October 23, 2025 • 46 mins
Tony and Austin talk about the gambling scandal across the NBA, discuss the Bengals and Joe Flacco, and more on ESPN 1530!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Tony Pike sincey 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 (00:21):
Good afternoon, Happy Thursday, and welcome in to Cincy three
to sixty thanks to Skyline Chili. Anytime you're feeling good
and hungry, it's always Skyline time. But I didn't get
to ask you, Austin, did you finish? Did you complete
the babble headset?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
No?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
You did not.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
After our attempt at one time, that was this futile
I gave up.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yeah, it's crazy how easy it was to get to Borough.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
I'm thankful that Burrow was the first one. Yeah, but
I do have that one.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
I was going to try to get Higgins, but you know,
just didn't happen. Didn't happen all right?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Well, thanks to our friends at Skyline Chili.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
I can't wait for next year.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Thank you for listening in, and we got a heck
of a Thursday show ahead. Phone lines will be open
five one three seven, fifteen thirty.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
I have an idea for Skyline Okay special Edition Joe
Flacco bobblehead Man, how quick can you get a printed?
Except instead of it's you know him right there, it's
just him. It's him sitting at the bar by himself,
eating a three way, eating a three way. Yep, boom,
You're welcome.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
While immediately resonnated with so many people by just a
press conference yesterday. I don't know if I've ever seen
someone stardom shoot up so much higher in the span
of a day.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
It's ours. Really, It's been cool to hear Ravens fans
be like, yeah, like we love this guy yep, and
just to he's just so genuine, so refreshing. It's been awesome. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
It just to me, it just seems like a dude
who just appreciates an opportunity that he has, that he's
still getting to do what he loves. And uh again,
just people Joe cool. I think so much about what
makes him Joe cool is that he's relatable to a
lot of people, and uh man, yesterday was awesome. We'll
(02:08):
play some Joe Flacco audio from yesterday today. We also
have some Wes Miller audio about five minutes of what
Wes Miller had to say a big twelve media day.
We have John Shearon aight is E Sports is going
to join us at one o'clock this afternoon, and uh
so much more. We're gonna read and react today to
everything Bengals. What else is happening in the sports world?
(02:32):
NBA night too, last night Austin, NBA Night.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Two, Here come the Chicago bull Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
I mean that's out of everything that happened last night,
that's easily the lead Bulls.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
We'll talk about Luke and Cooper, flag wimb and all
these great young players. They can't hold a candle to
Matas Boozalis. How about that of the Chicago Bulls. Shout
out Matas. Yeah, shout out what he was able to
put together. Shout out to our guy Liam as well,
who apparently as a Pistons fan.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Good.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Yeah, oh and one pal good.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Shout out to Liam man.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
There is a lot going on in the NBA. Uh.
Victor Webbin Yama last night Austin forty points, fifteen rebounds,
no turnovers, three blocks. I think people forgot because he
was out last year. How dominant that dude is. I
also just want to say I appreciate that. I haven't
heard a lot of complaining from people that we've been
talking about the NBA. Yeah, how about that?
Speaker 3 (03:26):
And maybe that's just because they're appreciative because of what
happened a couple of weeks ago, so that they don't
want to complain. But I've also, like I've seen some
people in our mentions about the NBA. Yeah, we like
the NBA, absolutely, we like talking about the NBA. Uh
and we hope that maybe you'll give it a chance too.
Had put a couple wagers on your favorite team.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Had some debuts last night? Jock what was it? Jocks
of the night?
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Jos had some debuts last night. I work on getting
a sounder.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
My jock of the night did not do well. Cooper
flag Austin at one point was one for nine in
the game. He finished four of thirteen ten points. He
rocked up some rebounds, but he even said about his
debut not great. Vj Edgecomb though he was great for
the Philadelphia seventy six ers thirty four in his debut
(04:19):
coming off being Big twelve Player of the Year at Baylor.
Third most points by an NBA player in his first
game and the most points in a first quarter by
an NBA rookie. Did VJ. Edgecomb?
Speaker 3 (04:31):
I heard a crazy stat this morning about Brandon Jennings.
Do you remember him?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
I do?
Speaker 3 (04:35):
In his fifth career NBA game, he had fifty five points.
He never scored more than forty the rest of his career.
So VJ. Edgecomb's gotta keep it going, pal And then
news broke today. Oh boy.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Other NBA news, Terry Rogier, Scary Terry as he's known,
has been arrested in gambling investigations. Also, Portland Trailblazer head
coach and former Detroit Piston Chauncey Billups also arrested related
(05:14):
to illegal sports betting for Terry Rozier and rigged poker
games backed by the mafia for Chauncey Billups.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
There's a lot going on with this man. There's like
special X ray poker tables and cheating technology that scanned cards,
and some guy at a separate location called the quarterback
and insider information and overlap. And some people are speculating
that Gilbert Arenas, who has busted for poker games not
(05:45):
that long ago, has apparently spilled the beans on everybody
to crack this case wide open. Oh I don't know
if that's true or not, but there are a lot
of moving parts right now. You when it comes to
the NBA, which continues to have a gambling problem, why
why is that? Why in today's sports, knowing what we've seen,
(06:08):
is it? Is it just a sickness that people can't
stay away from because you know that they're watching for
it now because you've seen others arrested for it. Sure,
it's definitely a sickness, like gambling is a legitimate addiction,
and it's a major issue. But I also think that
the league itself, the NBA, is probably not doing a
(06:30):
good enough job of helping out their players or their
teams or taking this as seriously as they need to
take it. Because the NFL, Yeah, there's been issues with
guys gambling, but it's never been them gambling on the NFL.
It's been them gambling on other stuff, you know, on
company property and stuff like that. Major League Baseball we
(06:52):
saw it obviously many years ago with Pete Rose. We've
seen it a little bit recently with those Guardians pitchers.
But I mean, you don't see this with the top
league in the world, in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Nope. Groundbreaking stuff in Major League Baseball as well Austin.
We've got new managers across baseball. On one end, the
Angels have a new manager. It's Kurt Suzuki, longtime Red's Killer, Curtins,
longtime Red's killer, not longtime contract with the Angels. He's
(07:26):
given a one year deal. First time manager has been
given a one year deal by the Angels. That is
their Austin sixth manager in eight seasons.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Really weird. The Angels are just a weird organization. They
deserve credit because they were like the only organization who
was willing to let Shoheo Tani try to do both
when they came up, and has turned him into what
he is. But other than that, I mean, they're just
dealing with stuff constantly. Like the Tyler Skaggs case. He
was killed due.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
To the drug over and was apparently being facilitated by
a team trainer of the Angels.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
That case is still ongoing. Yeah, Mike Trout just testified
in that case like two days ago. Like that organization's
just in shamble.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Suzuki said, I've been playing on one year deals my
whole career.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
It feels like so there's a series he was playing
with the Nationals. Honestly, it's early on in the season.
A couple of years ago might have been on the
Reds opened up with them. I can't remember. But Kurt Suzuki,
I feel like, was seven for twelve in that series
with like four homers. Dude, own the Reds. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
And then Austin, you get this Tennessee volunteer coach Tony Vttello,
how about this? Wins the men's College World Series in
twenty twenty four, now makes the leap and as the
manager of the San Francisco Giants. It's the first time
a big league team has hired a manager directly from
a college program without any experience as a professional coach.
(08:54):
I Austin, commend the Giants for this. Sure, I've talked
about this before. There are too many times in sports
it just feels like guys are just recycled. Guy gets
let go, He ends up somewhere else, even though his
track record but the previous spot wasn't great, but he's
been around it for so long. Go get somebody new,
Go get somebody fresh. I like this approach from the Giants.
(09:15):
I commend them. What do you think about the Pro
Bowl games moving to Super Bowl Week.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
Good makes sense, supposed to be that way. Yeah, all
the players generally end up traveling to the super Bowl
city anyways for their promotions and radio row and all that.
So if you can basically get it there and kill
two birds with one stone and make that a big
part of Super Bowl Week, I think that's a good thing.
I think the NFL do a good job marketing it.
My question is, now, what do you do in that
(09:41):
extra week leading up to the Super Bowl. How does
the NFL turn that weekend into a profitable weekend? Because
I can't imagine them just giving something up. They don't
want to ever give up weekends. They don't care about
college football. They're not going to give up a week
indo college football. Hell, they played some of their most
important games at the end of the year on Saturdays.
They don't care. So to me, I'm curious to see
(10:02):
how does the NFL now turn this into a profitable
week will Because maybe it was that the Pro Bowl
just nobody was caring and nobody was watching, and if
it's super Bowl Week, you'll get more eyes on that
and maybe it increases the significance of it. But how
do you turn it into something else I think is interesting.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Yeah, Leonel Messi has been extended Withinner Miami. There was
a rus for f C Cincinnati. It was a conversation that,
you know, maybe when the contract was up, maybe he'd
go elsewhere, maybe he'd be done. He has now signed
a contract extension to stay at Inner Miami through the
end of the twenty twenty eight MLS season. So more
(10:42):
Messy in the MLS, yeah, and more hell is real
coming up on Monday for FC Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Yeah. Wait, it is.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Going to be a phenomenal sports weekend here locally. Bearcats
are home, Bangles are home. FC Cincinnati is home. Much
in between all that, Nate Bargatzi's in town. Oh, your
guy Nate's in town.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Are you going to go see him?
Speaker 2 (11:05):
He's in town Saturday and Sunday. We're going to go
Sunday night to see him.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
So we were looking forward to that. Yeah. I think
tickets are still available. Not with you though, Yeah, yeah,
you know the way the tickets are set up, right,
Mo was giving away this week on his show, I
was giving away Bargatzi tickets, So, uh that is that's
cool as well. Uh, Today I want to talk a
little bit about what Luayna Rumo's got working with the
(11:31):
Indianapolis Colts, and look at some other defensive moves that
were made this offseason for the Cincinnati Bengals. Speaking of
the Bengals, will take an update to look at playoff
odds and where those chances sit. As we do on Thursdays,
we will read and react. That's right, read and react. Yeah,
what are we are? We are we reading reacting to
NFL or we've been reacting to college football.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
We're reading and reacting to Bengals Jets there.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
It is as we always do, John Shearon at one o'clock,
whoever they play, Miller will play some of his audio.
