Headlines and a visit from the President of the Ryan Bliss Fan Club- GREGG BELL (933 KJR/Tacoma News Tribune) Yesterday was the first day of Seahawks mandatory mini-camp, so what did Gregg see in Renton? Zach Charbonnet made an appearance – is his return looking ahead of schedule? Are DeMarcus Lawrence and Nick Emmanwori morphing into the same person? :30- ABC’s of the Mariners - O is for Old Garv- we gotta stop thinking about Old Garv and recognize that New Garv is here.. Take notice. - P is for Piggyback- we want the piggyback back… there we said it. :45- We get Reckless at Breakfast with the reckless NCAA and the Sorsby saga.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
There I go, ground ball up to the middle, Blet's have
it a foot, Rice, Hey, it's out. Second days, the
spread was on and Bliss wins to send this to
the tenth So much more Burgundy.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
When you just hear the audio, you're.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Not watching it. I know.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
That's why I was like, Oh, that was the most
Burgundy we had to play it.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
It was full, full frontal Burgundy.
Speaker 5 (00:32):
There was a lot of excitement there.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Oh, there were a lot of crazy calls last night.
I think they both handled it really well because that
was trying to put your finger on that game. There
were plays that we've just never seen before.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
I mean, the.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Marriage of wacky baseball with new technology and new rules
that have been introduced into the game in the last
one to five years. It was never on grander display
than it's been the last two nights in Baltimore, Maryland,
and last night took the cake over the previous night.
Speaker 5 (01:01):
Fully agree, Yeah, it was awesome.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
It was fun.
Speaker 5 (01:03):
Wait see what happens today.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
It was awesome because we come away with two wins
out of that mess. Angry if you're Baltimore, Yeah, I'm
sure the Orioles, I'm sure their manager through a few
things after the game was over last night, But Mariners
do win in ten innings six to five. That was
Aaron with Ryan in the background doing stuff on the
call last night on Mariner's TV. Mitch Garver homer and
(01:26):
Randia rose Arena ended up with the game winning homer.
But really it was about narrow plays at bases home
and second base throughout the latter innings, the Mariners trying
to scrape together outs with a beleaguered bullpen that was
fatigued and only had four guys available, and even they
(01:46):
were not at one hundred percent, and somehow they patchworked
together a victory.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Ryan Bliss played a big.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Role in that, which we will give Greg Bell the
chance to talk about his favorite baseball player in the world.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
Fan club.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Yeah, he put together a fan club called Bliss Techs.
It's his favorite Ryan Blisp and Texans all in the
same room. So we'll talk about that with Greig Bell.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Here in a matter of moments.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
But first let's get to the rest of your headlines.
Brought to you by Frost Brewed Course Light Juice, Chill,
thirty six and thirty two. Mariners can go five games
over five hundred for the first time this year. They'll
be back in Baltimore for Game three of a four
game series, another three thirty five star time George Kirby
versus right hander Brandon Young. Colt Emerson missed two straight
games with that back injury of his, but he's not
(02:37):
been placed on the IL. We'll look at that as
good news. Cooper Criswell was placed on the IL yesterday
to make room for Nick Devilla. I don't think Criswell's hurt,
but that could be me just spreading gossip. Kyle Rawley
has been hurt and he's on reab right now. He
was in Tacoma yesterday and decided to hit two home runs,
including a Grand Slam for the Rain. We are certainly
(03:01):
going to talk about that later.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
On in the hour. The World Cup.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
The week is here, where one sleep away from some
World Cup action twenty twenty six. Brad Evans is going
to join us on the program today at nine o'clock.
NBA Finals Game number four tonight at five thirty back
at Madison Square Garden. The Spurs could break their hearts
again and even up this series at two games apiece,
which is what we're all rooting for, and the Stanley
(03:28):
Cup final continues to be one of the most evenly
matched series we've seen in sports history. Las Vegas and
Carolina just continue to exchange haymakers and what was expected
to be a defensive series is turned into anything. But
they just keep scoring goals, and it feels like they're
alternating goals from period to period. Last night, Carolina got
(03:51):
an empty netter late to win by two hole goals,
five to three over Las Vegas, and they have evened
up that series at two games a peace. But the
story in our headlines that we're going to discuss with
our next guest is going to be Seahawks mandatory mini camp,
which was held at the Virginia Mason Athletics Center yesterday,
and Greg Bell was there in person to watch it
(04:13):
all unfold. Joining us now our Seahawks insider Greg Bell,
Good morning, sir.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Good morning throws me off without the musical interlude.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Ask me too. Yeah, I'm with you on that. Yep,
did you soak in all?
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Did you get your Ryan Bliss bobblehead and your Ryan
Bliss jersey out last night and watch him make all
the key crucial plays to support your love for him
last night?
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Yeah? I don't know. Who Ryan Bliss's agent is, but
should be me. I am all for Ryan Bliss. He
won the game last I know over Rose Arena, hit
the home run. But Bliss's dimension, of course, is his speed,
and it was his speed that one game on defense
last night, racing to the bag at second, racing to
that pop climb so right, racing over to that ground
(04:59):
b all the night before. They don't have that that
he's the one dimension. I know he's not hitting much,
but I just think his speed is something that they
can use all over the place. And yeah, keep him,
don't send him back.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Have you met him yet? I mean, I know you've covered.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
That's what's funny. I'm going to haven't. And as much
as I keep talking him up, I'm hoping to keep
talking up to the point where I want to go
meet him and he says, oh, I heard you say.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
I'll tell you this.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
If you're a fan of him because of his baseball whale,
you meet him because he is just a wonderful young man,
Just a wonderful young man.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
I've been told that I need to spend more time
lately in the Mariners clubhouse, But I don't know if
you saw at the end of the game Tuesday night
or whatever night, Monday night, whatever the night was. When
he first came up and Brad Adam and he were
talking about the fact that Brian Bliss's bags never made
it to Baltimore. They got stuck in Denver somewhere, so
I didn't have any clothes, and he and Adam were
(05:59):
joking that they about the same size, and Brad said, all,
I'll take the shopping. What's his shoes do you wear? Oh?
I we're tens too. Yeah, now there's a joke that
Brad Adam and Ryan Bliss are wearing in the same
clothing this road trip.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Well, JP's like his big brother. JP will take him
close shopping. He's got the funds, all right. Well, Greg
Bell is with us and he's our Seahawks insider of course,
and of course you can hear him at ten o'clock.
So we can talk about Ryan Bliss some more at
ten o'clock here today. But we do want to talk
to some Seahawks football mandatory mini camp yesterday. And you
(06:30):
didn't have to tell these players twice, other than a
couple of injury guys.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Everybody showed up yesterday.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Correct, Correct, DeMarcus Lawrence, the thirty four year old in
his thirteenth season who could blow it off but would
get fine for doing it now. Although I'm not sure
Mike McDonald would find these guys if he didn't show up,
they probably McDonald would, Pete Carroll wouldn't. But Devin Eastern,
the rookie seventh round pick the nose tackle, was the
only one I didn't see anywhere on the field without
(07:00):
explanation to where he was a rookie seventh round Prick
probably is excused or has a reason that he's not
on the field. He's probably somewhere around the facility. He'd
be unusual for a rookie to blow off a mandatory
mini camp. But yeah, everyone was there. By far, the
most surprising thing Chuck was right at the beginning of practice.
Here walks Zach Sharboney right with a trainer, and he
(07:23):
goes to the corner field by the lake, and he's
doing high hurdler, high step, high knees, lateral movements. He
wasn't just walking. He was doing far more. He's doing
the rapid fire chop high steps. He was doing far
more than a guy that is knee reconstructed less than
four months ago would probably be doing. Mike McDonald said
(07:45):
at the combine to us the last days of February
that the surgery went better than the team might have
thought and there's a more optimistic outlook than they originally projected.
But he made coy on a timeline. Oh, I wouldn't
have bet against Zach, and if anyone could do it,
I can usually an aco reconstructive surge. That's for football
players eight to twelve months. Eight. On the very very
(08:08):
optimistic side, he didn't have the surgery because of swelling
until mid February, so eight months after surgery, you're talking
mid October. Of course, that's well into the regular season.
