3/18/25 - The Mo Egger Radio Show - Mo Egger

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's us.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
What's up.

Speaker 3 (00:00):
It's four minutes after three o'clock. This is ESPN fifteen
thirty Imboegger, thank you for listening.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
We are loaded today.

Speaker 3 (00:09):
Yes, in twenty five minutes, we'll have for you live
unless they have to move it back again. The press
conference from the venue originally known as Paul Brown Stadium.
The Bengals said to make it official officially. They have
just said they're having a news conference. So you know,
they could be discussing anything today, but I think we

(00:29):
all know what the big topic is going to be.
The Bengals about an hour or so ago send out
a social media video that showed t Higgins and Jamar
Chase getting off an airplane and they're here to discuss
their new contracts and a significant event, a significant event,
and we'll have it, have it for you live coming
up at three point thirty. And my guess is this

(00:52):
is going to be a lengthy press conference, so settle
in again. That is just about twenty five minutes away.
Typically on Tuesday, our guy Paul Dayner Junior from the
Athletic is here on a whole slew of Bengals topics.
And that was the plan today until we saw that
there was going to be a press conference. This was
originally scheduled for two o'clock. Paul was going to have

(01:13):
to be there for that, and then we were gonna
have Paul between four and five, and then they moved
the press conference to three thirty. So the game plan
for it today is we'll have the press conference at
three thirty and then Paul is going to join us
from the stadium from the interview room. I guess where
they're going to have the press conference that is going
to be at five oh five. We are looking forward
to that. One other guest, our guy Lee Sterling, Paramount Sports.

(01:36):
The NCAA tournament starts tonight, the first four in Dayton.
Lee is going to join us at four thirty five
to help us make some money on March Madness. He
does that for us every single year. We have that
coming up at four thirty five. Entire show run down
is available on Twitter at Moeger thanks to you, Thanks
to Emory Federal Credit Union go to EMORYFCU dot org.

(01:59):
So we've discussed this t Higgins and Trey Hendrickson thing
and Jamar Chase thing, and the tray thing is still
a separate issue that we do have to spend some
time on today because I saw someone get some pushback
for something they said on this show about Trey Hendrickson.
That coming up in just a bit. But this really

(02:22):
is the Jamar Chase and Trey and the Jamar Chase
and t Higgins things getting done. This really is about
Joe Burrow. This is about Joe Burrow getting what he wants.
This is about Joe Burrow flexing his muscles. This is
about Joe Burrow pivoting the direction of the Bengals. Were
very clearly going in and taking them to a different place,

(02:43):
taking them into a different direction. Joe Burrow has more power,
this is not debatable than any player in the history
of the Cincinnati Bengals. I don't care how far back
you go, you cannot name another player who has had
this amount of power, this amount of influence, this amount

(03:04):
of sway, who has taken the Bengals from something they
were going to do and completely and totally sent them
in almost a one hundred and eighty degree opposite direction.
Joe Burrow did that. This is a franchise. If you
go back to like the seventies, where players would tell
you that Paul Brown would go out of his way

(03:24):
if he could to cut whoever the NFLPA rep was.
This has often, throughout its history been a very player
unfriendly franchise. And even if it's been player friendly, they
do not put the power in the lap of a player.
That has changed obviously, not just with any player. Joe
Burrow right now might have more power than any player

(03:48):
in the entire NFL. Look all players, if they could
want to exert influence, some of the best ones do.
Many of the best ones at least get ownership's ear.
I can't think of another NFL player who got their
team to do what Joe Burrow has gotten his team
to do. I don't think there's an individual player in

(04:11):
this league who has more power than Joe Burrow. He
has run this offseason. He frankly, right now it feels
like he runs the team. He got the Bengals, a
franchise that is often called cheap frugal.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
I would go as stubborn.

Speaker 3 (04:31):
He got the Bengals to pay more than one hundred
million dollars to a player who a year ago was
not in their future.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
Say that out loud. He got the.

Speaker 3 (04:42):
Bengals to pay a player at least to vote over
one hundred million dollars worth of resources to a guy
who is not a part of their future plans. That
is remarkable. We'll see if it works out. We can
debate the merits of it. We can discuss roster construction
and what's next and how good of a player T

(05:03):
Higgins is, and god knows, we have done that for
months on end. But that is to me the story here.
That is the most significant part. Joe Burrow got the
Bengals to do guarantees that historically they do not do.
The Bengals the most stubborn, obstinate franchise, sometimes to a fault,

(05:23):
sometimes maybe not so much, the most stubborn and obstinate
franchise maybe in all of sports. He got the Bengals
to pivot, He got the Bengals to cave. He got
the Bengals to pay. There has never been an athlete
in this town with that kind of power. Legitimately, I
can't think of one that might be more famous, athletes,

(05:44):
might be more accomplished athletes. I can't think of an
athlete in Cincinnati sports history who has had this kind
of influence and who has successfully used that kind of influence.
Joe Burrow today is being called the team's new general manager.
Danner's piece in The Athletic calls him exactly that, the
general manager of the team. Now, he obviously doesn't have

(06:06):
that title, just like Lebron James doesn't have that title
with the LA Lakers, but Lebron is often called the
Lakers GM. That means Joe Burrow is in Lebron James air.
How about that. That's pretty rarefied air. It also means
that effectively, Zach Taylor works for Joe Burrow, so does

(06:27):
Duke Tobin. This to me, is gonna be worth paying
attention to if this doesn't work, which is obviously not
the outcome any of us want. The outcome we all
want is the Bengals go like fifteen to two this year,
steamroll everybody in the North, get the one seed, roll
through the playoffs, play in the super Bowl, win it,
and we have a parade and then all the parties

(06:49):
we have been talking about here get lauded forever.

Speaker 2 (06:52):
But if it doesn't work, and we talk about.

Speaker 3 (06:54):
Joe Burrow's influence and his power and his sway, the
most powerful player maybe in the NFL, the most powerful
Bengal of all time. Possibly i'd say, probably the most
powerful athlete in Cincinnati sports history. Well, if you're his coach,

(07:15):
you work for him. Joe Burrow is probably not finished
exerting his power. Maybe this offseason he is, although we'll
see if he has a card to play. As it
relates to Trey Hendrickson, we spend a lot of time
back in late December and early January talking about what's
next for the Bengals. The season ended and they immediately
changed out the defensive coordinator. They blew out the offensive

(07:37):
line coach as much of a coaching overhaul as you
have seen the Bengals have while not changing the head coach.

Speaker 2 (07:44):
And of course, the obvious.

Speaker 3 (07:46):
Conclusion we all then drew was, well, now Zach Taylor's
on the hot seat. Coaches only get so many opportunities
to swap out defensive coordinators to oversee a coaching staff overhaul. Well,
if we we had that back in early January, clearly
we still feel the same way now. But the added
caveat is Joe Burrow successfully using his influence to get

(08:10):
the Bengals to do something. What do you think happens
if the Bengals go seven to ten. What do you
think happens if Joe Burrow has an MVP caliber season
again and the team as a whole still underachieves. You
don't think Joe's gonna have some things on his mind
as it relates to the coach, maybe the coordinator, or

(08:32):
perhaps the person in charge of assembling the roster. That dynamic,
to me is what's most interesting moving forward. If I
gave you the kind of power the Bengals have given
Joe Burrow, wouldn't you have in the back of your mind,
you know what, if I could get the Bengals to
do this, If I can get the Bengals to spend
millions of dollars on a player they were not going

(08:52):
to keep, If I can get the Bengals to hand
over the sort of guarantees they typically do not hand over. Huh, Well,
wouldn't you kind of have that in the back of
your mind for the next time either things don't go
so well or you want to see something get done.
I know, by every account, Joe Burrow and Zach Taylor
have a great relationship, great working relationship. I'll assume a

(09:15):
great personal relationship, but keep this in the back of
your mind. Now, moving forward, once we talk about a
player having influence and having power and effectively being the
general manager, well things change. Things change in terms of
how we talk about the coach and the player personnel
director and influence and decision making and the structure of

(09:37):
the front office. I'd have this in the back of
my mind if I were Zach Taylor, wouldn't you. I'd
have this in the back of my mind. If I
were Duke Tobin, wouldn't you? In fact, one might argue
Duke Tobin more, Joe Burrow has said we can do this,
we can do this, we can keep Tea, we can
keep Jamar, we can keep Trey, and we can do

(10:00):
all the other stuff that has.

Speaker 2 (10:01):
To get done.

Speaker 3 (10:03):
If Duke Tobin doesn't successfully do all the stuff that
needs to get done, you don't think Joe Burrow, maybe
not publicly, but certainly privately, isn't going to go out
of his way to flex a little bit more muscle.
The era of Joe Burrow as GM has begun. The
era of Joe Burrow as the most powerful player to

(10:26):
ever wear a Bengals uniform has officially begun. What do
you think that era is going to include, especially if
the results this coming season don't differ all that much
from the last two years. This is fascinating. And if
I'm Zach Taylor and if I'm Duke Tobin, or if

(10:50):
you were either of those two, wouldn't you be thinking
about exactly that?

Speaker 4 (10:55):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (10:55):
Oh, I've got a new boss. Three seven four nine
fifteen thirty is our phone number? Eight six six seven
oh two three seven seven six works as well. The
press conference in just about fifteen minutes. Hopefully it starts
on time. The Bengals track record when it comes to
press conferences starting on time is quite good. Uh, we'll

(11:16):
see if it remains so today. We'll also see if
we could hear the questions being asked of Jamar and
t and whoever else is on the podium today. We'll
have that for you live Danner coming up at five
oh five. Red's played today against the Angels. I am
not I don't want to care that they have lost
seven consecutive Cactus League games, except well, I'll tell you

(11:39):
what the accept is coming up here in just a bit.
And I'm gonna steal a topic from Tony and Austin
because I love what they had to say about college basketball.
And the selection committee and what needs to happen moving
forward that coming up here in.

Speaker 2 (11:54):
Just a bit.

Speaker 3 (11:55):
I need you, I need you to do me a favor.
I need you to do me a favor of time. Hey,
what it is?

Speaker 2 (12:00):
Next? On ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 5 (12:03):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty Traffic.

Speaker 6 (12:08):
He's found Ronald Reagan Highway. It's an accident on the
left shoulder after Ridge Road, Burlington Pike. Another accident in
your lima Berg Road in south on Springfield Pike. It's
an accident at two seventy five that one moved to
the right shoulder. I'm at Ezelek with traffic from the
UC Health Traffic three.

Speaker 3 (12:27):
This is ESPN fifteen thirty. Pole questions on this show
on Twitter at Molegar come your way. Thanks to United
Heartland Insurance, check out your home and business insurance policy.
The average insurance renewal has increased by maybe up to
fifty percent. My buddies at United Heartland Insurance can save
you thousands in premiums.

Speaker 2 (12:47):
Don't wait until it's too late.

Speaker 3 (12:49):
Check out uhi ns dot com offices in Hamilton, Cincinnati
and right there on Route eighteen in Burlington uhi ns
dot com. The question is a simple one. Do Zach
Taylor and Duke Tobin now work for Joe Burrow? I
just posted it. The very very very very early returns
would suggest most of you think the answers. The answer

(13:10):
is yes. We had Kelsey Conway from The Inquirer on
the show yesterday. Now, in the aftermath of the Jamar
Chase and t Higgins thing, a lot of at tension
being aimed now at what's going to happen with Trey,
And there have been some folks, I think mainly among
the national media, who have suggested that there's.

Speaker 2 (13:29):
Real positive momentum.

Speaker 3 (13:31):
And maybe there is, and I think we all hold
out hope that there is positive momentum. The Bengals need
Trey Hendrickson in twenty twenty five. Whether or not he
should play here beyond that is a kind of a
different story, but sure there's certainly merit to the idea
that you pay a guy as good as Trey Hendrickson.
Kelsey yesterday, I hate to say she threw cold water

(13:55):
all over that notion, but we had her on the
show and we'll have some of the audio for you
in a little bit we got to a break in
because we have the press conference coming up in seven minutes.
But you know, her point was, like Trey went out
there in the open market and actually apparently did find
some teams willing to meet his asking price. The Bengals
haven't pulled the trigger on a trade, and so what

(14:15):
complicates things a little bit is if you were Trey
Hendrickson and let's say in the Rams or the Commanders
or somebody else said, yeah, we give you thirty two
million dollars on the open market, but you can't go
play for that team because you're under contract. Now, if
the Bengals come talk to you, her point was, if
you're a tray, you're starting with the asking price of

(14:36):
what another team would give you. That doesn't mean the
deal is not gonna get done, but it does feel
to me like this could be a little bit more complex.
Then all right, well they're not gonna trade him, so
he's gonna come back and they're gonna sit down and
hash out a deal. Like maybe that happens, and if
it does, awesome, But I think Kelsey's point was maybe

(14:58):
not so much, I need you to do me a favor.
If you're on social media, and I know I'm speaking
to the tiny, tiny minority. Stop calling people names who
don't say exactly what you want, and especially those who
come from an informed and educated perspective, like I know,

(15:19):
we all want things to be hanky dory, first time
I've ever said hanky dory on this show, and we
want contracts to get done easily, and maybe they do.
But when when people give you informed and educated perspective,
that doesn't mean they're being anti Bengal, doesn't mean they
have an agenda, and it doesn't even mean that what

(15:41):
they think could happen will be what does happen. But
I get I get frustrated, and I'm doing this on
my own. I get I get frustrated when we put
and I know I'm talking to a tiny, tiny minority,
the sort of folks who don't even use their name
on social media. But put Kelsey on the show yesterday,
who I think had a really sort of mark take
on the on the Trey Hendrickson thing, and I know

(16:03):
she comes from a deeply informed and educated place. People
are going to give you perspectives that might reflect reality
or strong possibility, that might not mesh with what you want,
that may frustrate. You don't take that frustration out on people,
especially when they're as good at what they do as

(16:24):
Kelsey is. The press conference is coming up in five
minutes on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 7 (16:30):
Station SINCY three sixty with Tony Pike. We want to
move on to doctor Keith Gorse and Boston Elmore.

Speaker 8 (16:38):
I think you should continue.

Speaker 5 (16:39):
Let me keep going there, Sincy three sixty Tomorrow which
twelve News on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty Traffic.

Speaker 6 (16:51):
He's found Ronald Reagan Highway. The left lane blocked from
an accident after Ridge Road, Princeton Pike. It's an accident
at Crescentville Road. Back DeLay's heading southbound seventy five from
Shepherd Lane to Ronald Reagan Highway, a five minutes slow down.

