7/9/24 - The Mo Egger Radio Show - Mo Egger

Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Line time you found Cincinnati's ESPN fifteenthirty. What's Up? What a night
last night at GAPP an incredible BigLeague debut for Reese Hines, Ellie Dela
Cruz doing Ellie de la Cruz things, contact play, fans getting their moment,
Andrew Abbott pitching great Red's winning agame against the Colorado Rockies that hopefully

(00:24):
starts a seven game winning streak.All of that was awesome and we are
going to discuss. Also, we'regonna go to Vegas. Big twelve Media
days are happening right now. TheUC Bearcats inching closer to their season.
There's been some good news involving DanteCorleon will go to Vegas at four thirty
and five oh five. Also ScottSadderfields, I think he is just finished

(00:46):
speaking, or he is speaking aswe speak. I don't know, but
we're gonna hear from the Bearcats headcoach in a while. Also, Miles
Robinson will be on this show andMLS All Star this season for FC Cincinnati,
who is going to represent in hiscountry in the Olympics as the US
men's Olympic team qualifies for the Olympicsfor the first time since two thousand and

(01:07):
eight, Miles joins us at fivethirty five. Full show preview available on
x thanks to Emery Federal Credit Union, your credit union with hard since nineteen
thirty nine. Go to EMORYFCU dotorg. But first, it's it's a
Tuesday and he's not on vacation.Paul Danner Juniors here from the Athletic I'm
back. It's a little hard gettinggetting back into the this, you know,

(01:29):
the run of things here. Sureit's been a little bit, but
I'm excited. I'm really sad aboutone thing being gone and kind of out,
you know, not in the Cincinnatiarea, So I'm not tuning in
to you as regularly, even thoughI usually try to when I'm on vacation.
Make sure between three and six Iput it on the iHeart appay,
honey, they'll get out of thepoll. Ball's coming on. I do

(01:51):
two kids. I'm sad that Ihave really kind of missed a lot of
the Contact play discourse because I feellike it's in a really good place you
want to participate in it, whichI have thoughts. I have thoughts.
We actually were at the game whereit very famously failed, which one yeah,
well one of them, and soI'm I'm with you. I'm with

(02:15):
you on that, and I'm enjoyingI'm joining a discussion of it. It's
right up there with the which Icouldn't believe. You know, everybody's third
or fourth grade baseball team did theplay where the guy steals second. Yeah,
and then so you can send theguy home from third last night.
Yeah, they keep doing it.Yeah, Like, I've never seen anything

(02:38):
quite like it, where this thingthat everybody learned in third grade and then
consequently in fourth grade learned how toproperly defend, is something that I have
seen regularly at the ballpark with MajorLeague Baseball players participating in it. And
I'm like, this is amazing.It's really taking me back to my youth.
Yes, I mean, I can'trelate to hitting a four hundred and

(03:00):
forty nine foot home run. Okay, I can't relate to making an insanely
cool diving catch. I can relateto being on base and waiting to see
what was gonna happen when we ranthe steal second, then run home play.
Yeah, I've tried that defensively.My favorite move on that as a
catcher was the pretend throw. Ohyeah, you go to throat, but

(03:23):
you hold on to the ball andthen look down and see if you're gonna
get them at third right, justyou know it's coming. Or the shortstop
running in move right. Tried thatas well, also a good one.
So I'm just looking for I alwayslook for to see. Could you imagine
being a major league baseball manager onanother team and being like, I have
this, yeah, this, we'regoing back to this, right, going

(03:45):
back to the fifth grade Playbooklet's right, sure, fine, And when it
works, it is fun. Thisis fun. The contact play for me
has turned into the shovel pass.Yeah, but you know, I have
an insane amount of disdain for Yes, I probably hate the shovel pass more
than the contact, but I don'tlike the contact play. What if we
could get Stanley Morgan to run thecontact play, that would be be better
than that, better at that thanhe was the damn shovel pass. But

(04:09):
in both instances, because it kindof worked last night with Ellie. When
it works, you know, youget the people who come out of the
woodwork and see like, there aretimes when it will work. There are
times when bad strategy will work.I've seen the shovel pass work. I've
seen the contact play work. Justas a general rule, doing something that

(04:30):
the defense is probably okay with youdoing is not something that I value as
good strategy. That applies to theshovel pass, it applies to the contact
play. Yeah, and Ellie iskind of the reason why things work when
they shouldn't. Yes, so Ithink we just say everybody but Ellie should
abide by normal rules, right Yeah. Well, and the defense of the

(04:53):
contact play on Friday night was well, he was almost safe. So what
Yeah he was out. Okay,you get an extra get a half run
for that, Like, well hewas he almost made it. Okay.
Well, there's a lot of thingsin life I've almost accomplished. Yeah,
I don't get credit for them.Well, it's good to have you.
It's good to be here. TheGrowler Podcast latest episode with Connor Orr,

(05:15):
who's one of the best, oneof the best. I will admit to
having not had a chance to uhlisten to that. It's fresh came out
earlier this afternoon, but he didwrite a piece I think last week or
two weeks ago that I brought upon this show that I was I was
going to run past you. We'regetting closer to training camp starting and mock
turtle soup and all that stuff.Oh right, you can almost taste it.

(05:35):
How many jobs are going to bereally up for grabs when camp begins?
Jobs starting? Jobs just get likefifty to fifty. I don't know
the back of the roster to meis I don't know where it's minutia.
I don't care that much. Yeah, I don't care that much. I
think I think, I mean,you have probably three or four real battles,
okay, right, I mean theprominent one will be what I guess

(05:56):
you know what's gonna happen at righttackle me Trent Brown, mems first round
draft pick. How's he gonna look? Is this legitimately gonna be an open
competition or is it gonna be thesort of deal where Amarus Mims has to
exceed even the most optimistic projections forthis training camp for him to supply at
Trent Brown wild Trent Brown have toreally perform poorly or if he performs as

(06:17):
expected as he hold onto the gigor is it look open? Derby best
man wins. Cordell Volson won ajob, but Jackson Carmen was his competition.
Well, if you're that much betterthan the other guy. Sure,
you know, I'm not saying thatthat'scessarily gonna be gonna be. They're not
afraid to put a rookie out thereif they feel like he is the best
option. Okay, and I thinkthat's been proven. Now it's you can

(06:42):
say, what about in protecting JoeBurrow And I don't know they did it
with Wolson. If they feel likethat guy has looked the best and he
is ready for it, and thisthis is somebody. If he played well
in preseason and in practices and seemto be about all the right stuff,
especially when you consider his physical trades, is heads and shoulders above what they
think they're seeing from Trent Brown,then they'll put him out there. And

(07:04):
I think that's that's a competition.He's gonna get the chance. He's gonna
get tons of He's already gotten alot of, you know, mental offseason
offensive line reps, so to speak, because it's it's not super real.
But they're gonna he's gonna play inthe preseason, he's gonna get a lot
of practice. He's gonna face realdudes out there in competition. I think

(07:26):
that it's very real. I don'tthink it's some you know, thing that's
already been decided, all right.What else? Well, safety, I
mean, I guess I think VonBell will be the guy on opening day
personally, but that doesn't mean JordanBattle's out anything, right, So you're

(07:46):
gonna be keep an eye on that. I what is gonna happen at the
second cornerback spot with that between DaxHill and DJ Turner is gonna be one
that you're gonna be watching. Ithink they're very much you know, I
had Louanna Room on the pod rightafter OTAs ended, and I thought his
optimism and comfort around Dax Hill atcorner was notable in what he was saying

(08:11):
in his tone, and for thatfact, it made me lean a little
bit more towards the fact that Daxcould win that job. Is it likely?
I don't know, but I thinkhe's did everything he could in the
offseason positioned himself that way. Feelslike he has more of a shot than
we believed when the draft took place. Yeah, I think so, Well,

(08:33):
we didn't really know before the drafthow real they were about it,
and now they're giving it a realshot out there, and so I think
that I think that's that's certainly abattle, you know, and we'll probably
we can talk about this in fansurvey a little bit. But and I
talked about this with I had StevePelzol and Sam Monson from the PFF podcast

(08:54):
on last week, and Sam hasreservations about the Bengals roster, specifically cornerback.
He is not necessarily buying Cam Taylorbritt as a number one and is
really not buying whatever's happening at numbertwo. And I think he's got real
points. I mean, we've gota lot to see. You're there's just
so much betting on year one totwo jumps happening there with DJ Turner and

(09:18):
whatever, Dax Hill, and there'sno veteran there now, and you've got
a rookie behind him, and there'sMike Hilton is getting older too. I
think he's still in a good place, but that at some point, so
I just I'm with him in thatwhere I just I think that whole room
is going to be really interesting totake stock of where they're at, and
if they take stock of where they'reat, and it's August sixteenth, and

(09:43):
it's just there's dudes out there ZavianHoward. You know there's real guys out
there that you would Lou doesn't soundreal interested in doing that right now,
things could change. I think ifyou get out there and if the first
two week of camp you know,everybody is roasting these dudes deep and it's
just the same mistakes you felt likeyou were seeing and Dax Hills not progressed.

(10:05):
I think that's something that could becomea real possibility for them. It
doesn't seem to be right now,but it could. It was interesting because
I think it was ESPN's the FPIdepartment did They ranked rosters and for each
team they mentioned biggest weakness, biggestweakness on the roster position group, and
for the Bengals it was running back, a spot that you and I talked

(10:26):
about the last time you were here. And as I was thinking about this,
I go, BOYD, if thatends up being the case, this
team's going to be great because it'sgoing to mean the cornerback isn't the worst,
and it's going to mean that safetyisn't the worst, and it's going
to mean that maybe the interior ofthe defensive line isn't the worst. I
still believe you are being fair ifyou challenge what was written with you know

(10:48):
what I think right now today onJuly ninth, it's corner because there are
still so many unknowns. Yeah,I totally agree with that. I just
you wish I like what I know. I like feeling like I know what
I'm getting and I don't know whatI'm getting. And I mean that in

(11:11):
a good way for particularly for somebodylike let's say Cam Taylor Britt, who
I am arguing right now is themaybe the most important non quarterback on this
roster. He has to become adude because of what's happening on the other
side. If he doesn't, ifhe plateaus, he's going well, and

(11:37):
not only that, like they needit without Cheeto, without anybody else in
that they need it, and helooks like he positioned to do it.
I think there's every reason to believehe can sustain what we saw for that
that period of time in the middleof last season before his injury. There's
every reason to believe that. Buthe has to do that. That ascension

(11:58):
is critical and so but I don'tknow that, Like I don't have a
year of Cam Taylor Britt being atrue number one. Hey, he can
go to the Pro Bowl. Guy, I don't have that. I don't
have DJ Turner being a real numbertwo. I don't have Dax Hill playing
cornered on the NFL. And andso there's a lot of hope, and

(12:20):
hope can be concerning. There's alot of projection, and it can be
great when it pays off. Butthe idea, it's like talking about the
Reds in the off season, right, you know, here's what I think
these guys can be, but Idon't know what they are. And I
wish that was at a position thatdidn't matter so much or that didn't just
kill them last year where we sawso many of those mistakes. And eventually

(12:45):
every team has this. Every teameverywhere, even the best of the best,
are betting on a projection that's somewhereand probably somewhere important. You have
to do that. If you're payinga quarterback especially, you have to do
that. That's that's the leak.But that's a scary spot to be in
at corner when you when you haven'tseen it. Projection is great, I

(13:07):
you know, the foundation of someof what you saw last year. The
flashes are great. But to me, I look at that and those battles,
you know, those positions up forgrabs that you started this with are
incredibly intriguing to me. All right, an annual right of summer is the
Fan Survey. Yeah, you're five. You're five of the Fan survey the

(13:28):
Athletic dot Com. Are these thefinal results? Yeah? These are the
ones I sent you a fine one. You sent me our final results.
You haven't written about the results yet. I've started. I'm in the middle
of the writing, but we're compilingthe numbers to write off of. It'll
be out. It'll be out inthe next day or two. All right,
Well, let's sift through some ofthis. Yeah, when we come
back. Paul Danner Junior read them. The Athletic dot Com. Catch the

(13:50):
podcast The Growl or latest episode withConnor Or released just a little while ago.
He's here till four. We're heretoll six on Mulleger eighteen after three
o'clock on ESPN fifteen thirty, CincinnatiSports Station. It's twenty three after three
o'clock. This is ESPN fifteen thirtyon Oegar. Paul Dayner Juniors here covering
the Bengals as training camp gets closerfor the Athletic and for the Growler podcast.

