Top 5, Lavelle E Neal III! - Bumper to Bumper 10/3/25 Hour Three

Bumper to Bumper with Dan Barreiro!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Man.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Just in case you missed it, it's the top five
sports talkers of the day. Now it's time for Dan
Barrero's Top five and five, brought to you by Gutter
Helmet of Minnesota Never clean your gutters again. Learn more
at gutter Helmet MN dot com.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
Well, even before the top five and five begins, Brett Blakemore,
you're getting ripped wild pre season finale and not even
a teas for the top five, it would appear Blake
Moore has caught guards the itis.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Sad.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
That's from Kave Falness, who also adds you've changed. Do
you care to defend yourself.

Speaker 4 (00:40):
Or I said in the teas preseason talkers, which that
includes your Minnesota?

Speaker 3 (00:46):
While why is it happen Kave Fallness so defensive because
you're one hundred percent right that your teas well falls
under the umbrella of including the Minnesota.

Speaker 5 (00:57):
While I don't. He needs to have something to rich.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
I don't understand. Yeah, I mean he should.

Speaker 3 (01:05):
You think he'd just be happy that his little hero
Carell is signed long term here, you know, I mean,
I am you are. He's apparently not enough because that
should be that should take up all the oxygen in
the room right now, rather than this nonsense.

Speaker 4 (01:19):
So I text him back on the text line defending myself.
But then I text him with my own phone and
I say, come on over. You know you're more than
welcome the game microphones Yet, well, he said, I'm at
home tonight taking kid to hockey. So he's not even
committed to the bit.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
So he's not a part of the broadcast.

Speaker 4 (01:40):
He's probably doing it from home. That's ridiculousiculous. Anyways, that's
not much of a commitment. I don't know if I
we'll say that, but here we go. We'll just go here.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Time now for the obligatory Kevin Faulness Minnesota Wild minshit.

Speaker 5 (01:56):
May as well.

Speaker 4 (01:58):
Your Minnesota while or in Chicago for the final preseason game.
This is probably the last chance are going to get
to see Eurov and Ogrin before they inevitably get dropped
down to the third and fourth line to oblivion. Though
I'm just kidding, wow, but I hope not. That's a cheap,
but I would like to see them. I thought they've
been playing really well, so I am curious. It will

(02:22):
be on my TV tonight, that's for sure.

Speaker 1 (02:24):
Is there such a.

Speaker 3 (02:25):
Thing as how does hockey How do hockey teams handle
preseason compared to let's say NBA teams. Do they do
they let veteran players have an entire game off? Are
they less likely to do that? What are the rules
as they pertain to are you okay, yeah, you get
Did you get an interesting text back?

Speaker 1 (02:46):
I probably can't read. It's probably the same.

Speaker 3 (02:51):
So what are the rules when it comes to hockey
that govern hockey when it comes to preseason and veteran.

Speaker 5 (02:57):
Players as far as just how many they need to play?

Speaker 3 (03:00):
Do they play all the time? Do they play some
of the time. Do they get games off? Do they
get shifts off? How does it work?

Speaker 4 (03:05):
I'm actually surprised that they protoclate as much as they did.
Like I with Carell had that eye infection, I was
expecting him to kind of get a little breather. I
have been looking and I haven't seen like line combos.
I saw some from yesterday, so I'd assume that's for tonight.
But it looks like most people are playing so but
that actually kind of surprises me because it used to
be kind of the youth movement in the preseason, but

(03:28):
so far this season it's not so much.

Speaker 3 (03:30):
Okay, fair enough. I'll take your word for it. When
do we when's our open when we're doing the green
carpet thing? Again, aren't we for our home I hope?
So I was told, I wonder if we're broadcasting from that,
what day of the week is that? Do you remember
for the home the while? Yeah, the wild season open Thursday?

Speaker 4 (03:45):
Well, the home opener it's October eleventh, that's a Saturday.

Speaker 1 (03:48):
Oh, then you want to do some extra work that
wouldn't affect us?

Speaker 2 (03:52):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (03:52):
I really you do seven days a week? Is that
when we're doing the green carpet? The return of the
Green Carpet?

Speaker 4 (03:56):
I would imagine. So I don't know for sure. You
could do money Day October thirteenth against the Kings to
do that as well. There, that's possible.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
Sure.

Speaker 4 (04:05):
The other preseason talker that was, he's the first preseason
game for the Wolves is in San Diego?

Speaker 5 (04:10):
Is it infected by Tibbs? We don't know. They play
against the Nuggets.

Speaker 3 (04:14):
They play, yeah, Denver, and we had fun as Actually
it was I think it was Larry Mondelo Guy who
brought to my attention. He found a photo and he
gets lay Mandell Guy gets the bid at least we
have some Texters who just lose their minds. We spent
about seven minutes on it, had fun with it, and

(04:34):
people just it's the degree to which they are triggered
and don't I don't even think they understand callbacks the
way it works.

Speaker 1 (04:42):
But in any case, he reminded us.

Speaker 3 (04:44):
That Tibbs was hanging out with the He's bored, so
he's just visiting various training camps and practice sessions, and
he'd been out west like I thought, and I'd forgotten
that the Wolves were out there. So during practice he
joined and he is seen in the photo of talking
to Julius Randall, who he coached, and Dante di Vincenzo,
who he coached as well, And we kiddingly said, well,

(05:07):
as Mondela guy brought to our attention, is the good
vibe for the Timberwolves now gone. That's called a callback
in the business, and we did have some fun with that.
It will be interesting to see if Tibbs gets another
head coaching job and where he lands all that kind
of good stuff. Meantime, with the Wolves, we know what
the storylines allegedly are. We want to defend better again.

