August 2, 2020 • 48 mins
Mike Blewitt and George Kurtz have the latest news around the NFL and College Football
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sports grid dot Com betting insights and entertainment at your
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sports grid dot Com Welcome to another edition of Football
(00:21):
Pool Circle right here on the Grid on Mike Food
along with my co host George Hurst. George, well, everything's
you know, I know, it's baseball, it's not football, but
it's back right, So everything's back, you know, as in
the world is right now as far as concerning we've
had Sports Live Sports Account, so now we're just hoping
that football can do the same thing here. We may
(00:44):
have some doubts here, you know, see how things work out,
but I feel like everything's back on track somewhat. Yeah,
I have mentioned to you in the past I was
watching some English Premier League and previous weeks and as
there was some juice there for me. But having the
game's back on American soil and watching some baseball and
(01:04):
even the MLS contest the other night was fun just
to be able to flip back and forth to two
different channels, watching two different sports was like, all right, cool,
I'm back. You know. We we had a lot of doubts,
but here we are. We're playing baseball and we're talking
football here today and hopefully getting back there soon. We're
going to get into in subsequent segments a little some
(01:25):
updates on what happened this week. As of the time
of filming this there could be more news that continues
to break, so forgive us if it's slightly obsolete, but
we'll do our best to update you. The story I
wanted to start with on this hour was an interview
that Chris Thomason did with Adam feeling. He beat the
odds in as the article starts, but he wouldn't be
(01:48):
feeling as good if he were trying to make an
NFL team. In as it says here in Chris Thomason's tweet,
I know that if I had was going through this
offseason as a rookie, I wouldn't be in the NFL.
There's no chance. And he's talking about the general components
of what we've talked about George related to this offseason,
(02:08):
how some of the business of signing undrafted free agents,
bringing guys in, trying guys out that are fringe players,
maybe veterans trying to catch on, or rookies trying to
catch on with the team for the first time. That
business hasn't really happened in the same manner as it has.
There's been virtually no there's been no hands on tuning.
I shouldn't use the word virtual because it has been virtual. Uh,
(02:32):
there's been no hands on teaching. There's no practicing against
other players. For somebody like Adam Feeling, who broke into
the league in a really unique manner, he's saying he
wouldn't be in the NFL, and I get it. He
maybe he's right, maybe he's maybe he's over to Jaddrak
a little bit. But yeah, players aren't going to get
a chance to show what they can do because of
what everything being condensed. I mean, let's face it, When
(02:52):
so training camp does open and practice really do take place,
you're gonna get you guys ready. You don't have a
time to experiment. Let's see what this guy can do
it see what this undraft, the free age it could do.
You don't have time for that. You have to get
the guys that you think of your starters ready to play.
That's why I think football gonna be so sloppy in
September because of very few painted practices, no preseason games.
(03:13):
We may hate the preseason, but they do serve somewhat
of a role here. Four was ridiculous, but two it
really is the perfect number in my mind. But no,
none of those either. I think a lot of players
or a lot of teams are going list and I'm
just getting the players ready that I know can play.
We'll see what happens after that, but I want to
get the players ready who I know can play, Get
them ready to play, because I don't have time to
screw around and worry about, you know, my sixth round pick.
(03:36):
You know he'll learn, he'll learn eventually, but since he's
not wasn't drafted to be a starter anyway, I've got
time for him. I don't have time for the guy
who I think is going to start. Now. I have
a game in less than a month. Right. We've made
the point about the Vikings, specifically that they drafted fifteen
players in this year's NFL draft, and most of any team,
and to make a specific comparison, uh in this article
(03:59):
in Pioneer Press, when the then unknown wide receiver feel
And made the Vikings practice squad. Seven years ago as
an undrafted free agent out of division to Minnesota State
man Cato. He had a rookie minicamp, spring drills, four
preseason games to show what he could do, and the
Vikings had a ninety man training camp roster. Due to
the coronavirus pandemic, Vikings players will have none of those
(04:21):
things this year. There were no on field drills during
this past spring, and NFL teams are expected to have
just eighty players in training camp and no preseason games.
So a stark contrast George to what Feeling was looking at,
really anybody was looking at in any other year. We
all know he's a very much a long shot player
to be as good as he is, but still it
(04:42):
says a lot about the differences just from a year
ago that the way in which the NFL is conducting
business from a year ago. Absolutely, listen, we all know
this is going to be a strange year. We're gonna
have to accept things. And I love Listen. I don't
think a lot of people care. But this guy can
make the roster or not. But it is unfair to
these guys who are gonna give They're all but that's
where we're at right now. Alright. I keep saying, if
(05:03):
you want to have football or any school from them
out of baseball, basketball, hockey, whatever it might be, you're
gonna have to accept some strange things are going to happen.
It's not gonna this is not going to be a
year like any other, you know. I keep you know,
I'm a big baseball guy, and I hate I don't
like a lot of the rule chains in baseball. But
that gets baseball on the field. Fine, I'll live with it.
This year the football is gonna be the same thing,
and that's gets football on the year. Fine, I'll live
(05:25):
with it. I don't care what you want to do.
I just want to see the games here. And we
went four months without anything here. You hope you can
get out there. You hope it's safe to get out there.
So I think everybody's got to make those, you know,
those sacrifices. But it's the players themselves, you know, GMS,
the coaches there. Things you're gonna have to do that
you've never done before, that you don't like, but if
you want to get the game on the field, it
has to be done. Yeah, he feeling obviously coming off
(05:47):
an injury ridd Old season in a disappointing season in nineteen,
especially compared to the thirteen catch season that he had.