What I'm not drawn conclusions because it's only June and
he's in T shirts and sweatpants and hoodie. But what
I saw yesterday suggested he might be beating that estimate,
(08:32):
and it perhaps he could factor into the early part
of the season. We'll see, Yeah, But it was a
surprise by far that he was even on the field.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
A surprise and yet not surprising from the standpoint of
if that that to me is like, yeah, Zach Scharbonay
will get back earlier than expected. I don't know there's
just something about his makeup and the way he's wired
that even though it's surprising to see him be that
ahead of schedule, if any one would be, I know,
Charbonay would probably be up there at the top of
(09:00):
the list for me.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Yeah, and McDonald had said that too and practically pragmatically
thinking and speaking. There's a reason for him to get
back because this is his contract here, this is the
last year of his rookie deal. The Seahawks have a decision.
Charbone's not stupid. He saw them just draft the running
back number one in the first round, jedari and Price
is going to be under a relatively cheap rookie contract
(09:22):
for the next four years. It's high time for sharbon
Ay or remind them why they draft him in the
second round a few years ago, why he ran for
twelve touchdowns last year. So, I mean, that's not the reason.
But he's motivated for sure because he doesn't have it,
just like Kenneth Walker this time last year. Zach Charbonay
doesn't have a football home after this season.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
What do you mean by jadari On Price now?
Speaker 2 (09:44):
More like RB one a.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Well in OTAs he was the clear number two and
he was mostly on the second team offense with Drew Locke.
Yesterday he was far more into the ones. He was
altering the very end of drills at scrimmages and the OTAs.
Yesterday he was getting whole series with the ones with
Sam Darnoldon's starting offense, and it was much more of
(10:09):
a job share. It looked a lot more like Kenneth
Walker and Zach Charbonna that season yesterday, so that was
the first time that I saw them adding two Price's
first team reps an entire series or two in team scrimmages.
So I still would be shocked if he's not the
starting running back Week one against New England September ninth,
(10:32):
If you dropped the guy in the first round, that's
the plan. The charbon At return would perhaps change the
dynamics of the starting running back position early in the season. Though.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Greg Bell is with us our Seahawks Insider, and of
course you can follow him at gee Bel Seattle, and
he does have complete coverage of day number one, a
mandatory mini camp yesterday.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
A beautiful day to practice.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
A little football and shells yesterday out at the Virginia
Mason Athletics Center and certainly a lot of other ground
to cover, including and I don't want to I don't
know who to give credit to for this tweet that
I saw.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
It was just at random, but.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
It certainly wasn't an observation I made on my own.
Somebody yesterday had just tweeted out, man is even worry
about the same size as DeMarcus Lawrence, as they were
sitting there sort of standing next to one another, And
that is kind of incredible that they could have the
same body type considering the positions.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
That they play.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
And so I would ask you, has has Lawrence gotten thinner?
Has Emon Worry gotten bigger? And why are they hanging
out together so much right now?
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Well, to the first point, I think it's a little
bit of hyperbole. They even Worry is much much slender
and wiry. There may be similar height, but Tank Lawrence
is what he is. He's a tank. It's why they
call him that. He's got a huge upper body and shoulders.
He looks like fourteen thirteen year defensive end outside linebacker
(12:02):
and even warriy like the guy looks like a guy
who's twenty two years old growing into his body. So
I wouldn't say they look exactly. They're just similar in height.
I would say, yeah, the reason that de Marcus Lawrence's
biggest value, and he's got huge value on the field.
Obviously another Pro Bowl last year ed rusher who was
forcing just everything. Mike McDonald wanted him more. But his
(12:26):
biggest value to this team is his teaching. He does.
Mike McDonald said he has never seen ever in his
football career a guy that practices exactly as the coach's drilling,
exactly as they draw it up. He is the prototype
of how to do drills. And he pulls guys aside.
He pulls Riley Mills aside to the defensive lineman. He
(12:49):
pulled the undrafted rookie from Northeast Northwestern, the outside linebacker aside. Yesterday,
he pulled me Ki men Warrior aside to work on
steps and pass rush and these very picky, un minutia
drills around medicine balls and around hulla hoop rings for
leverage and leaning. He spends a lot of time with
(13:13):
other players, a guy who's obviously secure in his own craft,
but his influence, his umbrella spread of influence across the
breadth of the roster. He does it with Gray's able
in the offensive lineman too. He is a wealth of
knowledge that he's not willing to keep to himself. And
I asked even Worry about it after practice and he goes, Yeah,
(13:35):
this guy teaches me how to win. And he said
he does it in a really simple way. It's easy
to understand, to not clutter emon Worre's mind. Eman Orris
said that he really wants to refine his game this season.
He said he really didn't learn the part of the
defensive recognizing offensive formations and knowing what plays might be
coming until Week eight or nine last season. And when interestingly,
(14:00):
Jones yesterday, when someone asked him about Nicky Man worried,
what's the next step he can take? He said, in
the classroom, So it's the preparation now, the nuance, the
professionalism of being an NFL defensive player that the Seahawk
veterans are calling on even worried to improve upon. And
that's natural for a second year guy. Once you learn
in the physical speed of the game, the next step
(14:21):
is to perfect the mental. But yeah, Marcus Lawrence, it's
huge that he's back for this team. I know there
were some rumors that he might retire Mike McDonald has
had assurances he was going to be here. Here he is,
he doesn't have that. He's got six kids, he's made
one hundred and forty million dollars, he's thirty four years old,
he finally won his Super Bowl. But he's back and
he's fully engaged in teaching.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
All right, So I take it to Devin Witherspoon didn't
show up angry at the world that he doesn't have
a contract extension like JSN.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Correct.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Yeah, he's smarter than that. No. Actually, he was more
participating yesterday than he was in the OTAs. He was
full go, fully participating in all the scrimmages. He was
sitting out most of the eleven on eleven in the OTAs,
and it looked like he was trying to save himself
from possibly any chance of getting hurt before he signs
the contract. It's gonna get done. It's gonna get done
(15:10):
probably around the start of training camp. But in the meantime,
he's ripping on Jake Bobo. Bobo took a bubble screen
pass and because you can't tackle and hit, Bobo runs
past all the defenders and runs through room down the
field and Witherspoon who was on the sidelines watching the
twos scrimmage, was just screaming at him. No, man, no
way that's going to happen in the game, because of
(15:31):
course everyone teases Bobo for being slow or slower than
most NFL player relatively slow, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
He's like the squars wanted me. You know, I don't
have to put up with this abuse.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
I had an offer sheet. Yeah. No, it's pull Devin Witherspoon,
not just not a malecontent, not upset. No, it's moving
along its path. The devil's in the details of the
money offered. This the JSN deals and anomaly to get
done as early as it did. Smith. We talked about
that yesterday. But the guaranteed money when you get it,
(16:03):
how much is guaranteed its signing, how much is guaranteed
within twelve months against injury. That's why it takes longer
for these type of deals get there.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
You were there covering this team in twenty fourteen, you know,
coming off of their Super Bowl win, and and by
the way, that was a very successful year. I mean
it was one yard shy of the Super Bowl, so
it's not like things fell apart after their first year.
But sometimes it does. Sometimes the teams win a championship
and they don't put it back together. They start coming
(16:31):
apart at the seams almost immediately. We've seen it happen before.
Why is that not a risk? What was the attitude
like on day number one a mandatory mini camp. What
is what is Mike McDonald putting in place to make
sure that this team is just as hungry this year
despite what they accomplished last year.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
That's a good question. Check. These guys are more humble.
They have a coach who demands they be humble. Carrol
demanded the opposite. He wanted the bravado. He wanted guys
to be all about themselves and be the best sells
they can be. Go get yours. It worked, and Mike
McDonald's way is working too. But it's the opposite in
(17:14):
that regard. They've got younger players. Think about it, they
don't really have a super duper star. Yes, Smith and
Jigba just a meteoric season last year in ell Pro
and offensive player of the Year in the huge contract.
Devin Witherspoon, Yeah, we think he's a superstar out here,
but NFLI nationally not a jackantingsuper, not an all pro.