(14:16):
You have done this exercise every yearsince twenty twenty the annual Bengals Fan
survey for the Athletic and the votingis closed. Yes, you can no
longer vote, but what you cando is a wait for Paul's reaction piece,
which will come out here within thenext couple of days. Yeah,
we have the results here. Yes, Of all the different questions and answers,

(14:41):
which to you was most interesting?Well, I think for me it's
I don't know if it's a specificquestion, because there's a few of them
that that kind of touch on thesame theme. That to me is that
fans at their core, maybe they'renot saying it out maybe the vocal,

(15:05):
but their doubts are forming. Yes, so that we haven't The trend has
been the opposite and understandable, right, I mean, think about doing this
last year and what they were comingoff of. I mean, the organization
had never been higher really than comingoff of that two year period. It
felt like sustainability all the things.I think last year. You can see

(15:28):
the reaction to that opening people's eyesa little bit. You know. A
number that stands out to me isjust the basic confidence that the Bengals are
moving in the right direction. That'swhere I was gonna go. Yeah,
I mean, and that is yougo from in twenty twenty one all the
way back in nine point six interms of five the USK on a scale
of one to four. That's right, every year, your confidence in the

(15:52):
Bengals and the idea of the Bengalsmoving in the right direction. Five being
the most confidence, one being nocommon yes. And so the five number
goes in twenty twenty two after theSuper Bowl up to sixty four percent.
Then after last year, going outafter the twenty point two season, it
was Naates Championship Game up to seventytwo point five percent. Well this year

(16:15):
all the way down to thirty pointfive percent, And I mean that is
such a draft. And you seethat kind of across different areas. You
know, all the way down atthree creeps up, you saw a ten
percent bump all the way down therea lot of not quite as confident as
you were that all this is gonnawork out. And that is again that's

(16:37):
understandable. But I think you're you'reseeing those concerns in the fan base that
was at the top of the listfor me of things theme wise that stood
out. Yeah, I just mylevel of confidence in whether or not the
Bengals are going in the right directionreally hasn't changed. They have number nine,

(17:00):
you know, you mentioned we mentionedConnor orr and he did a piece
and it was six teams that didn'tmake the postseason last year, who will
and the team they'll replace? Andhe swapped out the Bengals for the Browns.
Now, this wasn't when the SuperBowl, when the division advance in
the playoffs, just make the playoffs. And my take was, if Joe

(17:22):
Burrow plays fifteen or more games,I see no way they don't make the
postseason. Yeah, how if Ifeel that way? How can I not
feel confidence that they're going in theright direction. There are some questions I
have about the roster. Of course, we just outline one of them.
Right, every year you're going tohave that. But as long as I
got number nine, Now you mightwonder whether or not he's going to be

(17:44):
healthy. But as long as Igot number nine, I'm confident in the
direction the Bengals going. I knowthat as a dramatically, overly simplistic way
of looking at things, but Ifelt that way a year ago feel that
way now, But nine isn't moving. That line is dayg straight. The
rest of it is what moves upand down around him to say you're going

(18:04):
in the right direction, I mean, and that's I think that's the concern,
is what's happening around him, andthey're a victim of their own success.
No, how can it go upfrom that? What happened, you
know, outside of them actually winningthat Super Bowl, I mean, one
of the greatest runs of football we'veever seen from this organization, that ten
game winning streak, And so Ijust I think you're a little bit like

(18:27):
it's eventually these wholes show up.You're going to be normal that that's going
to be part of it. SoI don't think there's You're right. As
long as you have Burrow, there'sno reason to feel an overwhelming novel of
going backwards. I mean, Ilast year they went nine to eight and
he played four good games. Yeah, like that to me makes me feel

(18:48):
good about what they have built.And again, what they've built year to
year changes. I understand that,but they were crummy on one side of
the ball and didn't have their mostimportant player, and then when they did
have him for some of those gameshe wasn't healthy and one nine games.
Yeah, I don't think there.I definitely think that they're still going in
the right direction. I was alittle surprised to see it be that drastic,

(19:11):
but I think people are reactionary towhat they saw regardless of of that,
in just the fact that you sawa team be defeated and lose,
and you saw what's happening on thedefensive side of the ball, and you
felt like some of the the mystiquethat was surrounding Leuenarumo kind of came off
and and that stuff resonates and yousaw what you know, because I was

(19:33):
going to mention Duke Tobin's numbers godown significantly here. You know, when
you have a first round draft pick, the Dax Hill experiment, right,
you've got this these things Biles Murphyanother first round pick that doesn't play much
and you may love his future andI'm buying more than anyone, but again,
but doesn't have that immediate impact.These these things add up after a

(19:56):
while. You see, you knowwhat happened with Jesse Bates. They couldn't
figure out a way to get donewith him early. Then it turns into
a mess, and then he goesand these amazing in Atlanta, and now
you're safety stinct that stuff. It'sa cumulative effect and that can be washed
away when you win games and nobodycares. But I think it shows up
here when you don't win, andthen everybody starts pointing out and spends more

(20:19):
time on the other stuff. Ifyou were a voter, So one of
the questions you asked, and thiswas a new question for twenty twenty four,
you've done this since twenty twenty washow concerned are you about Joe Burrow's
career health? Sixty five point fourpercent say slightly, eighteen point seven percent
say concerned, ten point seven percentsay not at all, and five point

(20:45):
two percent say terrified. If you'rea voter, where are you placing your
vote where they did, where themajority did slightly? Slightly slightly, They
says they're starting to pile up.But I think he's handling it well,
yeah, yeah, I don't thinkthere's I think we've reached that point though,
where he's at the line. Yeah, if it becomes one more,

(21:07):
one more and my vote is moving, and you'll see those numbers move dramatically,
right, I think one more bigone, and you're starting to one
to more. But I think Iam slightly concerned. How are you not?
How are you not right? However, I do think he's handling it
really well. He's taken every measurethat you would want to see from him
in terms of let's get stronger,let's take a new mental approach. How

(21:30):
can I an understanding of how importantit is to be honest with his body,
his teammates, his coaches, histrainers, all of these things that
we've spent a bunch of time talkingabout that we heard from him this offseason.
He's put it in such better perspective, understood that that's the one thing
he no longer is living with thethird string quarterback at Ohio State chip on

(21:53):
his shoulder and understanding that what mattersnow is availability for him, and that
is handling it well. Because thesefreak things, these accidents, whatever has
happened, has happened. But Ido believe he's handling it well. You
know, And you can go backthrough other names of quarterbacks that have had
a few injuries early in their career, and sometimes they had more, sometimes

(22:18):
they didn't. I don't think he'sat the point right now where it's predictive
at least, there's no evidence ofthat if you look through history of the
same types of guys. Matt Staffordwas viewed this way early in his career
as somebody who was maybe going tobe injury prone, and then he played
every game for like a ten straightyears and has thought of as one of
the tough guys in the league rightnow. I mean, these things happen,

(22:41):
and then there's some guys where itdoes take I mean Andrew Luck conversation,
a lot of guys that we've talkedabout that, oh I just it
got to them or it affected themmentally and they started developing really bad habits.
Connor talked to me today about howabsurd he thought the Carson Wentz thing
that came up about Joe Burrow wasat which surfaced and it was like Carson
Wentz didn't know how to deal withthe pressure and performed bad habits. Joe

(23:06):
Burrow dealt with more pressure than anyhuman being the year they went to the
Super Bowl and has been developing thehabits to deal with that and getting better
and around it every single year.It's a totally different circumstance. If you're
talking about. The point is,though there's nothing right now saying that I
feel concerned about the longevity of hiscareer by this stuff there, it is

(23:26):
saying that you do worry if more, if more does does start to show
one more okay, And I don'twant to give away too much of what
you're gonna write about. In twentytwenty one, you asked fans are you
worried about the Bengals leaving? Andthirty four point four percent said no,

(23:47):
don't think that would happen, Andthen that number the next year was sixty
two point six, climbed to sixtyeight point four, fell a little bit
to sixty six point four. Sotwo thirds of the people who responded to
your survey say they're not worried atall about the Bengals leading. I'll ask
you the same question, if you'reanswering your own survey that particular question,

(24:08):
what's your answer? No, Idon't I don't think so, because partially
I think that a deal will getdone. I don't like, I don't
foresee it becoming what it did inthe nineties. I just I think the
tone is so different here now,like I and everybody after that Super Bowl

(24:33):
run, and really these last fewyears, I think everybody has more been
on board and understood what they meanand where the value in the investment is
there, and there is enough templateacross the league to see how you get
this done. I thought the CharlotteDealer is a really important one keep an
eye on or or look at.You're talking a similar renovation, similar size

(24:59):
city, doing all the same things. The Bengals are trying to do eight
hundred million dollars six hundred and fiftymillion with public money. And now I'm
sure they will fight a lot overthat six to fifty number and what that
looks like. But there's templates outthere, so I don't think that's going
to be. So I'm not reallyworried about them leaving. You never know,

(25:21):
sure, I think, but I'mnot really so I wouldn't. I
wouldn't say that it's something that thatI would have worried a I would be
with the majority on this one.You know, I've talked about this with
somebody and I said, like,I remember how that issue enveloped the city
for years in the mid nineties.I remember Mike Brown's open flirtation with Baltimore.

(25:42):
I remember that happening. It wasreported, it happened. I remember
the vote, I remember the discourse. I then I remember all the crap
that went on after the vote.We're nowhere near that level of acrimony,
dissension, whatever words you want touse. I were nowhere near that.

(26:02):
No, and so I I justdon't think this is a similar climate.
And I don't I don't see themopenly flirting with Do I believe the NFL
would love to take the Cincinnati Bengalsand move to Mexico City. Yeah,
But but I don't. I don'tsee ownership is currently constructed openly flirting with
another city the way they did inthe in the early nineties or mid nineties.
No, just don't see that happening. No, I don't. I

(26:25):
don't. I don't either. Imean, I think I joked with this
on on on on who they lighta little bit. This was a developing
take that probably shouldn't see the lightof day. But I think you wouldn't
be worried to me any anything thatyou would talk about with movement wouldn't be
about leaving. It would be aboutgoing over the river, right right.

