Tony Pike's Cincy 360 -- 12/10/25

Tony and Austin talk Reds with Jeff Carr, take your calls and TalkBacks, check in with Mo Egger, breakdown the latest from the Bengals, and more on ESPN 1530!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Tony Pike, Sincy three sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati,
sponsored in part by Skyline Chili. Stop by Skyline Chili
for a three way or cheese cony Today. Feeling good,
It's Skyline time. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Good Afternoon, Happy Wednesday.

Speaker 3 (00:24):
Welcome in Cincy three sixty on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati
Sports Station and a service of our good friends at
Skyline Chili. Anytime you're feeling good and hungry, it's Skyline time.
And how about this? Speaking of Skyline Chili, Skylines Mac
and Cheese three way is back top it with Skyline

(00:48):
Chili and a mound of the freshly shredded Wisconsin cheddar.
You can find it with the original Skyline Chili, or
you could try it with the new Chicken Chili. It
is the ultimate comfort food and it's available participating in
Skyline locations for a limited time.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
I tried it with the Chicken Chili the other day.

Speaker 4 (01:05):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
Sensational. It just happened to be.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
Last night Austin, we took the kiddos to Went and
Woods to take in like some holiday festivities and afterwards
kind of chili it was windy last night. Man, I
need something to warm us up and get the Skyline chili.
Walker's favorite food is mac and cheese, and so normally, right,
normally when we go to Skyline, we're like getting him

(01:29):
a cheese coning. Then we cut up the hot dog
and he likes the chili. Last night, I see this.
Can I just get a bowl of mac and cheese
for the little man here? He devoured it, devoured it.
You want to talk about creamy, it's fantastic, fantastic. So
thanks to Skyline Chili for that and for making a

(01:50):
perfect night cap to our night last night as well.
We've got a busy, busy three hours ahead of us here.
We've got guests throughout. Zach Taylor isn't a guest, but
he speaks today, so we'll carry that audio. At one o'clock,
we'll hear what Zach Taylor has to say. Going into
this week, looking hopefully for some update on t Higgins.
I know the Bengals sign Xavier Johnson, former Ohio state

(02:12):
wide receiver. He's also from Cincinnati, so that's a thing.
Maybe he could put some fans in the stands Zach
Taylor at one o'clock. Jeff Carr locked on Red's We'll
join us at two o'clock. We're gonna spend a lot
of time today talking about what Ken Rosenthal reported on
with the Reds free agency plan. Now that they've missed

(02:35):
on Kyle Schwarber, it's going to be a topic of
conversation all throughout the afternoon. I'm sure we'll take some
phone calls along the way. Five one, three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty. On that happy birthday, Joe Burrow, Joey Bee's
birthday is today. James Rapene wrote an article talked about
the clock is ticking. It's an inevitable truth when it

(02:57):
comes to Joe Burrow, the clock is ticking. We'll discuss
that this afternoon. The old line improvement. You asked the
question to Joe Daniman yesterday, Austin. I think we should
expand on it a little bit. Just how well this
offensive line has played and in a season filled with
turmoil and ups and downs. If you're looking at a
positive for both now and the foundation being said for

(03:20):
the future, the Bengals offensive line is one of those things.
We'll spend some time on that today. Also, we'll look
back to the Ravens win from a couple of weeks ago,
and look ahead to what the Bengals will have to
do in order to beat the Ravens this week. Mock
drafts are happening across the NFL. Are we ready for
mock drafts yet, Austin Or do you need to be

(03:41):
one hundred percent out of playoff contention before you'll even
look at a mock draft.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
I'll look at a mock draft, you know, at all times,
just because I want to familiarize myself with some of
the names, but I don't really put any value into
them until the day before the NFL draft. Field Yates.
They're a fun time killer. They're a fun conversation starter.
Field Yates threw one out there today. Unfortunately, you know

(04:10):
the Rams get the Falcons pick this year. Yes, so
it has the Rams at number nine taking Caleb Downs.
Wouldn't that just be a kick in the groin? And
then it has the Bengals, according to field Yates, going
for Ruben Bain Junior, the edge rusher out of Miami. Okay,
he says, does field Yates, Hendrickson and Osi are scheduled
to be free agents. Bengals tried to prepare for this

(04:31):
with Shamar Stewart, but it's been a non factor since
he really needs to look at defense. And it says
about Ruben Bain. Some scouts think Bain's lack of length
could push him more to the end of the first round.
All of them agrees one of the best prospects at
the position. So there you go.

Speaker 3 (04:51):
Ruben Bain Junior latest mock draft already for the Cincinnati Bengals. Hey,
congratulations to the White Sox Austin. Do you hear what
they did?

Speaker 2 (04:58):
I did?

Speaker 3 (04:59):
They won the the draft lottery. I didn't even know
the draft lottery was happening.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
The Chicago White Sox have won the draft lottery. The
Reds are number eighteen oh in the opening round of
the upcoming twenty twenty six Major League Baseball Draft. Oh.
I believe the Rule five draft is happening today. OH.
And the expectation is that the Reds will be active
in that Rule five draft and at least pick up

(05:24):
some sort of pitching. Let's go, there's a couple of
left handers that are going to be available. Curious to
see if the what the Reds do, if they do anything.
It is also the final day of Winter meetings. Could
there be another blockbuster on the horizon. Well, there are
reports out there that the Reds are interested or trying

(05:45):
to trade for one Cotel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Don't know, you know what that would look like, but
that would at least be something. It would be these
all star caliber pl position. He plays second base. Okay,
now the argument has already been made and we can

(06:06):
ask Jeff about this later on that if you're gonna
get a guy like cart catel Marte, that would require
you to trade someone like Matt McLean.

Speaker 5 (06:17):
Hmm.

Speaker 3 (06:18):
Interesting. Yeah, Matt McClean will goes somewhere and be an
All star, have.

Speaker 2 (06:22):
A great career.

Speaker 3 (06:24):
Uh, we're gonna do QB tiers today because we didn't
get to it yesterday. We'll do that and shout out
to most New York Knicks. Them, along with the Orlando
Magic cost of advanced to the semi finals of the
NBA Cup.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
I saw a headline about the Knicks. Oh, it said,
Nicks closer to an identity reach NBA Cup semis. Wow,
that's a great headline. Well, you want to be close
to the idea looking no a unidentity their identity. Oh okay,
shout out to Asia Wilson, by the way, AP Female

(06:58):
Athlete of the Year and on the cover of Time magazine.
The best player that we don't talk about enough. Agreed.
I mean everyone talks about Caitlin Clark and Angel Reeds, Buckets,
Paige Becker's and you know all these There are plenty
of great players in the WNBA. Ajia Wilson is one
of the best flat out basketball players in the country. Yeah,

(07:20):
and I'm glad that she continues to get recognized. She's
on the cover of Time magazine, which is really cool.
And then I saw Nike put her in an ad
campaign that said only magazines can cover her.

Speaker 3 (07:31):
I read a story. I know she's dating Bam out
of Bayo.

Speaker 2 (07:35):
Is she really Yeah? Oh good for Bam.

Speaker 3 (07:37):
You know she was telling a story about them playing
one on one.

Speaker 2 (07:41):
You learn a thing or two. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (07:42):
Can you imagine you're Asia Wilson. You practice one on
one against a defensive Player of the Year candidate year
in and year out in the NBA. Pretty good, No
wonder she's dominating on a daily basis. Also, if you're
looking at NBA Cup, the other side of the bracket, Suns,
thunder Spurs, Lakers happens tonight, so two other tickets will

(08:02):
be punched to the semifinals of the NBA Cup. And
I have to give a shout out to something that
happened last night and something that we will revisit later
in the show today Austin, last night was the start
of V Week. If you're not familiar, V Week circles
around the Jimmy V Foundation, jim Valvano. Jimmy V Week

(08:26):
started yesterday.

Speaker 2 (08:27):
I'm sorry.

Speaker 3 (08:28):
It started on December second and runs through officially December fourteenth.
But last night in college basketball was the start of
the Jimmy V.

Speaker 2 (08:40):
Classic.

Speaker 3 (08:41):
So there were two games played at Madison Square Garden
last night. And if you're not familiar, during V Week,
they match up to a million dollars that is being
donated for cancer research. One hundred percent Austin of the
direct donations go right to cancer research. So this isn't
a thing where you know, you donate twenty bucks and

(09:02):
a percentage that goes one percent of the direct donations
go to cancer research for Jimmy V and the V Foundation.
So when I was growing up Austin, for as long
as I can remember as long as V Week has
been happening, at the start of V Week, my dad
would always sit my brothers and our family down and

(09:24):
we would watch Jim Valvano's speech from the original SB Awards,
And every year since then we've sat down, and last
night found myself again sitting down and rewatching this, and
I kicked myself a little bit because the Jimmy V
Classic was last night and I had it on a
list that I wanted to air some of that speech,

(09:44):
not not because I'm urging people to donate to the foundation,
but in the speech there are just things that Jim
Valvano talks about that I think still hold true today.
Whether it's someone going through something like cancer or someone
that's going through different stages or different things in their life,

(10:04):
I think the words of Jim Valvano hold true. So
what I'd like to do today, Austin, is at the
end of the show, before we get to quick Hits,
play about six minutes of that speech from Jim Valvano
last night. I think that'd be good. We'll react to that,
so pencil that in for later in the show. As
well as far as the classic itself, had a couple
of good ones. Last night, Number ten rated BYU was

(10:29):
down forty three to twenty two at the half to Clemson.
I'll say it again, forty three to twenty two at halftime.
Last night, BYU outscores Clemson forty five to twenty one,
including a Robert right the third three pointer as time

(10:49):
expired to give BYU the sixty seven sixty four win.
It was absolute madness. AJ Debansta scored twenty two of
his twenty eight in the second half. He is He's
being referred to Austin as this generation's Tracy McGrady. Oh
my gosh, if you watched just his highlight lackage too,

(11:12):
I'm telling you McGrady was in attendance last night. If
you just watched the highlights of what AJ did last night,
he looks NBA ready right now. He's unbelievable to watch.
BYU wins. They beat Clemson, and then in a nightcap,
it was the defending champions, the Florida Gators, against a
team they knocked out of the NCAA Tournament last year,

(11:33):
the Yukon Huskies, And it was Yukon getting the better
of Florida last night. Yukon seventy seven, Florida seventy three.
Michigan has now beat six opponents in a row by
twenty five or more points. They dominated Villanova last night
and the fighting a line. I Austin went to Columbus

(11:54):
and beat Ohio State eighty eight to eighty.

Speaker 2 (11:57):
Not a lot of people there in Columbus last night, Yeah,
a listener, thirteen team in the country. I saw that.

Speaker 3 (12:05):
But if you've seen the crowds at Fifth Third Arena
for the last couple of home games for the Bearcats,
I am in no place to talk about a crowd
or lack thereof. I was surprised though, because, as you mentioned,
it's the thirteenth rated team in the country coming into
your building. I was surprised seeing videos and pictures, and

(12:25):
it's not Ohio State's been terrible. They were seven and
one going into the game last.

Speaker 2 (12:28):
Night, right, and they should have been eight to no.
They lost on a buzzer beater to pit Yes, and
there is excitement I think around the program and with
Jake Diebler coming into this season, and so a little
bit surprising on a night like last night, when the
weather wasn't horrible. It's not like you're struggling to get
to the arena and not as many people there as

(12:51):
they would have expected. So it's one of the story
lines to keep an eye out on when it comes
to Buckeye basketball. But yeah, they held their own. I
saw a lot of people expected them to cover that
four and a half. They didn't. But either way, the.

Speaker 3 (13:09):
Norse the Norse one. The Kentucky Wildcats won. I saw
Mark Pope. I think Brendan Garrison. Brandan Garrison, I think
he's one of the starters for Kentucky. Mark Pope benched
him at the end of the first half and did
not play him in the second half. He turned the
ball over and just kind of jogged back on defense,
and you could read Pope's lips after a time out saying,
get on the bench. I give Mark Pope a credit

(13:32):
here because he's trying. That's that's slipping through his fingers
right now. He's trying to change it up. I don't
think Mark Pope is this outwardly aggressive guy. I don't
think he's the raw rah guy. I think he's understanding
that he's got to change a little bit. Based on
his team. Kentucky's talented. There's there's no getting around that.
They just have some terrible, terrible losses this year. They've

(13:54):
lost all ranked teams, but it's the way in which
they've lost. But to see Kentucky at least find a
way to get back on track. I know they're not
healthy yet either. They're going to get healthier as the
season goes, but certainly some stuff to watch from a
college basketball point of view. Speaking of college hoops, Xavier
is off until Friday this week. They come back on Friday.

(14:19):
It's not a I don't think it's a marquee game
for the Muskies. I don't think it's a game that
they should lose by any says. They take on Missouri
State on Friday. After that, they will get into Big
East play, starting with Creighton. As for the Cincinnati Bearcats,
they're back in action on Saturday against a very good

(14:42):
Georgia Bulldog team. Georgia is just on the outside looking
into the top twenty five right now. They are eight
and one on the season. They're lone loss ninety seven
to ninety four to the Clemson Tigers. They have wins
over Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Xavier on the young season,
so it'll be a tall test for the since Sinnati
Bearcats to come off a shootout loss. We'll see what

(15:03):
Wes Miller squad has to say about answering. We will
answer your phone calls all afternoon five one, three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty before we get into anything with the Bengals, Austin.
I think it would be fair, because I think it
took a lot yesterday if you follow on with social
media or reactions from people, not only the Kyle Schwarbern

(15:24):
news going back to the Phillies, but what coincided with
that and what we've learned as far as the Reds plans.
We're going to talk to Jeff Carr about this at two.
Let's get you up to speed on everything that's happened
with the Reds and what their plan looks like in
free agency. Next on the Home of the Bengals, ESPN
fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station, Thanks to our friends at
Skyline Chilli.

Speaker 1 (15:44):
This is Football in the NATI, brought to you by
Postman Law on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of
the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 3 (15:56):
All right, welcome back, cinty three to sixty, fifteen thirty
Cincinnati Sports Station, and of course a service of our
good friends at Skyline Chili, where anytime you're feeling good
and hungry, it.

Speaker 2 (16:09):
Is always Skyline time.

Speaker 3 (16:13):
Now, as far as the football in the Natti part
of this Austin, we can mention that Xavier Johnson is
a Cincinnati Bengal.

Speaker 2 (16:19):
Now, can Xavier Johnson help this team? Probably not know? Okay,
pay two good plays at Ohio State. Sure a lot
of guys have. Yeah, you made a few good plays
at Cincinnati. Thank you, just a couple. You know, I
was doing a segment. I wasn't doing a segment. I
was guys down the hall were doing a segment yesterday
about all time draft bus because of your main Burton,

(16:42):
And somebody tweeted at me and said, should I call
in and say Tony Pike, Wow, you can't be considered
a draft bust. You're a six round pick, right?

Speaker 6 (16:53):
No?