(05:31):
We were good last year, but great the year before.
We want to get back the great and allegedly we
want to run, we want to fast break more often.
These are both very noble intentions. Whether they actually will
follow through with them or not, that is a considerable question.
Reminder that we are going to be visiting regularly with

(05:52):
Mike Conley again for this upcoming season, and in fact,
Mike's going to stop by our studio late during Monday's
show to get the whole thing kicked off with the
twenty five to twenty six season. And there's already been
some interesting stuff written on Conley regarding a he's much
healthier than he was a year ago going into the season,
and two he's basically, I think, trying to deliver the

(06:15):
message I ain't done. I know everybody thinks it's time
for me to come off the bench and we need
another guard to emerge. But Conley is trying to say
I got more basketball in me yet than you think,
and that will be one of the interesting storylines to follow.

Speaker 1 (06:28):
We'll talk to him about that on Monday.

Speaker 5 (06:30):
Do you want We probably time for one more?

Speaker 4 (06:32):
Do you want in quick NFL kind of recap or
Gopher's data destiny.

Speaker 1 (06:36):
Let's go NFL recap we can do dat of destiny
with levelle.

Speaker 4 (06:39):
Forty nine Ers beat the Rams last night twenty six
to twenty three. Mac Jones led the way the game
controversial play call for fourth and one in overtime. You
run the ball, you get stuffed, despite Matt Stafford being
lights out for like ninety five percent the game, which
was funny because it's the opposite of the famous Seahawks

(06:59):
at marsh Lynch where everyone says, how do you not
run the ball there? I'm questioning how you don't give
the ball to Matt Stafford and let him do something well.

Speaker 3 (07:07):
In all honesty, that's where the head coach of the
Rams ripped himself. I don't think he was second guessing
the decision to go for it on the fourth and
one rather than kick the game tying field goal. I
mean he's mad at himself for doing not doing exactly
what you suggested he needed to do, which is, don't
just try to run the ball up the gut. Put
the ball on your quarterback's hands and see if he

(07:29):
can make a play.

Speaker 4 (07:30):
Lamar Jackson ruled out Jane Daniels in the Sunday Jane
Daniels missed the past two games. Is spring left knee.
Lamar Jackson will miss for the Ravens. Myriad Vikings injuries.
We talked about some of that with Ben Gestling. I'm
sure I'll get back to it with Lavelle E Neil
the third couple other subjects I want to cover, including
the local angle being represented as the Major League Baseball

(07:53):
playoffs roll on back in a minute. Join the fans
of Eric Norquist Sunday morning at Gray's Food All for
kegs and eggs. You can drop by starting at eight
thirty to catch the Purple as they take on Cleveland
from London. Pleas, you do a great food and you're
shot to an awesome prizes. Full details now KFA dot
com keyword Calendar.

Speaker 3 (08:25):
This has been a pretty big I think a pretty
big week for our guy Dan Minnesota. I'll give you
some details on a piece of Minnesota sports history on
this date in just a minute.

Speaker 1 (08:43):
But he's giddy for.

Speaker 3 (08:47):
I think other reasons right now, and that includes let
me see if I can actually get to what I'm
looking for here. Oh that's not it, that's the wrong guy.
Let's get to why can't I find the stats I'm
looking for here?

Speaker 1 (09:06):
Here we go. Well, we'll just look at them this way.
I guess Minnesota's own Michael Bush.

Speaker 3 (09:16):
Is advancing or has advanced in the Major League Baseball
Playoffs as a member of the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs
won the rubber game of their three game set yesterday
with the San Diego Padres of Anaheim, and Michael Bush

(09:38):
hit a dog in the Game three clincher for.

Speaker 1 (09:44):
The Cubs.

Speaker 3 (09:44):
In fact, I listened to the end of the radio
broadcast Pat Hughes and our guy Ron Coomer. It is
such a good radio broadcast. I tell you, I don't
you know, I grew up as a Cubs guy. I'm
not anywhere near as much of one as I used
to be. And I kidded about a week ago, I
don't know if I could even name seven Cub players

(10:05):
that are current. But I wanted to just hear sort
of the end of that thing as they wrap things
up in the top of the ninth inning at home
at Wrigley Field, and it's a we should have Kumar
on soon. It's such a good broadcast. He and Hughes
worked together so seamlessly, and Bush, I believe, was a
student of Dan Minnesota. Bush is Invergrove's Height inder Invergrove

(10:31):
Heights guy, and I think Dan Minnesota taught him in
middle school, if I'm not mistaken. He sent out a
photo of him today at school in a Michael Bush jersey.
He had this year. Let me see if I can
find the numbers. He had a terrific year. He hit

(10:54):
thirty four dongs, thirty four home runs, ninety runs, bat
it in a very effective player for the Chicago Cubs.
So good news there for Dan Minnesota and Minnesotan's everywhere.
We now have to live vicariously through connections to the

(11:15):
baseball playoffs, knowing what we know about the local baseball team.
So he's been a great story the way that he
has developed, And maybe that's what we'll do. We'll keep
an eye on him through the Cubs efforts and maybe,
like I said, maybe we'll try to get koumdag on
next week. I think the Cubs start tomorrow in Milwaukee
against the Brewers. I believe that's the matchup for them next.

(11:39):
The other thing that Dan Waesota mentioned is on this date.

Speaker 1 (11:44):
What is the date today?

Speaker 3 (11:45):
October three? On this date, let me see if I
can double check the year. I think I saved it
as well. Let me see if I can. I can
find it, because he sends us so much stuff. Yet
on this date, in night eighteen hundred and seventy vit
the Twins victory vest was revealed for the first time.

(12:11):
And what's fascinating about this is we've talked about the
Vikings victory vest, you and I, in fact, have we've
had fun with it. I mentioned that goes back to
I think nineteen ninety four, and I can still vividly,
vividly remember the Sunday where I'm in the press box
and I look down below me, and there are actually
some Vikings fans who have cut out the victory vest,

(12:32):
the newsprint victory vest from the Sunday Star Tribune, and
have attempted to put on a piece of paper as
a vest.

Speaker 1 (12:42):
And I did not remember that.