We have the Joe Flacco audio and we will we'll
read and react to that as well.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Thursday Night Football Tonight, Thursday Night Football kind of snuck
up on me.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Who do you like?
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Vikings Chargers. I'm gonna go Chargers based just off the uniforms.
M they're going with their old school. It's like a
mix between old and new. It's their super Chargers alternates.
Which is that dark blue.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
It's not the it's not the the yellow that they
wore the other day.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
It's not those Savannah banana jerseys that they wore. It's
like the dark blue with more of a golden yellow
than their typical yellow. Okay, kind of think early two
thousands Ladanian Tomlinson Philip Rivers type of Chargers uniforms. That's
what they're gonna be wearing. I'm excited about those. I
think that looks cool. They got the alternate helmets and everything.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
You know.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
It actually makes me think I was, as you know, Tony,
I got this new iPad and what I do is
I just write down notes constantly, and I wrote down
the other we just a random thought and it was
a question, and I'm gonna ask that question to you now, Okay,
would Ladanian Tomlinson be as dominant today as he was
in the two thousands? Because Bjeon Robinson keeps getting compared
(13:13):
to Ladanian Tomlinson, and I think that's a good comparison.
Would he be as dominant now lt as he was
in the two thousands?
Speaker 2 (13:21):
I still think so. I mean, I think his game
transcends through time. I mean, I did he was so
good with the ball. In today's game, I think the
most effective guys are the one that can get the
ball and get it in space, and I think that's
the job of coordinators in today's game. It's weird with
(13:44):
Bjeon Austin because I wondered this all the time. There
are games that feels like he's targeted, and then there
are games that feels like he's an afterthought. Ladanian Tom
was always targeted, right, he was always the show. Yeah,
I think in the past game, I think his game
would translate well.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
What I thought was offensive line play. I don't know
that it's ever been worse than it is right now
in the NFL. Like there is very like the depth
of great linemen in the NFL, very very few. And
I feel like back then, running the football and that
being a run first team, that was what the NFL
(14:21):
was built on at the time. Sure the college game
was built on that, and I think that's why it
translated to the NFL so much, specifically with the development
of offensive linemen. But then I was thinking about it.
How many Charger offensive linemen from twenty years ago could
I name?
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Right?
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Not one, right? I still haven't thought of one. And
I wrote this down five days ago. I can't think
of a single one, which maybe just says how good
Ladanian Thomas. It was. But it is interesting because I
don't think there's this is a tangent. I'm sorry, I've
been thinking about this for days. Bijon is probably the
closest player I've seen to LT with that movement ability,
pass game ability, and like the game that they played
(14:59):
on Sunday or Monday whatever, the Sunday night game against
the Niners, I mean, their whole game plan was just
throw it to Beijon in the flat and let him
make a dude miss yep like that. If I played
the Bengals and I was the Falcons, that would be
the game plan the entire time. Yes, And that was
kind of what the Steelers did at the Bengals last Thursday.
And I wonder, I mean, we'll see what happens with
(15:20):
Garrett Wilson, We'll see what happens with Breece Hall. I
wonder if it'll be a similar game plan from the
Jets on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
That See, that's what makes it interesting to me. With
when you talk about Tyrod Taylor or Justin Fields. Tyrod's
been around long enough, he's gonna take the checkdowns every
time they're there, almost annoyingly, like if Tyrod Taylor plays
I could see that being a game where like Brice
Hall has ten catches and they're all just checkdowns over
(15:46):
where he's sitting over the ball, defense dropped back. Brice
Hall leaks out, they drop it down to him and
he just gets easy yards. You're in that bend, but
don't break mold. I just that's my concern with Tyrod,
Whereas I feel like Justin Fields is still going to
hold onto the ball and try to make those bigger plays.
Tyrod's been around it long enough. He's going to get
the ball out of his hands, especially if he's a
(16:06):
little bit compromised. I would worry about Breese Hall in
the passing game. Let's take our first break. Our phone
lines are open five to one, three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty. Football in the NATI is next on ESPN
fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Now your chance to win Football in the NATI, brought
to you by Postman Law on ESPN fifteen thirty, the
official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Welcome back, Cincy. Three to sixty. There it is thanks
to Skyline Chili. Thank you for listening on the Home
of the Bengals, ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. I'm
looking right now going into week eight of the NFL
season here Austin, and we'll look at some of the
marquee games coming up this weekend. Playoff odds available right
(16:58):
now for the NA Any guess on your behalf where
the Bengals playoff odds sit as we sit today, I.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Wouldn't even know where to begin. Probably not very good.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Nineteen percent. Yeah, for what it's worth, twenty nine percent
is where the Baltimore Ravens sit.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Lamar Jackson returned to practice yesterday.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Why and I'll pull up the schedule.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
It's pretty easy.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
I know it's easy. What about what the Ravens have
done through this point. It's not like Lamar has missed
all of the year. What about what the Ravens have
done on defense? Has people still believing that they can
turn this thing around?
Speaker 3 (17:48):
I think the big thing is the schedule and the
offenses that they'll have to face. Miami is a complete
train wreck. Now, Chicago's obviously good offensively in our getting
better in the right direction. But Miami's a train wreck.
Minnesota's a train wreck, with or without Carson Wentz, Cleveland's
a training wreck. The Jets are a train wreck. The
(18:09):
Bengals okay, solid, the Steelers okay but not great, and
Green Bay and New England, like, there's a couple of
difficult offenses that they have to face, and I feel
like the sports books are betting on the idea or
most people however you want to describe it, or whatever
(18:30):
metric you want to use, are thinking, Okay, the defense
will get better over time, and with Lamar back, that
makes their defense better, and him in and of himself
as a multiple time MVP makes the the every game
viable for them.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Yeah, I just I'm not buying in at this point
to the Ravens. Now, for what it's worth, the teams
currently listed the AFC Austin with higher playoff chances than
the Bengals the Ravens, Texans, Jaguars, Chargers, Steelers, Broncos, Bills, Patriots, Chiefs, Colts,
(19:16):
any of those teams that you view the Bengals better
than right now?
Speaker 3 (19:21):
No, I mean we had this conversation the other day. No,
even the Texans.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Maybe better than the Texans, but their defense is good.
And I don't think Houston's going to get into the
playoffs just because of the way that their division works out,
but their defense is still really good. Yeah, one of
the best front sevens in football. Jacksonville.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
I'm still I'm not ready to give up on I've
been high on them, high a couple of weeks ago. Yeah,
I've been high on them. I'm not going to give
up on them yet. A young coach, young quarterback, a
lot of changes there. Still still not ready to give
up on them.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Team tams that have a greater than fifty percent chance
to make the playoffs Colts, Chiefs, Patriots, Bills, Broncos, Steelers, Chargers, Jaguars.
Which of those is the most fraudulent Steelers Probably? I
think so too. Seventy two per chance right now for
the Pittsburgh Steelers to make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
But they're also a team that if their front seven
plays well and Aaron Rodgers gets on a heater, they
could go on a run like Rogers. Still has that ability,
I believe, And if they continue to get Pat Fryermouth involved,
and if they find any semblance of a run game
like that can be a good team.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Offensively. Yeah, defensively, I can't believe how bad they are.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
They have question marks and Tarah Austin has never been
a good defensive coordinator. It's amazing he still has a job.
But you know, if TJ. Watt and Alex high Smith
and Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer and Cam Hayward, I mean,
that group right there, in and of itself should make
you a better football team.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Yeah. Speaking of Deficus smoked on Sunday night. Though it'd
be nice, wouldn't it. Oh, Jordan Love goes nuclear. Speaking
of defenses, the Bengals in the off season, Austin move
on from Louena Roumo. I don't know if you've followed much.
Lowen Rumo's doing pretty good job with the Colts.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
There was an ESPN article today that kind of highlighted
what what teams did in the offseason and getting the
early returns. What do you make so far about what
you've seen from TJ.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Slayton. He's been fine?
Speaker 2 (21:30):
How was I thought he was going to be a
bigger impact player? Is it more demoral?
Speaker 3 (21:37):
I think he's been bad. Just to clarify, I don't
think he's been a bad player.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
They are thirty first and EPA allowed in the NFL
against design runs. I mean Slayton was brought in to
stop the run.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Sure, they also got two rookie linebackers. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
They also went and drafted Shamar Stewart, and I mean.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
He's missed most of the season. He has Hendrickson's not
a good run defender, and.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
Chamar had I thought Shamar had a golden opportunity on
Thursday and did not show up in the statue.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Yeah, I mean I don't.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
And it's too early to say that that that's a mispick.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Him coming off of an ankle injury after not playing
for a few weeks. I didn't necessarily have high expectations
for him. Sure, I'm not expecting to go out and
have four TFLs and two sacks, but you would at
least at least like to see him have more of
an impact.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
One of the players that is actually having an impact
Joseph Osai nineteen pressures on the year, good for twelfth
in the National Football League.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Gotta turned pressures into sacks.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Yeah, I mean that was the conversation around drafting Shamar Stewart.
You know, a lot of pressures, not a lot of
sack numbers. I think the Bengals problem is, and it's
what you just highlighted, Austin. You've got two rookie linebackers.
You've got TJ. Slayton, who assigned to stop the run.
Hendrickson has not been in Even when he's played, it's
(23:02):
not like he's playing ninety percent of the snaps. They've
not gotten much from Miles Murphy. They've not gotten much
from Shamar Stewart.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Yeah, same old Steart.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
If Osaia is getting the pressures, you would like that
to mean that the quarterback has to adjust and there's
someone else there to finish. The problem with the Bengals
they don't have multiple guys winning on every snap up front.