He closes out this article by saying, you have to
try to make the most of your situation, and you
can't control all lot of it dealing instead of this
year's undrafted free agents. So I know there's going to
be a lot of guys that may have to try
again next year or maybe get some workouts throughout this season.
(06:08):
I don't know, but it's definitely going to be a
different year. Welcoming in our radio audience now as we
close out this segment. But I think he says it well, George,
I think unfortunately some of these guys dreams will be
on hold. The NFL is just figuring out a way
to conduct business differently. I said, this is a a work
in progress. No, we've never no one's ever had to
(06:29):
go through this. No sports league has ever had to
go through certainly not the NFL. There were some pickures
I saw earlier in the week for baseball during the
Spanish flu of they were wearing masks, but there we
haven't been through this, No one has. It's a pandemic,
right we gotta do what we gotta do to get
possibly have a season. Mike, So once again, I understand,
I understand it's it's frustrated certain players, coaches, team members
(06:51):
that might be. But hopefully this is really the big
hope for me. Hopefully it's just for this year. Yeah. True,
So a little insight as to what is different about
this year from a player's perspective and a player that
really needed business to be done in the way that
it's normally done in order to make a team. George
and I will come back with some more NFL business
updates after this on the sports grid dot Com, Betting
(07:15):
insights and entertainment at your fingertips as our team covers
the most important topics in sports wagering, real time odds,
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than get on the grid sports grid dot Com. Back
(07:36):
on the Grid, Mike and George talking about some updates
to the NFL start of the NFL season. We're trying
to get everybody into training camp here, Chiefs and Texans
expected to be back in camp first. Um as we
film this, there's a lot of news breaking, so some
of more of this may be clarified by the time
(07:58):
you're watching it, but I feel for you to send
George to hate mail on Twitter or frankly, just go
to his Twitter feed and he may have retweeted and
clarified some of the things that we're about to talk about.
But important conference calls occurred late in the week George
on Friday, Thursday Friday amongst the ownership group and then
the NFL p A regarding safety and health protocols regarding money, scheduling, training,
(08:23):
camp reporting, testing, all of this stuff. I don't think
even after these calls one cent of it is smoothed out.
Like we saw bumps in the road with MLB Juan Soto,
a positive test doesn't allow him to play for the
first few days, followed by negative tests were That's going
to be part of what we're dealing with. Two. By
the ways, false positives, you're just gonna have to say,
(08:45):
I'm sorry, it's the best we can do right now.
I'm sorry you missed Game X, but we just gotta
move ahead. Agreed. This is gonna happen in the NFL too. Yeah,
you gonna have some of you guys who have positive
tests and maybe they're not positive were they will they
feel fine? False negatives full got false negatives as well.
By the way, it's what we're gonna have to live with.
Once again, it keeps saying it over and over again.
(09:05):
If you want the games to be played, we're going
to have to live with this. That there's gonna be
sometimes where you don't have your best player. You know that. Also,
this guy can't play because he tested positive and you
find out oh no he was actually Okay, it was
a false one. It'll make you angry, But what are
you gonna do, really, what are you going to do?
You haven't got with choice but to have these tests.
But for every thousand and I think they're gonna have
(09:26):
what one to three that are false? Yeah uh yeah.
So Chris Mortenson and Dan Graisiano and Tom Pellicero and
many other people out there have done an excellent job
of reporting on a wide variety of the logistics and
business issues that are plaguing in the NFL right now
that need to be solved. But here's a few of them.
(09:48):
We talked about the eighty man roster deadline in the
previous segment, so that's an eight instead of a nineties.
So the eighty man roster deadline is August sixteen, before
padded practice. Teams can have a ninety man roster if
they go with split squad set up. Some teams have
plans to split squad and use stadium and regular practice facilities. Also,
negotiations started, NFL owners wanted to players to give thirty
(10:11):
s grow and players are okay with threat of not
playing because no force major in the cb A except
expect both sides to take losses in unprecedented times to
make this work. And he also clarifies that lost revenues
will be significant in NFL, but the sharp drop should
be more than counterpunched by massive spike coming with new
TV and media deals, a seventeen game season, more playoffs,
(10:35):
and gambling revenues. I'll stop there and then i'll continue
on the next rant, but i'll let you comment there. Yeah,
I think that's what we're all probably most concerned about
right the most of the rest of this thing. They'll
they'll work it out. It's the money that's always the
part that worries me. They'll work out the health and
safety protocols. We've seen that in all the sports. They've
been able to do that. But what the rail Baseball
(10:56):
was the money because the owners want the players to
take I guess they want a pay cut. In the
MLB players said, yeah, not gonna happen. And if i'm
the NFL, I'm thinking the same thing. It's not gonna happen.
As you like to point out on these shows, what
business is guaranteed to make money, right, And I completely
agree with you. You're not guaranteed to make money. These
(11:17):
NFL players can lose their career on any play, any hit,
so why should they take less money? I don't think
they should either. But I'm also curious about the fact
of the salary cap. Right, we've heard, We've heard everything
about the cap. Right first, they were gonna take seventy
million dollars off next year, which we you're gonna have,
you know, a hundred free agents on the street, good
players right now. If they do stuff like that now,
(11:39):
they weren't spread over maybe two years or four years
or five years. I don't know, Mike, why they can't
do it over eleven years over the entire So Chris
Mortenson may may have clarified it again, this might need
some additional clarifying, but the salary cap appears to be
remaining the same for twenty and there is a cap
floor of one seventy five million, and with the possibility
(12:01):
of it being higher based on revenue streams. That's what
my Grafflo and Tom Pelicero report. I mentioned that those
guys are doing a lot of work on this, so
that that's one seventy five still is a twenty five
million dollar hit, George, if it was, if it was
the maximum hit, that that it's a lot. You know
we're talking. Yeah, I just don't understand basically call it,
(12:26):
but it could be higher. So what if it's you
still don't ever want it to go down. I don't
understand this, you know, I know anybody who remotely watches
football know that there could be a huge revenue spike
in two years with the new television contracts. Why don't
they just say, hey, you know what, We'll wait until
then and then we'll adjust the cap where instead of
(12:48):
it going up seventy for each team and only goes
up I don't know, forty million for each team. The
owners don't want to float it to the players, and
they should be able to, of course they can. If
this is about the owners wanted to stick it to
the players again. It's really all it is. They want
to they want to get out of certain contracts. This
will give an excuse to do so, you know, and
they want the contracts to go down, or the floor
to go or I guess the average of the contracts
(13:09):
to go down. Then or they could start again where
maybe the next quarterback doesn't get thirty eight million, but
it goes down to million whatever it might be. So
it starts at a lower and the crappy thing is
the quarterbacks. It won't It won't affect them at all.