Speaker 3 (12:44):
In fact, the Vikings had stolen this idea, apparently from
the Twins, that go all the way back to nineteen seventy.
I don't know how successful the Twins victory vest was,
but that goes all the way back a long long time.
In fact, there are even some calamitous dates related to
this day in Minnesota sports history. On this date, in

(13:07):
nineteen eighty two, the Twins finished with a regular season
record of sixty and one hundred and two sixty and
one hundred and two. That was the worst record in
team history until twenty sixteen. And on this date also,

(13:28):
Carl Polatz signed a letter of intent to sell the
team to North Carolina twenty seventeen. And this is rare,
as it is is we'll have to talk about it.
The Twins lost a playoff game to the Yankees, very rare,
very unusual for the Twins to lose to the Yankees

(13:49):
in the postseason, and at the time, it was the
twins thirteenth consecutive postseason loss. What did that get up to?
Is it sixteen before he broke it? Whatever it would
have been, it was of course too many. And the
manager who helped the Twins finally win a playoff game
and a playoff series is now fired. He has now

(14:11):
been dismissed because it's apparently his fault that they didn't
seize upon that success, capitalize on it, and build on it.
Despite the fact that the immediate Twins decision was to
cut thirty million dollars from the payroll and the rest
of course is as we like to stay in the business,
one hundred percent history. Clayton from Rochester writes, Dan, how

(14:36):
good is the Cubs Brewers series going to be?

Speaker 1 (14:38):
Sadly?

Speaker 3 (14:38):
Here we get to talk about Minnesota sports injuries and
unbeatable obstacles like.

Speaker 1 (14:42):
The Browns coon Dog Cato. That's a good point. Maybe
that's what we do.

Speaker 3 (14:48):
We have coon Dog next week Brewers Cubs, and we've
got it's a great excuse to get Cato on. We
haven't had Kato Kalon. I'm the huge Brewers fan in
a long time. Those are both outstanding ideas, so we'll
take that under consideration for next week as as well.

(15:08):
Let's do this, let's pause and we'll prepare for a
visit with Lavell. If you have questions for Lavel, you
know how to find him or find us. The Bradshawn
Bryant k fa N text line is available to you
before the show or before we get to that though.
I also want to mention A six seven six three

(15:29):
texter says, love the show, but feels like you've controlling
all week. Probably why listeners are triggered. I need, I
guess every once in a while, I need to make
this point, I'm assuming he's talking about yesterday, the position
I took regarding the NAFISA Collier statement that I didn't
disagree with, but I thought conveniently left a lot of
things out, and that I also questioned in a couple

(15:52):
of areas.

Speaker 1 (15:52):
Let me do the be as succinct as I can
on this. I don't need control. I don't. I really don't.

Speaker 3 (16:00):
And when you assume that if I take a contrary
position to what the majority position is on a subject,
that that must mean I'm trolling, you don't know me
very well, or you don't listen to the show enough.
I mean, we all have our trolling moments, obviously it's
too much fun not to. But the position I took
on a number of things, including that story, has nothing

(16:20):
to do with trolling.

Speaker 1 (16:21):
It's just I'm not going.

Speaker 3 (16:23):
To be obligated to go with the majority opinion simply
because nationally everybody is lauding that particular period, I in
part because I can't separate it that episode from the
way the links fell apart on the court as easily

(16:44):
as many people have.

Speaker 1 (16:45):
So please understand.

Speaker 3 (16:46):
If you assume that if I take a position different
than your own, the only reason I must be doing
that as I'm just trying to get people going. I
don't need to do that at this point. I really
don't as fun as it can be from time to
time necessary. But it might just be I have a
different position because I have a different position, and I'm
not quite necessarily going to automatically go with the flow

(17:10):
in that regard. It's not you know, it's not a conspiracy.
It's just perhaps a difference of opinion. And I'll accept
the difference, and I'll even accept other opinions on it.
But the surest indication I have that you're mad or
you're frustrated is if you assume I take a different position,

(17:32):
it must just be because I'm trying to get people going.
Fun to do, but not always worth the time either.
Lavelle a great contrarian.

Speaker 1 (17:40):
His neck arabs.

Speaker 4 (17:46):
This football season, bel Bank is giving one KFA and
listener each week a thousand dollars to pay it forward
to a charity of their choice. Just head over to
kfan dot com keyword contest to learn more and enter
today kfan dot com keywork contest.

Speaker 3 (18:20):
It isn't time, It is indeed time to chat with
Lavelle e. Neil the Third. A lot of questions already
coming in Lavelle Joins US via the Connectico Water Systems
hotline on this very warm, moist Friday afternoon here in
the Twin Cities of Minneapolis, Saint Paul.

Speaker 1 (18:37):
Was it hotter and we know it's drier in Vegas?

Speaker 3 (18:41):
Was it hotter in Vegas for your big weekend or
your big week than it is back here in the
Twin Cities?

Speaker 6 (18:49):
Press my apology. I have, I agreed to come out
to here we go. I have to make it appearance
at six o'clock, and I agree to make it. I'm out, shock, shock,
and I forgot I had to do the five thirty bit.

(19:09):
So place I don't know where I'm going to, and
so I've got nap quest on and I'm speaking.

Speaker 3 (19:15):
On the speaker from It's it's a sound as crystal clear.
It's just impeccable. It's it's not surprising you'd forget. You've
only been doing the Friday bit on this show for
like the last twenty five years.

Speaker 6 (19:27):
But I said yes before I got it through it.

Speaker 1 (19:29):
Oh crap, that just thirty.

Speaker 6 (19:31):
So the funny is the partner that I'm at a
place called lonch Pad is a it's kind of a
top golf knockoff. Thereat Lake is uh his opening, and
I got in vague. I got in whited by dating
Paul the common Man because he's making an appearance out here.
So I don't know if you set me up to
be like his straight man for whatever Ujeni's got planned,

(19:51):
but we're about to find out. So anyway, answer your question,
The first day we got the vegans was ninety five
degrees and it was spoken on the second. The rest
of the days is like kay haiti, So it's about
the thing actually as uh what's going on? Uh me?
So this reminds me of a week ago, we would

(20:12):
go I was in the middle of all kinds of
activity in Vegas during my birthday, and uh, here.