One guy might win. It's easy. I'm not gonna say
it's easy. It's easier for a quarterback to navigate that
in the NFL if you've got to move around just
(23:31):
one guy. The problem becomes if you've got to push
up and now there's pressure up the middle, or you
push up and spin out and there's another pressure waiting
for you. Far too many times, in my opinion, the
Bengals have that initial pressure where it needs to be,
and then there's just no secondary help. They can't find
guys that win multiple times on a play, and that
(23:56):
puts them in a tough situation.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Now, Lawson tweeted last night, you or him? I do.
Carl Lawson tweeted back where it all started, praying hands emoji.
Oh so what I did is, of course, the former
Bengals draft pick out of Auburn. I went over to
the NFL transactions and I call him. Through all the workouts,
the tryouts, the visits. Carl Lawson nowhere to be found.
(24:23):
But he was okay last year with the Dallas Cowboys.
He said that he was thankful for the opportunity he
got in Dallas. He believes he's twice the player he
was even last year due to a healthy offseason. So
would you take a flyer on Carl Lawson?
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Yes, take a flyer on anybody.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
I mean, based off of the conversation we just had.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
I mean, it can't be any worse. Can't be any worse.
Carl Lawson last year, according to Pro Football Focus, fifty
nine point seventh grade. Okay, right, kind of in the
middle of the pack of defensive ends in the NFL.
It's probably not that much worse than most of what
the Bengals have. No, and if it was him coming home,
(25:11):
sign me up for it. Bring him home. You'll be
having those conversations.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
I do think the Cedric Johnson thing is is noteworthy
because he did play well towards the end of last
season him and Joseph said both and I would imagine
they'll Bengals would stick with Cedric Johnson over Cam Sample
because Cam Sample really just hasn't been the player I
expected him to be coming off of that. Butteller tendont
injury and hasn't. I don't know if he's gotten a
(25:37):
fair share of it of opportunities. But yeah, these are
the things we talked about a lot this week. Of continuing,
continuing to make your team better and improve the bottom
of your roster, you got to consider, you know, Cedric Johnson,
Carl Loss and those type of guys.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Depth is a major conversation in the National Football League.
As we talked about yesterday, something that everyone's talking about
from yesterday, what Joe Flacco had to say when we
come back, Let's get the Joe Flacco audio and let's
react to that as well. ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Thanks to our friends at Skyline Chili.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
You've been listening to football in the NATI on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals, ESPN
fifteen thirty.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Welcome back. It is since he three sixty our number one,
that's right, ESPN fifteen thirty. That's the home of the Bengals.
You still say it's sixty. Say whatever we want, Lets
go with it. I'll tell you who's speaking in a
way that I think a lot of us can appreciate
(26:56):
is what Joe Flacco had to say yesterday. And not
just a comment that we're going to get to about,
you know, getting out to dinner and being able to
sit by yourself and kind of collect your thoughts, but
what he had to say from his press conference yesterday Austin,
I believe what do we have six or seven minutes
of Joe Flacco from yesterday?
Speaker 3 (27:15):
Yeah, we got a few minutes of Joe Flacco.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Let's dive into some Joe Flacco speaking to members of
the media yesterday.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
Yeah, for sure, it was nice to have a little
like to be able to breathe a little bit this weekend,
and you know, it feels like I was we were
just out in the practice field and it feels like,
you know, I've barely been there it, so, yeah, it's
good to kind of get back in the normal rhythm
of a Monday, Tuesday and now actually going out there
in the practice field on Wednesday field and prepared with
(27:42):
a normal week.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
You feel like you're operating the way you want to.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
You know you're not going to get a full training camp,
but how do you feel like you're out there?
Speaker 4 (27:49):
Yes, I mean so far, still learning and trying to
pick up everything, and you know, just play as fast
and as smooth as I can and using just the
same I'm going to try to keep my process the same,
you know, and use these walkthroughs and the practices to
get used to calling it and seeing it, and you know,
(28:11):
just try to keep keep it at a basic level
and keep going from there.
Speaker 5 (28:17):
So much focused kill you getting accustomed to your weapons,
running backs obviously, the wide receivers.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
What about the offensive line, what side.
Speaker 5 (28:27):
You know, getting use to them, playing in front of them,
and life.
Speaker 4 (28:32):
Well, it's been great. I mean, I think you can
tell that those guys are a hard work, hard working group.
And I think the biggest thing is for those guys
to get comfortable with each other. And now, you know,
the way you get good at playing with each other
is just trust, you know, trust between everybody trust that
they're going to do their job. They have the trust
that I'm going to do my job and get the
ball out and and you know, no, you know, maybe
(28:55):
know when we're getting the ball out in quick game,
know when we're maybe dropping a little bit deeper. I
think as long as they'rebody can do that and trust
each other to do their job and not try to
get cute and make up for something here and make
up for something there, you know, then we'll grow together
and be happy with it.
Speaker 6 (29:11):
Hey, you guys avoid the obligatory letdown game that comes
after a mini by facing a winless team. How do
you guys keep the moments and going on offense from
what you had in Vintsburgh.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
Just go out and take every day by itself, prepare
Wednesday like you always do, Thursday like you always do Friday,
and then ultimately win the football game. A lot of
that stuff is just talk, and you know, you don't
have to answer it unless you don't go out there.
You know, unless you don't go you go out there
and don't play well. So it's simple. You can't worry
(29:45):
about what the result is at any point, but definitely
not on Wednesday. He's got to go out there and
prepare and then on Sunday, same thing. You got to
go play each play and you know, just keep getting
up and doing the same thing over and over again,
having the best play that you can possibly have in
that moment. The results come when you when you're able
(30:06):
to be in the moment and focus on the task
at hand.
Speaker 5 (30:08):
So your offensive line, have you had a chance to
kind of weapop with the Orlando and just a kind
of shaking heads and saying, well, here we are, And yeah,
I've been able to have that moment yet or.
Speaker 4 (30:20):
A little bit, Yeah, because he's very willing to come
up to me and talk about certain things like that
and just kind of ask me how it's been going
in Cincinnati and yeah, So like I think he's probably
driven that conversation, but we've been able to talk a
little bit about it.
Speaker 7 (30:35):
You mentioned one of the game has struggled for the
most part this year before you got here suddenly starting
to click a little bit. And do you think what
you've done in the past game has opened up the
run game or the one game open up some things
for you Thursday.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
Night, the past game, it's tough to say it's it's
one game. I do think the run game early on
in that, Like, I think initially the run game did
spark us that little that thirty yard run we had,
and that was our first scoring drive, I believe, and
then and the next one we came out and have
another little chunk run. Anytime that you can, you know,
get some of those games in the running game, it's
(31:08):
going to help your offense out a lot. So I
think in Thursday's case, the run game definitely helped us out.
But we just got to, you know, like I said,
we got to just continue to work at it and
have faith that you know, we're getting better, and you know,
one game doesn't necessarily indicate what the next is going
to be. And and just like I said before about
(31:29):
you know, the process of it all, I don't think
we can really worry about that. I think we just
got to continue to work on getting better and trust
that we're doing the right things and then on Sundays
it'll show up.
Speaker 8 (31:39):
Is the biggest way a quarterback can help a run game,
un to think of it that way, but the other way,
beyond you obviously talking and running again in that way,
you know, what are the biggest ways quarterbacks can help
keep a running game efficient.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
Well complete passes when you get the opportunity to do it,
you know, stay ahead of the stakes, you know, of
the sticks, you know, first, first and second down, especially
first down. When you have easy completions and and you
can keep your helpself ahead of the sticks, then it
gives you the chance to be multiple and and not
you know, be kind of forced into being one dimensional
(32:17):
because you weren't able to do what you were supposed
to do on early downs. I think that's probably the
biggest thing. Other than that, maybe I would say just
the just the operation of it all, gett into the
line of scrimmage, snapping the ball, having good rhythm with that.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
This is obviously a very unique situation where you have
to leave your home and income here the way you did.
How are you navigating a dad?
Speaker 4 (32:40):
Well, the good thing I guess, I guess you could
say is that I was in Cleveland by myself, you know,
my family was in New Jersey. We decided to do
that this year because last year we decided to do
it the other way, and this year we just said, hey,
let's keep the kids in their routine, and you know,
see how that goes and there's been a challenge.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Just with that.
Speaker 5 (33:02):
You know.
Speaker 4 (33:02):
I love being there and around them and doing all
those things. But at the same time, like they get
in their routine and they're having a lot of fun
back at home, and early on in the season they
came out to Cleveland and they're gonna come out to
this week's game. And I think there's always a challenge
(33:23):
of sitting in a room by yourself and being lonely.
So for me, it's trying to find ways to maybe
stay over here a little bit longer, and then you know,
just kind of take myself out of that mindset, call home,
go sit at a restaurant by myself and realize that, man,
that's pretty enjoyable to do, you know. After there's not
(33:45):
too many situations I tell you, I tell people all
the time. I used to see guys sitting at a
bar by themselves, or you know, just sitting by themselves,
eating and grabbing a little meal, and like, man, I
feel so bad for that guy. You almost want to
go join them. And now I realize, like that dude
was in heaven and and and not to say that
that's that's obviously not what I want. I'd rather I'd
(34:08):
rather be at home sitting at the dinner table with
my kids and hearing what the hell they were talking
about all day. Uh, but there are but but if
but if you have to do it, then you might
as well take advantage of it. So, you know, just
little things like that.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Or Cincinnati and is starting to see you at restaurants
and take pictures and say hello.
Speaker 4 (34:27):
I guess so maybe a little bit.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
I try to get there early.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
You know, I'll go eat the four thirty dinner and
and and and beat and and beat everybody up, beat
everybody out, out of work and out of the house.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
So all right, so that is uh so much good
stuff from Flacco. Let's start with what the end there.
It's such a relatable thing, and I I really do
think relatable because Austin, I know you tweeted out about
it and and something that you actually will do to
to go sit somewhere, watch football, have a couple of drinks,
(34:57):
eat and and at times not have to say anything. Yeah,
you know, there's something in this line of work as well.