It will affect the other guys. It'll be like a
veteran linebacker that's got to take a million two instead
(13:29):
of a million six. Now everybody at home is being like,
are you crazy, guys, I'm gonna make a million bucks
to play linebacker. Well, he just sacrificed four grand because
of the way that they squeezed the players in this instance.
I'm not suggesting that there is no responsibility for the
players to have to share in this in some way,
but they don't have the ability to smooth it out
(13:51):
over the life of their careers. Many of them. The
owners could just say, you know what, We're not going
to increase the cap when it comes time to increase it.
We're going to artificially hold the cap down when it
should inflate after the big TV deals. I don't know,
I understand the economics of it. Maybe not every iota,
(14:14):
but I do think this is at least moving in
the right direction, giving them a floor, but still one
seventy five down from that's a pretty big adjustment. I
hope it doesn't adjust that much because it will result
in in players getting cut. Absolutely. Well, that's twenty three
million for each team. Plus it's not going up next year,
which I can guarantee with certain teams were assuming it
would go up next year like it always does every
(14:35):
season to account for their contracts. So yeah, it's going
to be you're gonna see players, more players on frads.
It was obviously that's also not good for the players.
He goes once again, that drives prices down. If you
have if you have five top wide receivers, well you don't.
You don't need to pay them as much. You know,
there will there be as many jobs going around. It's
it's not good really all around. It's not good for
the game. The owners though, I just thinking with their
(14:56):
uh you know, their bottom lines. But as you you
just said, the owners have the abil league. They're gonna
only team attend. It could be in their family forever.
They'll make up these losses. The players cannot their Their
careers are fun finite, three years, four years. Some guys
will get eight years, but very few. Yeah. Uh. The
NFL p A Executive Committee voted unanims unanimously to recommend
(15:18):
the proposed changes to the c b A. As we
film this, the conference call amongst the NFL player reps
is ongoing an important resolution to the new CBA agreement.
Again a lot of this via Chris Mortenson of ESPN. Uh,
there will be a fund slash benefit established to pay
back any benefits eliminated as a result of COVID up
to three and paying back any loss guaranteed money to players. So,
(15:42):
as noted by many, the NFL player ups will vote YadA, YadA, YadA.
So uh so that's it, George. There at least does
seem to be some thawing of the hard line. Look,
we were you and I were both concerned about them
not having discussed finances to this point. I would actually
give the NFL a gold star if as this stuff
(16:03):
all came to a head, they have proved it this quickly.
Should they have waited this long? Probably not. But I
think they were so concerned about health protocols above money
in this instance in order to get the deal. Then
I'm saying they care more about it in this instance
to get the deal done that I would actually give
them a check mark here for getting this stuff done
(16:26):
potentially without delaying the Chiefs and Texans reporting to camp
for at least getting their COVID tests. Oh, I would.
I would give a gold start check mark. But I
think they've They've done a great job here. I did
not expect this no way, because you know, this is
not really a deadline to get it done. I guess
it's close to what if you want to run a
perfectly normals. He's looking at the date here, it's with
(16:48):
late July. You know, I'm surprised it didn't go on further.
You know, it's basically wonder one of the owners that, well,
what else they have in store here? Because they weren't
delaying for a little bit. Now they're not, you know,
so I wonder what's going on here. But I think
the fact that they've got it done, which means theoretically
everything should move along now. According to pace, testing has
to be done, So I guess that's the next big thing.
When everyboy gets test coming us. What percentages do all
(17:10):
those come out? We've heard that's another stickling employed right
about five percent. It's more than five percent. It's daily
left of five percent every other day. I do want
when those initial tests come out, how that's going to law?
What the what the percentages? Yeah, MLB intake testing was
one point eight one nine percent. We'll see if the
NFL matches at Georgia and I'll be right back more
NFL talk on FFC Sports grid dot Com Betting insights
(17:33):
and entertainment at your fingertips seven as our team covers
the most important topics in sports wagering, real time odds,
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than get on the grid Sports grid dot Com. M M.
(17:58):
You're watching sports Cred back on the grid. Welcome back
to our radio audience as well. George and I are
talking about some news and notes. I'm gonna play a
little bit of a fun game here on this final
(18:20):
July weekend. Is it the final July weekend, Yes, I
believe it is. Yes, next week, yeah, final July. I Look,
these days, weeks, months have blended together, obviously in a
way that they haven't before. But on this final July weekend,
we are just gonna play, have a little fun with
it before the football actually get started. People get out
(18:43):
there in paths where they may or may not be
hitting each other because contact may or may not transmit
COVID virus. It's it's getting tough, George, but we'll have
a little bit fun with that game. So a couple
of news and notes. What I think the one business,
uh component that really has started to move is the
signing of a lot of rookie contracts. Jeff Gladney, defensive
(19:05):
back from the Vikings, he signs his deal, Chase Claypool
of the Steelers signs his deal. So, whether they are
first round picks or extending a little bit into the
mid rounds, these teams are trying to lock up the
rookies so that if and when the camps open in
the next week to ten days, they'll be ready to go. Yeah,
(19:27):
we've see this every year, right, some some teams take
longer than others, but for the most part due to
the CBA. There's not much to negotiate here, alright, youn
go hear some language, some payout language, but that's it.