That Super Bowl team in twenty fourteen for the Seahawks
(17:36):
had Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas and Michael Bennett and
Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson entering his prime and Marshawn
Lynch all his persona. There were some dudes, and they
don't have a lot of dudes like that here. They
have a lot of selfless I don't want to say
no name because they're not no name, but they're far
(17:56):
less established. They're also not all making gigante money, are
about to sign huge extensions like top of the market extensions.
Smith and Jigbu and Witherspoonez, but everybody else. Legion of
Boom was about to go get theirs. And that's not
where this team and this defense is. So I see
a much different vibe. It was a show with those
(18:19):
twenty fourteen team, the bravado and the attitude and the
Richard Sherman just mouthing off and fighting with guys. They
lost a draft pick because of how much they fought
in off season practices and got fined for it. Not this,
this is such a different deal. It's a real testament
to Mike McDonald to get twenty and thirty year old
(18:40):
guys who are in a profession where they have to
make their money now because it's about the end to
be this selfless. It's a real leadership coup. And the
stuff he does, the military ethos, the togetherness, the teamwork,
it's working and it's just amazing to watch it. He's
pulled it off in just two years. And that I
keep reminding myself this is the first time he's ever
(19:01):
been a head coach at any level. Yeah, and he's
done it better than anybody in the football world. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
I think we've got a prodigy here. He's acing the
test his first time taking yea. Yeah, he passed the
bar the very first time that he took the exam.
All right, thirty seconds, Levet, What do you got today?
Speaker 3 (19:16):
At ten o'clock, we'll talk everything I wrote for the
News Tribune and saw yesterday on the field. I'll detail that.
I'll talk about Jared Ivy as a new position, for instance,
and then go deeper into the roster. Eleven o'clock we're
hoping to talk to Bruce Sealdman National college football Guys
for The Athletic about the Brendan Soresby absolutely I mean,
(19:37):
have we ever seen college sports has broken it as
it is? United against one enemy. We've got one now
with Texas Tech the GAB. I'll be doing it from
the Virginia Mays Athletics Center by the way. Tomorrow they're
going to get their Super Bowl rings.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Oh oh wow, that'd be nice. If you've got one,
that'd be nice. They just slipped you once.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
Yeah, that first step would be conflict of interesting not
very media ethic.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Would take one.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
Off the night stand.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
Oh, depending on who the coach is. Not everyone, but
depending on who the coach. I was across the bow.
Actually that was a couple of them.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Man, We're not.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
Shut but we don't we don't mess around.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
We're bow shooters.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
All right, Greg, Well, listening at ten, talk to you soon,
all right? All right, Greg Bell, our Seahawks insider. You
can follow my at g Bell Seattle there on X
and of course he's got complete coverage of the Seahawks
for you at the News Tribune dot com. Coming up next,
ABC's of the Ems. Yeah, there's a lot more to
get to about the Mariners today, so we'll we'll hop
to it next. On Sports Radio ninety three, point three
kJ r F M no's for Old Garf, and I
(20:49):
need people to stop thinking about Old Garf when they're
watching New Garf.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
Okay, okay, we got a new Garve on on our hands.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Near New Garve's great. Newgarve is exactly what you want
a backup catcher to be. But we're still thinking about
Old Garve and how much he let us down because
he was supposed to arrive on the scene, and he
was supposed to be a big free agent addition, and
he was supposed to destroy left handed pitching and he
(21:21):
never really did any of those things. Remember he wasn't
even supposed to catch for us. Yeah, he was just
supposed to be a designated hitter and then me. And
he was very excited about that because he told us
in our first interview with Old Garve that he believed
that all of his injury problems that he'd had throughout
his career were the result of how much of a
(21:44):
beating he took behind the plate. He wasn't even supposed
to catch. He was supposed to be like a third
emergency catcher for this team. Well, now Newgarve's not making
nearly as much money. Was brought back was certainly humbled
by a couple of years of not succeeding here, and then,
despite the fact that he didn't have the greatest time
(22:06):
as a Seattle Mariner in terms of how the fans
treated him, he made that very public. He was he
was fought for by Cal Rawley during spring training. Remember
he'd been replaced. We had Andrew Kisner here. Yeah, and
so Mitch Garver comes and says, Okay, you fought for me,
and I did have a great time with his team
(22:27):
and these teammates, and I want to be a part
of this, and thank you Cal, and you kept my
major league career alive. And then he joined the team
fighting for a roster spot, which he won, and as
a pure backup catcher. So we can't think of new
Garve as old Garf. Old Garve was supposed to pound
(22:49):
the hell out of pitchers, especially left handed pitchers. New
Garv is just supposed to be a quality backup who
the pitchers love to throw to and won't feel like
their worlds come apart if cal Raley's not behind the plate,
and we'll hit the occasional home run because he does
have power. New Garf is sensational because he's brought us
(23:11):
so much more than that he's actually hit since cal
went on the il new Garv is the best challenger
in the world. He's second best statistically going into last night,
and he was perfect last night. So he might have
overtaken Carson Kelly from the Cubs as the number one
challenger in the sport right now, but an over eighty
(23:34):
one percent overturn rate right now for Mitch Garver as
a challenger, and he was doing it successfully again last night.
And Newgarve also had a couple of pretty nice tags
because despite what they went on and on and on
about last night about what a great play Cole Young
made from shortstop to home, that was not a great play.
(23:54):
It was good play, yeah, but he threw it to
the wrong side of home plate. You throw that to
the right side of home plate, that's an easy out
at home and Garf had to go across his body
to make that tag. So you know, I mean, backup
catchers are what they are. Backup catchers you don't expect
a whole lot out of And that's the way that
we've got to view New Garf. So whatever problems you
(24:18):
had with Old Garf, you got to put those aside,
because this new Garf guy is doing a great job
on this baseball team this year.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
We've got to make room for new GARV.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
New GARV. New Garves great to hang out with.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
He is.
Speaker 5 (24:30):
I mean, that guy could chug a beer, let me
tell you.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
So.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Yes, and he's going to stay. So I know there's
this what happens when Cal gets back. It's easy. Parade
is going to go down to the miners and new
Garf will be the backup. Because if you let go
of new Garf, you're he's gone where Parade still has
option rights and you can hold on to him at Tacoma.
And you want to Yeah, you want to keep all
three guys in your organization.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
Right, and I don't want to see Parada get sent down.
But the last thing I want is to not have
all three. So if that's the way we got to
do it, then that's the way we gotta do it.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Hey, nothing wrong. We have a new Garf on your
baseball that's.
Speaker 5 (25:05):
Right, new Garf. That guy he's gonna winning. Smile.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
New Garf comes on the bus like, hey, Newgarf, sit
by me.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Yeah, come here, Hey no, no, no, new Gar's supposed
to sit by me today.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Meanwhile, like when old Garf came down and they're like
seats taken all right, P is for piggyback.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
Ashley. Uh oh, I want the piggyback back me too.
Speaker 5 (25:32):
I said this.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
I'm not that exactly yesterday, but I said, I like
the piggyback man on the six man rotation because we're
not saving the bullpen.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
We get to save the bullpen if we're having this.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
And I and for the record, and I've already stated
this this morning, I don't think we should be having
this much trouble trying to get our bullpen healthy and
available to us.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
I don't know why it's such a challenge right now
when our bullpen has thrown the fewest innings of any
bullpen in the American League so far.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
It doesn't seem to me like we've had some harrowing
moment where a starting pitcher was only able to go
an inning in two thirds and it shook our world.
I think the not pitching munjos in brash enough, only
saving them for certain opportunities has forced us to use
other guys more frequently, and it's thinned out our bullpen
(26:26):
even though Munjos and Brash want to pitch more, especially Munyos,
I think that's what's caused this. I don't know what
to even describe it, logjam. Whatever it is that we
have right now where we can't get through a game,
We're barely getting through games with enough relief pitching. It
stems from the way that the group has been used
(26:46):
to this point this year. It has nothing to do
with how much they've been used overall, if that makes sense.
And so if we're going to struggle this much with it,
we got a long effing way to go in this season.