My wife would probably totally disagree if she's listening right now.
But there are times like when you get done talking
for three straight hours on the radio. Sometimes I just
want to go home and be quiet, and sometimes that
can get like construed as are you upset or you
in a bad mood or like no, sometimes you know,
(35:19):
just sitting in your silence is a good thing. Yeah,
And you know for Flacco, because I used to think
the same thing, man, what's that? What's that person? Known
by themselves? Why are they eating by themselves? And now
you see that? Or now even if I have a
chance to do that, it's like and this is kind
of nice right now. And he did a good job
because he he went back and you know, if he
(35:41):
had the choice, he'd obviously love to be with his family.
But to make the most of a situation and be
able to sit in silence sometimes is something that I
think a lot of people relate to.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Yeah, and I think a lot of people understand, like
part of what he was trying to say is to
alleviate the loneliness of the ice you might feel just
going out in public and being in that environment, even
if you're not with somebody else, can still be really enjoyable.
To your point, though about after you get done talking
(36:12):
for three hours a day. So, like my schedule normally
as I do this, and then I go produce another
show for another three hours, And so I'm constantly listening
to the radio, and I'm listening for if something's going wrong,
if there's silence, if there's a word, if I'm hearing
myself talk or you talk, or other people talk. I'm
constantly monitoring that. And so my drive home every afternoon
(36:37):
is complete silence. It's the best thing in the world
to just have that complete silence. But yeah, man, I
mean like this past weekend, I went out to a
local establishment that's my favorite wing place in Cincinnati to
watch the Ohio State game. And I was just had
a couple of beverages, had twelve wings, just watched football,
(36:58):
didn't really interact with anybody on me. It was so nice,
but also alleviates that, you know, loneliness that I feel
from you know, doing and living alone and all that. Yeah,
So that sort of thing.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
It's where it's just a like people all the time
are like, what else do you listen to? And I'm like, honestly,
I don't listen to a ton I When I'm done
with this, I'd like the quiet. I like listen In
the morning, I listened to Mo in the afternoons usually
if I'm on my way home or doing it, I'm
out and about. But outside of that, I don't mind
the silence. And that's different for me because I used
(37:30):
to be one that like always has to be going,
always has to be active. You learn as you get
older to appreciate the silence too. Yeah, and I thought,
I think that's I think that's why that resonates from
what Joe Flacco said and why it's blown up the
way it has.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
It's also like fun for me again, just looking from
our perspective on all of this thing is like I
can't tell you how many times I'll come home and
I'll sit down on the couch or lay down under
whatever and have my phone or my iPad or whatever.
I don't even turn a TV on. Yeah that's crazy.
I don't Or if I do, I'll mute it. It'll
be on in the background and I'll just like if
(38:05):
I'll look up or whatever. Yeah, you know, there's I
appreciate how genuine and refreshing and open Joe Flacco is. Yeah,
and I do think you know, a lot of people
want to immediately want to start talking about Joe Burrow
because everybody thinks that this has to be a comparison.
First of all, comparison is a thief of joy. Second
(38:25):
of all, is it not a good thing for Joe
Burrow to have an older, wiser, veteran quarterback around, right,
somebody that has been there and seen it and has
lived the life both the life that Burrow's living right
now in an entirely different life over the course of
his twenty plus years. It seems like in the NFL,
(38:45):
like everybody wants to say, oh, there's a quarterback controversy.
No there's not. Or this guy's such a better person
than Joe Burrow. No he's not. They're different personalities. They
can both be good for each other and ultimately good
for the football team.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
Right, if Joe wanted to do it, I would do
everything I can to have him back next year. He's
a backup, I agree. I mean, just what a perfect
role that would be if he wants to continue on there.
There are some other things he said too that I
thought are are interesting. He talked about the process of
still learning. He used the term the process a lot.
What's different about Flacco than I think a lot of
other quarterbacks. Austin it doesn't have to be like a
(39:21):
normal live practice for him to be getting better, just
normal walkthrough stuff where he can just get a play
call in his ear and talk that play call through
in the huddle. Yeah, like that's hard for him. He's
still learning that he's seen everything else, so just the
process of learning working on his calls. And then he
mentioned one of his biggest things, play fast. Even if
(39:44):
that's dumbing it down, even if that's simplifying things, We've
talked about them before on the show. There's something to
be said about playing fast and not over complicating things.
Jamar Chase is really good, te Higgins is really good.
Your running back's good. Don't over complicated, simplify it and
go play fast.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
I thought it was interesting. Earlier this week they I
guess Joe had previously talked about getting the play call
in from Zach and like certain F and X and
other parts of the play call sounding familiar due to
Zach's accent. I never knew Zach had an accent, right,
but apparently he does. And those little things they called
(40:25):
an Oklahoma accent. This is the first I've ever heard
of that. Yeah, is that what thing?
Speaker 2 (40:29):
But when he was talking about the other day, I'm like, man,
those letters do sound like.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
I had never heard of that. You know that that
little stuff is interesting, those little intricacies of how you're
learning a playbook and spitting it back out or I'm fascinated.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
By that stuff. I also think his his comment about
you know why why the running game success, It's also
something we talk about a lot. Staying ahead of the sticks,
you know, finding ways to get in second manageable, third
manageable where they've run is just as much an option
as the pass gives you an opportunity to succeed. Jets
defensive coordinator Steve Wilkes Austin said of Jamar Chase, a
(41:06):
potential Hall of Famer. Let's get there and work our
way down. Also said on Joe Flacco that you could
pretty much put him in Canton as well.
Speaker 3 (41:16):
Okay, I don't know about that, but also sure.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Also, Jets will likely be without Sauce Gardner for this game, okay,
but linebacker Quincy Williams should be back.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
Well, Sauce needs to take as much time as possible.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
Take your time, be healthy, come back for enjoy homecoming,
maybe on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Yeah, play a long career. He could yeah, I would
imagine the Jets would be here by that time. I mean,
come on in, if he travels with the team, you
don't have to worry about playing on Sunday. Yeah, relax.
Speaker 2 (41:46):
Can he play for the Bearcats against the number one
against the number one passing attack in the country.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
He might need him healthy enough to do that.
Speaker 2 (41:54):
Great question.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
Yeah, man, Joe Flacco forty seven thousand yards in the
NFL in sixty four touchdown nuts, super Bowl champ, Super
Bowl MVP, Comeback Player of the Year. I don't know
that he's a Hall of Famer. Forty seven thousand yards,
that's insane. That's twenty six miles. He's thrown twenty six
(42:18):
miles of passes. That's pretty good. Let's take a break.
We'll finish up hour one. Next.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
John Shearon from Ada his Esports will join us at
one o'clock. We have talkbacks when we get to our
number three. We've got some West Miller audio, we've got
read and React, and we've got your phone calls as well.
Five one, three, seven, four, nine, fifteen thirty on the
whole of the Bengals, ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 3 (42:43):
What's going on in Baseball.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
Getting ESPN fifteen thirty from iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (42:52):
Welcome back since he three sixteen, ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati
Sports Station, Skyline, Chile. Anytime you're feeling good and hungry,
It's Skyline at the time. From the Pro Football Hall
of Fame, Austin. Following a second reduction vote of candidates
(43:16):
in the seniors category, thirty four former players remain under
consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of
twenty twenty six. Out of those thirty four, Isaac Curtis
Leap and Lamar Parrish and Ken Anderson all move on.
Oh wonderful, so they are in to at least the
(43:37):
round of thirty four. It was hogwash earlier this week
when they went down to the fifty disgusting for the
modern era and the only Bengal candidate was Willie Anderson.
It is nonsensical that Geno Adkins did not get at
least past that fifty two. Now, I didn't expect Gino
to be a first ballot Hall of Fame. I don't
(43:57):
know that anybody did.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
But some disrespect from Geno Atkins is it's a bunch
of hogwashes.
Speaker 2 (44:04):
What it is I saw this floating around earlier because
we always asked the question, like, you know, if you
could bring back one player to today's team, who would
it be? And there are so many Bengals of the
past that would make sense. I don't know how you
could ever go against just bringing back a guy like
Anthony Munhos to a team. I think there's something about
(44:24):
this year's team where you could make the argument that
if you could bring back one, it would be Geno Atkins.
Speaker 3 (44:29):
Oh yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
I mean, based on how we talked about this team
and their inability up front to do much right now,
he might be at the top of the list.
Speaker 3 (44:40):
Pass rush from the middle of the defensive line, yep,
would change this.
Speaker 2 (44:43):
Defense, especially with Trey Hendrickson and the pressure rate we
just talked about earlier with Joseph Oosai. Who would be
some others on your top of your list? Munyo's obviously, Yeah,
I mean that's a good one.
Speaker 3 (44:56):
If I could bottle up twenty or two thousand and five,
Odell Thurman on the team, Okay, sideline to sideline linebacker
at with that guy was a beast.
Speaker 2 (45:05):
I thought Logan Wilson was a sideline a sideline guy.
Who was a couple of years ago. Can I get
twenty twenty one Logan Wilson. I'd take him the Rocks, Yeah,
I mean if we just replaced him. I'm trying to
think of some other.
Speaker 3 (45:20):
I mean obviously Ken Riley, Yeah at corner, if you
were to pair him with DJ Turner right now.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
Yeah, the way Turner Turner's playing. Yeah, I don't think
anyone on the offensive side of.
Speaker 3 (45:28):
Them thinking all defense. Yep. Maybe Jesse Bates maybe, Yeah,
Jesse Bates would be a good one. Tyler Eifert from
twenty fifteen would be a fun one with offensively, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (45:41):
I think we forget how good that dude was. Health man, yep,
just the health Uh. John Shearon eight is e Sports
standing by to join us when we return on this
the Home of the Bengals, ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station, Cincinnati.
