Softy & Dick 11-8 Hour 3: Millen, Remembering Wheels, PSU’s PxP

In the third hour, Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain chat with Hugh Millen about UW vs. Penn State tomorrow, remember Brian Wheeler with The Groz and Ian Furness, chat with Anthony Beyrouti of Venue Kings then visit with Penn State radio man Steve Jones.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
As part of our never ending coverage for the twelfth
Man in the NFL.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
This is Football Fridays with Hugh.

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Millin sponsored by Tito's handmade Vodka Tito's on game Day
for me and coach fine cocktail recipes for the everyday
fan at Tito's Vodka dot Com forty percent alcohol by volume,
namely eighty proof, crafted to be sacred responsibly.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Now with you, here's SOFTI and dig.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
All right, we are back here courtesy at Delta Airlines
Venue Kings dot Com at Chams Sports Bar in Atherton, Pennsylvania,
getting at the actually Afterton Street, sorry, University Park, Pennsylvania,
getting ready for the Dogs and Beavers or Nitny Lyons tomorrow.
I gotta be honest with you, guys. I'm a little
bit kind of throwing off my game here a little bit.
H here's this Brian Wheeler news and Hugh Millan joins

(00:47):
us and Hue. I'm trying to remember when when Wheels
was going out as the voice of the Kings and
you were coming in.

Speaker 4 (00:53):
Did you did you cross paths with Wheels?

Speaker 5 (00:55):
You know?

Speaker 2 (00:55):
I didn't.

Speaker 6 (00:56):
My first year at KJR was nineteen ninety nine and
I didn't, so I think they're far better and more
qualified people to give him a tribute. But I will
say in passing, the next time I hear a bad
word about Wheels from anybody at kJ or anywhere in
the market will be the first. So people really spoke glowingly.

(01:16):
So he must have been a wonderful man. So I
know that you're fighting through with the heavy heart. But
let's get gros or Gas or some of the other
people to give a great tribute to him, and it'd
be very compelling to hear that.

Speaker 7 (01:27):
Well you it's a football now, I mean, those those
quarterbacks last night, I got to admit I I was
jealous as hell watching that game because it just kind
of reminds me of what we don't have. And not
that Gino's a bad quarterback, but he ain't Lamar Jackson
and he ain't Joe Burrow. I mean, when you watch
a game like that, I mean, just what jumps out
at you when you see quarterbacks two going at each

(01:49):
other that are, without question, two of the top five
quarterbacks in the world.

Speaker 6 (01:54):
Well, first of all, I think Lamar Jackson is more
unique just because he's I think right now deserving of
the title the most elusive and and frightful quarterback with
his wheels. There's just things he can do. In the
passing game, you have to really be careful how you
approach the you know, you can't get higher than him.

(02:15):
You gotta kind of muddy the thing. Obviously, he presents
a running threat, you know it It affects how you
play coverage. If you play man to man, you know
you're holding your breath, so you know, I think you're
rushing with with real caution. And then you know, I've
never been a big fan of his arm. I don't

(02:36):
like his throwing motion. You know, at the combine of
eighteen quarterbacks, his velocity was the lowest. But I think
he's really improved a year after year, and he's a
relatively young guy. I think his passing is improved. I
don't think he has, you know, the prowess of the
other guy, so you know he's he's special, but in
a unique way. I think that Burrow is just a

(02:59):
more you know, classic quarterback. Not a huge arm, but
big enough. And there's a little bit of Montana in him.
Good athlete, not great, but very smooth, very anticipatory, very accurate,
has some swagger, you know, look, you're talking about two
guys that are are top five in the league.

Speaker 4 (03:21):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (03:22):
Yeah, Well I'll tell you what you made the point.
You're right, Lamar Jackson's only twenty seven years old.

Speaker 4 (03:26):
A crazy way to go. It is crazy for as
long as he's been around.

Speaker 3 (03:29):
But humiling with us on the air and Hugh before
we get to the Penn State ub game tomorrow. I
thought it was a great segment today with Greg Kosel
and you were talking about Geno Smith and you use
the word potentially average to describe Gino. But I love
the way that you kind of couch that that's not
necessarily a bad thing in the NFL to have an
average quarterback, because sometimes finding average quarterbacks.

Speaker 4 (03:52):
Is really, really, really hard to do.

Speaker 3 (03:55):
So is Geno Smith a guy still after some of
these recent strug a guy that you want to continue
for at least the foreseeable future.

Speaker 4 (04:04):
Is the quarterback of the Seahawks?

Speaker 6 (04:05):
Well yeah, because I think it's just gonna be hard
to replace him. I mean, you know, you look at
twenty twenty two, his first year replacing Russell, he represented
one point seven percent of the salary cap for the Seahawks.
He was thirteenth on the team, and then the next year.
Last year was four point five percent. These are the
percentages of the cap. This year, it's gone up to

(04:26):
ten point three percent. Next year it's projected at fourteen percent.
We don't know until the revenues and all that, but
he keeps eating up a higher share, and so that's
a little bit concerning. But the question still remains, what's
the cost of replacing him. But just a couple of things,
you know right now as it stands, if you take
Gino in the red zone, out of forty five quarterbacks

(04:48):
who have two hundred total attempts or more, you know,
his passer ratings forty second success, thirty second, touchdown interception
rated thirty ninth, completion percentage forty second, third down conversions
twenty second, average time to throw thirty second if one
is the fastest. Now here's third down again. Those same
two hundred and fifty quarterbacks passer rating on third down

(05:10):
thirty eight, success, thirtieth. These are all out of forty
five where first would be best thirty six, completion percentage
thirty second, third down conversions thirtieth.

Speaker 7 (05:19):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
You know, if you make a.

Speaker 6 (05:23):
Numbers based argument, you're gonna come out with, Hey, this
guy's you know, average, what do your eyes tell you
to tell you? He's a talented guy, certainly has all
the physical traits that you could want. Throws a beautiful ball,
and when he's good, he's good. But I think that
the consistency right now is the question for the rest
of the season. Obviously there's the issue about the of

(05:45):
the pressure and what they can do schematically to help him.
But you know, I just wouldn't be adverse to He's
got another year on his contract, and despite what I
just said again to repeat it, fourteen point one percent
of the cap next year. I don't think it would
be a terribly debilitating plan to just say, all right,
let's just we don't he's under contract. What's he gonna do?
Hold out if need be? You know, I think you

(06:08):
make him play his final year.

Speaker 2 (06:09):
On his contract.

Speaker 6 (06:10):
Hell, we were just talking about Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson,
you know, the Ravens. Uh, you know, they were kind
of trying to get him a contract and and and
uh coming out of his fifth year, remember the fifth
year option with Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson said, I don't
like that offer. I'll bet on me. And so he
played his his fifth year without an extra year. Of course,

(06:30):
he was a good year for him and and he
he he bet right. But the point was, it's you
can play on your last year of the contract.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
That's it's not against the room.

Speaker 7 (06:39):
It kind of seems though, like it is for some
point on the NFL.

Speaker 2 (06:43):
Mike got it.

