May 15, 2026 • 35 mins
A 24-team College Football Playoff is stupid.
Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
And YouTube: youtube.com/@TheMoEggerShow
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, thank you. Five minutes after four, This is
ESPN fifteen thirty. I'm beou egar. I appreciate you listening.
Brendaman and Jones on Baseball is later on this hour,
and we're also going to try to make some money
at the Preakness, and more on the Bengals schedule, Reds
(00:22):
and Guardians this weekend, and perhaps an FC Cincinnati thought
this hour as well. I don't want to make people
wait longer than they have to. It's it's not a
very guest heavy day, and so why why babbel when
you have folks who have things to say. Brian, you're
on ESPN fifteen thirty. Good afternoon. How are you.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I'm doing very well. No, I know, Gary going all right.
I've heard before, so I won't have to ask you
how you're going.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Yeah, I'm well, thank.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Good, Yeah I heard. I'm also very excited about the
Bearcatch basketball. I'm alumni and my son's going there. I'm
I think this is me could be real time of
prosperity for university and the basketball program.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
From your lips to God's ears, as they say, Brian, Yes,
I'm here, from your lips to God's ears as they say, Brian, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
No, I'm so, I'm I'm excited. But yeah, twenty four teams,
there's there's me some lug bass in the playoffs. I mean,
it's gonna be agreendous. There's gonna be a thirty there's
thirty point lines. I mean, who's who wants to see that?
Who wants to see kids just get destroyed? I mean
they're not kids, they're young adults. But whatever, it's gonna
(01:33):
be terrible. It's gonna be the worst football I mean,
what are we doing? What are we doing now?
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Well, I mean there's a few different things for me.
Number one, like, if you if you don't if you
look at the proposed bracket for a twenty four team
playoff field, if you don't get a first round by
you're gonna play. If you play for the National Championship,
you're gonna play five rounds of games. NFL teams don't
have five rounds of playoff games. Major League Baseball teams
(02:03):
don't have five rounds of playoff games. NBA and NHL
teams don't have five rounds of playoff games. You're gonna
ask these dudes to play five rounds of playoff games. Now,
and somebody made the point. I think it was Stuart
Mandel from The Athletic on social media yesterday. You're gonna
have some players opt out of that. You're gonna have players,
and you know, maybe not on the teams that get buys,
(02:24):
maybe not on the teams that you know might have
a bona fide chance to win the whole thing. You're
gonna have players who look at that and go, wait
a minute, I'm gonna play five playoff games in a
condensed stretch when I should start getting ready for the NFL.
I'm not gonna do that, Or you're gonna have players
who opt out, or you're gonna have players who go, Okay, cool,
you want me to play in the playoff pay me more,
(02:45):
because now I gotta play five more games. I've basically
gotta play close to half a season if my team
doesn't get a first round by so I start with that.
I also, just like playoff games are supposed to be
unique and special, they're not very unique when you have
twenty three of them. A twenty four team college football
playoff field would include twenty three playoff games. That's not
(03:09):
very exclusive, it's not very special, and you're right, Chances
are the majority of those games are not going to
be very good to make it so.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yeah, it's just not gonna be. It's gonna make it
so a bunch of garbage football, and for the first
two rounds it's not gonna be. It's I don't see
how that's gonna get good range and make more money.
But too might have.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Said no, I mean, I think we're on the same page, Brian,
thank you, and I hope you have a great weekend.
I there's a lot of things here, like I think
twelve is perfect. I think twelve is perfect because I
think twelve maintained what the original college Football Playoff had
when they developed the College Football Playoff, which was four teams.
(03:50):
What was great about it it was it was the
most exclusive postseason in all the sports. It's what made
what U SEE did in twenty twenty one probable. Right,
you had for at that level, at the American Athletic
Conference level, you had to achieve perfection. By the way,
they were still just the four seed. You had to
achieve perfection. Even beyond UC. There were no four loss
(04:18):
teams in a four team field. There were no three
loss teams in a four team field right, like there
was some exclusivity to it, but it still felt like
at that number that the not everybody had access to it.
Not every fan felt like their team had access to
the championship a little bit too exclusive. So okay, expanded
to twelve, and I feel like now nearly every college
(04:42):
football fan feels like their team has access to the championship. Now,
some more so than others because of the league you're in.
We'll see how good you see is this year, for example,
But if it's a twelve team playoff, it is not
inconceivable that the Bearcats get one of the those twelve spots.
The odds are not in their favor. They have to
(05:04):
win a game in November first. But I think if
you're a Bearcat fan, you feel like, whether it's Scott
Sadderfield or no matter who it is, if if we
do the right thing in the portal, do the right
thing in player development recruiting, like we can get to
the playoff. Maybe if you're a Kentucky fan you feel
a little bit different because the SEC is so challenging,
and maybe if you're like a Rutgers fan, you know,
you feel like, how can we ever climb the ladder
(05:26):
in the Big Ten, but Indiana did twice one more,
much more so than the other year. I feel like
with twelve teams, you still have you know, Duke won
the ACC title this year, lost five games, didn't make
the playoff, right, there's still a level of excellence that
you have to achieve to make the college football playoff
(05:48):
at twelve, But everybody for the most part, feels like
their team has access to it. And I think, especially
now in the age of NIL, where you know you
can pay the play it's I don't think it's that
too far off base. Many have joked like, look at
what the Big Ten has done in the NIL world,
winning three straight college football Playoff national championships because now
(06:11):
everybody can pay players, not just the SEC. I think
there's some validity to that, quite honestly, but I think
everybody feels like now with just the size of the
playoff field, if we can cobble together some bucks, hire
the right coach, get the right portal guys, develop players, like,
we can get there. You might get there as the twelve,
you might get there as the ten. You might not
(06:31):
get there as the top seed, but you can get there.
Adding twenty four you know, maybe you have better access
to it. We're gonna have more teams that didn't have
great seasons playing in games that will be utterly forgettable,
that don't feel big. Even the last two years we've
had some first round playoff games, and like, we have
lopsided playoff games in every sport, but those games, many
(06:55):
of them didn't feel special. And that to me is like,
that's my biggest gripe. And maybe I'm on old school,
maybe I'm looking at it to thelong through the wrong lens.
But we keep expanding postseasons. We've done it in the NFL.
We've done it in Major League Baseball. We've done it
(07:15):
in the NBA. Although those playing games are not technically
playoff games, they are still postseason games. We're gonna do
it now in college basketball. We've done it in college football.
And I think with postseason expansion, what we have not
done are create more great memorable games. I think what
we have done, I have yet to see a postseason
(07:36):
where making it bigger has made it better. Does baseball's
postseason feel better? No, there's a whole slew of these
early round games that feel like regular season games. There's
a whole bunch of those games in early October that
feel like an extension of the regular season, and maybe,
(07:57):
in my warped old man way of thinking, like that's
not cool. Like postseason games are supposed to feel big
and special, and the more you have of them, the
less special they are. You have twenty three playoffs, the
NFL has thirteen postseason games. It may still feel huge.
Although I don't think making the postseason bigger has made
(08:20):
it better. It's given us more volume. Gamblers like me
love it. There's more playoff games to wager on. Twenty
three playoff games is what you would have in a
twenty fourteen field. Twenty three playoff games you're gonna have,
You're gonna have, youna have the teams that wouldn't get buys.
(08:42):
Those those kids are gonna be asked to play five
rounds of football. Now you mean to tell me you
don't think there's gonna be you know guys on those
teams who go, dude, I'm good man, I've I have
fulfilled my obligation here. I'm not playing in five rounds
of playoff games unless you pay me more. Like, we
don't think there's gonna be opt outs, especially among you know,
(09:05):
players on teams that might not feel like they have
a chance to win the whole thing. How does this
make college football better? Mike Greenberg said yesterday, I think
it was on Get Up when he had Paul Fine
baumb on. I don't think it was on PAULI Fye
Bomb Show, but the clip went viral where he talked about, like,
you know, a world where Ohio State and Michigan rest
(09:27):
starters in their regular season game because they've got to
keep those players fresh for the college football playoff. That
is not a college football world that he wants to be.