Speaker 9 (17:05):
I'm at Ezelek with.

Speaker 3 (17:07):
Trent Away from four o'clock sports Headlines or a Service
Kelsey's Chevrolet Home of Lifetime power train and protection and
guaranteed credit approval from their family to Yours for Life
kelseyschev dot com. We are awaiting a press conference at
the venue originally known as Paul Brown Stadium, which the

(17:30):
main topic of discussion will be the new contracts for
Jamar Chase and t Higgins. The press conference was supposed
to start at three thirty. It's now three thirty two.
So I give people in my personal life like a
five minute buffer before I consider them late. I give
myself a ten minute buffer before I consider myself late.

(17:50):
So we if they start this before three thirty five,
we will say the Bengals started the press conference on time,
but as of right now at as yet to begin.
But when it does, we'll have every syllable of this
monumental press conference for you live here on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (18:12):
What else do we have?

Speaker 3 (18:13):
The Reds are playing today in Tempe, Temp Bay, Diabloat
now they're playing in Goodyear against the Angels. First pitch
coming up at four h five. Nick Martinez is going
to start today's game. The Reds lost a game was
aired on MLB Network last night, went quietly three to nothing.
They have lost seven consecutive Cactus League games.

Speaker 2 (18:37):
Now is this a big deal? No? Not really.

Speaker 3 (18:44):
That said, I do believe that when you are a
franchise that has done over the last thirty years a
lot more losing than winning, there is something about getting
into the winning, so to speak. And there's nothing wrong

(19:04):
with that starting in games against other teams where they
keep score, even at the games don't count.

Speaker 2 (19:11):
The n CNLA Tournament begins to night at Udy Arena.
The first four.

Speaker 3 (19:14):
Saint Francis will take on Alabama in the first tilt,
and then it's North Carolina versus San Diego State. You
could hear those games live on Fox Sports thirteen sixty.
Also tonight at eight o'clock, it's the final Wes Miller
radio show of the year. That's at eight pm on
seven hundred WLW, and that will come your way from

(19:35):
the original Montgomery in the Bearcat's getting said for the crown,
Tony Pike asked me, should they have said no? My
understanding is they had an obligation. They have enough players
as of right now to put a team on the floor.
I don't believe in saying that they should have said no.
I certainly don't believe in saying that they unequivocally should
have said yes. But regardless of what the Bearcats do

(19:58):
in this tournament, regardless of how long their stay is,
regardless of who plays in this tournament.

Speaker 2 (20:04):
For them, and.

Speaker 3 (20:06):
That's certainly going to be worth paying attention to. As
players hit the portal, which opens up on Monday. They
could steamroll everybody when all four games hoist the trophy
at the end, and the first question is going to
be what about next year? And they could have said
no to this event, and my first question would have been,
that's fine, what about next year? I'm really curious to

(20:30):
see how this event works, not simply from a UC perspective,
but it is starting more than two weeks after selection Sunday.
The portal will have been opened by a week. There
is an nil component. How good will the basketball be.

Speaker 6 (20:47):
In?

Speaker 3 (20:48):
What shape will these rosters be? Once the tournament starts?
We will find out. All right, it's officially three point
thirty five. Are we allowed to officially say that the
press conference is not starting on time?

Speaker 10 (21:00):
Well, according to all the reporters down there, the Bengals
have announced they will be slightly delayed.

Speaker 2 (21:04):
Slightly delayed, all right. Now.

Speaker 3 (21:06):
They did just tweet out a few seconds ago a
video Reunited Ready, which is about what they've done with
Joe Burrow and t Higgins and Jamar Chase. But the
reporters are telling us, the reporters are I guess what
putting on social media that the big press conference is
starting not on time, which I could have told you

(21:27):
because it was supposed to start six minutes ago.

Speaker 10 (21:30):
CEP time.

Speaker 2 (21:31):
Oh cept time.

Speaker 3 (21:36):
All right, let's do this, let's uh because these My
guess is this press conference goes on for a while.
I don't think this is gonna be This is gonna
be like the the Joseph O Sai or bj Hill
press conferences, where it's like, all right, you know, seven
to ten minutes and throw some questions, everybody gets their quote. Like,
my guess is this this goes on for a bit,

(21:59):
and we do business to conduct, so we'll get a
break in and we'll adjust. We'll adjust on the fly.
It is twenty four away from four o'clock. My name's Moegor.
Thank you for listening today. This is ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 7 (22:16):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 6 (22:21):
Traffic east found Ronald Reagan Highway. The left lane blocked
from an accident after Ridge Road. Princeton Pike gets an
accident at Crescentville Road. Expect delays heading southbound seventy five
from Shepherd Lane to Ronald Reagan highway a five minutes
slow down. I'm at Ezelek with traffic.

Speaker 3 (22:39):
Hey, it's Moegar Fann nineteen away from four o'clock. This
is ESPN fifteen thirty. We are still awaiting this big
press conference. I'm looking at a photo here from Ben
Baby covers the Bengals for ESPN, and you know they're
in a makeshift media room today. What I am what
I am looking for here is anything to suggest that

(23:00):
when we start to listen to this press conference that
we'll be able to you know, here here are the questions.

Speaker 9 (23:05):
Those chairs are uncomfortable.

Speaker 3 (23:07):
They do look like it, and I'm Ben is on
social Media's on Twitter at ben underscore Baby. They look
like they look like classroom chairs without the little desk,
right like, they look like they look like the sort
of chairs that you would ask people to sit in
if you wanted to ensure that they stayed awake during

(23:27):
your presentation. Right, if you want someone to stay awake
during your presentation, you give them uncomfortable chairs because then
they won't fall asleep. So the press conference is we
we it's not been canceled, right.

Speaker 10 (23:42):
There hasn't been a snack is estimated to start shortly
after three fifty.

Speaker 3 (23:47):
Shortly after three fifty. Okay, you know, not not for nothing,
And you know I get it. Sometimes best laid plans
that don't work out, and you know there are snags
and maybe technical issues or maybe somebody got stuck in
traffic who's needs to be at the stadium for the
big press conference. But you know, we have arranged our

(24:09):
entire broadcast today around this press conference. And as much
as I am a lifelong Bengals fan going back forty years,
I root for the show first. And so we have
decided that we were going to take today's show, and
we've canceled guests, We've moved stuff around to completely revolve

(24:31):
things around this press conference, and it will not start
on time, but it will start in seven minutes, which
gives you and I seven minutes to have a conversation
about all sorts of things happening in the in the
world of sports. I think one of the interesting things

(24:51):
about what they've done with Jamar Chason T Higgins is.

Speaker 2 (24:56):
What's next?

Speaker 3 (24:57):
And that's an obvious take, right like, we're all like, cool,
you sign these guys, what are you gonna do on
the offensive line? And what are you gonna do to
make your defense better. At the end of the day,
the success of this what they're doing is gonna be
predicated on whether or not they can get better at
doing what they haven't done recently, which is draft goes

(25:18):
without saying. Everybody has said that they've got a draft
well this year, and they have to draft well on
defense this year. Now, that might not preclude them from
taking a guard, but this feels this feels like a
pretty streamlined thing. Right as we get ready for the
draft and get people on we're gonna be talking about
a lot of different defensive players across a lot of
different positions. When we typically look ahead to the draft

(25:43):
and start to identify which players might make most sense
as fans, God knows I've done this, we can get
caught up in they need X, so they have to
draft a player who plays X.

Speaker 2 (25:59):
Like how many times in recent years.

Speaker 3 (26:00):
Even last year they took a Marius Mims in the
first round and we were doing the draft show at
the Holy Grail, right and as soon as they take them,
I heard folks who are like, Nah, they they needed
an edge rusher, Nay, they needed a corner. Now they
should have taken a wide receiver with the Bengals. First
of all, it needed offensive line help. The pick made sense.

(26:21):
A Marius Mims looks like he's gonna be a really
good player. But they took the best player off their board.
They took the best player available, and I think that's
typically an ideally how it's done. You're drafting players, not positions.
They did address some of their positional needs later in
last year's draft. They took two defensive tackles on the
second day, guys who appear to have pretty good futures

(26:41):
in front of them. What I think is gonna be
interesting about this year is given the direction they've gone
in with their team, which is we're gonna pay offense,
We're gonna pay wide receivers. Obviously there's the money going
to Joe Burrow. They've got a draft on defense, right,
They've got a draft on defense. What I wonder is

(27:01):
knowing that, is there going to be a propensity to
reach in this year's draft. You hear that term all
the time, right, like, oh, that's a reach. They reached.
That's a reach if you have to draft on defense
and your spot is up, whether it's in a Round

(27:23):
one at seventeen or later later on in the draft,
and frankly likely more more more likely later on. Right
you've you've you've got it. You've got to nail it
on defense in the draft, and you're taking your spots
on the clock, and you know what, where your board
is the best player available. The best player at the
top of your board is not let's say, a defensive tackle.

(27:47):
They need a defensive tackle. It's not a defensive tackle.
In fact, the the next defensive tackle on our board
is like ten guys away. What I wonder is is
there going to be a little bit more willingness to
reach this year because what they need and what they

(28:12):
need to do in the draft is quite obvious. I
hope I'm making this make sense. I think there are
a lot of times where they would just take the
best player and it didn't matter which position they played,
didn't matter which side of the ball they came from.
They're taking the best guy. They're taking whoever's next on

(28:32):
their board. I wonder if that changes this year because
what they have to do in the draft is so
abundantly crystal clear. I don't know the answer to it,
and they may reach and it may work, but I
think that that's gonna be interesting to talk about as

(28:54):
we get ready for the draft, and it's going to
be easy to watch unfold when the draft underway. I
don't think the Bengals often reached. They think it's a
players who obviously haven't worked out. They've taken some guys who,
you know, you might argue they should have not ignored
the red flags about maturity, like with Jermaine Burton, or
you know, players who maybe were a little bit too

(29:15):
much of a project and should have waited to take
a guy like that player later on.

Speaker 2 (29:21):
But this year, you can't take a project day one
and two. You can't reach day one and two. And
you might argue you can't aford, you can't afford to
take an offensive player if he's not alignment on day
one and two. You might argue, you can't take an
offensive player if he's not alignment any of the three
days of the draft. But that that knowledge, that understanding

(29:44):
might not mesh with your board, and so will there
be reaches in this year's draft. And frankly, my guess
is yes, that doesn't mean they're gonna draft poorly. But
I you know, what you do in free agency, what
you do with your own team often informs your draft draped.
Their draft strategy was going to be to go heavy
on defense. I think, regardless of what happened with T

(30:05):
Higgins again, Tea when he was franchise tagged essentially guaranteed
to play in Cincinnati this year, but that to me
is going to be worth paying attention to as we
get ready for late April. Time will tell.

Speaker 3 (30:17):
By the way, quick update of the poll question while
we wait for the press conference, which we think is
going to start in just about a minute. United Heartland
Insurance sponsoring our pole questions. Do Zach Taylor and Duke
Tobin now work for Joe Burrow? Seventy four point one
percent of you say yes. Obviously not in the technical term,
but realistically, like Joe Burrow, there has not been an

(30:40):
athlete I think in the history of Cincinnati sports who
has this type of poll, who has this type of sway.
And you know, I've said this to a couple of
different people around the country. What Joe Burrow managed to
do in concert with the agent for Jamar Chase and

(31:04):
T Higgins really is one of the more remarkable things
in this franchise's history. I think even if you're like
the most died in the wool blowhard who thinks the
Bengals can do nothing wrong.

Speaker 2 (31:19):
You have to admit this.

Speaker 3 (31:22):
This is a franchise that typically digs in and their
way is going to be the way they do it,
and you can't move them from that. Joe Burrow got
the Bengals to deviate from what they were going to do.
Joe Burrow got the Bengals to change their policy as
it relates to contract guarantees. That is unlike anything that

(31:50):
we've seen happen with this franchise. They've had a lot
of really good players. Carson Palmer obviously did not have
this level of influence. Andy Dalton obviously did not have
this level of influence. By the way, for what it's worth,
the Bengals over the last couple of minutes have made
it official that they have signed t Higginson Jamar Chase
to contracts, just releasing both news items on their Twitter

(32:15):
feed and their website within the last couple of minutes.
They've had strong personalities play for them like Boomerasias, and
they've had players try to back them into a corner.
They've had holdouts, They've had players demand trades. They've not
had anybody do anything like this, And I think to
a degree, that's a really good sign for the evolution.

(32:37):
It's that's a level of flexibility. And again, they're they're
not they're not catering to uh to Ted Carris. Nothing
against Ted that, They're not catering to another player on
the team. They're they're catering to a superstar. They're they're
catering to a bona fide meal ticket, an MVP caliber quarterback,
a guy who I would argue is already established himself
as the best in the history of the franchise. But

(33:01):
nothing like this has ever happened. And so the question
really does become, moving forward, in what other ways will
Joe Burrow exert his influence now? Again, Like, ideally the
Bengals are great this year, and no changes are necessary,
no changes are demanded. But if I gave you power
and you use that power and you got what you wanted,

(33:23):
the very next thing you would be wondering is in
what other ways could I use my power? There might
not be one that jumps off the top of the page.
There might not be anything you need to use your
power for in the foreseeable future, but you'll have that
in the back if you were Joe Burrow, like you

(33:43):
are armed man, you are empowered, you have a mandate,
and so you can't help. But wonder like, all right,
when's the next time I'm going to use my power
and influence? By the way, who knows, maybe it happens
with Trey Hendrickson. And by the way, you know not
that there's ever gonna be a player like a Jamar Chase,

(34:03):
or even one like a t Higgins, or a dynamic
like this where you have two players who played the
same position that ended up getting eventually the same representation.
But you kind of wonder, like, moving forward, will there
be an agent who can somehow have in his portfolio
multiple Bengals players and finagle away to get the Bengals

(34:25):
to pay both like that happened here as well. It's
I'll be honest with you man, following this team for
as long as most of us have, I legitimately I
never thought I'd see the day where the Bengals gave
so much power to one person and caltowd to an
agent and achieved the result.

Speaker 2 (34:47):
That most of us are completely on board with.