Speaker 7 (06:44):
But you're exactly right. You know he can play on
the last year. And I alluded in the last segment,
Hugh to something you talked about yesterday. Maybe you can
kind of enlighten us again for those that didn't hear,
for and for Dave that didn't hear about how Geno
can help himself with getting the ball out of his
hand quickly, because I was interested to find out, as
you mentioned yesterday, that when he gets the ball out

(07:06):
in less than an average amount of time two and
a half seconds, he's actually not pressured at an inordinate
amount of times.

Speaker 6 (07:13):
Yeah, and you're close to that, I would say even more, Dick,
just bear with me on this. So the average time
is two point four five seconds, if you go two
and a half seconds or less, well for the whole NFL,
because it's you know, obviously a little bit more than
two point five two point five. The average is sixty
one percent of all quarterbacks get rid of the ball

(07:33):
in two point five seconds or less, And in fact,
Geno's right there at fifty nine point six.

Speaker 2 (07:39):
So in those in that category getting rid.

Speaker 6 (07:41):
Of the ball two and a half seconds or less,
which again are sixty one percent of all throws. Yeah,
the NFL average for pressure is seventeen point two percent.
Gino's twenty one point two percent, so he's pressured more
than the average, but he's at thirteenth in that regard,
pretty close to the middle. Here's a list of quarterback
that are pressured more again, Dave On on plays where

(08:04):
he's two and a half seconds or less, Matthew Stafford,
Jalen Hurts, Jared Goff, Brock Perdy, CJ.

Speaker 2 (08:10):
Stroud, Kirk Cousins.

Speaker 6 (08:11):
I mean, those are guys are doing some damage in
this league and they are pressured more. Now, when you
get to the two and a half seconds or more,
that's where Gino's fifty four point nine. This is the
NFL stat portal, by the way, fifty four point nine percent.
That's number one in the NFL. Not by the next
close sky I Thay is like fifty three percent, so
it's not by a huge but the NFL average is

(08:31):
forty three percent. He's at some you know, twelve percent more,
takes more hits, number one in hits, so there's a
big drop off. Now that is both that stat You
can't argue with those stats. What what's embedded in those stats.
It's not just Gino holding the ball, it's it's scheme.
And so let's see what Ryan Greb can do to

(08:51):
just say, hey, I'm not sure if we can do
some of the long developing plays. We got to get
the ball out of his hand. But there's look, every
I get in my mind, I grate is his performance.
Every week on Monday, I watch the coaches tape and
and every week there's you know, six, eight, ten, twelve
plays where you just go, oh, that's a minus because

(09:12):
he's going to the wrong place. He's holding the ball
based on the coverage. He should have known to be here.
Instead he's there.

Speaker 3 (09:18):
And that's got improved, all right, So you know me,
every now and then'll replace the f ford with the
word chicken just for effect on the air, please do
and this tight end Tyler Warren is a mother chickens.
He is a mother chicken for Penn State. Dick read
the list of positions he's playing.

Speaker 7 (09:34):
Oh, yes, Tyler Warren. So Tyler, I can get it
in five seconds. But I know it was it was.

Speaker 6 (09:40):
Basically, I've got him already in line two hundred three snaps,
slot one hundred and thirty six, wide receiver forty in
the backfield forty one.

Speaker 2 (09:48):
And when you Walter.

Speaker 6 (09:49):
Becky's listen to this, Dave. He's got seventeen snaps as
the quarterback. And in those seventeen plays, there's a seven
point four yard per play, and that's some of those
are like short and down the goal line where you
can't you know, like he's a beast. And look in
studying his tape. He's the first guy since Gronkowski to

(10:10):
remind me of Gronkowski. I remember now, Gronkowski went to
University of Arizona.

Speaker 2 (10:14):
We saw him.

Speaker 6 (10:15):
It wasn't like we were sitting there going holy cow. They
got Kellen wins Odell. He was the second rounder. Why
because he didn't have a blazing forty time. It was
a four to seven guy. Well, when I watched Tyler Warren,
he looks like a four to seven guy, so I
don't see blazing speed, but holy cow, six six, two sixty,
he's a beast like Gronkowski.

Speaker 2 (10:34):
He's got strong hands.

Speaker 6 (10:36):
He makes contested catches, and they are creative in how
they use him.

Speaker 2 (10:41):
They do power running plays, but they shovel him the ball.

Speaker 6 (10:45):
There was a play against USC where they went this
funky formation where the tackles were way out by the
sidelines and it was just the two guards and center
and you know, this weird formation, and then they ran
a middle screen to him on that you know, I
heard new Heiseel mentioned. Uh, he was the end man
on the line of scrimmage. But he snapped the ball
and shotgun ran down the middle of the field. Now

(11:05):
they didn't really fill full USC, but it was a
weird double pass. They didn't really fool the Trojans. They
were covering him, but he was he was gloved up.
But this guy can make the contested catch. Look, he's
he's a he's a star receiver.

Speaker 8 (11:19):
Uh.

Speaker 6 (11:19):
And if you're if in your mind's eye, number forty
four is going to remind you of Gronkowski.

Speaker 4 (11:24):
Tomorrow, Deck Dick just one quick thing, just on him.

Speaker 3 (11:26):
He'll give me like thirty seconds son, Who's who's got
to step up his game tomorrow to defend this guy?

Speaker 6 (11:32):
Well, I think the linebackers and the safeties, uh, you know,
he's you know, and if you want to play man coverage,
you gotta find you know, somebody who can who can
handle him. But I think you know, you squeeze him
in zone coverage. You've got to be aware, you know, uh, Dick,
you coach high school basketball, You're you're aware of where
the shooter is and you don't you know your zones.
You don't drift far away from a shooter. Well, you

(11:54):
better squeeze to this guy when he's running down the field.

Speaker 7 (11:58):
So what Ken Washington do overall schematically to prevent what
we saw in the second half of the Iowa game,
in the second half of the Indiana game where it's
just four and a half yards and a cloud of
dust and there's nothing much that they were able to
do about it.

Speaker 6 (12:14):
Well, I think they've got to keep fresh and have
a rotation there. But I think that we've been really
impressed with Carson Brunner.

Speaker 2 (12:23):
Right, He's a study.

Speaker 6 (12:24):
He's the Big ten player of the week, and I
would say I'm looking for leadership. And this is let
me emphasize, this is not an indictment of Carson Brunner's past,
because he's a wonderful husky. I see everything you see.
But when I watch the Iowa and the Indiana game
on the road in the third quarter, when things are

(12:44):
starting to get you know, our grip is loosen it
up and the football game's getting away from us. But
there's still plenty of times to time to turn it
around and get it back going momentum in our favor.
I think there needs to be more piss and vinegar
on that football team. They and I don't know if
it's the time zone or you know, they're the nine
o'clock and the kickoffs and all that. We're not going

(13:05):
to be facing tomorrow, obviously, but if things start to
get away from me a little, you gotta look at
them and say, hey, guys, we're only a touchdown down,
We're only ten points down. We still got twenty minutes
of football left. Yeah, that's when you got to You
got a cowboy up. You gotta grid up, and you
gotta fight for every blade of grass, and you know,
in a hostile environment, and you can't just kind of

(13:27):
give the appearance that you're you're accepting your fate. So
somebody's got to step up. I think Brunner, based on
the caliber player, is that his heart is competitiveness. He's
got to grab some face masks, shake some guys around,
and say no if in fact the Huskies face the
adversity in a similar manner that we saw at Indiana
and Iowa.

