In The Zone: Eagles Decline, Wolves Preseason!

The FAN's Dave Sinykin and Trent Tucker are back talking some Wolves hoops and plenty of NFL and College Football.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:23):
It's eight o one on a Saturday morning, and you

(01:18):
are in the zone on the fan. Good morning one,
Good morning all. I am Dave Sinnekon. Great to be
with you on this lovely fall morning. Let's do it,
joined as always by my partner, the professor of Hoopology,

(01:39):
Go for Legend, NBA champion and hockey Dad double T
Trent Tucker. Good morning, partner, Good morning David. How are you.
I'm good. I'm good. I know, uh just beginny today
I use a big.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Game, big game at Oregon. In fact, game day just started.
I'm watching the scene in Eugene. It's pitch black. You know,
it's six am. Yeah, places mobbed and they're getting set
for a tooth well for them. Twelve thirty kickoff, two
thirty kickoff between.

Speaker 1 (02:08):
I'm surprised you didn't make the trip to Eugene. I will.
You know back in the day, you may have taken
a trip.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
Back in the eighties, maybe when I was still a
student perhaps, But oh yeah, I can't wait for that. Well,
we'll get into that. We'll get into Gophers and all
that stuff. But you guys, it's a big day. It's
wild home opener day.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
This is it Columbus Blue Jackets.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
The Blue Jackets are in Tom mister Blakemore will be
in attendance at the what do we call the new
Grand Casino Arena. It doesn't quite trip off the tongue
like the X. Can we shorten that at all?

Speaker 3 (02:42):
I don't think we want to call it the g so.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
GC.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
Someone will come up with a good name for the
Grand Casino Arena. Your Wild gotta win, the fan has
learned in the opener.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
Right, socked of Blues. Right, it's correct.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
And we'll have the game tonight, but not on the
fan because we'll have a Gophers football You'll hear the
Wild on our sister station Cool one eight. Your Wild
back home to start the season today the Gophers also
in town. We tak college football homecoming at in Dickey
Town as the Gophers will take on Purdue.

Speaker 1 (03:19):
We'll get to that. I want to start with some
baseball because last night's game with last night game was fantastic.
I was riveted.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
I got my twins are both in town for the
weekend to celebrate Mom's birthday. So Mom was sound asleep,
snoring a few feet away from me while we were watching,
and we made it through fourteen innings. It was about
eleven thirty. I said, I'm tapping out. They tapped out,
and it went one more inning. Your guy Jorge Polanco
with the walkoff base hit to right field to advance

(03:49):
the Seattle Mayor Nurse past the Tigers to face Toronto
in the ALCS. You know, we don't. I don't follow
baseball like I used to. I grew up a huge
baseball fan, and I've talked about this over thirty years.
I don't like the economics of baseball, not many people do.
I don't like that one team can spend three hundred
million while another spends eighty. But the beauty of postseason

(04:12):
baseball and the drama when you've got two teams bullpens
that are just pitching lights out and every pitch every
base runner min it's it is as good as it
gets for me to watch that kind of drama. And
I got one tonight Brewers Cubs Game five. It's on
the line for my hometown team. After a blowing a
two o lead the cub These Cubbies come back and

(04:32):
now it's all or nothing that American Family Field tonight.

Speaker 1 (04:35):
Well, and to see how the Tigers, you know, and
extra innings, and they were able to get out of
two crucial jams, yes, like first and second. Nobody out right,
you know, the guy flies out of the left field
and then they turned two double plays to end the ending.
And you were thinking right then that, okay, this is
going to be the Tigers night. And somehow, some way
they want to get the big hit Mariners blew their chance. Yeah, yeah,

(04:57):
they don't get the big hit Mariners couldn't execute. You know,
they were trying to move the runners over with the bunt.
And what happened to bunting? Why can't people bunt? There's
a lack of fundamental nobody, nobody pays attention now to
the small details of the game. Yeah, I'm with you.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
I thought the second time when the Mariners let a
golden opportunity get away, I just thought. And it overshadowed.
And I didn't watch a lot of the game early
we were watching a movie. But Schooble struck out thirteen
for the Tigers, including seven in a row, which I
believe is a major League record in the postseason, so
brilliant performance.

Speaker 1 (05:32):
By that the game was going, oh you know it was.
I got home from hockey, so looking through the stations,
they say, oh, so top of the twil I'm like,
I gotta turn this on. Did you last all the way?
Did you make it? Yeah? I did. You're more of
a night oul than I am. Yeah, I am. And
then Poloco got the big hit. It could have been
ball for whatever it could have been, but he was

(05:53):
able to reach down and presh the ball into Rye
Field for the game winner.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yep, so Seattle advances, it says, I said, Seattle, Toronto.
The Dodgers await the winner of tonight's Brewers Cubs Game
five in Milwaukee. So baseball marches on the Twins are
a distant memory at this point. We'll talk plenty of
timber Wolves. They've had three games since we last met,
so we'll chat about that. They've played three, a couple

(06:19):
overtime games which they lost.

Speaker 1 (06:21):
I saw them listening to the Knicks the other night.

Speaker 2 (06:23):
Correct, not a great I'd say the first game looked
great against Denver. The next two the starters were vastly outplayed,
certainly by Indiana.

Speaker 1 (06:34):
That's something we've gotten used to. We just can't. We
just can't beat the Fever or the Pacers. That's correct.
So we'll talk about the week that was for the Wolves,
and obviously it's bye week for your Purple, so we
got a big win. I said, hey, just win the
football game. Yeah it did.

Speaker 2 (06:50):
It'll look good for in fifty nine minutes and twenty
seconds or so. But they got it done once. I
thought was really good. That moment where you didn't know
if he was hurt or not. You know, the shoulder
was it at halftime? I think going in was like,
oh guy, here were going the Max brosber era begins
for your Vikings in London, and you know he's warming
up and he got in right for a few plays

(07:10):
I think at the end of the half, maybe just
one play at the end of the half. And then
obviously Wentz was okay. And then we'll chat today about
the Vikings quarterback conundrum, if there is such a thing,
what they will do coming out of the bye.

Speaker 1 (07:23):
But that was a nice dramatic I mean, there was
a game that the Vikings they absolutely had to have
that game, and you know, I knew Cleveland was going
to give him a battle. Defense is fantastic.

Speaker 2 (07:37):
Yeah, they are talented on all three levels, and you
know they put that rookie quarterback in and you know,
the Vikings gave him some fits and then he made
sure to get rid of the ball as quickly as
he could.

Speaker 1 (07:47):
Right So well, I thought so too. I thought he's
got he's got a little something to him. How about
Jackson Dark by the way, talk about think about Giants
fans who are for the most part insufferable. As far
as I am, I'm fall Giants, but they've been just
down for a while.

Speaker 2 (08:06):
And now suddenly they've got these two rookies in Jackson
Dart and Scatabo who have They're becoming folk heroes right
in front of our eyes.

Speaker 1 (08:15):
He's tough man. You just see how when he was
at with Arizona State, how he used to warm up
by banging his head against the wall.

Speaker 2 (08:21):
That's not going to serf him well down the road,
you know. It's I worry about him twenty or thirty
years from now. But right now he's got folk hero
written all over him. He was a folk hero at
Arizona State, you know.

Speaker 1 (08:33):
And then he was just a huge win for the
Giants against the Eagles ceiling.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
Then what happened to your Eagles? They've dropped two games
now and all kinds of question marks, and they're coming
in here next week.

Speaker 1 (08:42):
I you know, they could easily be they would be five.
I think they the Viking. I believe the Vikings will
beat the Eagles. You know, earlier part of the year,
I thought the Eagles would come in and probably win
this with both as most people would have thought. And
now they're seeing how things are starting unraveling. Philadelphiayeah. The
Vikings are on a good situation to be foreign too.

(09:02):
So here's my question. Is it a good time to
face Philly? Though off of two losses they get a
little extra time. Obviously the Vikes have extra time with
the bye week, but I think it's a great time.
I think Philadelphia right now.

Speaker 2 (09:12):
They're gonna come in pretty desperate though right I'm focused.

Speaker 1 (09:15):
I mean, I don't know. I'd rather not face the
team coming off too straight long. But you know, there's
something about their confidence right now. You know, after losing
that Denver's game, I thought, coming going into Neessa, this
is a game that you know that the Giants may
have a chance to steal. There's something shaking right now
with the core of the Philadelphia Eagles, and I don't

(09:37):
you know, you just don't know, if if they can
get it back right away. There's a lot of question
marks about the offense and the play calling and the
players complaining about this and about that, and you know
the defense, you know, gives up big plays here or there.
But I think the Vikings are in a good situation
to knock off the Eagles next week.

Speaker 2 (09:58):
Yeah, I certainly better than and I would have thought
a couple of weeks ago. I agree, you know, it
is going to be the big question mark, is JJ
ready to take over the team? If you read the
Tea Leaves and Kevin Seafert had a story on ESPN
dot com a couple of days ago. I took from
it that maybe the odds are Wentz starts another game
next week, that they want to be absolutely sure about

(10:20):
JJ's health. Obviously, but is it more than that, you know,
is it? You know, Wentz gives his team a pretty
good chance. Obviously, he'd have a motivation against Philadelphia right
to face the Eagles. That's I don't think that's the
determining factor. But that's a nice little side piece there
that he gets to go up against the Eagles, playing
for his hometown team and all that. But I don't know,

(10:42):
if there's some kind of controversy brewing, like will JJ
just get the job back instantly? And I think he should.

Speaker 1 (10:49):
Agree with it. I mean, the big game here is
to see what you have with JJ McCarthy, and you
start him as soon as you're comfortable that he's one
hundred percent healthy, because he's the future of your franchise,
not Carson. Well, you hope he is, and that's what
you want to see right throughout the season. After the
Chicago Bears game, we always say he is the future.

Speaker 2 (11:07):
But we were after the fourth quarter. Yeah, not the
first three quarters so much. But yeah, that's the interesting
little storyline that we'll we'll follow here as the week progresses,
getting set for Eagles Week. My hunch today is that
win starts another game. And I mean, you know, I
mean you can't go wrong. I mean, he has shown

(11:29):
that you know he can he can lead this team.
I mean that was it was a huge win against
the Cleveland Browns. I mean, going into the season, no
one would have thought that beating the Cleveland Browns would
be a huge win. But their defense is silent. Seems
like that they found their young quarterback, at least for
one week. In Cleveland and for the Vikings who cannot

(11:49):
find their offensive rhythm for the three quarters of the game,
and then Wentz was able to put that big drive
together to give them a chance to win. I mean
that was a huge confidence booster with this football team. Yeah,
they and we said it last week. It was a
desperately needed win after the loss in Dublin to Pittsburgh.
You don't want to go overseas. Two losses, then a

(12:10):
bye week, and now you get that win and you
look at the NFC and you say, man, the Eagles
suddenly look very mortal and beatable. Yeah, and you know,
two losses for them in the last five days, and
the NFC appears wide open, right.