You're not gonna get any more money than what's what's
in the CBA there, So you should be it. They
all should be in by camp, you would think. Every
now and then we do see a boat of the
situation where one guy might not be in. But I
(19:49):
expect the most, if not all, to be in by camp.
I do wonder this, you know, I just went through
my head once again. A player, even a rookie, is
worried about COVID. You know, maybe someone playing in one
of the Californi on your teams, one of the Florida teams.
You know, the nightmare is down there. Maybe they fight
for extra things a little harder, you know they normally would,
because maybe they have not all that thrilled up being
there once see things calmed down anyway. But I expect
(20:11):
most these rookies to be these conjects to be done
there the next Really I U said seven to ten days,
I think it will be less than that, as I
think all camps will be opened by the end of
the by the end of July. Actually, yeah, uh so
so good news that we're starting to see some momentum. Right,
we'll see how these conference calls play out and exactly
(20:31):
when everybody can report, but Chiefs and Texans are supposed
to be first. We'll see another piece of news to
a tongue of Bolos said he's quote ready to go
in an interview with USA today. He's recovery has been
reported ahead of schedule on multiple occasions, and the quarterback
himself is now confirming this. The possibility of him taking
the field as a rookie is looking increasingly likely. This
(20:53):
is all according to Rhodo World. Uh Fitzpatrick still a
favorite to start Week one, but it wouldn't be surprising
if to get some starts. So im gonna said it
over under two US starts this year, six and a half. Oh,
I'm gonna go over. I'm just gonna go over. I
think they want to see what they have in two
a here. I think he's going to be a good,
(21:15):
solid player. I don't love it because once again he
hasn't been able to go on the practice field. There'll
be no preseason games. You don't know if he has
any kind of chemistry there. But I just have a
funny feel that this is a team that wants to
get their new toy ya. I want to see that.
I'm looking at their schedule here. I just want to see,
you know, if it's Patrick and get off to a
big start, how that might change. I have it right here.
(21:37):
So they start at the Paths on Sunday, sep hosting
Buffalo at Jacksonville hosting Seattle. That could be Seattle coming
down hot. It's the longest trip in the entire Seattle
plays well coming out and he doesn't seen the ball
with him. I get it. But that is the longest
trip in the NFL. Is Seattle in Miami, and that
(22:00):
would be potentially playing in the Miami Heat. So they
can come to New York and kick the Giants tail
all over MetLife Stadium. That I get. But going to
Miami when it's still bordering on summer weather, that might
be a little bit tougher. Even the fans, no fans, whatever,
that's still a potentially tough trip physically. Then, as at
(22:20):
San Francisco at Denver. So the tough part for them
is that the beginning of the schedule isn't particularly easy
so I think if you're looking at and Fits goes
out there and you know he fits, is it up
to three and three? What if they're three and three,
I'll just be bullish on them. They beat Jacksonville, Seattle,
and Denver, they're three and three. I hasn't I like
(22:42):
this Miami team as far as I think they can.
I think they're terrible team anymore. I don't. I think
they're gonna do some damage. But man, I mean three
and three has been nice, right, So I don't know,
But I do think they were and seven and went
five and four down the stretch and they got a
bad call against the Jets. They should have been six
(23:03):
and three. But that's the crazy. They were all in
seven and they went five and four down the stretch.
Trust me, I lost their O I lost their under
bet because they played well at the end of the year,
including beating the Patriots, and you're that angry at all.
Good to see that. Um, I'm glad you've gotten over that.
I haven't. So I'm gonna say he plays starting weeks seven,
(23:25):
cause I think that makes sense. You will play two
good defenses at sanfre and Denver. Things aren't gonna go
well for Fitzpatrick Fair and you come home for two
games against the l A teams, get Arizona, the Jets
back to back, Jets back to back, the bye weekend
between Cincinnati. I think it's the perfect time to put
them in there, perfect time. After week six, I only
think will be playing all that great. You say three
and three. I'm probably more with two and four rain,
(23:47):
but three and three wouldn't shock me. I think they
could possibly be Denver as well there, but think be
the perfect time to make that switch. Six weeks in
and your schedule starts to get more in your favor.
And played both of the l A teams at home
back to back, another weird scheduling quirk. The Ladies back
home to home, the Jets. They played back to back
with the bye weekend between. That's weird. Weir um So
(24:09):
that so you're saying if they were three and three
they would bench fits for TWA. I think that's when
you make this. I don't think they'll be three and three.
I think they'll be two and full. But I think
I just don't think things are going to go well
at San France at Denver. It really not really fits
his full You know, you took the two tough places
to play. I think that's when they make the switch.
(24:29):
Six and a half. I picked because it's a tough number.
They have six games specifically after the bye week, so
if they got to the bye weekend, they were, you know,
limping into the bye week, and they were I don't know,
four and six, and they knew that they were in
trouble the first game in New York. You really don't
want that. Jamal Adams. Jamal Adams isn't even gonna be
(24:52):
on the team anymore. He'll be a cowboy, right, Oh god,
I hope not. But well, Adams gonna Dallas. Genavian Clowney
is going to Dallas. So don't you read the fans.