Speaker 3 (20:17):
I am who's going to get the first Rocco interview,
which in ink stain Ratchromedia Jackal will get the Rocco
exit interview.

Speaker 6 (20:28):
Well, I hope it's me. Uh definitely. I don't know.
I'm communicating with Rocco uh through text since he's been
relieved of his duties. So hopefully I'm in the queue
in a favorite favorite opposition. So uh, we'll see and
I think he alone for a while. Yes, the face

(20:52):
of what he said to me, he he uh. He
indicated that he wants to spend the time with his family,
so I don't think he's gonna try to get back
and managing it anytime soon. But he did say, you know,
he enjoyed, you know, our back and forth through the year.
He enjoyed answering all the questions, good, bad, and weird.

(21:13):
And he said he'll always be a Twiss fan. So
that's pretty much the center of our communication.

Speaker 3 (21:18):
Yeah, yeah, I've I've also had a couple of texts
with him as well, and I'll yeah, I mean, he
strikes me as a guy who's not going to ever
go scorched earth, but he certainly deserves his minute, you know,
if he wants it, and that's ultimately up to him.
You know, he Rocco maybe the type that doesn't want it,
you know that he doesn't need it, and he's just

(21:39):
move on to whatever's next or lay low, like you say,
for a period of time. It's I don't think he's
likely to come out firing, do you.

Speaker 6 (21:47):
Here's my here's my prediction with that some network will
have him on the band.

Speaker 1 (21:52):
A Yeah, that makes sense.

Speaker 6 (21:53):
Yeah, ye, maybe maybe in time for the World Series,
I don't know, but definitely before, you know, maybe sometime
next year. I can see him reappear, reappearing in that mode,
you know, peace well white. He's got friends all over
the league, So I think, give me one to get
back into man. No, he can try, but he's not

(22:14):
been rumored for any of these jobs. This is about
the thirty people mentioned his candidates for the eight jobs
that's out there, and it may be up to ten.
Basically what Colorado does and another team does. So I
know it's uh, I'm gonna miss it. I'm gonna miss
the guy. I enjoyed dealing with him. His reasoning was
sounds for the most part, and if you didn't like

(22:35):
a question, he just found a way to answer it
without acting like it's missed up.

Speaker 3 (22:39):
Well, that's that's the understatement. There's no question about that.
I do you ever remember what's the closest to you
that you remember him getting to a meltdown? You know,
we have managerial meltdowns happen all the time. Because it's
one hundred and sixty two game season. Did he ever
come close in his seven year tenure.

Speaker 6 (23:01):
During the times I was on the beat, Not really.
I mean there was times often, you know, once the
interview was done and where it would just kind of
bees and afterwards would get fired up over stuff. You know.
He is the East Coast guy. He's a row around
of the guy, you know, so he does have a
temper in him. But I don't know if there anything
over the last couple of years come up with the
with those beat writers that you know he gown in

(23:24):
version of exploiting. But you know, he never had a meltdown.
That's a good point. He never had a meltdown. But
you know, Paul Maner, we never had a meltdown either,
you know, Guardy meltdown, TK meltdown. But the last two
to his managers, know.

Speaker 3 (23:38):
May I read to you the last nine texts that
have come in since you started chatting.

Speaker 5 (23:43):
With us today.

Speaker 6 (23:45):
Oh no, here we go.

Speaker 3 (23:47):
I'm just going to read them in the order in
which they, uh, well, the adverse order of when they
were received. Is Lovel in a tunnel, is Lovell calling
in from underwater somewhere?

Speaker 1 (23:59):
Scroll down. We can barely understand Lovell.

Speaker 3 (24:03):
Come on, man, it's always an adventure with Lovel, Lovel
sounds like Grandpa calling in to c SPAN. Sheesh, wonderful
phone reception again? Is he calling from a potato? He
couldn't have left earlier to get there? And Park, I
mean you're just getting destroyed.

Speaker 6 (24:22):
I mean a concerted effort to leave early once I
just discovered my scheduling conflict. But driving from Mbergram Heights
across four one sixty nine traffic can be unpredictable. So
they got a little diceing. I have arrived at my
destination here, I'm afraid to try to switch over because
I may fall off the line if I do so.

(24:44):
But you know, you know, And I warned everybody when
I came on it said, hey, I'm driving my car
right now, I've got the hands free device and stuff.
Who to tooth is on? I'm here to fulfill my
my my appearance on the fan.

Speaker 1 (24:59):
All right here, here's what we're gonna do.

Speaker 3 (25:01):
Let's do a forty two break, and that will allow
you to get off the line hands free, go back
to it the very worst, just a regular phone connection,
which for you could still be an adventure, but.

Speaker 1 (25:12):
It might give us a better chance. So we'll do that.

Speaker 3 (25:14):
We'll break a little bit early for Lovel and get
to part two with him, and we'll be able to
sort of spread our wings a little bit on this
Friday evening. If you have actual questions for him, hit
the Bradshawn Bryant KFN text line six four six eighty six.
It can be about the Twins. It can be about
your Minnesota Vikings. It could be about the Caprice off signing.

(25:35):
It could be about the Minnesota Links or the WNBA
title round which begins this evening.

Speaker 1 (25:40):
Whatever is on your mind. Lovel is back for more
than a minute.

Speaker 6 (25:48):
It's the bumper to bumper show wrap.