Speaker 3 (13:47):
So I'm wondering if we'll see more of number two tomorrow,
you know, kind of hearing some rumblings and he's been
getting maybe a little more run with the ones this week.
We'll see what that means. I mean, it may mean
nothing and maybe incorrect obviously, but do you think this
feels like the kind of game where maybe Jedfish wants
to give number two a few more snaps?

Speaker 4 (14:03):
And what does that look like?

Speaker 6 (14:04):
If you agree, well, I think that Jedfish has always
wanted to get as much of Demond Williams on there.
I don't think that will Rodgers has been really his
type of guy. You know, he kind of inherited it,
as it were, if you know the sequence of committing
to Kailin de Bors. So Damon Williams is his guy,

(14:25):
just a couple of things to reflect on on yards
per play. When Rodgers is the quarterback the Huskies, this
is the entire football team six point four yards per
play with demand five point six. Not a big difference,
but close to a yard difference with Rogers having the advantage.
Now we know that our eyeballs know, we know exactly
the stylistic differences, right, I mean clearly Will Rodgers is

(14:48):
the passer, Demond as more of the athlete. Now, but
let me contextualize a couple of things. Demond Williams has
been on the field for one hundred and twelve plays.
He has two completions when the ball traveled more than
ten yards in the air, and one of them was
forty when the score is forty sixteen at Iowa and

(15:08):
it was garbage time. The other one in Eastern Michigan
a minute less than two minutes ago in a three
touchdown win. So he has never had a competitive completion
in his life where the ball traveled more than ten yards.
And the air yards per completion for Demon is two
point two yards. Compare that to Will Rogers airyards per
completion six point four, So you know you're getting more

(15:30):
of a threat. Oh, By the way, I said, two
completions ten yards are more for Demon two, Will Rogers
has forty eight. So if you're a defense and you're
looking okay, number two, what does he does he scare
me if I'm a defensive coordinator, Well, I know his quickness, right,
but but measure okay, is the athleticism worth it?

Speaker 2 (15:48):
Here's an interesting stat.

Speaker 6 (15:51):
Demon Williams has six scrambles for thirty seven yards six
point two per scramble.

Speaker 2 (15:57):
Will Rogers has ten scrambles.

Speaker 6 (15:59):
So's you're not going to scrambles frequently for seventy two
yards seven point two.

Speaker 2 (16:03):
Now, I know that Demon Williams is demonstrably a.

Speaker 6 (16:07):
Better athlete, but are you Are you getting that much
more of a running presence that it's worth offsetting what
you lose as a passer? Now, a year from now,
demand Williams as a true sophomore. He may be lights
out as a passer, but he has not shown it yet.
So those are the thoughts I'd be thinking, to me,

(16:29):
this is a game that I'd want to have the
experience of Will Rogers in there. With that see experience,
and to say nothing of the leadership component. With the
older guys you know so at any rate, now I'm
not beating the drum to see Demond Williams.

Speaker 4 (16:43):
Gotcha?

Speaker 3 (16:43):
All right, man, great stuff. It'd be fun to watch
tomorrow for sure. Have a good weekend, my friend. And
we're talking a week thanks to Yeah.

Speaker 6 (16:50):
Yeah, Well, you're in one of the great venues and
the pageantry of college football is unlike anything other, and
you're going to be in one of the premier houses
in that guards to enjoy.

Speaker 3 (17:01):
Now, there's I think Tony tweeted out, there's what three
stadiums or four stadiums that set over one hundred thousand people,
Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State, and the Rose Bowl.

Speaker 4 (17:11):
And tomorrow I'll be at all four.

Speaker 6 (17:13):
Eight in college football. There's eight, but Penn State is
the second most.

Speaker 4 (17:16):
Yeah there you go.

Speaker 3 (17:17):
All right, Well, you know what, I'm gonna live in
a world where the top four of the ones I've
been in.

Speaker 4 (17:20):
So what the hell? Alright?

Speaker 3 (17:21):
You great stuff, seem guys. You're milling with us on
the radio show. We're gonna break uh. The kJ Our
family has lost one of its founding fathers in a
lot of ways. We're gonna come back and discuss some
terrible news that we receive today right here on ninety
three three KJRFL.

Speaker 1 (17:38):
Now back to the Washington State Beat Commissions Football Friday
with Safti and Dick on your home for the NFL
Sports Radio ninety three point three kJ r FL.

Speaker 3 (17:50):
All right, boys and girls, we're back here on a
Friday night, right here on ninety three three kjr FM.
And just we're gonna divert for a little bit from
the UW Penn State Chatter where we're out here obviously
and University Park Champs Sports Bar.

Speaker 4 (18:02):
Dick and Jackson back in the studio.

Speaker 3 (18:04):
We got our pregame show from Beaver Stadium tomorrow at
one o'clock. But we'll divert, guys from all that for
a little bit because we just got some terrible news.
About forty five minutes ago. I first saw this on
John Gonzano's Twitter feed that longtime KJARD talk show host,
former voice of the Blazers Sacramento Kings spent some time
in Chicago working there. Absolutely loved basketball. I can tell

(18:25):
you that big time. That was a phenomenal play by
play man and an even better person. Brian Wheeler passed
away this morning after a long battle. He was in
his fifties, had been struggling with wait for a long time,
and illness, all kinds of issues getting his life back together,
and just stunning news for all of us here at KJR.
And a guy that knew him as well when he

(18:46):
was here with us. Our old friend Dave Drosby is
on the horn Dick for a couple minutes to talk
about some really really unfortunate news. Draz, your thoughts, my friend,
when you heard the news that Brian Wheeler had passed
away this.

Speaker 8 (18:59):
Morning's suck alka yep is no more.

Speaker 9 (19:04):
I mean I thought about his phrase. I thought about
what an interesting guy he was when you guys let
me know about a little while ago.

Speaker 1 (19:09):
I mean he was.

Speaker 9 (19:10):
He was a great guy to have in the mix
at KJR. He added a unique elements, so everything that
went on there, he was. He was not really in
his comfort zone. I don't think that much, especially in
the morning show, but I mean he was always tremendous
at it. I mean they had great chemistry there. He
was really a pro, you know, so I think was
really a pro. And I think the fantastic job in Portland.

(19:31):
I lived in Sacramento, you know, for a while, too,
and he wasn't there that long, but he made an
impact there as well. So yeah, really really sad news.
And you know, we all know he'd been struggling in the
past couple of years and everyone was rooting for him,
and he all lot as long as he could.

Speaker 2 (19:46):
Gross.

Speaker 7 (19:46):
I thought his humility was always something that jumped out
of me. I mean, here I was, I was like
a twenty year old intern, you know, and you know
he treated you like he knew you for for fifteen years,
and I just thought that really jumped out of me.

Speaker 9 (20:01):
Yeah, I mean, he was a class act.

Speaker 10 (20:03):
It was funny.