Speaker 2 (16:54):
I mean you were six for twelve correct, with a
couple drops. I would say that's that's more than most
extround pick quarterbacks with some of them have been pretty good,
some of the ones are pretty good. But you can't
be considered a post Thank you. Xavier Johnson is a
Cincinnati Bengal. He's a Cincinnati kid. That's why they signed
Cincinnati kid. Apparently the Reds really urged the Bengals to

(17:17):
sign him because he's from Cincinnati. Ticket went to Summit
Country Day, went to Ohio State as a running back,
eventually moved to a wide receiver. He was the recipient
of the block oh which means you where the number
zero in his final year A beloved buck. Eye has
not been with the team at all this year, was
with US Buffalo for a little bit last year. Can

(17:37):
he help the team more than Jermaine Burnham? He he
probably takes up that roster spot or at least in
the practice squad or whatever it might be.

Speaker 3 (17:45):
Jermain burn which by the way, has not been picked
up on waivers.

Speaker 2 (17:48):
I do think it's it's interesting. H Yeah, no, and
nor will he shocking shocker, But with the expectation being
that T Higgins is not going to play on Sunday
and more than likely not again the rest of the year,
maybe he's somebody you take a flyer on moving forward.

Speaker 3 (18:06):
So that's happened. It's Joe Burrow's birthday. We wish Joe
Burrow a happy birthday, but I.

Speaker 2 (18:12):
Want to think these like, do you think they do
anything special for him at now at at the facility. No,
just a quick happy birthday. You don't think like Flacco
gets some a cake or something.

Speaker 3 (18:23):
Nope, it's just a quick happy birthday.

Speaker 2 (18:25):
I'm sure they do something that's probably put like a
balloon on it on his chair, probably a cupcake. Sure,
Brad Cragthorpe hassed something up his sleeve. It They'll make
something happen.

Speaker 5 (18:33):
I'm sure.

Speaker 2 (18:34):
Now you know that's a guy we haven't given enough
credit to. By the way, Brad Cragthorpe, man, you talk
about the way that the quarterbacks are performed, obviously Jake
Browning notwithstanding, sure Brad Cragthorpe deserves some credit. He'll be
an offensive coordinator somewhere soon. There it is.

Speaker 3 (18:51):
That's our football in the Nattie now mentioned before the
hometown kid that was Xavier Johnson, and the hometown kid
it almost was Kyle Schwarber Austin. Since we last spoke yesterday,
there have been a couple things that have come out.
One we receive per Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic the
offer in which the Reds threw at Kyle Schwarber. If

(19:15):
you haven't seen this the Red's offered somewhere in the
range of five years and one hundred and twenty five
million dollars to Kyle Schwarber. That is twenty five million
dollars less than the deal that he agreed upon to
return to the Philadelphia Phillies. Now what I don't know
in any of this, Like I'm always like interested Austin.

(19:36):
Let's say the Reds offered the exact same amount the
Phillies did, would Kyle Schwarber have come here?

Speaker 2 (19:42):
I don't know. We won't know that. But here's the thing.

Speaker 3 (19:48):
The lack of money is one thing, but it's the
it's the additional context from Ken Rosenthal that has had
people since then, and rightfully so, losing their mind. Ken
Rosenthal said this unlike the Orioles, people believe the Orioles
are gonna now pivot and go after a big name

(20:09):
free agent. Rosenthal says, unlike the Orioles, the Reds are
not expected to pursue other expensive free agents. Their offer
to Schwarber, a native of Middletown, Ohio, thirty five miles
north of Cincinnati, was tied to their belief that his
addition would help drive ticket sales in other words, Reds

(20:32):
aren't gonna go get Pete Alonzo. They're not gonna look
at Cody Bellinger or Alex Bregman or hell, anyone that
can actually maybe hit for power in this ballpark at
a position of need. They went after Schwarber because he's
the hometown guy, and the hometown guy could hopefully help
sell tickets. Now, maybe maybe it was about winning to

(21:00):
an extent, but this screams to me. This screams to me.
You said it was about winning, you think at an extent.
All it says to me is we want to sign
the guy that lives in this area because he's going
to help us make more money, which they failed to do.
By the way, it tells me that it's not about
winning for this organization. It's about selling tickets. They saw

(21:24):
Kyle Schwarber as a chance to sell more tickets primarily,
and then whatever happened with wins and losses on the
secondary market. That's just kind of what it falls into.
Because if that wasn't the case, then they would turn
and say, man, Pete Alonzo hit what thirty nine home
runs last year? Plays at a position of need for

(21:45):
this team. Durable plays a lot of games he could
help this team win. The Reds Austin. I think people
thought about it. The Reds openly came out and said
this for us was about putting more fans in the
state and not about winning. And for so many people,
including myself, that's maddening and it's insulting to Cincinnati Reds

(22:07):
fans to say that that's what it was about. Because
if you know anything about Reds fans, if the product
on the field is a good one, if this team
is winning games, guess what happens. People go to the games.
People will still go. If it were Pete Alonzo instead
of Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonzo's hitting home runs and
you're still winning, guess what people will go to the games.

(22:29):
They'll they'll buy the tickets because this fan base, we've
seen it in the past. If you just give a
glimpse of winning and a glimpse of trying, the fans
in Cincinnati support you. And I think it is disrespectful
to this fan base to come out and say this
was about the idea that Swarber would put fans in

(22:49):
the stands and those other guys won't. To me, it's maddening.
I know You talked about this on the Ball Don't
Live podcast as well your podcast. Yeah, what do you say?
What were your reactions?

Speaker 2 (23:02):
I think I've been saying for many years about the
Reds that they could do more, but they choose not to.
This is as clear a day an example of that
as you're ever going to get. And I think back
to a week or two ago when some of the
steams started to pick up about there being a realistic
possibility for Schwarberg coming to the Reds and the article

(23:24):
that Charlie Goldsmith wrote, which is that in order for
that to happen, it would require an exception from ownership
to do it. And that's when I started to realize, Okay,
this really could be happening, and the Reds could be
making an exception here for a guy like Kyle Schwarber.
But the important part is exception, the word exception. There's

(23:50):
not an exception for Pete Alonzo. There's not an exception
for Cody Bellinger, There's not an exception for Alex Bregman.
That's the issue. The issue is that this is not
a team that is fully committed to winning baseball games.
As much as it's fully committed to trying to be
a lifestyle brand. That's their goal. They've been very open

(24:12):
and transparent about it, which is what's amazing to me. Now,
the Reds aren't the ones who came out and said
we're not gonna go after anybody else. That was a
report from Ken Rosenthal, but somehow he had to get
that information. Someone told him that. But they've also openly
said we want to eliminate peaks and valleys. We're trying
to break even where else you're gonna go. That is open.

(24:36):
They have been very open and transparent about their plan,
and it is insulting. I feel insulted as a Reds
fan that the only way they would consider trying to
make a splash and free agency is if it's a
guy who is from here as opposed to a guy
who can help you win baseball games. It go to

(25:00):
show that the priority list for the Reds is revenue
is first, winning baseball games is second. Yeah, they have
the ability, and there are avenues within the way that
the ownership is structured and the way that the financial
product can be a like all of it, there are avenues.

(25:24):
The Reds do not go down them. It's an issue
and if they're not gonna make a run and a
guy right now like Kyle Schwarber. And when you really
look at it, I had been saying that the Reds
deserve credit for taking a swing. I don't know that
they deserve all that much credit because even the Pirates
offered him thirty million dollars a year, the Reds didn't

(25:46):
do that, which is hard to believe. And who knows
what the incentives were. But to to just continue this
down this path of we're gonna draft and develop and
play small ball and this that and the other, well, listen, man,
they're not gonna play baseball next summer or this summer.
They will next summer they will not. And after that

(26:09):
the Reds will cry pour again because nobody came to
the games and they won't ask for money from their
other investors. And so we'll go through this vicious cycle
and then Ellie de la Cruz is out the door
in twenty nine. They have a club option for Hunter
Green then too, and we'll just restart this whole thing
over and over again. So can I just ask a
dumb question? So if not now, then win? Can I

(26:31):
just add my question a dumb question?

Speaker 5 (26:32):
Sure?

Speaker 3 (26:34):
Do they not understand that winning games will lead to
more revenue.

Speaker 2 (26:37):
They don't care about winning games.

Speaker 3 (26:39):
But they want revenue. They want fans in the stands,
their revenue winning games does that.

Speaker 2 (26:45):
We've seen that, Like we've seen they think, I would
imagine their thought process is it costs more and it's
a bigger risk to go and sign players than it
is to put together a ticket package or a bibblehead
night or trot out some big red machine guys. That's
a low risk, cheap alternative to get butts in the

(27:06):
seats as opposed to a five or six year contract
with the player who could get hurt or could you know,
not perform or whatever reason regardless of winning.

Speaker 3 (27:19):
Well, add more to their pocket And I get your
sense of it too. But like we've seen instances in
the past couple of years Austin, when they've just teased
five hundred, when they've teased getting into the wild card race,
the stadium is rocking. Was it two years ago that
Tiger series where the Tigers eventually swept them? And I

(27:39):
remember going down to that series and thinking, holy cow,
this stadium is alive and all three they got swept
by the Tigers. But that was just them teasing being competitive.
We saw last year at times when this team went
on a little bit of a run and they got
in the conversation. The atmosphere was a electric at Great

(28:00):
American Ballpark. I get revenue, revenue, revenue, revenue. Just win
games and the revenue is gonna come. It's so backwards
in a way of thinking, and.

Speaker 2 (28:11):
I think you're missing the point though. The point is
if we can go if we can try to build
a team as cheap as possible through draft and developing,
and but they can't build that low level free agents again,
put your put yourself in their shoes. If we can
do that and actually win some games, more people will

(28:31):
come and we don't have to have the significant financial
investment in someone else that It's never about the pursuit
of a champion. It hasn't been about the pursuit of
a chance. It never will be for years. It never
will be. It might be maybe one day when other
people are no longer in charge, but right now it's.

Speaker 3 (28:48):
Not just just and as a as a lifelong Reds fan,
it's maddening. Sure, it's frustrating because you know what it
could be, let's say.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
And it sucks too, because there are some really good
people in that organization and people that I think are
smart if they want to win and are trying like hell,
and they do incredible things in the in the community,
and we have a great relationship with a lot of
people down there. But at the end of the day,
winning is not the priority, and that's all fans really

(29:22):
care about.

Speaker 3 (29:22):
Yeah, like, what is the backing Austin if they say, well, Red,
we just missed on Kyle Schwarber, but we're going to
go after another one.

Speaker 2 (29:30):
And I think we've already started to see some of
the you know, pr trying to come in and save
themselves by oh now they're interested in Catel Marte. Are
they really or did they make the next a weak
ass all for the Diamondbacks and leak it and say,
I'll see we're still trying. Because when you're not doing
everything in your power to win, you no longer get

(29:51):
the benefit of the doubt. No one believes that you're
actually actively trying to get better. You're on record for
saying you've got five to ten million dollars in payroll
left to go. Yep, so we know you're not really trying.

Speaker 5 (30:05):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (30:06):
Let's take a break.

Speaker 3 (30:06):
We'll open up the phone lines five, one, three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty, plenty more still to go, cinty three to
sixty on the Home of the Bengals, ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 1 (30:15):
You've been listening to Football in the NATI on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (30:27):
This is an important notice to all your.

Speaker 7 (30:32):
Downs penetrating the bus.

Speaker 8 (30:36):
We'll Tagga Cats with the tow down.

Speaker 3 (30:40):
Down all right, DN, alright, there's our wind Schulers Call
of the night. Thanks to our friends at Win Schulers.
Four fantastic cheese spreads available for all your holiday needs.
It's not a holiday get together. It's not a watch
party without Win Schulers cheese spreads.

Speaker 2 (31:02):
The Big Cat, Karl Anthony Town's Bodega Cat, the Boadaga
as he's known, with the big time flush in the
NBA Cup against Toronto last night. The Boadaga Cat, they say,
when are him and Caleb William's gonna start a podcast?
That'd be good, that'd be fun. We need more podcasts,

(31:23):
you know. Uh?

Speaker 3 (31:24):
Did you see the Philip Rivers start of his press
conference today?

Speaker 2 (31:27):
I did, Yeah, How good was that?

Speaker 9 (31:29):
Like?

Speaker 2 (31:29):
Wow, no, zoom, he's a The last.

Speaker 3 (31:32):
Time Philip Rivers was around, I've never there were zoom
calls for the team meetings.

Speaker 2 (31:37):
I've never been a huge Philip Rivers fan, to be honest.
He's intense. Man, I've never really like been like, gosh,
I love that guy, but I do find him fascinating.

Speaker 3 (31:46):
Well, where are we gonna slot him in today on
our QB tears?

Speaker 2 (31:49):
Uh, he's not on him. Oh, okay, he's not on mine.
All right, I have three tiers basically fair enough, Mike
is calling in. What's going on? Mike?

Speaker 10 (32:00):
Hey, guys, thank you appreciate it. Hey, you know, did
you watch that Florida Yukon game last night?

Speaker 4 (32:06):
Time?

Speaker 11 (32:06):
Yes, Florida should have won that game.

Speaker 10 (32:09):
They had that five second called that blew the game. Boy.
Their coach was pissed off, wasn't you? Yep?

Speaker 3 (32:15):
That was both games last night that the B y
U Clemson and Florida Yukon. That was high level college
basketball at Madison Square Garden.

Speaker 10 (32:23):
Oh, it was at Florida front Line. Those guys are
talented and they'll just get better as the year goes.
They're they're scary teams. I think, hey, you know what
they were. I heard an interview with Edwin Diaz and
they were asking him about his brother or r X,
and uh, he's been working with h Dennis Eckers. He's

(32:46):
been working started working with the Dodgers relief pitchers last year,
and uh, they said, he's starting to come around. He's
added he's added a pitch to and he changed his
mechanics and stuff. Evidently has helped him out a lot.
So we'll see what happens. Maybe their ds end up
listing back again one day.

Speaker 5 (33:03):
Who knows.

Speaker 3 (33:03):
It's just always it's it's unique with pitchers as well,
because you've seen the ability at one point or another
that they can be elite and sometimes maybe it is
just a new coach being able to add something different
that unlocks something and gets them back to who they were.
And if that's the case for the Dodgers and they
got both, you know they can get Edwin and Alexis good.

Speaker 2 (33:22):
Luck Alexis is with the Braves.

Speaker 3 (33:24):
But yeah, yes, yeah, but what the Dodgers were more
possibly able to open up with him?

Speaker 10 (33:30):
Yeah, well, Ackers league really helped bring him around and
then they shocked him out. But but I was looking
at at Eckersley's career record, Tony. I knew he was
a starter, but I didn't know he had one hundred
complete games. He started three hundred and sixty one games,
completed one hundred of them, and then he he had
one thousand and seventy one games that he that he

(33:52):
had four hundred saves, then with twenty five hundred strikeouts
in a three point by the ra Yeah.