Speaker 1 (12:27):
I mean San Francisco keeps winning with Tampa Bays right there,
your team is not far away. Your team is going
to be in the mix as well.

Speaker 2 (12:33):
So Detroit obviously just keeps motoring on and I will talk.
They've got the Chiefs on Sunday night. That's a fun matchup.

Speaker 1 (12:41):
And the Chiefs, you know, the Nays they're going the
other way as well. And so mine two super Bowl predictions.
But you went, Chuck, You went with a rematch, didn't you. Yeah, yeah,
I did. Both of those teams now seemed like that, hey,
we just can't seem to get out of our own way.
We make a mistake here, there, we fall apart here there,

(13:03):
can't make the big play like they used to. So
still a lot of football still have to be played
for those two teams. But right now I think this
whole thing is why totally, especially with Buffalo losing last week. Yeah,
it totally is.

Speaker 2 (13:15):
And that's what we talk about it all the time,
like the roller coaster NFL season, that there are flavors
of the month. After two weeks, Green Bay was the
flavor of the month. Four two weeks later, now Detroit
is back to being the flavor of the month, and
you just want to be that flavor in late December.

Speaker 1 (13:29):
You still want to be in the mix. I mean,
you know, the one team that a lot of people
are not talking about who could be very scary come playoff,
tam Tampa Big Buccaneers.

Speaker 2 (13:38):
One percent. Baker Mayfield just finds a way. The thing
about Tampa Bay is virtually every win this year has
come in the final moments, and you feel like eventually
that kind of evens out. Now tomorrow it's an interesting
game because both teams are so banged up. We know
that Philly or we know the San Francisco will be
without brock Perty again Matt Jones, who was brilliant, he's

(14:00):
banged up as well.

Speaker 1 (14:01):
You're talking about a quarterback controversy. It's so interesting.

Speaker 2 (14:06):
Teams go to good quarterbacks, go to good coaches, you know,
whether it's koc or Shanahana mcveay, and it just like
you can resurrect your career so quickly. Suddenly Matt Jones
looks like a viable starting quarterback that if he started
for San fran the rest of the year, I don't
think fans would worry about it. I mean, he looked
brilliant the other night, but he's banged up. His top

(14:26):
receivers are out. Tampa Bay is without Bucky Irving, Mike Evans,
Chris Godwin, so we'll see what kind of magic Baker
can can spin. That's an interesting game with two NFC
contenders that are that look nothing like the way they
want to look. You know late in the season is
we catch the playoffs. But that's fun too, a surprising
as well. Correct, Yeah, that's fun and they've got an

(14:48):
interesting game as well against Seattle, So we'll talk lots
of NFL today. Let's come back and talk about the
week that was for your Minnesota Timberwolves, who are just
a week and change away from their opener. Talks NBA
when we come back. Glad to have you along for
the ride. You are in the zone on the fan.

Speaker 1 (15:33):
We're back a twenty on a Saturday morning. You're in
the zone.

Speaker 2 (15:35):
Tucker and Sinnecon hanging out as usual until ten o'clock.
We will love hand things off to Fantasy Football weekly
ten to Noon'll your chance to get your lineup set.
The boys do a great job as always. That follows
us at ten. Gophers pregame on the fan at four
thirty today, kickoff shortly after six point thirty. Homecoming tonight

(15:57):
at Huntington Banks Stadium the Purdue boiler Makers in town
game at six point thirty on the fan. Correct and
as I mentioned, wild hockey the home opener at the
Grand against Now the Grand doesn't work.

Speaker 1 (16:09):
We got to figure that out.

Speaker 2 (16:10):
At against Columbus, we'll be heard on our sister station
Cool one eight. We are just getting started with hockey.
Basketball is a couple of weeks behind. The Wolves will
start not this week, with the following week. We know
we've got the Lakers in the opening week, and we
will not be facing Lebron James. You see that Lebron's
going to miss three or four weeks with a skiatica problem,

(16:33):
a little back issue. It's forty No one's ever played
twenty three seasons in the National Basketball Association. That is
what he will be undergoing. But he will miss the
first at least couple weeks of the season. And there's
of course all kinds of rampant speculation. You know, is
because he's had some crypto comments this week about you know,

(16:55):
how much longer he'll play. I think the betting money
is this is it, this will be his life last season.
I mean, can't hold him to that, or I mean,
he hasn't said it, but he sort of intimated that
this might be it.

Speaker 1 (17:07):
And I don't know.

Speaker 2 (17:07):
I mean, he's still playing at a really high level,
but I think I'm ready. I don't want to see
a vastly diminished Lebron if it comes to that a
year or two from now, So that'll be a storyline.
But we will not deal with Lebron in the opening
week of the season. The Wolves opened in San Diego
against the Nuggets a week ago with a strong performance
I thought a nice win. Didn't have Aunt didn't play,

(17:32):
Conley didn't play, Branda didn't play in that game. Then
they all returned Tuesday night against Indiana here McDaniels didn't play.
I watched a good chunk of the first half and
I got bored with it because they were just so
getting out played by Indiana, who looked fresher quicker sharper

(17:54):
pickier adjective. They dominated the Wolves starters. The lead I
think was up to sixteen in the first half. Half
second half, you know, all the reserves are in and
the Wolves fought back with their third unit and they
forced it to overtime. And it was actually I watched
most of the second half of the fourth quarter and
the overtime, and it was, you know, fun to watch
a bunch of guys that you know, you don't really

(18:15):
think have any chance to play, compete hard. And the
one guy that stood out was Johnny Jusang, the fourth
year player out of UCLA. He's been with Utah the
last three weeks. He went six for eight from deep.
He scored twenty points. He is a bucket, and I
think the Wolves were like a plus fifteen when he
was on the court. So they do as the roster
is constructed. They have one open spot, and last year

(18:38):
they left that open a good chunk of the year.
I think he's making a strong case for, you know what,
not a bad fifteenth. He's not much of a defensive
player at this point.

Speaker 1 (18:48):
Yeah, he's a scorer.

Speaker 2 (18:49):
He is a scorer, and that's a nice I mean,
you could appreciate that trait. It's nice to have a
guy like that. I don't know that you would ever
play him, you know, unless you know you're up thirty
or you get disaster strikes with injuries. But he's you
remember him at UCLA. He was fantastic in the tournament,
leading the Bruins. He was a star in the NCAA tournament.

(19:11):
I think what's held him back at this level is
a little undersized, doesn't defend well. But as I said, offensively, man,
he's got game. He's got a sweet stroke and might
be a nice little fine at the bottom of the
roster for the Wolves.

Speaker 3 (19:23):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (19:23):
Sure.

Speaker 2 (19:24):
The other guy that stood out a little bit is
Bones Highland. Again talking about a guy who's bounced around,
bounced around, another bottom of the roster kind of guy
who we've seen, you know, in the playoffs with Denver
several years ago, be a key rotation guy for a while.
Tim Connolly drafted him. So there's that reason I think
he's here, and the reason the Wolves brought him here
is that comfortability with Connelly who believes in him. What

(19:48):
I like just early from bones, he's looked really good.

Speaker 1 (19:52):
He's one of.

Speaker 2 (19:52):
Those guys who's like a cheerleader on the sideline. You
can see him during timeouts talking to young players. He's
taken Dillingham under his wing a little bit it and
he just also might be a nice, you know, Joe
Ingles type. Now he's not nowhere near as grizzled as Ingles,
but he might have that similar role where he's he's
played a little bit.

Speaker 1 (20:11):
Yeah, he's been around. He's been around the league, even
with the Clippers for a while. I believe, right, Yes, yep,
he played well again, he played well in Denver when
he was there. He has some big playoff moments. I
believe also he's a guy that having him on your
team wouldn't be a bad deal because you know, he
understands what it takes to prepare yourself on a daily
basis and stay ready when your number is called.

Speaker 2 (20:33):
Truth be told, if you look at this roster and
say who's most ready to be a backup point guard,
it's Bowenes over robed.

Speaker 1 (20:42):
Just the Yeah, I would agree, we experience the size
all that. You know. I don't know if they have
the guts to do that.

Speaker 2 (20:47):
Rob is certainly going to get the first opportunity, as
he should, and he's been up and down. He was
not good against Indiana at all. I think he was
one for seven. He was better against the Knicks. I
think he has some nice moments against New York. They
have to see what growth has come from him because
teams are daring, are looking for him defensively. There there TJ.

(21:09):
McConnell took him to school against in the game on
Tuesday night. McConnell's not out for a month. He got
hurt the other night he hurt.

Speaker 1 (21:17):
He got hurt as well. He did he did well.
You know, as a as a player and a competitor,
you know offensively, you know, it is one thing if
teams run away from you because they say you can't shoot,
and the offensive game is not where it needs to be.
But it's a it's a real dagger to your heart

(21:38):
when they start to pick on you and saying that
you can't defend defensively when they believe that you are
the week the week link on the on the defensive end,
you know, that's that's when it begins to hit home. Yeah,
And that's that's telling you that you know that you
really don't belong out here. And here's a guy that
we can attack time and time again, and and we

(21:59):
could just go to him and break down their defense
because they have somebody on the floor that is not
ready to defend at this level.

Speaker 2 (22:06):
And I'm not sure that's the case necessarily, but he's
gonna have to prove it. They are going to dare
him and say, all right, show me you can defend
it this life.

Speaker 1 (22:13):
Because you know, he still weighs about one hundred and
sixty pounds, right or less, I don't know. He's a
little guy. And and when and when teams pick pick
you out defensively, it's just like probably playing football. If
you that that week corner over there and we're going
to go at you time and time again. I mean
you it forces you know your team to make a

(22:34):
critical decision and whether I can put you on the
court or on the field. And and as a player,
you never want to coach to be in that situation, right,
you know, offensively, I may not have it going, but
you know, defensively, if I'm a real week week link
on the defensive end, that's a bad deal for me.