Speaker 3 (34:50):
By the way, our phone numbers are five when three, seven,
four nine, fifteen thirty and eight sixty six seven oh
two three seven seven six at moegger on on Twitter.
By the way, that is where the pole question is.
We will try to make some money on the NCAA
tournament with our guy Lee Sterling coming up at four
thirty five. Tony and Austin were just advocating for more

(35:12):
transparency when it comes to the selection process. We have
gotten more transparency. I think the question becomes number one,
how can there be more transparency? Number two is the
best way to select and see the teams really to
have athletic directors sit on the selection committee because many

(35:34):
have said, well, put basketball people on it. I'm not
sure that that's the right answer either. Well, let's spend
a few minutes on that a little bit later on.
And I think with Jamar Chason T. Higgins, you can
do two things at once. And I talked about this
a little bit yesterday. I think you can be excited
about the future. I think you can be appreciative of
the fact that these two players wanted to stay here.

(35:56):
I think you can be excited about the fact that
the Bengals figure had a way to keep them here
along with Joe Burrow and have that trio of players.

Speaker 2 (36:04):
To build around moving forward. I also think you can
wonder what would this have cost and how would things
be playing out now had these deals gotten done a
while ago, and I think the Reds have offered a
little bit of a blueprint. I'll explain what I'm talking
about here in just a few minutes. All right, Terarran,

(36:25):
It's now three fifty five.

Speaker 3 (36:27):
So we were told the press conference was going to
start at three thirty and then three fifty that was
five minutes ago.

Speaker 2 (36:34):
Has there been an update?

Speaker 10 (36:35):
There has not been an update.

Speaker 3 (36:37):
All right, let's do this. Let's get that break in
and we'll assume it's going to start at four o'clock.

Speaker 10 (36:47):
Hopefully, hopefully.

Speaker 3 (36:50):
There's going to be a Bengals press conference. If it
happens before six o'clock, it will happen while I'm on
the air on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports station, and
it's four oh two. This is ESPN fifteen thirty. I'm Oegar.
Thank you for listening today.

Speaker 4 (37:06):
We are.

Speaker 3 (37:10):
See this is why live radio is the best. If
this isn't some podcast where we just find the press
conference cut it off and set it out into the world. No,
we are at the mercy of the Bengals. By the way,
apparently T Higgins' mom is lost in the bowels of
what used to be called Paul Brown Stadium and she

(37:31):
can't find the press conference.

Speaker 2 (37:34):
But we are standing by.

Speaker 3 (37:36):
Let's be honest, the Cincinnati Bengals in recent years not
known for their clock management, and so this was supposed
to begin after the original scheduled time was two o'clock,
that got punted to three thirty, and now it's four
oh three.

Speaker 2 (37:50):
And I feel comfortable in saying this.

Speaker 3 (37:53):
We are going to carry a press conference for you
live on ESPN fifteen thirty at some point between now
and six o'clock. Your guess is as good as mine
as to when it's going to happen. But we do
have official statements on the assignings of Jamar Chase and
T Higgins from Mike Brown. Here's the statement from Mike
Brown quote, Jamar and t have proven they are outstanding

(38:15):
wide receivers. Together with Joe Burrow, we have a very
potent offense that gives us a foundation to win games.
It's hard to cover both of them. Jamar is gifted.
He makes exceptional plays. I just look at the plays
he makes in Marvel. T has a great catch radius.
He makes plays that stand out in your memory. We

(38:35):
are fortunate to have this pair of receivers. That from
Bengals President Mike Brown. This quote, this is the money
quote of the entire statement from the Bengals. It comes
at the end here, Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin quote.
The Bengals have a long history of drafting and retaining
elite wide receivers, and we're happy to continue that tradition

(38:56):
with Jamar and T. We are known for our explosive,
high scoring offense, and Jamar and T are a big
part of that identity. They earn these extensions with their
abilities and promise for the future. Here's the best part.
This from Duke Tobin. Ready, we have our receivers. The
rest of the league can go find their own.

Speaker 2 (39:20):
Duke Tobin. Everybody.

Speaker 3 (39:22):
This from a head coach Zach Taylor quote, It's great
to see these two guys be rewarded. They're hard work,
commitment to their craft and dedication to our team make
this an exciting day for all of us. We look
forward to a great future with this duo helping lead
the way. That from head coach Zach Taylor, no quote,

(39:43):
no statement from Bengals general manager Joe Burrow. All right, now,
I am seeing here the graphic the Bengals have put
up that says press conference beginning shortly, Jamar and t
set to speak the media. So I believe Tara go
ahead and popped that up for me. As we said,

(40:05):
do we have any press conference music in the oh?
This is the music the Bengals play when they're about
to start a press conalence. So what I want you
to do, Taran, is just leave that up and I
will continue to do the show with that music in
the background, and when it stops, we'll know that we're
about to hear from folks Jamar, Chase and T Higgins.

Speaker 2 (40:28):
Do we know Joe Burrow is in the house? Not sure?

Speaker 10 (40:30):
And most important talking over beating a hip hop word.

Speaker 9 (40:32):
It's called freestyle.

Speaker 2 (40:33):
I'm freestyling right now, Taran, would you like the freestyle
with me?

Speaker 10 (40:37):
I'll think I'll pass.

Speaker 3 (40:39):
Do we know if T Higgins's mom has found her
way to the press conference and is that the only
thing that has to be figured out before?

Speaker 2 (40:46):
How did they lose t Higgins's mom.

Speaker 3 (40:48):
She tweeted out a photo just a few minutes ago
of Tea signing his contract. I'm sure very proud. How
do you lose t Higgins's mom?

Speaker 10 (40:58):
Maybe she had to go to the bathroom, left totally
go down here, make a left, make another lefts there.

Speaker 2 (41:04):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (41:05):
Isn't t Higgins the stature of player that if mom said, hey,
I need to use the powder room, that somebody would say, well, here,
let me escort you and follow you and make sure
you are where you need to be for the big
press conference announcing your son's nine figure contract thing. So
I like this in a terror, we might want to
think moving forward that what we do is just I

(41:26):
do the show over beats like this for the entire
three hours.

Speaker 2 (41:31):
By the way, is Lee Sterling going to be okay?
Lee Star?

Speaker 3 (41:35):
Just to pull the curtain back, I've had to move
Lee Sterling three times. He was scheduled like at multiple
times during the day, and we've moved him to accommodate
this press conference, and it might appeared that we have
to move him again.

Speaker 10 (41:49):
I think Lee would understand.

Speaker 2 (41:50):
I'm sure LEAs is understanding as a gets and it's
not our fault.

Speaker 10 (41:54):
It's the Bengals and warrantly.

Speaker 3 (41:59):
The thing now is they the Bengals have earned so
much goodwill that doing this thirty seven minutes late, no
one cares. But it's like today's press conference was to announce, yeah,
we just traded t Higgins. Uh, nobody would have any
patients for a press conference starting thirty seven minutes late

(42:19):
in counter and I've lost my pet five point three
fifteen thirty is our phone number?

Speaker 2 (42:30):
Does here? It is Zach Taylor.

Speaker 8 (42:33):
There's Zach.

Speaker 3 (42:33):
Zach's at the podium. The press conference is about to start.
Let's go down to the venue originally known as Paul
Brown Stadium. Your computer's ahead of mine.

Speaker 2 (42:40):
My computer is.

Speaker 3 (42:41):
Ahead of yours. On my computer, there is Zach Taylor.
He's got a nice Bengals polo.

Speaker 2 (42:48):
Ooh there he is.

Speaker 9 (42:52):
Okay, I'll wait us off here.

Speaker 11 (42:54):
Really exciting day two, guys, Tea and jamar that since
the moment we drafted, we knew they were built for
something special. They have met our expectations every step of
the way, even exceeded them to this point. And now
that this has concluded, the next step for US is
a championship for these guys, and I think that's a
big reason why they wanted to be here. Why do

(43:15):
they want to come back. They know there's more for
us to accomplish as a team, a lot more wins
to be had, a lot more great moments. But I,
just as a coach, couldn't be prouder of two guys
I've known since the moment they were drafted here, And
like I said, when we studied them and talked extensively
about them as much as any two players we've ever drafted,
we knew that they were capable of something special. They

(43:37):
were built differently, and all we've seen these guys do
is work every single day they've been in the building,
lead by example, inspire some of the younger players, and
now they're going to take on an even bigger leadership
role than before, which I know that they're more than
capable of. So really exciting day for all of us
here as an organization, as a fan base, as players
in the locker room, as a coaching staff, and couldn't

(43:59):
be proud to introduce T Higgins and Jamar Chase to
the greatest receivers to play in Bengals history. And they're
gonna continue to build on that legacy going forward, so
that I'll turn it over these guys.

Speaker 9 (44:10):
Let you answered them questions, Lay, I'm talking to myself there.

Speaker 12 (44:28):
Uh, that's what are your guys mind right now?

Speaker 9 (44:35):
Allot.

Speaker 13 (44:36):
I'm just excited, you know, for me, it's been a
long time and you know, it's finally here and I'm
just happiest with this or organization.

Speaker 12 (44:46):
So how come did this becomes you guys did this together?

Speaker 14 (44:52):
I feel like, I mean, it was it was very important,
you know.

Speaker 13 (44:55):
You know, it's been my rose dog since since he
got here, so you know, for me, it's it's it
was very important, you know, just to get that done aspect,
you know, and I wanna thank you know, our agent Rocky,
you know, g with getting this still done and you know,
changing my life.

Speaker 14 (45:11):
Forever to marks.

Speaker 2 (45:12):
Obviously you knew you were gonna be in the highest
paying non quarterback in NFL history, but when you actually
signed the favorite day, how does.

Speaker 12 (45:21):
That feel to you?

Speaker 11 (45:23):
Uh?

Speaker 15 (45:23):
I still it still ain't hit me yet, you know,
So right now I'm still living in the morning. Just
you know, a jointing process of everything, you know, so
you know, I'm just a jointing process or not.

Speaker 12 (45:35):
Do you start ever a moment or moments where you
didn't take it was gonna happen here?

Speaker 13 (45:41):
SATs cause a lot of moments, but you know, I
never had any doubt that, you know, Rocky was gonna
get it done. And you know I never had any
doubt that uh, you know, Katie, uh was gonna you
know finally, you know, say we want you here and
just glad it happened, and you know, Happy, Yeah, yeah, it's.

Speaker 1 (46:03):
A factor, was staying here in your decision to intend
joint rockside Happy, Messa.

Speaker 13 (46:11):
I feel like you played a big factor obviously, you
know it helped. And at the end of the day,
you know, I made the decision and it was the right.

Speaker 14 (46:20):
Decision for me.

Speaker 5 (46:21):
How much do you guys feel like Joe's statements, whether
it be publicly or privately, really helped to make this happen.

Speaker 12 (46:28):
But the three of you guys do stay together.

Speaker 15 (46:31):
Uh, I think it's a big help him just putting
out little information. Having our back, you know, I I
think that's the biggest thing, especially coming from a quarterback.
You know, it's different if me and tvashion for somebody
else before our quarterback to Vosh for is I think
that's given us, you know, a pathway to get us
where we where we got here.

Speaker 1 (46:48):
Can you tell you did he go up keep it
for like the super Bowl stuff and say, Hey, I'm
gonna go out there and I'm gonna say all kinds
of great things and I'm gonna do put the.

Speaker 12 (46:56):
Pressure out there. It's there. Was that a conversation you
guys all had about this?

Speaker 15 (46:59):
Was that part of the partners m nah. I mean
it wasn't really no plan. You can't really plan for this,
you know, and we did. We didn't really start up
playing until after the season, you know, and then the
plans to it didn't always go to plans. So you know,
it's always bumps in the road. But I think it
I think we handled the situation well, you know, we didn't.
We didn't do too much in the midst of it,

(47:22):
not on the media. I think we handled it the
right way. We all talk to each other, you know
about this situation period. So uh, I feel like, you know,
we handled the situation the best way we could.

Speaker 12 (47:32):
ZAC just said that the contract, when you guys you
get your leadership.

Speaker 9 (47:36):
Well, what does that look like for the guys?

Speaker 14 (47:39):
Well for me obviously, everybody know I'm the quiet guy.

Speaker 13 (47:42):
Uh, but uh, for me, it's you know, speaking up
in the receiving room and you know, you know, just
helping the younger guys out in and things in that aspect,
and not just in the receiving room, but you know
with the whole team, you know, in the locker room.

Speaker 14 (47:54):
So that's the next step for me as well.

Speaker 12 (47:57):
How uh, how big Tony offense be you guys staying together?
Did yoe y'all guys st about? What do you guys
see the seal.

Speaker 9 (48:02):
On the offense? M?

Speaker 13 (48:04):
I mean, y'all started last year and you know we
don't we don't want, we don't wanna do nothing but
build off you know what we did last year.

Speaker 14 (48:11):
So and we're definitely looking forward to doing that.

Speaker 12 (48:14):
What about how much people would to see you guys
see your core together?

Speaker 14 (48:18):
Still?

Speaker 12 (48:19):
You want a championship or multiple.

Speaker 14 (48:21):
In any company years?

Speaker 15 (48:22):
Yeah, man, it's it's possible. We did it already. We
got we know what it smells like. You know, you
know we did it when we didn't even think we
was gonna be there, you know, if I'm being honest,
So you know, we know what it takes to get there.
We gotta start off faster, and not even just start
off faster, just be ready for anything. You know, not
seeing defense side by offense was tie side too. We

(48:44):
gotta be ready for anything or just anything. And you
know as pros now we gotta really be ready for anything.

Speaker 16 (48:50):
Jama when you were drafted, you said you wanted to
break different records to and well, if you grow great records, then.

Speaker 12 (48:56):
You said you wanted to be the highest paid receiver
and reset the market.

Speaker 9 (48:58):
Y'all have what's what s winning championship? Man, That's all
I could. It's all like I think about. You know,
I wanna win. That's why I'm here.

Speaker 15 (49:08):
That's why I wanted Tea to stay with me so
we could build a chemistry and win.

Speaker 9 (49:11):
That's what it's all about.

Speaker 17 (49:12):
Do you think there's gonna be any extra pressure on
either review to live off the the playoff, to the expectations.

Speaker 9 (49:19):
Out let your top drafts or dog.

Speaker 13 (49:21):
At the end of the day, I just gotta beat
me and play my game and the rest to take
care of yourself.

Speaker 12 (49:26):
Do you think the still gets done at Joe doesn't
say what do you what?

Speaker 18 (49:29):
He said?

Speaker 16 (49:29):
I what did? Like?

Speaker 19 (49:30):
Started going back and the Sapburg Bee wasn't so public
like I think it the end of year is really
that local?