Speaker 3 (25:52):
Well, Brett Blakemore reminds me we're actually out of six
point fifteen today because we've got Vikings programming to get
in ahead of Minnesota Wild preseason hockey. So because we
did an early break to give to sort of unburdened
Lovel from his horrific car speaker phone situation, we're going

(26:14):
the distance. So we'll get a lot more good stuff
with Lovell, maybe mix in a couple of other items
before we are out at about a quarter after six o'clock.
I want to thank as always, Ben Gestling. I'm not
sure I want to thank Carl Gerbschmidt, but he was
part of the prediction segment between three point thirty and
four as well. No sermons this week for the second

(26:35):
consecutive week, for the obvious reason that your Vikings are
in action pregame show starting at six thirty, although loavel
I did say that if the Gophers shock the world
and beat Ohio State at the Shoe tomorrow night, I
would be in or attempt to be in if I

(26:56):
can get cooperation from Blake Moore or somebody else to
come in that early for a five a m.

Speaker 1 (27:02):
Edition of Sunday Sermons. What do you think.

Speaker 6 (27:06):
I think that's a great idea, and I think you
have some listenership because people will be waking up to
get ready to go watch the vikings. That's true, absolutely,
there definitely, definitely would be an audience for that, although
I don't think you're going to have to do it.
What's the spread twenty four?

Speaker 1 (27:19):
It's considerable, it's twenty three or twenty four, you're right?

Speaker 6 (27:22):
Yeah, yeah. So then they Gophers just proven they're just
not quite there this year, and with Daris Taylor out
some other injuries, you know, and the kid in his
first year starting a quarterback, and he's got an arm.
He's got talent, no doubt.

Speaker 1 (27:36):
He looks good last week.

Speaker 6 (27:38):
Yeah he did, he did so. But I think the
house stations got too much going into the Horseshoe coming
out with a victory. I was listening, we had Mason on.
That was a long time ago when they when they
last won there. I'll try I get it mixed up.
Was that the game of Dan nine we had a
big kick or was that the Penn State game with you?

Speaker 3 (27:54):
No, the Hot State game. They didn't even need a kick.
They dominated. It was like twenty nine seventeen nine sixty.
I was there for that game and they were the
dominant team. They needed no late game heroics.

Speaker 6 (28:06):
Now, I was trying to go cover this game. I
put in a request to cover it, but it was denied.
So unfortunately, Well, just how Randy Johnson are able bodied
beat writer on the scene there in the chronicle everything
that's going to happen. Although, and the other thing is
thinks too. It's a night game, so that's terrible for
our our new fango deadlines. I don't know how much
is gonna be in the paper the next day. So

(28:27):
it makes you go to starting New dot Com for
all your gop for coverage.

Speaker 3 (28:31):
I did mention and we all did that. The QB
looked very good, but that was against Rutgers defense. Let
me give you the point totals allowed thus far by
the Ohio State defense seven zero, nine and six.

Speaker 1 (28:50):
That's pretty good.

Speaker 3 (28:50):
So they've done it against bad teams, but they did
it against They've done it against legitimate teams, including Texas,
who at the time was ranked number one, probably overrated,
but they gave up seven in that game. They gave
up nine to Ohio. They gave up to six at Washington,
so they there are people who think this might be
an historically great Big ten defense. They are very good.

(29:13):
It's a huge challenge for the Gophers.

Speaker 6 (29:16):
As you say, yeah, that that Texas game, I believe
it was one of the first game. It was the
first game of the season. That kind of said harsh
manning down the spiral, didn't it?

Speaker 1 (29:25):
Yes, it certainly did.

Speaker 3 (29:27):
Let me get to a couple of other texts for
you before we cover some other stuff. Hold on a second,
let me scroll down a little bit because there's a
bunch oh I said via x that you would name
the next Twins manager if you had to make a
prediction on who the next Twins manager would be, give

(29:50):
me a name.

Speaker 6 (29:52):
Well, here's the thing. If you rank the attractiveness of
the eight chounces out there, it's one of the probably
fifth or six maybe have it depends on your on
your situation. So that's going to that's a knockout. You
know proven managers. You know, there's been talking about Bruce
Bochie having one last ride with the Giants. Don't know
if that's gonna happen or not. You know, Bob Melvin's

(30:13):
out there, you know, he's he's been incredible manager. Guys
that ilk, you know, are are gonna I don't think
you should can't count on uh Skip Schumakers Like he's
headed to Texas to take over the Rangers. Well he's
already working there in the front office. That he's highly
thought of. You know, Brandon Hyde is a possibility because
he did interview a lot of times. You go back

(30:34):
to the people on your list, your interview list from
the previous third and the Twins that bring in Brandon
Hyde for an interview. So that's one guy to keep
out with. I'm looking at either a return of Derek
Shelton or giving James Rautson, the current Yankees hitting coach,
uh his first manager, he will look. I don't know

(30:55):
how much the Twins are willing to spend for a manager.
They still have to pay rock Off for the option
they picked up for twenty twenty six, and the managers
that have to come in with hard questions about what
directions is program headed? Are we going to fund a
decent roster? You could be good point toward the pharm
system as as a plus, but what are they gonna
do to, you know, bring in quality talents to make

(31:16):
the major league roster better? And my colleague Bobby Nightingale
Junior pointed out that you never see a team have
a fire sale at mid season and turn around and
start spending during the off season. So that's gonna turn
some managers off. So that's why I think it's gonna
be you know, Shelton, who's been here before. He was

(31:37):
well liked and did a good job before I got
hired by the Pirates, which is a worse organization than
the Twins. The Twins were one of the few teams
I didn't lay off anybody during COVID. The Pirates froze
pension plan funding, you know, and they have not been
very active at all on the free agent market, so
hered actually be coming to a better situation than he

(31:58):
was in Pittsburgh. I think Rowson's been I know he's
been wanting to be a manager for many years. He's
been at the Fort with different organizations. He's coached everyone
from Alex Rodriguez to Aaron Judge. He worked under Don
Manneleague in Miami as a bench coach slash offensive coordinator.
They created a position for him. I just think he's

(32:20):
built himself up for a shot. And the Twins, you know,
love this time, loved him from the time he was here.
So I'm looking at those two guys as the top
possibilities for being the next manager.