Then I can't get through all the stories about how
every free agent lands in Philly to get to the
Dallas stories. Every time I read a free agency story
about the NFL that Philly writers and fans are like,
(25:14):
I just come to Philly, Like, all right, why doesn't
nobody just come to Philly. Give you guys a four
hundred million dollar cap. You can design Clowney and every
free agent running back that has come up over the
last two years, they will sign a free agent running back.
I'm still waiting for There's no way they're going with
Miles Sanders. He's not built that way. They had to
give him somebody. I'm not saying that the guys started
(25:35):
Scott Board. Come on, they need somebody, they need somebody else.
They to get eight carries, ten carries a game. Maybe
I don't think that's hard to find. Well, I hear
the why. That's where I think it's wait for the
price to come down. It's wait for somebody to get
cut or that. That could be the aw as well,
Broyce Freeman, somebody like that. Somebody might find themselves out
(25:57):
of a depth chart somewhere one of the you know,
maybe Gus ed Words gets cut. Gus Edwards is Gus
Edwards is the ultimate eight carry seven eight carry a
game guy three yards in a cloud of dust. Give
Miles Standers some time off. I don't know. I'm not
as bearish on Sanders as you. I don't know that
he's going to be se Quon Barkley or some of
(26:17):
the other I just don't think he's the kind of
guy you want to give twenty plus touches, so he
won't make it through the rest of the season. I
get it. It's somebody there to help him. That's what
I think. He's not on the roster right now. True,
I see what you're driving it. Okay, So you wanted
to we got a few minutes left here and we
can carry it into the next segment. You wanted to
(26:37):
set up a little game, uh here, a quarterback shell game,
so to speak. Tell me what it's all about, exactly
what it is as if you've watched NFL Live, you've
seen them spin the wheel for the quarterback, same theory here.
We don't have a wheel here. You know, I don't
have the budget for that. But we're gonna use a
little dice here. So we just gonna pretty much you
can pick a division you want to start with or
whatever you're gonna one. Going to make a decision here, Mike,
(26:59):
little die for you're gonna pick a division and then
you can roll roll with Die. You decide before we
roll with Die. You're gonna decide do I want to
roll with Die to get a better quarterback? Or am
I happy with this what the quarterback as is? And
there's no dial. If you pick the f C West,
you're not rolling with Die and Pat Mahomes are you,
but you might on everybody else? All right, So let's
(27:21):
stick with the a f C. East since we were
just talking about too. Okay, So Miami, would you would
you keep to and Fitzpatrick you get the whole quarterback situation,
or would you roll a die and see if you
can do better this year in the future. It's not
an easy decision, that is it. Do you want to
stick with do you want to stick with the rookie
(27:41):
and a good sell it back up? Or do you
think you can do better with the dial roll. I
don't know what the percentages are, how any good quarterbacks
you would take over? Him? Is not the coach of
the Jets, I really like. I think I'm gonna Dick.
I think we're gonna take the to uh upside because
(28:04):
the franchise might not run him into the ground. That's
a close one. I'm fifty fifty on that. I'm not
a believer in Josh Allen. I'm as much of a
believer in Sam Donald at least as I am in Josh.
The only really from Miami right now? Oh oh, I oh,
all right, I've seen it. I'm glad you talked me
through this. Really, would you take somebody else or would
you roll a die to take it? Chanre, You're gonna
(28:26):
do better than two? I would, by the way. Um,
all right, let's roll the die. I want to see
how this works out. All right. So you ended up with,
Oh my god, you ended up with the Saint. You
end up with Miami. Okay, that that can't count. You
ended up with number twelves A four eight. Oh, you're
not gonna be happy like you ended up with number twelve.
(28:48):
You ended up with Gordon Menshew? Gardner? Minshew? Why why
is it? Gardner? Minshew? Why is he twelve? How are you?
ANFC East, ANFC North, ANFC South twelve a f C
West in order of standings of last year. That's terrible. Yeah,
you can. You can't have snake guys on that roll, buddy.
But I did initially say I'm I didn't understand the game. Okay, alright, Uh,
(29:12):
let's do again. We got one more role before the
break that was week. Let's go a f C North.
We'll just keep going. We'll pick a pick a team first, Oh, Steelers,
would you roll a die on Ben? Yeah? Because he's
a million years old and he's coming off Tommy John,
you got twenty two, so you've got somebody in the
A f C, NFC, uh north right, Kirk Cousins and
(29:38):
his contract, but he got a younger quarterback. Would I
take Kirk Cousins over Ben Roethlisberger. Absolutely not. I mean
I got him because I rolled the stupid dice, but
I would not want that instead. I mean, you have
a more long term you don't have to worry about
stretching with somebody long term. We're gonna do more of
(29:58):
this after the break. I have a problem with this game,
George and I'll be back on FFC. Get on the
Grid sports grid dot Com betting insights and entertainment at
your fingertips seven as our team covers the most important
topics in sports wagering, real time odds, predictive betting models,
expert picks, and more want the edge than Get on
the Grid sports grid dot Com. They We're back here
(30:31):
on the grid, George and I going through a little
bit of a quarterback shell game, uh so to speak.