And if Piggyback saves us from using the bullpen and
makes Dan's job easier, since this seems to be, you know,
(27:07):
the ultimate Rubik's Cube in his life, he can't figure
out how to make this work. The piggyback gives you
a night every five nights, every six nights, if you
get a day off in which you don't have to
use theoretically the bullpen at all. Now I wouldn't put
Miller back in that role, but I maybe I goose
(27:28):
two different guys.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Probably would use Castillo still, But if we're going to
struggle this much to get through a week without a
day off with our bullpen and having one fewer guy,
then maybe it's essential. The piggyback thing worked. Yes, it did,
and we won two out of three games. Both starting
pitchers were phenomenal, and the bullpen did get rested a
(27:53):
lot more than what it does on an average night
in Major League Baseball. So if we're going to struggle
this much, if it takes, if we're on June tenth
and we're like our bullpen is taxed even though they've
been taxed least of any bullpen in the American League,
then maybe we need the piggyback just to save us
(28:13):
from our decisions that we make regarding how much we
use our guys.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Yeah, I'm all for saving arms. It's a long season, right,
we want our guys to be healthy. We don't want
anyone to be overused. But I think we're taking it
to an extreme, and it seemed I mean, even in
the loss with the piggyback that wasn't on the pitching.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
No.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
So I don't know the argument for six man rotation
versus piggyback. I don't know how anyone could think the
six man rotation is a better option when you look
at what the piggyback actually does for our bullpen.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
I want the piggyback, pickyback, piggyback, piggy piggy back back,
pig pig piggyback, piggyback, piggyback back. Finally and quickly, and
I do have to be quick. It's a good thing.
Q is for quick, Ashley. I realize Cal needs some
time down there, but I don't want to waste two
(29:03):
home run games in Tacoma. No, like five innings yesterday.
He's already hit like one to the wall and two
over the wall.
Speaker 5 (29:12):
He's good.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Why wouldn't he be good?
Speaker 1 (29:15):
If he's good, he's good. If he looks like he
can catch nine innings.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Fel good if.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
He catches nine innings. I don't know if he's playing tonight,
I don't know. If they're going to give him a
day off. I don't know. But in his next game,
if he catches nine innings and looks good at the
plate again, then I say we bring him back in
time for Friday, and I have the Rainiers game. I
would like nothing more than to have the col element
on our broadcast on Friday night. But I would rather
have him in Washington, d C. Friday night catching.
Speaker 5 (29:44):
For him, and that's understandable.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
Yeah, I think if and he doesn't seem to be
feeling any ill effects, so let's go.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
Well, I say one more time, he needs to catch
nine innings.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Give him.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
You know, they'll probably give him today off and then tomorrow.
I don't know exactly how they're it, but I think
this is gonna be a quick stint for cal in Tacoma.
There's no rule that states he's got to stay down
there a week. If he's ready to go and he's
hitting bat and he looks better at the play than
he has all season long.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Then let's get him in a Mariner uniform.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Get you up all right? Coming out next Reckless at
breakfast on kJ R. And I hate damn.
Speaker 5 (30:18):
Pants and I don't like what socks either.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
Originally it was hot pockets.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
We're gonna be soggy pockets, and people just didn't like
to eat them because they fall apart, all right, They're
just gross and clumpy. So they went with the hot direction,
which was a.
Speaker 5 (30:30):
Great call, excellent marketing moves, right, But I.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Don't I goll only have a few minutes and I'm
gonna get pretty reckless today, and I don't know how
long this is gonna take. So Dick Fane's in the
green room night now, getting ready to join us for
Seahawks one series at eight o'clock. I hope we don't
have to bump him, because I'm gonna get pretty reckless
here today. We got to talk about the sordid Brandon
Swordsby affair that has shocked the college athletics world here
(30:58):
and look, we can all recognize it on its face
as this is wrong, this can't be and.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
How could we let this occur?
Speaker 1 (31:12):
And we need to cut it out like a cancer
and make sure that the Brandon soresbyas of the world
do not impact our collegiate athletics going forward. Okay, so
I'm with you, but that's one layer deep. What if
I were to say, recklessly, this is a great.
Speaker 5 (31:31):
Thing that happened, I don't know I feel about that.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Well, hear me out.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
It's a great thing to happen, because when all of
this process started, I warned you all. First of all,
Reckless at Breakfast was pretty much ten years of me
warning you what was getting ready to happen with college
football and college athletics, and that we're going to start
paying these players and all of this stuff. I didn't
see the transfer portal thing happening. I certainly didn't warn
(31:58):
you about that, but I agree warned you long before
the NIL thing became part of our lives that it
was coming and that we needed to be ready to
embrace it. We're going to probably have to enter a
new college football world going forward to save college football,
and so I warned you that, and then I have
also said when it did occur, we're going to go
(32:20):
through this period of martial law. We're gonna go through
this period of the wild wild West, where man, I mean,
everybody's getting shot in the saloon, and how do we
keep that from occurring and yet keep college football alive.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
We don't want to shut down the saloons.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
They're big money makers, but man, we got to somehow
restore order here in the wild wild West. And so
I told you a period of that was coming, and
it hasn't even though I think a lot of people
were embraced for it, it certainly hasn't prepared us for
all the weird things that were going to catch us
off guard. Oh, I didn't think that was going to happen,
(32:55):
and yet it happened, and yet we've dealt with it,
and guess what, the sport has grown. I mean, despite
all of our complaining and hand ringing and everything else,
the game is better than ever, more popular than ever,
even though most people that you run into that are
college football fans say they hate it and.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
They don't really like it anymore.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
Okay, and so it has grown. Now, obviously we can't
allow this Soresby thing to take hold of our collegiate athletes.
We can't allow them any kind of room for error
to think that they can gamble on their team or
gamble on their sport, and that that's okay. But when
you have something this big, like something that shakes the
(33:36):
entire foundation of sports, then it pushes us further from
getting out of this period of anarchy, this period of.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
The wild wild West. This is going to force us
to make laws.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
This is like going up in the saloon and shooting
everyone dead. It's going to force us into some governance here.
And so I think maybe this is going to be
the thing that we needed in order to finally get
our arms around it, to recognize we're not dealing with
college athletics the way that we used to certainly not
college football and college basketball on the men's side.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
We have to treat this differently.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
We got to treat it more like a professional sports
arena in order to preserve something that we all love.
And maybe we needed this one big story that everybody
could get behind to finally take the impotent NCAA and
push them out like a cigarette butt. Finally get rid
of them, get them out of the way. They're just
(34:35):
standing in the way of progress, and we finally turn
this into a commissioner, a set of a collective barging agreement,
players association. All of that we just got to give
into this world. And then we can set rules that
don't have that a judge in lubb It can't overturn.
(34:57):
We can say, we have a lead binding agreement that
you are not allowed to gamble on college football or
anything else while you're in college football. So we can
put those rules in place, and then if you break
them in your collective bargaining agreement, which your association has
signed off on and everybody has to agree, has to
(35:21):
be for the betterment of the sport moving forward, so
that we can all keep making money and that fans
can all keep enjoying something they've grown up with and
love dearly. If we can start, we can put it
on paper. And now you're breaking league rules. Now, some
smart ass judge trying to win favor in lubbing isn't going.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
To overturn that.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
So I think maybe this is the final straw that
leads us to finally recognizing what it is, what it's
no longer going to be. We're never going to go back.
We're not putting the cap back in the bag, and
we now need to govern it as it currently is constructed.
We've seen enough of the wild West. There have been
(36:08):
too many shoot ups in the saloons, and it's now
time to put laws in place. And then we will
start within our own rules, our community of rules, and
not the America's rules. In our own community of rules,
we will snuff out anybody that thinks they can get
away with this kind of behavior ever.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
Again, Yeah, and I hate that it has to all
get broken in order to get fixed.
Speaker 5 (36:31):
But if that's what has to happen, that's what has
to happen.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
I think that's what has to happen.