(26:45):
I mean, this is you lotof the Kansas City situation. Okay,
where where another somewhere else can canoffer a deal the Braves, right,
they moved out of downtown when yeah, they have been compassed. You you
end up you can have situations whereyou move around, okay, and that
can be a thing, and theBengals are positioned in a way where that
could happen. But to me,that's the only thing you talk about if

(27:07):
you're Hamilton County where it's like Iview that as any kind of a concern
would be okay, Well when youcould go you could go out there or
what do you go out to Warrenor something? I don't know. Yeah,
sure, out in near Miami Valley. Yeah, I would vote for
Kentucky. Yeah, you know TaylorMill Bengals. I think I sounded really
good. Yeah, put it rightdown my hometown. Yes, yeah,

(27:27):
is there any is there any roomin Bellevue? Maybe maybe they can find
maybe they can find, you know, some kind of a formerly beloved water
park they could knock over. Maybeyou could build it where the beach was
out in Mason. That's what ifthey put out by surf Cincinnati, are

(27:47):
they you know, like twenty yearsafter they bulldoze that place there's still like
remnants of old water slides. Didthey just replace that with a yeah?
I don't see. I don't seewhy not, don't. I don't see
why not that that beach property looksready. I think that's it. So
Paul's synopsis of his annual fans Surveywill be out here very soon at the
Athletic Go get that. I wantto ask you about cheap televisions and something

(28:08):
you discussed on your podcast that hasalways stuck in my crawl. Coming up
on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Stationwith Tony Pike. I do we want
to move on? Doctor Keith Ranand Boston Elmore. I think you should
continue. Let me keep going thereSincy three sixty tomorrow which twelve noons on
ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati's and catch thepodcast. Hear that podcast? Where can

(28:34):
we find your podcast? Wherever youget your podcasts? Also on YouTube?
Appreciate that you you do a podcastwho day Light with my guy Mark Shalafu.
If you guys tackled one of mypet peeves. Yeah, the mispronunciation

(28:56):
of Bengals Yeah yeah on during footballseason in particularly Yeah, I hear on
a repeated basis the band that SusannahHoffs was in in the eighties, Bengals,
Bengals. Why why do we havethat? I don't. I don't
Bangles. Also, you remember Bengalssee and I pointed it out with Mark

(29:18):
that got tickets of the Bengals game, the Phil Simms, the Bingles Bingles
happened, BINGLESO. There was aBengals run there. I didn't have then
and I do not now have anyexplanation for why this happens, other than
at some point it caught on.And look, there's misspelling Cincinnati at the
Big twelve media days. Okay,but certain things just people are not going

(29:41):
to care. It's not gonna getfixed. Just this is what it is.
And I feel like things like Bengalsand Bingals are just they're just going
to be going. It's one thingif you misspell Cincinnati and you've never had
to spell Cincinnati before, or youhaven't been here. It's something else when
you have lived here your entire lifeand you can't correctly pronounce the name of

(30:03):
the local NFL team that you claimto be a fan of. Right when
someone says Bangals, I get madand I don't it's irrational. I mean,
I don't say anything to them,but I'm like, really, what
where'd you get the a at?How did you get bangles out of that?
I gotta tell you that's topped prettyeasily, though. Yeah. There

(30:26):
are still people in this town,yeah, who claim to be fans of
the team who send me burrows,Oh yeah this still yeah, or say
Burrows burrows Yeah, like if thatblows my mind? Call in postgame talk
show. Yeah, in the JoeBurrow era, I've only had to do

(30:48):
once they're over unders four and ahalf over like the course of let's say
it's a two and a half hourpostgame callin show over unders four and a
half Burrows Yeah, yeah, Welland it depends. I think you get
the higher the result dictates you're overunder number, right, and l you're
you're up to six. As alot of Burrows call in when they lose,

(31:10):
no question, just don't even care. But that that one blows my
mind way more than because sometimes Ifeel like that's just kind of the accent
somebody has where they probably half mispronouncea lot of words. Right, But
I think Burrow, like, there'sjust no way there should be an ess
and you should know that if youfollow anything about certainly follow enough to be

(31:33):
calling into I'm going this is thisis an audio medium, but I'm I
have a visual for you and we'lldescribe it. But it's something that I'm
starting to see. This is notBengals related, but I'm starting to see
this. Deli cruise, Deli Delicruise. I haven't seen Deli cruise.
Oh, I'm starting to see thisoccasional Deli d E L L Y cruise.

(31:53):
Yeah, Deli cruise. I thankfully, I have not seen that.
What are we doing? We're combiningEllie and maybe Deli Cruz. By the
way, he has one of thecoolest names, like you should want to
say his name. Yes, hehas maybe the coolest name in baseball.

(32:14):
And it's not really helping him.And and he's he's becoming like a one
name star. It's hard if you'reJoe Burrow the way, a lot of
Joe's ain't no other Ellies. SoEllie Deli you mean, yeah, Deli
Cruz. Thankfully. They're going tobe selling old televisions from the venue formerly
known as Paul Brown Stadium. Isthat when is that? When is the
latest television saying Saturday, you're goingto be in line for a television So

(32:37):
how does this work? Only becauseI just want to witness it the TVs
they had in the concourse they're gettingnew ones, right, Yeah, they're
getting new new tav so Hamilton County, right, not the Bengals. They're
selling the old televisions. You gotto show up Saturday morning. They don't
cost that much. I know thedetails from the first time that they did
it. I haven't dove totally inthe details for this Saturday return of the

(33:00):
Apparently it was so popular that whereyeah, you have you have to bring
some some some people. They're givingyou no help, right, you show
up with exact cash. They're givingyou a bracket like a mounting bracket,
right, not carrying you gotta carryyou to bring that draw to lug to
lug whatever it is over and youknow, don't think they're going to be

(33:21):
lifting anything. And you just showup and then they'll give you, you
know, and if the forty bucksor sixty bucks and they'll give you the
TV, I guess. And ifthe TV is alemon, it doesn't be
Sorry, you're not getting a refund. Yeah, I don't. I don't
think there's any way to take itup with their manager. Wow. So
uh, I just I just lovethe idea of Hey, i'd love to

(33:42):
have a cheap old television and andI'd love to and I'd love to give
up some time on my Saturday morningto go down and do it. See,
that's the thing for me, andto each their own, to each
their own. If if like,let's say I got a phone call from
somebody with the Bengals and they said, hey, you want one of these
televisions forty bucks, I'd probably go, eh, yeah, I don't have

(34:06):
to wait in line. But thefirst time they did this, I was
downtown for the Red Legs Run andI'm driving on Second Street and I hit
a stoplight and I had forgotten theywere selling TVs and I looked to my
right and there's like hundreds of people. And then I looked to my left
and we're lined up Elm Street likemidway to fourth. Oh my god,
I just value my time too much. I will admit I don't like I'm

(34:30):
not an impatient person by any stretch. I hate waiting in line. I
just I didn't get my car washedthe other night because I pull up.
There's like four people in it.I'm good. Nope, I just I'll
go back to Mike's car wash later. I'm okay, I just I don't
like waiting in line. I Amnot waiting in line for a cheap television.
This feels, this has always feltto me so much like the AAU

(34:54):
baseball team fundraiser. Yes, it'syou know what, I got another idea,
say we don't give anything back here, I'm gonna help you. You
want to make a little more money. Lemonade stands for the line. It
canna be hot, Yeah, right, everyone's there. They're thirsty. They
need to have their energy to carrytheir TVs. Just set up, set

(35:15):
up lemonade stands all along the line, you know, and sell it for
sell it for five dollars a glassor something like that. If that's that's
what it's about. I just Idon't know. I'm of the belief.
Are there do we really we can'tjust get we can't get them to some
schools. Yeah, like a dollarright here here, you give us a
dollar. You know, all theseschools that need stuff and you can have

(35:37):
these old well you know, likethere are certain novelty items that are pretty
cool. There are a lot ofpeople that have Riverfront Stadium or in some
cases Crosley Field seats. Those areneat that's cool. I said to you
offer, I have a piece ofRiverfront Stadium turf, Like that's awesome.
Fine, Maybe Eric Davis stood there. Uh, I don't know that if

(35:58):
like, I go over someone houseand they're like, man, this hung
in a concourse behind section three fifteen, and I'm like, wha. I
mean, I hope the television works. It's fine, but I'm gonna wait
in line for something that I'm gonnaget for cheap that when I hang it
up may or may not work.I gotta go buy my own remote,

(36:20):
and it might not impress. It'snot going to impress anybody when I hang
it up. I don't know.Yeah, that's not a real good conversation
piece. No, no, it'snot h But you know what, I
guess. I guess this is whatthey have to do. Might as well
make a little bit of money.I can't wait for training camp so we
could actually have football time. Heyit maybe every month a new TV giveaway,

(36:40):
you know, maybe that's maybe that'swhat's gonna happen down there. TV
sale, TV sale. Look,gotta gotta send a team of state.
Well, the thing is like they'rerenovating a lot of the guts of the
stadium, right, Yeah. Couldthere be other stuff they give away?
Yeah? Absolutely, I'm interested inmaybe some of that stuff. I like
to feel like there's some there's somestuff deep in the story exactly. In

(37:00):
fact, some of these TVs mayeven be ones that they actually replaced ten
years ago and just didn't know whatto do with them and put them into
the back storage area, and likewe'll pull those out. These people will
come down here and take anything.The Cincinnati Bengals as an organization, they've
been mad at me many times.But I've only heard about it twice.
Yeah, And the second time Iheard about it was if you remember the

(37:23):
Jerome Simpson the game where he doesthe flint, It was Christmas Eve against
Arizona, and like the Bengals needto win and the Jets need so we
got in the Conquerors. They havethe Jets game on, and you know
the television was like the TV Ihad my dorm room at ud in nineteen
ninety six and you couldn't see thepicture because it was Sonny out and Dusty

(37:44):
and I described this on the airand they got big mad at this,
big mad at this me making funof the televisions. I mean, look,
this is what the television is.Are those TVs? That's what I
would see. That's what I wouldI would want the television that you watched,
yeah, for that day on RickenBig Tube TV. Grainy. That
to me is a conversation piece orlike, you know what i'd love to

(38:04):
have. I'd love have like abroken nut and bolt from the l escalator
from like the one of the timesthat it broke, you know, Like
that's that's what ibmouting. Give methe broken piece. If I see somebody
trying to fix it next time I'mover there, which is inevitable, right,
Like, I'll be like, canI have a piece of that?
That's some memorability I can get behind. I give you twenty bucks for that.
Paul's conversation with Connor or go listento it the Growler podcast and read

(38:29):
him at the Athletic dot Com Lovepiece on the Fans Survey and obviously is
a training camp unfolds. Paul willbe covering that across multiple platforms on a
daily basis. This was This wasperfect dead of the off season fodder.
Thank you for coming here. Thisis awesome, filled the space. Happy
to do it. Oh, wegot a podcast coming up Thursday. Yeah,
yeah, we're recording Thursday. It'llit'll come out next Monday. We've

(38:50):
we've been excited about this one fora while. Yeah, it's gonna be
fun. That's gonna be a goodtime. I'm doing the homework tonight for
it. All right, Yes,tonight, it would be in a good
mood. Tomorrow. Follow Paul onX at Paul Danner. You're six away
from four o'clock. We're gonna headto Vegas. In the next hour.
We'll talk about last night's fun ofGABP two on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports
Station two Guys, five Rigs,twenty Central Podcasty. Hi, I'm Oleger.

(39:23):
This is ESPN fifteen thirty. I'mjust I'm I'm having fun. I'm
If I'm not having fun, wegot problems. I'm having fun on the
social media. We'll get to thata little bit later on. By the
way, really fun night last nightat GABP. Yes, if you were

(39:45):
there, but if you're a Redsfan, they get the series against the
awful Colorado Rockies. It gets offto a very good start. Lots of
really important stuff happened, right,Lots and lots of really important stuff happened,
not the least of which was AndrewAbbott was terrific, And like there
is, there are so many thingsthat are frustrating about this team, its

(40:09):
lack of consistency. Some would sayit's overall construction, the injuries, the
inability to really sustain anything. Butabove and beyond all the other stuff.
The reason why, at least forme, and I can't speak for anybody

(40:30):
else, that it's really hard tototally shut the door on them, or
close the book or move on,whatever verbiage you want to use, is
because the starting pitching is really good. Starting pitching for the Reds has given
up one run over the last threegames now. One of those was a

(40:51):
relatively short appearance for a gram Ashcraft, who obviously has since been sent down.
It's part of why this season tothis point has been pretty frustrating.
Right, They're getting good starting pitching. Now. You would obviously like for
Nick Lodolo to prove that he couldstay healthy. But Hunter Green is having
a season that was at least deservingof All Star consideration. Andrew Abbott is
pitching really well. Nick Lodolo,when he's been healthy, has been for

(41:15):
the most part, lights out.Like those three things are really good and
really important. Frankie Montas, I'mI don't know that Frankie Montas has been
a disappointment because I really didn't knowwhat to expect. He pitched in just
a couple of innings last season forthe New York Yankees. But across the
board, the Reds are getting aboveleague average starting pitching. Compare that to

(41:37):
last year when it was just anabsurd weakness, and it was. They
won eighty two games last year despitethe starting pitching being atrocious. This year,
it's better than the league average,and yet starting play tonight, they're
five games under five hundred. Soon one hand, it feels like,
God, they've wasted this and they'vewasted a lot of really good start including

(42:00):
Hunter Greens obviously on Saturday, whichwe talked about. But at the same
time, boy, if that continues, and I think it's realistic to expect
it to continue for the most part, because I think we would all agree
there's such a bright future for Hunterand for Nick and for Andrew Abbott,