Speaker 2 (22:54):
So that's going to be something we watch, is how
much has he learned and what can he do? He's
not the first undersized point guard to play in this league.
He's got quickness, he's got the skills. We know he
can steal, like he can find loose balls and he
can get the ball away from guys. But can he
you know, defense strong enough to defend.

Speaker 1 (23:12):
Because as you just mentioned, you know, when they decide
that we're going to isolate and go against you every time,
I'll put you in a pick and roll type situation,
knowing that, knowing that you have no chance either to
guard the guy with the ball, and if you switch
all of a sudden, now it's a Hughes mismatch because
you're just too small to guard a bigger guy. And

(23:33):
now that puts Chris Finch and his coaching staff in
a very difficult position. You know, we like to see
what he can do. We drafted him very high. We
thought they're coming out of Kentucky, he could be the
guy that may be able to run this position going
into the future. But right now we just don't know. Yeah,
and we don't know how much run he's going to get.
We know the starting five.

Speaker 2 (23:53):
We know the first two guys off the bench are
Dante and nas right, so that's seven. We feel like
Shannon's the next guy to get an opportunity. That's the
eighth guy. Finch has said, you know, nine or ten
is kind of what he's thinking. It may not always
be the same nine or ten. It's going to be
matchup driven, it's going to be health driven, all of that.
But if that's your top eight, then you've got Robin

(24:15):
Jalen Clark, you know, nine to ten, and your rookie
baronje at eleven for nights where the matchup or Rudy's
not playing or whatever it might be, would be that
eleventh guy. So just as you look at the depth chart,
if you will, Rob's kind of still on the fringe
of the rotation. You know, he's probably the ninth or
tenth guy and on some nights defense is going to

(24:37):
mean more and Jalen Clark's going to get some run.
So really, to me.

Speaker 1 (24:41):
That's the the biggest storyline of this season going in
is what's Rob's role?

Speaker 2 (24:46):
How far has he progressed? Can they trust him? Does
he still look like a guy who can be your
point guard of the future. We made on he's twenty. Okay,
we said last year all year he's only nineteen. Well
he's twenty, and that's still really really young, and he's
going to be a a different player in four years.

Speaker 1 (25:01):
But this team is built to compete right now, and
you know, I mean, do we have four years to wait? Right?

Speaker 2 (25:07):
I mean feelings aside, we're gonna put the best guys
out there to try to compete against the Denver's Okcs
and Rockets of the world. So that's going to be
something to watch closely. What I think what was alarming
Tuesday night because we talked last week about how Finch
has said they want to be a team that plays faster,
that gets out in transition. They were woefully inefficient last

(25:29):
year of pushing the ball up court. They were more
of a you know, half court offense team. They got
destroyed in transitioned by Indiana twenty to four in points
in transition. Indiana's really good. They're probably the best at
that pace. And you know, Rick Carlisle, again it's preseason,
we understand this, but he's playing without his best player,

(25:51):
perhaps for the entire season. They didn't look like they
even missed him. Like they've got these guys that are
stepping into that role. I think Indiana is still going
to be a team. Obviously they were the finals. That's
going to be in the mix in the East, you know,
I really do. I think people are going to short
change them without Tyrese. But at a wide open East,
where do you trust Cleveland? Obviously Boston's not Boston anymore.

Speaker 1 (26:15):
Philadelphia is a little shaky. I don't.

Speaker 2 (26:18):
Yeah, I don't have no belief in Philadelphia at all.
There's the up and comers like Orlando and Detroit and
Atlanta have all gotten better and they feel like they
have an opportunity. But the Knicks. If you watch the
Wolves next game the other night, we got the Knicks
announcers and they absolutely believe the Knicks are going to
the finals. They may forget who the color analyst was,

(26:39):
but He's basically said everybody I talked to, like Steven A.
Smith and all these guys like, of course, but the
next CLI, No, it wasn't Clyde. I don't know who
it was. But yeah, so that that Eastern Conference is
wide open. I gave it Indiana every chance to compete
even without Tyrese Haliburn. That's a really well coached team
and just a no Tyrese. They don't have Miles Turner anymore.

(27:02):
That they don't look like the team that surprised last year,
but they still play like that.

Speaker 1 (27:06):
Yeah, they play hard. They have a good system. You know,
you have a few guys who've been around the Rick
Karloff for two or three years now. They understand when
they come into training camp what's expected. And when you
have veteran guys, you don't have to coach and teach
as much the system because they already know it. And
that's a huge plus for any coaching staff because now

(27:27):
your veteran guys can help the younger guys come along
a lot quicker. Yeah, because they're going to spend more
time with their teammates more so than the coaches will.
And when young guys now have questions you know they
can go to those veteran guys for leadership. Absolutely true.

Speaker 2 (27:41):
Wolves will close out their home preseason schedule Monday night
against a Chinese team at Target Center. Okay, And as
I said, we're just a week and change away from
the opener. Next week, we'll do our official NBA preview show.

Speaker 1 (27:55):
Open against Wolves Portland. I think I think we're in Portland.
Is that what it is? I believe it's Portland. Portland
could be one of those little tricky teams that you know,
they may not make a playoff, get to the playoffs,
but you know they could be a team that can
that can bug you think about the season. They can

(28:15):
come up with a devastating win here or there that
could that could knock you out of a situation. So
you know, you're going to have to have the right mindset.
You know, the Wolves are one of those teams everybody's
expected now to have one more run of this thing
before it's all said and done. But you got to
make sure you take care of the games that you
need to take care. We can't have any slip ups

(28:36):
this year and hopefully now with some of these guys
been around Chris Finish now for three or four years,
they understand that, yeah, we we don't.

Speaker 2 (28:45):
So many games got away last season and they finished
with forty nine wins. Their total win total this year
in Vegas is fifty and a half, so about what
they were at, one more win than they had a
year ago. They're the fourth most wins expected in the
West behind Okay, see Denver in Houston.

Speaker 1 (29:04):
Okay, I think that's fair.

Speaker 2 (29:06):
I I do think Houston took a big blow with
with Fred van Vliet being gone for the season.

Speaker 1 (29:12):
That's a major blow. I you know, we've talked about
Amen Thompson.

Speaker 2 (29:16):
He's one of my favorite players, and I know he's
not a prototypical point guard, but he's to me a
superstar in waiting, and I'm anxious to see with an
expanded role if he can he's a very good.

Speaker 1 (29:26):
Athlete become more of a point guard.

Speaker 2 (29:28):
Hey, if he's asked to become one and he can
do it, then maybe Houston doesn't miss too much.

Speaker 1 (29:32):
Huge plus for them yet. And but Kevin de No
adding Kevin Durant, now they get they can play different ways.
You know, Now you don't just have to rely on
the transition game, right, And if Kevin Durant stays healthy.
You know, he gives them I have caught you know,
major option because when he's playing, you know, within seventeen

(29:54):
to eighteen feet in the basket, he becomes very unguardedble
and and if you can can keep the defen guests
on what you're going to do, that plays into your favor.
Now the Houston Rockets can find more balance of what
they do on the offensive end, and that's why they're
so popular. They're a great defensive team. They're going to
be in every game defensively, but do they have a
guy that can get buckets in the fourth quarter? Didn't

(30:14):
really have that Sengoon maybe, but now you add Durant
to the mix, and obviously that's exactly what he can do.
A couple of quick things to close out our NBA conversation.
Every year, the NBA GM Survey comes out where they ask,
you know, who's the best point guard, Who's the best this,
who's the best that, best defensive player, best shooting guard.

(30:36):
Ant got a whopping seventy percent. He's the number one pick.
Is the best shooting guard in the NBA with seventy percent.
Shay was listed as a point guard and Shaye was
listed as the best point guard in the NBA Lucas
point guard. Yeah, they have Sha because I thought when
I saw the article, I'm like, ooh, so you know
Ant and Shaye for best shooting guard.

Speaker 2 (30:56):
Who's going to get it? And I saw Ant had
seventy percent, I'm like, wait, did I miss? Was Shake
killed somewhere?

Speaker 1 (31:02):
Like what?

Speaker 2 (31:02):
But they listed him as the point guard? So Luca
is your best small forward, Giannis with ninety three percent
of the vote best power forward, and yokis the best center.
Jokis the overwhelming favorite sixty three percent to be MVP.
That surprised me a little how overwhelming the pick was
over Shae for MVP. So An gets the love there.

(31:27):
And then do you remember we talked about this a
number of years ago? The survey came out with the
GMS saying like, if I'm starting a franchise today, who
would I pick? And it wasn't Kat, Like five years
ago that guy I remember us talking. Wowkat won that,
Like he got the most votes this year. One player

(31:48):
got eighty three percent of the vote on a player
I would start a franchise with today.

Speaker 1 (31:53):
Okay, I'm gonsa say Shae Wemby, Oh, Victor we Yama
eighty three percent, Shay thirteen percent, Yokic three percent. Whoa,
so I.

Speaker 2 (32:05):
Mean we getting I mean, I'm not going to dispute it.
I would probably pick Wemby as well, just because he's
an alien. Like, we haven't seen anybody at seven what
is he?

Speaker 1 (32:17):
Seven to three? If you could stay healthy, you could
knock down the three you can block. I mean he's
just yeah, stay healthy. You know his You just concerned
when you see a young player have so many different
health issues.

Speaker 2 (32:29):
Well, the blood clots, it's obviously a major scary, no question.
But he gives the Spurs, with a really talented backcourt,
the potential will be one of those teams that just
flips the narrative and becomes a contender. I wouldn't be
shocked at all if if the Spurs start climbing into
that fifty win conversation.

Speaker 1 (32:50):
Well, like I said, they have a have a nice backcourt,
they have a guy as young, but that could you know,
could change the face of the league and a year
or so, if you can stay on the court and
stay healthy, and if your backcourt is able to produce
like many people think they should be able to defensively,
they come along because they have a guy now that

(33:10):
can protect the basket and get out in transitioning that
you talked about, and get some easy baskets here there
all of a sudden. Now they would have a low
post game as well to bounce off things they're doing
in the offensive end. They could be one of those teams
to take a giant step this year. Yeah. If those
young guards.

Speaker 2 (33:25):
Obviously they have de Aaron Fox, but they drafted Dylan
Harper number two, and they have Stefan Cassel, the rookie
of the year. They've got a really nice young backcourt.
If those guys grow up, then the timeline gets sped
up just a bit.

Speaker 1 (33:36):
They may have to find a bruiser that can protect Wemby. Yeah,
that would be helpful. Yeah, heped Charles Ultie type.

