on Villanova on
Sunday at noon. Paul's about to jump on a plane.

(51:57):
It's good to have you. How are you, hey?

Speaker 8 (52:00):
I appreciate you having me on. Though you have the
rebound Rundown. It's not just a Xavier podcast. It's it's Daddy, Nku, Dayton, Kentucky, Loisille,
all of them. So I appreciate having me on talking
a little hoops. And you know, I think you make
a great point there, Moe. About this game on Sunday
with Villanova and the Eagles playing right there and then
the super Bowl and everything else. I'm really interested to
see what this crowd is. I was talking to somebody

(52:21):
from Villanova last night about it and trying to get
a vibe of, you know, what this might look like.
And I think, you know that that could be one
subtle little thing that's an advantage for Xavier on Sunday.

Speaker 1 (52:31):
The games at noon, the super Bowls at six thirty,
what are those folks gonna be. They're going to be
doing something fun. So go to the basketball game from
a Xavier perspective. Short, if the place is half full
because everybody has an Eagles fever, that's okay too.

Speaker 8 (52:45):
Sure, absolutely absolutely, it's a game Xavier desperately need.

Speaker 1 (52:50):
Are you you're mister college basketball. Are you do you
do a bracketology? Do you do bracketology? Do you do
a bracket projection? Are you one of these guys that
tries to pick what the field is going to be
and do it Week's Album four Selection Sunday?

Speaker 8 (53:02):
So I'm not one of the guys that actually goes
and does it MO, but I do get into it.
I like knowing what the bubble is, especially around here
with you know, Xavier Cincinnati competing for NANCYAA tournament spot
right now and trying to get in. I do a
lot of interviews with them. I've hosted shows about it,
and I think it's interesting trying to you know, you
get down to it, a razor's edge, what separates each
team trying to get in? And definitely a lot of

(53:24):
arguments to be made on both sides for all these teams.
And you know, Xavier's certainly playing their way into the
tournament right now, and they got to keep that momentum
going forward.

Speaker 1 (53:32):
How sinn is their margin for error? What could they
be allowed to lose and still have more than a
puncher's chance when they go to New York.

Speaker 8 (53:40):
You know, That's what I've been trying to figure out
from a lot of these tracketologists in the last week
is what is Xavier's magic number here? And with eight
games remaining, you'd like to think that the magic number
is probably seven. I think that Xavier winning seven of
their last eight games puts them in a great spot
to make the NCAA tournament. Obviously, winning all eight you

(54:03):
would be comfortably in you might even avoid playing in Dayton.
But if you win seven of the eight, I still
think you're going to find yourself on the right side
of the bubble. The difference for Xavier right now, MO
is that you're playing a lot of games that aren't
necessarily must wins. There can't lose games, right There are
games that if you lose, they're going to detract from
the resume that you've tried to build up until this point.

(54:24):
Whereas if you look at what Xavier doesn't have in
front of them, seven of their most difficult eight games
in the Big East have already happened. So from that perspective,
you're trying to say to yourself, Okay, don't lose to
Seaton Hall, don't lose to DePaul, don't lose some of
these games that you need to win just to keep
getting by. Don't know, is the last Quad one opportunity

(54:47):
for Xavier this season? Feeling this one on the road
would be a huge bonus for their resumes.

Speaker 1 (54:52):
All right, So go back to the first game. Everybody
remembers Ryan Conwell in the second half with twenty eight.
What I remember about that night beyond that, and that's
the headline was, you know, Eric Dixon had a productive game,
but it was a quiet game. I thought they did
a good job on him. I'm interested to see if
that defensive performance can be replicated on Sunday.

Speaker 8 (55:11):
Yeah, I think that's a great point. He was six
for sixteen from the field. He wasn't very efficient. He
was three for thirteen inside the arc. Mad couple threes,
but he was three for thirteen inside the arc, which
tells me that Zavier did a great job, you know,
whether it was a double or just straight up defensively.
One thing that Xavier has gotten a lot out of
this year is the defense from Zach Fremantle. We talked

(55:34):
so much of the last five years that Fremantle has
played college basketball that his defense has been something that's
really held him back. And this year he's completely changed
that narrative. So on Sunday, can you get you know,
good post defense, good work down there around the basket
on Eric Dixon, can you keep him inefficient like you

(55:55):
did at Syntas, And then can you get that guard
play from Xavier that maybe if Dante Maddox, who had
a couple of threes the other night against Georgetown, somebody
to step up at Jerome Hunter, somebody that isn't in
that starting group to make a name for themselves on Sunday.

Speaker 1 (56:11):
You know, for a while with this team, as you know,
Paul Frischner a rebound rundown on the Shawn Miller Podcast,
it felt like there was no one you could really
count on offensively. I feel like that player's emerged. And
Dalen Swain's that guy. We talked about what he does
on the defensive end. But but does does Shawn Miller
finally have somebody this season that, at least from a
scoring standpoint, he could hang his hat on.

Speaker 8 (56:33):
He's, i believe, scored in double figures in eight of
his last ten games, if not nine of his last eleven,
and him being aggressive to the basket has opened up
so many other opportunities for guys on the perimeter. You know,
defense has to get drawn in. He can kick it out,
he can actually finish, he can score. You're seeing him
actually get to the basket more instead of just you know,

(56:55):
maybe that little crossover, jab step, whatever it might be,
and then the cycle the ball around the pre and
then the shot clock gets down and you have to
take a contestant shot. I think you know, Dalen's not
you your three point shooter, right, He's not somebody that's
going to go out there and knock down a bunch
of shots in the perimeter. But if he's consistently scoring
in the mid teams, that's going to open up so

(57:17):
many other things for this Xavier offense. It's going to
alleviate a lot of pressure for Xavier. And then can
Ryan Conwell yet, can he attract some of the best
perimeter defenders and start to knock down some more shots.
You're right, the thirty four that he had against Villanova,
most of that, almost all of it came in the
second half. I think, you know, if there's one thing

(57:38):
Villanova will remember from that game, it's what Ryan Conwell
did to them in the final twenty minutes. So Dalen
Swain being able to emerge has really helped Xavier here.

Speaker 1 (57:48):
They've got a Q one opportunity on Sunday. Obviously, the
Creighton game is going to be tough. We've seen firsthand
how good the Blue Jays are, at least offensively. Among
the other games, many of what Xavier's going to be
where's the potential landmine?

Speaker 8 (58:03):
Yeah, I think the two that I'm looking at mo
are at Providence and at Butler. And for two reasons.
One the Providence game next week you're going to Villanova
and then seventy two hours later you got to go
to Providence. I know Providence is really injury ridden right now.
They're having a bunch of problems with what they're trying
to do. Bright Hopkins hasn't played much at all this year.

(58:23):
He's out for the season. They just bought a couple
other guys for a while, so they are having their
own issues as far as injuries go. But still that's
a difficult place to play. That's one that you kind
of look at. And then the second one Butler, that's
in mid March. That's the last regular season game for Butler.
They have a bye week going into the Big East Tournament,

(58:44):
so that senior night at Hinklefield House, and yeah, they
might not have a lot to play for at that point.
Their season will probably you know, effectively be wrapped up
outside of maybe winning the Big East Tournament. But for Butler,
you know, that's a rivalry game from their side that
they care a lot about. That will be a big
game for them that I circle to say, Providence and

(59:05):
Butler would be the two on the road that you think, Okay,
get one of those and you're feeling pretty good, especially
getting that Butler game at the end to continue having
some momentum into the Big East Tournament.