Speaker 3 (33:59):
The deplet game status, Well, it'll just it'll never be
like that again. They're just with the pitch. The pitch
counts for players. You're just not going to see pitchers
go the distance like so many players I remember watching
growing up, that we're able to go out there and
throw one hundred and twenty five pitches and go nine
innings and then come back and do the same thing
in their next start.

Speaker 10 (34:19):
Yeah, that those days are gone. You're right. It's kind
of a shame in a way, I think, because everything's
gotten so dogged on, compartmentalized.

Speaker 3 (34:26):
Well everything everything now is about velocity and it's and
it just everything puts so much stress on the arm
that these arms are just failing at a higher rate
because all anyone cares about is how hard can you
throw the ball?

Speaker 10 (34:40):
And that's happening when they're starting at nine ten years old, right, correct? Yeah,
so by the time they're eighteen, they already are probably
developing problems that aren't known yet that are ready to
jump down. Hey, one quick question on the NFL. This
Houston team, now that defense is just staggering.

Speaker 2 (34:59):
Yes, that's a super Bowl defense.

Speaker 10 (35:02):
It is, and Lee, that's what I want to confirm with.
I know Austin believes in Houston defense, but uh, do
you think Stroud's starting to come around now? You think
that offense can could get them there? Or are they not?

Speaker 3 (35:16):
I still think their offensive line has a ways to go,
But their last win against the Chiefs, I thought it
was the best I've seen Stroud. Look, I know he's
he's been dealing with concussion and and and getting back
from that, but it feels like you still got Nico Collins.
I know they they drafted Jayden Higgins high and he's
played extremely well this year. So I don't think that

(35:37):
they're their offense will be a storyline at any point,
but they're good enough with how good that defense is
to compete.

Speaker 10 (35:44):
Kind of like the Bears were back in age. I
mean they had Walter, but other than that, they didn't
have nothing. I don't remember much on offense, so so
did who was that other wide? And then I know
you gotta go who was that other wide out?

Speaker 12 (35:58):
Tank?

Speaker 10 (36:00):
That's his first nickname.

Speaker 2 (36:01):
Let's take down. Yeah he's I think he's out for
the season still with that injury from last year.

Speaker 10 (36:07):
He was a stud though, wasn't he?

Speaker 5 (36:09):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (36:09):
And really what they've lost Nick Chubbs has been questionable.
That the whole Joe Mixon situation I think has hurt
this team dearly this year and and just the unknown
around that. So I Dalton Schultz is a good tight end.
They they have good, okay pieces on offense, but their
their defense is going to be what wins them or
loses them games.

Speaker 10 (36:30):
Yeah, they do. They might do some damage in the claffs.

Speaker 2 (36:33):
Nice appreciate it. Uh, Greg, what's going on?

Speaker 5 (36:38):
Hey? How's it going guys?

Speaker 2 (36:39):
What's up?

Speaker 12 (36:42):
If obviously the Reds were serious little Kyle Scharver, But
if they're still serious, why not maybe take a shot
at Alonzo? And you know what I like about Alonzo?
Besides all the numbers, the last couple of couple of years,
he played one hundred and sixty two games.

Speaker 2 (36:57):
Yeah, to me, Durable, you're gonna.

Speaker 12 (36:59):
Rema ain't serious. Maybe they are taking a shot at him.

Speaker 5 (37:02):
And then the other thing.

Speaker 12 (37:04):
Of course, I'm one of those guys that can't let
stuff go. But when I saw the Pirates, I think
it was thirty million a year. The first thing I
thought of, we owe Key Bryant thirty million for the
next four years, a total of thirty million. I thought, Wow,
we really helped the Pirates out.

Speaker 5 (37:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 12 (37:22):
I want to tell you that is, you know, one
of the dumbest moves I've ever seen.

Speaker 5 (37:27):
The Reds move. Mate.

Speaker 12 (37:28):
The guy cannot hit and he's got a chronic bad back.
Yeah yes, And and you know, but he can feel.
There's spent all these guys that, hey, he is a
great feeler. So what and then let's see going back
to the back. I know you guys all remember Scott Rowland,

(37:49):
we name him here for a couple of years and
Scott Rowland wanted to play enough another couple of years
that he couldn't because he had a chronic bad back. Anyway,
it's just when I see the Pirates, you're offering thirty million,
I said, Well, I know we're seven and a half
million came from Sure dumping him on us. So anyway, Greg,

(38:10):
thank you, man, I have good day.

Speaker 3 (38:14):
Let me finish this conversation by asking you a question
that Moe asked me during one of the breaks.

Speaker 2 (38:18):
Austin.

Speaker 3 (38:19):
If you were a Reds fan and you're on the
fence about buying a thirteen game ticket package, and you
were saying, well, if they had Kyle Schwarber, I would
buy the thirteen game package. Would you not buy the
same package if they got Pete Alonzo? Right, for a
lot of Reds fans, would that be the biggest deal breaker? Beg, Well,
you know what, I was going to buy that package
if it was Swarber. But if it's pet Alonzo, I'm out. Yep,

(38:41):
I don't think many fans would. And I'd be like,
all right, I can get around that. Let's go see
Pete Alonzo, as Greg just mentioned, plays a ton of games,
hits a ton of home runs by all accounts, great teammate.

Speaker 2 (38:55):
Would you really be out?

Speaker 3 (38:57):
Would you really say I'm not buying tickets now they
didn't get Swarber, I'm out? Who cares if they get Alonzo?

Speaker 2 (39:03):
How many thirteen game packages. Are you gonna buy with
Austin Hayes on an eight million dollars deal?

Speaker 3 (39:09):
It's a great question. What about Key Brian about his back.
Let's take a break. We'll finish up Hour number one
next and then we'll get to hear from Zach Taylor
to kick off Hour number two.

Speaker 2 (39:22):
I'm looking forward to it. I get off talking about
the I know this is much rather here, Zach taalk
this is maddening. Let's talk about the Bengals and their
path to the playoffs. ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station
from the Tom recked In Heating and.

Speaker 3 (39:38):
Welcome back Cinty three to sixty thanks to Skyline Chili
and their new Skyline Mac and Cheese three way, which
is back.

Speaker 2 (39:47):
It's since he three to sixty.

Speaker 3 (39:48):
Hour number one, Zach Taylor's weekly press conference will kick
off our second hour in just a few minutes, which
means we are very quick to get to our end
of the hour. Break here, Austin, I didn't have a
chance last night to see, but I have seen video clips.
Were any big takeaways from I know you're a Hard
Knocks guy, I know they are. In season edition of
Hard Knocks is happening right now. Big takeaway for you

(40:11):
last night was.

Speaker 2 (40:11):
What two things through the first two episodes. Brian Schottenheimer
is awesome. Yeah, that's the clip. I keep saying. I'm
falling in love with him as a potential head coach
or as a as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Really fun to watch and root for. But my favorite
segment or scene of last night was they did a
montage of all the different cities New York, Washington, Philadelphia,

(40:32):
Dallas with a remixed version of Ain't No Love in
the Heart of the City behind it, and they kept
using clips from all the different sports talk radio shows
in each of those cities, like criticizing or discussing or whatever,
all the different issues because every single team lost that week,

(40:52):
and they all lost on the road. It was an
awesome piece of art that obviously struck a chord with
me because of what I do.

Speaker 3 (40:59):
The clip Ice saw, and we talked about this before,
was essentially something that we've talked about on the show
as it relates to Jamar Chase or even stuff I
did back when I was playing of a coach on
the sideline, having an understanding that hey, you've got to
get certain guys touches on a certain drive. And I
know I saw that with Schottenheimer last night as it
relates to Cede Lamb and George Pickens. I like that,

(41:22):
Hey got to have the understanding, our guys need touches.
Let's make sure they get those touches, and they did.
Imagine that. Let's take a break. Zach Taylor his weekly
Wednesday press conference that comes next on this the Home
of the Bengals ESPN fifteen thirty cincinnat Esports Station.

Speaker 13 (41:41):
Hey, it's ma Wagger.

Speaker 14 (41:41):
The Leaf to Ash Cigar Lounge is a must visit
for any cigar smoker. There's selections massive, the staff is great,
and there's no better place to relax with friends to
enjoy a great cigar. Leaf to Ash is a byob
establishment and they've got VIP memberships that allow for twenty
four to seven access, which includes lockers, TVs, a Pope table,
and so much more on Salem Road, close to the

(42:03):
legendary Cody Island Gates. If you love a good cigar,
you're gonna love to leave to Ash Cigar Lounge. Find
them on Instagram and Facebook.

Speaker 1 (42:12):
If you love to travel causes Tony Pike Sincy three
sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati, sponsored in part by Cincy Shirts.
Cincy Shirts, All Cincy, all Day. This is ESPN fifteen
thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 3 (42:29):
Welcome back our two thanks to Cincy Shirts. Thank you
for listening on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. Hope
you're having a wonderful Wednesday afternoon. It is Wednesday, it's
one o'clock. That means Zach Taylor is at the podium
for his weekly press conference.

Speaker 2 (42:44):
We go there now, inspects Stewart to practice today.

Speaker 15 (42:51):
Short it back, yep, see what he looks.

Speaker 2 (42:55):
What would you need to see for him to play
on Sunday?

Speaker 15 (42:57):
As it just too yeah different because he's a rookie,
you know, and he's missing time. So we'll just get
him back. You know, saw of the rehab people last
week looked like he's making really good progress. Now it's
just to get him out there and see what it
looks like today. Today is not full scale, you know
like we have on previous Wednesdays. We'll start to light
it up a little bit so tomorrow probably get a
better indication of what he looks feels like. There's at
least a chance that he Yes, where does standah protocol?

(43:23):
So he'll be limited today individual stuff and the limited
individual stuff that's part of this, Uh, come back from
the from the concussion.

Speaker 16 (43:33):
What happened and coming back is that interecting yourself back
into the protocol after the Bills game, do you have
to be extra careful?

Speaker 17 (43:41):
Are you still just leave it into the doctor's hands
and whatever?

Speaker 9 (43:44):
Thing?

Speaker 5 (43:44):
Say?

Speaker 15 (43:44):
Yeah, we trust them. I mean they've done a great
job with all this stuff, and so again we trust him.
And getting your guy back to practice is part of
a guy coming back and returning from his percussion, and
it'll be a very limited basis.

Speaker 2 (43:57):
What's the plan for you know, if you can't play,
I you know, you go deep in that receiver room with.

Speaker 15 (44:06):
Just the last time we played him two weeks ago,
you know, same same roster, same book, so at least
we know what that looks like if he's not able
to go, you know, very similar group.

Speaker 17 (44:19):
How disappointing was it to find out about Hendrickson and
not potentially being able to happen for the rest.

Speaker 10 (44:25):
Of the year.

Speaker 15 (44:26):
Yeah, nothing new, realiant, I mean that's what it's been
the last couple weeks. How do you the next four
games could be for some more development he's able to play.
I mean, I think you know, we've got high expectations
for him, and he's worked really hard to meet those
and done everything he can do, and unfortunately to set
back with the injury. There's nothing he can control. So

(44:47):
I don't think there's there's a pressure to see anything
from him in the next four weeks. We'll just we'll
see how he feels his practice goes this week, if
he's able to get into the game this week, whatever
it is, just keep progressing them, keep improving, and that's
the big thing. Kind of like I've said, with a
lot of the other rookies we've got that have gotten
to play more and more time, keep getting better every
single week, and Shamara falls in the same category. But

(45:09):
he's been great. I mean, these last couple of weeks,
he's been He sits right in front of me in
the team meeting like he's intented. You can tell he
wants to be back, and now it's just a matter
of making sure he's healthy.

Speaker 2 (45:18):
Challenging has the season been for you?

Speaker 15 (45:21):
They're all challenging. Every situation, every season is unique. He's
got his own challenges. He's got his own ups and downs,
so it's I just take a week the week, you know,
and now we're focused on Baltimore and trying to find
a win and really want to win this game to
get ourselves a little bit of momentum before the next one.
But every season is a challenge in so many ways.

(45:41):
Even when your your record is flipped from what it
is now, there's still challenges. And the first year you're
going to face and our guys are eager for this one.
You can feel the energy level is still really good
in the building and expected to go play well on Sunday.

Speaker 2 (45:53):
Anytime you're asked about pressure, you say, no one puts
more pressure on you than you.

Speaker 15 (45:58):
When when did you.

Speaker 5 (46:02):
Get comfortable?

Speaker 18 (46:03):
Wasn't right, But when were you able to kind of
tune out the outside noise, especially during challenging seasons like
this record?

Speaker 15 (46:09):
Lise, Oh yeah, I don't think that's something that just
happens now. I mean, that's your whole life gets you
ready for that. So I enjoy pressure and enjoy adversity.
Something that scares us or makes us nervous. It's part
of why you're in this profession is doing challenging things
and doing things you don't think everybody can do. And

(46:30):
so we work really hard, even when it's tough, and
even when it looks bleak, to find this over lining
and keep working through it and find a way to win.
And those are some of your greatest moments when you
face a lot of challenges and you come through it.
And so we embrace that. It's not something we let
get us down. It's frustrating when you don't win. It's
frustrating when you're in close games. Yeah, that's the amount

(46:51):
of work we put in and the expectations we have ourself.
That's really hard when it doesn't go your way. But
it doesn't change the fact that you got to wake
up Monday morning and the Ravens are coming to town,
and so you gotta find a way to win.

Speaker 18 (47:02):
Obviously, try many different things, I'm sure through the course
of the season, to message your players, get through them,
to motivate them in any way possible.

Speaker 11 (47:11):
What has that been like for you this year?

Speaker 15 (47:13):
How many ways have you tried? Yeah, I don't try
to do anything outside of my personality number one. You know,
I think that's guys can see through that. So I
just try to be true to myself and and everything
I say is upfront and honest with them. And my
message can change week to week in terms of the
tone and what our approaches, but the bottom line is
I'm gonna try to find every way I can to

(47:34):
keep the team moving in the right direction and get
the best out of everybody. And our coaches do the
same thing, and our players have been responsive to that.
I think they've taken really well of the feedback. We've
had great, honest conversations with a lot of guys, and
we'll just keep keep going on that course. You remember,
we're starting this moment with the team even individually. No,
I mean it's it's every week you kind of put

(47:55):
in the pass a little bit, you know. I obviously
take my notes on on things I gotta do front
of the course of the week or things we did well,
But my focus is solely on Baltimore right now.

Speaker 2 (48:06):
That's tough to game play against.

Speaker 15 (48:07):
They're really good. I mean, they've got a lot of veterans,
they're really smart, and you can just see the communication
really starting with Roquan seeing on the whole back end Hamilton.
They've got edge guys that are veteran veterans, interior guys
that are veterans linebacker, that's a veteran safeties that are
veteran and rookie first round pick, and the dvs are

(48:31):
all really smart. And you know, obviously a younger one
over there with number two, but still with Cheeto and
Marlin and all those guys, it's a really veteran group.
And so that shows up with their communication, with how
they're playing all the different defenses, their response to one
of your responses, how quickly they get it communicated. It's
all really impressive and nothing is easy when you play

(48:51):
against them, and so again it takes a lot of
work from us over the course of the week. Obviously
it's nice for having seven days as supposed to four days,
but that still doesn't make it any less challenging. It's
it's they're a tough defense to go against.