Speaker 2 (33:42):
Who's the dude they got with the yellow hair, Sohan
Soshan whatever, He's kind of that role a little bit. Yeah,
that's a team to watch, all right. Much more NBA
conversation next week is we'll do our season preview. Let's
come back talk some college football, and we'll talk lots
of NFL. In our number two, we'll talk some very

(34:04):
interesting games across the Big ten today, So we'll weigh
in on that when we come back in the Zone
on the fan Follower back eight forty five in the Zone,

(34:37):
Tucker Sinnecon Blake Moore with you till ten. Fantasy Football
Weekly follows at ten o'clock ten to noon today. One
thing I forgot to mention, I showed you this during
an earlier break. My thanks to jeff on X who
goes at mn Minnesota Twins. Zelaz send me an NBA

(34:58):
highlight from nineteen ninety three. I don't know how he
found it. It's spectacular. It's from Game six, the game
where the final game of your career as it turned out,
where your Bulls knocked off the Phoenix Suns in Game
six on the road to claim the first three peat
for Michael Jordan's Bulls. You were on that team. He
sends me a highlight where you knocked down a little

(35:23):
came off, a little screen hit about an eighteen footer,
your fourth basket in four attempts. You went four for
four in game six and Marv Albert's on the call
and when he says, you know, Tucker yes, and then
goes he's on fire.

Speaker 1 (35:38):
Tucker's on Fire. That is spectacular.

Speaker 2 (35:42):
Then your final game, you get a He's on Fire
for Marv Albert for all eternity to be found on
YouTube and to be tweeted out by those that pay
attention to those things. So thanks Jeff. Finding that gave
me a smile. I know gave you a smile when
it showed it too. As you think back to that game,
did you know, I'm sure I've asked you this in
thirty one years, did you know that at that time

(36:05):
that this was going to be it for you?

Speaker 1 (36:06):
Like this was your final run?

Speaker 2 (36:08):
Yeah, so potentially this was your last stint out an
NBA court and you just go a calm four for
four to help your squad claim a title.

Speaker 1 (36:16):
I mean, I could have probably squeaked out another year
or so, but I just felt like that my body
had reached the end of that type that type of
physical demand. Yeah, and I no longer wanted to work
out in the off season six hours a day I

(36:37):
had to work out. Once you passed that threshold of
thirty and thirty one and thirty two, your workouts in
the off season they have to increase in terms of
the amount of time you have to put in and
if the mind is no longer there, then it's time
to walk away. And I knew going into the summer

(36:58):
of ninety two that this was going to be my
last run and last attempt. I didn't have a team
at that time. The party before and then the Bulls
called me and a lot of parties set Tima Jeff
before a training camp started and offered me an opportunity
to come to training camp on a nine guaranteed contract.
You were the Johnny Jusang of the Bulls and I

(37:20):
had to make the team. So when I had the
conversation with the lady Jerry Cross, I said, well, can
you guarantee me one thing? He said, what is that?
I said, an opportunity, a fair opportunity to make the team.
He said, well, we believe if if you can do
the things that we think you can do, you should
have no troubles in making this team. I said, yeah,

(37:43):
I hear that, but I want to know if you're
going to give me a fair chance. And he said, yeah,
we'll give you a fair chance to make the team.
I said, okay, then I'm packing up in the moment
on way to Chicago. Who are you competing against for
that roster spot back then a kid named Jojo English.
He was a nice young player. It was a couple

(38:05):
of young kids at that time, but what the role
was asked of me, I was ahead of them in
terms of experience and understanding of how to play with
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, understanding the role and knowing
that at playoff time, these were some of the things
they were going to be asking me to do. So
I had had an advantage from an experienced shortandpoint from

(38:28):
a talent standpoint. You know, they were younger, faster, quicker,
and stronger, but I was able to keep up with
them doing training camp where it wasn't a huge disparity
between the two or three of us. And I can
remember before my contract became guaranteed, we were in Sacramento
about to play the Kings, and this was the day

(38:51):
that Phil Jackson was going to see if I still
could play. So he cut practice short and he took
four players. I took myself, kid named Corey Williams, Scott Williams,
and Stacey King, and he made us play two on
two and that was the day. Did you get Stacy?

(39:13):
I had Scott Williams. Scott Williams, And that was the
day he was going to determine whether I was going
to be on the team for the rest of the
season or that if I didn't show well in that
two on two after practice, a little scrimmage that we had,
he would have cut me that day.

Speaker 2 (39:28):
You think, so, yeah, so are the other players watching?

Speaker 1 (39:31):
Are they're always watching? That's pressure? Man? Did you realize, like,
this is it, man, I have to show up. And
so Corey Williams was. And there was a rookie they
drafted out of Oklahoma State. I think, nice young kid
and loved him to death, but this is war. This
is war. So I just I took him apart. He did.
I took him apart, and and feels like I've seen enough, Okay,

(39:56):
we can go now how long? Like how long? Thirty minutes?
Oh so what I wasn't like after a few plays,
It's like what it was he wanted to see if
I could still defend, you know, smaller and quicker than
younger player. And and was I just resting on my
laurels or being on the team, you know, as a

(40:17):
ten eleven year veteran, he wanted to see if I
could still produce, if if he needed me to go
out there and play. And and by being in good
shape and just understanding what the NBA was all about,
it was I was able to put him in positions
where he couldn't he couldn't use his speed and quickness
to function against me on from a defensive standpoint. And

(40:38):
and me and Scott william just ran to pick and
roll to death. And uh and every time he got
hung up, Stacey King drive back, knocking the jump shot,
Stacey King stepped up, I gave a bounce Passcott Wilim
played the ensk and we just we strugg him that day.
But I knew that day what's going to be determined
fact on whether I was going to stay on this
basketball team for the rest of the year or not.
That's pressure. Man.

Speaker 2 (40:58):
Did you just completely just roy Corey Williams confidence. Did
he make the team? Did he have a career at all?

Speaker 1 (41:03):
I don't remember he's on the team for the rest
of the year. He was, you know, I was. I
was kind of his mentor. Uh. And he looked at me,
he says, He says, Man, I just didn't think that
you were going to destroy me. That way. I said, well,
you know, everything was on the line for me. I said,
you your career now has a chance to expand for

(41:24):
the next four or five years. To me, this is
my last run. Man.

Speaker 2 (41:27):
Did you walk off that practice court going okay, I'm good.
Did you know that that Phil saw what he needed
to see?

Speaker 1 (41:33):
Yeah? He looked at me, and he looked at me
a smile. He said, okay, I've seen enough. And they said,
I got a book for you to read. You were
walking to the team. Here's a book you should read,
The War that the rookie. Did you read it? No,
you didn't read it. I don't think I don't think
many guys read the book, he asked me. I said, yeah,
I stemmed through a few pages.

Speaker 2 (41:51):
You know, back then, if Wikipedia had been around, you
could have just jumped online, read the synopsis and and said, yeah,
I read it. I loved the overwriting theme, which was
this that Wikipedia could have talked.

Speaker 1 (42:01):
You didn't hatedn't asking me anymore. After that, we get
back off the West Coast trip and he called me
in the office. He says, well, you know, he says,
I'm gonna I'm going to put you on the end
of reserve for about two weeks.

Speaker 2 (42:16):
It's okay, something's suddenly bothering you, but you didn't realize.

Speaker 1 (42:20):
And he says, we want to make sure that all
of our veteran guys are ready to make to make
one fine a push. And so I took off two
weeks and I had a thigh injury or something. You know,
Bill cott Wright took some time off. John Paxson had
bone on bone in his knee, so he had to
take time off. I hate it when that happens. And

(42:41):
but you know, come late April and we were ready
to make that puss coust. Now all the guys who
you thought that you were going to have to depend on,
they were healthy and ready to go. Yeah, I don't remember.

Speaker 2 (42:52):
And again my memory is terrible, but you've you've become
such close friends with Jordan and bj over the years.
Did you know have any kind of relationship with anybody
on that team that day when you were proud, like
when you just joined the team, did you have any
pre existing relationships beyond knowing them from playing against him?

Speaker 1 (43:08):
Right, because he was yeah, yeah, that's right. And I
remember the first day I got to I got to
I got to training camp. I went with the rookies,
and I'm thinking, well, you know, I gotta go through
the rookie training Kim and Jerry Cross says, now you
can go go find a place to live. You just
want to make sure that you got here on time.

(43:29):
And I think the first day I walked in and
Michael looked at me and said, you know what, that
shot didn't count. The Tucker didn't Cayah, you remember it
still bugged him years later. That's awesome.

Speaker 2 (43:44):
All right, we didn't get to college football, so let's
just pause a minute or two early, and we'll come
back top of the horal talks and college football and
lots of NFL is Week six beckons that.

Speaker 1 (43:53):
Said bye week.

Speaker 2 (43:54):
We get that, you know, but there's still some really
interesting matchups and we'll see if the Packers can win
for the first time in a month. We'll talk NFL
and college football. Our number two in the Zone.

Speaker 1 (44:39):
We're back nine o'clock on a Saturday morning.

Speaker 2 (44:41):
You're in the Zone, Trent Tucker and Dave sinnecon Brett
Blake Moore steering the ship. As always, we will turn
our attention to football for this hour, beginning with the
college game. As You're Minnesota Golden Gophers licking their wounds
from a spanking in Columbus. We knew that was going
to be difficult.

Speaker 1 (45:00):
Was we scored early? Was it three to nothing? Gophers?
Ice Drive had the lead for his possession.

Speaker 2 (45:06):
I think what you wanted to see ultimately, big picture
is that Drake Lindsay looked like a guy that where
the moment wasn't too big for a red shirt freshman
to go into the big Horseshoe and primetime NBC and
just look like the moment wasn't too big.

Speaker 1 (45:21):
And he absolutely passed that test.

Speaker 2 (45:22):
He looked, you know, as you say that first driver,
So just fine, like I can be playing Rutgers for
all we know. I mean this is now. Ohio State's
defense is historically good, and we talked about it last week.
I mean some of the stats are are absurd that
that defense doesn't allow teams even into the red zone,

(45:43):
like nobody scores, and that was it for the Gophers
that didn't score. They couldn't get the running game going
against that front. And then they've got guys in the
secondary that could be in the NFL right now.

Speaker 1 (45:54):
So okay, you didn't learn much.

Speaker 2 (45:57):
You learned that there is a wide chasm obviously between
the State Buckets and the Golden Gophers.