Speaker 1 (59:16):
I know you got to play in to catch man.
I appreciate you squeezing us in.

Speaker 8 (59:19):
Thanks so much, absolutely mo, thanks for having me on anytime.

Speaker 1 (59:24):
You got it, mister college basketball, Paul Frishner. The Rebound
Rundown is excellent, which is not just as you mentioned,
not just a Xavier pod, also a part of the
Sean Miller podcast and all over the Xavier basketball program.
That game at noon on Sunday live on seven hundred
wl W gonna be a busy, busy weekend of college basketball.

(59:46):
Will run through some of the games I do have.
I've got some Super Bowl props that I that I
want to share with you, that I want to share
with you. I know we don't do lots of the
night on since three six anymore, but I do have some,
and they're like football to be honestly as fun as
I think. A lot of the props are that are

(01:00:07):
non gain, that are broadcast related tailors with Kendrick Lamar
commercials and all that stuff. You know, those I don't
really dabble in those all that much. I I'll go
with the anthem because this year I for what's basically
a fifty to fifty bet you can get one at
plus odds, So that probably where I go with my money.

(01:00:28):
But I kind of stick to the game itself, and
there's a few in this game that I think are
really interesting. So not that there's a huge huge demand
for my prop picks, but I do got a few.
I do got a few quick thought on last night,
which made me sad among others. Next on ESPN fifteen thirty,

(01:00:54):
Cincinnati Sports.

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Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from.

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on Writing Road. You'll find police activity over at Paddock Road.
Use caution throughout that area at ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 1 (01:01:31):
This report Sports headlines are a service of Kelsey Chevrolet,
Home of lifetime powertrain protection and guaranteed credit approval from
their family to yours for life, Kelsey chev dot com.
Joe Burrow still wants t Higgins to play for the
Bengals next year. Uh, which you know is not news,

(01:01:56):
but I guess it's it's worth repeating. No real major
Bengals news today, No real major Reds news today either.
Pictures and catchers. I I could be really hokey about
a lot of things. I am really hokey when it
comes to like people talk about, like the best four

(01:02:16):
words in the English language are pictures and catchers. Report.
I agree with that. Like it is it is impossible
you could tell me the Reds are gonna go ohen
One's sixty two and have like facts and stats to
back that up. On the day pictures and catchers report,
I don't want to hear it like if you are,
and maybe a little bit less so because baseball just

(01:02:38):
doesn't have the same grasp on the imagination of people
as it did when I was a kid. But like
my dad used to chart that when I was growing up,
like you know, like right after Christmas, he'd start telling me.
And spring training started later back then, but he used
to start telling me, like how many days tell pictures
and catchers report, And that first day it was like, man,
it's here. And I, even as a guy in my

(01:02:59):
mid four I cling to that. So I can't wait.
I can't wait for those like dispatches from Arizona, and
some of them are so cliche, you know, players who
are in the best shape of their lives and it's
you know, optimism of bounds. And this year it's going
to be all about the new vibe with Terry Francona,
and I'm I'm a sucker for all of that. And

(01:03:19):
every sport has some version of that, but I am
a sucker for that stuff when it comes to baseball,
and specifically the Reds College basketball Indiana has made it official.
Mike Woodson is going to be stepping down at the
end of the season at IU. So there you go.
College hoops. Tonight, Dayton's taking on VCU at seven o'clock

(01:03:42):
tomorrow you see battles BYU. The Bearcats lost by twenty
eight points against BYU. Tony Pike asked me about the
Bearcats being favored in this game tomorrow night. Look, BYU
shot the lights out, but Cincinnati's defense was complicit. Now
BYU offensively was terrific that night. I'm curious, like said

(01:04:04):
it a bunch of times, what type, what brand of
basketball do we see tomorrow night? What brand? Not necessarily
how well do they play? They're gonna have to play well,
not do they win the game? We obviously want them
to win. What brand of basketball? Is it free loose, easy,
free wheeling or is it stagnant? And you know they

(01:04:28):
did win the other night, But I said going into
the game last week, the crowd was going to be interesting.
The crowd. Does the crowd feed off the team revise versa?
The crowd fed off the team and booed. And so
that's three home games now where folks have expressed loudly
their dissatisfaction with what the Bearcats are putting on the floor.
Does that continue or can the Bearcats get a needless

(01:04:49):
to say, badly needed home win. I've made a big
deal about their home games. If they win these next
two home games, I'll start to entertain stuff like bracketology
and bubble Watch six o'clock. That game is live on
seven hundred WLW. It is It's pretty interesting. We were
talking before about fatal flaws with football and the Kansas

(01:05:11):
City Chiefs. We do this in basketball too, And even
when Kentucky was rolling earlier in the season, there are
a lot of folks who wondered, like, all right, is
are their defensive issues going to catch up to them?
They gave up ninety eight points on the road to
a good Old Miss team. But ninety eight points to
Old Miss? What Ole Miss did the other night? I

(01:05:32):
have never seen this. I've never seen a team have
one turnover and twenty four assists, they shoot fifty four
percent from the field. They did whatever they wanted. Kentucky
offensively was fine. Offense is not an issue for Mark
Pope's team, but you know, it's it's interesting for a
team that has been, you know, ranked all season long
that has been to the top ten, has been talked

(01:05:53):
about as a bona fide Final four team. They're four
and five in the SEC, and the SEC is awesome
this year, but chances are they're not going to be
five and five. South Carolina has yet to win a
game this year, but boy, things will bottom out if
they do fall to the game Cocks. Kentucky has Tennessee
in their building next week, and then they've got a
road game against Texas, which is not having a great season.

(01:06:17):
Kentucky and South Carolina tomorrow at noon. We just chated
with Darren Horn. NKU has its homecoming game. The Norse
have won two straight games. Norris played Robert Morris tomorrow,
first time these two teams played. Robert Morris wins the
game by four, ninety seven to ninety three. Miami battles
Troy tomorrow. We had Travis Steele on the show yesterday.