Speaker 12 (49:35):
Do you think we're seeing today year side of the video?

Speaker 5 (49:38):
Uh?

Speaker 13 (49:39):
Obviously, like Jamar said, and I think it helped, you know,
you know, Uh, a guy like him want want guys
like us to you know, stick around and you know,
play with 'em for the next four years.

Speaker 14 (49:48):
Just I feel like it definitely, it definitely helped.

Speaker 12 (49:51):
Was Jamarsh played with for so long? When you played
with the top five as well? Why do guys like
playing with Joe so much? We see that, you know
said so often? What makes him a guy? You know,
get people flying so much? Job didn't happen here as quarterback?

Speaker 14 (50:04):
I mean, I mean on the field, you y'all see it, he's.

Speaker 13 (50:10):
If not the best quarterback in the league, you know
what I mean. And off the field is just a
great guy. Can have a normal conversation with him and
you know he's he's like a brother to me now
so and yeah, I mean that's all I really gotta say.

Speaker 17 (50:25):
When last summer, you guys, uh both felt with contract
situations when you swing hanging over up your heads to
tomorrow and used you were very republic about all impacted training.

Speaker 12 (50:35):
Camp for here with this deal, now, don how much
your burdens is off your shoulders, both of you.

Speaker 9 (50:44):
Uh, I'm just happy to get it done.

Speaker 20 (50:46):
You know.

Speaker 15 (50:47):
Uh it's a long process, I can say, you know,
even when we got here, it's a bit of a
long process still. But uh, it's gonna be like that
in situations like this. I gotta understand that it's the
business side of it. But you know, once this side
is over, who was back to playing football? Is back
to being myself? Back to being the.

Speaker 13 (51:03):
Person they that that they first met see For me, Uh,
obviously I went through this process before, and you know
last year, Uh, I took a took a chance.

Speaker 14 (51:13):
You know, I bet on myself and.

Speaker 13 (51:16):
I wanna say it it it paid off and you know,
it's all, it's all, it's all good now worked out
in my favor.

Speaker 14 (51:22):
You know, I'm just happy.

Speaker 13 (51:23):
I wanna thank you know, Katie and you know whole organization,
you know, helping me and and believing in me.

Speaker 17 (51:29):
What being such a monumental day in both of your
lives when you look back, is there someone in particular
or multiple people.

Speaker 12 (51:35):
That you guys want to talk about who attend you
to the staff.

Speaker 14 (51:40):
Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 13 (51:40):
Obviously my mom as you all know what she's been through,
you know her life, and you know, yeah, gonna made me.

Speaker 14 (51:47):
Tear up over here, you know what I mean.

Speaker 13 (51:49):
But uh, you know, definitely, you know, for her, it's
definitely monumental, you know, And I wish he was here
right now, but she wasn't able to make it. So
I'm definitely gonna go see her when I leave here.
And you know it's it's you know, it's it's surreal.

Speaker 17 (52:01):
So see, your mom's dead, Uh, poaching an acs today,
trying to find us, tryna find his press offer.

Speaker 12 (52:08):
So I know what she watching. What would you say
to her?

Speaker 2 (52:11):
Ma, I love you.

Speaker 14 (52:13):
I did this for us. You know this is for us.
He ain't got worried about nothing else and loves for
Pops too.

Speaker 12 (52:26):
A mom, what about Yeng?

Speaker 15 (52:28):
Uh No, I just wanna think my mom, dad, family,
my friends, you know, the ones who be pushing me
the most, my small circle, my high school coaches, you know,
the people who recruited me to give me to high school,
you know, to play football. I wanna thank them, thanks

(52:50):
Zych think Troy, Katie, mister Brown, you know t Joe.

Speaker 9 (52:55):
All those guys, you know, So, so what'd you wanta
they end up?

Speaker 12 (52:59):
What's I did structure? What they've always done? Your PRODUCTI
quarterbacks to get both y'all in the building. What does
that say about that? For them to go out and
kind of do you know, break from their group business
strategies to make sure that you know, they kept y'all
with building.

Speaker 15 (53:11):
Yeah, Uh, Duke Saire, he's a priority brou and you
know he meant it and he showed us that we
were you know, it took time though, but you know
he showed us that you know, we are probably to
the team and you know, and we are big.

Speaker 9 (53:21):
And we and they need us see what it take
the theyd not not not the not just for you more?

Speaker 12 (53:25):
And then you wanna be did that for you as well?
What did that say?

Speaker 19 (53:27):
You know, all those negotiations like that, you saw kind
of how the structure was gonna look like those had
who was gonna get the mind?

Speaker 13 (53:33):
You sell that you know that they that they believe me,
you know what I mean? And you know without Rocky, uh,
a lot of this, a lot of stuff wouldn't happen.
And so I wanna get credit to Rocky as well
in in in that.

Speaker 20 (53:47):
So can you do You see every year around the league,
receivers change teams and then they say, like we want
to go to a receiver room rocket it he only
star right, you don't.

Speaker 12 (53:55):
Have to share the spot?

Speaker 9 (53:56):
Like why was it that uh uh a a priority
for your right and really care about?

Speaker 12 (54:00):
How is seth do?

Speaker 13 (54:01):
Like man, I grew up a Bengals fare and to
have the opportunity to sign uh like y a a
four year deal my favorite team that I grew up
watching is I mean, that's a that's a dream come true.

Speaker 14 (54:17):
You know what I mean?

Speaker 13 (54:18):
And then you know, once I guess the announcing was
out my favorite player I grew up watching, congratulating and
congratulating me on that is it's even more crazy.

Speaker 14 (54:28):
So I couldn't be at a better place.

Speaker 15 (54:32):
You might have answered a little bits, but you guys
both committed to be here now for least more many years.

Speaker 17 (54:38):
What is it about Cincinnati aside from the financial reward
that you received that that made you want to you know, permitted.

Speaker 9 (54:45):
This franchise long ago?

Speaker 14 (54:47):
Oh yeah, I just said it.

Speaker 15 (54:48):
So for me, for me, I like Cincinnati cause it
it gives me the opportunity to come here and focus.

Speaker 9 (54:55):
You know, I'm not distracted out here.

Speaker 15 (54:57):
It's not too much too many things to get me
me you know, off pace out here, you know, and
it's strictly what I'm focused on. That's really tunnel vision
for me to play football. So, I mean, at the
end of the day, the food's not the best. We
could work on that, But.

Speaker 9 (55:13):
New Orleans, I'm just I'm not used to the food yet.

Speaker 15 (55:16):
But you know, overall, I mean, honestly, I I just
I just think that's the biggest picture for me, is
that it's you know, I don't have enough distractions here
and I could just play.

Speaker 9 (55:23):
Football in my quarterbacks here and here we're.

Speaker 12 (55:27):
Gonna has some fun here with the food talk. When
Jill got this big contract, he got a back, right,
So you guys get to this, this new money, this
big money. Is there anything Jamorata that they always.

Speaker 13 (55:38):
Wanted to buy that she's now I'm putting a fish
tank in my wall?

Speaker 4 (55:45):
What yeah?

Speaker 14 (55:48):
Uh, maybe.

Speaker 9 (55:50):
I don't know. I gotta sit on that put that kid,
I don't know.

Speaker 17 (55:54):
Tea Higgings Day back in your hometown, you said you
celebrating the double cheeseburger, and you said the same thing
draped like double cheeseburger for McDonald's.

Speaker 12 (56:02):
But you told us you don't have fast steward.

Speaker 13 (56:03):
Of again no Na now now might be sober, I
don't know, glasses champagne?

Speaker 8 (56:11):
Sit?

Speaker 14 (56:11):
Uh, kick up, kick my feet up? You know, classy?

Speaker 12 (56:17):
What what wha actually the end of the season to
to now.

Speaker 9 (56:25):
Say the game.

Speaker 12 (56:25):
Sorry, from the end of the season to now, what
did you start to get in sets?

Speaker 4 (56:29):
White a whole?

Speaker 19 (56:29):
This might actually happen like and they you might be
able to get the silk on line and everybody might
be again what they're looking for a good team?

Speaker 12 (56:35):
What did you try to get the sets that might
be on the table.

Speaker 14 (56:38):
I'm be honest.

Speaker 9 (56:39):
Yeah, probably like three weeks ago?

Speaker 18 (56:41):
Yeah?

Speaker 14 (56:42):
What what?

Speaker 12 (56:42):
What minute?

Speaker 1 (56:43):
What go?

Speaker 9 (56:43):
Was the switch?

Speaker 4 (56:45):
Uh?

Speaker 15 (56:45):
That's a rocky Arsenal question right there. But I just think,
you know, we just had to play the waiting game.
You know, it's it's it's a long process. Like I said,
we just had to play the waiting game and see,
you know, what's option?

Speaker 20 (56:57):
What?

Speaker 9 (56:57):
What options weighed the best for you know, both of
us getting our ways?

Speaker 12 (57:01):
What how hard would it been.

Speaker 17 (57:02):
To not play with Joe?

Speaker 18 (57:03):
Who?

Speaker 4 (57:04):
Joe?

Speaker 12 (57:04):
Do you play with y'all to show play.

Speaker 9 (57:06):
Uh, I don't think it would be hard. I just
think it would be a new task at end, you know.
I mean, it's just if if that situation ever happened,
is just me showing.

Speaker 20 (57:18):
Me.

Speaker 15 (57:18):
It's just showing what I could do without Joe basically,
you know, it's vice versas with him.

Speaker 16 (57:23):
Could you guys get a sense how historic this moment is,
like the being hout of the investment in and the
you and to do just together at the same time
as ascor you do you you're not in your edge more.

Speaker 12 (57:33):
You gotta get a sense of ill story.

Speaker 15 (57:36):
Uh yeah for me, yeah, just cause I know, like
I really was not trying to let te go for me.
I don't know about Joe, but it's hard when you
out there and Tea not out there. You know what
I'm saying, It's n not easy at all. So like
t out there's makes makes my job easy, I'll make
his job easier. We make the running backs job easier.
So it's the whole games. The whole game slows down

(57:58):
for me. It's it gets easy for some people.

Speaker 9 (58:00):
So it he's just a big help. Do you think
you guys are gonna be together for the rest of
your rogers, We're gonna be together for the next four
or five years.

Speaker 8 (58:08):
Do you see you.

Speaker 12 (58:17):
About track questions for three years now? What type of
relief is it for you? Only particulars y' have you
asking these questions anymore?

Speaker 14 (58:26):
It's a big relief.

Speaker 4 (58:27):
Uh.

Speaker 14 (58:29):
Yeah, I got tired of those questions, okay, but.

Speaker 13 (58:33):
You know it's finally over and I'm looking forward to
more questions about obviously my fish tanking and and.

Speaker 14 (58:42):
Food and stuff like that, for sure, fish tank.

Speaker 12 (58:47):
What would you react when you got taged for a
second straight year? Did you think there at a.

Speaker 9 (58:51):
Moment last Oh?

Speaker 13 (58:53):
Yeah, my industry reaction. I called Ruggy, I said, I say,
what what is going on?

Speaker 6 (59:02):
Like?

Speaker 14 (59:03):
This is not what we wanted? But obviously, uh, you
know we're here now, and you know I could be
more thankful.

Speaker 9 (59:09):
Did you believe that.

Speaker 17 (59:10):
You wanted to let the fans know first and put
that out there on social media back when you go tagged?

Speaker 6 (59:15):
Well?

Speaker 12 (59:15):
Why was that for you?

Speaker 10 (59:18):
Uh?

Speaker 9 (59:18):
Just who I am?

Speaker 14 (59:19):
You know what I mean?

Speaker 13 (59:21):
I like to let people know like what's going on
with me from me instead of having everybody else tell
things about me.

Speaker 14 (59:27):
But that was my whole thing behind that when you.

Speaker 19 (59:29):
Went hold when uh last year after justin sipis contractor
I ever said, he said, you know, if.

Speaker 12 (59:35):
You wanted to be in or you meet him by
Uma had the other Have you heard from Duston yet? Yeah?

Speaker 9 (59:43):
He's not stufty at me. Nah. We talked already. Yeah,
he congratulated me and already so we did have a talk. Yeah,
did you got you me?

Speaker 12 (59:50):
That's number forty point too far? I mean what I
I it's it's money, but it can be more than
that inventially.

Speaker 14 (59:58):
What is that number?

Speaker 10 (59:59):
Peach you?

Speaker 9 (01:00:00):
Uh so it's a number. It's just a number. It's
doesn't signify any but m nah, it's not like my
favorite lucky number.

Speaker 10 (01:00:07):
Nah.

Speaker 12 (01:00:07):
No, I mean like what it says something.

Speaker 9 (01:00:09):
It says it says a lot.

Speaker 15 (01:00:10):
But yeah, but I mean that's your point of view,
you know what I mean. It's just enough numbers to
get the job done. You know, like me having a
amount of yards in the game. You getting amount of
yards to get the job done.

Speaker 9 (01:00:23):
That's all over there.

Speaker 12 (01:00:24):
Did you did you need boles.

Speaker 6 (01:00:25):
To How how big was this for?

Speaker 3 (01:00:26):
That?

Speaker 18 (01:00:26):
Wows you got?

Speaker 12 (01:00:27):
That year was over forty?

Speaker 3 (01:00:28):
Really?

Speaker 9 (01:00:29):
That how much I think Miles set the bar. I
think he just set the bar.

Speaker 15 (01:00:33):
Cause honestly, there was a lot going on around that time,
numbers wise on what I wanted for real, So, uh,
I think Miles really just helped me, cause you know,
I'm not I'm not.

Speaker 9 (01:00:45):
A greedy person and I'm not selfie, so I'm not.

Speaker 15 (01:00:47):
Gonna overdo nothing, you know, and you know this whole
situation number throughout my whole process, I was talking to
Rocky Acs and make sure like we get some more
tea's done, like all we close to T's my before mind,
Like you know what, I'm tryna make sure me and
TS dial around the scene before we can, you know,
before I.

Speaker 9 (01:01:03):
Could sign first.

Speaker 15 (01:01:04):
You know, I don't want to make sure we were
at least together close around the same parts are when.

Speaker 12 (01:01:08):
You followed Jill, when he walked us through what it
was like in that we actually you told that you
guys were all in to stay together.

Speaker 5 (01:01:17):
Uhh.

Speaker 9 (01:01:17):
I think I sent to a text.