Speaker 1 (46:01):
Okay, that's true, just what.

Speaker 2 (46:03):
Every other team in the Big Ten probably, But big picture,
I think you have to be excited about this quarterback
and what he might be in the next couple of years.
This might be maybe the most talented Gophers quarterback we've
seen in quite some time. Yeah, and it's only nice
five games in. You know, I'm not hyperbole. I don't
want to go crazy, but that's a big test to

(46:25):
go in there and just show like he didn't look
like he was poised, he wasn't rattled. He knew that
they were going to be outmatched. But you know, again,
he scored three points. It wasn't a performance that's gonna
get you to, you know, write stories about. But I
just he passes the eye test, and I think that's
the big deal. And now here comes Purdue Gophers eight

(46:45):
and a half point favorites tonight.

Speaker 1 (46:47):
Mentioned homecoming under the lights, but.

Speaker 2 (46:50):
A nice night out tonight should be beautiful. They've struggled
with Purdue. They I think they've lost their last two
to Purdue. I think I saw that and this is
not a horrific boiler Maker team. Like the last couple
of years, they changed coaches and they're own two in
the Big Ten. They're two and three overall. They are
in the bottom tier of the league, and that the

(47:12):
Gophers are favored for a reason. But this feels like
the perfect opponent to put Ohio State behind you. Taking
nothing for granted because as I say, they've been competitive
much so, much more so than they were a year ago.
But if the idea is you hope to be an
eight or nine win operation potentially looking at the schedule,

(47:34):
three of the next four games are at home, including
games against Nebraska and Michigan State, and then with a
game in Iowa in between, you know you need to win.
You know your home games, and Nebraska looks like the trickiest.
But this is a chance tonight to just get back
and do what you do well. You know, run the

(47:54):
ball with Darius Taylor, let your quarterback make plays, and
the defense shouldn't.

Speaker 1 (47:59):
Be overly so.

Speaker 2 (48:00):
The Boilermakers quarterbacks throwing the ball quite a bit, so
it'll be a test for the secondary to keep up.
But I think a nice opponent for the Gophers coming
off that game in Columbia.

Speaker 1 (48:10):
Yeah, I mean, you know, you want to bounce back
as quickly as you can, and you're going into the
house day. Like you just mentioned, everyone knew that that
would be a very tall task and a tough deal
to overcome because Ohio State is just Ohio State. I mean,
they have, like you said, NFL prospects up and down
the lineup offensively and defensively. But for the Gophers now

(48:33):
to show that, hey, you know, we are now in
the class of Ohio State, but we are in the
class just about against everybody else. And this would be
a nice game for them to have a bounce back
game for sure.

Speaker 2 (48:46):
By the way, the Gopher Nebraska game is next Friday night,
so you know, if you're not doing anything, you don't
have any hockey things to worry about. We'll have a
chance Saturday morning to talk about this. That'll be the
lead of our show, will be the Gophers and ask
a game.

Speaker 1 (49:00):
There's one week coming up that I may not be
able to join you because that might be in Chicago.
That's unacceptable, but the game is late enough. I can
always call in, of course, you can. You do you
priorities are hockey Dad first, radio talk show hosts. Second,
if time permits, you know, in the zone is always

(49:21):
first appreciate that.

Speaker 2 (49:23):
And it sounds like that'll be early in the Wolf
season too, So we're gonna want at least some of
you that weekend, whatever weekend we're talking about, so thank us.

Speaker 1 (49:30):
Uh well, yeah, it's start of next Weekend's next weekend?

Speaker 2 (49:36):
Next weekend's the what eighteenth? Nineteenth eighteen? Man, just a
following week following we twenty fifth. Yeah, I'm actually going
to be in uh Ames, Iowa that weekend, ub doing
the show from Ames for Parents' weekend, the parents weekend
of Iowa State.

Speaker 1 (49:52):
I'll be a hockey weekend and the winter the city.

Speaker 2 (49:54):
So we'll have to figure that out how that all
works out, because that'll be the first Saturday after real
Wolves games. The well, I've seen a couple of Wolves games,
so that'll be a fun one. I just quickly around
the Big Ten. All three windows today have interesting Big
Ten games, beginning with Ohio State at Illinois at eleven o'clock.
They're two touchdown favorites. You know, Illinois I think showed

(50:15):
that they're not for real. I mean, you lose sixty
three to ten to a big ten team, and well,
it takes some of the swagger away. You know, we
don't know how good Indiana is. More on them in
a second, but it's a bad day for sure. Yeah,
it's a bad It was a bad night for Illinois.
And now they have a chance at home.

Speaker 1 (50:31):
Today against Ohio State to at least see if they
can stay you know, somewhat in the game for half
or three quarter. It's just amazing how, like you say,
year in and year out, Ohio State is this able
and some of these other top flight college programs. I
just able to pick out the best players time and timing.

Speaker 2 (50:51):
Well's not Yeah, here's a check for a million dollars
come play for Ohio State. It's not that hard to
figure out. Well, Michigan's part of it. What Mischigan's quarterback
is getting. W Is he getting ten million?

Speaker 1 (51:02):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (51:03):
It's it's huge money in Michigan on Ohio State playing
a different level when it comes to nil.

Speaker 1 (51:08):
That might change, though.

Speaker 2 (51:09):
Have you seen about this two billion dollar private equity
deal or a private capital deal that's apparently close to
happening for the Big ten?

Speaker 1 (51:19):
Again, this is above my pay grade.

Speaker 2 (51:21):
When you're talking about you know private capital groups, but
this has never happened before, where it's an investment fund
out of the University of California's pension system that would
be putting two billion dollars into the Big Ten to
form a new entity called Big Ten Enterprises, and they
would own to ten percent equity in Big Ten Enterprises,

(51:42):
which is nothing about anything on the field. What they
would own is that ten percent of that company, which
would deal with media rights, sponsorship opportunities. Basically, it would
be a nine figure boost to all the teams in
the Ten, like the Gophers will get if this goes through,

(52:04):
hundreds of millions of dollars to help them compete to
buy players, to help you know, there are a number
of teams that are looking at new buildings. We talk
about the Big ten seven billion dollar TV deal. It's
crazy and all these teams are flush with money, but
the money goes pretty quickly when you're looking to build
stadiums or improve your facilities or bring players in. So

(52:27):
what they're hoping to accomplish, if I'm reading it right,
is by feeding the not the lower level, but the
schools that can't compete economically with the Penn States Michigan's
Ohio States giving them the money to now compete for
players that might go to the SEC, you know, the
Old Misses, the Auburns. The money might be the same,

(52:49):
not to come to Minnesota or to go to Iowa
or whatever it might be. So it would be an
earthshaking move for the Big Ten to bring in an
investment company to own a piece of not the league,
but a spinoff company within the league. Crazy money, crazy dollars.
So that's a story that's gonna I think the votes
happening quickly, so we'll know really quickly. And I'm sure

(53:11):
you know folks in Dickey Town are thinking, oh my goodness, seriously,
they're going to cut us a check for one hundred
million dollars right now. We could find a way to
spend that money.

Speaker 1 (53:20):
Well. Also, I need talking about just having you know,
five year scholarship deals cutting out the red shirt opportunity.
Is that true? I have not heard that. I read
that somewhere. Then they may just go to this given kids.

Speaker 2 (53:32):
To five years and you don't have to read shirt,
you have five years of eligibility. That's interesting, No, I
have not heard that. Yeah, and across all sports.

Speaker 1 (53:39):
I don't know if I'm assuming perhaps the major ones football, basketball, hockey. Man,
I understand that, but I wonder if it's like diving
and volleyball. And I just sawed this somewhere. I read
the headlines. Okay, I'll check that out. That that would
be a change, But you know, you want to give
other teams a chance to compete. You know, parody is

(54:02):
is paramount, especially at the collegiate level. I've always talked
about years before, you know, before the money became so big.
It's that, you know, how could you make the game
more competitive from an NC double a standpoint at a
time when they were kind of leading the charge, you know,
cut down on some of the scholarships. You know, instead

(54:24):
of having eighty five scholarship players may have fifty five.
You're still gonna have one hundred and twenty percent on
the team if you like, all all of a sudden,
now Alabama or house State can't stock power, you know,
talented players because they just don't have the scholarships to
do it. And you have to mandate across the board.
But I knowing that at that time, Nick Saban and

(54:44):
Dabble was swinging in that crew, will say no way.
We're not going to do that type of stuff. But
you want to give, like you mentioned teams like Minnesota
or Illinois or other teams across the country, you know,
a fighting chance to compete for some of this risk
talent that comes out of high school, so that on
Saturday afternoon they can feel good about themselves when they

(55:06):
have to play against Ohio State. We can go into
the game knowing that we have the athletes to compete
and if they want to make this a competitive balance,
I think the guys at the top have to sit
down and think about how can we change the landscape
of college for And I think that's one reason the
Big Ten is looking at this is the way you're
not going to get the blue chip, five diamond guys.

Speaker 2 (55:25):
They're still going to look at Ohio State and Michigan.
But there's a whole bunch of guys out there.

Speaker 1 (55:30):
Look at the money available extra thirty guys knowing that
two years from now and where that guys there is
going to be an All American. But all of a sudden,
you know that that scholarship is not available at Alabama. Yeah,
now he allows you and I to have a chance
to come in to go into his living room and
talk to his parents and show them what we can

(55:52):
do for your son as well. Yep. And the nice
little check is going to clear as well. That's part
of the deal. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (55:58):
I can't wait for Indiana Oregon today at two thirty
third ranked Ducks hosting the seventh ranked, seventh ranked Hoosiers.
ESPN Game Day is in Eugene, Oregon. I'm gonna learn
a lot about Indiana, which you know, answered a big
question a few weeks ago when they just destroyed Illinois,
as we talked about, they went into Iowa City, wasn't

(56:19):
as pretty, but they got the job done against Iowa.

Speaker 1 (56:22):
That's never an easy stadium to play in. I don't know.

Speaker 2 (56:25):
And they had a bye week. Both teams, both Oregon
and Indiana had bye weeks last week. Oregon's win at
Penn State on the white out a bit tarnished after
what happened to Penn State last week. Is that the
most shocking Big Ten result you've seen. Ucla looked like
the worst team in the Big Ten through four weeks.
They were owned four, they fired their coach. They look

(56:48):
completely lost, and.