Speaker 1 (36:34):
I think it had to happen eventually, and so maybe
this was the last reckless thing that we needed in
order for everyone to wise up. Let's just get the
NCAA and does this. Cut them out, kick them to
the curve. They need not to be involved, even though
we all sided with them on this one. Yeah, they
obviously can't enforce anything anymore, they have no power. They've
(36:55):
always been bad at what they've done, So let's just
cut them out completely. At least for the two big
sports men's college basketball and college football. We got to
start treating these like professional sports, period. And that's and
that requires a commissioner, a league rules, a collective bargaining agreement,
a players association, all of that we just got to
(37:16):
give into it. That's got to be the project for
the next offseason. Okay, all right, Coming on next Seahawks
one series with Dick Faine. Sports Radio ninety three point
three KJRFM
There I go, ground ball up to the middle, Blet's have
it a foot, Rice, Hey, it's out. Second days, the
spread was on and Bliss wins to send this to
the tenth So much more Burgundy.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
When you just hear the audio, you're.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Not watching it. I know.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
That's why I was like, Oh, that was the most
Burgundy we had to play it.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
It was full, full frontal Burgundy.
Speaker 5 (00:32):
There was a lot of excitement there.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Oh, there were a lot of crazy calls last night.
I think they both handled it really well because that
was trying to put your finger on that game. There
were plays that we've just never seen before.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
I mean, the.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Marriage of wacky baseball with new technology and new rules
that have been introduced into the game in the last
one to five years. It was never on grander display
than it's been the last two nights in Baltimore, Maryland,
and last night took the cake over the previous night.
Speaker 5 (01:01):
Fully agree, Yeah, it was awesome.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
It was fun.
Speaker 5 (01:03):
Wait see what happens today.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
It was awesome because we come away with two wins
out of that mess. Angry if you're Baltimore, Yeah, I'm
sure the Orioles, I'm sure their manager through a few
things after the game was over last night, But Mariners
do win in ten innings six to five. That was
Aaron with Ryan in the background doing stuff on the
call last night on Mariner's TV. Mitch Garver homer and
(01:26):
Randia rose Arena ended up with the game winning homer.
But really it was about narrow plays at bases home
and second base throughout the latter innings, the Mariners trying
to scrape together outs with a beleaguered bullpen that was
fatigued and only had four guys available, and even they
(01:46):
were not at one hundred percent, and somehow they patchworked
together a victory.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Ryan Bliss played a big.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Role in that, which we will give Greg Bell the
chance to talk about his favorite baseball player in the world.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
Fan club.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Yeah, he put together a fan club called Bliss Techs.
It's his favorite Ryan Blisp and Texans all in the
same room. So we'll talk about that with Greig Bell.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Here in a matter of moments.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
But first let's get to the rest of your headlines.
Brought to you by Frost Brewed Course Light Juice, Chill,
thirty six and thirty two. Mariners can go five games
over five hundred for the first time this year. They'll
be back in Baltimore for Game three of a four
game series, another three thirty five star time George Kirby
versus right hander Brandon Young. Colt Emerson missed two straight
games with that back injury of his, but he's not
(02:37):
been placed on the IL. We'll look at that as
good news. Cooper Criswell was placed on the IL yesterday
to make room for Nick Devilla. I don't think Criswell's hurt,
but that could be me just spreading gossip. Kyle Rawley
has been hurt and he's on reab right now. He
was in Tacoma yesterday and decided to hit two home runs,
including a Grand Slam for the Rain. We are certainly
(03:01):
going to talk about that later.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
On in the hour. The World Cup.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
The week is here, where one sleep away from some
World Cup action twenty twenty six. Brad Evans is going
to join us on the program today at nine o'clock.
NBA Finals Game number four tonight at five thirty back
at Madison Square Garden. The Spurs could break their hearts
again and even up this series at two games apiece,
which is what we're all rooting for, and the Stanley
(03:28):
Cup final continues to be one of the most evenly
matched series we've seen in sports history. Las Vegas and
Carolina just continue to exchange haymakers and what was expected
to be a defensive series is turned into anything. But
they just keep scoring goals, and it feels like they're
alternating goals from period to period. Last night, Carolina got
(03:51):
an empty netter late to win by two hole goals,
five to three over Las Vegas, and they have evened
up that series at two games a peace. But the
story in our headlines that we're going to discuss with
our next guest is going to be Seahawks mandatory mini camp,
which was held at the Virginia Mason Athletics Center yesterday,
and Greg Bell was there in person to watch it
(04:13):
all unfold. Joining us now our Seahawks insider Greg Bell,
Good morning, sir.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Good morning throws me off without the musical interlude.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Ask me too. Yeah, I'm with you on that. Yep,
did you soak in all?
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Did you get your Ryan Bliss bobblehead and your Ryan
Bliss jersey out last night and watch him make all
the key crucial plays to support your love for him
last night?
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Yeah? I don't know. Who Ryan Bliss's agent is, but
should be me. I am all for Ryan Bliss. He
won the game last I know over Rose Arena, hit
the home run. But Bliss's dimension, of course, is his speed,
and it was his speed that one game on defense
last night, racing to the bag at second, racing to
that pop climb so right, racing over to that ground
(04:59):
b all the night before. They don't have that that
he's the one dimension. I know he's not hitting much,
but I just think his speed is something that they
can use all over the place. And yeah, keep him,
don't send him back.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Have you met him yet? I mean, I know you've covered.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
That's what's funny. I'm going to haven't. And as much
as I keep talking him up, I'm hoping to keep
talking up to the point where I want to go
meet him and he says, oh, I heard you say.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
I'll tell you this.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
If you're a fan of him because of his baseball whale,
you meet him because he is just a wonderful young man,
Just a wonderful young man.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
I've been told that I need to spend more time
lately in the Mariners clubhouse, But I don't know if
you saw at the end of the game Tuesday night
or whatever night, Monday night, whatever the night was. When
he first came up and Brad Adam and he were
talking about the fact that Brian Bliss's bags never made
it to Baltimore. They got stuck in Denver somewhere, so
I didn't have any clothes, and he and Adam were
(05:59):
joking that they about the same size, and Brad said, all,
I'll take the shopping. What's his shoes do you wear? Oh?
I we're tens too. Yeah, now there's a joke that
Brad Adam and Ryan Bliss are wearing in the same
clothing this road trip.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Well, JP's like his big brother. JP will take him
close shopping. He's got the funds, all right. Well, Greg
Bell is with us and he's our Seahawks insider of course,
and of course you can hear him at ten o'clock.
So we can talk about Ryan Bliss some more at
ten o'clock here today. But we do want to talk
to some Seahawks football mandatory mini camp yesterday. And you
(06:30):
didn't have to tell these players twice, other than a
couple of injury guys.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Everybody showed up yesterday.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Correct, Correct, DeMarcus Lawrence, the thirty four year old in
his thirteenth season who could blow it off but would
get fine for doing it now. Although I'm not sure
Mike McDonald would find these guys if he didn't show up,
they probably McDonald would, Pete Carroll wouldn't. But Devin Eastern,
the rookie seventh round pick the nose tackle, was the
only one I didn't see anywhere on the field without
(07:00):
explanation to where he was a rookie seventh round Prick
probably is excused or has a reason that he's not
on the field. He's probably somewhere around the facility. He'd
be unusual for a rookie to blow off a mandatory
mini camp. But yeah, everyone was there. By far, the
most surprising thing Chuck was right at the beginning of practice.
Here walks Zach Sharboney right with a trainer, and he
(07:23):
goes to the corner field by the lake, and he's
doing high hurdler, high step, high knees, lateral movements. He
wasn't just walking. He was doing far more. He's doing
the rapid fire chop high steps. He was doing far
more than a guy that is knee reconstructed less than
four months ago would probably be doing. Mike McDonald said
(07:45):
at the combine to us the last days of February
that the surgery went better than the team might have
thought and there's a more optimistic outlook than they originally projected.
But he made coy on a timeline. Oh, I wouldn't
have bet against Zach, and if anyone could do it,
I can usually an aco reconstructive surge. That's for football
players eight to twelve months. Eight. On the very very
(08:08):
optimistic side, he didn't have the surgery because of swelling
until mid February, so eight months after surgery, you're talking
mid October. Of course, that's well into the regular season.