Speaker 15 (01:01:20):
Actually, I think I just sent him my text, uh
telling him we finished and we'll be up there like tuesday.

Speaker 9 (01:01:28):
You know that that was all out of toil him,
and he was just like, Okay, we'll see Tuesday.

Speaker 14 (01:01:31):
So he texted me.

Speaker 13 (01:01:32):
It was like congratulations, brother, I appreciate it.

Speaker 12 (01:01:36):
Were you together when times.

Speaker 18 (01:01:38):
Word were you going?

Speaker 9 (01:01:40):
No, I was in Costa Rica where he was at.

Speaker 14 (01:01:44):
I was at my home.

Speaker 9 (01:01:46):
Anything like post of the shape you go over to that.

Speaker 15 (01:01:50):
All last No, that was that was when we were
the same time, when we found out we were separately.
But yeah, when we when we put it out there,
we was together. Yes, one post or no, it was
it was just like get it out there. He said
he was gonna do like a hand shaky moji and
I was like, alright, cool, i'm'a just do it too too.

Speaker 12 (01:02:10):
Yeah, how do you save agent? How DoD Rocky?

Speaker 9 (01:02:12):
How much of this was?

Speaker 2 (01:02:14):
Uh, this is the time to do like.

Speaker 12 (01:02:15):
Either go with the bus or none of us? Does
that talk that hole you guys?

Speaker 9 (01:02:19):
I mean not between us, but maybe Rocky and Katie.
Yeah maybe Yeah.

Speaker 12 (01:02:23):
You never like it ultimated of like it it has
to go to the buss.

Speaker 15 (01:02:27):
Yeah, I mean I was probably thrown it now. Yeah,
alas a little bit. I mean when you would say
that too, to get t right.

Speaker 12 (01:02:34):
What you trouble You didn't that that's sor wondering about
t open that t would get done in sudrop.

Speaker 17 (01:02:40):
This process is that how are you when you're just
close to becoming the highest paid non quarterback and then
give be in NFL history, so prioritizing to.

Speaker 9 (01:02:49):
Flu uh, I mean when you that close?

Speaker 15 (01:02:52):
I mean when I think we put a pause to
mom when we got around a certain number to just
get started in more up to date, up to speed
with teas. But you know, once we got literally close
to each other, I think that's when you know, I
think I finished or not.

Speaker 9 (01:03:09):
At that point, we was just waiting on Teas.

Speaker 12 (01:03:11):
How much would you guys like to see Trey come back.

Speaker 13 (01:03:13):
And get his Definitely would love to see Tray you know,
back with us, you know, and get what he deserves.
So you know, he's been a great part of our
defense for the past for years. So definitely would love
to see Tray back on the team.

Speaker 20 (01:03:28):
You guys, are you guys are talking about you guys
who talked love today like your friendship? Like they don't
know with all the star receivers or star receivers usually friends,
are you guys plus what the most star receivers are or.

Speaker 14 (01:03:38):
I mean I feel like they are. I feel like
star receiver with friends understand, don't know.

Speaker 9 (01:03:43):
That's a good question.

Speaker 15 (01:03:44):
I mean they you cool you probably it depends, you know,
you might wanna work out with 'em, you know you.
But then again, I I'm doing it to stall they moves.
If I'm being honest, I'm not here to be your friend,
out here to come take your move and add it
to mind so I could be better, you know what
I'm saying, Like, I mean, don't.

Speaker 9 (01:04:04):
Understand, don't have hope stort it.

Speaker 2 (01:04:09):
Earlier?

Speaker 5 (01:04:10):
Is that cap emoji just to mess with us or
is there any significance for the blue cap emoji?

Speaker 13 (01:04:17):
Yeah, it was just messing with y'all. Uh my, my,
my PR team put that out. I ain't do it.

Speaker 14 (01:04:25):
You can have a RT yeah, something like that.

Speaker 19 (01:04:29):
I mean, going back Toto Watcher, he's kind of receiving
two guys son saying, way we all have this kind
of relationship and not be watching you do well?

Speaker 12 (01:04:36):
You should yourself job at a germification. Why is that
not the case for you too?

Speaker 19 (01:04:40):
And you know why why y'all be able to house
that you said to be out of the relationship that
I'm ma assessed.

Speaker 13 (01:04:45):
With the wal term deals and back and that level
I think it's cause we make each other better, not
just on the field, but off the field as well.
Uh as men and he know, he's become one of
my closest brothers. And you know, we we we've been
growing together. You know, that's professional athletes. And I feel
like when we gonna do nothing but continue to grow

(01:05:07):
and yeah, so I feel like that's team.

Speaker 12 (01:05:11):
I'm sorry where in the lot and a lot of
you guys don.

Speaker 9 (01:05:15):
Talk now like why receiu?

Speaker 12 (01:05:16):
Whyn't you situations to get or whe you guys a
why recipe lawns?

Speaker 6 (01:05:19):
If you were to lead, you would.

Speaker 12 (01:05:20):
Probably been a wide secret one. When you see you
put it out there that you're the highest paid whyde receiver?

Speaker 14 (01:05:24):
Chi?

Speaker 9 (01:05:24):
How does that one am? You're saying, I'm fixing it one? A?

Speaker 14 (01:05:28):
That's sair, you know, brou I don't even look at
it like that, you know what I mean?

Speaker 20 (01:05:33):
Uh?

Speaker 13 (01:05:34):
I kind of wish they wouldn't have put it out
there like that, so cause now it's that's why everybody's
sitting on the highest paid too.

Speaker 14 (01:05:40):
Well, let's just say.

Speaker 13 (01:05:42):
I'm at a place where you know they value me
and you know they respect me, and I just I'm
a I'm a good player. So let's let's just say
that that's not the highest receiver too or anything like that,
you know what I mean. So let's just say he's
another great receiver Bengals receiver that you know that puts
into work.

Speaker 14 (01:06:01):
And and got his head down and just grinds.

Speaker 12 (01:06:04):
So what about the topic of.

Speaker 17 (01:06:06):
Money last we be like you was out there or
you said you tasting and charlitie Nah, Mike Rich Yeah,
have you heard of an of your teammates like that?

Speaker 14 (01:06:14):
Alright?

Speaker 4 (01:06:15):
Nah?

Speaker 14 (01:06:15):
Not yet, not yet, not yet.

Speaker 12 (01:06:17):
When you went through it made all the bus decisions
last year, how much what did you put in the
back of mind saying, hey, y'all kind of don't want
it to be you know, that's what drama. Just be
as chill as possible in negotiation.

Speaker 19 (01:06:28):
How much did you factor that in when you went
out and bade since you made it just kind of
go through negotiations.

Speaker 3 (01:06:32):
And something around.

Speaker 14 (01:06:33):
Uh, Like I told Rocky, I said, Rocky, bro.

Speaker 13 (01:06:38):
Do your big one basically and cause me personally, I
I'm a quiet guy. I don't do too much conversation
going back and forth or anything like that. So you know,
I have for my full trust in Rocky and you
know he was able to get it done.

Speaker 17 (01:06:54):
Like, how have you all changed the most for each
other since the moment that you you were trapped here
at Robinson that he's your first town.

Speaker 9 (01:07:03):
You said, how we changed the most? How do you
change the most just as a person or perpending money?
These guy's expensive. Yeah, I've been doing this since my
rookie year. I'm I'm I'm.

Speaker 13 (01:07:15):
Damn well for me, Uh, I feel like I've changed,
you know, not only like becoming a better football player,
but off the field. You know, Troy has you know,
got me closer with uh the man above and you know,
so I f I feel like I've go closer to God,
you know, with the uh help of Troy coach Troy.

(01:07:37):
So yeah, I feel like that's the biggest change for me.

Speaker 12 (01:07:40):
Did you born the strip a lot of flocks? Now
we got a high school receiver who got see up there.

Speaker 19 (01:07:43):
He makes Joe my personal You'll not only have the
best offense to get back in the Super Bowls, that's
up in the yl or side about I'm.

Speaker 12 (01:07:49):
Just gonna have that expectation like, hey, this is you
gotta do. Like what your thoughts are now that being
the stand.

Speaker 15 (01:07:54):
Or down that all the years, you know, yeah, I
mean honestly, that's the h whole goal behind something that
is at the end of the day, you know, signing
both of us together us the whole goal for us
to push this team and push each other, you know,
as far as we could go. And you know that
one goal is to be the best in AFC. First,
that's gonna give us the easiest show to get to
the super Bowl. And if we win that first, then
we're gonna take the next step.

Speaker 14 (01:08:17):
What would you guys.

Speaker 20 (01:08:18):
Say to anyone that, okay, puspamously bang Joe, bang you
what you want get investing extemotions and receiper.

Speaker 19 (01:08:27):
Position saying that's not the way, has supermot ampions have
God pair?

Speaker 12 (01:08:32):
What would your response the love?

Speaker 13 (01:08:36):
Everyone has their own opinion. I feel like we got
a different different philos philocy How do I even say,
ah philosophy here and we believe that's all.

Speaker 14 (01:08:50):
Like I said, we believe we can get it done.

Speaker 13 (01:08:51):
And I mean anybody that you know that has doubts,
We're gonna try to you know, you know, f they
mind and believe in us, just how just how we
believe in ourselves.

Speaker 9 (01:09:04):
So did you guys pay attention to the Super Bowl?

Speaker 12 (01:09:06):
And Eagles paid a lot of their walk high school bars.

Speaker 14 (01:09:09):
And you think back to the house. Yeah yeah, I
mean yeah.

Speaker 21 (01:09:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 15 (01:09:21):
I mean at that time, it's a lot going on
in your head, you know what I'm saying. It's just
season over you at home, you pissed, you watching the
super Bowl. It's a lot, you know, I think just
trying to get through it. That's really the only thing.

Speaker 12 (01:09:35):
Timorrow, would you say, cause just a receiver.

Speaker 15 (01:09:39):
Yeah, like you said, there's gonna be a lot of
dollars out there, a lot of critics out there. I mean,
you know, I I was told that I was gonna
have the worst season of my life last year cause
I didn't make camp, you know what I'm saying. So like,
and I heard that more than I heard. Uh, i'm'a
be the highest paid. I heard that more than i'm'a
be highest paid. So me just say it again, what

(01:10:02):
did you love on a lot of people?

Speaker 18 (01:10:04):
Yeah?

Speaker 14 (01:10:05):
Yeah, but me just.

Speaker 15 (01:10:09):
Hearing stuff like that, I mean, they everybody gonna have
to say so, but it's just how you handle the situation,
you know. And all we could do is control the
controller boy, and that's put it ourselves in a position
to make wins.

Speaker 12 (01:10:20):
Money isn't gonna change your chip on your shoulder.

Speaker 9 (01:10:22):
E's a braze or.

Speaker 15 (01:10:24):
Money just gives me access to do stuff I haven't
done when I was younger. That's all it does right now.
I mean, my friends told me till this day, I've
never changed. I don't think I will change. I always
be the same person. I'm confident you know I'm I'm
always been the same. I've never changed. So, uh, if
anybody can say I changed something wrong.

Speaker 13 (01:10:44):
Well, like he said earlier, I wanna win the championship
and I feel like, uh, we can definitely win it here.
So uh, the money thing is not not really the
the the the big factor. Uh, it's just really being
here with the guys and for another four years and
trying to win that championship.

Speaker 12 (01:11:03):
Thanks something, we're outgations on the checkers.

Speaker 15 (01:11:06):
We're gonna do carroulette. I'm quick, I'll tuch me. I'm quick,
not putting my card out that fast.

Speaker 9 (01:11:14):
This year.

Speaker 21 (01:11:18):
We got it.

Speaker 18 (01:11:20):
Again.

Speaker 3 (01:11:22):
Show uh the press conference live from the a venue
originally known as Paul Brown Stadium. That was fun, that
was entertaining one might argue uplifting Jamar Chase and T
Higgins meeting with the media.

Speaker 2 (01:11:34):
Uh live.

Speaker 3 (01:11:35):
We'll go to Paul Danner Junior. We think at five
oh five he was there. We'll spend a few minutes
with our guy, Lee Sterling. Make us some money so
we can buy fish tanks for our walls on the
NCAA tournament next So twenty one away from five o'clock.
A huge theme of that press conference you just heard
was money, Jamar Chase and T Higgins uh talking, and
we'll recap all that for you here in a few minutes.

(01:11:57):
I sensed relief as much as anything. Danner Junior was there,
will join him. He'll join us, I should say in
the five o'clock Howard. But speaking of money. During football season,
we spend time every week with a guy, Lee Sterling
Paramount sports dot com, and as an annual tradition, he
always joins us on the eve of March Madness. And
it's good to have you here with this lead to

(01:12:18):
help us make some money. Good afternoon, We've moved around
a lot.

Speaker 2 (01:12:21):
How are you.

Speaker 18 (01:12:23):
I'm good. I'm good. This is crazy tournament. I think
we're going to see the most upsets we've ever seen
really in the first and second round. But there's probably
still only six or seven team to win it all.

Speaker 3 (01:12:35):
All right, well, let's go region by region. Give me
maybe per region some teams that are underrated and maybe
some that are overrated.

Speaker 18 (01:12:46):
All right, how about we start in the south top
left corner with Auburn didn't play well last three, the
last four games. I can't remember a team getting the
number one seed overall that didn't play great at the end.
But you know they're gonna have to play a tough
number two seed Michigan State team. Michigan State's only weakness,

(01:13:07):
they're gonna have to shoot a little bit better three
point shooting. But number three and number four Iowa States
down two starters A and M last six games, horrible
offensive efficiency. There are a couple teams that can win
a couple of games, like Louisville, number eight seed probably
shouldn't have been an eight seed like them in their
first game. Also, love you see San Diego, not San

(01:13:30):
Diego State. You see San Diego plus two and a
half against Michigan. I think Michigan might still be, you know,
excited they won the Big Ten and they all probably
all those kids know their ring size now, so they
might be looking ahead that we've seen that happen many times.
I like them plus two and a half in the
first round, but I think in the end, I think

(01:13:52):
this might be the only region where a number two
seed comes out.

Speaker 4 (01:13:54):
I like Michigan State's talk about the West West Florida.