And I'm paraphrasing him here, and I know there are
folks who are like, you know what, players on those
schools would never do that. Wanna bet? Wanna bet?
Speaker 3 (09:49):
So?
Speaker 1 (09:50):
I think the thing about the twelve team college football
Playoff is we still make the regular season. Those games
still feel huge. Ohio State Michigan still feels huge. A
matchup between you know, two top ten teams in the
regular season still feels huge. The one thing about college
realignment that has been great is I think we've gotten
more really good games. I think you cut into that
(10:11):
significantly if you double the playoff field we are gonna go,
possibly within a decade and a half from going to
a two team field to a twenty fourteen field, And
already it feels like year in and year out you
can kind of jot down in black magic mark or
the teams that are gonna make the field. You mean
to tell me, we're not gonna do that to a
(10:32):
larger degree with a twenty fourteen field. So you hurt
your regular season, You potentially impact rivalry games that have
had long standing meaning. You make your playoff field so
large that the games don't feel that important. You run
the risk of further injury the more you make these
guys play in an era where people can't stop complaining
(10:54):
about the kids asking for money, they're probably gonna use
their leverage to get more money in the college football
playoff to play five rounds maybe worth of games like
show me where this is good? And you already I
feel like if you're a fan of a of a
Division I college football team, I think you feel like
your team has access to the championship. Maybe not the
(11:15):
case with four, certainly not the case with two, might
not have been the case with eight. You have it
at twelve. If you feel like you already have access
to it, and the twenty four team Playoff is going
to give us all those things I just talked about.
What is the argument for an expanded twenty four team
playoff beyond what it's going to do for the conference,
(11:35):
of the networks and the schools, which ultimately is what
drives all this And we all understand that making and
I'll use Greenberg's example, and I'm, you know, not an
Ohio State or a Michigan fan, but making that game
less special isn't good and it sort of cuts into
what the soul of college football is supposed to be.
(11:56):
Twenty three playoff games, five rounds of postseason. Like if
if they added another round of the postseason, the NFL
players would get paid for it. And so if I'm
a college football player, you're gonna pay me for every
(12:18):
round of postseason play. I just I don't know how
that's good. Eighteen after four, five one, three, seven, four nine,
fifteen thirty is our number eight sixty six seven oh
two three seven seven six.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Brendanman and Jones later on wigs some money on the
Preakness two. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.
Speaker 5 (12:36):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from Insurance.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
They sponsor our pole up questions on Twitter, and I've
got three of them. One is related to the Bengals,
although I misspelled the word Sunday. Uh the uh. The
other is about Edwin Arroyo, and the other is about
the college will Ball Blayoff. I made a mistake on
my pull and you know what, It's Friday afternoon. It's
(13:05):
for twenty three. I just I don't think I care,
So just vote now at moegar. But more important, my
friends at United Heartland Insurance truly can't help you pay
less for insurance. We kind of insurance mode doesn't matter.
If you need to ensure it, they will help you
insure it and they'll make sure you pay less. I
love these guys, United Heartland Insurance check out uhi ns
(13:27):
doc Ah. All right, I'm being forgot. I'm in a
good mood today. I'm gonna forgiving mood today. I'm in
a generous mood today. It's Friday afternoon, Mike, take two.
Speaker 6 (13:41):
Go ahead, thank you, mo Ebie for.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
You, yes, yes, the weekend is almost here.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Yes, so good for you.
Speaker 6 (13:53):
Cowboy, Hey, thank you a couple of things. Tony mentioned
the other that somebody had said that the Angels are
going to start dumping people and that Trout might be
one of the ones. And they said, some expert gut
somewhere said he is their Dodgers of the Reds. And
I said, Tony, come on, Mike trouting plans for the Reds.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Let's get let's get.
Speaker 6 (14:17):
It really real here. That ain't going to happen. Coltbo,
what do you what are you thinking about? Number One?
Mike Trout has got a beautiful home in Orange County
and he loved it there, he and his wife and
his kids. He's best friends with Shohey o'tani and he's
and he said several times he has no desire, even
though he's from New Jersey, to go back and play
(14:39):
for the Yankees. So I just I don't think that's
going to happen. It would be wonderful, but I don't
think it's going to happen.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
Do you.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Well, Mike Trout could say no to any trade. He's
got ten and five rights, so he could say no
to any trade. So I think where this came up
is on one of those Sports illustrated sort of offshoot sites.
There was a piece maybe a week or so ago
that listed two landing spots from Mike Trout. If the
Angels decide to wave the white flag on twenty twenty six,
(15:10):
and the Dodgers were mentioned and the Reds were mentioned, Now,
would the Reds be interested in acquiring Mike Trout? Sure
they would. Mike Trout's salary over the next few years,
And chances are you you don't necessarily need me to
read these for you, but Mike Trout's salary as I
pull this up over the next couple of seasons, I'm
looking at and let me scroll down and find this.
(15:32):
You put me on the spot here, Mike. I'm looking
at what Mike Trout is gonna make at the age
of thirty four years old over the next couple of years.
Thirty seven point one million dollars, thirty seven point one
million dollars, thirty seven point one million dollars, and thirty
seven point one million dollars. So would it make sense
for the Rets to take on the salary of as
(15:53):
awesome as Mike Trout has been And he is a
first ballot Hall of Famer, thirty four year old player
who's putting up good now number SOPs is above nine hundred.
But a thirty four year old guy that you would
have to pay a lot of money to over the
next couple of years, I don't know. I don't know
that that would make the most sense for the Reds financially.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
No.
Speaker 6 (16:14):
Plus, it kind of goes in the flies in the
face of what they're doing with more of a youth
movement basically, right, I mean, basically their players are all
fairly young except Suarez.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Yeah, I mean, you know, so, I guess if you're
holding out hope that Mike Trout is traded to the Reds.
He tell me how they're going to make sense. That's
going to make sense financially when you're hearing that they
can't afford or at least are unwilling to extend south
Stewart give him a long term deal. Elie Dela Cruz,
tell me how much sense it would make to pay
Mike Trout what you would have to pay him for
(16:47):
the rest of the decade when he's thirty four years
old and hasn't had any elite season in years.
Speaker 6 (16:53):
Yeah, and you know, whenever they interview him, he seems
so unconcerned about getting a rank to me, I mean
he doesn't. He doesn't go. Yeah, I just that's what
I yearned for as a ring.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
That's what I urined.
Speaker 6 (17:05):
He may, but he doesn't articulate that.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
I'm sure. I'm sure he I'm sure he wants one,
but to this stage in his career, and this could change,
to this stage in his career, he doesn't. Doesn't appear
that he has publicly tried to force the Angel's hand.
Now at some point he may, and I wouldn't begrudge
him if he did. But I've heard nothing about Mike
(17:30):
Trout demanding a trade. And again, like Mike, Mike Trout's
the first ballot Hall of Famer, it's been a few
years since Mike Trout was Mike Trout. He's often hurt.
He's having a nice year this year, but he's thirty
four years old. If you're trading for him for the
rest of the season, terrific. And I don't have in
front of me what possible opt outs there are. I've
given no thought to Mike Trout being a Cincinnati read
(17:53):
That'd be a hell of a lot of money to
earmark for a guy at his age with a skill
set that doesn't seem to be what it was five
years ago. I have seen folks talking about the Angels
and Red Sox looking up on a deal. But again,
Mike try Out can veto any deal. So he could
say yes or no to any trade that's put in
front of him.