Speaker 1 (45:58):
To make us the number one pre set on your car,
Ready and on the free knew it improved. iHeartRadio ad
free never sounded so good, ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 3 (46:06):
This is Jeff for tri statement
This is Tony Pike sincey 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 (00:21):
Good afternoon, Happy Thursday, and welcome in to Cincy three
to sixty thanks to Skyline Chili. Anytime you're feeling good
and hungry, it's always Skyline time. But I didn't get
to ask you, Austin, did you finish? Did you complete
the babble headset?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
No?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
You did not.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
After our attempt at one time, that was this futile
I gave up.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yeah, it's crazy how easy it was to get to Borough.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
I'm thankful that Burrow was the first one. Yeah, but
I do have that one.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
I was going to try to get Higgins, but you know,
just didn't happen. Didn't happen all right?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Well, thanks to our friends at Skyline Chili.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
I can't wait for next year.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Thank you for listening in, and we got a heck
of a Thursday show ahead. Phone lines will be open
five one three seven, fifteen thirty.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
I have an idea for Skyline Okay special Edition Joe
Flacco bobblehead Man, how quick can you get a printed?
Except instead of it's you know him right there, it's
just him. It's him sitting at the bar by himself,
eating a three way, eating a three way. Yep, boom,
You're welcome.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
While immediately resonnated with so many people by just a
press conference yesterday. I don't know if I've ever seen
someone stardom shoot up so much higher in the span
of a day.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
It's ours. Really, It's been cool to hear Ravens fans
be like, yeah, like we love this guy yep, and
just to he's just so genuine, so refreshing. It's been awesome. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
It just to me, it just seems like a dude
who just appreciates an opportunity that he has, that he's
still getting to do what he loves. And uh again,
just people Joe cool. I think so much about what
makes him Joe cool is that he's relatable to a
lot of people, and uh man, yesterday was awesome. We'll
(02:08):
play some Joe Flacco audio from yesterday today. We also
have some Wes Miller audio about five minutes of what
Wes Miller had to say a big twelve media day.
We have John Shearon aight is E Sports is going
to join us at one o'clock this afternoon, and uh
so much more. We're gonna read and react today to
everything Bengals. What else is happening in the sports world?
(02:32):
NBA night too, last night Austin, NBA Night.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Two, Here come the Chicago bull Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
I mean that's out of everything that happened last night,
that's easily the lead Bulls.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
We'll talk about Luke and Cooper, flag wimb and all
these great young players. They can't hold a candle to
Matas Boozalis. How about that of the Chicago Bulls. Shout
out Matas. Yeah, shout out what he was able to
put together. Shout out to our guy Liam as well,
who apparently as a Pistons fan.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Good.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Yeah, oh and one pal good.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Shout out to Liam man.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
There is a lot going on in the NBA. Uh.
Victor Webbin Yama last night Austin forty points, fifteen rebounds,
no turnovers, three blocks. I think people forgot because he
was out last year. How dominant that dude is. I
also just want to say I appreciate that. I haven't
heard a lot of complaining from people that we've been
talking about the NBA. Yeah, how about that?
Speaker 3 (03:26):
And maybe that's just because they're appreciative because of what
happened a couple of weeks ago, so that they don't
want to complain. But I've also, like I've seen some
people in our mentions about the NBA. Yeah, we like
the NBA, absolutely, we like talking about the NBA. Uh
and we hope that maybe you'll give it a chance too.
Had put a couple wagers on your favorite team.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Had some debuts last night? Jock what was it? Jocks
of the night?
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Jos had some debuts last night. I work on getting
a sounder.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
My jock of the night did not do well. Cooper
flag Austin at one point was one for nine in
the game. He finished four of thirteen ten points. He
rocked up some rebounds, but he even said about his
debut not great. Vj Edgecomb though he was great for
the Philadelphia seventy six ers thirty four in his debut
(04:19):
coming off being Big twelve Player of the Year at Baylor.
Third most points by an NBA player in his first
game and the most points in a first quarter by
an NBA rookie. Did VJ. Edgecomb?
Speaker 3 (04:31):
I heard a crazy stat this morning about Brandon Jennings.
Do you remember him?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
I do?
Speaker 3 (04:35):
In his fifth career NBA game, he had fifty five points.
He never scored more than forty the rest of his career.
So VJ. Edgecomb's gotta keep it going, pal And then
news broke today. Oh boy.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Other NBA news, Terry Rogier, Scary Terry as he's known,
has been arrested in gambling investigations. Also, Portland Trailblazer head
coach and former Detroit Piston Chauncey Billups also arrested related
(05:14):
to illegal sports betting for Terry Rozier and rigged poker
games backed by the mafia for Chauncey Billups.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
There's a lot going on with this man. There's like
special X ray poker tables and cheating technology that scanned cards,
and some guy at a separate location called the quarterback
and insider information and overlap. And some people are speculating
that Gilbert Arenas, who has busted for poker games not
(05:45):
that long ago, has apparently spilled the beans on everybody
to crack this case wide open. Oh I don't know
if that's true or not, but there are a lot
of moving parts right now. You when it comes to
the NBA, which continues to have a gambling problem, why
why is that? Why in today's sports, knowing what we've seen,
(06:08):
is it? Is it just a sickness that people can't
stay away from because you know that they're watching for
it now because you've seen others arrested for it. Sure,
it's definitely a sickness, like gambling is a legitimate addiction,
and it's a major issue. But I also think that
the league itself, the NBA, is probably not doing a
(06:30):
good enough job of helping out their players or their
teams or taking this as seriously as they need to
take it. Because the NFL, Yeah, there's been issues with
guys gambling, but it's never been them gambling on the NFL.
It's been them gambling on other stuff, you know, on
company property and stuff like that. Major League Baseball we
(06:52):
saw it obviously many years ago with Pete Rose. We've
seen it a little bit recently with those Guardians pitchers.
But I mean, you don't see this with the top
league in the world, in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Nope. Groundbreaking stuff in Major League Baseball as well Austin.
We've got new managers across baseball. On one end, the
Angels have a new manager. It's Kurt Suzuki, longtime Red's Killer, Curtins,
longtime Red's killer, not longtime contract with the Angels. He's
(07:26):
given a one year deal. First time manager has been
given a one year deal by the Angels. That is
their Austin sixth manager in eight seasons.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Really weird. The Angels are just a weird organization. They
deserve credit because they were like the only organization who
was willing to let Shoheo Tani try to do both
when they came up, and has turned him into what
he is. But other than that, I mean, they're just
dealing with stuff constantly. Like the Tyler Skaggs case. He
was killed due.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
To the drug over and was apparently being facilitated by
a team trainer of the Angels.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
That case is still ongoing. Yeah, Mike Trout just testified
in that case like two days ago. Like that organization's
just in shamble.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Suzuki said, I've been playing on one year deals my
whole career.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
It feels like so there's a series he was playing
with the Nationals. Honestly, it's early on in the season.
A couple of years ago might have been on the
Reds opened up with them. I can't remember. But Kurt Suzuki,
I feel like, was seven for twelve in that series
with like four homers. Dude, own the Reds. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
And then Austin, you get this Tennessee volunteer coach Tony Vttello,
how about this? Wins the men's College World Series in
twenty twenty four, now makes the leap and as the
manager of the San Francisco Giants. It's the first time
a big league team has hired a manager directly from
a college program without any experience as a professional coach.
(08:54):
I Austin, commend the Giants for this. Sure, I've talked
about this before. There are too many times in sports
it just feels like guys are just recycled. Guy gets
let go, He ends up somewhere else, even though his
track record but the previous spot wasn't great, but he's
been around it for so long. Go get somebody new,
Go get somebody fresh. I like this approach from the Giants.
(09:15):
I commend them. What do you think about the Pro
Bowl games moving to Super Bowl Week.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
Good makes sense, supposed to be that way. Yeah, all
the players generally end up traveling to the super Bowl
city anyways for their promotions and radio row and all that.
So if you can basically get it there and kill
two birds with one stone and make that a big
part of Super Bowl Week, I think that's a good thing.
I think the NFL do a good job marketing it.
My question is, now, what do you do in that
(09:41):
extra week leading up to the Super Bowl. How does
the NFL turn that weekend into a profitable weekend? Because
I can't imagine them just giving something up. They don't
want to ever give up weekends. They don't care about
college football. They're not going to give up a week
indo college football. Hell, they played some of their most
important games at the end of the year on Saturdays.
They don't care. So to me, I'm curious to see
(10:02):
how does the NFL now turn this into a profitable
week will Because maybe it was that the Pro Bowl
just nobody was caring and nobody was watching, and if
it's super Bowl Week, you'll get more eyes on that
and maybe it increases the significance of it. But how
do you turn it into something else I think is interesting.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Yeah, Leonel Messi has been extended Withinner Miami. There was
a rus for f C Cincinnati. It was a conversation that,
you know, maybe when the contract was up, maybe he'd
go elsewhere, maybe he'd be done. He has now signed
a contract extension to stay at Inner Miami through the
end of the twenty twenty eight MLS season. So more
(10:42):
Messy in the MLS, yeah, and more hell is real
coming up on Monday for FC Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Yeah. Wait, it is.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Going to be a phenomenal sports weekend here locally. Bearcats
are home, Bangles are home. FC Cincinnati is home. Much
in between all that, Nate Bargatzi's in town. Oh, your
guy Nate's in town.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Are you going to go see him?
Speaker 2 (11:05):
He's in town Saturday and Sunday. We're going to go
Sunday night to see him.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
So we were looking forward to that. Yeah. I think
tickets are still available. Not with you though, Yeah, yeah,
you know the way the tickets are set up, right,
Mo was giving away this week on his show, I
was giving away Bargatzi tickets, So, uh that is that's
cool as well. Uh, Today I want to talk a
little bit about what Luayna Rumo's got working with the
(11:31):
Indianapolis Colts, and look at some other defensive moves that
were made this offseason for the Cincinnati Bengals. Speaking of
the Bengals, will take an update to look at playoff
odds and where those chances sit. As we do on Thursdays,
we will read and react. That's right, read and react. Yeah,
what are we are? We are we reading reacting to
NFL or we've been reacting to college football.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
We're reading and reacting to Bengals Jets there.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
It is as we always do, John Shearon at one o'clock,
whoever they play, Miller will play some of his audio.