Speaker 14 (49:05):
How important is it to have a building a roster
to have that mesh of veteran guys, young guys are
a defensive side of the ball, like Matrid, it's the
right mix to get it to where you need to be.

Speaker 15 (49:13):
Yeah, you try to find a balance just to make
sure your units as good as it can be.

Speaker 2 (49:18):
What makes what's special.

Speaker 15 (49:21):
I don't know what position you would you would really
say he plays. He's I don't even know if he's
listed as a safety. Maybe that's probably the last position
he plays right now. But he's he is really an
effective defensive end. He's an effective linebacker, he's an effective nickel,
he's an effective cover guy. So whatever spot you want
to classify that as. He's really intelligent, he's really long,

(49:42):
he's really strong. It's it's there's not a lot of
weaknesses to his game. His football intelligence is extremely high,
and so he's he's somebody you have to be in
tune with every single play. No, not really, no, I
mean you can maybe put him in a safety category
with some really great I didn't really play. I hate

(50:04):
to make some comparisons because some guys I don't know
as well, but he's certainly a unique guy de play against.
He's really good.

Speaker 16 (50:11):
I'm I'm pretty honest with a few of us at
owner's meetings about the lack of the second contracts that
you guys have given to offensive linemen being an indictment
of that being an area that you guys.

Speaker 17 (50:22):
Wanted to improve. When you look at how well Marius
is playing and how well Dylan is playing right now?

Speaker 2 (50:28):
Did you and Duke and the.

Speaker 17 (50:30):
Personnel group change anything in your process of evaluating offensive
lineman or is it just as simple as those two.

Speaker 10 (50:37):
You guys just really hit.

Speaker 15 (50:38):
On those two.

Speaker 12 (50:41):
Well.

Speaker 15 (50:41):
Starting with a Marius, I mean the reason we took
him in the first round. Our scouts had tremendous conviction
on him. They he only had seven games on tape
for us to watch as a coaching staff. Our scouts
had been there in Georgia. They talked to the coaches
they'd watched in practice. So I give a lot of
credit to our scouting department on A Marius because they
had great conviction. You can imagine anytime a guy has
a limited film from a coaching standpoint, it's hard to

(51:04):
know what you're getting. So I give them full credit
because he's He's been awesome to work with. He's a
guy who's eager to be at his best. He's very coachable,
he's got a high level football intelligence. A Marius is
really on a tremendous trajectory for us right now, but
our scouting department played a huge part in that. Dalton
is a veteran guy that some of our coaches have

(51:26):
been around before as well, so we knew what we
were getting when we added him in training camp from
that veteran this and I think he's he's done an
excellent job filling in the right guard and giving us
really good leadership in the room in conjunction with some
other veterans we have. But also just this play on
the field next to Marius has been good too, you know,
as a veteran guy next to a second year player.
So really pleased with how those two guys have have

(51:49):
done a great job for us this year. I think
Dylan's on a great trajectory as well. I'm really pleased
with him again, he's standers between two really veteran players
that are help him bring him along. I think Scott
and Mike have done a great job in that room
as well, developing these guys and getting the most out
of everybody. So it's been a great combination of a
lot of things. And we've got a lot of confidence
in our offensive line.

Speaker 11 (52:10):
Right now, you're talking about pressure, Do you feel any
extra pressure this week because you guys could be eliminated
from playoff contention?

Speaker 15 (52:16):
As I mean, maybe it sounds silly, But every week
for us is I can tell you what we're doing
every minute of every single day leading up to Sunday
to get ourselves right. And that's that's what we're focused on.
We want to win more than anything, so we don't
we don't look at it in that light. It's just
what can we do to win this game? And that's
that's the same approach that we have every week.

Speaker 7 (52:34):
Any tell tale signs you look forward to make sure
the guys are still into it, and telltale signs around
the building.

Speaker 4 (52:41):
You know.

Speaker 15 (52:42):
I just I feel like I've got a really good
feel for these guys right now, and they can and
you see it when you're watching the Buffalo game, when
you're watching the Baltimore game. I mean, it's it's there,
it's evident, and and our guys have expected to win
these games. And obviously we didn't come through on that
last one. But I think it's crystal clear when you
when you watch this play football, what our guys are

(53:02):
up to right now. I'm not I'm not always in
the way, you know, so practice, the energy has been great,
that communications outstanding, guys are flying around. Guys are you know,
we're asking certain things of them during practice that we're
going to show the team on Friday mornings, and it
always shows up in practice. And so, uh, that's that's
what you can ask for, and our guys are giving.

Speaker 5 (53:24):
That to us.

Speaker 15 (53:24):
Three your four wins this year come against the AC North.
Why have you guys been so successful as indivision? I
can't answer that. You know, it's obviously I wish there's
more of them, and it's it's a big deal. You know,
your your best chance of doing all the things you
want to do in the postseason, run through the division,
winning the division, being successful in your division, and so

(53:45):
you know, we we feel like we got a great
feel for them. They got a great feel for us.
I can't pinpoint why three of us four have been
in a stow division.

Speaker 18 (53:54):
A DJ Turner trailing the other team's best receiver a
lot this year. What's its meaning for the defense when
you can do that? And uh, and what's it say
about his willingness to want that what he wants?

Speaker 15 (54:06):
He absolutely wants that. He's he's he's earned all this.
You know, he's not a guy that just speaks and
doesn't put in the work. He's I've told you know,
stories all season about training camp conversations with him, and
just really proud of him the way he's handled everything
and and the way that he just fights every week.
And you can just feel the I mean, you can
genuinely feel the confidence from him oozing off of him.

(54:29):
And he's he's been a tremendous asset for us.

Speaker 12 (54:32):
Uh.

Speaker 15 (54:32):
He's a really good communicator. It's really important to him.
He understands what it means to cover their best guy.
He understands all that that entails, the good and the bad,
and he's willing to embrace it all and proud of
the season he's he's having and he'll just continue to
lead us. And there's some great opportunity here starting with
this game as well. So I'm excited to watch DJ
finish out the year.

Speaker 2 (54:52):
Is that always the case you could feel his confidence
or is this something.

Speaker 5 (54:55):
That you've kind of.

Speaker 2 (54:57):
I think he's always had it.

Speaker 15 (54:59):
I pinpoint any any difference. I just think for a
lot of guys going into this is what year three
for DJ, that that makes a lot of sense. You know,
in corners a really challenging position. There's a lot of
ups and downs when you're facing the high level of
players you got to face every week in this league,
and so your experience really starts to kick in. You've

(55:20):
seen a lot of different things. You've started to see
repeat receivers over and over again, so you understand a
little bit of maybe how they're trying to attack you
and some of the nuances of their game. And so
you get into that third year, that fourth year, and
and a lot of things start to kick in, you know,
and I think he's just really disappointed with how he
goes about his whole process, how he practices and how
he plays, and he's he's proven a big guy that

(55:41):
we can really count on. When you play a team
twice in three weeks, Is it easier?

Speaker 2 (55:46):
I don't know.

Speaker 15 (55:48):
I really don't know. It's you know, it's there's only
one game. There's there's really eight quarters, like Pitch likes
to say before we of new film, and that's including
ours against him. So, you know, you get to this
point in the year and yeah, there's adjustments everyone's making.
We're making and they're making. But the proof is kind

(56:08):
of in the in the previous twelve thirteen games of
tape of what your identity is and how you want
to be and you can always adjust based on your opponent,
but for the most part, the core of what you're
going to be is out there. And so to play
tea in two times in three weeks is you know
what their identity is and now you just gotta be
ready for some of the wrinkles they're gonna throw at you.
Thank you all right.

Speaker 3 (56:29):
That is Zach Taylor's weekly Wednesday press conference. I believe
Joe Burrow speaks later today as well. Moager will have that.
A couple quick things that stood out awesome. I thought
Jay Morrison brought up a good question there at the
end of how difficult is it to play the same
team twice in three weeks, especially when it's a division opponent,
right Like, you already are familiar with your opponent, then

(56:51):
you turn around and play them twice in a three
weeks span. That's extremely hard to do.

Speaker 6 (56:56):
It.

Speaker 3 (56:56):
It puts more of an emphasis on game planning, It
puts more of an emphasis on the in game coaching
because you do know each other so well, and it
also puts an emphasis on what the injury and availability
is going to look like. Two of the things that
I thought stood out at the start of that press conference,
was t Higgins at least going through individual drills today
on a limited basis.

Speaker 2 (57:15):
Shocked to hear that?

Speaker 3 (57:16):
Shocked. I thought he would for sure be out today.
And then Shamar Stewart practicing and not completely downplaying, did
Zach Taylor the chance that perhaps Shamar Stewart could play
and help this team on Sunday? Anything else stand out
to you that you took note of.

Speaker 2 (57:37):
I liked the question from Kelsey about did they change
anything about the way that they evaluate offensive linemen and
he didn't really say that they did, but more the
experience of veteran guys next to them and kind of
helping him out. And he repeatedly talked about the conviction
that the scouting department had on Amarius Mims. And I

(57:59):
think when we look back on this season and try
to figure out the good, the bad, and the ugly,
I don't know that Amarius Mims has been the best
right tackle in the NFL, but he wasn't that far
away from it. I mean, he's been a very good
player for this team. You never talk about him. He
doesn't commit penalties, He rarely, you know, screws up, and

(58:21):
I think that's a big, big building block figuratively and
literally for this team going into this next phase of
Bengals football, and if they're able to hit on Dylan
Fairchild now going to the offseason, depth at that position
has to be addressed. Yes, they're not going to be
fully healthy, you know, all of next year and obviously
the Borrow injuries, but I think you know, there is

(58:46):
a certainly some positive momentum for that group that should
not be ignored.

Speaker 3 (58:49):
Yeah, it is an upward trajectory. We've talked about their
inability to sign lineman that they've brought into a second
deal for quite some time. But again, I do go
back to the difficulty that goes into playing a team
that you're so familiar with already twice in a three
week span. I think that is extremely, extremely difficult to do,

(59:13):
and I do think it puts an emphasis on coaching
and scheme and in game adjustments. I also think it's interesting, Austin,
it's for both teams an elimination game on Sunday, not
just for one of these teams. It's essentially an elimination
game for both of these teams on Sunday. And when
that becomes the possibility or when that becomes out there.

(59:34):
Do you approach the game any differently? It's fine, coach
peak is good. We're gonna approach this week the same
way when you get into the meetings, when you get
on the practice field. Is it truly being approached the
same way or is there an understanding that you're going
to get that team's best. You have to match intensity,
you have to match the physicality, And I think it

(59:56):
being a division game helps that because you already know
you're going to have to do that. But so many
interesting parallels right now between these two teams, what they're
going up against and what they're facing on Sunday.

Speaker 2 (01:00:05):
I would imagine there's a lot like situationally going into it.
You know, maybe we're gonna be a little bit more
aggressive on fourth down or this is you know, we're
gonna call these plays knowing that we have two downs
to get it first fourth and short of the game,
We're going no matteractly like that sort of stuff, because
you know, I do I think Zach's being genuine in
the sense of, like, I don't feel the pressure. I

(01:00:26):
do the same thing every week to try to prepare,
and I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. But yeah,
I think that sort of stuff, the communication with the
team of like, Okay, this is our last shot. Here's
how we're going to approach these downs, these situations, red zone,
so on the come up with a plan that might
be a little bit different than normal.

Speaker 3 (01:00:45):
All Right, we'll take our first break to the second
hour when we come back your Wednesday edition of talkbacks
here on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 8 (01:00:56):
Hey, Alexa, who's like ESPN fifteenth Cincinnati Sports Station's.

Speaker 10 (01:01:06):
That type for talkbacks?

Speaker 5 (01:01:07):
It's that microphone and record a message a missile toe,
I bring this nut keeper this.

Speaker 15 (01:01:17):
You better not be naughty.

Speaker 5 (01:01:18):
That's that time for talkbacks.

Speaker 2 (01:01:21):
It's the most what rifle time of the show.

Speaker 7 (01:01:26):
Austin and Hody, Well, you guide this very slay today
and try not to sabotage it.

Speaker 2 (01:01:34):
Very Christmas.

Speaker 3 (01:01:36):
Thank you Santa. Appreciate that we do have some updates
from winter meetings. Real quick before we get into talkbacks. Austin,
you know that Ken Rosenthal quote that everyone in Cincinnati
was going crazy about. That said, unlike the Orioles, the
Reds are not expected to pursue any other big names. Well,

(01:01:56):
the Orioles did pursue another big name, and they took
that one fifty a year or one fifty that Kyle
Schuberg gott and they said, okay, pet Alonzo, how about
five years for a buck fifty five? Pete Alonzo is
a Baltimore oriol Good for Pete, Good for Pete, Good
for the Baltimore Orioles. Who I believe I saw it

(01:02:17):
right up here. The Orioles revenue is only about eight
million dollars more than the Reds, and they just been
one hundred and fifty five million on pet Alonzo.

Speaker 2 (01:02:25):
Here are your talkbacks. The Orioles got new owners.

Speaker 5 (01:02:28):
Oh oh hey guys, James from Batavia here, James, I
just wish the.

Speaker 4 (01:02:33):
Castelinis knew how tone death they really were. This comment
from yesterday, you know about them having money and just
they're choosing not to spend it.

Speaker 10 (01:02:43):
It's worse than the where You're gonna go comment.

Speaker 5 (01:02:47):
It's just tone death and it's ridiculous.

Speaker 10 (01:02:50):
You know, Bob, we have money too, and we can
choose not to spend it.

Speaker 5 (01:02:53):
We can choose not to come the game.

Speaker 10 (01:02:55):
We come to games because we love the Reds.

Speaker 7 (01:02:57):
Figure it out.

Speaker 9 (01:03:00):
Okay, before I start singing, I'd like to make the
following statement, I think it's a travesty that the great
Joe Burrow is saddled with Zach Taylor as his head coach.
The Bengals need to move on from this buffoon. They
should fire Taylor soon, preferably Christmas morning.

Speaker 2 (01:03:16):
Oh, Tony Pie Carson, Paul Mr Mett Lieiner, A J. Brown, Say,
Quon bar Plea, Jalen Herb.

Speaker 19 (01:03:29):
Yeah, wow, Hey, Tony Haywson, it's the Lord. If you
got a chance to run in the cash cab and
you asked a question about the Bengals and you did
not know the answer to it, Charlie Goldsmith, who would
you call to get that answer? And you have three
candidates and you can only pick one. Would you call

(01:03:51):
James Orpene, No, hell, No, Joe Daniman or Charlie Goldsmith
and you can only tick one, and this question is
worth one thousand dollars.

Speaker 2 (01:03:59):
I would pick. Yeah, it would be Charlie, then Joe,
then James.