Speaker 9 (20:03):
I all remember the times he sit around there and
Mitch when he was doing the morning show and Mintioned
come up with some idea for him, and he'd be
little suckle and said, well, I'm not going there, I'm
not doing that, And you know, he was just a good,
good contrast to Mitch. You know, it was just it
just made it work, and it just worked when those
guys were together. And you know, we all knew he
wanted to do He wanted to be play by playing, mean,

(20:25):
that was what he really set out to do. And
I know he loved doing it down there in Portland
for the years he had down there, and you know
it was with Kevin Collaboro for the past couple until
he was he was out there a.

Speaker 2 (20:34):
Couple of years back.

Speaker 9 (20:35):
But you know, he was really really a liked guy,
really a loved guy, and like I said, a real,
a real unique personality was perfect in the mixed over there,
kJ are.

Speaker 3 (20:44):
No no doubt and Gras is where us. Dave Grosby
Brian Wheeler passed away this morning. Obviously all of us
are just crushed by this news. And you know I
told Dick on the air when the news came down, Dave,
that he was the first face I saw when I
walked into the sports pit back in nineteen ninety four,
thirty years ago. And I remember I was living at
home and I was waiting tables at Red Robin and Bellevue,
struggling financially, and Wheels would give me money, uh to

(21:06):
help pay you know, pay my bills and and in
this business, and you guys know this as well as me,
you come across people that show you how to treat others.
You were one of those guys, Bras. Brian Wheeler was
also one of those guys. Mike Gastonou was one of
those guys. And I don't know if I'd be here
where I am today without guys like Brian Wheeler and
just the way he treated people. I told Dick I

(21:29):
went down and stayed with him when he got the
Sacramento job, and he loved that King's job so much.
Wanted the Sonic job badly, but it never turned out
for him. Obviously up here had a lot of issues,
a lot of demons. He was fighting off his h
you know, professional time as well. I just talked to
him six months ago. He wasn't doing very well whatsoever.
Was not in a great spot. But he is absolutely

(21:49):
one of those guys that showed me, Dave, how to
treat people.

Speaker 9 (21:53):
Yeah, that's a great way of putting it, David. I
mean he really he really did was you know, repeat
what I've said a couple of times. It was just
really a class act. And and it's it's important that
those guys are out there and there and everyone hasn't
been ever profession you know, guys who who show you
exactly what you said, you know, how to how to
act towards people, how to be you know, when you're
when you're at the top of you're up high in
you know, in the in the hierarchy, you know how

(22:14):
to how to treat people. You know, the same way
on the way up, you get to treat them on
the way down. I mean, it's just a it's just
a good way to be. And he had a great
sense of humor too. I mean, it was just it's
just terrible news. It's just terrible news.

Speaker 2 (22:25):
He was sten it'll be.

Speaker 9 (22:27):
It's a big impact in Sacramento too. I mean, I
think he made an impact everywhere he.

Speaker 4 (22:30):
Went, no question. Dave, listen to man, good stuff. Hope
you're well.

Speaker 3 (22:34):
Look forward to the next edition of Gross and Gas
on social media, and I know we'll all say a
prayer for Wheels tonight, my friends, all right, Man Dave
Grasby with us Ian Farnessa is also standing by Dick.
I wanted to make sure we got to him before
the segment ended. I and you heard what graz said
there you work with Wheels for a while. I believe
as well. In Portland, h you know how important he was.

(22:56):
I I don't know if there was a guy Ian
who made a bigger mark in Portland and in Seattle
then Brian Wheeler did. I mean, he was just I
five corridor Pacific Northwest. But Ian shared some thoughts if
you can on the U when you found out the
news about Brian Wheeler passing away.

Speaker 5 (23:11):
Well, there wasn't to answer your question, that made a
bigger impact on the two markets.

Speaker 4 (23:15):
Maybe k C did you know later on?

Speaker 5 (23:17):
Yeah, and has but but but Wheels was beloved and uh,
you know my first of all, just listened to Graz
and and actually what you just said, you know about
a guy that took care of the people that were
working for him. And I think that's a legacy that
you know, Wheels and Graz and Gas. Frankly, you Dave
all have kind of instilled. You know, Kjarre has been
a legacy station in this in this country, and there's

(23:38):
certain pillars to it. Wheels was one of those. And
but then he made his mark in Portland.

Speaker 4 (23:44):
And I'll play you this.

Speaker 5 (23:45):
When I got to Portland, I came there from Salt Lake.
You know, was just crawling my way back to trying
to get home to Seattle. But one of the first
people I used to cover every Blazer game was there
every night. Wheels befriended me right away because they knew
my connections in Seattle and with guys like Locke and
and you know, doing the shows with Gas and you
and others, and we hit it off, became pretty good friends.
We got We went to a lot of wrestling matches together.

(24:06):
He was a huge wrestling fan, huge, huge pro wrestling fan.
Anytime they came to town, it was Wheels, me and
my old co host Mark Amazon Me going back. We
were there the night when they traded Rashid Wallace and
the Blazer. We got the Blazer tickets and Rashid and
Bonsi and the rest of the knuckleheads were sitting in
front of us. The Wheels taps, he goes, hey, they
just made a trade, Like what yeah? And they like

(24:28):
they came in and got those guys and they walked
about of the arena in the middle of a WW
money night. Rob But uh, I will say this, like
you guys remember him as a talk show host and
the guy up in Seattle. I always think of him
because I did Blazer pre and post game on TV
later on, and so I was there a lot for
my money and Dick, I think you'd agree. Brian Wheeler

(24:48):
called a basketball game on the radio as well. If
not better than anybody, he just he was. He had
a gift. It's an art to do that. Fans, you're
great at it. Two And I hope you get the
job here when it comes back, because that's a hard
sport to call on the radio. Wheels was great. The
boom chuck a lucka. It's a great day to be
a Blazer. Right corner three, boom chuck a lucker. I

(25:09):
could just hear it in my mind right now. I'm
going to miss the guy. But he left the hell
of the legacy and he was so so good at
what he did.

Speaker 4 (25:19):
Well.

Speaker 7 (25:19):
I think you're exactly right about man. I think he
called it the way a fan would be watching the
game and wanting it called. And I think and that
was that's more. I think that's more normal in in
home NBA calls now than it was fifteen twenty years ago.
He was a little bit of a pioneer. And then
he was like, you know, I'm not gonna be a

(25:41):
cookie cutter play by play guy and just call the game.
I'm gonna be a Blazer fan and let everybody know
I'm a Blazer fan.

Speaker 5 (25:48):
Yeah, it's his line at the end when they won
it's a great day to be a Blazer. Yeah, I
just I loved it. But yeah, he'd call out the
officials by name, you know, you know, he's.

Speaker 10 (25:59):
Look, it's something else.

Speaker 4 (26:01):
I mean.

Speaker 5 (26:02):
But uh, I I loved his calls, but I liked
the guy even better. And you know, I could just
tell listen to Gras and like I said, there's if
you're in this business and you don't leave behind a legacy,
then you haven't done the right thing. You haven't done
it the right way.

Speaker 10 (26:16):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (26:17):
And and like I said, I think there's guys that do.
I'm talking to you guys that do.

Speaker 4 (26:21):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (26:21):
I'm I just heard from a guy that did. You know,
there's certain people. I've always looked up to Grass one
of those Wheels as one of those because of the
lay by play. But yeah, I just I'll just remember
going and talking. God, we would talk, right, we'd have
him on the show, We talk wrestling, you know.