So we're going to continue that in a moment. I'll
get one piece of news from Todd Gurley. This is
via two point nine Atlanta, who he interviewed with uh
he's talking about sitting out. He said he's open to
sitting out this season if the NFL doesn't come up
with a proper COVID nineteen safety plan. Obviously things are
(30:54):
being approved as we speak. I don't really think I
think he's as George at Police said during the break,
I think he's saying what a lot of players are
thinking right now. It's really not structured, right Girly said
about the NFL's current restore plan. There's not a proper
plan in place, and I'm comfortable with I don't have
a wife, I don't have kids. You have to look
at the guys on the other side who have a
(31:15):
pregnant wife, kids and a wife they just want to
go home to every single day. We saw it in
Major League Baseball, George with Buster Posey a unique situation
where he adopted premature twins. He didn't want to put
his family at risk. Totally understandable. Are there other NFL
players that are in similar positions. I don't really know,
but it's entirely possible that somebody might feel uncomfortable as
(31:36):
the season gets closer and want to opt out for
some reason. I just get the sense that, look, I
thought more baseball players were going to opt out. I
think we're official numbers at fourteen. I think it's unclear
whether or not some of those guys get paid. I
thought it would be as many as twenty five a roster.
So we're not there. Does it happen in the next
(31:57):
thirty days in baseball and things get out of control? Uh? Maybe?
But for some reason, I've gotten the sense from even
as concerned, even as the football players have remained concerned
and voice their concerns to a variety of different publications,
I don't get the sense that they're going to sit out.
(32:19):
Whether it's the culture of the sport or the fact
that they have shorter careers, I just don't know. Excuse me, Well,
for me, it is the shorter careers, Mike. You can't
sit out unless you're an established star or you made
your money already. Right. You can't sit out because you're
the average NFL careers what two and a half three years,
that's all it is. So you've got to make your
(32:39):
money while you can. So No, I don't think they're
gonna You're gonna see a lot of opt outs. I
just don't think so. Now, I do wonder what could happen.
We saw in baseball on Thursday. You talked about Earli
on the show. One Soto tested positive els and he
can't play. I do wonder if a whole bunch of
players on one team test positive. Player goes this is ridiculous.
We've got eight players out now and one of these
guys is really sick. I'm plan, you know, it's obviously
(33:01):
it's in the building. It's this that, whatever it might be.
I can't do this anymore. I do wonder, what, what's that?
What's going to happen there? I go to see a
team that's playing that team the week after what you know,
we're playing this team. They just had eight guys nailed
out out. No, no, no, that's that's crazy. I'm not
doing it. Yeah, I can see that sort of thing happening.
I mean, what hapen what Soto on Thursday? First, they
are in Boom tells that all the Yankees don't fratnize
(33:24):
with them. They'll go anywhere near them, stay away from
the Nationals, which means everyone's worried that Soto got it
and apparently they had all the tests that we're going
on this what happened in football as well. They had
all the test that we're going on that hadn't come
back yet. They didn't know the result yet. Oh we know,
you know, eleven of the players could have had it
and they just didn't have the results yet. So this
is something you have to worry about. That being said,
I keep I want to keep saying this over and
(33:45):
over again. I'm not feeling bad for anybody. This is
what you've signed up for. If you don't know this
is this could be a problem going in, then you
haven't done your research, you haven't done your education. All right,
There's going to be issues here in regards the players safety.
There is you are taking a risk if you play,
and you dare well should know that before playing. Agree,
I'll say the funny the funky thing about the baseball
(34:07):
is that I've mentioned in a number of times on
this show is that the one point eight percent positives
on the intake testing I thought was a good thing.
It was a lower number than I anticipated. Freddie Freeman,
who's a star for the Atlanta Braves, he was sick.
He had COVID and he was sick for a few days.
He was symptomatic. He was away from the team for
(34:29):
a period of time. But opening day started and Freddie
Freeman was out there first inning facing Jacob de Gram
So there obviously is the ability for players to recover
and come back. I just thought that that percentage was good, hope.
Now we've seen oddly vastly different stories from college football,
(34:50):
for example, where dozens of players on the same team
of tested positive, albeit my old and asymptomatic cases in
a lot of instances. Um, is it the nature of
football itself? Is it the nature that their college kids
and they just haven't really taken care to social distance
and wear masks. It could be all of the above
(35:10):
that I mentioned. I just thought the one eight percent
positives was good for baseball because it was a lower
number than I anticipated. Other people might be like, are
you nuts. I wouldn't want to be around population that's
too almost two percent positive. It's really how you feel
personally on it. Uh. And I just wonder if it's
the culture of football, the nature of them being college
(35:31):
kids and everything else. Yeah, that's what when I was
talking earlier that this is what I want to see
what that percentage will be when they take their next tests.
You know what's going to happen there. I agree at
one point it was lower than I expected it will
be higher. Thought it was gonna be eighteen percent or
something like that, but I thought it would be four
or five six somewhere and there. So I was definitely encouraging.
Baseball was expecting five. I think I think they were
(35:53):
as well. I think I think everyone was, uh happily
surprised that the number was one point. I think hockey
came out uh when they first did, they were actually
pretty low too. And then we'll see what that what
happens with them next week when they go to the
bubble of two bubbles in Toronto at Everton. What that percentages?
But it's certainly good news right now. Yeah, uh so,
(36:13):
uh So that's it really on Girlely, I think he
voiced some concerns. I don't think he's legitimately threatening at
this point to sit out. I think it was just
the NFL players. It's another NFL player as they sort
of sieged on social media last week in order to
say that we want to play, letting everybody know, putting
(36:33):
the pressure on the NFL publicly to get their affairs
in order regarding health and safety protocols. It's not gonna
be perfect. We know there's been bumps in the road
with MLB, but here we are George. Opening Day happened,
and we played a whole bunch of baseball games, So
there will continue to be bumps in the road. But
I'm actually feeling more bullish about these seasons than I was,
(36:55):
say a few weeks ago. I I remain confused in
terms of foot ball, specifically, when we lose position a group,
potentially that's not going to happen in baseball. Most likely,
it's unlikely that the whole starting pitching staff would go down.