Speaker 3 (32:31):
The twin seven sixth three guy asks for you, or
he wants to get an answer from you. The Paul
Ads seem to have made a calculated bet that the
payroll reductions going into twenty twenty six will be larger
than the ticket sales reductions, thus making the team more profitable.
I think they will be pleasantly or rather unpleasantly surprised.
What type of box office punishment does Lavel expect next

(32:52):
year regarding reduced ticket sales.

Speaker 6 (32:56):
I think that the ticket sales will be less than
they were this year. They drew at one point eight
sold one point seven million tickets, which was a low
for the history of target Field. Based on what I
just laid out before, I don't think they're gonna make
any splashy personnel moves during the offseason. There's still more
of a concern that they may trade Pablo Lopez or
Joe Ryan, and that's gonna deflate the fan base even more.

Speaker 4 (33:19):
So.

Speaker 6 (33:20):
I can see it. I can see it going down,
So you know, and there's there's there's a belief out there.
I'm not saying I actually embraced this, but there's a
belief out there that if they're looking ahead to twenty
twenty seven, when there possibly could be a labor impass
and a lot of teams are looking at that too,
and if there's people who believe that there's going to

(33:40):
be a reduction in big time free agency signings because
of potential labor strikee coming up, and if they could
wait out the next couple of years, get a new
CBA that has a salary cap, and have the television
revenue issue figured out, which the league is trying to
work on that franchise. Batters go up, the toes will
be worth way more than they are now, and maybe

(34:02):
they'd be more willing to sell in within that. In
the short term, that stinks for the fans. That means
you got two to three years of this to put
up with. So yeah, I expect more of a hit.
I can't see how group sales are going to improve
during office. He's not usually a big fielder of revenue

(34:23):
having groups. When I want to come in from all
parts of ten Twins torritory to watch games, They're not
gonna be motivated and can watch a team that has
like one hundred and twenty million dollars payroll, I don't think.
So it doesn't look good unless they suddenly have a
change of heart that these new investors come in and
pay down their debt and they've got some flexibility. But

(34:43):
I don't see that happening.

Speaker 3 (34:45):
Larry Mondela guy is ripping you. That's not new. But
let me read it what he had to say earlier.
Let me get this straight. The only comment Label has
been able to get from Rocco is that he really
appreciates him and enjoyed their time working together, Larry Mandela
Guy wants more.

Speaker 1 (35:00):
Is he being unfair or unrealistic?

Speaker 6 (35:03):
No, it's fair. I mean there's some other stuff in
the text swap. We swapped two or three texts, and
I'm not going to divulge everything that was given out
at the time, But yeah, he did say.

Speaker 3 (35:11):
So you're suggesting that maybe the rest of the conversation
was meant off the record. That certainly didn't stop your
gal and the FISA Collier from her revealing her conversations
with the much maligned, be leaguered commissioner of the w
n b A.

Speaker 6 (35:30):
She had a script, She had a prepared script because
she walked up to the table that sit down certainly did.
That was deliberate, and she at the timement was right
for her to there. She allowed the media gathered and
she knew that she was going to get the coverage
and the attention that she wanted out of those comments.
A private conversation with you know, the swapping text with

(35:52):
a guy is totally different than that.

Speaker 3 (35:54):
Well, no, why is it different? That allegedly was a
private conversation.

Speaker 6 (36:02):
I'm talking about.

Speaker 1 (36:04):
Yes, that's what I talked.

Speaker 6 (36:05):
That was her prerogative to disclose that to help pure
her narrative.

Speaker 1 (36:08):
So I'm not.

Speaker 6 (36:10):
Here to fueler any narratives about how RockA feels about
the play.

Speaker 1 (36:13):
All right, that's fair.

Speaker 3 (36:14):
I I, in all seriousness think because the commissioner is
under siege and she's earned a lot of that, it's
become very easy to just gloss over the fact that
that was one would assume with no microphones around conversations
about negotiations and what.

Speaker 1 (36:33):
I guess.

Speaker 3 (36:33):
The point I'm trying to get to is that if
we if we didn't like the individual as much as
we like Nefisa, and if we didn't despise the individual
that we do the commissioner, would we be more bothered
a little bit by that? In other words, if if
if if you, as a reporter divulged and off the
record conversation with Rocco or with the Visa collier or

(36:55):
with anybody else, believe me, you would get blowback and
push back from the links. You would get pushed back
from I'm guessing rock or whatever the case may be.

Speaker 1 (37:05):
And I I'm a little bothered.

Speaker 3 (37:07):
That we've just sort of glossed over that part of
the story that Noah, no big deal. We would, believe me,
there are plenty of athletes who, if it happened to them,
would feel that a trust was violated under that circumstance.

Speaker 1 (37:22):
That's the only point I'm trying to make now, I.

Speaker 6 (37:24):
Mean, no, that's it's a pap point, Dan, I choose
not to burn my bridges, okay, and Fee does not
care at this point, and she decided to break this
trust wherever. Maybe she didn't have any trust with the
with the commissioner that motivated her to do that, to
reveal that conversation. So yeah, I you know that was

(37:45):
her decision. I would not have done the same thing.
And it's really interesting considering one she has. She's a ranking,
she has ranking v Player's association, she's part of negotiations,
and she owns the she founded the unrival league as well.
That's another tentacle to the whole thing. It is. Well,
so yeah, that was an interesting tact if I was

(38:09):
if I was here, and maybe I just don't have,
you know, the degumption that she has, I would not
have devoted to information.

Speaker 3 (38:15):
Well, to be honest, part of it is, let's face it,
what and part of the reason the players of rally
to her is the this is their negotiation mode. That's
what they're in, and so they're going to try and
I don't begrudge this, They're going to try to do
everything they can to improve their position put the pressure

(38:35):
on the other side. I just think people have to
be cognizant of that and have their eyes keep their
eyes open to that. That Again, this commissioner is not
anyone I've necessarily defended, although frankly, what I've been told
is from a business standpoint, she's done very well in
terms of the new TV deal, in terms of expansion.