(01:06:38):
If you missed that conversation, you can go get it
on the iHeartRadio app or on my page at ESPN
fifteen thirty dot com. Mike Woodson will be on the
sideline for Indiana tomorrow. They are hosting twenty fourth rated
Michigan Mike Woodson. It's interesting like people talk about like
well and his nil is bigger and better, and Mike

(01:07:02):
Woodson has led the transformation of Indiana basketball through a
different era of college basketball. I'm a New York Knicks fan,
and I really like Mike Woodson. He won a playoff
series with the Knicks in twenty thirteen that always seem
like a bit of a bizarre fit. It's bottomed down

(01:07:23):
here recently. They've lost six out of seven. The statement
from the athletic director is trying to rally Hoo's your
nation around the game tomorrow. We'll see if the team
responds for a one o'clock tip off against the Wolverines
on Sunday. At Xavier taking on Villanova, Paul Frisch and
I were just talking about this Nova had Xavier on

(01:07:44):
the ropes in the game here about three weeks ago.
What I liked about what Xavier did that night and
has carried forward for much of the game since. Maybe
Creton being an exception, was the job that Xavier did
on Eric Day. If you're a UC fan, you saw
firsthand what he could do. We'll see if that stellar

(01:08:04):
defense have ever continues for the Musketeers at noon on
Sunday on a seven hundred WLW and Ohio State plays
on Sunday afternoon. The Buckeyes coming off a home win
against a pretty decent Maryland team last night. They're on
the road in Lincoln against Nebraska at two o'clock on Sunday.
Hockey Tonight, All eyes in Kansas City this weekend. On

(01:08:25):
this game tonight between the Cyclones and KC puck drops
at seven thirty. I think they're giving away bags tonight downtown.
Those bags the Cyclones have cool looking giveaways. The NFL
Honor Show last night, I'll admit to having not watched
a ton of it. I kinda was going back and
forth between that and some basketball games. I suspected that
Willie Anderson was not going to have his name called,

(01:08:48):
and I didn't watch much of the rest of it.
I think we all believe Joe Burrow was going to
be the name comeback Player of the Year. I think
most of us didn't expect either Trey Hendrickson or Jamar
Chase Burrow Is MVP to win in their respective categories.
I'm disappointed for Willie Anderson. Tony said this to me
before our show. I thought Luke Keigley was going to

(01:09:13):
get in, and maybe maybe first ballot was gonna be
a little much, but I I thought he was going
to get in the Hall of Fame class. You know,
we focus sometimes a little bit too much on who
doesn't get in rather than who does. Antonio Gates is

(01:09:36):
a remarkable story. He was a basketball player at Kent State.
Sterling Sharp's career got cut short. I remember when Sterling
Sharp was the second best wide receiver in the sport,
and he was for a while. When Brett Farre's career
took off, it took off with him throwing passes to
Sterling Sharp. Jared Allen might have made the Hall of
Fame during a two thousand and seven game against the

(01:09:58):
Bengals when he got Levi Jones benched and Eric Allen
is one of the best dbs. It is remarkable the
amount of time it took for him to get into
the Pro Football Hall of Fame. So good for those guys.
I'm disappointed for Willie Anderson, and I am a proponent
of him being in the Hall of Fame. I certainly
subscribe to the belief that he's one of the best.
Right tackles. Ever, Willy has been kind enough to join

(01:10:21):
our show when we've asked, and it is awesome and
a likable guy. A key figure in this franchise is turnaround.
I mean, if you think about how bad the Bengals
were when Willy got drafted, and how bad they were
for the first half of his career, he was one

(01:10:44):
of those players that was still, you know, left over
from the awful years when Marvin Lewis got the thing
turned around in the mid two thousands, and that offensive
line was the main reason why. And he was the
best player on that offensive line in two thousand. I
do subscribe to the belief that if he had the
same exact career, just in terms of what he did

(01:11:07):
for a higher profile team, he would be in Canton.
I have listened to the players that he has played
against to vouch for him. I have listened to people
who have looked at his career through an advanced analytics
lens that would say that have said he belongs in Canton.
And I just think it'd be cool to have another

(01:11:27):
Bengals player in Canton along with Anthony Munoz and Ken Riley.
And so i'm i'm I feel for Anthony for Willie Anderson.
I guess he still has a chance. Here's and this
is just me, and this might point to my laziness
more than anything. I love good hall of Fame to be.
The Baseball Hall of Fame I think triggers the most debates.

(01:11:52):
Number One, every player can be measured statistically. An offensive
lineman maybe not as much. But also the Baseball Hall
of Fame process, the selection, the election process is pretty
easy to understand. There are rules I don't like, like
I think if you want to vote for thirteen players,
you should be allowed to vote for thirteen players. Instead,
you can only check ten names on your ballot. But

(01:12:14):
it's still a pretty cut and dry process, right. And
anybody who even remotely follows the Baseball Hall of Fame
could tell you there are a certain amount of ballots
out there. If seventy five percent of those ballots have
this name checked, that guy gets to Cooperstown. It's pretty
cut and dry. I have been following the NFL my

(01:12:35):
entire life. I love a good football Hall of Fame
to be. I'll be honest with you if you put
a gun to my head and said, explain how the
Pro Football Hall of Fame selection process works. I would
be dead within a minute because I couldn't do it.
Now I get it. I can look it up. I've
talked with people who have been in the room. Jeff

(01:12:57):
Hobson and I have had conversations about this, and it
might be reflective of my lack of attentiveness, or my laziness,
or just genuine lack of interest in finding out how
the sausage is made. What's frustrating, Like I Barry Larkin's
my all time favorite Reds player, right, and for a
couple of years he wasn't in the Hall of Fame.

(01:13:19):
I at least went okay, fine, like this percentage of
people didn't vote for him, right, And he got this
many votes the first go round, this many votes the
second go round. Eventually he's going to get in, and
obviously he ultimately did with Willie Anderson. I don't know
this year. We just did the Baseball Hall of Fame
voting a couple of weeks ago, Carlos Beltran. I guess

(01:13:41):
everybody believes now he is going to get it. We
did this with Scott Rolling a couple of years ago,
where his vote total climb to the point that you
could say, like, all right, he's going to get in
Pro Football Hall of Fame. I have no idea. And
so part of the disappointment for me is the process.
And again this might be more reflection to me than
anything else. The process is not as easy to understand.

(01:14:05):
And when the process isn't as easy to understand, the
results are for me at least a little bit more
difficult to accept. If your guy doesn't get into Cooper's
town like I, the results might be tough to accept.
But the process is pretty cut and dry. It's not
hard to figure out this. It feels like it's it's

(01:14:28):
secretive and guy's got to make the case for you.
And just how about this man? Just put the dude's
name on a ballot and vote and do it like baseball,
and and and and again. I'm I'm certainly willing to
admit that the process is maybe not as complex as
I'm making it out to be. And I'm just lazy

(01:14:51):
and stupid. But trust me, those those words have been
thrown at me before, and they have been they have fit.
But I was watching my wife and I were kind
of watching it and some other stuff, and I was
explaining to her, Willy Anderson and why I wanted him
to get in, and then I tried to explain the
process and I totally lost her interest. Also maybe a

(01:15:13):
reflection of me. I just wish the process was a
little bit more cut and dry, and I wish today
we were talking about Willy Anderson getting a Canton instead
of having to wait for at least another year. It
is twelve away from five o'clock. We'll take some phone
calls coming up here shortly. And a few more thoughts
on Joe Burrow putting the onus on himself. Were at

(01:15:34):
Twin Peaks in Westchester on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 5 (01:15:38):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 4 (01:15:43):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center. Heart disease is
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(01:16:06):
Police there on the scene and police activity at Reading
Road and Paddock Road. Use caution or avoid the area.
I'm at Ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 1 (01:16:16):
This report is go eight away from five o'clock. This
is ESPN fifteen thirty. I'm leger, let's do it here,
Mike still waiting on hold tern All right, Mike, go ahead.
You're on ESPN fifteen thirty. How are you, Mike? Mike?

(01:16:38):
Are you there? See see where we go to you?
You gotta be ready, Mike one more time? Well hopefully
Mike is okay. All right, I'm gonna do it. I'm
gonna do it. Are you ready? We've got our guy
from a bed online coming up in what thirty five
minutes or so? The game on Sunday. I like Philly.