It could happen, but it's unlikely. Um. Plus, they have
a thirty man taxi squad ready to go. The rosters
(37:17):
already at thirty. They have another thirty guys. Will it
be lower quality baseball players? Yeah, but we don't know
how long they're filling in for. It could be only
a couple of days at a time. Difference from football
to baseball is to back up your point here, in baseball,
what's the worst case scenario. You said it, the whole
starting staff goes down. Alright, deal with that. Take take
you guys from the the taxi squad thirty and you
(37:38):
still got a baseball game. In football, the entire offensive
line goes down. Well, now you've got Patrick Mahomes running
for his life. And do you really want a guy
who you can't play right, who has a half billion
dollar contract running for his life as soon as the
bull snapped. That's the different difference in football is that
you know someone could get really hurt. We really hurt here.
So I think that's that's the huge difference from me here.
(37:59):
Oh not. I think you're right. I think it's gonna
be live with whatever happens, live with it. You know,
guys are gonna go out. We're gonna have this over
and over again, mentioned one solo and baseball top baseball
player out. Yeah, we're gonna have this in football, we're
gonna have probably have it in hockey, probably have it
basketball as well. And I'll keep saying it over and
over again. If you want to see the games played,
live with it. This is what it is. In two baseball,
(38:22):
starting pitchers go down right before starts fairly often. Blake
Kershaw was supposed to start Opening day. We found out
that day that he wasn't pitching. How often do we
find out the day of that Pat Mahomes back tightened up,
or Ben Roethlisberger's elbow is sore, he's not going to
(38:42):
be able to play today. We will know about those
injuries in advance, because it's typically as a result of
the wear and tear of the season, not the morning of.
That's extremely rare. There's the occasional last minute cancelation of
a player didn't go well in warmups and he doesn't
have to play, but we generally already you know that
that player is somewhat injured. Um. The baseball culture different
(39:04):
from the football culture in that regard. So let's continue
on with this game, the sham of a game that
I keep getting screwed on with the roles. I gotta
pick a I gotta pick a team. Now, would you
like to ask me all those tributa questions that I've
rarely got one? Right? This is my revenge? Yeah, that's
that's just true. Um. I never paid my paid, I
never paid back my texting you of that horrible ending
(39:29):
to the game. I was supposed to do something on
social media. I never got around to it, So chalk
that up to pandemic. Anybody who did listen Mike text
me about eleven o'clock, maybe ten fifty at night. Oh,
you gotta turn on the NFL whatever. I think it
was the NFL Network, whatever else you gotta turn it on.
You got turned onto. I think it's Fox Sports one
actually whatever, you gotta turn it on. R Now I'm thinking, oh,
we're on TV or something's something I need to say. No,
(39:51):
I'm a Cowboy fan. Mike decides I should watch the
end of the green Bay Dallas game from three or
four years ago when Mason Crosby kicks the game. When
he kicked it was an amazing ending to my In
my defense, it was an amazing ending, wasn't Aaron Rodgers
was really good there at the end of how he
held onto that football in that sack by Jane Either
(40:12):
it was amazing. All right, let's play. So I'll pick
another team. Uh, just just just go to division, go
go down. Just picking on something that random, all right,
Matt Ryan, I'm not rolling Caroline at Teddy Bridgewater. Teddy
Bridgewater just signed a big contract. Boy. You must like Miami.
(40:33):
You get would you trade Bridgewater for to and Fitzpatrick.
I'd rather to in Fitzpatricks in this case, I would
why And it's not it's not an anti Teddy thing.
I just don't. I think that to a ceiling is higher.
I think because Caroline is already playing, they're not playing
(40:53):
for a playoff spot this season super Bowl. Why not take,
as you said, the higher ceiling with to a lower contracts.
I give you more cap room for years to come here,
and once again, you've got time of development anyway. You're
not playing to win this year, so you have time
you gotta come. Well, you probably don't have to compete
with Breeze and Brady, they'll probably both be gone by
the time two is really there, but it gives you
some time here to really get too up to date.
(41:14):
I agree with you, I would. I would take this
pretty easily to over Bridge and Teddy Bridgewater. Obviously, he
performed admirably with the Saints last year. They didn't light
it up when he was in there. He hasn't been
a high volume passing quarterback overall. I think he's obviously
a player that everybody likes, and I think he's a
solid quarterback. But I probably put him more in the
(41:36):
Kirk Cousins range than I would the you know, the
the next up and coming quarterback Brane. I don't want
to say Lamar and Patrick Mahomes because people aren't really
in that range. But I probably put him more in that,
you know, middle of the pack range. Is he had
top ten quarterback? Could Teddy Bridgewater be a top ten quarterback?
(41:56):
I think I probably doubt that a little bit. He
could come close by. I don't know that he's the
guy that i'd feel confident in winning the Super Bowl?
Would you rather have Teddy Bridgewater? Jared Goff? You take
the contract? Contract? Gets what this game is about? The
contract counter? I would take Bridgewater would take I have
more flexibility, only three years then get out of there,
(42:18):
maybe after two. But in any event, okay, I'll pick
another team, the Niners. Let's roll the dice. Jimmy g
Chris Venture not gonna be happy with you, because I'd
roll the dice. Because he's Italian, who cares, no loves
He loves it because he's Italian. That's why he likes him.
All Right, you got number nine? Oh well, you got
(42:39):
an easy one here. No. Nine is the Shawn Watson.
I think you're taken. Okay, how much money he's gonna
make you? Take it? To Shawn Watson. I mean, if
I had to Shawn Watson, if you can guarantee me
Shawn Deshaun Watson, I'd roll the dice for like guys,
I wouldn't roll the dice on would you rather have
(43:00):
Deshaun Watson or Lamar Jackson right now the rest of
their career. Well, they're both gonna get massive contracts that
we don't. We don't have any of that to break
the contracts sort of a push. Yeah, I think I'm
gonna go to Sean Watson. I like his build better.