We have the Joe Flacco audio and we will we'll
read and react to that as well.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Thursday Night Football Tonight, Thursday Night Football kind of snuck
up on me.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Who do you like?
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Vikings Chargers. I'm gonna go Chargers based just off the uniforms.
M they're going with their old school. It's like a
mix between old and new. It's their super Chargers alternates.
Which is that dark blue.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
It's not the it's not the the yellow that they
wore the other day.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
It's not those Savannah banana jerseys that they wore. It's
like the dark blue with more of a golden yellow
than their typical yellow. Okay, kind of think early two
thousands Ladanian Tomlinson Philip Rivers type of Chargers uniforms. That's
what they're gonna be wearing. I'm excited about those. I
think that looks cool. They got the alternate helmets and everything.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
You know.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
It actually makes me think I was, as you know, Tony,
I got this new iPad and what I do is
I just write down notes constantly, and I wrote down
the other we just a random thought and it was
a question, and I'm gonna ask that question to you now, Okay,
would Ladanian Tomlinson be as dominant today as he was
in the two thousands? Because Bjeon Robinson keeps getting compared
(13:13):
to Ladanian Tomlinson, and I think that's a good comparison.
Would he be as dominant now lt as he was
in the two thousands?
Speaker 2 (13:21):
I still think so. I mean, I think his game
transcends through time. I mean, I did he was so
good with the ball. In today's game, I think the
most effective guys are the one that can get the
ball and get it in space, and I think that's
the job of coordinators in today's game. It's weird with
(13:44):
Bjeon Austin because I wondered this all the time. There
are games that feels like he's targeted, and then there
are games that feels like he's an afterthought. Ladanian Tom
was always targeted, right, he was always the show. Yeah,
I think in the past game, I think his game
would translate well.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
What I thought was offensive line play. I don't know
that it's ever been worse than it is right now
in the NFL. Like there is very like the depth
of great linemen in the NFL, very very few. And
I feel like back then, running the football and that
being a run first team, that was what the NFL
(14:21):
was built on at the time. Sure the college game
was built on that, and I think that's why it
translated to the NFL so much, specifically with the development
of offensive linemen. But then I was thinking about it.
How many Charger offensive linemen from twenty years ago could
I name?
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Right?
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Not one, right? I still haven't thought of one. And
I wrote this down five days ago. I can't think
of a single one, which maybe just says how good
Ladanian Thomas. It was. But it is interesting because I
don't think there's this is a tangent. I'm sorry, I've
been thinking about this for days. Bijon is probably the
closest player I've seen to LT with that movement ability,
pass game ability, and like the game that they played
(14:59):
on Sunday or Monday whatever, the Sunday night game against
the Niners, I mean, their whole game plan was just
throw it to Beijon in the flat and let him
make a dude miss yep like that. If I played
the Bengals and I was the Falcons, that would be
the game plan the entire time. Yes, And that was
kind of what the Steelers did at the Bengals last Thursday.
And I wonder, I mean, we'll see what happens with
(15:20):
Garrett Wilson, We'll see what happens with Breece Hall. I
wonder if it'll be a similar game plan from the
Jets on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
That See, that's what makes it interesting to me. With
when you talk about Tyrod Taylor or Justin Fields. Tyrod's
been around long enough, he's gonna take the checkdowns every
time they're there, almost annoyingly, like if Tyrod Taylor plays
I could see that being a game where like Brice
Hall has ten catches and they're all just checkdowns over
(15:46):
where he's sitting over the ball, defense dropped back. Brice
Hall leaks out, they drop it down to him and
he just gets easy yards. You're in that bend, but
don't break mold. I just that's my concern with Tyrod,
Whereas I feel like Justin Fields is still going to
hold onto the ball and try to make those bigger plays.
Tyrod's been around it long enough. He's going to get
the ball out of his hands, especially if he's a
(16:06):
little bit compromised. I would worry about Breese Hall in
the passing game. Let's take our first break. Our phone
lines are open five to one, three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty. Football in the NATI is next on ESPN
fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Now your chance to win Football in the NATI, brought
to you by Postman Law on ESPN fifteen thirty, the
official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Welcome back, Cincy. Three to sixty. There it is thanks
to Skyline Chili. Thank you for listening on the Home
of the Bengals, ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. I'm
looking right now going into week eight of the NFL
season here Austin, and we'll look at some of the
marquee games coming up this weekend. Playoff odds available right
(16:58):
now for the NA Any guess on your behalf where
the Bengals playoff odds sit as we sit today, I.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Wouldn't even know where to begin. Probably not very good.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Nineteen percent. Yeah, for what it's worth, twenty nine percent
is where the Baltimore Ravens sit.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Lamar Jackson returned to practice yesterday.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Why and I'll pull up the schedule.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
It's pretty easy.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
I know it's easy. What about what the Ravens have
done through this point. It's not like Lamar has missed
all of the year. What about what the Ravens have
done on defense? Has people still believing that they can
turn this thing around?
Speaker 3 (17:48):
I think the big thing is the schedule and the
offenses that they'll have to face. Miami is a complete
train wreck. Now, Chicago's obviously good offensively in our getting
better in the right direction. But Miami's a train wreck.
Minnesota's a train wreck, with or without Carson Wentz, Cleveland's
a training wreck. The Jets are a train wreck. The
(18:09):
Bengals okay, solid, the Steelers okay but not great, and
Green Bay and New England, like, there's a couple of
difficult offenses that they have to face, and I feel
like the sports books are betting on the idea or
most people however you want to describe it, or whatever
(18:30):
metric you want to use, are thinking, Okay, the defense
will get better over time, and with Lamar back, that
makes their defense better, and him in and of himself
as a multiple time MVP makes the the every game
viable for them.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Yeah, I just I'm not buying in at this point
to the Ravens. Now, for what it's worth, the teams
currently listed the AFC Austin with higher playoff chances than
the Bengals the Ravens, Texans, Jaguars, Chargers, Steelers, Broncos, Bills, Patriots, Chiefs, Colts,
(19:16):
any of those teams that you view the Bengals better
than right now?
Speaker 3 (19:21):
No, I mean we had this conversation the other day. No,
even the Texans.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Maybe better than the Texans, but their defense is good.
And I don't think Houston's going to get into the
playoffs just because of the way that their division works out,
but their defense is still really good. Yeah, one of
the best front sevens in football. Jacksonville.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
I'm still I'm not ready to give up on I've
been high on them, high a couple of weeks ago. Yeah,
I've been high on them. I'm not going to give
up on them yet. A young coach, young quarterback, a
lot of changes there. Still still not ready to give
up on them.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Team tams that have a greater than fifty percent chance
to make the playoffs Colts, Chiefs, Patriots, Bills, Broncos, Steelers, Chargers, Jaguars.
Which of those is the most fraudulent Steelers Probably? I
think so too. Seventy two per chance right now for
the Pittsburgh Steelers to make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
But they're also a team that if their front seven
plays well and Aaron Rodgers gets on a heater, they
could go on a run like Rogers. Still has that ability,
I believe, And if they continue to get Pat Fryermouth involved,
and if they find any semblance of a run game
like that can be a good team.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Offensively. Yeah, defensively, I can't believe how bad they are.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
They have question marks and Tarah Austin has never been
a good defensive coordinator. It's amazing he still has a job.
But you know, if TJ. Watt and Alex high Smith
and Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer and Cam Hayward, I mean,
that group right there, in and of itself should make
you a better football team.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Yeah. Speaking of Deficus smoked on Sunday night. Though it'd
be nice, wouldn't it. Oh, Jordan Love goes nuclear. Speaking
of defenses, the Bengals in the off season, Austin move
on from Louena Roumo. I don't know if you've followed much.
Lowen Rumo's doing pretty good job with the Colts.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
There was an ESPN article today that kind of highlighted
what what teams did in the offseason and getting the
early returns. What do you make so far about what
you've seen from TJ.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Slayton. He's been fine?
Speaker 2 (21:30):
How was I thought he was going to be a
bigger impact player? Is it more demoral?
Speaker 3 (21:37):
I think he's been bad. Just to clarify, I don't
think he's been a bad player.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
They are thirty first and EPA allowed in the NFL
against design runs. I mean Slayton was brought in to
stop the run.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Sure, they also got two rookie linebackers. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
They also went and drafted Shamar Stewart, and I mean.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
He's missed most of the season. He has Hendrickson's not
a good run defender, and.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
Chamar had I thought Shamar had a golden opportunity on
Thursday and did not show up in the statue.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Yeah, I mean I don't.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
And it's too early to say that that that's a mispick.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Him coming off of an ankle injury after not playing
for a few weeks. I didn't necessarily have high expectations
for him. Sure, I'm not expecting to go out and
have four TFLs and two sacks, but you would at
least at least like to see him have more of
an impact.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
One of the players that is actually having an impact
Joseph Osai nineteen pressures on the year, good for twelfth
in the National Football League.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Gotta turned pressures into sacks.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Yeah, I mean that was the conversation around drafting Shamar Stewart.
You know, a lot of pressures, not a lot of
sack numbers. I think the Bengals problem is, and it's
what you just highlighted, Austin. You've got two rookie linebackers.
You've got TJ. Slayton, who assigned to stop the run.
Hendrickson has not been in Even when he's played, it's
(23:02):
not like he's playing ninety percent of the snaps. They've
not gotten much from Miles Murphy. They've not gotten much
from Shamar Stewart.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Yeah, same old Steart.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
If Osaia is getting the pressures, you would like that
to mean that the quarterback has to adjust and there's
someone else there to finish. The problem with the Bengals
they don't have multiple guys winning on every snap up front.