What I'm not drawn conclusions because it's only June and
he's in T shirts and sweatpants and hoodie. But what
I saw yesterday suggested he might be beating that estimate,
(08:32):
and it perhaps he could factor into the early part
of the season. We'll see, Yeah, But it was a
surprise by far that he was even on the field.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
A surprise and yet not surprising from the standpoint of
if that that to me is like, yeah, Zach Scharbonay
will get back earlier than expected. I don't know there's
just something about his makeup and the way he's wired
that even though it's surprising to see him be that
ahead of schedule, if any one would be, I know,
Charbonay would probably be up there at the top of
(09:00):
the list for me.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Yeah, and McDonald had said that too and practically pragmatically
thinking and speaking. There's a reason for him to get
back because this is his contract here, this is the
last year of his rookie deal. The Seahawks have a decision.
Charbone's not stupid. He saw them just draft the running
back number one in the first round, jedari and Price
is going to be under a relatively cheap rookie contract
(09:22):
for the next four years. It's high time for sharbon
Ay or remind them why they draft him in the
second round a few years ago, why he ran for
twelve touchdowns last year. So, I mean, that's not the reason.
But he's motivated for sure because he doesn't have it,
just like Kenneth Walker this time last year. Zach Charbonay
doesn't have a football home after this season.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
What do you mean by jadari On Price now?
Speaker 2 (09:44):
More like RB one a.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Well in OTAs he was the clear number two and
he was mostly on the second team offense with Drew Locke.
Yesterday he was far more into the ones. He was
altering the very end of drills at scrimmages and the OTAs.
Yesterday he was getting whole series with the ones with
Sam Darnoldon's starting offense, and it was much more of
(10:09):
a job share. It looked a lot more like Kenneth
Walker and Zach Charbonna that season yesterday, so that was
the first time that I saw them adding two Price's
first team reps an entire series or two in team scrimmages.
So I still would be shocked if he's not the
starting running back Week one against New England September ninth,
(10:32):
If you dropped the guy in the first round, that's
the plan. The charbon At return would perhaps change the
dynamics of the starting running back position early in the season. Though.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Greg Bell is with us our Seahawks Insider, and of
course you can follow him at gee Bel Seattle, and
he does have complete coverage of day number one, a
mandatory mini camp yesterday.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
A beautiful day to practice.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
A little football and shells yesterday out at the Virginia
Mason Athletics Center and certainly a lot of other ground
to cover, including and I don't want to I don't
know who to give credit to for this tweet that
I saw.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
It was just at random, but.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
It certainly wasn't an observation I made on my own.
Somebody yesterday had just tweeted out, man is even worry
about the same size as DeMarcus Lawrence, as they were
sitting there sort of standing next to one another, And
that is kind of incredible that they could have the
same body type considering the positions.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
That they play.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
And so I would ask you, has has Lawrence gotten thinner?
Has Emon Worry gotten bigger? And why are they hanging
out together so much right now?
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Well, to the first point, I think it's a little
bit of hyperbole. They even Worry is much much slender
and wiry. There may be similar height, but Tank Lawrence
is what he is. He's a tank. It's why they
call him that. He's got a huge upper body and shoulders.
He looks like fourteen thirteen year defensive end outside linebacker
(12:02):
and even warriy like the guy looks like a guy
who's twenty two years old growing into his body. So
I wouldn't say they look exactly. They're just similar in height.
I would say, yeah, the reason that de Marcus Lawrence's
biggest value, and he's got huge value on the field.
Obviously another Pro Bowl last year ed rusher who was
forcing just everything. Mike McDonald wanted him more. But his
(12:26):
biggest value to this team is his teaching. He does.
Mike McDonald said he has never seen ever in his
football career a guy that practices exactly as the coach's drilling,
exactly as they draw it up. He is the prototype
of how to do drills. And he pulls guys aside.
He pulls Riley Mills aside to the defensive lineman. He
(12:49):
pulled the undrafted rookie from Northeast Northwestern, the outside linebacker aside. Yesterday,
he pulled me Ki men Warrior aside to work on
steps and pass rush and these very picky, un minutia
drills around medicine balls and around hulla hoop rings for
leverage and leaning. He spends a lot of time with
(13:13):
other players, a guy who's obviously secure in his own craft,
but his influence, his umbrella spread of influence across the
breadth of the roster. He does it with Gray's able
in the offensive lineman too. He is a wealth of
knowledge that he's not willing to keep to himself. And
I asked even Worry about it after practice and he goes, Yeah,
(13:35):
this guy teaches me how to win. And he said
he does it in a really simple way. It's easy
to understand, to not clutter emon Worre's mind. Eman Orris
said that he really wants to refine his game this season.
He said he really didn't learn the part of the
defensive recognizing offensive formations and knowing what plays might be
coming until Week eight or nine last season. And when interestingly,
(14:00):
Jones yesterday, when someone asked him about Nicky Man worried,
what's the next step he can take? He said, in
the classroom, So it's the preparation now, the nuance, the
professionalism of being an NFL defensive player that the Seahawk
veterans are calling on even worried to improve upon. And
that's natural for a second year guy. Once you learn
in the physical speed of the game, the next step
(14:21):
is to perfect the mental. But yeah, Marcus Lawrence, it's
huge that he's back for this team. I know there
were some rumors that he might retire Mike McDonald has
had assurances he was going to be here. Here he is,
he doesn't have that. He's got six kids, he's made
one hundred and forty million dollars, he's thirty four years old,
he finally won his Super Bowl. But he's back and
he's fully engaged in teaching.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
All right, So I take it to Devin Witherspoon didn't
show up angry at the world that he doesn't have
a contract extension like JSN.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Correct.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Yeah, he's smarter than that. No. Actually, he was more
participating yesterday than he was in the OTAs. He was
full go, fully participating in all the scrimmages. He was
sitting out most of the eleven on eleven in the OTAs,
and it looked like he was trying to save himself
from possibly any chance of getting hurt before he signs
the contract. It's gonna get done. It's gonna get done
(15:10):
probably around the start of training camp. But in the meantime,
he's ripping on Jake Bobo. Bobo took a bubble screen
pass and because you can't tackle and hit, Bobo runs
past all the defenders and runs through room down the
field and Witherspoon who was on the sidelines watching the
twos scrimmage, was just screaming at him. No, man, no
way that's going to happen in the game, because of
(15:31):
course everyone teases Bobo for being slow or slower than
most NFL player relatively slow, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
He's like the squars wanted me. You know, I don't
have to put up with this abuse.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
I had an offer sheet. Yeah. No, it's pull Devin Witherspoon,
not just not a malecontent, not upset. No, it's moving
along its path. The devil's in the details of the
money offered. This the JSN deals and anomaly to get
done as early as it did. Smith. We talked about
that yesterday. But the guaranteed money when you get it,
(16:03):
how much is guaranteed its signing, how much is guaranteed
within twelve months against injury. That's why it takes longer
for these type of deals get there.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
You were there covering this team in twenty fourteen, you know,
coming off of their Super Bowl win, and and by
the way, that was a very successful year. I mean
it was one yard shy of the Super Bowl, so
it's not like things fell apart after their first year.
But sometimes it does. Sometimes the teams win a championship
and they don't put it back together. They start coming
(16:31):
apart at the seams almost immediately. We've seen it happen before.
Why is that not a risk? What was the attitude
like on day number one a mandatory mini camp. What
is what is Mike McDonald putting in place to make
sure that this team is just as hungry this year
despite what they accomplished last year.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
That's a good question. Check. These guys are more humble.
They have a coach who demands they be humble. Carrol
demanded the opposite. He wanted the bravado. He wanted guys
to be all about themselves and be the best sells
they can be. Go get yours. It worked, and Mike
McDonald's way is working too. But it's the opposite in
(17:14):
that regard. They've got younger players. Think about it, they
don't really have a super duper star. Yes, Smith and
Jigba just a meteoric season last year in ell Pro
and offensive player of the Year in the huge contract.
Devin Witherspoon, Yeah, we think he's a superstar out here,
but NFLI nationally not a jackantingsuper, not an all pro.
That Super Bowl team in twenty fourteen for the Seahawks
(17:36):
had Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas and Michael Bennett and
Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson entering his prime and Marshawn
Lynch all his persona. There were some dudes, and they
don't have a lot of dudes like that here. They
have a lot of selfless I don't want to say
no name because they're not no name, but they're far
(17:56):
less established. They're also not all making gigante money, are
about to sign huge extensions like top of the market extensions.