Speaker 6 (18:13):
Yeah, and he learned that that's for sure with his
loyalty and his success. I get another baseball question before football.
I always check these payrolls. I get a kick out
of check on all the team's payrolls, and the Reds
are like one, twenty eight, something like that, twentieth I
think in their rankings, and then they list a guaranteed
(18:35):
percentage and there are the Reds are fifty point nine
percent guaranteed. I assume that means guaranteed percentage of the
existing total payroll. Does that make sense to you or
is that a totally different number?
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Outline that again for me, Reds have I think the
twenty third and twenty fourth highest payroll in the game.
Try to articulate that for me again.
Speaker 6 (19:00):
So after they list the payroll of the player payroll
of each team, then they'll list the luxury tax, which
is a little bit higher the payroll. Luxury tax which
I don't even know what the hell that is. And
then the next column says guaranteed percentage, and the Reds
are like sports from the bottom. The Cardinals are the
(19:21):
lowest at like twenty nine per point three percent guaranteed money,
and then Washington and somebody else, and then the red
I just I try to understand stuff. So that's guaranteed
money based on the total payroll that they have now,
or like what they've guaranteed different guys like La or
(19:42):
whatever or Hunter. I know, these are goofy.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Questions, I know, but I'm just yes, usually know is
that for twenty twenty six because like Hunter Green's contract
for his salary for an extra is guaranteed. So like
what I've seen is like based on who have hurt
right now, if you looked at the Reds payroll as
as it stands today, fifty three percent of the overall
(20:10):
player payroll for right now, for this moment today, which
is what May fifteenth, fifty three percent of what the
Reds are paying for players is going to players on
the active twenty six man roster, which means that forty
seven percent of what the Reds are paying their players,
which I think the number is right around one hundred
and thirty two, one hundred and thirty three million dollars,
(20:32):
which I think is actually nineteenth best. I heard that.
I heard Land say that the other night. So they
have the nineteenth highest payroll, all right, so they're in that,
They're in that range. What I what I could tell
you is fifty If you look at the active roster
right now, fifty three percent of that money, which is
one hundred and thirty two million dollars, fifty three percent
(20:53):
is going to players who are currently on the active roster,
which means forty seven percent are going to players who
are on the active roster.
Speaker 6 (21:03):
So so so I'm trying to see how that impacts
them for acquiring higher priced players either later this year
or next year. This is why I'm driving out. How
much does that I hamhawk them or whatever that firm is,
you know what I mean? From from having less money
to spend?
Speaker 1 (21:24):
Yeah, I don't know what they have to spend. What
I don't know, I don't know what they have to
spend it what they don't have to spend them And
I could tell you it doesn't it doesn't help when
Euhano Suarez is making fifteen million dollars and he's not playing.
And Amelia Pugan's making ten and he's not playing. And
Hunter Green's making eight and a half and he's not playing.
And Caleb Ferguson is making four and a half and
he's not playing. Now, you know, it doesn't help when
(21:45):
you have to eat the salary of a guy like
Jamer Candelario either. I think. I think the question about
what they may or may not be willing to take
on has a lot more to do with two things.
One their current financial situation based on the TV situation
and based on a possible workstoppage this offseason. And be
(22:07):
their willingness or a lack thereof to go to their
other investors on a capitol call and say we need
some coin to go to try winn a pennant this year.
Speaker 6 (22:15):
Okay, I didn't mean to hit you with a weirdo question,
but it's just stuff like that, because as much as
we talk about contracts and money and all this stuff
that it all seems pertinent, you know, really, because that's
what we talk about a lot, is money, money, money, money,
contact contact cent.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
You know what I'm saying. I'm sure, well you can't
it too.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Yeah, I mean my eyes glaze over after a while.
But I look what players make as a factor in
roster construction, like it is, you know what, what what
employees make at any company, you know is a big
factor in how somebody might build their business or build
their staff. And so I my eyes glaze over when
(22:58):
we get into some of the Ebbs, Lowton, nuts and
bolts of player contracts. And I will admit that, but
I think I think it does help to have some
working knowledge of who makes what because it helps you.
It helps you in understanding how they built the roster.
It helps you in understanding what decisions they may make
to make the roster better, or what decisions they may
(23:20):
make in the short term to make the roster worse.
Speaker 6 (23:24):
Okay, okay, let me get to the NBA roop. Thank you. Though,
to the NBA, I think Tampa is a tough drawer.
In Week one, they had a hell of a draft
mo they got and this band kid is ready to go.
He is no joke. I mean he's like chomping at
the bit.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
And they got Tony as talked about Yeah, Tony and
Austin have talked about a lot. You got to block Vidavea,
and we're gonna get a chance up close week one
to see Ruben Bain and we're always gonna look at
him through a different lens, understanding that maybe the Bengals
could have taken him a ten overall.
Speaker 6 (23:56):
Yeah, and you would what did you say today? You'd
rather you said it. I caught part of it between
the Pistons in the in the tru and in the caves.
For the Knicks.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
So really quick, uh selfishly, if they play the Calves,
I think I could go to a game so selfishly.
I look at it from that perspective that they would
get home court. And I know no one cares about this,
but I'm going to be in Cleveland for part of
next weekend, and if the Knicks are there, I could
(24:29):
go to a game, maybe depending on the coast. Uh.
From a basketball perspective, I think Cleveland presents some challenges
for the Knicks. Offensively. Detroit's a different team than the
one that beat the Knicks pretty handily during the regular season.
I don't know if they have a secondary scoring option
that's good enough to beat the caliber of team that
(24:51):
the Knicks have been here in the last what it's
been seven games because the next have been otherworldly. Now
is that pace can continue? Can they conceivably continue to
play this? Well? You know, at some point are they
gonna slow down? How much are they going to be
impacted by the layoff? How much could they be impacted
by og and I know be not being healthy. I
feel like though right now, because of some things that
(25:13):
Cleveland can do offensively, they present the bigger problem. So
I would rather see Detroit from a pure basketball perspective,
but selfishly, if I could maybe get to a game
in Cleveland, you know, Mike, I root for me more
than anything else you do, But I gotta run.
Speaker 6 (25:31):
Okay, Yeah, based on that, I'm gonna. I'm gonna I'm
gonna lay the points against Detroit if if that's in fact,
it's gonna be a tight type.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Yes, yeah, I think, I think. I think. I think
tonight'll be fun. I think tonight, you know, look, I
kind of want the next to get started because if they,
if Cleveland wins, they'll play on Sunday, and I beyond that,
I worry about their being too long of a layoff. Mike,
have a great weekend. Twenty four from five. This is
ESPN fifteen.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
Thirty, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic Hopefully here.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Sports headlines are a service of Kelsey Chevrolet, Home of
lifetime powertrain protection and guarantee credit approval from their family
to yours for life, Kelsey chev Dot Comrades and Guardians. Tonight,
first of three in Cleveland. It's the Ohio Cup and
the Guardians still trying to make their Kentucky Slabs. Don't
understand it, don't care. Seven to ten is tonight's first
(26:28):
pitch on seven hundred. WLW Reds trying to extend their
winning streak to two. Andrew Abbot, who's pitch better? Is
going to pitch for Cincinnati? Benson and center, Dela Cruz
ad short, South Stewart at first base, Blade and left.
JJ Bleda didn't make the team at a spring training.