(42:21):
I guess he's not on a firstname basis, And then you know Graham
Ashcraft. I don't know. Idon't know. The starting pitching has been
good. It stands to reason thatunless everybody just hits a wall, it's
going to continue to at least benot a weakness and possibly even a strength
good enough to keep them in it. I don't think I feel this way

(42:44):
anymore, but I don't know.Four or five weeks ago, I talked
about how I felt like, youknow, if anybody's equipped to catch the
Milwaukee Brewers in this division, it'sthe Reds. It's probably Saint Louis.
Just the sheer math of it,the Reds are ten games out of first
place. That's a lot of groundto make up, especially when you have

(43:04):
to leave frog two other teams.Saint Louis is four and a half back.
But I still believe this. Firstof all, I think Pat Murphy
should be right now at least themanager of the year in the National League.
They're fifteen over five hundred with atrociousstarting pitching, and not just atrocious
starting pitching, but they've had touse a lot of different starters that they've

(43:27):
had to use so far this season, sixteen different starting pitchers. It's remarkable.
Now some of those are starts madeby guys who are beginning bullpen days.
But still, at the same time, I think it's still the primary
reason why they're going to frustrate usall summer because offensively they're not good enough.
They're not good enough, but onthe mound they are, and so

(43:52):
offensively there they don't feel like they'regood enough to get this team to the
postseason, but the starting pitching isprobably good to keep them in the hunt.
That's a really tough place to be. But you know, if after
the sweep this past weekend against theTigers, you were ready to shut the
book, and my colleagues on Sincythree to sixty were, I stopped short

(44:15):
because they still have this thing thatis good, really good at times better
than league average, and is goingto keep them hanging around. And a
night like last night, when there'sa lot of other stuff that falls into
place, well, you just it'sit's hard to say that they it's hard
to say that they're done. It'shard to say that they have no playoff

(44:36):
chances, even when you acknowledge allof their other deficiencies, and there are
many. Rees Sign's big league debutlast night was something out of a story
book. You look, I don'tknow how good Resigns is going to be.
I don't know if he has alegitimate big league future. I don't
know these things. Here's what Iknow. Dude was sitting two sixteen at

(44:57):
Louisville. So he gets called upout of necessity. It wasn't like when
they've called up all those guys theycalled up last year. It was all
right, Stuart Fairchild's going on theAnge list. We don't have Austin Slater
yet. We got to call upsomebody. Let's call up rees Hines.
If Reese Hines never gets a hitagain, this is I know, it
sounds hokey. This is one ofthe cool things about sports. He will
always have a big league debut thatincluded a hustle double for his first big

(45:21):
league hit, a really nice slidingcatch in right field on a on a
ball by Eskievel Tavar that was noteasy to catch, not easy to catch
at all, and then he hitsa four hundred and forty nine foot home
run into the second deck in leftcenter, four hundred and forty nine foot

(45:46):
home run. No GABP special,just a fun fun. I don't know.
I don't know what's gonna happen withrees Hign. I don't know if
he's going to be on the teamtonight, but I knew, I do
know that last night was special forhim. You also got a glimpse into
what makes Elie de Lacruz awesome.There's the raw talent, there's the stolen

(46:09):
based total, there's the statistical output, which was is all star worthy.
There's also and he scores on thecontact play, so to speak, and
we will spend time on that.But his stolen base last night on the
ball being returned to the pitcher wasto me emblematic of what makes him so

(46:35):
much fun. If you're on theother team, you have to constantly be
on your toes. You know,he had that play a few weeks ago
where he against the Pirates, wherehe hit a double on what was basically
a ground ball up the middle.Because if you're gonna go get that ball,
if you're going to charge that ball, you gotta go get it,

(46:58):
and you got to get it towhere it need to be, or Ellie's
gonna make you pay last night,gonna lolly gag the ball back to the
mound, gonna just play pitch andcatch. I'm gonna keep you on your
toes. I'm gonna steal a bagon you. I mean, like Diaz,
the catcher for the Rockies. Areyou watch a baseball game. It

(47:20):
wasn't like he was loafing. Itwas just all right, I caught a
pitch, I'm gonna throw it backand over the course of a game.
That happens a few hundred times,usually very casually. With Ellie de la
Cruz. You can't do anything casually. You can't. And look, man,
there are a lot of guys thatmight not have Ellie's physical gifts but

(47:43):
can run. I don't know thatthey're alert enough or looking to take that
extra base. When you're doing somethingas simple as throwing the ball back to
the pitcher, playing against him hasto be a pain in the neck.
You've always got to be on yourtoes. You've always got to be ready
for something. You've always got tobe alert, You've you've you've always got

(48:07):
to be ready for the unexpected.As a fan, it's awesome because he
compels you to watch Last Night asmuch as we can make fun of me
hating the contact play. He scoredfrom third base on a ball hit back
to the pitcher. But like,I don't think I've ever seen that where

(48:30):
the picture didn't bobble. It feelsit cleanly. He scored on a one
hopper back to the pitcher. Now, look, yes, it was theoretically
the contact play. First of all, he was kind of dancing between third
and home. He wasn't like hewas standing on third base. Secondly,
it was a four nothing game inthe eighth inning, right, it was

(48:52):
a four nothing game, so thiswasn't tie ball game or trailing by a
run. In the bottom of theninth inning. When he represents the tying
run, that's something. And look, if he scores, we all lose
our minds because of how awesome aplay it was. There wasn't a ton
of risk involved with that play.They're winning by four runs against the team

(49:13):
that is twenty six hunder five hundred. If he gets chucked out at the
plate, he gets chucked out atthe plate, right, not that big
of a deal. But he didn'tget chucked out at the plate because well,
he beat the throw, He beatthe play. He had a nifty
slide. Forget litigating the contact playfor a second, which if you love
it, if you are a proponentof it, I don't know that we're

(49:34):
ever gonna get the other side toagree. But boy, he just keeps
you on your toes. It justwatching him as a fan watching him.
I'm up there in right field lastnight, hanging out with friends. The
Reds are gonna win the game,and yet Ellie's on base. Something cool
might happen. Ellie's at the plate, something cool might happen. It doesn't

(49:54):
always, and that might not bemeasured by statistics. But isn't that why
you watch sports? Because of thepossibility of something really cool happening. With
Ellie de la Cruz, you havea higher probability of that than most players
in baseball. I'm not saying he'sbetter than most players in baseball. He's

(50:15):
certainly moving in the right direction.But there's always the possibility of just something
happening that's really cool that you wantto talk about with your buddies the next
day, that you text with yourfriends about. There have been very few
players in my lifetime in baseball thatI could say that about. We try

(50:35):
to convince ourselves with Billy Hamilton,but like we knew that dude was never
going to be able to hit.He did some awesome stuff on the bass
pass, he scored in a popup in Saint Louis. Once he was
a marvelous defensive center fielder, butthere was a ceiling to what he could
do because he just simply couldn't hit. With Ellie, it feels like there's
no ceiling, none whatsoever. Sohe's gonna get better as a player,
but even while he ascends, he'sgonna keep the other team on its toes,

(51:00):
and as fans, he's gonna keepus on our toes. Eighth inning
last night of a game that's slowlygetting out of hand, and yet he
does something that you had to payattention to a least on base, something
cool might happen. And by theway, they tried the double steal it
didn't work. No issue with thatwhatsoever. It's it's awesome. It is.

(51:23):
It is awesome, and I knowI go overboard with it sometimes,
and I know the team's overall performancehas been deeply frustrating. I share those
frustrations. Like I left here lastnight and went down to the ballpark and
I thought, like, all right, they just got swept. I don't

(51:45):
feel good about their chances. ButI'm gonna watch Elie de Lacruz tonight.
Like he to me, is worththe price of admission. He is,
like, if we're if this team'sin September, I don't know, ten
twelve games out of the playoffs,but Ellie's in the lineup, I'm going
I want to be there. Iwant to watch people do cool stuff.
It's why I watch sports, andI want to watch people who keep me

(52:07):
on my toes and compel me topay attention because he may do something that
I'm not expecting. And uh,that's really special. And we got a
little bit of it last night.We got the unexpected with Rheese Hines.
We got these somewhat expected Andrew Abbottagainst that lineup should run circles around him.
That's a terrible team. Uh.And Ellie Delacruz doing Elli Delacruz things,

(52:29):
by the way, on a nightwhere he contributes with his bat,
he contributes with his glove and thenobviously contributes with his legs, is the
total package. There are very fewshows in baseball right now that come close.
And he's an All Star seventeen minutesafter four o'clock five point three seven
four nine, fifteen thirty and eightsix six, seven oh two three seven

(52:50):
seven six. We'll go to Vegasin about eighteen minutes and chat with our
buddy Jim Kelly. You see,as players representing the Bear Cat it's big
twelve media days happening right now,and while they're there, perhaps telling the
people who run the conference how tocorrectly spell Cincinnati. A few Bearcap thoughts
coming up on ESPN fifteen thirty CincinnatiSports Station Cincinnati's es Clint Thing. I

(53:15):
am really excited for the basketball tournamentcoming to the University of Cincinnati. Nasty
Natti Nastinnetti will play against zip emup with Adam Kunkle. Gets your tickets
now. Thank you for calling moviefone. We should talk to other people on

(53:42):
the phone. JT. You're onESPN fifteen thirty. How are you.
I'm doing great? No, AndI really enjoyed that segment with you and
Paul Dane your Jr. Something reallytook my ear when you guys were talking
about the Bengals Bangles and yeah,the Bengals. I've lived. I moved
from Cincinnati when I was twenty andI moved back when I was twenty five,

(54:04):
so I thin he's good twenty fiveyears outside of Cincinnati. But when
I moved back, I noticed theCincinnati isms that kind of drive me crazy.
They're a little quirky, but sometimesthey make me want to push a
camel, and other times I'm like, oh, that's kind of cute.
For example, Ellie de la Cruz. His name is Ellie, it's not
La dela Cruz. And when Iheard about the kid when he was seven,

(54:24):
ary kid, I'm like, oh, that's a cool name. La,
like as in Los Angeles, iswhat's La stands for? Then you
find out later it's Ellie of course, And then I think what gets my
goat the mersed is the bagel pronounced. I've heard so many people in Cincinnati
call a bagel a bagel? Likewhere do they? Where do you go
to school who teaches that it's afreaking bagel not a bagel? And finally,

(54:47):
my last is, if you asksomeone where they live in Cincinnati northern
Kentucky, they either look up inor down in or outing when you live
you know up in Park Hills areup and Mount Adams are about in Harrison
County. You know you're down outand because as soon as someone says I

(55:09):
up, and I'm like, ohhere we go, here, we go
here. But I just thought i'dshare my pet pee with you. Have
a great day, and thank youso much, Oh thank you. I'm
I'm often told that I'm from Downing, Kentucky, and I always got it
makes it sound like, and notthat there's anything wrong with southern Kentucky,
but it makes it sound like I'mfrom London or something, which is frankly
where my family's from, ten minutessouth of downtown. It's it's okay,

(55:35):
we're gonna go to Vegas. Uh. Not literally, Jim Kelly's there and
is going to talk about Big twelvemedia days. It's like one hundred and
sixteen degrees in Vegas, and sohopefully Jim hasn't melted. The Big twelve
media poll for the upcoming football seasoncame out last week, and the Bearcats
were voted by the leagues media tofinish fourteenth. Utah was picked to finish

(56:04):
first, and Cincinnati got enough votesto finish fourteenth, just ahead of Houston
and Arizona State. I read apiece on USA Today Today, and it
was the biggest question for every Bigtwelve team as the season inches closer,
and for the Bearcats, the questionwas, is Scott Saderfield the right coach?

(56:31):
I think that's the biggest question forthis program going into twenty twenty four,
it's still the question, right Andso there are many and I'm one
of them for the most part.You know, last year, as the
season unfolded the way it did,a lot of folks would ask, well,

(56:51):
do you give him a pass foryear one? And for the most
part my answer was yes, yeah, I give him a pass. It's
really hard to be a new headcoach and a new play It's even harder
now. It's even more difficult whenyou're replacing, for my money, the
greatest coach and you see history.It's really all that stuff is really hard.
But I also believe it's never beenmaybe easier isn't the right word.