Speaker 1 (56:49):
They had and they had and they had a game
for the ages. Right, they just dominated Penn Stuart. I
mean what it was like twenty seven seven at halftime, Like,
what is going on? Is James Franklin still Floyd? So
we don't know what Penn State is. It's still a
good win for Oregon to go into prime time and
to know that it's a huge win for them and
get that win.

Speaker 2 (57:08):
But we'll learn a lot about both those teams and
whether they are legit teams that could give Ohio State
any kind of problems. You know, there's a lot of
hesitancy to annoint Indiana. I get that, but they defensively,
I think can can play against just about anybody. They
are really deep defensively. Both these teams have quarterbacks that

(57:31):
have been fantastic. Dante Moore for Oregon and Francisco Mendoza
for Indiana.

Speaker 1 (57:35):
Have been great.

Speaker 2 (57:36):
I just we're gonna learn so much about both of
these teams. I just hope Indiana is a seven and
a half point underdog. Close, Yeah, just make in the
fourth quarter. Let's let's make this game in doubt, let's
let's still be in this game.

Speaker 1 (57:49):
Well, Indiana had a good team a year ago, right,
everybody was questioning why they would rank so high and
for the MDOM to come back to come back a
year later, they're better. And yeah, this team is better
than in the same position or what ben as you
just mentioned. You know, it shows that last year was
not the Flukes they know, correct, and they've got money.
You know.

Speaker 2 (58:09):
Indiana does a nice job bringing in players, and they're deeper,
and they're much better upfront on both sides of the ball.
They're better offensive line, better defensive line. So I've got
a day for the ages, you know, for me today
you get Indiana Oregon two thirty Brewers Cubs tonight.

Speaker 1 (58:25):
So god of a fun little sports day for Davy Thomas. Right,
Gorman Thomas will not be on the field for the
brew crew tonight. Correct.

Speaker 2 (58:33):
Let's pause here and turn our attention to the NFL
and we come back Week six, so very interesting matchups.
We'll talk some Vikings bye week news, particularly the quarterback position.
NFL is on our mind. When we come back in
the zone. We are back nine to twenty on a

(59:19):
Saturday morning. You're in the zone, Trent Tucker and.

Speaker 1 (59:21):
Dave Sennekin hanging out talking some NFL Week six bye
week for the Vikings. Hopefully get a little healthier across
the offensive line and perhaps at quarterback.

Speaker 2 (59:31):
It's no guarantee, though. You know, Packers are coming off
there bye week and they're more banged up. I think
that they were going in. You got six guys questionable,
including three linemen and their kicker who pulled a quad
muscle during practice this week. No, I hope this is
a perfect week where you don't need a kicker so much.
I mean Packers are two touchdown favorites against the Bengals tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (59:53):
Yeah, I mean this is a good game for you
guys to get yourself back on the track. I believe
you got Joe. You got Joe kuh coming into Lambo
a different story. And that's again. You know, the schedule
comes out and you go wow. You know Lamar and
Burrow and Herts and all these quarterbacks are coming to
Lambeau in the Minnesota this year. You may not even
face Lamar, you know, as so many by the time
we play the Ravens, both of our teams, he'll be back.

(01:00:16):
He's not playing this week.

Speaker 2 (01:00:17):
I want to talk about the Ravens in a bit,
But yeah, this is a good opponent for Green Bay
to shake off some of the special teams issues that
cost him a couple of games, a couple of block kicks,
or they might be four and oh, but they're just
as banged up coming out of the by And you
hope that's not the case for the Vikings and that
you know.

Speaker 1 (01:00:37):
At least a couple of those guys come back. I
don't know, I mean, Ryan Kelly, we don't know what
his situation is. Was he placed on ir Ryan Kelly?
I feel like I remember hearing that. Maybe not, but
obviously Brian O'Neil's concerned. Right tackle Donovan Jackson has missed
a couple of games, your rookie.

Speaker 2 (01:00:56):
So are these couple guys back? Do we get a
little semblance, I mean normal offensive line after a bye week.
I think that's something to watch, you know, coming back.
And then of course, as we talked about top of
the show, you know, is JJ ready coming out of
the buy?

Speaker 1 (01:01:10):
Is the ankle healed? Are they going to be absolutely
sure that you.

Speaker 2 (01:01:14):
Can practice fully for a full week before and maybe
that's not this week? Again the constant once against the
Eagles talent and make sure. Yeah, that's a really interesting
matchup next week.

Speaker 1 (01:01:27):
It's a very interesting matchup. I mean, you know, going
into the season, like I said, you know, you and
I talked about this. We was hanging out at the
Minnesota Great get together. We feel like that the Eagles
probably would come in and that would be a game
that the Eagles might be able to win just because
of what they were able to do this past year.
But now, you know, with with how things have played

(01:01:50):
out over the last two weeks, you know, you have
to believe that the Vikings give themselves a great chance
to win this football game. But it's still going to
be a tall test. The Eagles are still a very
talented football team and not just playing well at the stage,
but having a healthy young JJ McCarthy, you know, would
be a plus for this team. But if he's not
ready to go, you want to make sure that Carlson

(01:02:12):
Witz is healthy enoughing ready to go against his former team.

Speaker 2 (01:02:14):
Yep, ding the shoulder obviously finished the game and has
that two weeks now to get that thing right, so
I think he'll be okay. The Eagles are early two
and a half point favorites at the US Bank. I
think before Thursday night, I'm guessing there are three and
a half point favorites. You know, you lose a game
like that to the Giants by you know, three scores,
and suddenly people think, well, maybe there is more to

(01:02:37):
it than that, right you know, they haven't. Kellen Moore left,
the offensive coordinator left to go to New Orleans. The
offense looks nothing like what we remember. Saquon Barkley can't
get anything going on the ground. Both aj Brown and
DeVonta Smith are complaining, and their body language on the
sidelines are just not good. It's just it's you can't

(01:03:00):
just assume, well, all the players are back so that
this offense is going to run and maybe by the time,
you know, like Green Bay gets the Eagles off their
bye week in early November, and maybe by then everything's fine.
Then they look like the super Bowl team that we remember,
the champs. But right now, that offense, I mean, the
Vikings defense should have their way with Philadelphia's offense.

Speaker 1 (01:03:20):
They just don't look like any identity. And the whole time,
you know, there's no balance of what they're doing. They're
a running team. That's what they've been built as they
running team with Barkley. But you have a good balance,
I mean, right now, they don't. They just drop back
and just go into a shotgun. Well, if you're the
shotgun with a time defense kind of knows what you're thinking, right, Well,
you're going to become very one dimension. And so it's

(01:03:44):
still a lot of talent and we know that. But
now will they be able to change the mindset and
get these guys all back on the same page or
will they be able to make some adjustments offensively to
balance off in the team, Because somehow, some way, if
Philadelphia is going to make another run, say Kwan Barkley
has has to play a major role for them. Yeah,

(01:04:04):
and he's not.

Speaker 2 (01:04:05):
They have a mini buy, you know, not quite as
much time off as the Vikes, but having played Thursday,
they'll have a little more time to not only heal up,
but maybe look at things and then maybe do things
a little differently than.

Speaker 1 (01:04:15):
Yeah, I think right now is more mental four team
at that level of the Philadelphia Eagles, more so than physical.
You know, I played four team in New York even
though we were we didn't win a championship, but we
were a very good team, and we had come off
the eighty nine season and we lost in six games
for the Chicago Boy wasn't in the Eastern Simmis and

(01:04:38):
everybody came back the next year. We're all w in
great shape and ready to go. Rick Patino de size
at that stage, he and management could no longer co exist,
so he decided to move on to Kentucky Stude Jackson
take sover. We got off to a great start, but
you knew that that the foundation was shaking, even though
we were winning games. And we lost a game that

(01:04:58):
we should not have lost. And it was the first
year that the Wolves came into the NBA, and we
came into Minneapolis to play the Wolves in the Metro Dome.
And I said this before. If you had never watched
NBA basketball before, and some want to ask you which
team is the expansion team, you would listened the team

(01:05:18):
in the blue. They beat us by twenty twenty five points.
Were such a mess. Mentally we had talent, but mentally
we were just out of control and we couldn't get along.
We didn't like each other. Everybody was grapping about this,
about that. And toward the end of season we found
that way and we got ourselves together and won a
playoff series against the Boston Celtics. I believe right now,
mentally that's where the Philadelphia Eagles are. They have completely

(01:05:42):
fallen apart from a mental standpoint, and the talent is
there where they be able to recoup and get it
back together. It's the championship team. We all believe they
will and most people in Philadelphia think they can. But
right now you have to be concerned about the mental
status of the Philadelphia It's so weird to watch that offense.
It's like Jalen Hurts only throws to the tight ends.

(01:06:03):
Like what happened to those two really highly compensated and
talented wide receivers. You're playing the Giants. You're telling me
they can't get open, like you can't find them. He
passed with two hundred plus some yards. I mean, you
would think two hundred plus fifty yards the Eagles should
be running away with this game. Well here comes the
New York Football Giants.

Speaker 2 (01:06:22):
Yeah, and again we touched on it earlier. Jackson Dart
again passes the eye test. This kid, do you see
the stat he's the third quarterback. I don't know if
it's ever or like in the last fifty years. That
ran for over fifty yards in his first three games
as a as a rookie and the other two are
Lamar and I forget the other one, but another star

(01:06:43):
like stud Hall of Fame type journey quarterback. I'm not
saying that starts trajectory, but he's got some star powers
to have a chance, you don't have a chance, and
there are some do you see how you know he
got hit? He sort of banged his head on the knee.
It looked like of another player, and he was down
and it was kind of weird. And they're investigating how

(01:07:04):
that all went down because like Brian dave Ball lost it,
like get him back. They saw Russell Wilson throw one
pass and they're like, get clear him whatever you need,
and obviously that's not the way it's supposed to work.
Independent neurologists make sure he's okay. I don't know that
they dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's
on that way well right now, but again you're looking

(01:07:25):
at the kids well being and you want to make
sure his brain's okay. You can't just say, well, we
got to beat Philly, so get him back out there.
He was tremendous though he is not just the running
but running back was very good. And scatter Bow is
again folk hero in the Maze guys played a heck
of a football game.

Speaker 1 (01:07:42):
They played. They played a really good football game. They
got off to a good start, and their confidence just
grew throughout the game. It is because they were able
to take the world champs and make them a one
dimensional team. And in any sport, when I can make
you a one dimensional player or one dimensional team, I'm
going to have a great chance to control the outcome.