Now he's batting cleanup. Spencer steering right, Nathaniel low DHS
McLain its second, Stevenson catches key, Brian Hayes plays third
(26:51):
and bat's ninth. Florence Yawl's host Evansville Tonight. FC Cincinnati
on the road tomorrow against San Diego. Slingers on the
road against Arizona tomorrow. It is the Kentucky Barrels taking
on Beaumont at home on Sunday. Two NBA playoff games Tonight,
Game six, Calves and Pistons in Cleveland, Calves up three
to two, Spurs and Tea Wolves in Minneapolis, San Antonio
(27:13):
up two games. I'm sorry, three games to two in
that series. Hockey this evening, Canadians and Sabers Game six,
Montreal up three to two in that one. I had
something else and completely oh. I just watched an Instagram
reel from Mark Sheldon, who says that a Johannio Souarez
(27:35):
has maybe turned a corner. He's gonna do all the
pregame stuff. Stretch, take round balls, take BP. Soon we'll
be hitting off a velocity machine. The latest MRII results
seem to be pretty encouraging the Preaknesses this weekend, our
guy Dick Girardi helps us make money on it.
Speaker 5 (27:51):
Next Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
The UC Health traffic set up. Get moving with Cincy
Sweats powered by u se Help. One week of free
fitness classes at local studios. Find a class at Sincysweats
dot uc health dot com. Still only one accident out
there so far. That's on westbound two seventy five at
Princeton Pike off onto the left shoulder. Traffic is moving
(28:20):
a little slow southbound on seventy one to seventy five
right now between Fort Washington Waite and Kyle's Lane. It's
a three minute delay. I'm at Ezelic with traffic.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Thirteen from five. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Moegger, Breneman
and Jones on Baseball is just a few moments away.
The Freakness is tomorrow, second leg of the Triple Crown,
and when the Triple Crown races happen, wee get on
our guy, Dick Girardi, the Hall of Famer, the legend
from bed online. Try to make us some money this week,
(28:53):
Dick its. It's awesome to have you give me before
we talk about some of the specifics. Give me one
or two general storylines you're paying attention to this weekend.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
Yeah, probably a couple of the fact that it's at
Laurel Park instead of Pimlico, as they're redoing the track
in Baltimore or Laurel For the people that don't know
the geography, it's spent twenty five miles south of Pimlico,
which is northwest Baltimore, about ten miles north of Washington,
d C. So that's one thing that'll be different. A
couple of storylines, obviously, the fact that the Derby winner
(29:22):
isn't here. Unfortunately, your the third time in five years.
I mean, I get a sure read you both do
in invest for a horse. No problem with anything she
said or doing. She did a great job to get
the Derby winner. Brittany Russell, local trainer in Maryland, the
top trainer in the state for years as a horse
named taj Maholland here, I'll start from the one post
undefeated and three starts all at Laurel so kind of
(29:44):
a home track advantage a little bit. We'll see how
that plays out tomorrow. And Chad Brand and Flaby and
Pratt the best trainer jackey combination in the sport right now,
they're going to try for Chad's third Freakness, and the
way he's done it, he's got iron honor in here.
He runs through the Wood Memorial, passes the Derby and
(30:04):
then comes back and wins the previous He's trying that again.
So there are a couple of the storylines as we
get into it.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
All right, let's talk about the race itself. Handicap it
for me, steer me in a direction, Dick.
Speaker 4 (30:16):
Really complicated.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
No.
Speaker 4 (30:17):
When I was on air with you two weeks ago,
I was very confident in what I liked, and I
still think I was right, But I don't explain why
it didn't happen. I like the non Bourbon, the Japanese horse,
and at the top of the stretch, I swear I
thought he was gonna win by five links. I mean,
everything that could have gone right did go right. He
got the dream trip, he was opening up a couple
(30:38):
of lengths, and as I'm watching it, I've said, wait
a second, he's easily in front. Now he's getting passed
by a maiden at the sixteenth pole versus number one
before us Celia said it doesn't make any sense. Well,
it turned out the non Bourbon came out of the
race with a chip cracksher and his knee. He needed surgery.
I'm pretty sure that's what happened to him at the
end and finished fifth. So that's my wanting excuse for
(30:59):
the day. But having having said all that, this race
to me is so hard. When I let to gamble.
I want to be able to see the race. You know,
it's like seeing a game like out at what's the matchup?
I'm having real trouble seeing like who's going to beware.
There's four or five horses, Chip, Hancho, taj Mahal, Napoleon, Solo,
(31:24):
all of whom are going to be buying for the league,
and I'm not sure any of them is going to
get clear. If one of them was, I would say
I would like that horse. So a lot of pace.
Ocelly ran an incredible race of the Derby. I don't
know where that came from. When I watched the replays
on Monday or Tuesday morning after the draw, I was
blown away by how well he ran. I think you
make case he actually ran better than the horses have
(31:45):
finished first and second. But he was seventy to one
that day. I'm always going to be like five to
one tomorrow and he still hasn't won a race. I'm
going to pick up five to one that went to Freakness.
So I end it's along with the way of saying
I ended up on Iron Eye, not because I'm in
love with him. I'm in love with the connections. This
is a pattern that they've done. They've won with this before,
(32:08):
and he has races that are good enough to win
the Freakness. And I'm just hoping that they're taking blinkers off,
that the trainers figured out what the missing card was,
because he didn't run particularly well with the Wood Memorial
after winning his first too. But and my long Shot
and you love it, you love the horses. Had the
second horse, the help the hell we did eat my
last law shot and it's a wild it's a wild story.
(32:33):
So this this horse is damn or mother had another
other horse with the same trainer a few years ago
and they decided to name the worst Senior Buskador and
the owner said, the hell we did you know, like,
what are you doing? You can't name the horse that,
And so that's how they came up with this name.
And Senior Buska Door, by the way, went on to
(32:55):
win almost thirteen million dollars. It won the Saudi Cup,
the Riches Rage of the World with the same trainer,
so similar connections. I don't know if this horse is
quite ready to win the Preakness. I think he's got
a chance to be a pretty good horse. Whether it's
tomorrow at seven o'clock or later. But yeah, the hell
we gotta love the hell we did in general, Yeah, general.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
This is this is. This is right up my alley.
The great Dick Girardi with us thanks to bet online
dot aguh. Check out bet online for the most up
to date odds and props on the one hundred and
fifty first running of the Preakness Stakes. Are there any
props you like?
Speaker 4 (33:30):
Yes, there's a prop. I love it. In fact, it's
my favorite bet tomorrow, more than actually betting a race.
So there's over under on the time. It's one minute
fifty five seconds. It's right up at the top of
the prop sheet. So these are particularly slow horses. This
isn't a great Freakness. It wasn't a fast Derby either.
We have the slowest fire figure in history and we
(33:50):
have a very slow racing surface. Yesterday very unlike the
Churchill down service, it was very fast. Remember I was
recommending under two oh two point five and it bit
up going under. We also have the configuration of Laura
Park is different than Pemlico. It's a mile and eight
track rather than miles circumference like Churchill. So the run
to the first turn is actually shorter, so they don't
(34:12):
have as much straightaway running, and that's where horses run
their fast It's obviously gone around turns, so all that
can be mitigates to We're going over one fifty five.
It's my favorite set. I can't bet enough. In fact,
I'm gotta find out what the limit is and I'm betting,
betting it off.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Now I'm convinced. Now, I'm convinced. That's our guy. Dick
Girardi thanks to bet online dot ag the most of
today odds and props on the one hundred and fifty
first running of the Preakness Stakes. Love having you, Dick,
Thanks so much.
Speaker 4 (34:42):
You got to thank you both.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
All Right, we're going over one fifty five. We're going
to take nine, the nine horse Iron Honor right now
with twenty one to four, and the hell we did
the seven. That's that's my that's my horse twenty two
to one at bet online dot Ag. Brendman and Jones
on Baseball's Next. When your business needs
All right, thank you. Five minutes after four, This is
ESPN fifteen thirty. I'm beou egar. I appreciate you listening.
Brendaman and Jones on Baseball is later on this hour,
and we're also going to try to make some money
at the Preakness, and more on the Bengals schedule, Reds
(00:22):
and Guardians this weekend, and perhaps an FC Cincinnati thought
this hour as well. I don't want to make people
wait longer than they have to. It's it's not a
very guest heavy day, and so why why babbel when
you have folks who have things to say. Brian, you're
on ESPN fifteen thirty. Good afternoon. How are you.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I'm doing very well. No, I know, Gary going all right.