(57:16):
I think there's never been more ofa premium on getting the thing turned around
years two and year three. Andso whether it's fair or or not,
and time will I guess to adegree tell whether it is you have a
coach. Let's face it, whenhe left, I like Scott Sadderfield,
he's been really nice to us.He's a good man. But I think

(57:37):
the reality is when he left Louisville, there weren't that many people down there
who were all that upset, right, and then the program Louisville had a
very good year last year. Soyou have a coach who had his previous
place had some successes, but theyweren't exactly shedding a tear for him leaving.
And then he comes here this year, last year, I should say,
and they don't. They don't havea good year. I call it

(57:59):
what it is. You might givea pass. You might have said,
well, it's kind of to beexpected that we're gonna have a losing season.
That was not a good team.It was not a good season,
even if you acknowledge the difficulty inbeing a new head coach in year one
and the difficulty in taking a levelup in competition and playing in the Big
twelve, and so all the while, you know that was the question of
Scott Saderfield, the guy. Wellit's still the question. We cannot be

(58:22):
asking that same question a year fromnow, Like if we're doing this whole
exercise, you see media day whereI guess it's in Vegas next year preseason
media poll, and you go,Okay, what's the biggest question for UC
football this year? If it's stillis the coach the guy that's not good?
Chances are the answer is going tobe no. So this is an

(58:45):
immensely important season. What I think, what I think is interesting about the
answer is, realistically, I don'tknow that the team can be good enough
this year from a win loss perspectiveto make everybody feel like the answer is
yes. That might sound somewhat pessimistic, but you know, let's say they

(59:08):
go six and six, qualify fora bowl game, double their win total
from last year. It doesn't seemto me, And if this happens,
maybe I'll be proven wrong. Itdoesn't seem to me that we're all going
to go, you know what,he's the guy moving in the right direction.

(59:30):
Some might, I might. Ijust I have a hard time believing
that within the realm of what's realistic. Now, let's be honest. Luke
Fickle's second season twenty eighteen, weall said, best case with six wins,
they won ten, and it justit kind of felt like by the
end of that season, like,oh boy, this is about to get
going, and it did. Idon't know in this league that that's sort

(59:52):
of turn around as possible. Sowithin the framework of what's realistic, if
we're talking like, okay, bestcases they win six games or maybe seven
games, is is that is thatgoing to be enough to make everybody feel
like unquestionably the answer to that questionis God Saderfield the guy. The answer
is yes, I just don't thinkso. Time will tell. Jim Kelly

(01:00:16):
is there color analysts for U SEEfootball. We'll chat with him from Vegas
next Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty Now inLas Vegas. We are getting closer to
the start of the UC football season. To the college football season in Vegas.
Is the color analyst on UC footballbroadcast and he's been out baking in

(01:00:40):
the one hundred and twenty five degreeVegas heat? Is that how hot it
is today? Helps to have togo to Death Valley to get the one
twenty five. I think I'm comfortablehere. Helps to provide the guest name,
the great Jim Kelly is with us. What's going on? You know,

(01:01:01):
Big day here at Media Days inthe Big twelve. Interesting the way
they've done it this year. Withsixteen teams. They split Tuesday and Wednesday
with eight teams each. So thoseeight teams today are here, their coaches
have spoken. The last ones onthe stage right now, which is Matt
Campbell from Iowa State. There'll beeight more here tomorrow and it's been a

(01:01:25):
lot of fun other than you know, a few little glitches here and there
where the University of Cincinnati was spelledwrong on the locker here the simulated locker
for the eight es Sports College Footballtwenty five display. That was quickly replaced
with Mason Fletcher's name, which happenedto be there, and they have since

(01:01:46):
they have since fixed Cincinnati. Sothen, you know, I guess we
all take it for granted because weknow how to spell it. But if
you think about it, people thathaven't been to Cincinnati or don't know it
will easy to get those ends andkeys is are two t's, These are
two ends. You know, weknow how to do it, but not
the first time it's been this spellno no, and not the last either.

(01:02:07):
When when when fall camp begins,what is the thing you were most
interested in learning about this football team? Yeah? I think without question,
Moe. And it begins fairly quickthis year because every one of these teams,
I think at least of the eighttoday are opening on the thirty first
of August. So it's an earlyyou know, just the way that the

(01:02:29):
days fall, it's a little bitof earlier season opening. So one thing
that I've noticed on the eight teamsthat are here today, only two of
them did not bring quarterbacks with them. So the answer to your question would
be, I think the biggest questionmark for the Bearcats is clearly the quarterback
position. You've got five returning offensivelinemen, two additional offensive linemen that have

(01:02:52):
played a lot, You've got athousand yard rusher and Corey Kiner coming back.
You get your you're leading receiver fromLand here, Xavier Henderson back.
You've got some really nice new tightends to play with, a couple of
other running backs that are home runkind of guys where Corey can get you
that fifty year sixty yard run.So but I think the question is,

(01:03:13):
you know, is clearly the quarterbackposition. And you know, he's a
young guy in Brendan Soresby the transferin from Indiana, which is the reason
he's not here. But I thinkthere's also another reason is the fact that
he he hasn't played for Cincinnati yet. He didn't spring ball, but he's
not been on the field for meaningfuldowns yet, So we'll see. I

(01:03:34):
think he's going to be really,really good. But I think he's the
key to the game right now.And as I you know, as I
look at these other teams, OllieGordon is here and a lot of the
Mike Gunby was just on stage anda lot of talking. You can imagine
the reporter's question about the uh theOVI that he just got. But Olly
Gordon, you know, the leadingrusher in the country last year, Cam

(01:03:55):
Rising, who is was a Heismanguy two years ago, didn't play last
year because of the injury quarterback forUtah, and Utah of course picked to
win this Big ten I'm sorry,Big twelve conference. And then another guy
that the Metaje Brooks, who wasthe second leading rusher in the league at
Texas Tech. So huge amount ofoffense, and I think that's what the
Big twelve has been known for.However, in listening to every coach that

(01:04:21):
spoke today, they all are emphasizingdefense. They know that if you play
good defense, you've got an opportunityto win. Assuming your offense can move
the ball a little bit. SoI think in Cincinnati's case, it's Brendan
Soresby, and you know, andthere's competition there as well. Coach Staderfield
did not hand the reins over toSoarsby, but I think without question,

(01:04:41):
we all know he's the he's thestarter to be unless something happens. I
felt early in the season last yearlike they were going to be pretty decent
on the outside, and you know, reality kind of caught up to them
as the season went on and EmeryJones had his limitations. Let's say Brendan
Soresby. And for the questions thatwe all have, are they going to

(01:05:02):
be good enough to dramatically expand whatthey do on offense, specifically down the
field, Well that's the key,and Coach Soaderfield reiterated that in his speech
to the entire press group. Heretoday is the fact that, look,
we were fifth, we were fifthin the nation and rushing last year.
Most of that, not all ofit, but a lot of it because
of Corey Kiner and honestly, EmeryJones ran the ball pretty well last year

(01:05:27):
too at times. So they knowthey can run the football and the feeling
there is if we're able, peopleknow that we can run the football.
That's one additional guy that they bringup in the box closer to the line
of screamage, and that that allowsa good quarterback to really have his way
with the you know, with throwingthe football. So that's the goal.
The emphasis is going to be tothrow the ball down the field. And

(01:05:49):
they tried last year and I think, and these numbers are not exact,
but there were thirteen situations where therewould have been sure touchdown if there'd have
been a connection between quarterback and receiver. And let's just say three or four
of those makes the difference in aone one score game. You know,
you're maybe in a ball game lastyear if you hit half of the ones

(01:06:10):
that you flat out missed open receivers. And that's not knocking Emory. Sometimes
it was the receiver's fault. It'sjust one of those things. You're not
going to hit every one of them. But again, if they can do
that this year and hit half ofthem, I think that really puts them
in a good spot offensively. JimKelly is with us from Las Vegas.
Big twelve Media Days unfolding as wespeak I think of last year. You
talked about the offensive line, andthey ran the ball really well, and

(01:06:33):
I thought for the most part,certainly in the running game, they rose
to the level of physicality that theBig twelve presents. That wasn't quite the
case on defense. And you'd mentionedthe Oklahoma State game. I think of
late in the season West Virginia,and you know, when attrition takes its
toll, the lack of depth mightget exposed as it relates to being able
to rise to the level of physicalityagainst Big twelve teams. Do we feel

(01:06:57):
like that has a chance to bedramatically better this year, Well, certainly
it's not gone. You know,untalked about by coach Sadderfield. They made
some huge moves. So last yearhe came in, they got a late
start. He came in, andthey you know, chose not to kind
of make any waves. So theyled a bunch of guys that had played

(01:07:17):
well the year before under lup Fickleor two years before, both those years,
and they kind of let those guys, you know, stay on the
field. Well, what they foundout is the season went on. Excuse
me, and you mentioned the IowaState game. You mentioned the Oklahoma State
er. You mentioned the Oklahoma Stategame, but Iowa State was another,
when West Virginia was another one,Kansas was another one, you know,

(01:07:40):
excuse the expression. And they justgot their butts kicked and they gave up.
They quite honestly gave up. Wellthis year, as you know,
we all know, the transfer portalsaltwo way thing. You're looking for good
people to bring in, but you'realso looking to get rid of people that
you don't want to hear anymore.And that's what coach Satterfield is able to
do. They got rid of whatthey considered some guys that were let's just

(01:08:01):
call him not team players will believeit at that those guys are gone.
They beefed up what they really neededto do, which was in the secondary
the linebacker position. They're okay.Then they got hit with a little bit
of another blow about a week ago, it might have been a little longer
than that, when the Godfather wasruled out at least for now with blood

(01:08:23):
clots and his lungs and Dante Corleonand then the good news today was that
he is back working out with theteam. That does not clear him to
play yet, but it's a goodsign. But that being said, that
was another blow. I believe theyhave Defensively, they've improved. And if
I heard once today, I've heardit fifteen times about the physicality that needs

(01:08:44):
to be there both on the offensiveside. And that's not just that's not
just from coach Satterfield, that's fromeverybody. My gun to you just left
the stage a short time ago broughtit up literally five times in his speech,
and he felt that they were thatway on offense, but they needed
to be more that way on defense. So it's certainly a theme here at
Big twelve media days. I couldcertainly understand why are they going to be

(01:09:05):
you know, I know they're goingto go three three five with Tyson Vite.
Are are they going to be asgood as they need to be in
the back end? Well, that'sthat's a question. And so the three
three five and everybody here is that, Wow, you're you're taking all those
guys off the line of scrimm engineand putting them in the defensive secondary.
Well that's not quite how the wholething works there. You know, you

(01:09:28):
really can't invent the reinvent the wheelhere. The difference is you're aligning people
a little bit differently, But thetype of guys that are going to be
back there are not all what youthink of is your typical defensive back in
the secondary. You know, fiveft eleven and eighty pound guy. There's
some big guys back there. They'regoing to mix it up. They're going
one of those guys very easily canbe an edge rusher as they move him

(01:09:51):
up in the in the formation orup into the box. So even though
it is a three, three,five, and and and again, every
code brought that up. Every coachwas asked that question, you comfortable with
a three man front? Why aren'tyou playing a four man front on a
run heavy league? And all ofthem said, well, wait a minute,
it's not exactly what you see.You know. So I feel confident.