Speaker 4 (26:35):
What do you think about the rock?

Speaker 8 (26:36):
You know?

Speaker 5 (26:37):
And he'd be he travel across and go watch that.
I mean, he was he was a treat in that regard.
But I know he'd been struggling.

Speaker 7 (26:44):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (26:44):
There there were a lot of demons in his world.

Speaker 9 (26:47):
It.

Speaker 5 (26:47):
Unfortunately. I wish I could say I was surprised when
I heard the news. I probably wasn't, to be honest
with you, and uh And that's that in its own sense,
because it's it's a waste because the guy should still
be calling NBA games right.

Speaker 3 (26:58):
Now out Hey, how about one more time for our
pal Brian Wheeler.

Speaker 4 (27:03):
It's a great day to be a blazer Ian.

Speaker 3 (27:06):
Great stuff man. Enjoy the game tonight, body, we'll talk soon.
Thanks guys, all right, Ian forness. Dave Grosby with a
few thoughts on on Brian Wheeler's passing again. If you
haven't heard, uh, you know again, you got to kind
of be a long time KJUR listener, Blazer fan. I
think a lot of people, though, understand who this guy
was and what he meant to a lot of people.
Brian Wheeler passed away this morning after a long, long illness,

(27:29):
and we will miss him tremendously.

Speaker 4 (27:30):
All Right, we'll get a break.

Speaker 3 (27:31):
We're gonna give away some Seahawks tickets for the Arizona game.
We're gonna ask Anthony bay Rudy, the venue king, for
his prediction for tomorrow's Husky game. We're you gonna text
in your first and last name, the words Venue, Kings,
and the combined score of Anthony's prediction for tomorrow's UW
Penn State game closest to the Pin's gonna win some
tickets for the Seahawks game against Arizona. And by the way,

(27:52):
there's been a lot of questions Dick about how all
these opposing fans are getting tickets. Anthony bay Rudy can
chime in on that as well. Next on ninety three
three KJRFF Back to.

Speaker 1 (28:01):
The Washington State Beat Commissions Football Friday with Softie and
Dick on your Home for the NFL Sports Radio ninety
three point three kjr FM.

Speaker 4 (28:16):
I love it. I love it. The return of the King. Baby.

Speaker 10 (28:20):
He is back after.

Speaker 4 (28:22):
Great brief hiatus. He has turned.

Speaker 3 (28:26):
He's bearing gifts Thevenu King he think gifts. Oh he's
you better, Dann will have gifts, man, are you kidding me?
He is providing our accommodations here on this trip again.
I was a little bit kind of concerned about the
outline of the dead guy last night in the lobby
of the Pittsburgh Hotel.

Speaker 7 (28:42):
Kind of looked like it from your picture.

Speaker 4 (28:44):
Yeah, but it all.

Speaker 3 (28:45):
Worked out in the Really, it's all about just being
safe and being sheltered, and that's what Anthony bay Rudy
is doing for us, our official travel partner, along with
our friends at Delta Airlines. Then you King Anthony bay
Rudy with us here on the radio show, how are
you man?

Speaker 10 (29:00):
Buddy Surviving Advance, my friends surviving Advan.

Speaker 4 (29:03):
That's what this is all about. Here's what we got.

Speaker 3 (29:04):
First of all, we got a pair of tickets for
the Seahawk Cardinal game we're gona be given away. We're
gonna ask you for your prediction for the Penn State
UDUB game tomorrow and we'll get people's thoughts on the
combined total points in that game, So stay tuned for
that in a second.

Speaker 4 (29:17):
But dude, I gotta ask you.

Speaker 3 (29:18):
There's been all this conversation and Dick and I have had,
you know, weeks talking about this, about all the opposing
fans that are invading lumin Field. Buffalo came here, Bill's
mafia taken over the stadium for God's sakes, and the
atmosphere is not what it used to be. And I'll
be honest with you, there's a lot of people that
say it's the broker's fault. You can blame them for
this mess that we're in. So what do you say

(29:40):
to people out there that have that take on why
there's so many opposing fans in the stadium this year.

Speaker 10 (29:46):
Yeah, so we're gonna have to do a fact check
on that one broker's tickets. I used to have a
four or five hundred seats for the Seattle Seahawks, so
back in the day, you could have blamed me for
the prices. Unfortunately, the Seahawks canceled all my seats and
they can't of all the other broker seats as well.
So they have their own one specific broker that they
deal with and the rest of them tickets, and the

(30:06):
prices are so high, and they're all available on Ticketmaster
because the team sells them themselves. So they put them
all on Ticketmaster themselves to see a ton of blutouts
at the beginning of the year. They sell the tickets,
they crank them up, and they want as much revenue
as they possibly can, and that's why you have all
the fans from all different places. They don't they're not
max not their season tickets anymore. They used to be
able to fill out at the stadium with a ton

(30:27):
of season ticket holders. They don't want season ticket holders
anymore because they could sell the tickets at the much
more expensive price individually. So that is the actual truth.
Whether people want to believe it or not, that's up
to them, but that's that's what's actually happening.

Speaker 7 (30:40):
It actually cut the number of season tickets they want
to have. Is that correct?

Speaker 10 (30:46):
Yeah, So if people if people get back their season
tickets for whatever reason, there's no like law that says
they have to sell them a season tickets to another
Seahawks fan, so they don't. They don't put them back
in the They released maybe you know a small percentage
of the seats that come back, and then they put
the rest on Ticketmaster and get full pomp for them,
and they crank up the prices. You know, when the
stadium was built, taxpayers paid a bunch of money for

(31:08):
the stadium, and there was a guarantee to take us
with these like fifty bucks and we're going to have
got higher call. Correctly, it was like you know, ten
thousand seats or something that had to be under fifty dollars.
I don't know. For whatever reason, that's not a thing anymore.
So the tickets are all cranked up and they're very expensive,
and that's no joke. For the last three games a year,
I promise you a cardinal take us before I look
at the prices. That's the hot game and two after

(31:32):
it or even hotter. So I mean we've got great tickets.
Those games were actually quite cheap. Arizona carlst the beginning
the year was about a hundred bucks, but one seventy
five now for a decent ticket, and the Packers is
close to three hundred for that one, which at the
beginning of the year that was not so. I mean
the Seahawks have over achieved. If you had listened to
me at the preseason when we did our over under bets,

(31:52):
I suggested that they would win nine games and they
were going to cover the spread on the season, and
they have already done. You know, they're on their way
doing that and doing fantastic this year. So it's always
nice when you get a positive feeling for the season
when they expectations for solow at the beginning of the year.

Speaker 3 (32:07):
Yeah, the gain in price Dick for the Packer game
is two seventy four right now at Benue Kings dot Com.
That is unbelievable. Uh, Minnesota on the website is one
hundred and ninety six. But Anthony bay Rudy is with us,
And look, man, I mean, obviously it's a free market system, right.
I mean, if people put some up for sale, people
want to buy them, they'll dictate the price. But a
lot of places people can go tell people why they

(32:27):
should choose venue Kings dot com over any other.