(38:56):
The problem is she is tone deaf on other aspects
of her job, and it may well be she was
better made as a VP in charge of business as
opposed to being the commissioner of the league.

Speaker 6 (39:08):
Perhaps, definitely, perhaps. And I don't know what the ins
and outs of negotiates. I don't know what proposals have
been traded back and forth. I also know this, you know,
just from reading about this over the last few months.
The NBA has underwritten this league for a number of years.

Speaker 1 (39:23):
No doubt.

Speaker 6 (39:24):
And there are owners that want a return on their vestment. Yeah,
you know, now do they have to? Should they understand
that there's some sunk costs? With starting the league like that,
sure we did, or do that have to be a
little bit more reasonable on what they want to get back,
and that's that'd have been another tentacle to this whole
thing as well.

Speaker 1 (39:40):
Well.

Speaker 3 (39:40):
The the the interesting issue for me is how it
goes forward, because there are a lot of predictions of
that that that the players are willing to walk and
I will say, for the reasons you just laid out,
I think that would be a I think the only
thing that would be a bigger disaster than a lockout
out would be a walkout. I think either side, if

(40:04):
they are interested in cementing this team, this league's future,
they won't stop if they I don't a workstoppage in
this league at this point, I think it's very dangerous
and I don't know what the answer is because it's
very clear the two sides are very far apart about fairness.

Speaker 1 (40:25):
But there's a lot of tentacles to this level.

Speaker 3 (40:28):
The valuations have gone through the roof, but that doesn't.

Speaker 1 (40:32):
Mean that the league is making money yet.

Speaker 3 (40:34):
That's the irony of this situation, right, and that's what
makes it really tricky regarding how far you go when
it comes to we ain't gonna play unless we get
exactly what we want.

Speaker 6 (40:47):
And the other hand, though, the way that the rhetoric
has against the league has been going, if they lock
out the players, I will just be viewed as fight
out Trcnian and make them look even worse. So both
sides have something to lose if they decided to make
this draw the line here one.

Speaker 3 (41:04):
Hundred percent true a couple of other texts. Let me
get to a couple of other texts here quickly. Well,
let's talk a little Vikings while we're at it. As
you know, they're back in London for their second consecutive
game in Europe, in this case it's against Cleveland. Cleveland
has made a quarterback change. The Vikings offensive line, we know,

(41:25):
is in tatters. They're going to be starting three backups,
including a center who's never played the position at any level,
which is a little on the dangerous side. We got
changes at right tackle and guard as well. On the
other hand, I argued early in the show that at
some point you just got to go win a game,
don't you. If you're gonna If you're as good as

(41:46):
you think you are, even with the injuries, the Vikings
are favored for a reason one would assume them by
three and a half points. The odds makers pay attention
to injuries, and yet somehow they still have the Vikings
favored by three three and a half points.

Speaker 1 (41:59):
I'm not sure i'd take that half. I think the
half might be dangerous.

Speaker 3 (42:02):
But what's your view on the current condition of the
club and how does this fall into the classification of
a must game for the Purple even though it's the
first week in October.

Speaker 6 (42:14):
Well, on Michael Ram's podcast, The Daily Delivery, we discussed
this very subject and we both arrived at the same
conclusion that this is definitely a must win, that there's
there's a two and three versus a three and two
record at take here, and you go into the Biden
and you've got your schedule gets tougher after this. I
will say this, so an NFL has got exactly who

(42:35):
you play, but when you play them, when you catch
those teams that matter. But you still have to take
care of business and they have to be prepared to
win a six to three game, a thirteen to ten game,
however other it's going to be. They got to figure
out a way here. They got a rookie quarterback, He's
not even a first round draft pick. He's a third
round draft pick that they have to get after that.

(42:55):
Brian Flores has to be salivating over how he can
attack this guy, get him some use and make him,
make him make mistakes. On the other hand, you got
the Vicus offensive line which is an absolute tatters, absolute tatters,
and they're down and running back as well, you know,
So it's gonna be Jordan Mason and Xavier Scott and
whatever Carson Wentz can do, hopefully gets the ball with

(43:17):
handquick before the rust the pressure gets on him. I'm
putting t J. Hawkinson on a big game. I think
he's gonna be viol in this situation here, and I
think the Vicers will win. It's gonna be ugly, it's
gonna be monkey, but they're going have to muck it
up in order to get the three and two.

Speaker 1 (43:34):
One hundred percent true.

Speaker 3 (43:35):
But given the schedule we have coming up after the buye,
they're they're very close to a must win situation.

Speaker 1 (43:42):
Have we seen things change?

Speaker 6 (43:44):
Got here? I did not hear your entire conversation with
Ben Gessling. Did he Did he talk about the lack
of access today?

Speaker 1 (43:51):
Yeah? Well I did I brought it up, and he's
not there.

Speaker 6 (43:54):
You know.

Speaker 3 (43:54):
He came back, as you probably know, so he was
just there for the Dublin game. But I did talk
about what I felt might be the zimmerization of Koc
continuing this week early in the week with some comments
that indicated a great deal of he was much more
frontal about penalties and the players responsible for those penalties.

(44:17):
And I've ever heard him before which told me he
knows they're they're in a dangerous predicament if they don't
start winning games. And then we come to find out
he was apparently very unhappy with your colleague a column
Jim Suhan wrote today talking about the fan conspiracy theory,
which he kind of knocked down. I don't think he

(44:37):
necessarily tried to give it oxygen that j McCarthy is
not hurt at all. And so what I heard was
he was unhappy with that. He's unhappy about some other
things there by that were written by other people, and
that he closed the locker room to the media jackals
the zimmerization of KOC. That's the story of this week

(44:59):
going into the game.

Speaker 1 (45:00):
I think, so there are.