(01:10:15):
I like the new defensive coordinator.I think he's going to be really
good. Do they have enough backthere? I don't know. That's still
a question mark. And you know, the good part is the schedule favors
the bear Cats in reference to kindof getting off to what I would say
at good start. You know,you've got Towson and I don't know much
about him, to be honest,and then you've got Pits coming in and

(01:10:36):
it it's a team that you wenton the road and beat last year,
and it's not gonna be an easytask, but dy've revamped, they've got
all new personnel as well, soI feel pretty good about that one.
And then there's the Miami game,which I'm not even going to talk about
last year's game, but that's onethat you have to go on the road,
not very far fortunately, forty milesor whatever to Oxford, Ohio and
beat them. And then you've gotHouston coming in with a brand new staff

(01:11:00):
and a bunch of brand new players, and you would think that at that
particular case, you've got a hugeopportunity for the Bearcats. Sold out game
against your first conference opponent at homethis year, and with a little bit
of luck, let's just call itphysicality, you're looking at four and oh,
you know, and now I'm notsaying that that's what's going to happen,

(01:11:23):
but that potential is there before youhave to go on the road to
play at a very very tough placeto play in Lembing, Texas against Texas
Tech well said, enjoy Vegas.Thank you as always. All right,
bo, anytime, buddy, yougot it. Jim Kelly from Big twelve
media days in Vegas, the Bearcatsand getting closer and closer to the upcoming

(01:11:45):
season. Scott Sanderfield talk just ashort while ago. We'll have some of
that for you in the five o'clockhour. Also, Miles Robinson's going to
join us FC Cincinnati All Star andUS Olympian. He'll be with us coming
up at five thirty five. Letme do this really quick, because we
got right to Jim Red's officially activatedNicolodolo from the injured list. No surprise
there, because he's supposed to pitchtonight. Levon Soto sent down to Louisville.

(01:12:11):
Yas Verzueleida has been sent down toLouisville. Austin Slater has been added
to the twenty six man roster.So yes, if you were worried that
Reese Hines was going to be rewardedfor his awesome game last night by being
sent to Louisville at least today,that is not the case. I have
to clear my throat. It's fourteenfrom five ESPN fifteen thirty. Hey,
imagine waking up this time next weekand being one hundred percent. I do

(01:12:33):
know we got to get to pullquestions. I think I'm gonna have two.
They'll be on X here momentarily,and we'll also have Brendanman and Jones
on baseball, and we'll go backto Vegas coming up in just about fifteen
minutes, and we'll hear from ScottSanderfield and I have I think proof that

(01:12:53):
the Reds are better than you think. And also Joe Burrow has made a
bad former NFL quarterback man. Allthat coming up in an action packed last
hour of the show, plus MilesRobinson's gonna be with us. Wow.
Right now with us is Jeff.Jeff, You're on ESPN fifteen thirty.
Good afternoon, Oh happy Tuesday,mo. Can you send some of that

(01:13:16):
rain up our way? By chance? We got it earlier today As I
sat at my desk looking outside thewindow, it was so dark it looked
like it was snowing. Yeah,we my water bill this quarter. I
didn't want to think about it formy sprinkler. And I'm heading to Vegas
on Thursday, and all these weatherreports have caught me a little bit freaked
out. Hundred and eighteen degrees Nowcorrect me if I'm wrong. They're gonna

(01:13:40):
put the Oakland A's there in acouple of years. I haven't been to
Vegas for a few years, butI do remember the last time I was
there, when we were getting readyto take off, the pilot was like,
oh, we got to sit atthe end of the runway and burn
some fuel because we're too heavy.Because it was so hot and with those
mountains women at the end of therunway out there, I think was a
good decision. Definitely. I'm drawinga blank on edwind Rios at first base

(01:14:05):
tonight. Has he been on theteam all year? No, he just
got came up. But oh hedid. Okay, look I didn't see
it on the roster moves. Itwasn't on the same page as a little
dolo roster move. I didn't thatI didn't see. So do we know
anything about this guy? So edwinRios was with the La Dodgers when they

(01:14:26):
won the World Series in the shortenedyear of twenty twenty. He was I
It might might be a bit ofa stretch to say he was a key
contributor, but but he he hadan impact and uh and since then,
well not so much. Red's gothim this offseason. I think one of
those minor league deals and they stassedhim down there at Louisville, had to

(01:14:47):
add him to the forty man,and now he's with him. Okay,
I'm starting to feel really comfortable withthe top three. It's just the bottom
six that ends up wiping the stoutmore often than not. And you know,
if we just clean up the marginof error stuff, I mean,
who knows what can happen. So, and with regard to Chase Daniel man
that I've blocked that guy as soonas he posted that clip. I don't

(01:15:10):
know if he works for the unionor what his job is, but I'm
like, man, oh man.He was asked a question and he gave
a response, do you not understandthat? Yeah? So, for those
who don't know Joe Burrow, weplayed the audio yesterday. He went on,
pardon my take outlined you know whathe thinks the ideal eighteen game schedule
would be, and you know manyhave pointed out that's kind of what the

(01:15:30):
NFL wants to do. I don'tknow that they want to take an entire
week off, but you know,Joe's thing was, we'll add the extra
game, we'll have a bye week, and then you can essentially have your
Pro Bowl week then, and itgives the majority of the week, majority
of the league the week off.And Chase Daniel put on social media that
every NFL player seeing this is nothappy with Joe Burrow and that the PA,

(01:15:54):
the players Association, is already havingmeetings about damage control, and this
helped the owners gain some leverage.And all of that may be true.
What I would say is the NFLPAhas historically been one of the weakest unions
in all of sports, in allof sports, and so the real beef
that any players should have should bewith their union, and what they should

(01:16:15):
do is if they don't want toplay eighteen games, or if they want
some leverage, go to their unionand tell the union to get it,
which they're never interested in doing.I couldn't agree more. I guess the
Smith isn't there anymore, but youknow, they've only ever been concerned about,
you know, how much money theycan get for the players, which
is partially their job, obviously,But I agree one hundred percent that union

(01:16:39):
is just I don't know what itis. Maybe they need Joe to be
the head of the union someday oror something along those lines. So I
have a great afternoon though. Okay, thank you, Tara. Do you
know a lot about the Internet.You know a lot about computers? A
little bit, all right. Iwork at a sports talk radio station.
I just tried to go to ESPNdot com and it says web page blocked.

(01:17:02):
You have tried to access a webpage which belongs to a category that
is blocked. I'm not going toan adult website. I'm going to ESPN
dot com. Why would that beblocked? Might just be an a computer.
I tied ESPN and got two Justfine. Well, I gotta I
need some sort of computer person totell me why ESPN's blocked. Bredaman and

(01:17:24):
Jones on baseball next Cincinnati's ESPN fifteenthirty. Traffic from the UC Health Traffic
Center. The University of Cincinnati CancerCenter is opening the most comprehensive blood center
in the nation. The future ofcancer is here called five one, three,
five eight five UCCC. You'll findslower traffic is causing a five minute

(01:17:45):
delay on eastbound two seventy five betweenLebanon Road and Loveland Madero Road, and
you can expect a ten minute slowdown if you need to travel southbound seventy
five between Western Avenue and Fort Washington. Way, I'm Nicole with this report.
Is sponsor money? You found Cincinnati'sESPN fifteen thirty? Yeah, what's

(01:18:06):
up? Five oh five ESPN fifteenthirty. By the way, thank you
for your help. I can accessESPN. Now, all right, what
are we doing now? Oh?Miles Robinson is going to be on the
show in thirty minutes. FC CincinnatiAll Star US Olympian that coming up in

(01:18:26):
thirty and a former NFL quarterback ismad at Joe Burrow. Plus I I
think I I think I'm being convincedthe Reds are actually better than the standings
would indicate. But first, let'sgo back to Vegas. Big twelve media
days happening right now. Scott Springercovers Use the Sports for the Cincinnati Inquirer

(01:18:48):
and Cincinnati dot Com. He isin Vegas. Are you? Are you
out there melting? Are you?What's? What is the heat doing to
you? What? I like?He I don't have an issue with it.
So I just was on vacation liketwo weeks ago my wife when I
came here, and then we wentinto Utah to a bunch of the parks

(01:19:09):
and it was hot. Supposed tobe hot. It's called summertime. So
you know, talk to me inJanuary and February when it's twenty and tell
me. You know, I I'lltake the heat. I like him good.
I like that very good. Thatwas the answer. That was the
answer that I wanted. It feelslike there's been some encouraging news regarding Dante
Corleone. Should I feel encouraged that, look, we're all rooting for him

(01:19:31):
from a health perspective to be okay, but that maybe maybe he could help
the Bearcats sooner rather than later.Well, that's what it sounds like.
You know. Coach Satafield said hethinks he'll be fine. He was doing
some interviews before they did the officialprogram and everything, and I pulled him
aside and just said, you know, heads up, I'm going to be
asking you about Dante. And thenhe just started giving me an answer and

(01:19:56):
he said, yeah, he's beenback running with him for the past week.
You know, it was kind ofdelayed the reporting on that incident.
He was out the hospital late Junefourteenth, but you know, I didn't
really leak out until late in themonth. So I think they've done a
great job at treating them. AaronHimler there and the sports medicine staff and

(01:20:16):
the doctor Devine, and you knowhe wants to play. I think the
big thing from my understanding, whenyou have blood clotch, you have to
take these things called anti coagulants.I once had to take them, and
you just can't have a whole tonof physical activity when you're doing that.
But there is players that have hadthat type thing before and played. And

(01:20:40):
the neat thing was coach Satterfield saidthat Neil Brown from West Virginia called him
immediately and they had a player lastyear that had a similar condition who did
play, So that that part ofits trending pretty good. And the fact
that he's bank is pretty good andhe was his health checks out otherwise pretty
well, So you know, it'sa key cog in your defense there.

(01:21:00):
You're going to the three, three, five, and you need to have
that mean guy in the middle.I think they'll be fine if they have
to go a game or two withouthim, but hopefully he can get in
and start right away and you cansee if this defense is going to work.
Tyson Vite Matt Campbell was just upat the day. It's a couple
minutes ago, and he had greatthings to say about Tyson Vite. He

(01:21:21):
was with him there at Toledo andan Iowa States. So it's an interesting
defense. It's an interesting year thatthey've got. Everyone keeps saying, mind
you think they're going to be better, saying, you got forty seven new
players who on the hook looked better. They look better on paper, but
we've not seen them. And everycollege is in that predicament because you know,

(01:21:41):
you're building culture now based on oneyear. It's not the three and
four year build anymore. It's likeright now. A key a key news
item, though, is they havefixed the Cincinnati sign in the locker room
presentation that they showed on the turf. They have prepared it and added the
appropriate extra I think it was.Did they was they put an expert tea

(01:22:02):
in Cincinnati, which is a commonmistake. Did they apologize? No?
No, but they did fix it. Not briefly. It said Mason Fletcher
about that. So Mason Fletcher brieflywas one of the big twelve. Now
it's just a punter, but yeah, dude, I'm glad they brought him

(01:22:26):
along. Yeah, and that's quitea luxury. They have too, because
his brother, Max was terrific lastyear, and I said, well,
how do you convince your brother tocome to UC and not play next year?
And he goes just the family issue. So the Max is waiting in
the wings. And there's a guythat was, you know, forty six
yards of boot last year. Sothe Max Fletcher can booted. And Mason

(01:22:46):
Fletcher was a Ray Guy finalist.So you know, I never root to
see the punter, but in thecase that you do, I think you're
in pretty good shape. Yeah,I'm with you on that from an offensive
perspective, and I know Sowresby BrendanSoorsby, isn't there Everything I hear is
really encouraging. Should they be ableto do more things offensively than they did

(01:23:10):
last year? They ran the ballgreat. I thought the guys they had
on the outside were going to beokay, we never really got a chance
to see that. What sort ofthings should they be able to do offensively
that we that were lacking a yearago. Well, I think they're obviously
going to have an accomplished run game, and I think the receivers, again
we haven't seen them in competition,But just if you're looking at the roster.