Speaker 10 (32:31):
Yeah, well right now you've gone some great values. So
I mean, he got Huskies. They're playing UCLA at home.
That's a seven team dollar ticket. You can get it.
So if you still want to get the family together,
go do something fun. Husky's game is always a way
to call the basketball Team's got some very affordable opportunities
there as well. Cracking obviously sound very good. But you know,
we had a lot of comments on Softie's Twitter handle

(32:52):
telling people, hey, you know, he's got all these service feeds.
So all he did was all the service health service
feeds on the website. Even got rid of the ticket
fee we had. We had a peep or delivery. We
got rid of that. So if you say get rid
of that, I got rid of it. No more so
you wife take it on Benucins. There's no more service fees.
You're dealing with actual human beings. It's not a robot.
If you want customer service, you calls somebody will pick
it up on the first ring. After you listen our

(33:13):
doctor Dream music that we have for the hold, and
we're good to go. We're going to take care of
you and we're going to make sure you get ten
percent back on your purchase for a future one. So
once you buy once, you always stay with us and
you never leave the met exact. They always like it.

Speaker 3 (33:24):
I love it, all right, Anthony, before you go, you
got a pair of seats for the next seat game
against the Cardinals. We're asking people to give us their
official prediction for what your prediction will be for the
total points scored in that game. So, Penn State, U
dub tomorrow, give give me a score.

Speaker 10 (33:38):
Who do you like Husky's twenty seven twenty four Penn State,
here go.

Speaker 3 (33:42):
We're going to go in there and stealing tomorrow twenty
seven to twenty four with a total of fifty one.
All right, so Jackson, find me a winner and we'll
announce the name. Coming up next segment for the para
seats for the Seahawk Cardinal game coming up with a
couple of weeks. Anthony Man, thanks for all you do.
Appreciate it because without you, we'd be sleeping on the street. Literally,
you're the man and we'll talk soon, dude.

Speaker 10 (34:02):
Thanks Man, Husky Sacods guys, twenty bucks go get him.

Speaker 4 (34:05):
I love it.

Speaker 3 (34:06):
Man, jump on the web for the UCLA game. Twenty
bucks to get in the door. We're gonna break Dick.
The longtime voice of Penn State football and basketball, Steve
Jones is sitting right next to me. We're gonna chat
with him next live from Penn State right here on
ninety three to three KJRFM. I was hoping that this
guy would find a way over here, Dick, because he
offered to come on the show. We recorded a pregame

(34:26):
segment for tomorrow and I said, dude, we gotta get
you back on our local show on Frida. He's like, well,
you want me to just come over to the bar.
I'm like, yeah, I mean that'd be phenomenal, but I
mean you want to go home. It's going to be
nine o'clock and get some sleep before the game.

Speaker 4 (34:37):
That's fine.

Speaker 3 (34:38):
The longtime voice of Penn State football and basketball. Steve
Jones with us here from the bar at Penn State.

Speaker 8 (34:44):
How are great to be with you, and again my
deepest condolence to the family, you know, the broadcast family
obviously a legend.

Speaker 3 (34:52):
No question about it. Man crushing for all of us.
But hey, first of all, it's great to be here
first time for us. You guys are coming to Husky
Stadium a couple of years from now oh to three.
We've never beat you first time in the regular season
since nineteen twenty one. What are we in for tomorrow? Honestly,
the atmosphere of the whole thing. What are we in
for tomorrow at eight o'clock Easter?

Speaker 8 (35:12):
Well, first of all, everybody's wearing white except I think
there might be a few people with purple on. Yeah,
they will stick out. But it is a white out
tomorrow night. And they're only allowed to have one quote
white out a year. Why is that, by the way,
because the Winnipeg Jets, who then became the Arizona Coyotes,

(35:33):
where the first ones to do a white out, and
they've got a copyright on it, so they worked it
out with Penn State where they could do one.

Speaker 3 (35:39):
Yeah, I don't get that at all, I think you
have a patent on white shirts. I have no idea,
but you know, I think it's the term white out,
got it. But so everybody will be wearing white tomorrow.

Speaker 8 (35:51):
The noise, because the sun's going to go down, but
it goes down here at five is going to be
ratcheted up to extra levels and it becomes a very
fun atmosphere. It is the kind of atmosphere that most
people sit back and say, Look, it's a bucket list
kind of thing to be a part of, no doubt.

Speaker 7 (36:08):
What do road fans get treated like? You know, you
would consider Washington a non conference opponent even though they're
in conference right now. But they don't know there's no
rivalry against Washington because you know, when we go to
SEC cities, I mean, the the hospitality is unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (36:24):
Is it the same for Penn State?

Speaker 7 (36:26):
As long as they're not playing the Michigan's and Ohio
states of the world, you will.

Speaker 8 (36:30):
Find the same treatment here as you find in the SEC.
The fans are great here. You know, you're gonna have
a lot of people walking up to Fancier, Hey, welcome,
great to have you in the conference.

Speaker 4 (36:40):
The whole deal.

Speaker 8 (36:41):
Uh So, that's how it's going to be when they
come here. So I think people are thrilled that Washington
is in the conference. I'm thrilled during the conference. I
think the westward expansion is the future of what college
sports is anyway. Yeah, and when USC and UCLA came in,
I was being Washington in Oregon would join them at

(37:02):
the same time. It just took fourteen extra months to
do it. But when they did, I thought for the
Big Ten and for Penn State, it was great. I
realized though it's very difficult for the fans there. Yes, yes,
to break apart from the Pac twelve and the great traditions,
because I can tell you Maryland, for example, whenever I

(37:22):
go there for football or basketball, they still lament not
being in the ACC. And I completely understand that. When
Penn State went to the Big Ten, they were an
independent Rutgers. I mean, it's just wandered all over the wilderness.
And for you know, a team like Nebraska, they had
been in the Big Eighth and there's the Big Twelve,

(37:43):
and they had problems with Texas and they knew they
had to get out.

Speaker 4 (37:46):
This is a little bit different.

Speaker 8 (37:47):
So I realized there's going to be some growing paints
for the fans in the Northwest because you're used to
the you know, Arizona, Arizona State, coming in a line
with Stanford and cal and Utah and Colorado.

Speaker 4 (37:58):
I get that.

Speaker 3 (37:58):
It was a phenomenal travel schedule in Washington State. By
the way, in Washington State was a phenomenal travel schedule.
I mean, nothing was more than three hours away.

Speaker 4 (38:06):
Nothing, you know it was.

Speaker 3 (38:07):
It was beautiful Sunshine States, Arizona, California, the whole thing.
And now that's partially gone. But Steve Jones, the voice
of Penn State football and basketball, is with us. And
one of the reasons why I wanted to have you
honest to explain this travel because I heard James Franklin
not complaining, but just acknowledging when they went to LA
that they got to use Harrisburg because of the runway here.

Speaker 4 (38:26):
So are are they considering building a longer air strip
so teams.

Speaker 8 (38:30):
Can fly in and out of University Park That I
don't know, team, I mean, you can fly in here,
that's not the issue because by the time you go
to land the plane, the fuel is almost all gone
and the weight of the plane is no problem. Going
out it's flying out when the plane is fully fueled,
and that's why they have to go to Harrisburg to
do something like that. But for other games that are

(38:52):
not on the West coast, Penn State flies in and
out of here.