I've heard before, so I won't have to ask you
how you're going.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Yeah, I'm well, thank.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Good, Yeah I heard. I'm also very excited about the
Bearcatch basketball. I'm alumni and my son's going there. I'm
I think this is me could be real time of
prosperity for university and the basketball program.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
From your lips to God's ears, as they say, Brian, Yes,
I'm here, from your lips to God's ears as they say, Brian, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
No, I'm so, I'm I'm excited. But yeah, twenty four teams,
there's there's me some lug bass in the playoffs. I mean,
it's gonna be agreendous. There's gonna be a thirty there's
thirty point lines. I mean, who's who wants to see that?
Who wants to see kids just get destroyed? I mean
they're not kids, they're young adults. But whatever, it's gonna
(01:33):
be terrible. It's gonna be the worst football I mean,
what are we doing? What are we doing now?
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Well, I mean there's a few different things for me.
Number one, like, if you if you don't if you
look at the proposed bracket for a twenty four team
playoff field, if you don't get a first round by
you're gonna play. If you play for the National Championship,
you're gonna play five rounds of games. NFL teams don't
have five rounds of playoff games. Major League Baseball teams
(02:03):
don't have five rounds of playoff games. NBA and NHL
teams don't have five rounds of playoff games. You're gonna
ask these dudes to play five rounds of playoff games. Now,
and somebody made the point. I think it was Stuart
Mandel from The Athletic on social media yesterday. You're gonna
have some players opt out of that. You're gonna have players,
and you know, maybe not on the teams that get buys,
(02:24):
maybe not on the teams that you know might have
a bona fide chance to win the whole thing. You're
gonna have players who look at that and go, wait
a minute, I'm gonna play five playoff games in a
condensed stretch when I should start getting ready for the NFL.
I'm not gonna do that, Or you're gonna have players
who opt out, or you're gonna have players who go, Okay, cool,
you want me to play in the playoff pay me more,
(02:45):
because now I gotta play five more games. I've basically
gotta play close to half a season if my team
doesn't get a first round by so I start with that.
I also, just like playoff games are supposed to be
unique and special, they're not very unique when you have
twenty three of them. A twenty four team college football
playoff field would include twenty three playoff games. That's not
(03:09):
very exclusive, it's not very special, and you're right, Chances
are the majority of those games are not going to
be very good to make it so.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yeah, it's just not gonna be. It's gonna make it
so a bunch of garbage football, and for the first
two rounds it's not gonna be. It's I don't see
how that's gonna get good range and make more money.
But too might have.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Said no, I mean, I think we're on the same page, Brian,
thank you, and I hope you have a great weekend.
I there's a lot of things here, like I think
twelve is perfect. I think twelve is perfect because I
think twelve maintained what the original college Football Playoff had
when they developed the College Football Playoff, which was four teams.
(03:50):
What was great about it it was it was the
most exclusive postseason in all the sports. It's what made
what U SEE did in twenty twenty one probable. Right,
you had for at that level, at the American Athletic
Conference level, you had to achieve perfection. By the way,
they were still just the four seed. You had to
achieve perfection. Even beyond UC. There were no four loss
(04:18):
teams in a four team field. There were no three
loss teams in a four team field right, like there
was some exclusivity to it, but it still felt like
at that number that the not everybody had access to it.
Not every fan felt like their team had access to
the championship a little bit too exclusive. So okay, expanded
to twelve, and I feel like now nearly every college
(04:42):
football fan feels like their team has access to the championship. Now,
some more so than others because of the league you're in.
We'll see how good you see is this year, for example,
But if it's a twelve team playoff, it is not
inconceivable that the Bearcats get one of the those twelve spots.
The odds are not in their favor. They have to
(05:04):
win a game in November first. But I think if
you're a Bearcat fan, you feel like, whether it's Scott
Sadderfield or no matter who it is, if if we
do the right thing in the portal, do the right
thing in player development recruiting, like we can get to
the playoff. Maybe if you're a Kentucky fan you feel
a little bit different because the SEC is so challenging,
and maybe if you're like a Rutgers fan, you know,
you feel like, how can we ever climb the ladder
(05:26):
in the Big Ten, but Indiana did twice one more,
much more so than the other year. I feel like
with twelve teams, you still have you know, Duke won
the ACC title this year, lost five games, didn't make
the playoff, right, there's still a level of excellence that
you have to achieve to make the college football playoff
(05:48):
at twelve, But everybody for the most part, feels like
their team has access to it. And I think, especially
now in the age of NIL, where you know you
can pay the play it's I don't think it's that
too far off base. Many have joked like, look at
what the Big Ten has done in the NIL world,
winning three straight college football Playoff national championships because now
(06:11):
everybody can pay players, not just the SEC. I think
there's some validity to that, quite honestly, but I think
everybody feels like now with just the size of the
playoff field, if we can cobble together some bucks, hire
the right coach, get the right portal guys, develop players, like,
we can get there. You might get there as the twelve,
you might get there as the ten. You might not
(06:31):
get there as the top seed, but you can get there.
Adding twenty four you know, maybe you have better access
to it. We're gonna have more teams that didn't have
great seasons playing in games that will be utterly forgettable,
that don't feel big. Even the last two years we've
had some first round playoff games, and like, we have
lopsided playoff games in every sport, but those games, many
(06:55):
of them didn't feel special. And that to me is like,
that's my biggest gripe. And maybe I'm on old school,
maybe I'm looking at it to thelong through the wrong lens.
But we keep expanding postseasons. We've done it in the NFL.
We've done it in Major League Baseball. We've done it
(07:15):
in the NBA. Although those playing games are not technically
playoff games, they are still postseason games. We're gonna do
it now in college basketball. We've done it in college football.
And I think with postseason expansion, what we have not
done are create more great memorable games. I think what
we have done, I have yet to see a postseason
(07:36):
where making it bigger has made it better. Does baseball's
postseason feel better? No, there's a whole slew of these
early round games that feel like regular season games. There's
a whole bunch of those games in early October that
feel like an extension of the regular season, and maybe,
(07:57):
in my warped old man way of thinking, like that's
not cool. Like postseason games are supposed to feel big
and special, and the more you have of them, the
less special they are. You have twenty three playoffs, the
NFL has thirteen postseason games. It may still feel huge.
Although I don't think making the postseason bigger has made
(08:20):
it better. It's given us more volume. Gamblers like me
love it. There's more playoff games to wager on. Twenty
three playoff games is what you would have in a
twenty fourteen field. Twenty three playoff games you're gonna have,
You're gonna have, youna have the teams that wouldn't get buys.
(08:42):
Those those kids are gonna be asked to play five
rounds of football. Now you mean to tell me you
don't think there's gonna be you know guys on those
teams who go, dude, I'm good man, I've I have
fulfilled my obligation here. I'm not playing in five rounds
of playoff games unless you pay me more. Like, we
don't think there's gonna be opt outs, especially among you know,
(09:05):
players on teams that might not feel like they have
a chance to win the whole thing. How does this
make college football better? Mike Greenberg said yesterday, I think
it was on Get Up when he had Paul Fine
baumb on. I don't think it was on PAULI Fye
Bomb Show, but the clip went viral where he talked about, like,
you know, a world where Ohio State and Michigan rest
(09:27):
starters in their regular season game because they've got to
keep those players fresh for the college football playoff. That
is not a college football world that he wants to be.
And I'm paraphrasing him here, and I know there are
folks who are like, you know what, players on those
schools would never do that. Wanna bet? Wanna bet?
Speaker 3 (09:49):
So?