(01:23:32):
If you're looking at the guys thephysical specimens that have been in,
they look better. In spring,they looked better. Exavier Henderson, you
know, caught a ton of ballslast year and he's back. And then
you've got guys that you haven't reallyseen play yet, but Tony Johnson and
Tyron Smith, and I think thetight end room is probably better than people
think. I think Joe Royer's alwaysto have a decent year if he stays

(01:23:56):
healthy. And then you have JoeyBelgium that no one heard of him last
year because he got hurt back inthe spring and he was a transfer from
Western Kentucky that they're very high on. And they have another tight end from
Louisville, and the young Titans lookedpretty good. So everyone early on looks
good. It's just you got toget into the schedule and see what happens.
Now hopefully what happened last year doesn'thappen. You know last year too,

(01:24:18):
and oh from the start, everyone'soptimistic. Then you have the Miami
game this year, you have achance. If you look at the schedule
in theory, you could see afour and oh start. Now I'm not
saying that's what's going to happen.You should beat Towson. You got hit
who's going to come in and probablyangry, but it's at home. You

(01:24:39):
should go up to Oxford and takeout your frustrations from losing last year.
And then you have Houston coming inas Game four as your opener of the
Big twelve, and that's a teamthat you've eat on the road last year.
So you get a four and ohstart and then roll the dice and
get a couple more wins and youknow, hopefully there's a Bowl game.
I can tell you there's both peoplehere that we're talking to John Cunningham,

(01:25:00):
you know, so the deple areaware of it, and some of the
major publications have said they should getthere. So you know, again I'm
not you know, I'm in Vegas, but I'm not that type of gambler.
We're going to say, yeah,you know, guarantee seven wins,
but I think they're fully capable ofit. Did did did fourteen in the
preseason poll? Then feel low toyou or about where you would have thought

(01:25:25):
felt real low, felt low.I think people were lazy on that and
they just looked at last year threeand nine record and said, well,
you know, they got some newguys, but they weren't very good.
But you know, all those guysthat maybe you thought weren't very good,
you've got your entire starting offensive lineback. What kind of luxury is that when
you're in a center field offense thatruns the ball, you know, two

(01:25:45):
hundred plus yards a game. SoI think that that's a big luxury.
I think, you know, CoreyKiner is going to be better, and
the guys behind him are better,and they're pretty quick, and they came
from pretty good places too, Sooffensively, I don't it wasn't the total
issue last year was defense. Andyou know, hopefully among all the new
dvs that you have and this newdefense, hopefully somebody stops somebody and and

(01:26:10):
you're onto something. But I thinkthat I think it's very key to get
to a bowl game this year.And I've been hanging around John Cunningham and
he's pretty much said as much.And he's the one that's being approached by,
you know, both people who aresaying, well, I know you
guys want to win nine or ten, But if you know that's what's going
on, I mean, I cantell you that the guy from it's the

(01:26:31):
Liberty Bowl guys walking around, he'sone of them. And they just they're
talking to schools now. They scoutout teams that that maybe have the possibility
and they're looking for teams that mighthave an interest incoming. So so that's
one. And then for the future, Brett Yormart made no mistake the want
they want to be a part ofthe Vegas Bowl. So Big Fall is

(01:26:55):
going to becoming a Vegas for sometime because because Brett likes it. And
what Brett says, go, uhyeah, no, do do ball representatives?
I mean that like I like myjob, you like yours, But
in another life, I want tobe a ball representative. That seems like
an easy, sort of fun gig. Oh yeah, I've always wanted an
Orange sports code and to be likean Orange Bowl guy, you know,

(01:27:16):
and you just you go around andyou know, you dish out some oranges
and say, well, we'd likeyou to come, but but I'm not
sure. And maybe if you giveme a steak, I'll think about it.
You know, that'd be a goodgig. Sounds like a pretty good
gag. You farewell as a bullrep I do too, I you know,
I might see if there's any openingsat any of the balls and see

(01:27:39):
if I can do that, atleast on a part time basis. All
right, man, I appreciate it. Uh enjoy Vegas and we'll talk soon.
Thanks so much. All right,see you all right big twelve media
days. Scott Springer is there coveringfour Cincinnati dot Com and the Inquire quarter
after five, five, one,three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty. I have been verybusy, been very by the way.

(01:28:00):
I believe I have fixed my computerissue thanks to I didn't realize we had
so many like computer and IT professionalsthat listen to the show that chimed in.
Thank you. I can now accesseveryday websites like Baseball Reference and ESPN
dot Com. I got Joe Burrow, Joe Chase Daniel remember him. He's
mad at Joe Burrow. And Ithink the Reds are really, really,

(01:28:26):
really good. They must be,I'll explain next to ESPN fifteen thirty time
two for two. Hunter Green justnamed an All Star added to the All
Star roster. Congratulations to honor Green, who's having an awesome season. The
Reds are not having an awesome season. They're five under five hundred less than
a week before the All Star break. But Ellie Dela Cruz is an All

(01:28:47):
Star. I mean, you know, we've done it this year. There
are a lot of folks in thisaudience right now. There are a lot
of folks in our orbit who,at various points this season would would tell
you that they think both both guysshould be at Louisville. Can you imagine
what those two guys would do inthe Triple A All Star Game if those
people got their wish. Wow,the one hundred and first highest paige starting

(01:29:11):
pitcher in the sport is headed tothe All Star Game. Congratulations to Hunter
Green, Hunter Green and Ellie dela Cruz in the All Star Game.
Little victory lap for me, Iretweeted a piece because I like having fun.
I like having fun in life.As a general rule, I wake

(01:29:32):
up every day and I say whatcan I do to have the most fun
possible? That's all I really Atthe end of the day, it's all
I care. Am I gonna havefun today? And if the answer is
no, then we're gonna go dosomething else. But I like sometimes having
fun on the internet with people,and so our friend Jeff Carr, who

(01:29:55):
has been on this radio station abunch of times. He is one of
the contributors. I think he's themain guy for Inside the Reds, which
is under the SI umbrella. Andhe suggests a trade, and he suggests
that the Reds trade for Brian Delacruz, who's an outfielder with the Miami Marlins.
And he puts it out there andtries to get people to read it

(01:30:18):
on Twitter, and then so me, sensing an opportunity for comedy, mainly
for myself because I use social mediato promote myself and amuse myself, I
retweeted it. I quote tweeted itand wrote, Jeff wants Delacruze traded,
which is true, he wants Delacruztraded to the Reds Brian Delacruz. Now

(01:30:44):
I did this because I again,I just I enjoy I enjoy just having
fun and highlighting the absurdities of life. I knew I would hear from folks
who didn't click on the article,and Jess saw that I tweeted that Dela
Cruz Jeff wants Dela Cruz traded,and all you had to do was click

(01:31:05):
on the piece and see, oh, there's mo clickbaiting us again and then
get mad at me. Now,many who responded to this had a sense
of humor. Some have retweeted aboutthis or sent me tweets about this,
and and their their counter is,well, yeah, whatever, trade him.

(01:31:26):
He's going to be gone in threeto four years anyway. Like I'm
looking at some of the replies tothis, it's it's it's it's pretty remarkable,
pretty remarkable. Uh as if itmatters, he'll be gone in three
to four years. Well, Imean he's under team control for five more
years after this season, five moreyears. I got another one here and

(01:31:49):
I lost it because my internet usagetoday is just all over the place.
Uh. This one guy says,it's it's obvious that he wants to be
in laed it is he might wantto be an la Dodger. I've seen
or heard nothing to suggest he's goingto be. I know this is not

(01:32:12):
the first time we have talked aboutthis, and it's it's not going to
be the last. If your biggestconcern right now, biggest Reds related concern
right now, is where Ellie DelaCruz is going to be playing baseball in
twenty thirty. This team must beawesome, Like the last time the Reds

(01:32:40):
were really really good, I meanreally really good. I remember taking phone
calls about the eighth place hitter,Zach Cozart, because people wanted more production
from Zach Cozart, and that wasa fair opinion, I guess, but
I remember it again, this istwelve years ago. My counter to that

(01:33:02):
was looked like, that's pretty good. If the biggest concern is the lack
of production from the eighth place hitter. Obviously, the Reds back then a
National League team, the pitcher batted, but things have changed a little bit.
But if the biggest concern is what'shappening with the eighth place batter,
that's pretty good, man, that'syour biggest concern. So we have a

(01:33:26):
team that right now is offensively verydeficient. We have a team that you
might argue is a little bit overreliant on young starting pitching. You have
a big deficit to make up.You have an ownership with no real track
record of sustained success, And thebiggest concern is where Ellie's gonna play baseball

(01:33:50):
in twenty thirty. I've I'm gonnasay this often, and every time I
do, chances are you're not gonnalike it. We need to resign ourselves
with the assumption that Ellie is goingto not be playing for the Reds in
his first year of free agency.Maybe that changes, Maybe it does.

(01:34:11):
Maybe he signs a deal like HunterGreen, where the Reds get one they
basically buy out his arbitration years,and then he extends for one more season.
Maybe that happens. Maybe he endsup signing a huge twelve year contract.
Chances are Elie Dela Cruz will playbaseball for somebody else and holl do
it while he's in his prime.He can't leave until twenty thirty. Now.

(01:34:35):
Could the Reds at some point waydown the road trade him. Sure
if it looks like he's gone andthey're not in contention and they go into
cell mode and all right, let'strade Elie Dela Cruz. Even that's years
away. I'm more concerned with,and I think you should be more concerned
with, do they win while theyhave him? How do they build a
team around him, how do theytake advantage of his skill set, How

(01:34:59):
do we can tinue to develop him, How do we surround him with players
who can can win with him?I would I would would love it.
If if Ellie would say, look, I'd love to stay here for all
of my prime seasons, and I'dlike to do that at a maybe a
discount, but I'd like to dothat. And the chance it's not going

(01:35:20):
to happen is Scott Boris' client.It just I would imagine. And look,
if if I was Ellie de laCruz, I'm betting on myself.
Uh huh. I want to seehow the sport changes, what the next
CBA want of looks looks like Iwant to be able to hit free agency.
Now, some players trade that infor some semblance of short term security.

(01:35:43):
Hunter Green, I think did itthe right way. Right. He
gave the Reds one more year.He signs a contract that could pay him
up to ninety six million dollars,and he still has a chance to hit
free agency. I think when he'stwenty nine years old, that's a really
good opportunity. If I'm Elli dela Cruz, I want to hit free
agency one day, I'm gonna playas hard as I can. I'm gonna
do as much as I can.I want to be able to hit free

(01:36:05):
agency as maybe the best player inbaseball, maybe not, but one of
the best players in baseball, andif you or I were Ellie Delacruz,
that I think would be in theback of our minds. There have been
players who have gone ahead and signedthe ten eleven year contract, and good
for them, and they get paidhandsomely and they lock in and there's security

(01:36:26):
in the event that they get hurt, the money is guaranteed. I understand
that. But if I'm Ellie dela Cruz, I'm twenty two years old,
I'm an All star already, I'mthinking about what market there could be
for me in five years. Sothat is beyond the Reds control. Even
if they offer him a lifetime contract, so to speak, they can't force
him to sign it. Here's whatthey can do. They can do everything

(01:36:47):
they can to try to win withhim now. They can do everything possible
to help him develop and to takeadvantage of what he brings to the table.
They can do everything they can towaste Ellie the way they wasted Joey
Vado and the way they've wasted alot of guys in their somewhat recent history.

(01:37:09):
I'm more concerned about that. Ifthis team was twelve over five hundred,
if they were leading the national LeagueCentral. If this was twenty twenty
eight, I I fine, there'snothing else to worry about, or twenty
thirties closer, let's talk about what'sgonna happen when Ellie's no longer here,
or how they could keep them.I just I know this flies in the

(01:37:30):
face of what we're supposed to dowell. We're always supposed to come up
with stuff to worry about or talkabout what's next. I did this bit
two weeks ago. The good newsis the Cincinnati Reds get Ellie Deva Cruz
for the next five years. Bythe way, they get Hunter Green.
I think for what for the nextfive years? That's awesome. That's great

(01:37:53):
when while you have those guys anddevelop the sort of system that is good
enough that you can withstand the inevitabledepartures of really good players. You know,
back back in the day when peoplegot mad at Sports Illustrated for putting
the Cardinal Way on the cover,and my point was like, don't get

(01:38:15):
mad at that, get mad thatthe Rads don't have that, that it's
not about the Reds or your favoriteteam, because to me, the Cardinal
Way was steady stream of big leagueready players, some of whom are all
stars, but is good enough tohelp you withstand the loss of great players?