(01:17:03):
I think Philly's gonna win the game by ten points,
and I'm maybe gonna take a nibble on betting on
exact victory margagin margin for Philly. But I like the Eagles.
Like Sirianni, there are a couple of wagers I like.
This to me is one that if you think Kansas
City is gonna win, I think you should hammer this.
But I like it even though I think Philly's gonna win.

(01:17:25):
Patrick Mahomes over five and a half rushing attempts to
mind you if you think they're gonna win, and all right,
they're gonna have the ball last and be leading. Then
neil downs count as rush attempts. We saw design runs
in the AFC Championship game. I think we see more
of them. Plus there are scrambles. I'll go mahomes over
five and a half rushing attempts. I think Xavier Worthy

(01:17:45):
has a productive game over sixty two and a half
receiving and rushing yards. And obviously you can find other
numbers with better value there. This is interesting to me.
Jalen Hurts two touchdowns plus six hundred. He had three
teens against Washington. Is he gonna have three again? Probably not,

(01:18:05):
but you can get that at plus twenty eight hundred
right now at Fianduel. I think Devonte Smith has a
huge game, and I know people are all over this.
I share what the public is thinking. The reception total
all week long has been close to sixty two and
a half sixty three and a half. It has been
bumped up at many books. I just went ahead and

(01:18:26):
raised it, bought it at seventy plus yards. I think
Philly's game plan, the Kansas City's game plan is going
to be to essentially force Jalen Hurts to throw. When
they do, I think the plan for Philly is to
avoid McDuffie, and so they throw the ball to Devonte
Smith and I think he clears this number. I bet
on overtime every year. Every year it doesn't hit, except

(01:18:47):
it did last year. If you think this game is
going to be close, the value is insane. I also
think the value is ridiculous on an octopus. Now, an
octopus is player scores a touchdown, his team goes for two.
That same player who scored the touchdown scores the two
point conversion. Chances are you know this. Jalen Hurts had

(01:19:11):
one of these in the Super Bowl two years ago.
You can buy any player to record an octopus, and
it's got to be in the same sequence. It can't be.
He scored a touchdown and then in the next quarter
they go for two after another touchdown and he gets it.
That's not an octopus, it's it's the eight point sandwich together.
You can buy any player to record an octopus at

(01:19:32):
plus ten forty at FanDuel dot Com slash Mo. You
can get Saquon Barkley octopus plus two thousand. You can
get Jalen Hurts octopus plus two thousand. You can get
a Travis Kelcey octopus plus ten thousand. You can get
a Patrick Mahomes octopus, which I enjoy saying. You can
tell I enjoy saying the word octopus. You can get

(01:19:55):
a Patrick Mahomes octopus at plus twenty five thousand. That's
just a few. Imagine what I give you if we
did Locks of the Weekend a couple of minutes away
from five o'clock. Five one, three, seven, four nine fifteen
thirty is our phone number, and eight sixty six seven
oh two three seven seven six works as well. Joe

(01:20:20):
Burrow has I think he's done with the media tour.
He went on all the shows yesterday. He won the
Comeback Player of the Year award. Uh. This guy is
putting the onus on himself and I like it. We'll
discuss next on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 2 (01:20:34):
Now your chance to win one thousand dollars. Enter this
nationwide keyword on our website.

Speaker 1 (01:20:40):
Money. That's money. Enter it now, money. What's up? It's
five oh five. It's uh five oh five on a
Friday afternoon. This is ESPN fifteen thirty on Moleger, thank
you so much for joining us. We are broadcasting today
from Twin Peaks in Westchester, home of the Toni and
Football Show. We will be back this fall. This today

(01:21:03):
is not the Tony and Mo Football Show by my wee,
not by myself. My guy Mike Mills is here, but
I needed a Twin Peaks fix, so we are here.
It is a great sports weekend with the Super Bowl
on Sunday, lots of college basketball happening this weekend, so
much going on. We are here for another hour. If
you have not yet been to Twin Peaks, I don't

(01:21:24):
know what you've been waiting for. The one here in
Westchester is right off I seventy five. Get off at
Union Center Boulevard and you're here in seconds. There's also
obviously a location in Florence that we love as well.
I want to thank the staff here at Twin Peaks
for having us great food. I usually get the meatball skillet,
which I recommend. I wanted. I was just craving their

(01:21:46):
chicken tenders, so I got their chicken tenders. But the
menu is awesome and the top notch beer selection, lots
of bourbon, lots of fun so Twin Peaks, Westchester. Great
place to hang out this weekend and if you're in
the area, we'll be here into till six o'clock tonight. Uh,
we've we've had a lot, We've had some some college hoops.
We've we've kind of been all over the place. I

(01:22:07):
want to mention something really quick. We did yesterday. So
Rob Manford is starting to talk about the expiration of
Baseball CBA at the end of the twenty twenty sixth season,
and there are growing calls for a salary cap. We've
had the new owners of the Baltimore Orioles say, Man,
we wish as there was a salary cap. We've seen

(01:22:27):
the conversation get kicked in the hyper drive in the
aftermath of Juan Soto signing his deal with with the
New York Mets and with the Dodgers have spent in
free agency this this offseason. It's it's been something that
has been talked about for decades now, Baseball taking on
a salary cap. And Rob Manford, I give him credit,

(01:22:48):
been a frequent critic of the Baseball Commissioner. But one
thing that that he did say, which I think was
important is uh, you know, he he He talked about
there maybe being other ways to solve this problem if

(01:23:08):
you believe there is one, and I think there is
the financial inequities in the sport. Rob Manford said quote,
I'm a huge believer in the idea that there are
always multiple solutions to a particular set of concerns. There's
a good piece on this in The Athletic from Ken Rosenthal,
and he actually comes up with other ideas. And baseball
is in a really weird place. The sport's doing really

(01:23:33):
well right now. Like the pitch clock has been awesome.
Like I cannot find a baseball fan, even those who
are skeptical, that doesn't love the pitch clock. The games move.
If you care about length of game, they're shorter. Like
the pitch clock has been really, really good. It feels
like most fans have embraced the added playoff team per league.

(01:23:56):
I'm not nuts about it because I still think it
really waters down the regular zee. And I still think
we don't need owners trying to build eighty nine win teams.
I think they should be trying to build one hundred
win teams. But it feels like fans have bought in.
Attendance is up regular season TV ratings are up. It
feels like the sport isn't a really good place right now,

(01:24:19):
and we always haven't been able to say that. And look,
it's it's not gonna be what it was in the
seventies and eighties. It's gonna lag behind football, but so
is everything and not just sports in this country. But
it feels like baseball itself isn't a really good place.
Many believe, and I'm one of them, that if baseball
really wants a salarycap, that it's gonna have to win

(01:24:41):
a game of chicken with the players and essentially say
we're putting the sport on pause and we're not restarting
it until you agree to a cap. We've had strikes,
we've had lockouts, like the owners always cave. But the
way you stop all the positive momentum of the is
to take it away in an environment where there's never

(01:25:04):
been more options for your eyeballs and for your attention
and for your entertainment dollar boy, out of sight, out
of mind. And so on one hand, you might say, yeah,
to get a salary cap, the sport's going to have
to go away, but at what cost if you go away, Like,
who's not going to come back. So I think there's
some really interesting conversations that are going to be had.