(01:08:05):
And that's why you have to have a balance of
what you do. Like in basketball, yeah, you can be
the best three point shooting team in the league, but
you have to have a half court and the inside
game to balance things up. Because when you talk about
making a deep run at playoff time, certain teams are
going to scout you, They're going to take certain things away,
and what's your counter. If you don't have a counter,

(01:08:27):
it's going to be very hard to find success, especially
at playoff time.

Speaker 2 (01:08:30):
For sure, you just you don't expect to see the
Eagles get destroyed like that in a division game. And interestingly,
the way the schedule comes out, they play again in
like two weeks in Philly.

Speaker 1 (01:08:40):
So I think the Vikings. I believe the Vikings are
in a good situation right now to knock off the
Equals next Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:08:48):
You know, as we talked about is it a good time,
bad time, it probably is a good time to play them.
You know, they're they're struggling to find their identity and
people are pointing fingers at each other, you know, and
you know, yes, they're going to come in angry and
embarrassed and ready to try to turn the corner. But
not the best defense to try to get your offense
on track against on the road in a loud environment

(01:09:08):
against Brian Flores, you know, a fascinating game next week.

Speaker 1 (01:09:12):
Yeah. I mean, it's the team you know that has
has been through the ups and downs and they've come
through difficult situations. So you know, you you think they
would have a chance to bounce back and get themselves together.
But I just believe that this is a this is
a good time right now for the Viking used to
be to be playing the Eagles.

Speaker 2 (01:09:30):
You know, back to that Cleveland game, you know that
field goal that record missed, that clearly hit the wire.
Have you seen the replays of that? We have not
heard about it.

Speaker 1 (01:09:38):
I can't believe they didn't catch that on the field
that because if I think if it hits the wire,
it's a rekick, isn't it like it clearly not live.
I didn't know. It just looked like he missed it.

Speaker 2 (01:09:48):
But they had a really good replay that it obviously
hit a wire and the ball suddenly moved differently. And
I just with all the cameras and all the guys
in New York or New Jersey wherever they're dan, they're
sitting there looking at everything, how do they not stop?

Speaker 1 (01:10:02):
Whoa whoa whoa? That could have easily determined the game? Right,
I mean, obviously we know what happened at the end
to win it, but you make that field goal, it
changes everything. So I just really surprised that, yeah, that
that that didn't can't looked at but all worked out well.
Your Purple got their win, escaped, and uh left Europe

(01:10:25):
at least with a W and a winning record. In
In an NFC that suddenly looks like it's five six,
seven teams that feel like they can stay healthy and
go on a run. They may have a chance this
year because the Eagles do not, and the and the
Lions don't look like that dominant team. And we'll talk
about Lions Chiefs next segment because that's that's another interesting

(01:10:45):
game this weekend. So there's an opportunity there. Yes, it's
it's a lot of opportunities for a number of teams,
you know, to make a statement. And you know people
talk about, well, just this team is winning all these
you know, one score games, but to when a chammpionship,
these are the games. This is how you win championships.
You have to be able to win the one score games.

(01:11:05):
If you are ten to one or eleven and zero
and one score games, now you get home for the
advantage that playoff time. These are the type of games
that you're going to play because the NFL right now
and there's parody across the league, especially in the NFC,
like you talked about, and these games are going to
be close. It's going to come down to who can execute,
make the right places at the right time. Quarterbacks can't

(01:11:27):
turn the ball over, running backs can't put the ball
on the field, field goals kickers on special team, they
can't mike it. They can't miss extra points, or they
can't miss chip shots. So you're going to have to
execute from start to finish if you want to have
a chance to win the Championship.

Speaker 2 (01:11:41):
I gotta do this for you. It's wide opening the
AFC as well. I mean, Baltimore, Buffalo and Case all
look like clearly heading shoulders above everybody else.

Speaker 1 (01:11:49):
They all have flaws. Nobody saw the Patriots going into
Buffalo to win, right, nobody. No, nobody saw that.

Speaker 2 (01:11:55):
I thought they were one of my three underdog picks
last week to to at least stay within an eight
and a half point spread. So I hit that one.
I went to and one thankfully last week. But no
a win in Buffalo, a dominant win in Buffalo. No
I did not either. Let's talk about the rest of
the league, some of the big matchups coming up in
week six in our final segment, including Buffalo and Atlanta.

(01:12:16):
That's a Monday night game Detroita, Kansas. The primetime games
are great. The Bears are playing in Washington. We'll talk
about all the big matchups in week six in our
final segment in the Zone.

Speaker 1 (01:12:26):
After these we're back final segment. Today's edition have been

(01:12:58):
The Zone. Tucker and sinnecon till the top of the hour.

Speaker 2 (01:13:01):
Fantasy Football Weekly at ten Gophers Football on the Fan tonight,
beginning with the pregame at four thirty kickoffs shortly after
six thirty.

Speaker 1 (01:13:08):
Homecoming Gophers against the.

Speaker 2 (01:13:10):
Boiler Makers Wild will be heard on our sister station
Cool one to wait home opener for your Minnesota Wild
the Columbus Blue Jackets in town. That's where you will
hear that. No Vikings game obviously on the fan tomorrow.
It's bye week. Everybody gets some time off before recharging
and getting set for the post by part of the schedule,

(01:13:32):
beginning with the Eagles at US Bank Stadium next Sunday.
I mentioned I guess in the last segment that the
NFC's wide open. In my book that there isn't a
dominant team. That drew a text from a seven to
one to five texter who reached out at the Bradshawn
Brian KFA and text line, which you can do as
well by texting six four six eighty six Davy. He said,

(01:13:54):
the Lions don't look dominating just because they lost the
first week.

Speaker 1 (01:13:57):
I disagree.

Speaker 2 (01:13:58):
I think they're the team to beat right now with
that offense, and they're healthy for the most part, not
like last year.

Speaker 1 (01:14:04):
I would agree.

Speaker 2 (01:14:05):
Today Detroit looks like the most complete team in the NFC.
And again I am perhaps a bit shaded by remembering
what the Packers did to them in Week one in
not just beating them, but dominating them. And so that
makes me think, well, how good is Detroit? And I'm
still not sold on Detroit. I'm even after making that statement.

(01:14:27):
The reason I said it was I watched them play
Cleveland and the scorer was nothing like what the game was.

Speaker 1 (01:14:33):
I mean, Cleveland was in that game.

Speaker 2 (01:14:35):
They had some special teams problems and Detroit didn't move
the ball up and down the field. Nobody will against Cleveland.
They had two undred and seventy yards of offense. That
offense struggled against Cleveland. They put a lot of points
on the board because they got turnovers late and special
teams mistakes, but they weren't dominant. And then against Baltimore,
you're playing a JV team right now in the Ravens,

(01:14:56):
their whole starting defenses out. No Lamar Jackson beat them
thirty eight to thirty, and maybe it was a little
less close than the score indicated. But Detroit's got some
issues right now, mostly on defense. They are going to
be without I think three starters in the secondary. They
can't rush the passer, and I absolutely believe Kansas City

(01:15:17):
is going to beat that. I think their favorite to
beat Kansas City in Arrowhead tomorrow night. But I really
like the Chiefs. I still think Detroit's going to be there.
They're going to be there, There's no question but to
say that they are the absolute best team in the NFC.

Speaker 1 (01:15:33):
I don't think you can say any team is. I
can make a.

Speaker 2 (01:15:35):
Case for Tampa Bay, my Packers, oddly enough, the Lions,
you know, the Eagles are certainly there. San Francisco. You
know they're winning games, and we talked about them before
the season. I picked them to be the one seed
in large part because of a Their schedule is ridiculously easy,
though they have to go to Tampa tomorrow, but for
the most part, they have a really easy schedule. And

(01:15:58):
I thought Robert Sala coming back to run the defense
would change everything, and it has made a huge difference.
They've been really good defensively. But Detroit. You're a guy
that grew up in Michigan, and so you always watch
that team. They're not your team, the vices of your team.
Do you agree with me that they are just one
of four or five six teams that are likely to

(01:16:19):
be there at the end, or do you think that
Detroit is still the team that was the top seed
a year ago and ultimately the most talented team top
to bottom in the NFC.

Speaker 1 (01:16:30):
I still believe that, you know, the Lions is a
team to beat in our division. You know, I don't
know about throughout the entire NFC. I mean, many people
probably still believe that the Philadelphia Eagles and NFC is
the team to beat. But I've I think you and
I've had this conversation over the last couple of weeks.
I felt like that the Lions is still the team

(01:16:54):
to beat in our division, even though the Packers knocked
them off in Week one. But it seems like somehow,
some way, Dan Campbell gets his team up and they
just find a way to win and until somebody can
prove to to the rest of the football world and
in our division that the Lions is not the team
to be. I still think they are the team that's

(01:17:14):
just at the top of our division. But when they
end up talking about the the NFC Conference, now, I
think the Eagles are still the team to be at
the conference. They'll get their offense figured out by the
time they need to. Yeah, But like I said, is
why so many It's great to see the parody there.
I mean, Tampa Bay can go into any place, and

(01:17:36):
when your team is talented enough to go into any place,
and when as long as you stay healthy, I mean,
Seattle is a challenge. Forty nine the Rams are tough. Yeah.
So there are so many good football teams right now
in the NFC, and it's just as a football fans,
it's fun to watch.

Speaker 3 (01:17:56):
A couple editors notes as well, the Lions are too
and a half point dogs in Kansas City.

Speaker 1 (01:18:03):
Thank you.

Speaker 3 (01:18:03):
Also, uh, if you look at the if the playoffs
ended or if the playoffs started today, if the season
ended today, your number one seed in the NFC the
forty nine ers at four.

Speaker 1 (01:18:13):
Now, that was my prediction preseason.

Speaker 3 (01:18:15):
Bucks, Lions, Eagles, Packers at the five, Seahawks at the six,
Vikings at the seven. So so who is the two seed?
The two seed would be Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay.

Speaker 2 (01:18:28):
So the Vikes would go to Tampa in the first
run in Green Bay would go to Philly.

Speaker 1 (01:18:33):
Is the four or five? Yes? Wow?

Speaker 2 (01:18:36):
Wow, I'm not crazy about Oh boy, let's not the
playoffs right now.

Speaker 1 (01:18:39):
We change things. Let's let this play out just a
bit for the record.

Speaker 3 (01:18:43):
The number one seed in the AFC right now, the Colts,
so long way.