Speaker 1 (09:50):
I think the thing about the twelve team college football
Playoff is we still make the regular season. Those games
still feel huge. Ohio State Michigan still feels huge. A
matchup between you know, two top ten teams in the
regular season still feels huge. The one thing about college
realignment that has been great is I think we've gotten
more really good games. I think you cut into that
(10:11):
significantly if you double the playoff field we are gonna go,
possibly within a decade and a half from going to
a two team field to a twenty fourteen field, And
already it feels like year in and year out you
can kind of jot down in black magic mark or
the teams that are gonna make the field. You mean
to tell me, we're not gonna do that to a
(10:32):
larger degree with a twenty fourteen field. So you hurt
your regular season, You potentially impact rivalry games that have
had long standing meaning. You make your playoff field so
large that the games don't feel that important. You run
the risk of further injury the more you make these
guys play in an era where people can't stop complaining
(10:54):
about the kids asking for money, they're probably gonna use
their leverage to get more money in the college football
playoff to play five rounds maybe worth of games like
show me where this is good? And you already I
feel like if you're a fan of a of a
Division I college football team, I think you feel like
your team has access to the championship. Maybe not the
(11:15):
case with four, certainly not the case with two, might
not have been the case with eight. You have it
at twelve. If you feel like you already have access
to it, and the twenty four team Playoff is going
to give us all those things I just talked about.
What is the argument for an expanded twenty four team
playoff beyond what it's going to do for the conference,
(11:35):
of the networks and the schools, which ultimately is what
drives all this And we all understand that making and
I'll use Greenberg's example, and I'm, you know, not an
Ohio State or a Michigan fan, but making that game
less special isn't good and it sort of cuts into
what the soul of college football is supposed to be.
(11:56):
Twenty three playoff games, five rounds of postseason. Like if
if they added another round of the postseason, the NFL
players would get paid for it. And so if I'm
a college football player, you're gonna pay me for every
(12:18):
round of postseason play. I just I don't know how
that's good. Eighteen after four, five one, three, seven, four nine,
fifteen thirty is our number eight sixty six seven oh
two three seven seven six.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Brendanman and Jones later on wigs some money on the
Preakness two. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.
Speaker 5 (12:36):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from Insurance.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
They sponsor our pole up questions on Twitter, and I've
got three of them. One is related to the Bengals,
although I misspelled the word Sunday. Uh the uh. The
other is about Edwin Arroyo, and the other is about
the college will Ball Blayoff. I made a mistake on
my pull and you know what, It's Friday afternoon. It's
(13:05):
for twenty three. I just I don't think I care,
So just vote now at moegar. But more important, my
friends at United Heartland Insurance truly can't help you pay
less for insurance. We kind of insurance mode doesn't matter.
If you need to ensure it, they will help you
insure it and they'll make sure you pay less. I
love these guys, United Heartland Insurance check out uhi ns
(13:27):
doc Ah. All right, I'm being forgot. I'm in a
good mood today. I'm gonna forgiving mood today. I'm in
a generous mood today. It's Friday afternoon, Mike, take two.
Speaker 6 (13:41):
Go ahead, thank you, mo Ebie for.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
You, yes, yes, the weekend is almost here.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Yes, so good for you.
Speaker 6 (13:53):
Cowboy, Hey, thank you a couple of things. Tony mentioned
the other that somebody had said that the Angels are
going to start dumping people and that Trout might be
one of the ones. And they said, some expert gut
somewhere said he is their Dodgers of the Reds. And
I said, Tony, come on, Mike trouting plans for the Reds.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Let's get let's get.
Speaker 6 (14:17):
It really real here. That ain't going to happen. Coltbo,
what do you what are you thinking about? Number One?
Mike Trout has got a beautiful home in Orange County
and he loved it there, he and his wife and
his kids. He's best friends with Shohey o'tani and he's
and he said several times he has no desire, even
though he's from New Jersey, to go back and play
(14:39):
for the Yankees. So I just I don't think that's
going to happen. It would be wonderful, but I don't
think it's going to happen.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
Do you.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Well, Mike Trout could say no to any trade. He's
got ten and five rights, so he could say no
to any trade. So I think where this came up
is on one of those Sports illustrated sort of offshoot sites.
There was a piece maybe a week or so ago
that listed two landing spots from Mike Trout. If the
Angels decide to wave the white flag on twenty twenty six,
(15:10):
and the Dodgers were mentioned and the Reds were mentioned, Now,
would the Reds be interested in acquiring Mike Trout? Sure
they would. Mike Trout's salary over the next few years,
And chances are you you don't necessarily need me to
read these for you, but Mike Trout's salary as I
pull this up over the next couple of seasons, I'm
looking at and let me scroll down and find this.
(15:32):
You put me on the spot here, Mike. I'm looking
at what Mike Trout is gonna make at the age
of thirty four years old over the next couple of years.
Thirty seven point one million dollars, thirty seven point one
million dollars, thirty seven point one million dollars, and thirty
seven point one million dollars. So would it make sense
for the Rets to take on the salary of as
(15:53):
awesome as Mike Trout has been And he is a
first ballot Hall of Famer, thirty four year old player
who's putting up good now number SOPs is above nine hundred.
But a thirty four year old guy that you would
have to pay a lot of money to over the
next couple of years, I don't know. I don't know
that that would make the most sense for the Reds financially.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
No.
Speaker 6 (16:14):
Plus, it kind of goes in the flies in the
face of what they're doing with more of a youth
movement basically, right, I mean, basically their players are all
fairly young except Suarez.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Yeah, I mean, you know, so, I guess if you're
holding out hope that Mike Trout is traded to the Reds.
He tell me how they're going to make sense. That's
going to make sense financially when you're hearing that they
can't afford or at least are unwilling to extend south
Stewart give him a long term deal. Elie Dela Cruz,
tell me how much sense it would make to pay
Mike Trout what you would have to pay him for
(16:47):
the rest of the decade when he's thirty four years
old and hasn't had any elite season in years.
Speaker 6 (16:53):
Yeah, and you know, whenever they interview him, he seems
so unconcerned about getting a rank to me, I mean
he doesn't. He doesn't go. Yeah, I just that's what
I yearned for as a ring.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
That's what I urined.
Speaker 6 (17:05):
He may, but he doesn't articulate that.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
I'm sure. I'm sure he I'm sure he wants one,
but to this stage in his career, and this could change,
to this stage in his career, he doesn't. Doesn't appear
that he has publicly tried to force the Angel's hand.
Now at some point he may, and I wouldn't begrudge
him if he did. But I've heard nothing about Mike
(17:30):
Trout demanding a trade. And again, like Mike, Mike Trout's
the first ballot Hall of Famer, it's been a few
years since Mike Trout was Mike Trout. He's often hurt.
He's having a nice year this year, but he's thirty
four years old. If you're trading for him for the
rest of the season, terrific. And I don't have in
front of me what possible opt outs there are. I've
given no thought to Mike Trout being a Cincinnati read
(17:53):
That'd be a hell of a lot of money to
earmark for a guy at his age with a skill
set that doesn't seem to be what it was five
years ago. I have seen folks talking about the Angels
and Red Sox looking up on a deal. But again,
Mike try Out can veto any deal. So he could
say yes or no to any trade that's put in
front of him.
Speaker 6 (18:13):
Yeah, and he learned that that's for sure with his
loyalty and his success. I get another baseball question before football.
I always check these payrolls. I get a kick out
of check on all the team's payrolls, and the Reds
are like one, twenty eight, something like that, twentieth I
think in their rankings, and then they list a guaranteed
(18:35):
percentage and there are the Reds are fifty point nine
percent guaranteed. I assume that means guaranteed percentage of the
existing total payroll. Does that make sense to you or
is that a totally different number?
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Outline that again for me, Reds have I think the
twenty third and twenty fourth highest payroll in the game.