Smith and Jigbu and Witherspoonez, but everybody else. Legion of
Boom was about to go get theirs. And that's not
where this team and this defense is. So I see
a much different vibe. It was a show with those
(18:19):
twenty fourteen team, the bravado and the attitude and the
Richard Sherman just mouthing off and fighting with guys. They
lost a draft pick because of how much they fought
in off season practices and got fined for it. Not this,
this is such a different deal. It's a real testament
to Mike McDonald to get twenty and thirty year old
(18:40):
guys who are in a profession where they have to
make their money now because it's about the end to
be this selfless. It's a real leadership coup. And the
stuff he does, the military ethos, the togetherness, the teamwork,
it's working and it's just amazing to watch it. He's
pulled it off in just two years. And that I
keep reminding myself this is the first time he's ever
(19:01):
been a head coach at any level. Yeah, and he's
done it better than anybody in the football world. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
I think we've got a prodigy here. He's acing the
test his first time taking yea. Yeah, he passed the
bar the very first time that he took the exam.
All right, thirty seconds, Levet, What do you got today?
Speaker 3 (19:16):
At ten o'clock, we'll talk everything I wrote for the
News Tribune and saw yesterday on the field. I'll detail that.
I'll talk about Jared Ivy as a new position, for instance,
and then go deeper into the roster. Eleven o'clock we're
hoping to talk to Bruce Sealdman National college football Guys
for The Athletic about the Brendan Soresby absolutely I mean,
(19:37):
have we ever seen college sports has broken it as
it is? United against one enemy. We've got one now
with Texas Tech the GAB. I'll be doing it from
the Virginia Mays Athletics Center by the way. Tomorrow they're
going to get their Super Bowl rings.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Oh oh wow, that'd be nice. If you've got one,
that'd be nice. They just slipped you once.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
Yeah, that first step would be conflict of interesting not
very media ethic.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Would take one.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
Off the night stand.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
Oh, depending on who the coach is. Not everyone, but
depending on who the coach. I was across the bow.
Actually that was a couple of them.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Man, We're not.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
Shut but we don't we don't mess around.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
We're bow shooters.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
All right, Greg, Well, listening at ten, talk to you soon,
all right? All right, Greg Bell, our Seahawks insider. You
can follow my at g Bell Seattle there on X
and of course he's got complete coverage of the Seahawks
for you at the News Tribune dot com. Coming up next,
ABC's of the Ems. Yeah, there's a lot more to
get to about the Mariners today, so we'll we'll hop
to it next. On Sports Radio ninety three, point three
kJ r F M no's for Old Garf, and I
(20:49):
need people to stop thinking about Old Garf when they're
watching New Garf.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
Okay, okay, we got a new Garve on on our hands.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Near New Garve's great. Newgarve is exactly what you want
a backup catcher to be. But we're still thinking about
Old Garve and how much he let us down because
he was supposed to arrive on the scene, and he
was supposed to be a big free agent addition, and
he was supposed to destroy left handed pitching and he
(21:21):
never really did any of those things. Remember he wasn't
even supposed to catch for us. Yeah, he was just
supposed to be a designated hitter and then me. And
he was very excited about that because he told us
in our first interview with Old Garve that he believed
that all of his injury problems that he'd had throughout
his career were the result of how much of a
(21:44):
beating he took behind the plate. He wasn't even supposed
to catch. He was supposed to be like a third
emergency catcher for this team. Well, now Newgarve's not making
nearly as much money. Was brought back was certainly humbled
by a couple of years of not succeeding here, and then,
despite the fact that he didn't have the greatest time
(22:06):
as a Seattle Mariner in terms of how the fans
treated him, he made that very public. He was he
was fought for by Cal Rawley during spring training. Remember
he'd been replaced. We had Andrew Kisner here. Yeah, and
so Mitch Garver comes and says, Okay, you fought for me,
and I did have a great time with his team
(22:27):
and these teammates, and I want to be a part
of this, and thank you Cal, and you kept my
major league career alive. And then he joined the team
fighting for a roster spot, which he won, and as
a pure backup catcher. So we can't think of new
Garve as old Garf. Old Garve was supposed to pound
(22:49):
the hell out of pitchers, especially left handed pitchers. New
Garv is just supposed to be a quality backup who
the pitchers love to throw to and won't feel like
their worlds come apart if cal Raley's not behind the plate,
and we'll hit the occasional home run because he does
have power. New Garf is sensational because he's brought us
(23:11):
so much more than that he's actually hit since cal
went on the il new Garv is the best challenger
in the world. He's second best statistically going into last night,
and he was perfect last night. So he might have
overtaken Carson Kelly from the Cubs as the number one
challenger in the sport right now, but an over eighty
(23:34):
one percent overturn rate right now for Mitch Garver as
a challenger, and he was doing it successfully again last night.
And Newgarve also had a couple of pretty nice tags
because despite what they went on and on and on
about last night about what a great play Cole Young
made from shortstop to home, that was not a great play.
(23:54):
It was good play, yeah, but he threw it to
the wrong side of home plate. You throw that to
the right side of home plate, that's an easy out
at home and Garf had to go across his body
to make that tag. So you know, I mean, backup
catchers are what they are. Backup catchers you don't expect
a whole lot out of And that's the way that
we've got to view New Garf. So whatever problems you
(24:18):
had with Old Garf, you got to put those aside,
because this new Garf guy is doing a great job
on this baseball team this year.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
We've got to make room for new GARV.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
New GARV. New Garves great to hang out with.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
He is.
Speaker 5 (24:30):
I mean, that guy could chug a beer, let me
tell you.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
So.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Yes, and he's going to stay. So I know there's
this what happens when Cal gets back. It's easy. Parade
is going to go down to the miners and new
Garf will be the backup. Because if you let go
of new Garf, you're he's gone where Parade still has
option rights and you can hold on to him at Tacoma.
And you want to Yeah, you want to keep all
three guys in your organization.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
Right, and I don't want to see Parada get sent down.
But the last thing I want is to not have
all three. So if that's the way we got to
do it, then that's the way we gotta do it.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Hey, nothing wrong. We have a new Garf on your
baseball that's.
Speaker 5 (25:05):
Right, new Garf. That guy he's gonna winning. Smile.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
New Garf comes on the bus like, hey, Newgarf, sit
by me.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Yeah, come here, Hey no, no, no, new Gar's supposed
to sit by me today.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Meanwhile, like when old Garf came down and they're like
seats taken all right, P is for piggyback.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
Ashley. Uh oh, I want the piggyback back me too.
Speaker 5 (25:32):
I said this.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
I'm not that exactly yesterday, but I said, I like
the piggyback man on the six man rotation because we're
not saving the bullpen.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
We get to save the bullpen if we're having this.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
And I and for the record, and I've already stated
this this morning, I don't think we should be having
this much trouble trying to get our bullpen healthy and
available to us.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
I don't know why it's such a challenge right now
when our bullpen has thrown the fewest innings of any
bullpen in the American League so far.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
It doesn't seem to me like we've had some harrowing
moment where a starting pitcher was only able to go
an inning in two thirds and it shook our world.
I think the not pitching munjos in brash enough, only
saving them for certain opportunities has forced us to use
other guys more frequently, and it's thinned out our bullpen
(26:26):
even though Munjos and Brash want to pitch more, especially Munyos,
I think that's what's caused this. I don't know what
to even describe it, logjam. Whatever it is that we
have right now where we can't get through a game,
We're barely getting through games with enough relief pitching. It
stems from the way that the group has been used
(26:46):
to this point this year. It has nothing to do
with how much they've been used overall, if that makes sense.
And so if we're going to struggle this much with it,
we got a long effing way to go in this season.