(01:25:24):
And I'm a little wonky when it comes to this stuff,
but I live in a small market. I'm a fan
of a small market team, and so here there's a
great desire to see a more level playing field than
we have right now as it relates to the Reds
and Milwaukee and Pittsburgh and the quote bigger market teams,
not quote bigger market teams, the bigger market teams. So
we'll see if there's a cap one day. Now. Philosophically,

(01:25:47):
I've always kind of been anti cap. I think one
thing you could offer to the players is earlier free agency.
But just imagine if we had earlier free agency. We're
now talking about Elie de la Cruz being able to
leave after two years two years from now, right, Like,
you know, can you imagine how cool it would be
to have T Higgins for another year? Well, the NFL
free agency happens after four years, and there's franchise tags

(01:26:09):
and stuff like that. Baseball it's after six and so
there is a give and take to that. But what's
interesting to me, though, is is this proponents of a
salary cap, and I am one of them because I'm
interested in seeing if it really would level the playing field,
so to speak. I asked this on Twitter yesterday, pull

(01:26:32):
questions on the show or service of United Heartland Insurance,
which they could save you a lot of money on
your home insurance, your business insurance, your car insurance, you
name it. Go to uh I NS dot com. People
talk about salary caps and well, we need to put
one in so we can achieve parity. Maybe there's something

(01:26:53):
to that. But I asked this on Twitter yesterday, which
of these leagues do you most associate with parody, The NFL,
the NBA, or Major League Baseball. Eighty one point three
percent said the NFL, eight point seven percent said the NBA,

(01:27:13):
ten percent Baseball. The NFL strives for parody. It's done
such a good job that we have the Kansas City
Chiefs and the Super Bowl for the fifth time in
six years. Now, you might say that's a little bit
of an outlier, but it's still a team in the
super Bowl for the fifth time in six years, a
team that has played in seven consecutive AFC Championship games.
And maybe that's, you know, because of the quarterback they have,

(01:27:35):
but other teams have really good quarterbacks as well. We're
getting the same Super Bowl matchup for the second time
in three years. We just got done with the new
England Patriots dynasty. So what's interesting to me about this
is folks will say, and this is where you're gonna
have to convince players, like, hey, we need parody. Well,
in baseball, we haven't had a repeat champion in over

(01:27:57):
a quarter century. Like we haven't had a repeat a
team win the World Series in consecutive years, and over
a quarter century. We have an added playoff team per league,
so more teams make the postseason. Now, I think that's
a safety net for big market teams, but it is
theoretically never been easier to make the playoffs. We rarely
have repeat champions, we don't have repeat World Series matchups. Baseball,

(01:28:19):
you might argue over the last quarter century, as the
economic gap between teams has widened, there's never been more parody.
And so one of the arguments you're going to have
with the players is going to be like, well, we
need salary cap for parody's sake. I think those players
are going to say, yeah, we already have it. In fact,
we have it. Better relative to some of the other sports.

(01:28:41):
I just I think that's interesting. Eighty one percent associate
the NFL with parody, and by the way, I do too,
But in reality, baseball is enjoying a level of parody
that it has not been quite a while. And I again,
I would like to see baseball at least change part
of its financial structure. But I think a fight is ahead.
And he got to be careful about picking a fight

(01:29:03):
with baseball players because they do not back down, and
if you end up missing games, you could undo a
lot of the really positive momentum that baseball has built
over the last couple of years. You're gonna hear James
Rapeena and I coming up in a bit on the
Bengals and Joe Burrow. We've discussed Burrow and Tea, I

(01:29:23):
think from every conceivable angle, and I'm gonna guess with
the Super Bowl on Sunday and then they're being kind
of a quiet period relatively speaking, and then the draft
process kicking in the gear, I'm gonna guess that we've
at least for a while, have heard the last from

(01:29:45):
Joe Burrow, specifically on the topic of t Higgins and
a possible extension and what he wants with T. Higgins
could be dead wrong about that, and so now I
think as it relates to the Bengals giving Joe what
he wants, we're kind of in the wait and see

(01:30:06):
stage of this, waiting for the calendar to flip, waiting
for the new league year to begin, waiting to see
what happens with t waiting to see what sort of
market there is, waiting to see what sort of offers
he gets. And your guess is as good as mine.
I have chatted with people whose opinions I really trust
and who are in the know, who will say they

(01:30:28):
believe T is gonna resign, and I have chatted with
people whose opinions I trust, who are really in the know,
who say that they don't think T is gonna resign.
So I think it's anybody's guess. I want them to
do it, Joe Burrows Way. First of all, I think
you can have a really good team next year and
use the off season to make next year's team better

(01:30:53):
while still paying T Higgins. And I'm open minded about
an extension for Trey Hendrickson as well. I think you
can accomplish these goals of giving Joe what he wants
and fixing your team. I like the idea of putting
the pressure on Joe Burrow. Joe Burrow entered this league
already with a lot of pressure. That's inherent when you're

(01:31:14):
the number one overall pick. It's really inherent when you're
being asked to revive or even save a franchise, and
Joe has always seemed like he's up to that task.
But I'm okay with putting the pressure and putting the
onus on your franchise. QB, who's making you know, all

(01:31:37):
said over a quarter of a billion dollars, And so
to me, if you give Joe what he wants, which
is t getting a thing done with Jamar Trey Hendrickson,
even to a degree, Mike Kasikio, though, I feel like
that's a lower priority for Joe as well as for
the Bengals than those other guys. Then suddenly it's on Joe,

(01:31:58):
and suddenly the onus is completely on him. We're doing
it your way. Like I think in any field, if
you if you if you go to your bosses and
say I need this, this, this and this, and they
give you this, this, this, and this. Now it's on
you and I like that. I think Joe Burrow embraces that.

(01:32:21):
I think he wants that. And so, you know, if
the Bengals aren't going to win a super Bowl while
Joe Burrow is the quarterback, let's be honest, it's more
likely to happen in the next four or five years
than in the following five years. First of all, he's
only under contract for the rest of the decade, and
so this is a really key stretch in his career.
He is ultimately going to be judged by does he

(01:32:42):
win a championship. So do it his way and if
it works, everybody's going to be happy. If it doesn't work, okay,
it's on Joe Burrow. Like then he's going to be
judged by it. And how we do the whole quarterback
discussion thing is going to be framed by whether or
not he wins with the team doing it his way.

(01:33:03):
I like him taking on that pressure. I like him
sort of pointing the arrow at himself. Hey man, I
need this and it's on me if we can't win
with what i'd I love that dynamic. And I think
as much as we talk about him putting the screws
to the Bengals and making them uncomfortable and making them

(01:33:25):
step out of their typical comfort zone. Like I am
all in on the idea that Joe is really putting
the onus on himself. Now, if they don't give him
what he wants, then it's all right. We didn't do
it my way. Now we do it your way, and
I'll do my best to get it done your way.
But if it doesn't get done your way, it's kind

(01:33:46):
of on you, which is sort of where we are
right now with the Bengals. Right Bengals didn't make the
playoffs this year. Season was a massive disappointment. Nobody is
nor should they be, blaming Joe Burrow. So let's do
it his way. Let's do it his way and see
if he is up to the task that the Bengals
are paying him to be up to. And let's see

(01:34:08):
if he can handle the onus. Let's see if he
can handle the pressure, and let's see how accountable he'll
be held if it doesn't work out. So we'll see.
We're not done talking about this, but I guess, at
least for a while, Joe is eighteen minutes after five
o'clock on ESPN fifteen thirty five point three, seven four
nine fifteen thirty is our phone number. Good stuff Earlier

(01:34:32):
Today with Darren Horne. Will have that podcast for you
on the iHeartRadio app. Anything you miss on this show
you can find on the iHeartRadio app or the podcast
page of ESPN fifteen thirty dot com. It is nineteen
minutes after five o'clock. We're at Twin Peaks in Westchester
on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 5 (01:34:51):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Traffic from the.