Try to articulate that for me again.
Speaker 6 (19:00):
So after they list the payroll of the player payroll
of each team, then they'll list the luxury tax, which
is a little bit higher the payroll. Luxury tax which
I don't even know what the hell that is. And
then the next column says guaranteed percentage, and the Reds
are like sports from the bottom. The Cardinals are the
(19:21):
lowest at like twenty nine per point three percent guaranteed money,
and then Washington and somebody else, and then the red
I just I try to understand stuff. So that's guaranteed
money based on the total payroll that they have now,
or like what they've guaranteed different guys like La or
(19:42):
whatever or Hunter. I know, these are goofy.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Questions, I know, but I'm just yes, usually know is
that for twenty twenty six because like Hunter Green's contract
for his salary for an extra is guaranteed. So like
what I've seen is like based on who have hurt
right now, if you looked at the Reds payroll as
as it stands today, fifty three percent of the overall
(20:10):
player payroll for right now, for this moment today, which
is what May fifteenth, fifty three percent of what the
Reds are paying for players is going to players on
the active twenty six man roster, which means that forty
seven percent of what the Reds are paying their players,
which I think the number is right around one hundred
and thirty two, one hundred and thirty three million dollars,
(20:32):
which I think is actually nineteenth best. I heard that.
I heard Land say that the other night. So they
have the nineteenth highest payroll, all right, so they're in that,
They're in that range. What I what I could tell
you is fifty If you look at the active roster
right now, fifty three percent of that money, which is
one hundred and thirty two million dollars, fifty three percent
(20:53):
is going to players who are currently on the active roster,
which means forty seven percent are going to players who
are on the active roster.
Speaker 6 (21:03):
So so so I'm trying to see how that impacts
them for acquiring higher priced players either later this year
or next year. This is why I'm driving out. How
much does that I hamhawk them or whatever that firm is,
you know what I mean? From from having less money
to spend?
Speaker 1 (21:24):
Yeah, I don't know what they have to spend. What
I don't know, I don't know what they have to
spend it what they don't have to spend them And
I could tell you it doesn't it doesn't help when
Euhano Suarez is making fifteen million dollars and he's not playing.
And Amelia Pugan's making ten and he's not playing. And
Hunter Green's making eight and a half and he's not playing.
And Caleb Ferguson is making four and a half and
he's not playing. Now, you know, it doesn't help when
(21:45):
you have to eat the salary of a guy like
Jamer Candelario either. I think. I think the question about
what they may or may not be willing to take
on has a lot more to do with two things.
One their current financial situation based on the TV situation
and based on a possible workstoppage this offseason. And be
(22:07):
their willingness or a lack thereof to go to their
other investors on a capitol call and say we need
some coin to go to try winn a pennant this year.
Speaker 6 (22:15):
Okay, I didn't mean to hit you with a weirdo question,
but it's just stuff like that, because as much as
we talk about contracts and money and all this stuff
that it all seems pertinent, you know, really, because that's
what we talk about a lot, is money, money, money, money,
contact contact cent.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
You know what I'm saying. I'm sure, well you can't
it too.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Yeah, I mean my eyes glaze over after a while.
But I look what players make as a factor in
roster construction, like it is, you know what, what what
employees make at any company, you know is a big
factor in how somebody might build their business or build
their staff. And so I my eyes glaze over when
(22:58):
we get into some of the Ebbs, Lowton, nuts and
bolts of player contracts. And I will admit that, but
I think I think it does help to have some
working knowledge of who makes what because it helps you.
It helps you in understanding how they built the roster.
It helps you in understanding what decisions they may make
to make the roster better, or what decisions they may
(23:20):
make in the short term to make the roster worse.
Speaker 6 (23:24):
Okay, okay, let me get to the NBA roop. Thank you. Though,
to the NBA, I think Tampa is a tough drawer.
In Week one, they had a hell of a draft
mo they got and this band kid is ready to go.
He is no joke. I mean he's like chomping at
the bit.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
And they got Tony as talked about Yeah, Tony and
Austin have talked about a lot. You got to block Vidavea,
and we're gonna get a chance up close week one
to see Ruben Bain and we're always gonna look at
him through a different lens, understanding that maybe the Bengals
could have taken him a ten overall.
Speaker 6 (23:56):
Yeah, and you would what did you say today? You'd
rather you said it. I caught part of it between
the Pistons in the in the tru and in the caves.
For the Knicks.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
So really quick, uh selfishly, if they play the Calves,
I think I could go to a game so selfishly.
I look at it from that perspective that they would
get home court. And I know no one cares about this,
but I'm going to be in Cleveland for part of
next weekend, and if the Knicks are there, I could
(24:29):
go to a game, maybe depending on the coast. Uh.
From a basketball perspective, I think Cleveland presents some challenges
for the Knicks. Offensively. Detroit's a different team than the
one that beat the Knicks pretty handily during the regular season.
I don't know if they have a secondary scoring option
that's good enough to beat the caliber of team that
(24:51):
the Knicks have been here in the last what it's
been seven games because the next have been otherworldly. Now
is that pace can continue? Can they conceivably continue to
play this? Well? You know, at some point are they
gonna slow down? How much are they going to be
impacted by the layoff? How much could they be impacted
by og and I know be not being healthy. I
feel like though right now, because of some things that
(25:13):
Cleveland can do offensively, they present the bigger problem. So
I would rather see Detroit from a pure basketball perspective,
but selfishly, if I could maybe get to a game
in Cleveland, you know, Mike, I root for me more
than anything else you do, But I gotta run.
Speaker 6 (25:31):
Okay, Yeah, based on that, I'm gonna. I'm gonna I'm
gonna lay the points against Detroit if if that's in fact,
it's gonna be a tight type.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Yes, yeah, I think, I think. I think. I think
tonight'll be fun. I think tonight, you know, look, I
kind of want the next to get started because if they,
if Cleveland wins, they'll play on Sunday, and I beyond that,
I worry about their being too long of a layoff. Mike,
have a great weekend. Twenty four from five. This is
ESPN fifteen.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
Thirty, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic Hopefully here.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Sports headlines are a service of Kelsey Chevrolet, Home of
lifetime powertrain protection and guarantee credit approval from their family
to yours for life, Kelsey chev Dot Comrades and Guardians. Tonight,
first of three in Cleveland. It's the Ohio Cup and
the Guardians still trying to make their Kentucky Slabs. Don't
understand it, don't care. Seven to ten is tonight's first
(26:28):
pitch on seven hundred. WLW Reds trying to extend their
winning streak to two. Andrew Abbot, who's pitch better? Is
going to pitch for Cincinnati? Benson and center, Dela Cruz
ad short, South Stewart at first base, Blade and left.
JJ Bleda didn't make the team at a spring training.
Now he's batting cleanup. Spencer steering right, Nathaniel low DHS
McLain its second, Stevenson catches key, Brian Hayes plays third
(26:51):
and bat's ninth. Florence Yawl's host Evansville Tonight. FC Cincinnati
on the road tomorrow against San Diego. Slingers on the
road against Arizona tomorrow. It is the Kentucky Barrels taking
on Beaumont at home on Sunday. Two NBA playoff games Tonight,
Game six, Calves and Pistons in Cleveland, Calves up three
to two, Spurs and Tea Wolves in Minneapolis, San Antonio
(27:13):
up two games. I'm sorry, three games to two in
that series. Hockey this evening, Canadians and Sabers Game six,
Montreal up three to two in that one. I had
something else and completely oh. I just watched an Instagram
reel from Mark Sheldon, who says that a Johannio Souarez
(27:35):
has maybe turned a corner. He's gonna do all the
pregame stuff. Stretch, take round balls, take BP. Soon we'll
be hitting off a velocity machine. The latest MRII results
seem to be pretty encouraging the Preaknesses this weekend, our
guy Dick Girardi helps us make money on it.