Speaker 3 (01:04:03):
I think I would agree. And if it got down,
and I think Danman will tell you that as well.

Speaker 2 (01:04:07):
Yeah, I think so too. And if it was if
Charlie and Joe didn't pick up, then I would just
guess I would even call you now, James, when you
get a call.

Speaker 6 (01:04:14):
I was at the barbershop this morning and the guy
waiting was talking about how Joe Burrows, yeah with the
S was solely to blame for the Bengals loss and
Kyle Schwarber denied the Reds offer. It took so much
effort not to chime back at him. But when I
left there, I told him to tune in the ESPN

(01:04:35):
fifteen thirty get a little more sports knowledge.

Speaker 2 (01:04:38):
Well, thank you for that. Now he knows what's better
though than a good barbershop banter. If he's listening, you know,
now he knows that you You kind of outed him,
and good luck getting your haircut next time.

Speaker 4 (01:04:51):
Hello, this is former President Ronaldric and Roddy well El.
Since you two are the number one sports talk duo
in the land, I was wondering what Christmas show duo
are you most like? Rudolph and Herbie or the Heat
Miser and Cold Miser, or would it be John McLean
and Hans Gruber.

Speaker 2 (01:05:11):
I think morning it was Heat Miser and Cold Mines. Yeah,
a lot more lately it's been Heat Miser and Cals.
Who does the top sports do is that City Beat?
Probably not, probably not the inquire I don't know, I
don't I don't know who John McLean Is that die Hards?
That's Diehard? Good job, good job, Thanks Mann, Hey, guys,

(01:05:33):
Jeff and Ner Richmond.

Speaker 20 (01:05:34):
Happy Wednesday two Yet, So I was thinking about the
Kyle Schwarber thing yesterday. Sure it sounds like we just
missed out by like twenty five million. Boy, it's a
shame we had to pay j Mar twenty one million
to go away. We could use that money more. It
just shows the mismanagement of this REDS organization constantly comes

(01:05:58):
back to bite us.

Speaker 2 (01:06:00):
Jmar.

Speaker 5 (01:06:03):
Yeah, it's Greig. Hey.

Speaker 12 (01:06:04):
I saw this morning on a mock draft they had
the Bengals at ten taking Jeremiah Love running back, Notre Dame.

Speaker 2 (01:06:11):
How do you guys feel about that?

Speaker 5 (01:06:13):
And today?

Speaker 2 (01:06:15):
Where would each of you be with number ten?

Speaker 3 (01:06:18):
Oh man, if I had any chance to get Caleb Downs,
I would, if not, just burn the whole thing down
and just get another offensive weapon.

Speaker 2 (01:06:26):
I wouldn't be taking a running back, I can tell
you that much.

Speaker 21 (01:06:31):
I'm glad all these UC fans got time during their
smoke break at Burger King to send a message about
big brother get back on the fryar.

Speaker 3 (01:06:39):
My guy, Wow, that's to Maso. I think I saw
he just tell Mason to get back on that friar.

Speaker 2 (01:06:45):
I think it was the one yesterday that I had
to cut off. I saw a tweet from someone today
who is a UC fan and they're like one of
those trolls, trolls Xavier. Oh and so their name is
Xavier has zero final force. But they spelled I just
don't know how at this point you control hold on
stop Xavier. They said they spelled Xavier wrong. How can

(01:07:08):
you do you understand the damage you're doing to the
rest of the fan base when you do something like that. Yeah,
I mean it's dammage. How do you spell Xavier wrong?
It's not hard.

Speaker 22 (01:07:20):
Tony and Austin Ray from cleeves Hey in relation to
Jermaine Burton and I think you guys told the story
that Zach Taylor and Duke Tobin were high five in
each other when they.

Speaker 2 (01:07:30):
Got they thought they got a STEALA.

Speaker 22 (01:07:33):
Didn't there have to be something out there that said
that Jermaine was seriously fundamentally flawed, that Zach and Duke
should have seen and by the fact that they didn't.
Doesn't that mean that they're incredibly incompetent evaluators?

Speaker 3 (01:07:49):
Yes, I know that there were a lot of people
Austin that took Jermaine Burton completely off their draft board,
if you were because of those issues.

Speaker 2 (01:07:58):
We were talking about Hard Knocks earlier that season. There
was the off season version of Hard Knocks with the
New York Giants, and at one point they didn't blur
out the Giants draft board. And you see certain guys
that have a different colored name, and all I believe
it was purple. Everybody who was purple is character concerns,
doesn't love football. Not on our board. Jermaine Burton's name

(01:08:21):
was purple. Yeah for the New York Giants, and the
New York Giants suck right well.

Speaker 23 (01:08:28):
Talking about the O line, quick check shows that the
Pro Football Riders vote on the all rookie team. We
gotta think Fairchild is going to get some recognition out
of that, don't we should?

Speaker 2 (01:08:39):
I would think so we should.

Speaker 13 (01:08:41):
Tony Austin loved the show.

Speaker 2 (01:08:43):
Do have a question though, and this is not sarcasm.

Speaker 4 (01:08:46):
I never heard of Asia Wilson until yesterday afternoon, when
when Moe talked about her on his show.

Speaker 2 (01:08:53):
Am I the only one? You're probably not the only
only one, but I don't know that. I'd be proud
of you.

Speaker 3 (01:09:00):
Follow along with sports, it's hard to ignore what she's done. Yeah,
she's also like one of the biggest Nike athletes in
the world.

Speaker 10 (01:09:09):
Heay, here's the thought. Do you know what tell tickets?

Speaker 5 (01:09:12):
Winning?

Speaker 10 (01:09:13):
Yes, winning ticket?

Speaker 1 (01:09:16):
Maybe we could get somebody STI can help with win
red front office.

Speaker 5 (01:09:22):
People know who you are, but who.

Speaker 2 (01:09:25):
Who could help us with? Hey, Tony and Austin. Austin.

Speaker 24 (01:09:28):
I've been playing around with the playoff simulator on ESPN,
and I found out that it is possible for the
Bengals to make the playoffs at seven and ten. It's possible,
but not probable. And to quote the mom from home alone,
this is Christmas, the season of perpetual hope. Yes, so
I guess I'll just continue to hope and hold out
until they break my miserable little heart again.

Speaker 2 (01:09:51):
That that path would be that the Bengals lose to
the Dolphins, I think, or maybe lose to the Cardinals.
But when the other games and then Baltimore and Pittsburgh
tie and lose the rest of their games. Whoday lose them,
Is that right? I don't know.

Speaker 21 (01:10:10):
You know, Red's attendance went up last year, So the
Castellinis and the owner ownership group has been receiving more
money year over year. Fans are doing their part, and
god forbid, they ask the ownership to do theirs and
try to put a better product on the field when
there's glaring holes on the roster. I don't care if
Carl Schwarver hits a game winning home runner, if it's espinal,

(01:10:32):
I'm cheering just the same. Just put a damn winning
product on the field.

Speaker 25 (01:10:40):
Yeah, it's either really sad or really funny that they'd
want to sign them to sell tickets.

Speaker 2 (01:10:46):
It's okay to win games. They should have signed them
whatever it took.

Speaker 25 (01:10:50):
It had been a bright light in like a two
month Nebraska Alaska dark night, I wouldn't have pub Rivers.
I would have went after THENNY tester Verdi Ton.

Speaker 2 (01:11:06):
I saw bad Brad Johnson throwing some passes the other day.

Speaker 26 (01:11:11):
What about us mcahoona in Kentucky. Now, Jermaine Burton's gone.
I got a feeling he's gonna go somewhere and be
a star. Probably they have a good year. So but
did we ever figure out why he got a victim?
And then where he started living at after that? Did
he live with Burrow? Did he live with Chase? Did
he might try to take him under his wing. I
just hate to see the guy go like that. And
Mike in La, I mean, take his Dodgers talking stick

(01:11:32):
it somewhere. I'm tired of him calling in about the Dodgers.
We had a beat last year and let him get
in our path. Next year, we're gonna whip them.

Speaker 2 (01:11:38):
Had a beat. Yeah, Jamaine Burton's gonna be starring the
World Series of Poker. When when did we the Dodgers beat? Awesome?

Speaker 5 (01:11:45):
Tony?

Speaker 27 (01:11:46):
You know what drives ticket sales? Winning winning baseball drive sales.
They asked us to pack the part for that weekend
when we were still in the fight. Yep, they get
swept and yet it was near so all crowd all
three nights. Why because of winning baseball? This city is
torn on the Bearcats and Xavior, This city is in

(01:12:09):
and out on the Browns family, but this city loves
its Red baseball.

Speaker 2 (01:12:14):
He hasn't seen the Reds win in a long time,
and that they'll still come out and do it. Hey, guys,
which goes to the point it is a lifestyle brand.
It's not a baseball team. The Reds have brainwashed people
enough to think.

Speaker 28 (01:12:28):
That, Hey, guys, does Terry Francona realize that he was
hired to sell tickets too, and not really be concerned
about winning games.

Speaker 5 (01:12:42):
That may explain some of the managerial decisions. I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:12:46):
Possibly, I'm beginning to join the chorus of everyone else.
It's just pleased? Is can somebody else buy the team
that really wants to win? Have a good one? Guys, frustrate.

Speaker 29 (01:13:02):
Stress, Shore's off the table. Alonzo's off the table after
signing with the Orioles Sars is our guy. He just
had forty nine home runs last year. We could make
him our full time DH. He's insurance to play third
base of Hayes is having a bad back day.

Speaker 5 (01:13:19):
That to me makes the most sense.

Speaker 29 (01:13:21):
Maybe twenty two to twenty three million dollars a year,
Maybe a three year deal since he's thirty four, Maybe
a two year deal.

Speaker 2 (01:13:28):
Yeah, I mean that makes sense because he would sell
tickets because he's a beloved figure. Yep, he hasn't a
bride in the LBA.

Speaker 30 (01:13:35):
Boy Anyway, I'm done Denzel Alfanato, who are making a
root for? Oh, it's an honor to get an invitation
to the historically relevant Uh, Liberty Ball?

Speaker 13 (01:13:50):
Are you cadding me?

Speaker 7 (01:13:52):
Are you canding me?

Speaker 2 (01:13:53):
Cutting Ham? What a joke.

Speaker 30 (01:13:56):
We get to sit back next year and watch Sores
be having sinner looking season somewhere else.

Speaker 5 (01:14:01):
I'm done.

Speaker 12 (01:14:06):
Hey, guys, run in Wisconsin looking for a white helth
and Christmas gift. If you can help me find a
game worn Burton jersey.

Speaker 2 (01:14:16):
I can't find one anywhere that would be a Hi
Tony Hi AUTI. I just have a Bearcats football question
for you TP.

Speaker 27 (01:14:27):
If the Bearcats do move on from ben in Swordsby
or should I say Swordsby moves on, it's Samas Jones.

Speaker 2 (01:14:33):
Is he ready to take control?

Speaker 3 (01:14:41):
I don't think so. I think they If that's the case,
they would have to go into the portal.

Speaker 31 (01:14:45):
With all the turmoil within the bankals and with management
and everything, do you think it's time for everyone to
start picking a backup team to root for. I'm kinda
I'm kind of rooting for the Bills at this point.

(01:15:06):
I'm still rooting for Joe Burrow, but whoa. I like
the Bills my back list.

Speaker 3 (01:15:15):
If a horn or something like that goes off in
the middle of your talk back, you have you have
to address it.

Speaker 2 (01:15:20):
It sounds like he was there's only he paused and
he was going to it almost sound like a clown horn.
There's only a few people out there that are going
to get this, but it sounded like he just pulled
up to the redeploy station. I have this actually earmarked
for a segment later on. Is us picking our team
for the playoffs and explaining why yep, I've already been thinking.

Speaker 3 (01:15:44):
Always a fun segment. His playoffs come with Cincinnati sports fans.
Pick an na tournament team, pick a Major League Baseball team,
pick an NFL team you want to adopt for the playoffs?
Tail as old as time. Just keep doing that. We're done,
take a break. Football INNNATI Next ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati

(01:16:05):
Sports Station.

Speaker 2 (01:16:05):
Are you paying too much for Cinnati?

Speaker 1 (01:16:08):
Brought to you by butt Light on ESPN fifteen thirty,
the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 3 (01:16:16):
All right, welcome back football in the NATI since e
three to sixty thanks to Cincy shirts.

Speaker 11 (01:16:21):
Do you have.

Speaker 3 (01:16:23):
A hard time or struggle figuring out what the perfect
Christmas gift is for someone in your family. I mean,
it's pretty easy with Cincy Shirts, whether it's a gift
card or just get them a shirt or a sweatshirt,
their favorite team or their throwback shirts are fantastic. It's
not all about the apparel as well. You can find
everything at any of their two retail locations or go
to Cinci Shirts dot com. It is the perfect holiday gift. Austin,

(01:16:47):
do we have breaking NFL news?

Speaker 2 (01:16:49):
We do, Tony. Today, the NFL Virtual League meetings are
happening and the National Football League has announced that they
are financial backing a professional flag football league. They are
going to support, financially and develop the launch of a
professional flag football league. This landmark decision authorizes thirty two Equity,

(01:17:15):
which is the league's collective investment vehicle, to enter into
an agreement with a partner to operate a professional flag
football league and invest up to thirty two million dollars
in that league. The NFL's commitment reflects a long term
effort to support flag football in all forms as it
continues to grow and evice nice. So congratulations, Now, I

(01:17:37):
guess I think I have to ask as well, if
you followed along Monday Night Football to the Monsters, Inc.
Broadcast at All Sunday Night Football. They called it the
Chargers put up a stat line for James P. Sullivan
Sully what he was able to do Monday night listening
to us. He had a sack, Sure, he scored a touchdown, right,
he had a sixty yard catch, He made a fifty

(01:17:57):
four yard field goal, and four interceptions on Jalen Hurts preay,
good night. Now, anytime something like that happens in the NFL,
you have to expect that things are going to be
looked into random drug tests. We get anything on Solly. Uh,
there was some out there have said that James P.
Sully Sullivan has tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and

(01:18:22):
thus been suspended. Oh definitely by the National Football League.
Sally really bursts out of the scene there. Oh, what
a huge game. And uh, you know it's too good
to bear out of that balloon. You knew it was
too good to be true. Don't know how the Chargers
are going to recover?

Speaker 3 (01:18:37):
One final break for the hour, we'll come back, we'll
put a bow on things, we'll try to take a
phone call, and then we'll get to Jeff Carr. You
want to talk about wellness checks, We need to check
on our guy, Jeff Carr. We'll do so at two
o'clock on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station. Thanks to
CINTI shirts.

Speaker 1 (01:18:52):
You've been listening to football in the NATI on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 8 (01:19:04):
WCKY Cincinnati and iHeartRadio station Garanteed Human ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 7 (01:19:12):
I Heard radio from the any Weather, Heating and Dared
Temestar Weathers Center.

Speaker 2 (01:19:18):
Here's your forecast.