Speaker 1 (01:18:47):
To go think about that. Yeah, yes, the fan has learned.
It's still early October. It's still early October, but yeah,
it's it is. It is wide open in the NFC,
and I again, we'll see I like Kansas City to
to UH as favorites to take care of business. They're
a team.

Speaker 2 (01:19:05):
That's starting to show offensively that they're starting to figure
things out. Kansas City, I think they're getting healthier. Worthy
came back, right, so they'll be back. I think after
this week, Chiefs are two and three. You know, tough
loss in Jacksonville. That's another team this Yeah, it feels
like they're the more desperate team. They lost to Detroit,
remember to open the season a year ago at Arrowhead.

(01:19:28):
A little revenge factor there. If Detroit goes into Kansas
City tomorrow night and they're a fly, this is not
a great Chiefs team right now, so it's obviously a
field goal game. Detroit showed me something though, if they
can go in tomorrow night and knock off a desperate
chief and if the Chiefs were coming off a win,
I wouldn't feel this way. But when a team's coming

(01:19:48):
off in Allen, they're under five hundred, they're getting doubted
a bit.

Speaker 1 (01:19:52):
This is where it's hard to bet against Kansas City.
And I mean, you know, and you talk about all
other teams. I mean, if the Cowboys figure out how
to get that d he Fen's together with the way
Dak is playing at this stage, all of a sudden,
now they'd come back.

Speaker 2 (01:20:05):
Slow your role, just a little bit, slow your role
and what they're Yeah, they're two two and one. I guess, right, yeah,
there you go, there you go. The the other did
jamrmay like that?

Speaker 1 (01:20:22):
Right?

Speaker 2 (01:20:23):
He loved that? Yeah, you're just trying to get him excited.
The other big NFC game tomorrow is forty nine. Ers
at Tampa Bay talked about this for a second early
because both teams are just the walking wounded right now.
They're they're missing key offensive players. Both teams are obviously
Party's out Pearcell and Jennings, the receivers are out, Tampa's

(01:20:43):
Baker's top three weapons are out. So I don't know
how much we'll learn from these two four and one
teams going at it at Tampa Bay. But I feel
like if if San Francisco can go down there and
win this game and get to five and one. U
statement for them, it is because this might be the
hardest game that left on their schedule.

Speaker 1 (01:21:02):
I haven't looked at it.

Speaker 2 (01:21:03):
They'll play the Rams again, they just played them. This
is a If San Francisco wins this game, I think
they are in pole position assuming party and they get
their guys back to be a real legit candidate to
be the top seed. Because of again, they are a
last play schedule. It's a tough division. All those games

(01:21:23):
in division are pretty top except maybe Arizona. You believe
what Arizona did last week. They're up twenty one to
six in the fourth quarter, and then they're about to
go up twenty eight to six and they're running back.
Of course, does the usual thing we see once a week, now,
let's go with the ball before the end zone touchback.

Speaker 1 (01:21:40):
But to lose that game to Tennessee at home.

Speaker 2 (01:21:44):
Up two scores almost three in the fourth quarter and
destroy people's survivor leagues all across the world who had,
including me, who had Arizona as the one team they
expected to win last week. That was almost a fireable
offense for their car and the coach loses it too.

Speaker 1 (01:22:02):
The head coach you get fired. Yeah, and then he
then Gannon loses it on the running back de Marcado,
who gave up the ball he just went. Did he
hit him he touches me? I don't think so.

Speaker 2 (01:22:10):
But he did get fined one hundred grand by the
team for his antics, which I.

Speaker 1 (01:22:15):
Mean, I mean, did he hit the guy? I don't
think so that. I don't.

Speaker 2 (01:22:18):
I'm I feel like, if you can find one hundred grand,
you must have put your hand on right, because how
do you find a coach for just losing it mentally?

Speaker 1 (01:22:26):
I mean, I just I mean, I mean you you
don't and you shouldn't if if there's no physical contact.
I don't think there was. Maybe I missed it.

Speaker 3 (01:22:35):
It looked like from one angle there was a couple
like the kind of brushed his arm a little bit.

Speaker 1 (01:22:39):
Yeah, it wasn't so Yeah, maybe he did cross the
face mask or anything. You know. It wasn't a Woody
Hayes moment where he like punched him or anything like that.
Wood He Hayes.

Speaker 2 (01:22:48):
By the way, Brett was a football coach for the
Ohio State Buckeyes back in the day. What year well,
he was like Bear Bryant. He was like for thirty years.
He was the Ohio State coach. He coached against Bort
sham Becker.

Speaker 1 (01:22:58):
Yeah, thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:22:59):
He was the Michigan coach by the way first potion. Yes,
but what he took a swing at a player famously
years and years ago.

Speaker 1 (01:23:07):
He lost on his sil He tackled a guy, didn't
he Yeah, he absolutely lost it. Yeah for a second. Yeah,
Ohio State can win. He can't deal on the more
so quarterback through an interception. He still intacling him. Yeah,
he's there. You know, he knows how to tackle. He's
got the farm.

Speaker 2 (01:23:23):
So he figured I'll show you at sixty years old
that I can still do this. What do you make
of the Baltimore Ravens who are now one and four.
They are staring one in five in the mirror because
Lamar Jackson's going to miss he had another game. They're
hosting the La Rams, who are coming in kind of angry. Baltimore,
as I mentioned, is without basically it's it's starting defense

(01:23:43):
is basically out right now and very easily could fall
to one in five. And yet as we sit here
today at one and four, the Ravens are still favored
to win the AFC North, which tells you a bit
about the state of that division with the Bengals and
Browns kind of blundering along, and you know, the Steelers
are certainly competition. But I find it fascinating that a

(01:24:06):
one and four team that looks very much like it's
soon to be a one in five team, people think, well,
even if they follow the one in five, look at
what they've got. If Lamar's back, they can rattle off
eight straight wins, and suddenly they're nine and five and
they're right back where you think they are. That's going
to be an interesting team to watch to see he was,
you know, heading into the season, they were right there

(01:24:27):
with Buffalo and Kansas City. You could it was probably
split three ways. Their quarterback, yes, because Lamar is an
MVP quarterback and you know Derrick Henry is still there,
and they always have a defense that's competitive, but you don't.
Injuries decimate you and it changes everything. I just find
it really interesting that there's still that much belief that
Baltimore is going to turn things around.

Speaker 1 (01:24:49):
Well many people they have, if not the best or
one of the top quarterbacks in the league. For sure,
when he's healthy, he's very dynamic. Maybe my he's the
guy I would want first up. Yeah, he's very dynas
he can beat you, and he can he has a
chance to beat you in so many times maybe my homes,
but right there. And but they have defense, but if

(01:25:09):
you can't score. Baltimore can't score with thirty plus points,
it's goa be hard for them to win because the
defense can't shut anybody down, and it seems like the
defense can't step up and make a play when they
need to. So they're going to have to win games offensively.
And without Lamar Jackson, that's that's that's very hard for
them to do.

Speaker 2 (01:25:25):
And there can't rely on Derrick Henry, who doesn't look
like the Derrick Henry he was last year. He's fumbled
three or four times and is not that Shakespeare confidence
dominating on the ground big time. That shakes you confidence.

Speaker 1 (01:25:37):
And when you're in critical moments and your best player
can't hold onto the ball, all of a sudden, that
starts to weigh into his into his psyche. And he's
still a very talented football player, we all know that.
But but when you begin to doubt yourself, especially in
crucial moments. It's not good for your team.

Speaker 2 (01:25:56):
No, it never ends well. Both the Vikings and Packers
will welcome the Ravens into their buildings. Like to play
them now, wouldn't you when they're all banged up and
there's no Lamar time them. Yeah, it would be be
a nice time to play them. I'm guessing they'll be
a little stronger by the time both of our teams
meet up with them. Another interesting game I can't wait

(01:26:17):
to watch Monday night, Chicago at Washington.

Speaker 1 (01:26:20):
This is a.

Speaker 2 (01:26:23):
We harkened back to last year. This was the Hail
Mary game where Jayden danielsraculous miraculously beat the Bears on
the final play when who is that defensive back for
the Bears was like playing with the crowd and not
focusing on guarding the end zone, and it sort of
started the Commanders on their role of improbable late game
finishes to just win all those games. And Chicago never

(01:26:46):
recovered from that game. I mean, it all went downhill.
So now they're going back. They've won two straight. They're
off of by You know, the North is the only
division with no losing football teams right now. Every team's
at least two and two that includes the Bears, who
I get a really.

Speaker 1 (01:27:00):
Good chance to go into Washington. You know, rested angry
about what happened there last year, and the Commanders talked
about it before the season. I did not think they'd
returned to the playoffs. I think they're going to take
a step back. You know.

Speaker 2 (01:27:13):
It kind of looks like that might be the way
that the oldest team in football, despite you think about
Jayden Daniels, you know, the young quarterback.

Speaker 1 (01:27:21):
So I want to see if Chicago's grown up.

Speaker 2 (01:27:23):
This is going to make I think people look at
Chicago completely differently. If they can go into Washington, maybe
not win, but if it's a ind out game t
the end and people go all right, they can go
on the road and be the playoff team.

Speaker 1 (01:27:36):
Maybe Chicago is going to make this thing interesting.

Speaker 2 (01:27:38):
Maybe the North could ultimately be a team that might
put everybody.

Speaker 1 (01:27:42):
In the playoffs this season. It would be nice. I'm
interested to see what they do.

Speaker 2 (01:27:47):
If if Caleb Williams can go on the road, you know,
famously against the quarterback you know that was drafted after
him but out played him rookie year. It's a big
night for Caleb to show that the gap isn't quite
as big as maybe everybody thought it was.

Speaker 1 (01:28:00):
Well, then maybe you know, like you said, you know,
the Commanders found a way to win the game last
year on the Hell Mart and that jump started them.
They gave them the energy and the confidence they needed
to move them in the right direction. We don't like
you said your prediction this year. You didn't think that
they would be a playoff team, and maybe a year
ago they weren't that good. They just hit found the

(01:28:23):
right spot at the right time. And that was a
crushing loss for the Bears last year. A crushing loss
because the Bears could have been right in the mix
of a year ago, because they lost so many close
games with you know, bad breaks you're there, and poor
coaching in certain situations. And now with Kevin Warren as
a league guy in Chicago, things might be coming together.

Speaker 2 (01:28:43):
It'll be fun Week six. Fiking fans can relax. They're
back in action next week and joining your weekend everybody
for Brett, for Trent, I'm Dave