Speaker 5 (27:51):
Next Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
The UC Health traffic set up. Get moving with Cincy
Sweats powered by u se Help. One week of free
fitness classes at local studios. Find a class at Sincysweats
dot uc health dot com. Still only one accident out
there so far. That's on westbound two seventy five at
Princeton Pike off onto the left shoulder. Traffic is moving
(28:20):
a little slow southbound on seventy one to seventy five
right now between Fort Washington Waite and Kyle's Lane. It's
a three minute delay. I'm at Ezelic with traffic.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Thirteen from five. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Moegger, Breneman
and Jones on Baseball is just a few moments away.
The Freakness is tomorrow, second leg of the Triple Crown,
and when the Triple Crown races happen, wee get on
our guy, Dick Girardi, the Hall of Famer, the legend
from bed online. Try to make us some money this week,
(28:53):
Dick its. It's awesome to have you give me before
we talk about some of the specifics. Give me one
or two general storylines you're paying attention to this weekend.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
Yeah, probably a couple of the fact that it's at
Laurel Park instead of Pimlico, as they're redoing the track
in Baltimore or Laurel For the people that don't know
the geography, it's spent twenty five miles south of Pimlico,
which is northwest Baltimore, about ten miles north of Washington,
d C. So that's one thing that'll be different. A
couple of storylines, obviously, the fact that the Derby winner
(29:22):
isn't here. Unfortunately, your the third time in five years.
I mean, I get a sure read you both do
in invest for a horse. No problem with anything she
said or doing. She did a great job to get
the Derby winner. Brittany Russell, local trainer in Maryland, the
top trainer in the state for years as a horse
named taj Maholland here, I'll start from the one post
undefeated and three starts all at Laurel so kind of
(29:44):
a home track advantage a little bit. We'll see how
that plays out tomorrow. And Chad Brand and Flaby and
Pratt the best trainer jackey combination in the sport right now,
they're going to try for Chad's third Freakness, and the
way he's done it, he's got iron honor in here.
He runs through the Wood Memorial, passes the Derby and
(30:04):
then comes back and wins the previous He's trying that again.
So there are a couple of the storylines as we
get into it.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
All right, let's talk about the race itself. Handicap it
for me, steer me in a direction, Dick.
Speaker 4 (30:16):
Really complicated.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
No.
Speaker 4 (30:17):
When I was on air with you two weeks ago,
I was very confident in what I liked, and I
still think I was right, But I don't explain why
it didn't happen. I like the non Bourbon, the Japanese horse,
and at the top of the stretch, I swear I
thought he was gonna win by five links. I mean,
everything that could have gone right did go right. He
got the dream trip, he was opening up a couple
(30:38):
of lengths, and as I'm watching it, I've said, wait
a second, he's easily in front. Now he's getting passed
by a maiden at the sixteenth pole versus number one
before us Celia said it doesn't make any sense. Well,
it turned out the non Bourbon came out of the
race with a chip cracksher and his knee. He needed surgery.
I'm pretty sure that's what happened to him at the
end and finished fifth. So that's my wanting excuse for
(30:59):
the day. But having having said all that, this race
to me is so hard. When I let to gamble.
I want to be able to see the race. You know,
it's like seeing a game like out at what's the matchup?
I'm having real trouble seeing like who's going to beware.
There's four or five horses, Chip, Hancho, taj Mahal, Napoleon, Solo,
(31:24):
all of whom are going to be buying for the league,
and I'm not sure any of them is going to
get clear. If one of them was, I would say
I would like that horse. So a lot of pace.
Ocelly ran an incredible race of the Derby. I don't
know where that came from. When I watched the replays
on Monday or Tuesday morning after the draw, I was
blown away by how well he ran. I think you
make case he actually ran better than the horses have
(31:45):
finished first and second. But he was seventy to one
that day. I'm always going to be like five to
one tomorrow and he still hasn't won a race. I'm
going to pick up five to one that went to Freakness.
So I end it's along with the way of saying
I ended up on Iron Eye, not because I'm in
love with him. I'm in love with the connections. This
is a pattern that they've done. They've won with this before,
(32:08):
and he has races that are good enough to win
the Freakness. And I'm just hoping that they're taking blinkers off,
that the trainers figured out what the missing card was,
because he didn't run particularly well with the Wood Memorial
after winning his first too. But and my long Shot
and you love it, you love the horses. Had the
second horse, the help the hell we did eat my
last law shot and it's a wild it's a wild story.
(32:33):
So this this horse is damn or mother had another
other horse with the same trainer a few years ago
and they decided to name the worst Senior Buskador and
the owner said, the hell we did you know, like,
what are you doing? You can't name the horse that,
And so that's how they came up with this name.
And Senior Buska Door, by the way, went on to
(32:55):
win almost thirteen million dollars. It won the Saudi Cup,
the Riches Rage of the World with the same trainer,
so similar connections. I don't know if this horse is
quite ready to win the Preakness. I think he's got
a chance to be a pretty good horse. Whether it's
tomorrow at seven o'clock or later. But yeah, the hell
we gotta love the hell we did in general, Yeah, general.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
This is this is. This is right up my alley.
The great Dick Girardi with us thanks to bet online
dot aguh. Check out bet online for the most up
to date odds and props on the one hundred and
fifty first running of the Preakness Stakes. Are there any
props you like?
Speaker 4 (33:30):
Yes, there's a prop. I love it. In fact, it's
my favorite bet tomorrow, more than actually betting a race.
So there's over under on the time. It's one minute
fifty five seconds. It's right up at the top of
the prop sheet. So these are particularly slow horses. This
isn't a great Freakness. It wasn't a fast Derby either.
We have the slowest fire figure in history and we
(33:50):
have a very slow racing surface. Yesterday very unlike the
Churchill down service, it was very fast. Remember I was
recommending under two oh two point five and it bit
up going under. We also have the configuration of Laura
Park is different than Pemlico. It's a mile and eight
track rather than miles circumference like Churchill. So the run
to the first turn is actually shorter, so they don't
(34:12):
have as much straightaway running, and that's where horses run
their fast It's obviously gone around turns, so all that
can be mitigates to We're going over one fifty five.
It's my favorite set. I can't bet enough. In fact,
I'm gotta find out what the limit is and I'm betting,
betting it off.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Now I'm convinced. Now, I'm convinced. That's our guy. Dick
Girardi thanks to bet online dot ag the most of
today odds and props on the one hundred and fifty
first running of the Preakness Stakes. Love having you, Dick,
Thanks so much.
Speaker 4 (34:42):
You got to thank you both.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
All Right, we're going over one fifty five. We're going
to take nine, the nine horse Iron Honor right now
with twenty one to four, and the hell we did
the seven. That's that's my that's my horse twenty two
to one at bet online dot Ag. Brendman and Jones
on Baseball's Next. When your business needs
Mo Egger News
Popular Podcasts
Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb
Joy is essential. And it's also elusive. You can't order it, borrow it, or simply hope it into life. But now, there's a new and exciting way to start your journey toward a more joyful existence: The Joy 101 Podcast with Hoda! Best known for her Emmy-winning work and co-anchoring Today, Hoda Kotb infuses her authenticity, curiosity, and warmth into conversations with the world’s most fascinating people. Entertainment legends, sport icons, wellness experts, and everyday folks will share how they find, allow, and experience joy. Hoda will offer her own tips and takes on seeking a more balanced, harmonious life. If you're craving inspiration, support, and useful tools to maximize your joy, tune in to these candid, uplifting, and moving on-air chats. Joy after a breakup, joy as an empty-nester, joy after loss, joy as a caretaker — Hoda's new podcast will speak to you. Joy 101 with Hoda Kotb, an iHeartPodcast.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com