Speaker 18 (01:13:59):
Florida is just that much better than everyone else, and
the two three and four are very good. I think
this is the toughest region. Saint John's great coach. Florida's
only weakness is their coach has never won a tournament game,
so that's their weakness. But I just think they're too
good behind Walter Clayton, who's scored at least twenty points

(01:14:20):
in four of the last five games. Saint John's Texas
Tech with JJ Toppin who transferred to New Mexico, and
Maryland all very good. One of those three will be
playing Florida, but Florida is the better team. Two games.
I like in the first round Arkansas plus four and
a half against Kansas. I mean, unless Lannon Dickerson has
twenty points, twelve rebounds, three or four assists, and a

(01:14:44):
couple blocks, they just don't have a chance. This is
this I think the wrong team's favored and maybe the
most underrated team in the tournament. Colorado State, Colorado State.
The Gamblers know how good they are. They're a twelve
seed and they're land to and a half points against
a five seed. Memphis take Colorado State. The Rams don't

(01:15:06):
get the upset. They win as a favorite. First time
I've ever seen it. Maybe it's happened one time before,
first time I've ever or at least I can ever
remember a twelve seed being a favorite over a five years.

Speaker 3 (01:15:16):
So you stole my note because I was going to
ask you that, since you have been following this and
since you have been running Paramount Sports, can you ever
remember a twelve seed being favored?

Speaker 2 (01:15:26):
And if so, two and a half isn't huge, but
by this many never.

Speaker 18 (01:15:32):
Someone said they think one time it happened. I just
can't remember it, but it's shocking. Just shows you that
Colorado State is the Gamblers and the oddsmakers feel they
are that good.

Speaker 3 (01:15:44):
Lee Sterling, Paramount sports dot Com. Let's go back up
to the upper right hand corner. Talk about the East.

Speaker 18 (01:15:49):
For me, Duke, they won the ACC without the best player.
Best player maybe in college basketball shows you how good
they are. Alabama can't play a stick to defense. Wisconsin
and Arizona are fine, you know, but they're not beaten. Duke.
Maybe the best game, it's a shame they're playing in

(01:16:09):
the first round is VCU is an eleven seed playing
BYU is a sixth seed. I'll take VCU plus the
three to three and a half. I think that comes
down to one possession. Maybe another underrated team is Sanderbolt
tenn See.

Speaker 3 (01:16:25):
All right, let's talk about the Midwest and league. Keep
in mind that's where the Xavier Musketeers are. They obviously
have to play tomorrow and worry a UK affiliate. That's
where the Kentucky Wildcats are, by the way, and plus
one thousand to win the region. Yeah.

Speaker 18 (01:16:40):
I just think that Houston, if they can get back
Perman Lipsey, they're gonna be a tough out. I don't
think he's gonna play the first weekend. I don't think
they're gonna need him. I mean, the most exciting game
would obviously be Tennessee and Kentucky if they match off
as a two and three seed. I think that Xavier's
really good. They I think they're going to knock off

(01:17:01):
Texas and beat them, and problem is and they got
to play Kentucky. So I wish that didn't happen, but
should be a fun game and I think that. I
think we're going to probably see Houston against Kentucky. But
I think Houston this is going to be their year.
How about a couple of years ago against Miami when
they lost, they shot only thirty eight percent in that game.

(01:17:24):
They couldn't shoot free throws. How things have changed. I
think their offensive team is very good and in fact,
shooting from the free throw line. They didn't have anyone
shooting seventy percent two years ago from the free throw line.
This year they not only have one the shooting above
started shooting above seventy percent, another shooting above eighty percent,
and a third starter shooting above ninety percent. Gimme Houston,

(01:17:47):
Houston's Houston's going to max to the final four five
Slamajama two.

Speaker 2 (01:17:52):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:17:52):
It's interesting the evolution to that program because when Kelvin
Sampson finally got it going there, you know, offensively, it
was just throw it up at the ram and they'll
go get it. And I still think that's their brand,
the brand doesn't fit how they actually play. They're a
very talented offensive team. Ljcryer is awesome. What is happening
at Paramount sports dot com.

Speaker 18 (01:18:10):
They want to hop on board. We've won seven of
the eight March Madnesses and facts. In football season, we
finish off the NFL Playoffs, won every single game of
the playoffs, including the Super Bowl. First ever ten to
oher record. We have only hit three losing weeks in
the college basketball this year. Get the entire tournament one
hundred and ninety seven dollars. We'll also throw in the

(01:18:31):
UFC fights this weekend, So one hundred ninety seven dollars
get you everything for the next three weeks. And baseball
already off to a one to zero start. One on
the game earlier today, six am. Start the under in
the first five innings. We've won five straight years in baseball.
Check out all the specials Paramount sports dot com.

Speaker 3 (01:18:49):
Paramount sports dot Com our guy Lee Sterling already can't
wait for football season. We'll talk then, man, Thanks so much.

Speaker 18 (01:18:56):
Sounds good, Sema, You're the best.

Speaker 3 (01:18:58):
Lee Sterling Paramount sports dot Com. By the way, if
you're looking for the games on radio tonight, Fox Sports
thirteen sixty has them two of them. The second game
is Carolina and San Diego State, Saint Francis and Alabama State.
The first one, it is fourteen away from five o'clock.
All Right, it's been a bit of a mess because
of this press conference. The press conference was fun, and

(01:19:20):
we'll talk about it and more on ESPN fifteen thirty
Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 7 (01:19:24):
Station Cincinnati's eighteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:19:26):
Pole question on Twitter at Molegar.

Speaker 3 (01:19:29):
Thanks to United Heartland Insurance, they'll handle all of your
insurance needs to go to uhins dot com. The question is,
do Zach Taylor and Duke Tobin now work for Joe Burrow?
Seventy six point seven percent of you say yes, the

(01:19:49):
most powerful player in the history of Cincinnati sports. Maybe
not the most powerful person, but I legitimately and I
I don't even know who else we would add to
the list. I mean, there have been players who have
forced their exits. There have been players Ken Griffey Junior,
I guess most notably who forced their trade two Cincinnati.

(01:20:12):
I can't recall anything like what Joe Burrow was able
to do here, and I don't want to undermine the
impact of the agent here Rocky Arsenal, and I don't
want to impact the willingness of t Higgins to stay
here and Jamar Chase to want to play here like
that's significant stuff. It's it's interesting for the Bengals being
a franchise that for years you would hear people say like, oh,

(01:20:33):
no one's gonna want to play there. Well, Jamar Chase did,
t Higgins did, Joe Burrow does, and Trey Hendrickson does.
Now it helps that in three of those four cases
the team has been willing to make them generationally wealthy.
But still, but I don't think there has been an
athlete in this town. I'm not sure there's been many
sports figures in this town who have had the power

(01:20:58):
and have had the ability to exert the power that
Joe Burrow has wielded here. And by the way, understandably
so like they drafted him, he's checked every box we said, basically,
rescue the franchise. He has, rebrand the franchise, he has,
reimage of the franchise. He has and win. Now, he
hasn't won as much as we would like. You could argue,

(01:21:20):
but boy, he's done pretty much everything else. And he's
done his share of winning. I think the Bengals have
a legitimate claim to the best quarterback in the NFL. Again,
we're splitting hairs here. I do not say that to
get into a discussion about who the best QB in
the league is. That hasn't happened all that frequently in

(01:21:44):
the history of this franchise. When you have one of those,
and when your recent plans haven't worked, which for the
Bengals that has been the case, you hand over the power.

Speaker 2 (01:21:53):
They have handed over the power to Joe Burrow.

Speaker 3 (01:21:56):
By the way, I'm on board with doing things his
way and and if this doesn't work, holding him at
least partially accountable. Paul Danner Junior joins us from the stadium.
Coming up in ten minutes on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati
Sports Station. Hey, it's Moeger FanDuel is turning the excitement
up even higher for Colape. Sure have what's up? Three

(01:22:18):
after five, ESPN fifteen thirty. I'm Oeger, thank you so
much for joining us. It has been a busy, busy day.
We carried for you live the thirty minute press conference,
but the Bengals put on were Te Higgins and Jamar
Chase as well. As Zach Taylor briefly talked with members
of the local professional football media and in that bunch,

(01:22:40):
our buddy Paul Danner Junior from The Athletic and the
Growler podcast.

Speaker 2 (01:22:44):
You talk about busy.

Speaker 3 (01:22:44):
This dude has been swamped and I'm sure will only
continue to be as the evening unfolds. He is with
us from the venue originally known as Paul Brown Stadium.
He's with us now, Hi, Paul, Hi mow.

Speaker 2 (01:22:57):
I'm great. That was the happiest press conference of all
the time. Yeah, sure, yes, very.

Speaker 1 (01:23:03):
I mean, what's what's not to like to incredibly likable,
easily investible best friends who are gonna be the face
of your franchise along with their other third best friend
Joe Burrow Like that. That's my takeaway from something like
that is if you're gonna overpay something, if you're.

Speaker 8 (01:23:23):
Gonna say you know what I do, if you're gonna
extend yourself in some.

Speaker 2 (01:23:25):
Way, do it for people like that? Yeah, Like, those
are those people.

Speaker 1 (01:23:31):
That are all about the work and staying focused and
talking about winning championships, and they're they're young and humble
and generally good, you know, down to earth people.

Speaker 2 (01:23:43):
Uh, you have no problem.

Speaker 1 (01:23:45):
You should have no problem saying, you know what, if
we're gonna go over the top with this, if we're
gonna be about something, be about those dudes.

Speaker 2 (01:23:53):
Uh, those dudes tend to pay off. I like how
they talked about each other.

Speaker 3 (01:23:58):
I like how the question was answered about the you
know team being the highest paid wide receiver number two,
and Jamar inter Jackson goes one a like, it's it's
fun to root for those guys individually, But any sports
fan to say it's it's fun to root for guys
who really seem like they enjoy each other's company. And like,
you could watch those two guys and not know anything
about them as players, not know anything about what they

(01:24:20):
have accomplished individually, not even know about the kind of
money they were signing for. And it's easy to be
in a good mood when you've just agreed to that
kind of coin. Still, like that was just that was
neat to listen to. That was just their dynamic with
each other was just neat to watch and listen to.

Speaker 8 (01:24:35):
Here And you know what, this never happens if they're
not friends.

Speaker 21 (01:24:40):
Yeah, And there's no saying, look, bo, this isn't the
case with you you you love all your co workers,
of course, and you have nothing but friends across the
building there of course obviously, but not everybody likes all
their coworkers and you don't have to.

Speaker 8 (01:24:55):
And we've certainly had coworkers that have been teammates in
this building that.

Speaker 1 (01:24:58):
Have very obviously not like like each other, and that's okay.
But and there's no saying that has to feel different.
This is like true, like genuine friendship. That wasn't just like, hey,
we're friends, I hope we play together, see you in
the in the summer or whatever. It's let's let's take
the biggest decision of our lives and make sure we
work together to make sure we stay together, because that

(01:25:21):
is how I want to experience my football career. Like
that's a it's a different level, and it comes across.
I think it genuinely comes across when when you just
kind of listen to the way they talk, the way they're,
like you said the one a comment, they're protective of
each other. They they they they wanted to be clear
that it's not about anybody being better than anybody else,
and it's just about how they how they like to

(01:25:44):
be together on and off the field, and uh that again,
it brings me back to that same point as that
type of thing, that's it's it's it's what you invest in.
It's what you should be investing in, no matter what
your business is.

Speaker 3 (01:25:56):
Yeah, and I I know I I kind of went
down this road with you and Jay on the ground
or yesterday. But like I've spent the last year becoming
more and more impressed by T Higgins. And not that
I already wasn't and not that I wasn't aware of
the kind of player that he was. I've watched every
snap of his Bengals career, but you know, to this

(01:26:16):
degree you think about it like he's always going to
be tethered to Jamar Chase, which is a very good
player to be tethered to, but like these are competitive guys,
and so you know, he goes through his rookie season
and I'm sure during that year he's thinking like AJ
Green is going to be gone and I'm going to
be the man, and then actually they take Jamar Chase,
and for most of the last four years, Jamar has

(01:26:38):
been the guy.

Speaker 2 (01:26:39):
Tea has certainly had his moments.

Speaker 3 (01:26:41):
It comes time for free agency and it's well Jamar
is going to be the highest paid guy, the highest
paid non quarterback in the history of the NFL. TEA
is obviously not getting table scraps, But you have this moment.
This is for a lot of players, for a lot
of people. I want this to be my moment. I
want to answer the questions. I don't want to sit
there with a guy who plays my position and oh,
and by the way, is going to be making a

(01:27:02):
significant amount of money more than me. And yet the
dude was willing to do that. And to me, that
exemplifies how he has handled this entire process, and that's
the kind of guy I am happy to root for.
And that, to me has led the argument as to
why you invest in this dude and bring him back
and keep him here because you need people like that
on your football team.

Speaker 1 (01:27:21):
And it's the same way that he handled last year,
which was one of the most challenging off the field
in his life. I mean, the way that he went
through all of that stuff with the tag and not
what he wanted and what's he gonna do, and he
the trade request and all of that stuff, and to
come back and say, you know what I'm gonna I'm

(01:27:41):
gonna bet on myself. But I'm not just gonna I'm
not gonna do it and be angry about it. I'm
gonna do it, and I'm gonna approach it like I'm
trying to have the best year of my life and
be about the right stuff and not complain and be
happy about what I have and be a better player.

Speaker 8 (01:27:55):
And what else can you ask is you know what,
what do we hear all the time?

Speaker 1 (01:27:59):
Like time someone is up at one of these podiums,
it's like, oh, just it's about how we respond to
adversity and what do we do when where chat we're
down and challenged And you hear this across all sports,
but it's there's there's truth to you.

Speaker 8 (01:28:12):
You don't You never really know until you have players
that go through that.

Speaker 1 (01:28:16):
And for Tea to have gone through that and you
see how he handled it, yeah, that I think that
changed a lot. We've talked a lot about how things
changed between last year and where you're at now with Tea.
When he went from it looked like he was probably
going to be gone where he's now back. I think
that was really probably an underdiscussed part of it, just

(01:28:38):
the fact that he handled it ideally the entire time,
And how do you sit there in the owners suite
and not say, man, that makes a difference, and that
means something to me, and that proved something to me.
And so when you have that, I think it was
a big part of what changed the entire dynamic. And yeah,
it also makes him a very easy person to root for.

Speaker 3 (01:29:01):
So today's press conference one of the more significant and
recent history. Do you know when the press conference will
be where Joe Burrow talks about the players he wants
the Bengals to draft next month?

Speaker 1 (01:29:13):
I really, you know, we always before the draft, we
usually they they usually some sort of a session with
with Duke Tobin and he gets up and he talks
vaguely about draft picks with the hope of telling us nothing.