Speaker 3 (38:55):
All the time, Like for example, tomorrow, the game is
gonna end around what to yourself potentially at second time.

Speaker 4 (39:02):
Right, So so we're talking much later.

Speaker 3 (39:04):
Obviously on the East coast, Washington Dick is not going
to be on their plane until probably two o'clock in
the right after driving ninety minutes to.

Speaker 8 (39:10):
Harrisbright, go ninety minutes to Harrisbury. It will be all highway.
I'm sure there'll be no traffic so other than that,
but I mean that's because I think Washington flew straight
in here, correct y, So I mean that's.

Speaker 4 (39:23):
The way it's going to have to be. This is
at least better than it used to be.

Speaker 8 (39:27):
I mean, when I was on the network with Joe
paternal we had to go down to Harrisburg all the
time for everything and land in Harrisburg.

Speaker 4 (39:33):
Wow.

Speaker 8 (39:33):
And that the problem with landing in Harrisburg is simple.
You get off the plane and get on the bus
and go, oh my god, there's still ninety more miles ago.

Speaker 4 (39:43):
You gotta be kidneying.

Speaker 7 (39:44):
Well.

Speaker 8 (39:44):
Now, at least we fly in and out of here
all the time except for that La trip. Are they
considering it?

Speaker 4 (39:49):
Now?

Speaker 8 (39:49):
That's a federal thing, I mean, and you have to
get federal money to do something like that. So I mean,
I have to wait and see. If they need somebody
to turn over dirt, I'll do it.

Speaker 10 (40:00):
There you go.

Speaker 7 (40:00):
You got a top ten defense in both scoring and
yards allowed. But does Penn State's defense get kind of
the same skepticism that some people look at Washington's defense
and say, well, you aren't playing really high powered offenses
in this conference, so is your defense really that good?
Do people say the same thing about Penn State's defense?

Speaker 4 (40:21):
Not really, especially when you give up just twenty to
Ohio State.

Speaker 8 (40:25):
I mean, that's the lowest number that, I mean all
season long they've had along the way. The only problem
people have had with the Penn State defense they feel
like they give up too much in terms of yardage
on the opening drive. Once they get through the opening
drive and usually see the pace of how a game
is being played, they normally have settled down.

Speaker 4 (40:46):
And played pretty well defensive.

Speaker 3 (40:48):
Yeah, Well, Steve Jones again is with us. He's the
voice of Penn State football and basketball. And first of all,
I appreciate you coming over here.

Speaker 9 (40:54):
Man.

Speaker 3 (40:54):
We gotta get you a cocktail by the way, you're
out there nights over. Could we get the guy at
drink for crad lot. You mentioned working with Joe Paterno,
And that's one of the reasons why I wanted to
have you on, because there's a history here. When everything
went down with Joe and Sandusky, it was it was
a major story nationally. I mean, we spent weeks talking
about that on our show back in Seattle. Can you

(41:15):
explain to people back in Seattle and to us what
that period was like for you guys to go through here.

Speaker 8 (41:21):
Well, first of all, the amount of media that descended
upon this place was off the charts. Narratives were being
established as to what was going on. And I was
able to talk to Joe twice, once before Thanksgiving and
once before Christmas, and like, the last time I talked
to him was about a little bit like three and

(41:42):
a half weeks before he passed away. And look, I
knew the man for thirty two years and we talked
frankly about a couple of things. I can tell you,
knowing certain terms, he had no idea well, because Sandiski
wasn't a part of the staff at that point. It
wasn't even here, all right, And Joe never saw him.

(42:03):
I never saw him, And so the way everything played
out was just surreal. And I think that's the only
way I can describe it as surreal. And when you
know somebody as well as I knew him, and then
we're able to talk to him and get his version
of what things were going on, I could tell you
he didn't know. And the narrative is, oh he knew, well,

(42:27):
he didn't know.

Speaker 4 (42:27):
How is he perceived now here? Picture here? Yes, but
wait till his picture goes up on the scoreboard tomorrow.

Speaker 8 (42:35):
Right, you'll see. Fans love him, right, they love him
because look see what this town is like right now?

Speaker 4 (42:41):
Yeah, this wasn't like this when he took over, right.

Speaker 8 (42:45):
Right, all this that you hear, all everything, all the homes, everything,
I mean, the town was built up because he made
Penn State a destination place to be. Now, let's take
it forward, though, Let's give James Franklin his due. He
came in and he's look over at the worst possible
time with the sanctions. Sure, and Bill O'Brien had told me,

(43:05):
he says, Steve, he said fourteen and fifteen are going
to be the worst years. They only had sixty three
scholarship players because of the sanctions, and James ended up
being the coach that had to navigate that. And then
at sixteen he wins the Big Ten championship. Yeah, and
in this playoff era, he would have been in the
playoff five times. To do that in the period of

(43:25):
time he's done it really is remarkable question and and
deserves his just due for what he's done here. I
think that what's really cool is I love what Jed
has done in a short period of time. I mean,
Kaylen did a phenomenal job. And I know Kaylan did
it such a great job at Indiana because he was

(43:45):
the offensive coordinator there and goes in and does this
phenomenal job championship game, all those seniors. Jed comes in
has to change everything because everybody graduated and he's got
a good football team.

Speaker 4 (43:57):
So he got two really good coaches out there. Or
it's gonna be really cool.

Speaker 7 (44:02):
The viral video of James Franklin walk into his locker
room on Saturday with the fire, James Franklin chants in
the background, what does that mean for this week? Because
obviously not all Penn State fans are happy with their coach.
If Washington comes out in the first half and is
up on Penn State like USC was up on Penn

(44:24):
State at halftime, what's the vibe gonna be in the stands?
And can Washington maybe actually use negative energy to their
advantage in the stands?

Speaker 4 (44:33):
Well, let's start with this. They didn't fire him.

Speaker 8 (44:37):
Sell there, and you know what, we're in a totally
different era now, and in a totally different era because
gambling is legal everywhere. When you're losing your own money, Okay,
it's more angry, no question, no question about that. Look,

(44:59):
the expectation for this team is to get to the playoff.
That's the way it was in the spring. That's the
way it was in the summer. That's the way it
was when the seven and zero start. This is what
the fans want and have quote expectations. They have expectations.

Speaker 4 (45:17):
It's up to Penn State now to go out and
meet those expectations.

Speaker 8 (45:20):
And I think everybody around here knows it's going to
be a really tough, hard, fuck game against a team
that has plenty of talent out there between the quarterback
the tailback. Jack Ham and I have talked about Coleman
for about seven weeks now, you know, and at Boston
and Latto and Carson Brunner, you know, and you know,
and of course fans in this area know all about

(45:41):
Mark right, you know, playing.

Speaker 4 (45:42):
For the Steelers.

Speaker 8 (45:44):
So will there be those kind of chants if it's
that kind of start, of course they're will well, I mean,
fans are the same everywhere. I mean, if Jets behind
thirty one to whatever at halftimes, going to get at
home against somebody at Husky Stadium, that's we're not going
to be going.

Speaker 4 (45:59):
Hey, way to go, buddy, you'll come back. We're behind
you all the way. How's it gonna happen?