Speaker 32 (01:19:19):
Cloudy, wet, wendy and cold today with a slight chance
for snow this afternoon. We dry out briefly tomorrow, still
cloudy and cold, but more snow moves in Friday morning,
with a few inches possible than a big chill this
weekend highs in the twenties and overnight lows near ten degrees.
And that's the forecast. I'm nine first one and Meteorologist
kJ Jacobs.

Speaker 2 (01:19:40):
This report is sponsored by All States.

Speaker 1 (01:19:43):
Continues now on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (01:19:52):
Hey there, welcome back Sincey three sixty Thanks to Sincey shirts.
Thank you for spending part of your win day afternoon
with us our number three ahead. Jeff Carr lockedown Reds
Podcast to join us. We will take a few minutes.
I am going to play part of Jim Valvano's sb's speech,

(01:20:15):
his initial sp speech that I've watched every year and
share it with you if you've heard it, if you've
not heard it, doesn't hurt to hear it again this
time of the year. Mo Wager will join us for
quick hits and more. Before we get to that third hour,
Let's grab John's phone call.

Speaker 11 (01:20:31):
Hey John, Happy hump day, fellas.

Speaker 2 (01:20:34):
What's going on?

Speaker 11 (01:20:37):
Yeah, you know, it's cold and snowy here, but that's
going to be like that for the next three months
here in Boston, so we just have to cope with it.
I'm anxious to hear your quarterback tiers. My top tier
would be Borow, Mahomes, Jackson, Allen, and Stafford because they've
been around enough, they've accomplished a lot, so I think
like Drake Nak could just definitely jump into that category.
Do it more than just one year, So I'd say

(01:20:59):
those five guys are the tier to one quarterbacks and
the narrative you hear so much about Borrow, Jackson, and
Allen is they're never gonna win anything. Well, Peyton Manning
didn't make the playoffs till his sixth season. Drew Brees, Actually,
I take that back. If Peyton Manning didn't win a
playoff game till the sixth season, Drew Brees didn't didn't
make a playoff appear until his sixth season. We consider

(01:21:20):
them pretty good quarterbacks, right, great quarterbacks. These three guys
have won fifteen playoff games. Borrow of course went with
the Super Bowl four years ago, and they played in
the last five AFC Championship games against Patrick Mahomes. So
and they're all still on the right side of thirty.
So I don't think they're going anywhere. It's just what happens.
Is is the place I live. You have Tom Brady,
you know, went to the Super Bowl nine times, so

(01:21:41):
everybody just wants to compare it with him on Mahomes
and it's not fair to the younger guys who still
have a lot left. And Austin, I can't agree with
you more about Philip Rivers. He makes me nervous watching him.
I mean, he's just so jittery. And like the reason
I like Borrow so much is how cool and Tom
instead of be pleasing, he is to watch like Tony.
I think you might agree with me on this. If

(01:22:02):
you had like a tenth grader in high school who
is a QUB prospect, you'd probably say go watch number nine.

Speaker 3 (01:22:07):
Yes, he's quiet, perfectly right, confident.

Speaker 11 (01:22:10):
Yes, yeah, everything the footwork is impeccable. Just this is
a clinic. This is like Tom Brady. I say it
all the time, He's Baby Brady. But Philip Rivers to me,
is like watching Elaine Bennison dance, you know, in Vintall.
This is just very Turkey jerky. And if I was
to equate these guys, I always like to compare quarterbacks
to pilots. So if I get Hunt on an airplane,
then I see Burrows the captain. I'm like, this thing's

(01:22:32):
gonna go fine, it's gonna land safely. He'll be selling Sullenburger.
With Philip Rivers. I don't know. He might be Denzel
Washington in flight, laying anything upside down. A lot of chaos,
you know. So I'm not anxious to really see him play.
He just he makes me nervous.

Speaker 2 (01:22:45):
Yeah that's fair. I'm one hundred percent with you.

Speaker 5 (01:22:49):
Yeah, with you it is.

Speaker 3 (01:22:52):
It'll be interesting to watch because again, I Austin, you
mentioned yesterday with Rivers that I believe he was running
and coaching the same system that India is running right now.

Speaker 2 (01:23:00):
Yeah's you're familiar with A. J. Watt that he was
running the Shane stike In offense, and him and Shane
Stike and were together when he was in San Diego
years ago. And apparently he had been calling Shane Stike
in every week and going over film and stuff with
over the course of their high school season. Because he's
coaching his son, who's a junior in high school. And uh, yeah,

(01:23:21):
so he's pretty familiar with everything that they're trying to run.

Speaker 11 (01:23:27):
He's got a loving kids, right, so he's got an
offense all ready to go.

Speaker 2 (01:23:31):
They can play a grand kid. Say they could play
pick up basketball five on five.

Speaker 11 (01:23:38):
And they did be eleving kids are driving it back
and playing in the NFL. I mean, he's probably like,
let me go in where in Indianapolis is far away
from right now. But yeah, I mean, God bless him.
I mean he's he's a likable guy, but he's just
jittery man. And I also think Joe Flackler should be
the bigger than the quarterback of the NFL, and you
need a quarterback just called Joe.

Speaker 2 (01:23:55):
I wonder.

Speaker 3 (01:23:56):
I wondered that, Like, did Indy at all reach out
to the Bengals and and inquire about Joe Flacco.

Speaker 2 (01:24:01):
That's that's to be fascinating to me. I mean, they
can't trade it, right, and now you just have to.

Speaker 5 (01:24:08):
I mean I wouldn't give him up.

Speaker 11 (01:24:09):
I wouldn't give him up only because if something, if
Joe has right, if you needed something to come in,
and also I would love to see him back here
next year as the background. I don't know if he
wants to be a backup going forward, but this would
be a perfect spot for him and he can again.
I think he's seen some changes in Burrow's game the
last two games, getting rid of the ball a little
quick there, maybe watching Joe Flacco and wants himself to that.

(01:24:32):
So I think that he'd be a great older quarterback
mentor that type of thing.

Speaker 5 (01:24:36):
For for Borrow going forward.

Speaker 3 (01:24:37):
Yep, completely agreed, John, Thank you so much, man, have
a great day, ye you too.

Speaker 5 (01:24:42):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (01:24:43):
We will break our third and final hour is next
and it kicks off with Jeff Carr from the Lockdown
Reds Podcast on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 1 (01:24:52):
This is Tony Pike Sincy three sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati,
sponsored in Park, Penn Station East Coast Subs hand prepped it,
I grilled subs, fresh cut fries in lemonade. It's all
about good taste. Penn Station East Coast Subs order on
mine today. This is ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati's Sports station.

Speaker 3 (01:25:19):
It is our number three. We think, as you heard right,
there are friends at Penn Station. Thank you for listening.
Let's get our number three underway. Let's do so by
talking to our good friend from the Lockdown Reds podcast
and a guy you just got to check in on
after what has transpired in the last twenty four or
so hours. Jeff Carr is joining us right now.

Speaker 5 (01:25:40):
Hi, Jeff, Tony Haustin. It's really good to hear your voices.
You guys seem like some dudes that know how to
spend money outside of Middletown.

Speaker 2 (01:25:49):
Jeff, here's my issue, here's my issue.

Speaker 3 (01:25:53):
On Sunday, the Bengals went up by ten with under
nine minutes left in the game, and I allowed myself
for a moment to believe. I believe that it would
be different on Sunday, and then the Bengals broke my heart.
And I had heard coming into this week a lot
of Kyle Schwarber talk and could this be the domino
that finally falls? And I was a little bit on

(01:26:15):
the fence. And then yesterday, as I got into the studio,
I watched a video on your ex and it seemed
like you were believing. It seemed like with all the
conversation that was going on around Kyle Schwarber, that maybe
this was more than just a rumor, maybe this was
more than just kicking the tires, Maybe this can actually happen.
And I did the same thing I did Sunday, and

(01:26:37):
I allowed myself to believe, and it felt as if
moments later the world came crashing down again. Your reaction,
let's start with that. Your reaction seeing the Swarber deal
to the Phillies, what is being reported that that deal
is worth, and the reports of what the Reds offered
Kyle Schwarber.

Speaker 5 (01:26:58):
Yeah, the thing that I had come to the conclusion
of on that video, Tony, was that it felt like
ninety nine percent of this was done, but it's clear
that the one percent that was left was one hundred
percent of the matter, you know, doing a little bit
of John Madden math here for you on this Wednesday.
When it comes to the money, the Reds were outbid

(01:27:19):
by twenty five million total dollars, and some people want
to say, well, you know, it's thirty million dollars, thirty
million dollars per year compared to twenty five million dollars
per year. Kind of feels like the Reds were in
the ballpark and it's like, yeah, but that's like saying
that they were setting up in the five hundred section
and the Phillies were down on the field. Because you're
talking about another twenty five million dollars. That's basically an

(01:27:42):
entire year, a year's worth of money that he is
going to get from Philadelphia as opposed to Cincinnati. And
it's clear that they really felt as though some sort
of local drawl, call it the will of the force
or something in Middletown, it was going to cause him
to take less money.

Speaker 2 (01:28:02):
And I don't know where they.

Speaker 5 (01:28:05):
Got this from, because every reporter I saw was saying
thirty million, thirty million, thirty million. Some people said twenty eight,
but most people were saying thirty million, and for them
to go twenty five just makes me. It makes me
wonder how serious they were. But then what they said
after that is really what it's really what flattened me.
Like I felt like then getting to the playoffs was

(01:28:28):
fun in the way that they lost stunk, but I
didn't feel this flattened as I feel right now.

Speaker 3 (01:28:33):
Well, I want to get to that comment in just
a moment. Let me ask you this first. If you
think that the Reds came in with the exact same
offer that the Phillies did, do you think Kyle Swumber
would have chosen Cincinnati. I mean, obviously we don't know that,
but do you think if the money was the exact
same would he be a Red?

Speaker 5 (01:28:47):
One hundred percent? Yeah, I think that there's a lot
of folks that are reporting, you know, man, he just
didn't want to leave. He was really comfortable in the clubhouse,
and he really loves Philadelphia. But that's literally exactly what
they were saying about his feelings toward coming home. And
I think that they're saying that with hindsight being the
determining factor here, I fully believe that he was ready

(01:29:08):
to build something here. With the Reds and be a
part of his hometown team for the rest of his
career if the money made sense, and the fact that
they not were only outbid by the Phillies but also
outbid by the Orioles is just super telling to me.

Speaker 3 (01:29:23):
And then Jeff, we get the Ken Rosenthal piece and
the quote was unlike the Orioles, who, by the way,
have already signed Pete Alonzo to one hundred and fifty
five million dollar deal, Unlike the Orioles, the Reds are
not expected to pursue other expensive free agents. They're offered
to Schwarber, a native of Middletown, Ohio, was tied to
their belief that his addition would help drive ticket sales.

(01:29:46):
That to me, Jeff, is shocking in a sense that,
holy cow, they actually admitted it, that it's not truly
about winning, it's more about selling tickets. Your reaction to
the Rosenthal quote.

Speaker 5 (01:30:00):
I was worried throughout this entire process that the main
reason that they were ever in on Kyle Schwarber was
because he was local. And I thought, well, that's silly.
Nobody could truly believe that. But it's clear that that's
what they believed, and they said that, well, he drive
ticket sales and all this other stuff. Pete Alonzo would
drive ticket sales. Cody Bellinger would drive ticket sales because

(01:30:22):
they would help the team.

Speaker 2 (01:30:24):
Win ticket sales. Yes, that hikes. Yes.

Speaker 5 (01:30:29):
When they were on streaks in twenty twenty three and
when they were on a streak this past year, there
were times when you're just like, let's go down to
the ballpark and watch this team. I wasn't going, like,
obviously you go because you like watching different players, but
it's because you know it all comes together in a
winning product. That's why people are down at pay Court

(01:30:49):
Stadium every week to watch Joe Burrow. And that's why
people show up to Reds games whenever they know that
they're going to win. And the thing for me, Tony,
is that they could have just said, and they do
this all the time. They could have just said, we
thought that this was a legitimate move to make us
a legitimate contender. No, they chose to say we thought

(01:31:09):
this would drive tickets.

Speaker 2 (01:31:11):
Unbelievable, Like, isn't it kind of amazing how transparent they
have been.

Speaker 5 (01:31:18):
Yeah, I think it's funny because there are times when
Nikral gives an answer to a question and it's like, Okay,
he's he's holding his cards close to his vest. Here
he's got something up asleep. And then there's other times
where he tells you that Elida la Cruz had one
leg for two months, and you're like, oh, so you
think that we wanted to know that, like tell us

(01:31:41):
something else. Like there's times where I'm just like, thank
you for your transparency. You should have told us anything
else like that. That's what it feels like, And this
is another one of those examples. Do you think it's
also part of it? We obviously know the main issue
is that the ownership has a plan that doesn't and
does include spending to the best of their abilities to

(01:32:02):
try to win. But do you think it's made worse
by the fact that there's not really an adequate spokesperson
for the franchise to try to communicate what the plan
is because of what you just said. I mean, on
one hand, you've got Phil Castellini saying where are you
gonna go? And on the other hand you've got Nick
Krawl you know, depending on which way the wind is
blowing that day. Yeah, I mean, we've got a lot

(01:32:25):
of humdingers from Nick Krawl, you know, the peaks in
the Valley's comment, the break even comment, you know, the
kind of things that really drive inspiration around Red's Country,
really really gets people to the ticket booth. No, you're
right like that, that seems to be the biggest problem
here and I see that sometimes, like looking at other teams.
With the Yankees, anytime Brian Cashman gets in front of

(01:32:47):
a microphone, Yankees fans just collectively grown because he says
whatever comes to his mind. And that that's not necessarily
what Nick Krawl does. But it feels as though they
craft these messages that they I think, well, we're being
transparent and we're being honest with the fan base, but
the honesty that they're giving us is just absolutely depressing

(01:33:08):
because they have told us over this last week that
they will try for somebody who grew up here, and
if they didn't grow up here, then we're not going
to pay that much for them, because for some reason,
growing up here is what leads to winning baseball or something.
And while I love a local hometown, again, I just
want to see some winning baseball. And it feels as

(01:33:29):
though there are three ways that you can build a team.
You draft and develop you sign free agents, and you
make trades and said we were actively shunning two of
those three things.

Speaker 3 (01:33:41):
I'm fascinated if they actually believe the stuff they're saying
half the time, Like Moe brought this up off air today, Jeff,
if you are a fan and you're legitimately thinking about
buying tickets or buying a ticket package, and you're that
fan and you say, well, I'm in if they get
Kyle Schwarber, but I'm not buying that package if they
were to land Pee Alonzo, Like.

Speaker 2 (01:34:02):
Do the Reds actually believe that that's the thing?

Speaker 4 (01:34:06):
To me?

Speaker 3 (01:34:07):
Like, if I'm choosing to buy tickets, I'm choosing to
buy because I want to go see a winning product,
and whether that's Kyle Schwarber, which is a cool story
because he's from Middletown, or a guy from Pete Alonzo
or anyone else that helps this team win. It's not
like I'd be like, yep, I was buying with Swarber,
but now I'm out with Alonzo.