And if Piggyback saves us from using the bullpen and
makes Dan's job easier, since this seems to be, you know,
(27:07):
the ultimate Rubik's Cube in his life, he can't figure
out how to make this work. The piggyback gives you
a night every five nights, every six nights, if you
get a day off in which you don't have to
use theoretically the bullpen at all. Now I wouldn't put
Miller back in that role, but I maybe I goose
(27:28):
two different guys.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Probably would use Castillo still, But if we're going to
struggle this much to get through a week without a
day off with our bullpen and having one fewer guy,
then maybe it's essential. The piggyback thing worked. Yes, it did,
and we won two out of three games. Both starting
pitchers were phenomenal, and the bullpen did get rested a
(27:53):
lot more than what it does on an average night
in Major League Baseball. So if we're going to struggle
this much, if it takes, if we're on June tenth
and we're like our bullpen is taxed even though they've
been taxed least of any bullpen in the American League,
then maybe we need the piggyback just to save us
(28:13):
from our decisions that we make regarding how much we
use our guys.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Yeah, I'm all for saving arms. It's a long season, right,
we want our guys to be healthy. We don't want
anyone to be overused. But I think we're taking it
to an extreme, and it seemed I mean, even in
the loss with the piggyback that wasn't on the pitching.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
No.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
So I don't know the argument for six man rotation
versus piggyback. I don't know how anyone could think the
six man rotation is a better option when you look
at what the piggyback actually does for our bullpen.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
I want the piggyback, pickyback, piggyback, piggy piggy back back,
pig pig piggyback, piggyback, piggyback back. Finally and quickly, and
I do have to be quick. It's a good thing.
Q is for quick, Ashley. I realize Cal needs some
time down there, but I don't want to waste two
(29:03):
home run games in Tacoma. No, like five innings yesterday.
He's already hit like one to the wall and two
over the wall.
Speaker 5 (29:12):
He's good.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Why wouldn't he be good?
Speaker 1 (29:15):
If he's good, he's good. If he looks like he
can catch nine innings.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Fel good if.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
He catches nine innings. I don't know if he's playing tonight,
I don't know. If they're going to give him a
day off. I don't know. But in his next game,
if he catches nine innings and looks good at the
plate again, then I say we bring him back in
time for Friday, and I have the Rainiers game. I
would like nothing more than to have the col element
on our broadcast on Friday night. But I would rather
have him in Washington, d C. Friday night catching.
Speaker 5 (29:44):
For him, and that's understandable.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
Yeah, I think if and he doesn't seem to be
feeling any ill effects, so let's go.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
Well, I say one more time, he needs to catch
nine innings.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Give him.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
You know, they'll probably give him today off and then tomorrow.
I don't know exactly how they're it, but I think
this is gonna be a quick stint for cal in Tacoma.
There's no rule that states he's got to stay down
there a week. If he's ready to go and he's
hitting bat and he looks better at the play than
he has all season long.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Then let's get him in a Mariner uniform.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Get you up all right? Coming out next Reckless at
breakfast on kJ R. And I hate damn.
Speaker 5 (30:18):
Pants and I don't like what socks either.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
Originally it was hot pockets.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
We're gonna be soggy pockets, and people just didn't like
to eat them because they fall apart, all right, They're
just gross and clumpy. So they went with the hot direction,
which was a.
Speaker 5 (30:30):
Great call, excellent marketing moves, right, But I.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Don't I goll only have a few minutes and I'm
gonna get pretty reckless today, and I don't know how
long this is gonna take. So Dick Fane's in the
green room night now, getting ready to join us for
Seahawks one series at eight o'clock. I hope we don't
have to bump him, because I'm gonna get pretty reckless
here today. We got to talk about the sordid Brandon
Swordsby affair that has shocked the college athletics world here
(30:58):
and look, we can all recognize it on its face
as this is wrong, this can't be and.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
How could we let this occur?
Speaker 1 (31:12):
And we need to cut it out like a cancer
and make sure that the Brandon soresbyas of the world
do not impact our collegiate athletics going forward. Okay, so
I'm with you, but that's one layer deep. What if
I were to say, recklessly, this is a great.
Speaker 5 (31:31):
Thing that happened, I don't know I feel about that.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Well, hear me out.
Speaker 1 (31:38):
It's a great thing to happen, because when all of
this process started, I warned you all. First of all,
Reckless at Breakfast was pretty much ten years of me
warning you what was getting ready to happen with college
football and college athletics, and that we're going to start
paying these players and all of this stuff. I didn't
see the transfer portal thing happening. I certainly didn't warn
(31:58):
you about that, but I agree warned you long before
the NIL thing became part of our lives that it
was coming and that we needed to be ready to
embrace it. We're going to probably have to enter a
new college football world going forward to save college football,
and so I warned you that, and then I have
also said when it did occur, we're going to go
(32:20):
through this period of martial law. We're gonna go through
this period of the wild wild West, where man, I mean,
everybody's getting shot in the saloon, and how do we
keep that from occurring and yet keep college football alive.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
We don't want to shut down the saloons.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
They're big money makers, but man, we got to somehow
restore order here in the wild wild West. And so
I told you a period of that was coming, and
it hasn't even though I think a lot of people
were embraced for it, it certainly hasn't prepared us for
all the weird things that were going to catch us
off guard. Oh, I didn't think that was going to happen,
(32:55):
and yet it happened, and yet we've dealt with it,
and guess what, the sport has grown. I mean, despite
all of our complaining and hand ringing and everything else,
the game is better than ever, more popular than ever,
even though most people that you run into that are
college football fans say they hate it and.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
They don't really like it anymore.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
Okay, and so it has grown. Now, obviously we can't
allow this Soresby thing to take hold of our collegiate athletes.
We can't allow them any kind of room for error
to think that they can gamble on their team or
gamble on their sport, and that that's okay. But when
you have something this big, like something that shakes the
(33:36):
entire foundation of sports, then it pushes us further from
getting out of this period of anarchy, this period of.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
The wild wild West. This is going to force us
to make laws.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
This is like going up in the saloon and shooting
everyone dead. It's going to force us into some governance here.
And so I think maybe this is going to be
the thing that we needed in order to finally get
our arms around it, to recognize we're not dealing with
college athletics the way that we used to certainly not
college football and college basketball on the men's side.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
We have to treat this differently.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
We got to treat it more like a professional sports
arena in order to preserve something that we all love.
And maybe we needed this one big story that everybody
could get behind to finally take the impotent NCAA and
push them out like a cigarette butt. Finally get rid
of them, get them out of the way. They're just
(34:35):
standing in the way of progress, and we finally turn
this into a commissioner, a set of a collective barging agreement,
players association. All of that we just got to give
into this world. And then we can set rules that
don't have that a judge in lubb It can't overturn.
(34:57):
We can say, we have a lead binding agreement that
you are not allowed to gamble on college football or
anything else while you're in college football. So we can
put those rules in place, and then if you break
them in your collective bargaining agreement, which your association has
signed off on and everybody has to agree, has to
(35:21):
be for the betterment of the sport moving forward, so
that we can all keep making money and that fans
can all keep enjoying something they've grown up with and
love dearly. If we can start, we can put it
on paper. And now you're breaking league rules. Now, some
smart ass judge trying to win favor in lubbing isn't going.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
To overturn that.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
So I think maybe this is the final straw that
leads us to finally recognizing what it is, what it's
no longer going to be. We're never going to go back.
We're not putting the cap back in the bag, and
we now need to govern it as it currently is constructed.
We've seen enough of the wild West. There have been
(36:08):
too many shoot ups in the saloons, and it's now
time to put laws in place. And then we will
start within our own rules, our community of rules, and
not the America's rules. In our own community of rules,
we will snuff out anybody that thinks they can get
away with this kind of behavior ever.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
Again, Yeah, and I hate that it has to all
get broken in order to get fixed.
Speaker 5 (36:31):
But if that's what has to happen, that's what has
to happen.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
I think that's what has to happen.
Speaker 1 (36:34):
I think it had to happen eventually, and so maybe
this was the last reckless thing that we needed in
order for everyone to wise up. Let's just get the
NCAA and does this. Cut them out, kick them to
the curve. They need not to be involved, even though
we all sided with them on this one. Yeah, they
obviously can't enforce anything anymore, they have no power. They've
(36:55):
always been bad at what they've done, So let's just
cut them out completely. At least for the two big
sports men's college basketball and college football. We got to
start treating these like professional sports, period. And that's and
that requires a commissioner, a league rules, a collective bargaining agreement,
a players association, all of that we just got to
(37:16):
give into it. That's got to be the project for
the next offseason. Okay, all right, Coming on next Seahawks
one series with Dick Faine. Sports Radio ninety three point
three KJRFM
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