Speaker 3 (46:03):
Well, you got two of the top ten defenses in
the country. You done number ten, Penn State number seven.
I'm looking at this Tyler Warren kid though, and Steve
Jones again the voice of Penn State football basketball with
us on the year. Jales Jackson as the Husky's leading
receiver with fifty five. This guy's got fifty one at
the tight end spot. And it drives me nuts when
you play an opposing team, you know what they want

(46:24):
to do and they still do it anyway.

Speaker 8 (46:26):
And that seems like that's what Penn State's doing with
this kid, and that's what Olio State did a great
job went last week. They doubled Warren as often as
they could. That means the wide receivers or the running
backs have to make that kind of mistake payoff when
you do it right.

Speaker 4 (46:39):
But this is let me encapsulate Warren for you. Warren
is so intelligent.

Speaker 8 (46:46):
It makes such a big difference because you line them
up at wide receiver, he has to know it. You
line up up in the slot, he has to know
it on the line of scrimmage, at tight end, at wingback, wow,
right at quarterback, at fullback. He has to know the
place from all those spots on the field and not
just from a spot. And you know, for if you

(47:07):
had Warren on the show right now, you would have
a lot of trouble getting information out of him. Because here,
it's great to be here. Thank you for telling me
I was gonna try to track. Yeah, I don't think
he'd give you too much. He's a pretty quiet guy.
But look, he's a special player. And when you're six six, right,
And I think a lot of people who love Seahawks

(47:27):
football can appreciate this. He's too quick for a linebacker
and he's too big for a safety, right Yeah. And
I think law two's like that, a lot two's too
big for a safety, all right. And so that's that's
what makes him terrific. He's versatile. Yeah, and he played
quarterback in high school and he wasn't just an option
guy in high school.

Speaker 4 (47:47):
You know, he threw for over eleven hundred yards his
senior year. He's not that bad throwing it.

Speaker 7 (47:52):
I was surprised actually when I was looking at the
numbers to see Penn State at fifth in America and
yards per attempt at almost ten yards per attempt. You
don't really think of them as a vertical passing game.
So is Drew Aller really kind of the stretch the
field quarterback.

Speaker 8 (48:06):
Well, he's done a great job with it. And let's
start with this. Penn State's averaging seven point eight yards
on first down this season, so they've been able to
get out of the gate and do things like that.
Aller really looks like a guy that's about to make
his twenty second career start. He's made twenty two career starts, right,
twenty two career starts, so it's not like start number

(48:27):
eight and he's still trying to get a feel for
the job.

Speaker 4 (48:31):
He's not. He's at start number.

Speaker 8 (48:33):
Twenty two in his career, so he's seen the speed
of everything, just like Will Rodgers has had one two
hundred and eighty starts in his career between Mississippi State
and Washington. There's nothing Will has not seen before, and
there's nothing Drew hasn't seen before either, and it's just
made a big difference. The touchdown pass the tie the
USC game is the fourth option on the play.

Speaker 4 (48:55):
Wow, it's the fourth option and he made the play.

Speaker 8 (48:58):
Now that was a tribute to to the offensive line
which gave him a chance to the fourth option. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (49:02):
Well, Steve Jones is with us and Dick we are
in the presence of greatness here at the Champs Sports Bar.
Greg Lewis is sitting with us here, by the way,
Dounk Walker Award winnerful nineteen ninety. No, not because Greg's
talking about these two backs and Allen and Singleton. So
much talk about Aller and so much talking about the
tight end, this running game for Penn State. Tell me
about what we're gonna see in the backfield tomorrow.

Speaker 8 (49:23):
Well, they're two different types of backs. First of all,
he got to be really see three different types of
backs tomorrow.

Speaker 4 (49:28):
Coleman's a bowling ball.

Speaker 8 (49:30):
I have not seen on any video yet where on
first contact he went down.

Speaker 4 (49:35):
I mean he really is. Jackie Leeds Coats football broken tackles.
Jack cam and I have talked about this guy for
a month and a half. We just think he's that good.
Allen is a is an inside jump cut guy, got
it all right.

Speaker 8 (49:48):
Singleton's the speed guy, and Singleton's a four to three
somewhere four to three six guy. And where Singleton's become
exponentially better as a pass receiver. Early in his career
he was what I call a body catcher. I mean,
Greg knows what I'm talking about. Ball comes in and
that body is the third hand right now, you look

(50:09):
at him, hands out like a wide receiver. The confidence
with which he catches a ball now is so different
than it was two years ago.

Speaker 4 (50:17):
And you put him in the open field where he
can make plays. He's a special player.

Speaker 7 (50:22):
What do you think the best way to attack this
line defenses. I mean come out with the come out
throwing and then run the ball or come out pounding.

Speaker 5 (50:30):
Well.

Speaker 8 (50:30):
I think Ohio State did a good job last week
of attacking them. They opened it up with the passing game,
which then gave them a chance to run the ball late,
so Howard was able to get it. Was the biggest
drive in the game to me for Ohio State on
their side was down ten to nothing and they put
together a drive where they hit a couple of big
pass plays to Agbuka and that kind of got them.

(50:52):
That kind of steadied the ship for them along the way,
and then they were able to balance it out after that.
And I think that's the way that they attacked. USC
was able to get on the board on a reverse
early in the game. I thought Marx, you saw Marx
last week of that and the second half. Marx was
tremendous in the second half of that game. Yeah, against

(51:15):
against Washington the way he played. So I think balance
is the best way to do it because you have
to somehow keep Penn State off balance. They'll mostly play
five dbs, every once in a while play six, but
they're one of those four to five teams.

Speaker 4 (51:30):
Right now under time out. Well, I'll tell you what, man.

Speaker 3 (51:33):
I used to tape everything when I was a kid
on videotape, and the first sporting event I ever recorded
I was eleven years old, was the Fiestavo with Miami
get top of this picked off Testa Verdi to win it.

Speaker 4 (51:43):
I don't even know where that tape is. It's probably
in the garbage somewhere.

Speaker 3 (51:46):
But I've been waiting for forty years to get to
the stadium and I can't wait to see what it's
all about tomorrow.

Speaker 4 (51:51):
I just want to ask you real quick, Steve Jones,
before you go. I was the third announcer for that. Seriously, Well,
so you started doing this when you were six years old?
Is that correct? I tried to tell people how long
have you been doing this for us?

Speaker 8 (52:01):
My forty third year doing basketball and my thirty third
on football.

Speaker 3 (52:05):
Where do people come from? Because there can't be that
many people living in this town, mostly from Spokane.

Speaker 8 (52:12):
Just look, this is a county of one hundred and
sixty thousand, so a lot of people from here, but
they come from Pittsburgh, Altoona, Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia,
they really have a wide radius that they draw from
to get one hundred and eleven thousand people in here.

Speaker 3 (52:32):
Yeah, well they're gonna be walking away crying tomorrow, stee,
I hope. So hey, listen, it's great to meet your man,
and we'll be doing this a lot, because absolutely they're
coming to Seattle, Dick in a couple of years from now,
to Sea Husky Stadium, and weird for us, right as
guys that grew up in the Pac twelve and the
Pac ten that we're all now kind of partners, but
looking forward to working with you man.

Speaker 8 (52:51):
Have fun tomorrow and then we'll talk sooner. Appreciate it, Dick,
Thank you so much too.