One guy might win. It's easy. I'm not gonna say
it's easy. It's easier for a quarterback to navigate that
in the NFL if you've got to move around just
(23:31):
one guy. The problem becomes if you've got to push
up and now there's pressure up the middle, or you
push up and spin out and there's another pressure waiting
for you. Far too many times, in my opinion, the
Bengals have that initial pressure where it needs to be,
and then there's just no secondary help. They can't find
guys that win multiple times on a play, and that
(23:56):
puts them in a tough situation.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Now, Lawson tweeted last night, you or him? I do.
Carl Lawson tweeted back where it all started, praying hands emoji.
Oh so what I did is, of course, the former
Bengals draft pick out of Auburn. I went over to
the NFL transactions and I call him. Through all the workouts,
the tryouts, the visits. Carl Lawson nowhere to be found.
(24:23):
But he was okay last year with the Dallas Cowboys.
He said that he was thankful for the opportunity he
got in Dallas. He believes he's twice the player he
was even last year due to a healthy offseason. So
would you take a flyer on Carl Lawson?
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Yes, take a flyer on anybody.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
I mean, based off of the conversation we just had.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
I mean, it can't be any worse. Can't be any worse.
Carl Lawson last year, according to Pro Football Focus, fifty
nine point seventh grade. Okay, right, kind of in the
middle of the pack of defensive ends in the NFL.
It's probably not that much worse than most of what
the Bengals have. No, and if it was him coming home,
(25:11):
sign me up for it. Bring him home. You'll be
having those conversations.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
I do think the Cedric Johnson thing is is noteworthy
because he did play well towards the end of last
season him and Joseph said both and I would imagine
they'll Bengals would stick with Cedric Johnson over Cam Sample
because Cam Sample really just hasn't been the player I
expected him to be coming off of that. Butteller tendont
injury and hasn't. I don't know if he's gotten a
(25:37):
fair share of it of opportunities. But yeah, these are
the things we talked about a lot this week. Of continuing,
continuing to make your team better and improve the bottom
of your roster, you got to consider, you know, Cedric Johnson,
Carl Loss and those type of guys.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Depth is a major conversation in the National Football League.
As we talked about yesterday, something that everyone's talking about
from yesterday, what Joe Flacco had to say when we
come back, Let's get the Joe Flacco audio and let's
react to that as well. ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Thanks to our friends at Skyline Chili.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
You've been listening to football in the NATI on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals, ESPN
fifteen thirty.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Welcome back. It is since he three sixty our number one,
that's right, ESPN fifteen thirty. That's the home of the Bengals.
You still say it's sixty. Say whatever we want, Lets
go with it. I'll tell you who's speaking in a
way that I think a lot of us can appreciate
(26:56):
is what Joe Flacco had to say yesterday. And not
just a comment that we're going to get to about,
you know, getting out to dinner and being able to
sit by yourself and kind of collect your thoughts, but
what he had to say from his press conference yesterday Austin,
I believe what do we have six or seven minutes
of Joe Flacco from yesterday?
Speaker 3 (27:15):
Yeah, we got a few minutes of Joe Flacco.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Let's dive into some Joe Flacco speaking to members of
the media yesterday.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
Yeah, for sure, it was nice to have a little
like to be able to breathe a little bit this weekend,
and you know, it feels like I was we were
just out in the practice field and it feels like,
you know, I've barely been there it, so, yeah, it's
good to kind of get back in the normal rhythm
of a Monday, Tuesday and now actually going out there
in the practice field on Wednesday field and prepared with
(27:42):
a normal week.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
You feel like you're operating the way you want to.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
You know you're not going to get a full training camp,
but how do you feel like you're out there?
Speaker 4 (27:49):
Yes, I mean so far, still learning and trying to
pick up everything, and you know, just play as fast
and as smooth as I can and using just the
same I'm going to try to keep my process the same,
you know, and use these walkthroughs and the practices to
get used to calling it and seeing it, and you know,
(28:11):
just try to keep keep it at a basic level
and keep going from there.
Speaker 5 (28:17):
So much focused kill you getting accustomed to your weapons,
running backs obviously, the wide receivers.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
What about the offensive line, what side.
Speaker 5 (28:27):
You know, getting use to them, playing in front of them,
and life.
Speaker 4 (28:32):
Well, it's been great. I mean, I think you can
tell that those guys are a hard work, hard working group.
And I think the biggest thing is for those guys
to get comfortable with each other. And now, you know,
the way you get good at playing with each other
is just trust, you know, trust between everybody trust that
they're going to do their job. They have the trust
that I'm going to do my job and get the
ball out and and you know, no, you know, maybe
(28:55):
know when we're getting the ball out in quick game,
know when we're maybe dropping a little bit deeper. I
think as long as they'rebody can do that and trust
each other to do their job and not try to
get cute and make up for something here and make
up for something there, you know, then we'll grow together
and be happy with it.
Speaker 6 (29:11):
Hey, you guys avoid the obligatory letdown game that comes
after a mini by facing a winless team. How do
you guys keep the moments and going on offense from
what you had in Vintsburgh.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
Just go out and take every day by itself, prepare
Wednesday like you always do, Thursday like you always do Friday,
and then ultimately win the football game. A lot of
that stuff is just talk, and you know, you don't
have to answer it unless you don't go out there.
You know, unless you don't go you go out there
and don't play well. So it's simple. You can't worry
(29:45):
about what the result is at any point, but definitely
not on Wednesday. He's got to go out there and
prepare and then on Sunday, same thing. You got to
go play each play and you know, just keep getting
up and doing the same thing over and over again,
having the best play that you can possibly have in
that moment. The results come when you when you're able
(30:06):
to be in the moment and focus on the task
at hand.
Speaker 5 (30:08):
So your offensive line, have you had a chance to
kind of weapop with the Orlando and just a kind
of shaking heads and saying, well, here we are, And yeah,
I've been able to have that moment yet or.
Speaker 4 (30:20):
A little bit, Yeah, because he's very willing to come
up to me and talk about certain things like that
and just kind of ask me how it's been going
in Cincinnati and yeah, So like I think he's probably
driven that conversation, but we've been able to talk a
little bit about it.
Speaker 7 (30:35):
You mentioned one of the game has struggled for the
most part this year before you got here suddenly starting
to click a little bit. And do you think what
you've done in the past game has opened up the
run game or the one game open up some things
for you Thursday.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
Night, the past game, it's tough to say it's it's
one game. I do think the run game early on
in that, Like, I think initially the run game did
spark us that little that thirty yard run we had,
and that was our first scoring drive, I believe, and
then and the next one we came out and have
another little chunk run. Anytime that you can, you know,
get some of those games in the running game, it's
(31:08):
going to help your offense out a lot. So I
think in Thursday's case, the run game definitely helped us out.
But we just got to, you know, like I said,
we got to just continue to work at it and
have faith that you know, we're getting better, and you know,
one game doesn't necessarily indicate what the next is going
to be. And and just like I said before about
(31:29):
you know, the process of it all, I don't think
we can really worry about that. I think we just
got to continue to work on getting better and trust
that we're doing the right things and then on Sundays
it'll show up.
Speaker 8 (31:39):
Is the biggest way a quarterback can help a run game,
un to think of it that way, but the other way,
beyond you obviously talking and running again in that way,
you know, what are the biggest ways quarterbacks can help
keep a running game efficient.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
Well complete passes when you get the opportunity to do it,
you know, stay ahead of the stakes, you know, of
the sticks, you know, first, first and second down, especially
first down. When you have easy completions and and you
can keep your helpself ahead of the sticks, then it
gives you the chance to be multiple and and not
you know, be kind of forced into being one dimensional
(32:17):
because you weren't able to do what you were supposed
to do on early downs. I think that's probably the
biggest thing. Other than that, maybe I would say just
the just the operation of it all, gett into the
line of scrimmage, snapping the ball, having good rhythm with that.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
This is obviously a very unique situation where you have
to leave your home and income here the way you did.
How are you navigating a dad?
Speaker 4 (32:40):
Well, the good thing I guess, I guess you could
say is that I was in Cleveland by myself, you know,
my family was in New Jersey. We decided to do
that this year because last year we decided to do
it the other way, and this year we just said, hey,
let's keep the kids in their routine, and you know,
see how that goes and there's been a challenge.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Just with that.
Speaker 5 (33:02):
You know.
Speaker 4 (33:02):
I love being there and around them and doing all
those things. But at the same time, like they get
in their routine and they're having a lot of fun
back at home, and early on in the season they
came out to Cleveland and they're gonna come out to
this week's game. And I think there's always a challenge
(33:23):
of sitting in a room by yourself and being lonely.
So for me, it's trying to find ways to maybe
stay over here a little bit longer, and then you know,
just kind of take myself out of that mindset, call home,
go sit at a restaurant by myself and realize that, man,
that's pretty enjoyable to do, you know. After there's not
(33:45):
too many situations I tell you, I tell people all
the time. I used to see guys sitting at a
bar by themselves, or you know, just sitting by themselves,
eating and grabbing a little meal, and like, man, I
feel so bad for that guy. You almost want to
go join them. And now I realize, like that dude
was in heaven and and and not to say that
that's that's obviously not what I want. I'd rather I'd
(34:08):
rather be at home sitting at the dinner table with
my kids and hearing what the hell they were talking
about all day. Uh, but there are but but if
but if you have to do it, then you might
as well take advantage of it. So, you know, just
little things like that.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Or Cincinnati and is starting to see you at restaurants
and take pictures and say hello.
Speaker 4 (34:27):
I guess so maybe a little bit.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
I try to get there early.
Speaker 4 (34:30):
You know, I'll go eat the four thirty dinner and
and and and beat and and beat everybody up, beat
everybody out, out of work and out of the house.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
So all right, so that is uh so much good
stuff from Flacco. Let's start with what the end there.
It's such a relatable thing, and I I really do
think relatable because Austin, I know you tweeted out about
it and and something that you actually will do to
to go sit somewhere, watch football, have a couple of drinks,
(34:57):
eat and and at times not have to say anything. Yeah,
you know, there's something in this line of work as well.
My wife would probably totally disagree if she's listening right now.