Speaker 8 (01:29:25):
I don't understand why we go through that rigamarole anymore.

Speaker 2 (01:29:27):
Let's let's shoe up there.

Speaker 1 (01:29:30):
He can point out to us who he thinks the
best players are, and maybe they'll just take all LSU players.
I don't know, but I think that feels like at
this point, just we can keep building these checklists of
people whose names come out of Burrow's mouth, and then
we just assume that we'll be talking to them soon.

Speaker 3 (01:29:44):
You you wrote about Joe Burrow as general manager and
his role in all of this, which is, you know,
one of the major components of this entire story, and
it was acknowledged today during the press conference. You have
followed this team for a long time and been covering
it for a while now has has anybody in the
history of the franchise had as much way as Joe

(01:30:06):
Burrow has right now?

Speaker 8 (01:30:08):
No, No, not even close.

Speaker 1 (01:30:10):
I mean, you know, this is a this is an
ownership that wraps its arms around the franchise and they
don't like to let people in and and and that's
for good reason, and so it and it's painful when
they have to do things like like giving the contracted
Joe in the first place, because they acknowledged they weren't

(01:30:31):
just giving him two hundred and seventy five million dollars.
They were given him power. They were given him the
ability to change everything. And as we know, that's gone
poorly here at once one time, and and it when
a different number nine quarterback, And so that was a
hard thing to do.

Speaker 8 (01:30:50):
And I think he has kind of earned their trust
with it. But now when you.

Speaker 1 (01:30:56):
Look at how he has understood quickly how to utilize
his power or to work together.

Speaker 8 (01:31:02):
You know, I don't think it's necessarily adversarial.

Speaker 1 (01:31:07):
It's trying to find a little bit more of a
middle ground and it works, and it's worked, and yeah,
there's never been a person that's felt like this, where
it's like, man, they can pretty much get anything they want,
whether we're talking about coaches or other front office people
or whatever. There's no there's no doubt about it. I mean,

(01:31:30):
they are in the Joe Burrow business, and it's a
good business to be in. By the way, It's been
very good to them, so they're they're happy to be
in it now. But there is no doubt this is
a lot of new ground has been broken. And when
you go back to why, a lot of new ground
has been broken over the last five years, mostly because

(01:31:51):
of Joe Burrow.

Speaker 3 (01:31:51):
Yeah, and so one of the things for me and
this is I guess it's more of a common and
less than the question is I'm kind of curious now
that Joe Burrow has this kind.

Speaker 2 (01:32:01):
Of pull how he wields his power.

Speaker 3 (01:32:04):
Next and ideally the team is really good and there's
no real reason for him to wield power but I
can't help but wonder, like, now that he has exerted
this amount of influence with this franchise in particular, I
think it's interesting to think about where he may use
it again.

Speaker 14 (01:32:22):
Yeah, who knows.

Speaker 1 (01:32:23):
I guess we'll all find out, right, I don't this
this feels like the big one now and we say
that now and then we'll probably all be calling next
off season the biggest off season in Bengals history. Course, yes,
we always, we love to do that, but for that fact,
I mean, it's this has felt like really the big moment.

(01:32:44):
And maybe maybe there's other things that change or shake it,
but I mean, this has felt like the moment that
was like the inflection point where you can choose two paths.
You said it perfectly on the podcast with me the
other day. The Bengals chose not to go to war,
and and they chose so let's let's go along with
this and and uh, I don't know that there's gonna
be another decision that's quite like that, but you know,

(01:33:08):
if there is, I can guess they'll probably go on
his side again.

Speaker 2 (01:33:14):
What's next with Trey Hendrickson.

Speaker 9 (01:33:18):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:33:21):
No, I'm not I'm not I'm not giving you a break.
We have to turn the page almost immediately.

Speaker 12 (01:33:27):
You know.

Speaker 2 (01:33:28):
That's nice, But press conference not good. Ink not dry.

Speaker 3 (01:33:31):
On the the hendricks On, the Higgins and Chase deals,
that's what's next. Okay, what's next with Trey Hendrickson.

Speaker 8 (01:33:38):
I think I think both sides.

Speaker 1 (01:33:42):
I think both sides are looking at each other right now,
and it feels like they're saying, we're probably better off
together and we can make this happen. And I think
it's so much easier now with all the cards on
the table, which is really what the entire idea was
behind the permission to seek a tree situation.

Speaker 8 (01:34:01):
Go find out your worth. Let's know what that is.

Speaker 1 (01:34:04):
Go find out the draft compensation. Let's find out what
that is. Where we have these big deals with the receivers.

Speaker 4 (01:34:10):
Done, we know what that is.

Speaker 1 (01:34:11):
Everything is right there on the table. So now sit
down and figure out that number. And I think both
sides are leaning that direction. It's certainly pointed that direction
now after a free agency where they didn't get anybody
that would help compensate if they did trade him away.
I mean, if they were making the trade now, it
would hack to have an headdresher coming back in return,

(01:34:32):
which is what makes everything much more complicated in terms
of what you'd be talking about in dealing. So it
feels like it ends up back there and probably gets done.
But you know, you never want to say anything indefinitives
with that, because it's that one's been. That one's been,
the one that's since day one we've talked about, has
felt very much like the most fascinating that could go

(01:34:54):
any direction.

Speaker 14 (01:34:55):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (01:34:55):
One of the things, I know you have a lot
going on.

Speaker 3 (01:34:57):
Earlier today, per your publication, the athletic Major League Baseball
informed the Miami Marlins that they're not going to be
allowed to go ahead with a plan that they had,
which was to have a random people auditioned for a
practice squad to play against their single aid team. And
these guys would have made one hundred and fifty dollars
a day. Is that going to be the planet guard
for the Bengals.

Speaker 1 (01:35:21):
I'm guessing the NFL is weighing right now and to
see if they're gonna they're gonna allow it.

Speaker 4 (01:35:27):
We're not.

Speaker 2 (01:35:27):
We're not that far.

Speaker 1 (01:35:28):
We were we were kind of joking before the press
conference today that they.

Speaker 8 (01:35:31):
Were you were going to hear some sound and it's.

Speaker 1 (01:35:33):
Like, oh my god, that's Quentin Spain.

Speaker 8 (01:35:37):
Oh no, no, no, no, you know, it's like, where
where are we right now with this?

Speaker 1 (01:35:43):
It feels like that's that's that's kind of where it's
trending towards at this point.

Speaker 18 (01:35:47):
But yeah, no, I.

Speaker 8 (01:35:49):
It feels dangerously close to that.

Speaker 1 (01:35:51):
There's gonna be a lot of hoping and projecting that's
going to happen with both guard positions at this point,
and that's that's a scary place to be when you're
talking about protecting everything.

Speaker 8 (01:36:03):
You just spend a bunch of time paying.

Speaker 3 (01:36:05):
Yeah, no question, all right, I know you have a
lot going on. We'll hopefully talk next week. Thanks so much,
look forward to it. That's our guy, Paul Danner Junior,
The Athletic and The Growler Podcast. Follow him on Twitter
at Paul Dayner Junior. Read his piece on Joe Burrow
the GM at The Athletic and catch the podcast because
it is awesome. All right, we're I think we're done

(01:36:26):
with guests. We're done with press conferences. Now between now
and six o'clock, just you and I five point three
seven four nine fifteen thirty is our phone number. I
do think that part of the press conference where uh,
Jamar and T talked about one in one A and
I think it was Marshall Cramsky, in fact, I know

(01:36:46):
it was from Channel nine asked T Higgins about being
the highest paid wide receiver too, and Jamar Chase interjected
and said one A like, Look, man, it's it's at
the end of the day, all we want them to
do is win. They have some major obstacles. They have
a lot of work to do this offseason. I am
very concerned about the Planet guard. I have no idea

(01:37:07):
how you let Trey Hendrickson get away and expect the
pass rush to be better. I am kind of skeptical
about the defense, like there's a lot that has to happen.
But I do think there's I think there's something about
having really good players who are easy to root for,
and I think Jamar Chase is easy to root for.
I think T Higgins is easy to root for. I mean,

(01:37:28):
you know, I said this to Paul, and I know
I've gone down this road before, where T Higgins over
the last year or so has to me at least
he's come off as really professional, really likable, just by
how he has handled the last year. You know, go

(01:37:50):
back a year ago when the Bengals franchise tag him.
You know, nobody's gonna feel sorry for a guy who, all, right,
worst thing that happens is I make twenty one million dollars.

Speaker 2 (01:38:00):
But I'm sure on some level that's disappointing.

Speaker 3 (01:38:04):
You work really hard to be among the best at
your position, among the very best at your craft. You've
achieved free agency, or you're about to achieve free agency,
which is something you achieve. You have to play for
a long time in the NFL to do that. I know,
it just seems like four years. Four years in the
NFL is an eternity. You have defied the odds, and

(01:38:24):
then the rug gets pulled out from underneath you. And
not only do they franchise tag you, they really don't
negotiate with you. And because of that, a year ago,
a lot of us were wondering, what's he gonna do?
Is he gonna is he gonna raise a stink? When's
he gonna sign the franchise tag? And he did. He
did request a trade. But the trade request wasn't a

(01:38:45):
side show, It didn't take on a life of its own.

Speaker 1 (01:38:48):
It just it.

Speaker 3 (01:38:50):
He made the request, the Bengals obviously didn't honor it,
and understandably so, and then life went on. They they
get him to sign the franchise tag in in June, Like,
this wasn't even close to being a question when training
camp started because T Higgins eliminated it as an issue. Yeah,
I'm signing the tag. And then when he was asked

(01:39:11):
about it, he sounded grateful. Look, man, I'm gonna make
twenty one million dollars this year.

Speaker 2 (01:39:17):
I'm good.

Speaker 3 (01:39:19):
The season starts, he plays his ass off. He authors
one of the most iconic moments of the season, maybe
the most iconic moment of the season, not that a
nine and eight year has that many iconic moments with
the two plays against the Denver Broncos. He handles every
question about his future like a pro. He doesn't hold in,
he doesn't hold out. He's at training camp, practice, he's

(01:39:41):
playing in preseason games like, there's a lot to like
about that. And I know that the dollars we're talking
about here are dollar figures that you and I cannot
relate to, but still like, the dude handled himself like
an absolute pro, and over this entire four year run,
I said this earlier. T Higgins had to finish his

(01:40:03):
rookie season or go through his rookie season in twenty
twenty when he was really good. AJ Green was still
on the team, and I'm sure there's a part of
him thinking, like, dude, I'm gonna be the man. And
then the next spring they draft the man and Jamar
Chase takes off and he's a star. And even in
this past year where it's all about t Higgins proving himself,
Jamar Chase turns into the best wide receiver in the sport.

(01:40:28):
And you don't get a hint of jealousy, of envy,
of any of that from T Higgins today, Like today
is a monumental moment in his life. How many of
us would want to share it. How many of us
would want to share it sitting next to someone who's
going to be paid even more? How many of us

(01:40:48):
would do that? Human nature dictates not many. Like there's
a part of all of us that would go, oh, man,
I get a press conference, this is my moment. The
questions are about me. Instead, I'll sit here. I'll sit
here next to a guy who plays the same position
and is going to be making headlines for making a
lot more money than me, and again, T Higgins financially

(01:41:10):
is fine.

Speaker 2 (01:41:12):
I think that says something about the guy I do.

Speaker 3 (01:41:16):
And at the end of the day, you know, all
we care about is whether or not the team wins,
regardless of who plays for it. It makes it so
much more fun when when the guys you root for
are easy people to root for. I think I think
Jamar Chase is. I really think T Higgins is twenty
two minutes after five o'clock five point three seven four nine,

(01:41:37):
fifteen thirty is the phone number we will get to
some of your phone calls.

Speaker 2 (01:41:41):
I do have a note about t higgins value.

Speaker 3 (01:41:43):
We have to talk about Joe Burrow's power and a
simple NCAA tournament request as well. All between now and
six on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station Cincinnati's ESPO
Wee podcast. We put it on the podcast page at
ESPN fifteen thirty. We also put it on the iHeartRadio
at Kelsey Conway from the Inquiry yesterday was terrific talking

(01:42:06):
about Jamar and t and Trey.

Speaker 2 (01:42:09):
If you miss that, go listen to it.

Speaker 3 (01:42:10):
Also, Sean Miller was on our show Xavier's head coach
as the Musketeers get set to play tomorrow against Texas.
We also had a post selection day conversation with the
Nky Bracket Guy. Listen to all of that and more
on the iHeartRadio app podcast of this show. A service
of Longneck Sports Grill by the way between now and

(01:42:30):
through the start of the games on Thursday, swing by
any Long Necks three locations Wilder, Hebron and Richwood and
fill out a free tournament bracket and you can win
a big screen Ultra four K TV.

Speaker 2 (01:42:42):
How about that.

Speaker 3 (01:42:43):
It's free and you can watch all the games, including
the two tonight Longneck Sports Grill Wilder, Hebron and Richwood.
All right, uh, let's see here. Five point three seven
four nine, fifteen thirty Jim in Bridgetown. You're on ESPN
fifteen thirty Jim, Good afternoon.

Speaker 2 (01:42:59):
How are you hey.

Speaker 4 (01:43:01):
I'm doing great. I'm going to make a prediction other
than the offense. They need a couple of guards. I
wouldn't be I wouldn't if they can sign Hendrickson. If
this is what I think they should do. Lay round Sawyer,
the kid from Ohio State. He's like Sam Hubbard. You
put him on one side, Hendrickson on the other and

(01:43:22):
use a side like Derek Thomas or elt let him
rush the passion. I think their defense is going to
come alive. That's just my opinion. If they stay healthy,
they're going to the playoffs big time.

Speaker 2 (01:43:36):
Well, I agree with that. I mean, and I know
I said this last year.

Speaker 3 (01:43:42):
I have a hard time believing that if Joe Burrow
plays at a Joe Burrow level, frankly, regardless of what
happens with the defense, that for a second straight year,
they'll be on the outside looking in. I think Joseph
Osai was worth bringing back for a year. I was
on board with that. Jack Sawyer I think is interesting
because because you know with where the Bengals draft most

(01:44:03):
and again you could take these with a grain of salt.
I love Jack Sawyer. Most mocks have him kind of
going late first round, and so you know, would you
take him with the seventeenth overall pick. I wouldn't be
entirely opposed to it. I know the class at his
position is very, very deep. I find it hard to
believe that he is going to be on the board
where they going round two. But I think it goes

(01:44:24):
without saying regardless of whether it's Jack Sawyer or not.
And I think we all know how good Jack Sawyer
was at Ohio State. They're going to have to find
some help off the edge. Even keeping Trey Hendrickson. Twenty
teams in the NFL last year had more sacks than
the Bengals.