Speaker 4 (01:34:57):
UC Health Traffic Center. Heart disease is the lead cause
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the experts at UCE help for innovative and personalized heartcare.
Expect more at uchelp dot com. Northbound seventy one seventy
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(01:35:18):
Highway with a thirty two minute delay and on Kemper
Road you'll find an accident over at US twenty seven
that he's an like with traffic.

Speaker 7 (01:35:27):
This report is sponsor you by.

Speaker 1 (01:35:28):
He is playing a preseason match against the Philadelphia Union
as we speak, and eight minutes in Philly has a
one nothing lead. Yesterday on the show, Laurel Failure from
the Queen City Press joined us. She had the story
about Lucho Acosta, kind of unloading on Chris Albright, the
team's general manager. Good stuff from Laurel. Akindact Joe Burrow

(01:35:51):
not just campaigning for what he wants, but like rolling
Duke Tobin out of the bus. If you miss that conversation,
go get it on the iHeartRadio app. Also on the
podcast page of ESPN fifteen thirty dot com. Coming up
in just about twenty minutes, we'll take a look at
some interesting Super Bowl props, exotics, maybe some of the

(01:36:12):
non game stuff as well, with the brand manager from
bed online. Looking forward to that conversation. Follow me on
social media at moegar. Thanks to our friends at Delta Dental.
Delta Dental is building healthy, smart, vibrant communities for all.
Good to Delta Dental, Oh dot com. Don't forget tomorrow.
We have UK basketball, the Wildcats taking on South Carolina

(01:36:35):
on ESPN fifteen thirty, part of a busy weekend of
college hoops in the area. Pretty much everybody in action.
There's one area team in action tonight with a Dayton
taking on VCU. We'll talk Joe Burrow, t Higgins, Trey Hendrickson,
and maybe even a little draft with our guy James Rapine. Next,
we're broadcasting from a Twin Peaks in Westchester on ESPN

(01:36:57):
fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 5 (01:36:58):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 4 (01:37:03):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center. Heart disease is
the leading cause of death in the US. If you're
at risk, trusts the experts at U. See help for
innovative and personalized heartcare. Expect more at ucehealth dot com.
Northbound seventy one seventy five, the center lane is blocked
off from a disabled vehicle on the Brent Spence Bridge.

(01:37:25):
You're looking at an hour delay right now back from
Buttermilk Pike on Kemper Road. It's an accident on the
entrance ramp from southbound US twenty seven. I'm at Ezelk
with traffic.

Speaker 1 (01:37:35):
This reporter. We're at Tuxwood Peaks in Westchester till six
o'clock ESPN fifteen thirty. Boegger. We thank you the staff
here at Twin Peaks for having this home with the
Toniamo Football Show. Which I already can't wait for this
fall and typically the first Tonya Moo Football show James
Jane fills in for Tony. James is with us. Now
Enter the Jungle, locked on Bengals podcast Bengals Talk dot

(01:37:58):
Com on a whole slew of different Bengals off season topics.
You know you wrote that book a couple of years ago.
Entered the Jungle. See you're a book author. You actually
I think could write a book on this Bengals off season.

Speaker 7 (01:38:14):
Oh, I probably could, And honestly, I should be able
to write it now because what the Bengals do should
be very predictable. And I'm serious, it should be very
easy to predict. Now. Maybe you get some of those
you don't know the draft picks yet, it's in their positions,
you don't know exactly who they're going to sign in

(01:38:35):
free agency, but what they do with their own guys,
it should be very very predictable.

Speaker 1 (01:38:40):
Though, I feel like there's a desire and maybe I'm
guilty of it too, but I kind of feel like
there's we're over complicating this, right, We're over complicating sort
of the basics of the off season, all the stuff
that Joe Burrow was talking about, do you feel the same.

Speaker 7 (01:39:00):
Yes, I don't understand there is no debate for me,
like I know that there has been for some and
you can do that. And by the way, this is
coming from me, the person that loves trades and loves
transactions and loves to making news and loves being aggressive.
And I'm saying, hey, how about you keep what you know,

(01:39:20):
and what you know is your second, third, and fourth
best players on your roster. You need to get paid.
That's what we're talking about here, and in when we
have those discussions, it's like, okay, well, Jamar Chase. Everyone
agrees Jamar Chase should get paid, all right, So he
gets paid, so we don't need to discuss that. And
then you look at Trey Hendrickson, the third best player. Yeah,
he's he's getting up there in age, but he's had

(01:39:41):
had arguably the best season of his career, is still
extremely productive, and the defense was awful around him. So
it would be like, oh, could you imaginef Jamar was
thirty and he had Jake Browning throwing him the ball
and he had fifteen hundred plus yards. That's what Trey
Hi just had on this defense. Obviously, you pay him,

(01:40:04):
and T Higgins, well, your your franchise quarterback, loves him,
wants him, and you haven't shown that you can draft
another wide receiver really since Jamar And I'm not trying
to insult everybody that they've drafted since then because I
like those guys. But from a wide receiver two standpoint,
I don't think there's a wide receiver too in the
waiting in the wings. So yeah, pay him, You're not

(01:40:24):
paying anyone else, And so that's that's where I'm at.
I think that the Bengals offseason story, that part of
it should already have been written.

Speaker 1 (01:40:35):
What do you think will happen with T Higgins?

Speaker 7 (01:40:41):
I think T really wants to be in Cincinnati now.
I also think T isn't going to take a twenty
two million dollar on practice day in Cincinnati. He's not
going to take millions and millions off the table. And
to me, the agent change is like the bat signal

(01:41:05):
for the Bengals front office. And the fact that that
happened in line with Joe Burrow on December ninth, after
that Monday night game where no one really expected this
to come up. I mean, I think I think before
that it's probably a month before that if you would
have asked the Bengals and given them truths here and
they said, oh, yes, he's gonna walk in free agency.
Maybe we tag and trade him, but he's not going

(01:41:26):
to be on the team in twenty twenty five. They
don't know how. If you're that front office, you listen
to Joe Burrow and then you also watch what he
did this year. When to me, not by receiving yards
or receptions really closer receptions, but not by receiving yards.
Did he had his best year? But he had the
most touchdowns of his career. Was just a chain mover.

(01:41:49):
I thought he had some really big catches over the
middle and big plays. Was more physical than he's been
over the middle in past years. And he's twenty six
years old. Though, So when I put all that together, like, okay,
let's say he plays twelve games. Well, if you can
give me twelve regular season games and you're good to
go for the playoffs, I'm okay paying you. So I

(01:42:09):
would pay him. I think the best of T. Higgins
is about to happen. I don't think it's happened yet.
I think it's about to happen. And I don't. If
I'm the Bengals, I don't want to see that happen
in another uniform.