Speaker 6 (45:02):
Others, there are other stories that he wasn't happy about it, right, Okay,
I wasn't aware of that. Interesting. Interesting, I'm surprised he's
taking that tact. If he's doing the right thing, he
really should not act like this. If he's if JJ's
really injured and they're doing and they're being careful with him,
sure he should not be acting in this way. With
the fact that he's responding this way actually gives that
oxygen to borrow your word, that does the possibility of

(45:25):
a conspiracy is is real?

Speaker 3 (45:29):
Yeah, no, it's well, that's that's and again I don't
think I think he's hurt. I also think it's fair
to assume that, given the state of the offensive line,
they might be relieved that JJ McCarthy is hurt, and
they would might They would probably prefer given his challenges
early and how overwhelmed he looked, to bring him back

(45:51):
at a point where they're getting some greater health in
the offensive line, even if it's against the Eagles in
that game after the buye that's not an easy that's
not a soft landing either, But you'd rather have it
if you have more offensive line options.

Speaker 1 (46:05):
So I think that's very possible.

Speaker 3 (46:08):
I think they probably don't mind that if you want
to look at this way, they're sacrificing Carson Wentz in
the interim against two good defenses Pittsburgh and probably a
better defense in Cleveland with a terrific front. And that's
one of the big concerns coming into the game this week.

Speaker 1 (46:25):
What time go ahead?

Speaker 6 (46:27):
If it's a hyakle sprain, that's at least four weeks longer.
I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't play until the
Chargers came. To be honest with you, they does not
even play against Philadelphia, and you've see how Wentz does.

Speaker 3 (46:38):
Do you make that decision, then yeah, well, Wentz can
make it hard or easy, depending on how you look
at it. If he plays well, if let's say he
plays better than he did a week ago, the line
holds up well enough, or they figure out some other
stuff to move, then I think it becomes easy to
maybe extend him for the reason.

Speaker 1 (46:58):
That you lay out.

Speaker 3 (47:00):
And I'm a big believer in you keep playing the
guy who's winning until he fades, and then you'll have
plenty of My guess is you'll still have plenty of
time to get to get McCarthy back in the lineup.
So we'll see how it goes. Enjoy your big event,
and we will.

Speaker 1 (47:18):
What do you got? What's the Sunday column?

Speaker 6 (47:20):
I try to have a little lighthearted call him, you know,
because they they renamed part of Seventh Street ninety seventh
Street by the arena. Yeah, I'm sorry, Gran, because you arena.
I wrote a lot how to columns arguing that they
should just keep it in ninety seventh Street. Because here's
the thing. There's a street behind cchs Field that's been

(47:41):
renamed positively for it. Mike Beck push for it in
honor Bob Doylon. So they already have a president. They
renamed the streets for people, so why not. He's going
to be the best player in wild history that has
some fun with it, and it's just for like a
two blocks stretch.

Speaker 3 (47:57):
Sure, yeah, well I have no problem with that. That'll
be Sunday. We'll read and we'll react as always.

Speaker 6 (48:03):
Thank you, thanks for having me.

Speaker 1 (48:05):
It's a pleasure.

Speaker 3 (48:06):
Lavelle e Neil the third, I think the connection actually
did get better once we left his speakerphone. A couple
of people have have said, and this is a fair
counter to the comments I made regarding Kyle you're going
public with what we're what are supposed to be private
negotiations with management when it comes to the new collective

(48:28):
Barney agreement. Nafisa, unlike Lavel, isn't a journalist. She owes
a commissioner know off the record respect, I'm fine. I
would say to three to two ozero guy if he
would be if if that individual is consistent with it,
and would say the exact same thing. If the commissioner
revealed aspects that might not be all that flattering to

(48:49):
members of the players committee during those of that negotiating
or during that during that process, then I'm with you.
If you're consistent with it, I get it. But presume
there's a reason that conversations that took place months and
months ago didn't go public, because what I need to
know is context. What I need to know is, well,

(49:10):
what else what might have been said in negotiations? They
are generally not held in public for a reason, right
because people, it's it's it's it's tense, it's difficult, it's challenging.
It might even be a little bit of a game
that the two sides rhetoric that has used to make
a point that might not literally be meant so, if

(49:32):
you're consistent with that, I'll get that. My point was
never that Nefisi is a journalist. The question is she
did not go public with this and the Again, as
much fun as it is to pound away on the
commissioner who has asked for it on many occasions, it's
a little too easy for me in that environment. I
want to know what might have been said on the

(49:53):
other side that could have been viewed as at the moment,
a little bit over the top or a little bit outlandish,
whatever the case may be. It's it's a rather one
sided conversation. She can do it, absolutely, it's her right
to do it. But the irony here the last couple
of days is I'm being told apparently I don't have
a right to react to it, or I am obligated

(50:14):
to swallow all of it without throwing some nuggets into
the air that might be under consideration, including, as I said,
this notion that we're supposed to be moved by the
fact that Nefisa believes that the management that the leadership
posed by her husband in the three on three league

(50:35):
is on the other on the polar opposite.

Speaker 1 (50:38):
Okay, well, maybe so, but.

Speaker 3 (50:39):
That's rather convenient and generally if we hear that from
significant others, we go well, I'm not sure necessarily that
that would be the last word on that as well.
Thanks for everybody listening today. As I mentioned, Vikings podcast
is going to follow us and then it's Minnesota whild hockey.

Speaker 1 (50:57):
Is this our last preseason game? This is see it?

Speaker 3 (51:00):
This is Treshearsal, Oh my god, this is Big Caprice.
Is he playing as far as I know, yes, yeah,
but I'm not houses eye.

Speaker 1 (51:07):
Is it better? I hope? So yeah, we hope. So
that's for sure.

Speaker 3 (51:10):
Enjoy your weekend, Enjoy Viking. Sunday morning six point thirty
is when the pregame show begins and will there be
a Sunday Sermons only if the Golphers knock off the
Ohio State Buckeyes tomorrow night also on the fans, so
be ready.