But there are times like when you get done talking
for three straight hours on the radio. Sometimes I just
want to go home and be quiet, and sometimes that
can get like construed as are you upset or you
in a bad mood or like no, sometimes you know,
(35:19):
just sitting in your silence is a good thing. Yeah,
And you know for Flacco, because I used to think
the same thing, man, what's that? What's that person? Known
by themselves? Why are they eating by themselves? And now
you see that? Or now even if I have a
chance to do that, it's like and this is kind
of nice right now. And he did a good job
because he he went back and you know, if he
(35:41):
had the choice, he'd obviously love to be with his family.
But to make the most of a situation and be
able to sit in silence sometimes is something that I
think a lot of people relate to.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Yeah, and I think a lot of people understand, like
part of what he was trying to say is to
alleviate the loneliness of the ice you might feel just
going out in public and being in that environment, even
if you're not with somebody else, can still be really enjoyable.
To your point, though about after you get done talking
(36:12):
for three hours a day. So, like my schedule normally
as I do this, and then I go produce another
show for another three hours, And so I'm constantly listening
to the radio, and I'm listening for if something's going wrong,
if there's silence, if there's a word, if I'm hearing
myself talk or you talk, or other people talk. I'm
constantly monitoring that. And so my drive home every afternoon
(36:37):
is complete silence. It's the best thing in the world
to just have that complete silence. But yeah, man, I
mean like this past weekend, I went out to a
local establishment that's my favorite wing place in Cincinnati to
watch the Ohio State game. And I was just had
a couple of beverages, had twelve wings, just watched football,
(36:58):
didn't really interact with anybody on me. It was so nice,
but also alleviates that, you know, loneliness that I feel
from you know, doing and living alone and all that. Yeah,
So that sort of thing.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
It's where it's just a like people all the time
are like, what else do you listen to? And I'm like, honestly,
I don't listen to a ton I When I'm done
with this, I'd like the quiet. I like listen In
the morning, I listened to Mo in the afternoons usually
if I'm on my way home or doing it, I'm
out and about. But outside of that, I don't mind
the silence. And that's different for me because I used
(37:30):
to be one that like always has to be going,
always has to be active. You learn as you get
older to appreciate the silence too. Yeah, and I thought,
I think that's I think that's why that resonates from
what Joe Flacco said and why it's blown up the
way it has.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
It's also like fun for me again, just looking from
our perspective on all of this thing is like I
can't tell you how many times I'll come home and
I'll sit down on the couch or lay down under
whatever and have my phone or my iPad or whatever.
I don't even turn a TV on. Yeah that's crazy.
I don't Or if I do, I'll mute it. It'll
be on in the background and I'll just like if
(38:05):
I'll look up or whatever. Yeah, you know, there's I
appreciate how genuine and refreshing and open Joe Flacco is. Yeah,
and I do think you know, a lot of people
want to immediately want to start talking about Joe Burrow
because everybody thinks that this has to be a comparison.
First of all, comparison is a thief of joy. Second
(38:25):
of all, is it not a good thing for Joe
Burrow to have an older, wiser, veteran quarterback around, right,
somebody that has been there and seen it and has
lived the life both the life that Burrow's living right
now in an entirely different life over the course of
his twenty plus years. It seems like in the NFL,
(38:45):
like everybody wants to say, oh, there's a quarterback controversy.
No there's not. Or this guy's such a better person
than Joe Burrow. No he's not. They're different personalities. They
can both be good for each other and ultimately good
for the football team.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
Right, if Joe wanted to do it, I would do
everything I can to have him back next year. He's
a backup, I agree. I mean, just what a perfect
role that would be if he wants to continue on there.
There are some other things he said too that I
thought are are interesting. He talked about the process of
still learning. He used the term the process a lot.
What's different about Flacco than I think a lot of
other quarterbacks. Austin it doesn't have to be like a
(39:21):
normal live practice for him to be getting better, just
normal walkthrough stuff where he can just get a play
call in his ear and talk that play call through
in the huddle. Yeah, like that's hard for him. He's
still learning that he's seen everything else, so just the
process of learning working on his calls. And then he
mentioned one of his biggest things, play fast. Even if
(39:44):
that's dumbing it down, even if that's simplifying things, We've
talked about them before on the show. There's something to
be said about playing fast and not over complicating things.
Jamar Chase is really good, te Higgins is really good.
Your running back's good. Don't over complicated, simplify it and
go play fast.
Speaker 3 (40:03):
I thought it was interesting. Earlier this week they I
guess Joe had previously talked about getting the play call
in from Zach and like certain F and X and
other parts of the play call sounding familiar due to
Zach's accent. I never knew Zach had an accent, right,
but apparently he does. And those little things they called
(40:25):
an Oklahoma accent. This is the first I've ever heard
of that. Yeah, is that what thing?
Speaker 2 (40:29):
But when he was talking about the other day, I'm like, man,
those letters do sound like.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
I had never heard of that. You know that that
little stuff is interesting, those little intricacies of how you're
learning a playbook and spitting it back out or I'm fascinated.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
By that stuff. I also think his his comment about
you know why why the running game success, It's also
something we talk about a lot. Staying ahead of the sticks,
you know, finding ways to get in second manageable, third
manageable where they've run is just as much an option
as the pass gives you an opportunity to succeed. Jets
defensive coordinator Steve Wilkes Austin said of Jamar Chase, a
(41:06):
potential Hall of Famer. Let's get there and work our
way down. Also said on Joe Flacco that you could
pretty much put him in Canton as well.
Speaker 3 (41:16):
Okay, I don't know about that, but also sure.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
Also, Jets will likely be without Sauce Gardner for this game, okay,
but linebacker Quincy Williams should be back.
Speaker 3 (41:28):
Well, Sauce needs to take as much time as possible.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
Take your time, be healthy, come back for enjoy homecoming,
maybe on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Yeah, play a long career. He could yeah, I would
imagine the Jets would be here by that time. I mean,
come on in, if he travels with the team, you
don't have to worry about playing on Sunday. Yeah, relax.
Speaker 2 (41:46):
Can he play for the Bearcats against the number one
against the number one passing attack in the country.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
He might need him healthy enough to do that.
Speaker 2 (41:54):
Great question.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
Yeah, man, Joe Flacco forty seven thousand yards in the
NFL in sixty four touchdown nuts, super Bowl champ, Super
Bowl MVP, Comeback Player of the Year. I don't know
that he's a Hall of Famer. Forty seven thousand yards,
that's insane. That's twenty six miles. He's thrown twenty six
(42:18):
miles of passes. That's pretty good. Let's take a break.
We'll finish up hour one. Next.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
John Shearon from Ada his Esports will join us at
one o'clock. We have talkbacks when we get to our
number three. We've got some West Miller audio, we've got
read and React, and we've got your phone calls as well.
Five one, three, seven, four, nine, fifteen thirty on the
whole of the Bengals, ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 3 (42:43):
What's going on in Baseball.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
Getting ESPN fifteen thirty from iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (42:52):
Welcome back since he three sixteen, ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati
Sports Station, Skyline, Chile. Anytime you're feeling good and hungry,
It's Skyline at the time. From the Pro Football Hall
of Fame, Austin. Following a second reduction vote of candidates
(43:16):
in the seniors category, thirty four former players remain under
consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of
twenty twenty six. Out of those thirty four, Isaac Curtis
Leap and Lamar Parrish and Ken Anderson all move on.
Oh wonderful, so they are in to at least the
(43:37):
round of thirty four. It was hogwash earlier this week
when they went down to the fifty disgusting for the
modern era and the only Bengal candidate was Willie Anderson.
It is nonsensical that Geno Adkins did not get at
least past that fifty two. Now, I didn't expect Gino
to be a first ballot Hall of Fame. I don't
(43:57):
know that anybody did.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
But some disrespect from Geno Atkins is it's a bunch
of hogwashes.
Speaker 2 (44:04):
What it is I saw this floating around earlier because
we always asked the question, like, you know, if you
could bring back one player to today's team, who would
it be? And there are so many Bengals of the
past that would make sense. I don't know how you
could ever go against just bringing back a guy like
Anthony Munhos to a team. I think there's something about
(44:24):
this year's team where you could make the argument that
if you could bring back one, it would be Geno Atkins.
Speaker 3 (44:29):
Oh yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
I mean, based on how we talked about this team
and their inability up front to do much right now,
he might be at the top of the list.
Speaker 3 (44:40):
Pass rush from the middle of the defensive line, yep,
would change this.
Speaker 2 (44:43):
Defense, especially with Trey Hendrickson and the pressure rate we
just talked about earlier with Joseph Oosai. Who would be
some others on your top of your list? Munyo's obviously, Yeah,
I mean that's a good one.
Speaker 3 (44:56):
If I could bottle up twenty or two thousand and five,
Odell Thurman on the team, Okay, sideline to sideline linebacker
at with that guy was a beast.
Speaker 2 (45:05):
I thought Logan Wilson was a sideline a sideline guy.
Who was a couple of years ago. Can I get
twenty twenty one Logan Wilson. I'd take him the Rocks, Yeah,
I mean if we just replaced him. I'm trying to
think of some other.
Speaker 3 (45:20):
I mean obviously Ken Riley, Yeah at corner, if you
were to pair him with DJ Turner right now.
Speaker 2 (45:25):
Yeah, the way Turner Turner's playing. Yeah, I don't think
anyone on the offensive side of.
Speaker 3 (45:28):
Them thinking all defense. Yep. Maybe Jesse Bates maybe, Yeah,
Jesse Bates would be a good one. Tyler Eifert from
twenty fifteen would be a fun one with offensively, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (45:41):
I think we forget how good that dude was. Health man, yep,
just the health Uh. John Shearon eight is e Sports
standing by to join us when we return on this
the Home of the Bengals, ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station, Cincinnati.
Speaker 1 (45:58):
To make us the number one pre set on your car,
Ready and on the free knew it improved. iHeartRadio ad
free never sounded so good, ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 3 (46:06):
This is Jeff for tri statement
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