Speaker 1 (01:42:21):
What's your best guess as to what the course of
action is with Trey Henderson.

Speaker 7 (01:42:26):
I guess I didn't answer the t Higgins question all
the way. I think they resign him because I'm not
sure how they don't in look show with a straight face.
So there you go. As far as Trey, they've gotten
two deals done with his agent before, and I think
that's a factor here. You get that initial deal done
before he's a superstar or a star. I don't think

(01:42:48):
he's a superstar, but he's a star. And then he
wants to get paid. You give him that one year extension.
So he's gotten two deals done with him. I don't
see how or why both and say, okay, well this
makes sense. And to me, what makes sense say is
all right, well you get a pay raise around around
five to six million dollars a year in that twenty

(01:43:08):
five million dollars per year range. You're under contract this year,
we'll give you a little bit more money this year,
train and we'll we'll sign you for the next two
seasons through twenty twenty seven. That makes a ton of
sense to me. A three year, seventy five million dollar deal.
I think that gets done because I do think that
the Bengals plan on getting all three of these deals done,

(01:43:30):
and No wants to make sure they get done, so
he is not going to be shy publicly when asked
about it, and I don't think he's been shy privately.
My expectation is for Te, Pray and Jamars who all
get done this offseason and part of that mode. Again,
I'm the transaction guy. I'm the guy that for espnfifteen

(01:43:51):
thirty dot com wrote about free agents years and years
and years ago that the Bengals probably never even considered.
Let's think about this now, Let's think about who it's
coming from. This free agent class is not what past
free agent classes have been. There are good players, but
Trey Henderson and T Higgins would be the top two
free agents. Obviously he may hit free agency, they would

(01:44:11):
be the top two. They're your guys. Keep them and
so that's why my expectations are pretty high that they
keep their trio happy and keep all three around.

Speaker 1 (01:44:22):
What do you think Trey Hendrickson's true trade value would be?

Speaker 7 (01:44:27):
I see this is It's so interesting because obviously there's
a defensive end and Trey would probably disagree, but there's
a defensive end that's better than him, that's available, and
he's three hours away, and so Cleveland could say he's
not on their trade market, but he is. And if
you're a team looking for a pass rusher, who would
you rather have, Well, you're certainly going after Miles over

(01:44:50):
Tray And that's no insult that to Trey. But I
think that the market is kind of held up. If
I'm a team that's really going after and a contender,
let's say the Lions, Well, if you can get Miles Garrett,
and it takes a little more patience, and it takes
an extra draft tip or two, allow another asset or two,

(01:45:10):
wouldn't you rather have Miles Garrett to try to maximize
what you have? So if you're Trey Hendrickson, I get
to pay me or trade me mantra he had this
week at Radio Row. At the same time, relax with
your card a little bit. I would be careful there
because if the Bengals offer you a fair value, I

(01:45:33):
think the reason you take it is because do you
want to be in limbo? Are you happy in Cincinnati.
Do you want to go through it knowing you're under
contract and how hard you have to push? I mean,
he demanded a trade last year and it lasted like
twelve hours. I mean it would have to get ugly.
I think for the Bengals to truly move him, because
I do think they want to pay him, so as

(01:45:53):
far as value goes, I think they would want a
first round pick. Sure, they're gonna get a first round
pick for Trey. He used to get paid. He's he's
not Mile Garrett. And if you're giving up a first rounder,
you probably want to get Miles Garrett. So I would
say a two, maybe a two and a five, a

(01:46:14):
second rounder and a proven player or something like that.
But I don't think it would be nearly as high
as the Bengals would have won or some same trade
tray think it would be.

Speaker 1 (01:46:24):
Yeah, I I the more I think about it, the
more I agree with that sentiment. James Rapine locked on
Bengals Bengals Talk dot Com Enter the Jungle. Now you know,
and I mean you you you've already addressed this, but
I'm gonna throw tea anyway like you're gonna Folks who
hear this, ago that sounds cool, Then what are you

(01:46:45):
gonna do with the rest of the team.

Speaker 7 (01:46:47):
Yep, yeah, I think that that's to me is such
a to me, that is a very simple answer. Now
to others that they're going to say, oh, well, fifty
five million dollars quarterback, forty million dollar receiver, thirty million
dollar receiver with twenty eight million dollars pass rusher, I mean,

(01:47:08):
it just it doesn't work that way. It doesn't. And
for example, Jamar Chase is it's all about cap Jamarch
State's salary cap number is going to go down the
moment they signed into an extension this year, so they'll
have more money to work with this year. And so
a long story short, without getting in all tall the
cat minutia, they have plenty of cap space after they
cut the Sheldon rankins is and they get rid of

(01:47:29):
the insert whoever you think that they're going to cut.
Maybe it's Alex Kapa, Maybe you think that it's Sam Hubbard.
Maybe you think that Sam Huggard takes our drastic pay
cut in space, they're going to be able to free
up so much money that they should have plenty of
cap space to work with to not only keep that trio,
but to go out there in the free agent market

(01:47:50):
in address guard and address a defense that certainly probably
needs playmakers that at at least the first two levels
defensive line and specific great defensive tech. Well, I think
you're signing a veteran there, and then you might sign
a linebacker who knows what happens with Jermaine Pratt. So
they obviously have some needs. I think they can address
those still feel comfortable cat space wise, and then go

(01:48:14):
into the drafts in a really good spot. But it's
going to take them being aggressive. And I think the
thing that concerns me moo in the past couple of years,
whether it's Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase last year, these extensions
and they didn't get Jamar done. They obviously got Joe done.
They went way too long. It went, they went through

(01:48:35):
free agency and said, all, well, we'll address this, we'll
address this, And to me, it's got to be the
opposite this year. Unless they're going to be comfortable pushing
the limit and free agency ahead of time, you have
to still maximize what you have, and so I think
the way to do that is to try to get
these deals done now and then by the time mid

(01:48:58):
March wolves around, you know exactly what you're looking at
from a cap space standpoint.

Speaker 1 (01:49:03):
Appreciate it. Man, have a great weekend. Thank you so much.

Speaker 7 (01:49:05):
Thanks mom. Sia.

Speaker 1 (01:49:07):
James Arpene, enter the Jungle Bengals Talk dot com and
the Lockdown Bengals podcast and former producer of this show
going back many, many many years. Let's see, we're gonna
chat with the sportsbook manager from bed online about prop
bets and the Super Bowl. Next we're at Twin Peaks
in Westchester on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 3 (01:49:30):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Traffic from the UC Health
Traffic Center. Heart disease is the leading cause of death
in the US. If you're at risk, trusts the experts
at U see help for innovative and personalized heartcare. Expect
more at ucehelp dot com. So our road is closed

(01:49:51):
off due to a fire investigation that between shard and
A drive and US twenty two to three, Please find
an alternate route. In the meantime, I found seventy one
seventy five on the Brent Spence Bridge Center lane blocked
from a disabled vehicle on that he's not like with traffic.