Speaker 2 (01:34:25):
Do they believe that?

Speaker 5 (01:34:27):
I have a hard time arguing against it, To be
honest with you, Like the way that they have presented
themselves these last couple of days is just so silly,
like there were so many people you and me and
Mo and maybe Austin. I don't know. Sometimes I don't
know what Austin's thinking, but I'd like to think that

(01:34:48):
Austin was in on this too. That man at Schwarber's here,
I'm buying a jersey, I'm buying something from sensy shirts.
I'm buying some kind of Kyle Schwarber memorabilia. I saw
people talking about man signing up for season decats, Let's go.
There was so much excitement and then immediately it was
crushed and now everyone is mad again. And nobody has

(01:35:11):
that kind of ability in Major League Baseball like the
Cincinnati Reds to drum up that sort of feeling only
to squash it.

Speaker 2 (01:35:20):
Now that being said, the reports out about to tell
Marte and the Red's interest in that, how much are
you buying that?

Speaker 5 (01:35:31):
I would like to And I think if this were
a few years ago, I would have Guys. I love
the Reds, I really do. But this whole like super
optimism thing has really gotten beaten down over the last
couple of years. Man, Like, looking at this rumor, it's
nice to tell Marte all star last two years, Silber

(01:35:52):
slugger last two years. Even Brandon Law from the Tampa
Bay Rays, he hit thirty bombs last year. These are
the kind of guys that the Reds should be. But
there's a part of me and there's a question, and
I'm not saying that I firmly believe this question, that
this question is probably in your minds too. Is this
rumor out there to soften the blow from yesterday? Because

(01:36:14):
they did a lot of damage yesterday, and I think
they know that, and I think they've got to come
back with, well, we talked to these guys or these
teams about these players, and so maybe that's there, But
it feels like if it is there, they're just starting
those negotiations and we know how that goes with Nick
Crawl and trade negotiations. If it happens, we'll see you

(01:36:35):
in May.

Speaker 3 (01:36:36):
That's the thing like to me, Like and Austin made
this point today. Is it legit interest in Marte or
is it man we messed up so bad yesterday If
we just leaked that we're linked to him, maybe people
all think that we're now trying to kick the can.
But you just told us yesterday that you're not kicking
the can. On anybody else because you wanted to just
put fans in the stands instead of actually win baseball games.

(01:36:58):
If it were to come Fui, if Marte did work out, Jeff,
what would that require in your opinion, the Reds giving
up That.

Speaker 5 (01:37:06):
Would be a tough one because he is He's thirty
two years old, so it's not as if he's like
a prospect anymore or somebody who's like just entering his prime.
He's in the middle of it, maybe on the twilight
of it, but he does have six years left the
team control. At just over one hundred million dollars, that's
still well within the price range that the Reds presented

(01:37:27):
that they were willing to accept in some cases. So
I could see this working out, but you would probably
have to give up a decent bit to get him.
I don't necessarily know that it would require Hunter Green,
but it would require some names that we know. They're
not gonna dig down deep in Daytona or the or
the Dominican Summer League and grab a few guys and

(01:37:49):
throw them at Arizona's way and get catell Marquee. But
they will have to give up some pieces that you
could conceivably see playing next year in order to acquire him.
And then on top of that, he plays second base.
I don't know about you, but that's not in the outfield, right,
and that's that's not first or third. Like we're we're

(01:38:13):
pretty bullish about the guy that's currently at second base, sir?
Are we talking about moving Matt McLain, Like you know,
we we broached this subject this last offseason a little
bit tongue in cheek. Matt McClain played center field at UCLA.
Is that what we're going to be talking about this offseason?
Because it kind of feels like you quote unquote fill
a hole in the lineup, but you also add a

(01:38:34):
question to the outfield.

Speaker 2 (01:38:36):
So now that they pivot back to the break even
strategy and the same payroll as a year ago strategy,
is there any realistic option out there that would make
this team better than it was a year ago that
that either that fills any of those holes?

Speaker 5 (01:38:56):
If I base, because you know, well we all know
that Charlie Goldsmith is the goat, and so with him
saying that, you know, the Reds are going back to
their idea of five to ten million dollars and that's
what they got to spend, then they need to go
give that money to Reece Hoskins right now because Reee
Hoskins has the power that they need, assuming that he's healthy,
which once again, this guy falls within the Reds wheelhouse

(01:39:18):
right of a guy coming off of injury plague seasons
who was once good and once really powerful. Let's see
if we can get that back. But if that's all
that they've got to offer, that's who they're looking at
is Reece Hoskins, and so he is available. There's a
lot of projections that have his contract being like a
one year, ten million dollar thing. Go get that ten
million dollars. We can figure out the bullpen stuff from within.

(01:39:40):
I feel like the Reds have a lot of talent
there and there's a lot of guys with unrealized potential,
and then you could work with that through the season.
If there are holes, you could make a trade here
or there. But when it comes to this lineup, you
cannot go to Goodyear in February and say that the
lineup we had last year is good enough for this.
You've got to add at least one more guy to it.

(01:40:02):
Go get Reeese Hoskins right now.

Speaker 3 (01:40:05):
Lastly, before we let you go, Jeff, there is growing
concern about a lockout for the twenty twenty seven MLB season.
How much are the Reds or how much are teams
in baseball operating in that sense of understanding that lockout
and does that go into any of the decision making
coming up for the twenty twenty sixth year.

Speaker 5 (01:40:23):
Oh, I think it's prevalent through Major League Baseball right now.
The only team that doesn't seem bothered by is, of course,
the Dodgers, because money is not a problem in Los Angeles.
But even the Chicago Cubs have said, like Craig Council
was talking at the Winter Meetings the other day and
said that he is excited about the playing time that
young guys are going to get this year on the

(01:40:44):
Chicago Cubs, And I'm like, that's the second biggest or
third biggest, however you look at it market in America.
So there should be no reason why the Cubs are
sitting on their hands and letting guys walk or letting
guys go to other teams they could be signing. If
the Cubs feel this way, that's a feeling amongst all

(01:41:05):
of Major League Baseball that they are worried about what's
going to happen next year, and I think that they're
posturing their strategy that's going on with this, and there's
a really good chance that after we come out of
the CBA we do see more spending. But that's what's
really had me wondering about this year, and the fact
that the Red's even made an offer to Kyle Schwarber. Actually,
that's the only part of it that surprises me in

(01:41:27):
a good way that they were in on that, because
it really feels like they have been posturing themselves to
the point that they don't have guaranteed money on the
books after this CBA is over, because all it is
right now is Hunter Green and Kee Brian Hayes, and
so if they add more to that, it almost feels
a little bit surprising. But yeah, I think that that
has kind of overshadowed all of this stuff right now

(01:41:49):
because the guys that have the big time contracts are
going to the teams that can print money and just
hand it to them ten fifteen years down the road.

Speaker 3 (01:42:00):
Interesting time and an interesting time to be a Cincinnati
Reds fan. By the way, first baseball team. A lot
of pride here in this fan base, fan base that's
ready to rally around note any type of winning. Just
just want to win, and we'll support winning and we'll
buy tickets if you're winning.

Speaker 2 (01:42:17):
I have one more question for Jeff. Actually, jeff Our
friend Chad Dotson posted on Twitter last night that the
Reds are not a professional sports franchise, They're a lifestyle brand.
What's your reaction to that.

Speaker 5 (01:42:31):
It's hard to argue. It kind of feels that way
at the moment where it's like, all right, if we're
going to focus on guys who are more local, and
that's the guys that we really want to stretch for
and sort of build on our local brand. I always
think of this one team, and I don't know if
it's changed. It was years ago that I had read
about this, but it was a Spanish league soccer team

(01:42:53):
over in the oh. What do they call the La
Liga Siria no La Liga, that's right, Italian La Liga.
That was real associated ad and they only filled their
roster with players who lived within a fifty mile radius
of the stadium. And I'm like, if this is where

(01:43:15):
we are going with Major League, we got some, we
got some interesting it is it certainly certainly is and
I would Yeah, lifestyle brands really hard to argue.

Speaker 2 (01:43:32):
Right now, Damn, it's not hard to argue.

Speaker 3 (01:43:35):
There's always something going on around the Cincinnati Reds, and
for you covering the Reds, what's the easiest way for
listeners to follow along with everything you get going on?
And uh, the enjoyment you take in watching what transpires
here with this organization.

Speaker 5 (01:43:48):
Hey, I'm all over it on social media. Don't you
follow me at Jeff Carr with three fs on x
I'm also on TikTok that same name, and you can
follow the show everywhere you get your podcasts, including the
iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 2 (01:44:00):
Jeff, thank you so much.

Speaker 5 (01:44:01):
Man.

Speaker 2 (01:44:01):
Hang in there, buddy, hang in there. We'll talk, so
we'll get there, guys. Oh yeah, Christmas is coming soon, Jeff,
enjoy the holiday season.

Speaker 5 (01:44:11):
Thank you, Thanks guys.

Speaker 2 (01:44:14):
That is a Jeff Carr. Wow, he kept the Go
Reds in there, kept the Go Reds man. I appear
I respect that. Let's break, Let's come back.

Speaker 3 (01:44:24):
Plenty more still to go in our number three, including
an excerpt of what Jimmy V said in his original
x SP speech. As it is Jimmy V Week happening
right now with the V Foundation. The Jimmy V Classic
was last night. We'll get to that before quick hits
a little bit more on the football side when we
come back ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station after It's

(01:44:45):
really what every sport fan needs right now in Cincinnati,
just a little angel ridge from Jeff Henry. Holiday season
is around us, is upon us. Sometimes we just need
to sit back, put a little Jeff Henry on the radio.
It is said from Indianapolis, Austin that Philip Rivers is

(01:45:07):
an option to start the game on Sunday.

Speaker 2 (01:45:09):
I did see that they activated Brett Rippon. Brett Rippan
moved to the active roster. So Rippin or Rivers, I
would imagine it's.

Speaker 3 (01:45:20):
Going to be Rivers. You don't go through all this
for it not to be Rivers. I've seen excerpts from
his from his press conference. It seems like he's handled
everything with the media well. I think they joked about
his what his plane weight is, and He's like, I
don't know. You can make the argument that Philip Rivers
has never lost a press conference.

Speaker 2 (01:45:38):
No, what's your plane weight?

Speaker 5 (01:45:40):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:45:41):
I think I can't wait for you know, several years
from now, Brett Rippan will be on like a random
podcast and they'll ask him about his twenty twenty five season.

Speaker 5 (01:45:49):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:45:49):
Starts with the Bengals. Burrow gets hurt, Jake Browning, then
he gets cut, Joe Flacco shows up, goes to Indianapolis.
You already have this nonsense that's going on with their
quarterback room. And then Philip Rivers happens, and I bet
that's just a heck of a year. Yeah, b oh.

Speaker 3 (01:46:10):
Brett rippon other NFL news, The Commander's Jade and Daniels
will be out against the Giants with the elbow re injury.
We talk about this Burr all the time. If you're
the Commander's Austin, do you just sit him down for
the rest of the year.

Speaker 5 (01:46:24):
I think so.

Speaker 3 (01:46:25):
I mean, at this point, I don't have anything, nothing
else to play for. And the Kansas City Chiefs Travis
Kelcey on his latest edition of their New Heights podcast,
coming off a game first time in his thirteen year career,
he finished the game with more drops than receptions. He said, quote,
you put in all the bleeping work and hope it
pays off. And right now, just for whatever bleeping reason

(01:46:49):
the little things. I don't have an answer, can't find
the answer, says Travis Kelcey.

Speaker 2 (01:46:55):
By the way, my quarterback tears, I have three really
top number one tier is Burrow, Stafford and Mahomes.

Speaker 10 (01:47:02):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (01:47:03):
Then there's a gap and it's Josh Allen. It's not
a big gap, but it's Josh Allen. Then there's a
decent sized gap and it's Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert Dak Prescott,
Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff, Jalen Hurts, Jordan Love, Drake May.
And then there's a pretty sizable gap and there's everybody else.

Speaker 3 (01:47:22):
Do you feel like gap two? Those quarterbacks can still win,
but they need things around them to help. I think
so yeah. And I have Lamar there just because he's
clearly control. But how far off is Drake May? I
feel like everyone is on and I get he's an
MVP candidate. How far from that top tier is Drake May?
Or is it just still because it's so new still early?

(01:47:43):
You got to see a lot still early? I agree,
but those top that top tier, which I agree with.
Those are quarterbacks that elevate everyone around you and give
you a chance no matter what the rest of the
roster is.

Speaker 2 (01:47:52):
I feel like Allen and Jackson kind of go back
and forth sometimes from the top tier to the tier
they're in. It's hard to feel like with.

Speaker 3 (01:48:02):
With Herbert just because of the injuries as well, that
you never really get a full understanding.

Speaker 2 (01:48:07):
But and he blew off Laura Rutledge. Yeah, that was weak,
or he tried to that was weak.

Speaker 3 (01:48:12):
What's not weak is a tradition I've had every year
since I can remember, and that is listening to Jim
Valvano and his SB speech as he was battling cancer.
And whether you're battling it, you know someone that's battling it,
or just going through ups and downs in life. I
always think that there are things we can draw from
the great Jim Valvano and what he had to say.

(01:48:34):
So when we come back in honor of V Week,
I'm gonna play a little bit of what Jimmy V
had to say, and after that we'll get to Moegar.
All happening next ESBN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 8 (01:48:45):
Station WCKY Cincinnati, and iHeartRadio Station Guaranteed Human ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 13 (01:48:54):
I heard radio, Hey it's Moeger This holiday season.

Speaker 2 (01:48:59):
Let's welcome back since he three to sixty.

Speaker 3 (01:49:02):
ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station, a service of Penn Station.
It's V Week, the V Foundation Jim Valvano, The Jimmy
V Classic was last night. V Week goes until December fourteenth.
There are ways that you can make an impact. V
dot org slast donate, But this is not about asking
you to go donate. This is about something that I

(01:49:24):
think is appropriate for all seasons of life, whether you're
dealing with an illness, someone you know is dealing with
an illness, or you're just going through highs and lows
that that happened in everyday life, especially in today's world.
It's something my dad did with me every year. We
would sit down, we'd glue ourselves to the TV, and
we'd listen to the famous Jim Valvano sp speech. And here,

(01:49:47):
in honor of that, in honor of V Week, in
honor of Jim Valvano and everything going on in life,
here is a couple minutes of what Jim Valvano had
to say in that historic speech.

Speaker 7 (01:49:57):
Now, also, I don't have one of those things going
with the que cards, so I'm gonna speak longer than
anybody else has spoken tonight.

Speaker 2 (01:50:04):
That's the way it goes.

Speaker 12 (01:50:08):
Time.