Speaker 2 (01:44:39):
I think.

Speaker 3 (01:44:39):
Defensively, though, Jim, what I wonder more than anything is
they haven't added a dB. Geno Stone is still here.
They haven't added a corner, they haven't added a safety.
We'll see if they do in the draft. They're taking
a major leap of faith that Al Golden can get
more out of that group of players. Now, in that

(01:45:00):
group of players, a lot of early Ish draft choices,
a lot of guys that we feel like have upside,
Cam Taylor Bridge, Josh Newton, et cetera.

Speaker 2 (01:45:09):
Dox Hill.

Speaker 3 (01:45:10):
But you're gonna be asking for significantly better results in
that position group from what is largely the same group
of guys.

Speaker 4 (01:45:18):
Yeah, I'm with you that. On the other hand, they
could be like the Coats with Manning. It built their offense,
and remember they didn't have much of a defense. They
had to outscore people. Then they got Craney and they
got Mathis. But like I said, if they can get
a pass rusher and use aside like Derek Thomas or LT,

(01:45:39):
I think you're going to see something different A and
I think Golden's going to get them fired up. I'd
go after Sawyer though, I would.

Speaker 2 (01:45:47):
I think what's interesting, Jim, thank you very much.

Speaker 3 (01:45:49):
I think what's what's going to be interesting is I
would imagine this isn't going to happen with Tray Hendrickson.

Speaker 2 (01:45:55):
Lou En Rumo was.

Speaker 3 (01:45:58):
I think sort of loath to move pieces around on
the defensive line, and I wonder if that changes just
a little bit, you know. Jim mentioned the Indianapolis Colts.
The Colts won the Super Bowl in two thousand and
six and did so with a defense that was ranked
twenty third in the league in total points. The Bengals
in two thousand and twenty one made the Super Bowl

(01:46:18):
with the defense that I think was ranked twenty sixth
in yardage if I'm not mistaken, But in both instances,
specifically Cincinnati's in twenty twenty one, they got really good
at getting turnovers at precisely the right time. If that
can return, then I just need basically a league average

(01:46:40):
like Luetrumo's defenses when the Bengals were good in twenty
one and twenty two, weren't known as being great between
the twenties. Right, the mantra was yards, not points, ben
but don't break. Let them move the ball, but be
good in the red zone. Be opportunistic with turnovers. The
standard here for defense. Look, you would love it if
they could have a top five defense. You would love

(01:47:02):
it if, for instance, twenty fifteen they had the second
best defense in terms of points per game allowed. The
good news here is they need to get a lot
better on defense. Good the but being clumsy here. The
bad news is they need a lot of help on defense,
and they need to be better because they're starting from
a place where they were historically bad last year. The
good news is we're not looking for a defense. They

(01:47:25):
don't need a defense that is among the league's best.
It's league average across the board. If they could achieve that,
it's a playoff team. If they can achieve that, it's
a team that's formidable once they get to the playoffs.
But it's still something they've got to do, and it's
still something they've got to do. By doing something they
haven't done well recently, which is draft well enough to
acquire players that can step in and help immediately on

(01:47:47):
that side of the football, and they've got to get
better at guard. I do anticipate the Bengals signing a
guard in free agency, but the play at that position
has to improve. That goes without saying twenty five away
from six o'clock poll question is thanks to United Heartland Insurance,

(01:48:09):
do Zach Taylor and Duke Tobin work for Joe Burrow?
Seventy four percent of you say yes, Let's talk t
Higgins value, Let's talk Joe Burrow's power, and let me
ask you what you would do if you were Trey
Hendrickson next on ESPN fifteen thirty since a Kelsey Chevrolet
Home of lifetime powertrain protection and guaranteed credit approval from

(01:48:32):
their family to yours for life kelseyshev dot com quote,
we have our receivers. The rest of the league can
go find their own. That us a quote from Duke Tobin.
As the Bengals make it official, Jamar Chase and t
Higgins sign their respective contract extensions, what else do we have?

(01:48:52):
The Reds are playing right now, trying to break a
seven game Cactus League losing streak. Right now, the Reds
are playing the Angels in Goodyear. They have played six innings.
Reds have a won nothing lead. Nick Martinez started the
game for Cincinnati, win four innings, did not give up
a run obviously, excuse me. Gave up a hit, walk three,
struck out six. His spring era two to twenty five.

(01:49:15):
The only run of the games driven in by Matt McClain,
who has a couple of hits. The baseball season did
start today in Tokyo. Chances are you had no idea,
because the most baseball thing ever would be to take
its first game and barely publicize it and play it
at six o'clock in the morning and have the national
announcers broadcasting a game in Japan from the United States,

(01:49:37):
because that's the sort of stuff baseball does.

Speaker 2 (01:49:40):
La beat the Cubs.

Speaker 3 (01:49:40):
Four to one, So Cincinnati right now, with one more
game in Japan, has a half game lead over the
Cubs in the race for the National League Central title.
College basketball tonight at Udy Arena. It's the first two
games of the first four. Saint Francis battling Alabama State
in a battle of a pair of sixteens. And then
North Carolina versus San Diego State. I'm in a good
mood today, so as you know, on since he three

(01:50:04):
to sixty, we have ceased doing locks of the night
until certain conditions are met. But because I'm in a
good mood today, I'll tell you the play on this
side of the table would be San Diego State getting
four and a half points. I think San Diego State
can slow down North Carolina. I think San Diego's size

(01:50:25):
and how they pack in their defense can make Carolina
play away. They don't want to play. They are two
hundred and twentieth in three point percentage or three point
shooting rate, meaning number of field goals taken that are threes.
I jumbled that up unnecessarily. They're not a bad shooting team,
they just don't shoot a lot of threes. Why because
Hubert Davis, the one doesn't want to. I think tonight

(01:50:47):
Brian Dutger, who I think is the better coach, gets
Hubert Davis's team to play away.

Speaker 2 (01:50:52):
They don't want to play. I'm getting four and a
half points.

Speaker 3 (01:50:56):
Against a team that you might argue should be motivated
to prove that it indeed does belong in the tournament. Also,
there could be a lane violation tonight, so I'm taking
the Aztecs. I get four and a half. The final
Wes Miller's Show of the Year is tonight at eight
on seven hundred WLW from the original Montgomery in Guy

(01:51:19):
on social media, big mad at me because we had
Sean Miller on the show yesterday. By the way, Joe
Burrow the Big Picture thirty thousand foot view. Takeaways from
all this include how Joe Burrow has obtained an amount
of power that is unprecedented in the history of this franchise.

Speaker 2 (01:51:41):
This is these are the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 3 (01:51:45):
I've heard Bob Trump you talk about this, who just
turned eighty years old earlier this month, the godfather of
sports talk, the greatest voice of all time. Like, this
is a franchise who back in the day, Paul Brown
would cut if he could, the active union leader on
the team. They've gone from that to a team that
basically made its player. It's star player, it's quarterback, it's

(01:52:08):
general manager. No player in the history of this franchise,
no player in the history of sports has had this
much power. It's awesome, it's deserved. What I wonder is
and we hope we don't get there. Like if you
were Joe Burrow and you had been empowered the way

(01:52:29):
he has, and the season now in twenty twenty five
doesn't unfold the way you want. Aren't you looking for
ways that you can continue to wield your power and influence?
And by the way, you might go, well, wait a minute, mo,
Joe Burrow really likes Zach Taylor, and I'm sure he does,
and I'm sure he has good reason to.

Speaker 2 (01:52:49):
This season goes sideways for.

Speaker 3 (01:52:50):
A coach's whose position is I think a little bit
more tenuous than some would would be willing to realize.

Speaker 2 (01:52:58):
You'll think Joe Burrow would on Zach Taylor. You kidding me?
Joe might like Zach.

Speaker 3 (01:53:03):
He loves winning even more, and so I think everybody
in the organization is on notice, Like, Ah, Joe's got
some sway now and he's willing to use it. Not
that he's going to go on some sort of public
campaign to get the coach or anybody else fired. But
if i'd Joe Burrow, if you were Joe Burrow and
you had just been given this amount of power that
no Bengal ever has been given, it's not in the

(01:53:26):
back of your mind moving forward going huh, I have
a lot of sway. I got what I wanted. I
bet I can continue to get what I want. Who
knows how that may look. Hopefully it's a mood point
because the Bengals win big this year. But if they
don't and you're in Joe Burrow's way, or you're who

(01:53:49):
Joe thinks is holding the team back, look out by.

Speaker 2 (01:53:53):
The way quickly on that one point I made there.

Speaker 3 (01:53:57):
Is that many of I think accurately said that in
twenty twenty five there's a lot of pressure on Zach Taylor.

Speaker 2 (01:54:02):
I think frankly this intensifies the pressure.

Speaker 3 (01:54:05):
I think some would be surprised based on just conversation
I've conversations I've had. Some would be surprised if you
told them how Tenus Zach Taylor's position got to be
toward the end of the season.

Speaker 2 (01:54:23):
We'll just leave it at that reading here.

Speaker 3 (01:54:27):
Pro Football Focus valuing the T Higgins signing because t
Higgins was technically due to be a free agent, so
they grade all the free agent signings. Pro Football Focus,
in its blurb includes, it's not just about keeping Higgins,
who are under career high eighty eight point two Pro

(01:54:47):
Football focus overall great. In twenty twenty four, this deal
was announced as at the same time as a long
term extension for Jamar Chase, keeping the NFL's best wide
receiver duo in Cincinnati for the next four years. To me,
they get t Higgins for what may prove to be
a hell of a bargain, because a player of his
caliber moving forward signs for much more than thirty million dollars.

(01:55:10):
T Higgins, if he continues to play at a very
high level at a let's let's do wide receiver, high
end wide receiver two level. If he continues to do that,
and if he could be healthier than he has been,
could prove to be one of the best bargains in
the National Football League. But the thing is he came
attached to Jamar Chase, and so you know, the story

(01:55:31):
has been that the agent for both effectively said to
the Bengals, Hey, if you want to deal with Jamar,
you got a deal. Got to get a deal done
with Tea, and Jamar kind of acknowledged that during the
press conference today. So you might go with, God, that's
a lot of money to pay both wide receivers. Can
you imagine losing both. Obviously, Jamar was under contract for
this season and t had an obligation to play for

(01:55:53):
the team too once they franchised tagged him. But still,
can can you imagine long term losing Jamar Chase because
he didn't want to pay T.

Speaker 2 (01:56:03):
Higgins?

Speaker 3 (01:56:04):
So to a degree you could argue this was not
an either or at any point, this was a both
or nune both or none obvious answer. I'll take both.
You could have both Jamar Chase and T Higgins or
you could have neither. What would you choose? We obviously
know what the Bengals chose. Then there is the matter

(01:56:27):
of Trey Hendrickson. And I know some got mad at
me because I had Kelsey Conway in the show yesterday,
and Kelsey is awesome at what she does covering the
Bengals for the Inquirer, and you know, we talked about Trey,
and you know her take was, I'm not sure this
is as close to getting done as some might believe,
because and kind of outlined, you know, Trey hit the
open market or open Ish market, I guess, and went

(01:56:51):
out there to see what he could get and now
has an idea of his value on the open market.
And yeah, there were some teams that were willing to
go quite high, and the Bengals understandably so had a
high asking price. But now Trey knows what his value
would be on the open market, and so he's coming
to the negotiating table not from a diminished negotiating standpoint,
but from a perspective of in the back of my mind,

(01:57:13):
I can get this elsewhere. So why am I not
going to start there when I talk with the Bengals.
Get mad at me for saying that, you're being stupid
if you get mad at Kelsey for saying that, but
just put yourself in Trey Hendricksons shoes. The reporting has
been that given the opportunity to see what's out there,
that teams have informed Trey Hendrickson. Yeah, well we'll make

(01:57:37):
sure price. We'll pay you thirty two million dollars. We'll
give you that. So if you are armed with that
knowledge that there are teams that would pay me, let's
just make it about thirty two milli year. You are
armed with that knowledge thirty two milli year. When you
sit down now with the Bengals to talk about a
new deal, aren't you starting from thirty two milli year.

Speaker 4 (01:58:00):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:58:00):
Who knows if the Bengals dance has changed. I don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:58:04):
But the Bengals let Trey go explore a deal because well,
they're not willing to give him thirty two million dollars
or whatever the number is, and so maybe they still
get a deal done. I think Trey Hendrickson in twenty
twenty five is a necessity, so you cannot trade him
at this point. But if you were told, yeah, man,

(01:58:25):
you can get thirty two million dollars, We will pay
you thirty two million dollars if we could, but the
Bengal's got to make a trade with us, that's going
to be a sticking point. Would you go, Okay, well
you know what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna come
back to the Bengals and we'll start low. How about
twenty five mili?

Speaker 2 (01:58:40):
You would not do that?

Speaker 3 (01:58:42):
And so yes, I fully believe that this this has
more steps to it before a deal gets done.

Speaker 2 (01:58:51):
We will see.

Speaker 6 (01:58:54):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (01:58:54):
We didn't get a chance to talk as much about
the tournament today as I would like, but I will
remind you of this Thursday morning, ten o'clock the Holy
Grail Downtown, our annual NCAA tournament preview show. We go
on at ten. We're done at noon, so we stick
around to watch the games. And we do this part
every year. Tons of prizes. Be among the first sixty

(01:59:18):
four people in the door. If you're among the first
sixty four people, you get a team. If your team
wins the national championship, you win a Bertram Golf weekend getaway.

Speaker 2 (01:59:30):
That's a hell of a prize. You can't win if
you're not there, So get there.

Speaker 3 (01:59:35):
Show starts at ten, doors open nine to forty five,
and then hang out watch college tubes all day and
all weekend long. We're done. That's what that music means.
Thanks to Tarum Bland for producing. This show was chaotic
because of that press conference. And thanks to you for
listening on tomorrow show Rick Boring Previews, Xavier versus.

Speaker 2 (01:59:56):
Texas, and so much more. Have a great night.

Speaker 3 (01:59:58):
We're back at it tomorrow at three oh five. This
is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 2 (02:00:14):
Tractor Supply knows that a winning

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