(01:38:39):
Cardinals lose Albert Poolholes, They're backin the World Series in two years.
So those things. You could spendall your time watching Ellidela Cruz,
Who's a marvelous player to watch?Who I can't wait to watch tonight?
Who is must see television? Whois warn't the price of admission? If

(01:38:59):
in there now you're not allowing yourselfto enjoy him because you're consumed with where
he's gonna play in twenty thirty.I I'm sorry. I could try to
help you, but I probably can't. But if the biggest concern you have
as a Rents fan is, oh, what's gonna happen in twenty then all
the other stuff must be fixed.All the other stuff must be really good.
We don't have to talk about anoffense that in the here and now

(01:39:21):
lacks punch. We don't have totalk about an outfield that's completely non productive.
We don't have to talk about afarm system that at the top at
least has kind of dried up.I just, you know, just from
an enjoyment stand, for the lifeof me, I cannot understand I cannot

(01:39:42):
understand you have this awesome thing rightnow and you're worried about what's gonna happen
to it in five or six years. I cannot for the life of me.
It's like, if you end updating a are really really really really
really active member of the opposite sexor member of the same sex, and

(01:40:04):
you know you're overachieving and you knowthere's a decent chance it doesn't last forever,
you spend the entire time worrying abouthow it's not gonna last forever.
I hope not. It's not howyou should live, It's not how you
should operate as a baseball fan.If this is the biggest concern, this

(01:40:25):
team is awesome, well, rightnow they're ten games out of first place.
Can we fix that first? Canwe can? We? Can we
fix things enough so that while Ellieis here, while he can't go anywhere,
he can shine in the postseason?Can we avoid having Elie de la
Cruz be our Mike Trout, whothe Angels have just essentially pissed away his

(01:40:47):
talent by getting to the postseason onceand never advancing with him. I know
I sound agitated, I'm not.I just I don't I can't relate to
that. Man. Look, Ibelieve there's going to be a time,
hopefully I'm still doing this show whenhis future is a front and center topic.

(01:41:09):
I understand that, and when itis, we'll discuss it. I
hope I'm sitting in this exact chairwhen that happens. That is so far
in the future, So far inthe future for me at least, I
can't even begin to think about it. What I'm gonna do tonight is watch
Eli de la Cruz do cool stuffand hope that somehow someway this year's team

(01:41:30):
can can can make his efforts matterfrom a team perspective. Miles Robinson is
having an All star season for FCCincinnati. I know where he's going.
He's going to Paris with the USOlympic Soccer team. He joins US next.
He's named a few weeks ago atwenty twenty four MLS All Star.

(01:41:56):
He's having an awesome season for FCCincinnati after coming over from an Atlanta spent
some time during Copa America with theUS men's national team, came back and
played in two games for FC Cincinnati, including that dominant performance over Miami on
Saturday night, and soon he'll beoff to Paris because he has been named
a member of the twenty twenty fourUS Olympic soccer team, the Americans qualifying

(01:42:20):
on the men's side for the Olympicsfor the first time since two thousand and
eight. Miles, I know youhave a lot going on. I appreciate
the time. It had to beawesome to get that phone call and find
out you were an Olympian. Itgives me chills. I mean, it
really means everything. It was adream come true for real when I got

(01:42:42):
that call, and I'm so excitedto be a part of that team and
to represent the country and hopefully wecan do some big things and I think
we will. Yeah, I meanthere's a lot of optimism for your team's
chances in this tournament. Does itmean even more given the fact that it's
been quite a while since the USsent a men's soccer teams of the Olympics.
Yeah, I think it does.I think it means that much more.

(01:43:05):
I mean I remember growing up watchingthe Olympics and you know, cheering
on all these big names that Ilooked up to, and for me to
be one of those names that youknow, young kids can look up to.
It really makes me proud. Soyou mentioned young kids, and I'm
sure we have people who are listeningto this who don't know that the club

(01:43:28):
is mainly twenty three and under.And then there are three roster spots for
players who are older. So you'retwenty seven, the second oldest player,
if I'm not mistaken, so kindof the old head. Does that carry
with it maybe a little bit moreresponsibility? Oh yeah, I think it
adds, you know, a bigleadership role that I'm ready to take.
And it just adds a bit ofexperience to the roster and hopefully I can

(01:43:54):
you know, provide any help thatany of the players need in terms of
you know, experience, answer anyquestions they may have. But in general,
I'm just excited to get out thereand get to work and you know,
really, you know, show theworld that the US has something to
prove. It's obviously a collection ofplayers who are playing for club teams overseas

(01:44:17):
MLS sides obviously, like yourself,is is there someone that as you look
at the construction of the roster,you're looking forward to spending time with and
playing with in particular, Yeah,I mean I think me and Walker's Immerman
have played numerous games together with thenational team. We were together in the

(01:44:40):
Gold Cup in twenty twenty one.We played a lot of World Cup qualifying
games together. So I think toprepare myself up with him at the center
back position is strong and I thinkwe have, you know, hopefully some
clean sheets in our future. Yeah, obviously you've had a in clean sheets
here. The first game of theOlympics is going to coincide with the MLS

(01:45:05):
All Star Game. Obviously you've beennamed an MLS All Star for the second
time. I know the Olympics isa bigger deal that goes without saying,
but is there a part of youthat wishes, You know what, Man,
I wish I still could participate inthe All Star Game. I mean
to be honest, I'm I'm athousand times more excited to play in the

(01:45:27):
Olympics. It's truly a dream cometrue and I can't stress that enough.
So hopefully there's more All Star Gamesin the future. But for me personally,
there's only one Olympic game being hostedin Paris, and I'm truly excited
to get out there. Yeah,no, that makes sense. What has
this year been like? Where youjoin a new club, you're instantly instrumental

(01:45:53):
in its success. You joined analready successful club. You go away for
a while to be a part ofthe US men's national team. You come
back, you're part of a pairof victories, and now you're going to
be off to the Olympics. Look, soccer players, by nature, there's
always a lot going on. Hashas had the last I don't know,
eight or nine months been a whirlwin? Yeah, it definitely has. It's

(01:46:18):
been a lot. But I'm sothankful for my friends and family, you
know, keep me grounded, keepme humble and all that. And yeah,
it's been a lot of travel,a lot of hotel nights, but
yeah, I'm very just grateful forthe experiences in general. And hopefully there's

(01:46:40):
you know, some more we canadd to this journey this year. Yeah,
no question about it. Miles Robinsonis with us. You join FC
Cincinnati, and you know, youtalk about joining an already really good club,
and it felt like from day one, just watching you early in the
season, it had been like youhad been here for years, and it
feels like this team is really goodat that even getting guys mid season where

(01:47:00):
they just assimilate really well, whatdoes that say about the culture that Pat
Noonan has built and the job he'sdoing here. Yeah, no, I
definitely would agree with that, ButI think that just kind of comes down
to the organization as a whole.I think they do a really good job
of inviting players into the family thatwe've created and making sure they're understanding their

(01:47:27):
role on and off the field,and yeah, just kind of continuing to
grow every day with one another.And I'm I'm definitely proud of making this
decision coming here, and I thinka lot of players would say the same
that have came here. And yeah, hopefully we have some big things in
the future, but right now we'replaying great, so hopefully we can continue

(01:47:49):
that and I think we will.Saturday night was ridiculous in terms of your
team's dominance over Miami, and peoplecan talk about who who that side did
and have you guys were awesome?Uh, there aren't many six to one
games. Very close to be ina seven to one game. How much
fun was that game on Saturday night? Oh yeah, it was definitely a

(01:48:12):
really fun one. I was tellingall the guys that most of our games
are one goal games where we win, and those games are so stressful for
a center back. But I wasso happy that we could just enjoy the
last you know, half the lastthirty minutes of that game and not have
to stress and you know, benervous that whole game. But it was

(01:48:35):
definitely a great game. You know, Uh, prof star guys for showing
out. Uh, what has itbeen like? And obviously you come back
and Matt Miyoska has done for theseason and Nick Haglan's done for the season.
Unfortunately, those are key pieces.Those are really good players, and
so it puts maybe an even biggeronus on you and some of your teammates.

(01:48:55):
What has it been like a watchingyour team play without those guys and
then since you have come back,being a part of this team figuring out
a way to still win while nothaving those players. Yeah, it was
definitely tough seeing those guys go downand realizing how long they'll be out for.
But knowing those guys and their personalitiesand their work ethic, they're only

(01:49:19):
just going to come back stronger.But yeah, it's tough on the team.
It's definitely tough for you know,the guys, knowing the type of
roles that those players had within thegroup. But it's just a matter of
us as individuals and collectively to recognizethat they won't be around and pruss to

(01:49:40):
step up as a team and individually, whether that's leadership or understanding the roles
defensively better and things like that.But hopefully we can, you know,
continue to work hard in training andgrow as a unit. And do we
do that. You know, thisguy's the limit. This season, You've
you've played with and against a lotlot of great players. What is it

(01:50:01):
like playing against and I guess maybemore importantly being teammates with Lucho Acosta.
Yeah, I mean coming here,I knew he was he's a great player,
one of the best in the league. But after playing with him for
the last few months, I've onlyincreased my respect for him as a player

(01:50:23):
on and off the field. Imean, he's such a outstanding player in
this league and you create so manychances, and he's just as good as
a guy off the field as heis on the field. And I think
that kind of brings the group togethereven more so. We're all obviously rooting
for the United States and the Olympics. That goes without saying your presence on

(01:50:45):
the national team in the Olympics isgoing to make us root even harder.
We are looking forward to watching.Congratulations on making the squad and the season
you've had here in Cincinnati so far. We look forward to having you back
after the Olympics. I do appreciatethe time, Miles, Thanks so much.
Yeah, thanks, guys, itmeans a lot. You're welcome.
Miles Robinson FC, Cincinnati All Star, US Olympian. Speaking of All Stars,

(01:51:10):
Hunter Green is an All Star andhe spoke just moments ago here he
is. You know, for me, I looked at myself in the mirror
and asked, like, what doI really need to do this offseason to
be able to go out and throwa complete season. Obviously that hasn't that
time hasn't come yet, you know, knock on wood, and I pray
that I continue to stay healthy andgo out there and compete. But you

(01:51:31):
know, I really kind of wipedthe drawing board this offseason and tried to
figure out my throwing program, howI'd be able to recover better, how
I'd be able to go out thereand mentally feel like I'm ready to compete
against the best players in the world. So day in and day out,
every fifth day, So there wasthere was a lot of self reflection and

(01:51:51):
I feel like I was able tofind some answers. I'm still working on
some other things, but I wasable to find that this offseason. I
think that's helped lot. There yougo. Uh, there's hand Green.
We do not have a ton oftime, but I want to get him
in. I've gotten a lot ofquestions over the last day or so about
Mike. Mike is with us?Now? Mike, how are you time?

(01:52:13):
Mo? How are you cal?I'm good man, what's going on?
Well? I told you I'm mentLahoya and my new spot. Guess
who I met today? Would you? Matt Stafford? Matthew Stafford. Yeah,
he was here at the cancer centerin La Joya. You know,
kind of push and you know,yeah, And he was there some teenagers

(01:52:36):
who have terminal cancer. And hewas walking down the hallway and I was
wide awake and I thought a teamthat looked like Matthew Stafford. And I
kind of yelled for the nurse andI said, is that Manthew Stafford?
She said, yeah, he comeshere once a week to visit the Turma
teenagers. I said, answer herif I can say hi to him,

(01:52:57):
you know. And he came back, came in and talked me for two
or three minutes, and I triedto nail him on the rams for this
year. He said, oh,I don't know, but I said,
well, how about my Bengals.All he said is you got to howl
a quarterback. That's what he said. It's a burbat him quote. He's
right about that. He's right aboutthat. And I'm glad. I'm glad
he was. I'm glad he wasas nice as you would expect. Yeah,

(01:53:21):
they've always said he's kind of agentleman. I know he's done a
lot in Detroit. He did hisson of stuff for underprivileged children and things
like that. So what a gooddude from good old boy, from Gelgias
good. It is very cool.I'll tell you well, I heard something
today. I know you got togo quick, but I heard this comedian

(01:53:44):
on TV today talking about little leaguebaseball and he goes, and he's an
umpire sometimes whatever I might have beentongue in chief, but he's a baseball
guy. He knows baseball. Andhe goes, Yeah, he said,
tell of these little league games withthese parents he just gets so good poopie
and so volatile. He said.The other night the score was eighty four
twenty three. It was three o'clockin the morning, and the kid was

(01:54:05):
pitching a nold hitter, he said. He said, one kid could only
get from first to third of hismom drove in with her station wagons and take him

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