Speaker 7 (01:50:09):
Time is very precious to me. I don't know how
much I have left, and I have some things that
I would like to say. Hopefully at the end I'll
have something that will be important to other people too,
But I can't help it now. And I'm fighting cancer.
Everybody knows that. And people ask me all the time
about how you go through your life and how's your day,

(01:50:31):
And nothing is changed for me.

Speaker 2 (01:50:33):
As Dick said, I'm a very emotional, passionate man. I
can't help.

Speaker 7 (01:50:36):
But that's being the son of Rocco and Angelina Valvano.
That just comes with the territory. Right. We hug, we kiss,
we love, And when people say to me, how do
you get through life? Or each day is the same
thing to me. There are three things we all should
do every day. If we do this every day of
our life, you're gonna have what a wonderful Number one

(01:50:57):
is laugh you should laugh every day, or to us
think you should spend some time in thought. And number
three is you should have your emotions moved to tears.
Could be happiness or joy, but think about it. If
you laugh, you think and you cry, that's a full day.
That's a heck of a day. You do that seven
days a week, you're gonna have something special.

Speaker 6 (01:51:21):
And so.

Speaker 7 (01:51:24):
I can't help I rode on the plane up today
with Mike Skizhevski, my good friend and a wonderful coach.
Where people don't realize he's a ten times better person
than he is a coach, and we know he's a
great coach. He's meant a lot to me in these
last five or six months of my battle. But when
I look at Mike, I think we compete against each
other's as players.

Speaker 2 (01:51:42):
I coached against them fifteen years.

Speaker 7 (01:51:44):
And I always have to think about what's important in
life is to think, to me, the three things where
you started, where you are, and where you're gonna be.
Those are three things that I try and do every day.
And you know, when I think about getting up and
giving a speech, I can't help it.

Speaker 2 (01:51:56):
I have to remember the.

Speaker 7 (01:51:57):
First speech I ever gave. I was co at Rutgers University.
That was my first job. All like, oh, that's a
wonderful and I was the freshman coach. That's when freshmen
played on freshman team, and I was so fired up
about my first job as Lou Holtz coach. Holdt said,
what was it like the first job you had? Right,
the very first time you stood in the locker room

(01:52:19):
to give a pep talk. That's a special place, the
locker room for a coach to give a talk. So
my idol as a coach was Vince Lombardi. And I
read this book called Commitment to Excellence by Vince Lombardy.
And in the book, Lombardi talked about the first time
he spoke before his Green Bay Packer team in the
locker room noir perennial losers. And I'm reading this and

(01:52:41):
Lombardi said he was thinking should be a long talk,
a short talk, but he wanted to be emostly said
be brief, and is what he did. He Normally, you
get in the locker room, I don't know, twenty five
minutes a half hour before the team takes the field.
You do your alexa o's, and then you give the
great new Rockety talk. We all do speech number eighty four.
You pull him right out, you get you get ready,
get your squad right. Who is the first one I
ever game? And I read this thing Lombardy. What he

(01:53:02):
said was he didn't go in.

Speaker 2 (01:53:03):
He waited. His team was wondering where is he? Where
is this great coach? He's not there. Ten minutes he's
still not there. Three minutes before to take the field.

Speaker 7 (01:53:11):
Lombardy comes in, bangs the door open, and I think
you all remember what great presence he had, right, great presence.

Speaker 2 (01:53:18):
And he walked in and he just walked back.

Speaker 7 (01:53:20):
And forth like this, just walk staring at the players,
and he said, all eyes on me.

Speaker 2 (01:53:25):
I'm reading this in this book and I'm getting the picture.
This Lombardi before his first game, and he said, gentlemen,
we will be successful this year.

Speaker 7 (01:53:32):
You can focus on three things, and three things only
your family, your religion, and the Green Bay Packers and
he and the rest of it.

Speaker 2 (01:53:40):
They knocked the walls down, the restless history. I said,
that's beautiful. I'm gonna do that.

Speaker 7 (01:53:45):
Your family, your religion, and Rutgers basketball.

Speaker 2 (01:53:50):
That's it.

Speaker 10 (01:53:51):
I had it.

Speaker 2 (01:53:51):
I'm listen.

Speaker 7 (01:53:52):
I'm twenty one years old. The kids I'm coaching at nineteen,
all right, and I'm gonna be the greatest coach in
the world. Ex Lombardy and I'm right, and I'm practicing
out in right. Besides locking them in the manager telling
me you got to go in not you, family, religion,
Ricker's basket.

Speaker 2 (01:54:09):
All eyes on me.

Speaker 11 (01:54:10):
I got it.

Speaker 10 (01:54:10):
I got it.

Speaker 7 (01:54:10):
And now finally he said three minutes. I said, fine,
true story. I go to knock the doors open, just
like the Buddy boom.

Speaker 2 (01:54:17):
He didn't know it. I almost broke my arm. I
was like, you know, it's what I didn't open. Now
I'm down.

Speaker 7 (01:54:23):
The players will looking, you know, coach getting help the
coach up, help.

Speaker 2 (01:54:26):
Them out, you know. And now I did like Lombardi.

Speaker 7 (01:54:28):
I walked back and forth and I was going like
that my arm get the feeling back in it.

Speaker 2 (01:54:32):
And finally I said, gentlemen, all eyes. I mean these
kids wanted to play the nineteen let's go.

Speaker 7 (01:54:38):
I said, gentlemen, will be successful this year if you
can focus on three things and three things only.

Speaker 2 (01:54:43):
He said, your family, your religion, and the Green Bay Packers.

Speaker 14 (01:54:48):
I told.

Speaker 10 (01:54:50):
I did that.

Speaker 13 (01:54:51):
I remember that.

Speaker 7 (01:54:56):
I remember, I remember where I it came from. It's
so important to know where you are, and I know
where I am right now. How do you go from
where you are the where you want to be? And
I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life.

Speaker 2 (01:55:12):
You have to have a dream a goal. You have
to willing to work for it.

Speaker 7 (01:55:17):
I talked about my family. My family is so important.
People think I have courage. The courage of my family's
my wife, Pam, my three daughters here, Nicole, Jamie, LeAnn,
my mom who is right here too, and and and
the screen is flashing up there thirty seconds, like I
can't about that screen right now? Huh, I got, I got,

(01:55:41):
I got tumors all over my body. I'm worried about
some guy in the back going thirty seconds. Huh, you
got a lot of heya love, buddy, you got a life?

Speaker 2 (01:55:52):
Well, I think the kid me all right, nut, I got.

Speaker 7 (01:55:58):
I just got one last thing. I urge all of you,
all of you to enjoy your life, the precious moments.
You have to spend each day with some laughter and
some thought to get your emotions going. To be enthusiastic
every day I have. Ralph Waldo Evers said, nothing break
if it comes without enthusiasm. To keep your dreams alive

(01:56:20):
in spite of problems, whatever, you have to believe, be
able to work hard for your.

Speaker 2 (01:56:26):
Dreams to come true, become a reality.

Speaker 3 (01:56:29):
All right, that's awesome, awesome, stuff it doesn't age. That
was nineteen ninety three at the SPC Arthur Ash Reward recipient.
The v Foundation was created ninety three. Since then, over
four hundred and fifty eight million dollars raised for game
changing cancer research. Enjoy your life, know where you're at,
but know where you want to be. Laugh, Think, have

(01:56:49):
your emotions moved to tears? It still holds true, It's
it's a part of my holiday season every year. Wanted
to share that with you, whether you've heard it, whether
you've not heard it. Impactful stuff from from Jim Valvano.
Mowager will join us next ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 13 (01:57:05):
From the bakery.

Speaker 1 (01:57:07):
Now, it's time for a quick hits on Tony Pikes.

Speaker 2 (01:57:10):
Since the three sixteen was looking for Mo, Mo's in
the building.

Speaker 3 (01:57:15):
Mo's getting ready for the Mowagger Show, which comes up
right after this, but kind enough to join us here
for a few moments for quick kids, Mo, what's up?
What are you coming up on the show today?

Speaker 2 (01:57:22):
Kind enough?

Speaker 14 (01:57:23):
Kind enough doing this out of charity, Yes, because there's
no way this show would be able to get through.

Speaker 13 (01:57:29):
The final segment without me stopping by.

Speaker 3 (01:57:31):
And what I feel like is you bring a certain
hometown discount near ability. You don't ask for much to
come on during this segment. You just do it because
well you know you're you're from the area and you've
been doing this. So I just assume Taylor Mill Kentucky,
well Mo will happily come do this because it's a
hometown discount, which is your favorite narrative.

Speaker 14 (01:57:51):
Mc crona will never leave. He went to Lasou High School.
Khys Rover's gonna come here because these were middletown. Uh,
we might create a US today, might do one of
those shows, create a list of like favorite narratives that
ended up not becoming true. Luke Fickle has kids who
go to a school here. They don't have schools in
places here. His wife likes yoga here. The Reds are poor.
Reds are poor. I just don't have any money pulling

(01:58:14):
their pockets out. You guys have covered this Reds thing
from every conceivable angle. I'll try to pick up where
you left off because it's about making the team better, right,
It's about the Reds need mechanically, need to use this
offseason to take the Reds from what they were last season,
which was barely a playoff team and making a team

(01:58:37):
that is capable of contending for a division title and
maybe a World Series title, and I think that's going
to be really hard. There's still time to do that.
I'm not sure there's time for them to change their brand.
I know what their brand is. Your brand is your reputation.
The Reds have cemented their reputation, right or wrong. They

(01:58:58):
have cemented their reputation that they will not go to
the end of the earth to be the best in
the world at what they do, and I think they
have a very uphill battle when it comes to changing that.
They may trade for Tel Marte, who's not from Cincinnati,
so I'm not sure how genuinely interested there. They may
acquire players like the new version of Austin Hayes or

(01:59:19):
the new version of Brady Singer. I'm sure they will
acquire players who have the chance to make the team better.
I think their chance at getting goodwill, I think their
chance at creating buzz, and frankly, I think their chance
at dramatically remaking the team came and went with Kyle
Swerber resigning with the Philadelphia.

Speaker 3 (01:59:38):
Surprised how open they were about the process. A little
bit of you know, it's more about getting fans to
the game. There's those types of comments or breaking even
that they've talked about in the offseason.

Speaker 13 (01:59:48):
So here's one thing I wonder.

Speaker 14 (01:59:51):
Kyle Schwerber comes to visit, and what the Reds try
to convince him is to take a hometown discount, right,
take a hometown discount and uh, you know, sign here
because you're from here. If you're a Kyle Schwarber, aren't
you going you want me to take a discount? I'm

(02:00:12):
not sure about your ability to build the team around
me that enables me to win.

Speaker 2 (02:00:18):
Like I know the team I was just on will building.

Speaker 13 (02:00:20):
These guys want to win.

Speaker 14 (02:00:21):
So if your first impression is well, we're crying poor,
you go Well, if you're crying poor with me and
I had fifty six Dons last year, where else are
you gonna? Who else are you asking to take a discount?
Like I think when you're I'm trying to think of
a good, good comparison here. But if like I don't
know that you're the free agent they bring you in
and they're trying to tell you that you got to

(02:00:42):
take a discount, that tells me, dude, you're not gonna
do everything you can to win. I'll go to Philadelphia,
where I feel like maybe it's because they have more resources,
but they will do everything they can to win, including
pay me the money that I'm looking for that the
market dictates I should get.

Speaker 2 (02:00:57):
Joe Burrow's birthday today. Happy birthday, Joe. How about that?

Speaker 3 (02:01:01):
Were you surprised to see and hear that that T
Higgins is doing some stuff at practice today a little bit?

Speaker 2 (02:01:07):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (02:01:07):
Or more surprising than Shamar Stewart's partaking in practice today?
Who Chamar Stuart tells that they drafted him last year
seventeenth overall pick, high upside guy, measurables through the roof, Dude,
start to show it? Yeah, I mean like he's gonna
have to. Ohsai and Hendrickson aren't going to be on
under contract.

Speaker 14 (02:01:27):
So we had a loud discussion yesterday about this. They
just need to be league average. Okay, I'm going to
talk about this today. Yeah, I'm gonna talk about the league.
He's just gonna be league average. Is there a perfect
way to determine which college football teams should play for
a championship?

Speaker 27 (02:01:43):
No?

Speaker 14 (02:01:45):
So I understand the holes and inconsistencies and I understand
Notre Dame's gripe. I'm not sure how many more interviews
or press conferences I have to see with the Notre
Dame athletic director, but okay, I get it. When I
was a kid, they show the national championship via pole
like after the ball games, whoever was number one in

(02:02:05):
the AP Top twenty five or the UPI poll. So
we had split national champions decided that wasn't good enough.
That we had the BCS every year.

Speaker 2 (02:02:12):
Not good enough?

Speaker 13 (02:02:14):
Okay, fine, college football playoffs sure, not good enough?

Speaker 2 (02:02:17):
Four teams, twelve.

Speaker 14 (02:02:18):
Team committee knocked? Is I just this is why I
like when people complain about this process. It has started
to fall on deaf ears for me. Yeah, because literally
my entire life, people have been complaining about the process,
but the process always.

Speaker 3 (02:02:32):
Changes based on UC basketball start to the season. I'd
like to revisit the process of expanding the NCAA tournament
field to what two.

Speaker 2 (02:02:39):
And fifty six?

Speaker 14 (02:02:40):
Rick Browing and the Musketeers joins us, Nice, did you
watch Clemson BYU last night?

Speaker 2 (02:02:44):
So fun?

Speaker 3 (02:02:45):
Bearcats play those two teams and Georgia who lost to
Clemson ninety seven ninety four?

Speaker 10 (02:02:49):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (02:02:51):
How how how do you view, Like, what are some
other phrases maybe that are coming close to your next
muted social media word. Ooh, that's a very question, Like
how close are you to just being done with hometown discount?

Speaker 13 (02:03:06):
Maybe because he's from here, that might be.

Speaker 3 (02:03:10):
Never think about I think Middletown's fine, but what about
what about Middletown?

Speaker 2 (02:03:14):
Are you done with Middletown?

Speaker 13 (02:03:15):
Love Middletown, Okay, Middletown. I have spent some time in Middletown.

Speaker 2 (02:03:19):
By the way, the NFL has shortened the time to
pick in the first round of the NFL Draft good
from ten minutes to eight minutes.

Speaker 14 (02:03:26):
It should be zero minutes. You've had four months to
make the pick. It should be here's the draft, Titans
or Browns or whoever is on the clock. Who you got, Yeah,
you don't need eight more minutes.

Speaker 13 (02:03:37):
Let's go.

Speaker 2 (02:03:37):
We should put them all up on stage like they
do the NBA.

Speaker 14 (02:03:40):
I think the draft would be more fun if the
team's had one minute between picks. All right, then we
see what these teams are really made of.

Speaker 3 (02:03:46):
Thanks for listening. Blagger's Next on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati
Sports station.

Speaker 8 (02:03:51):
KWISE Cincinnati make US the number one preset on your
car radio and on the free Knew It Improved iHeartRadio
add Free never sounded so good.

Speaker 13 (02:03:59):
ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 14 (02:04:02):
You