Speaker 1 (01:50:10):
All right, let's talk to Gambling Mason, that online sportsbook
brand manager as we get set for the big games
Superall fifty nine on Sunday. Uh, many of us investing
in Philly. All of is rooting for Philly. But let's
look at some of the prop bets. It's David's good
to have you. How are you?

Speaker 9 (01:50:31):
I'm great, especially since I'm from Philadelphia, so I'm I'm
extra extra great.

Speaker 8 (01:50:36):
A super Bowl man.

Speaker 9 (01:50:37):
Super Bowl Week is always fun, but when the Birds
play it, it makes it even better.

Speaker 1 (01:50:42):
Well on behalf of everybody in Cincinnati. Fly Eagles Fly
that online has well over one thousand props. It's it's
it's been really fun to watch this market explode over
the last decade or so walking through the process us
of creating some of these props.

Speaker 9 (01:51:03):
Yeah, I mean props for the super artist insane. I
started in this industry, you shoot, almost two decades ago,
and I remember we used to pat ourselves on the
back for having three hundred props and now it's well
over a thousand, especially since you can parlay that had
the same game parlays now and it's just it's infintestable.
Though the number of combinations you can make, but the

(01:51:23):
process is pretty After the conference championship games, that's when
we get up the first set. That's more the traditional
stats driven props like over under rushing yards for second
one Barkley, over under passing yards for Patrick Mahomes, all
the players first touchdown, all the stuff that we have
a season's worth of data on, right, So that goes

(01:51:46):
up first.

Speaker 8 (01:51:47):
That's really easy. There's a ton of it, but it's.

Speaker 9 (01:51:49):
Very easy because again we already have the numbers for that.
But then we start digging into the more of the
unique stuff, the exotic stuff, and we start off by
starting an email chain with a bunch of us a
couple of conversations and start comings ideas everything that's obvious
and unique stuff. Taylor Swift is there again, so we're
gonna need props on her, say, Kwon Bartley's birthday, we'll

(01:52:12):
need something on that, and then just all the other
stuff that you always see, the gatorade coin, cost, national anthem, halftime.

Speaker 8 (01:52:18):
Show, et cetera.

Speaker 1 (01:52:19):
So that goes on last week.

Speaker 8 (01:52:21):
By the end of the week, we're putting some of
the stuff up.

Speaker 9 (01:52:23):
We're putting number and then by this Monday, through Wednesday.

Speaker 7 (01:52:27):
The rest of it goes up.

Speaker 9 (01:52:28):
And that's that's the hard part, is just making it live.
It's just such a small, slow, tedious process typing in
all these ideas one by one and make sure that
not only the odds are right, all the wording has
to be on point two so there's no loopholes or
gray areas.

Speaker 1 (01:52:44):
All right, Uh, let's talk about some of the actual
game related props. We'll do Taylor Swift and some of
the other stuff here in a second. What are some
of your favorite props related specifically to the game.

Speaker 9 (01:52:56):
Yeah, Well, like I said, the ones that takes the
most action her are those are those player props like
Sae Kwon Barkley over under one hundred and fourteen and
a half rushing yards that's taking a ton of action.

Speaker 5 (01:53:08):
Mahomes over I believe is.

Speaker 9 (01:53:09):
Two fifty three passing yards. That's taking a ton of action.
Players Squire at first t TD Barkley's taking a lot
of action there, as well as is Jail and Hurts.
People are thinking push Bush coming their way, and then Yeah,
so all that all that stuff that takes takes the
most action, like I said, but the exotic stuff is

(01:53:30):
more funny if you ask.

Speaker 1 (01:53:31):
Me, all right, give me some exotics you like, well
that I like.

Speaker 9 (01:53:39):
The bet or or I like the just that fun
stuff that bet the stuff that a Sharp's beent. No
successful two point conversion minus two sixty five shortest touchdown
under one and a half.

Speaker 7 (01:53:50):
Those aren't two exotics.

Speaker 9 (01:53:51):
No joint on a field goal attempt that got bet
by Sharp's what else Taylor Swift to be shown more
than Travis j and Kelsey rather that got.

Speaker 7 (01:54:01):
Bet puppy ball.

Speaker 9 (01:54:02):
Actually, we have odds on the darn puppy bowl under
two hundred and a half points got bet down by Sharps,
believe it or not, the one hundred and ninety and
a half. As far as this unique crazy stuff, it
goes on and on and on like a J. Brown
reading a book on the on the sideline.

Speaker 1 (01:54:22):
A few weeks ago to what book?

Speaker 7 (01:54:24):
Aj What what book?

Speaker 9 (01:54:26):
Lad Brown reading Love Hurts Buddhist advice for the heartbroke
and is a seven to one favorite? Yeah food mentioned
first and by in relation to Andy reid Hamburger's the
minus two twenty favorite pizzas six to one bunch of
other options there. Uh, Bill Belichick, he was kind of

(01:54:48):
viral last night at the NFL Awards show with the
twenty four year old girlfriend. So he has stuff on
it on their relationship. How can you not to what
what will be bigger the age difference between Belichick and
his girlfriend, which is forty eight years, or the total
points scored in the Super Bowl. Of course, you got
the Gatorade, the coin toss national Anson's getting bet under

(01:55:11):
it's open one hundred and twenty five seconds of down
to one hundred and twenty point five. It just goes
on and on and on.

Speaker 1 (01:55:18):
Uh, the game itself, Dave Mason, bet online sportsbook brand manager,
the game itself. Where at least as as of now
were you and I talk a little bit less than
forty eight hours before kickoff? Where is the public money
going in relations in the line.

Speaker 9 (01:55:33):
Yeah, Casey's Casey's the bet for the public right now.
We're going to need the Eagles. As far as spread
is concerned, it's not two one side. Fifty five percent
of cash is on the Chiefs.

Speaker 1 (01:55:45):
The money line.

Speaker 9 (01:55:46):
We have a big we have a big exposure there
on the chief Sixty four percent of the cash is
on Casey outright. It's currently minus one eighteen.

Speaker 7 (01:55:54):
The total.

Speaker 8 (01:55:55):
We need the under big what is it?

Speaker 9 (01:55:58):
Sixty five percent of the cat is on the over.

Speaker 7 (01:56:00):
The sharps are on the under.

Speaker 9 (01:56:01):
Those sharps hit under fifty, under forty nine and a
half and a little bit under forty nine.

Speaker 1 (01:56:08):
All right, check out bet online. Dave Mason, Sportsbook Brand Manager.
We love the folks at bet online. Hope all your
bets hit. Hope your Eagles win. I appreciate the time man,
thanks so much.

Speaker 7 (01:56:20):
Appreciate you, Thank you very much.

Speaker 1 (01:56:22):
Dave Mason, bet Online Sportsbook Brand Manager. Good stuff. We
are done speaking of good stuff. If you're looking for
a place to watch the game on Sunday, twin Peaks,
we're in Westchester. We've been in Westchester today, but obviously
the Florence location is awesome. TV's all over the place,
terrific menu, awesome staff, great beer selection, killer bourbon selection too.

(01:56:42):
So get on out here this weekend. I none for
the game on Sunday, perhaps from one of the college
basketball games tomorrow. We are back in studio on Monday.
I want to thank Mike Mills for producing on site
and my Terran for producing back in Kenwood. Have a
great weekend and we'll talk to you Monday. Thank you
for listening. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station