It's crazy to say I agree with you and it
(43:20):
is not. Is not throwing shade at Lamar the top
five quarterback. He's done it one time, specifically and unanimous
m v P accolades, all that kind of stuff. But
I just I'm a huge Deshaun Watson fan. I think
Mahomes and Russell Wilson, and then I start thinking of
the next names, and Watson is on the tip of
(43:40):
my tongue when I'm rattling off those names. Yeah, I'm
with you there. I like I like to show it
a lot. I think the long term, you know, maybe
Drew Breeses has a better year than him now, but
I'd rather have Shawn Watson probably now that Drew Brees.
I think we have point out a lot about the
show on Watson this year. He doesn't have that Hopkins
Anymore's gonna be same. It has to be more on
his shoulders. But what he keeps saying earlier in the
(44:01):
show that we hope that Bill o'ba O'Brien doesn't hold
him back, he's gonna he's gonna have about Watson b Watson.
In fact, we're gonna close out the show by doing
Deshaun Watson props. After this and Georgia not come back.
We've got a three a little three minutes segment to
close it out, So come back with us on the Grid.
It's Mike and George on f FC. Get on the
(44:21):
Grid Sports grid dot Com betting insides and entertainment at
your fingertips as our team covers the most important topics
in sports wagering, real time odds, predictive betting models, expert picks,
and more. Want the edge than Get on the Grid
Sports grid dot Com Back on the Grid, closing it
(44:47):
out right now with Deshaun Watson props. Having a little
fun because I rolled the dice in George's Weird Game
and I finally won. Deshaun Watson would be my QB.
So let's take a look at his props for the year.
I've all and said that Kyler Murray as off AP
Offensive Player of the Year is a bet that I like.
But you know what, I like to Deshaun Watson AP
(45:07):
Offensive Player of the Year one just as much Kyler
Murray's plus thirty two hundred. Shawn Watson plus hundred doesn't
mean MVP. MVP usually goes along with having a really
successful team, like Lamar Jackson did last year. I think,
regardless of record, he should have won the m v P,
but they were fourteen and two. It made it a
slam dunk. So, uh, Deshaun Watson plus twenty hundred, you
(45:28):
like him more or less than Kyler just for example,
for comparison's sake, more or less mean I do like
the bet. Uh. It's like you said, because it's mainly
because I think for Houston to be successful, they have
to unleash him. De Shaun's gonna have to play well,
he's just going down. You can't rely on the You
probably can't rely on with defense totally. You can't rely
on that one receiver in Hopkins, and there's nobody else
(45:48):
on that offensive gonna take away. I guess the publicity
from him. If they win, it will be because of
the Shawn Watson. As much as I made like David Johnson,
He's not Barkley, he's not Isecular Elliott, he's not Christian McCaffrey,
he's not anyway near by himself. It's going to be
Watson at leads this team. If you believe they're going
to get the over was the seven a half wins,
it means the Shawn wasn't had an incredible year. That's
(46:09):
what it means to me. We've seen that schedule too.
Not easy here, uh the schedule that that's the reason
I won't do it, because I think it's gonna be
too tough for him to get. I do prefer Kyler
Murray at thirty two over. I'm gonna look at his
other props here if I have him Watson, No, they
don't have his yardage total up. Let's look for his touchdowns?
(46:32):
Do they have them? What? No, DeShawn Watson, you gotta
be kidding me. Most regular season passing yards? Here we go.
Here's that's another one that could potentially be in play.
But he's at plus twenty two hundred. The guys in
front of him for passing yards Mahomes, Dak Maddie Ice,
Phil Rivers, Phil Rivers, No way, that's a terrible that's
(46:52):
not happening. Tom Brady, Jared Goff, Matt Stafford, Ben Roethlisberger,
Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Baker a Field, went Scaroppolo,
then DeShawn Watson. He's too low. But I'm basically rooting
for Pat Mahomes to get hurt for that to happen.
I don't know that he's going to have the most
passing yards, but I think you go down the board
(47:13):
a little bit. It's kind of interesting. I don't know.
I just don't know that they'll throw that much. I
think they'll throw more. I don't know enough to get
him five thousand yards, which basically is what right near
where you need to hit in order to win the
passing arche title at t any problems anyways, you mentioned,
I don't think he'll throw that much. No hopins. We
don't think the receivers are gonna stay healthy. I'll stay
a life okay, so Shaun Watson AP Offensive Player of
(47:36):
the Year twenties and one that said, for us on
FFC and have a Brian Rokowski and George Kurtz. I'm
Mike Bluett. Thanks for watching sports grid dot com betting,
insights and entertainment at your fingertips seven as our team
covers the most important topics in sports wagering, real time odds,
predictive betting models, expert picks, and more. Want the edge
than get on the grid. Sports grid dot Com
Sports grid dot Com betting insights and entertainment at your
fingertips as our team covers the most important topics in
sports wagering, real time odds, predictive betting models, expert picks,
and more. Want the edge than get on the grid
sports grid dot Com Welcome to another edition of Football
(00:21):
Pool Circle right here on the Grid on Mike Food
along with my co host George Hurst. George, well, everything's
you know, I know, it's baseball, it's not football, but
it's back right, So everything's back, you know, as in
the world is right now as far as concerning we've
had Sports Live Sports Account, so now we're just hoping
that football can do the same thing here. We may
(00:44):
have some doubts here, you know, see how things work out,
but I feel like everything's back on track somewhat. Yeah,
I have mentioned to you in the past I was
watching some English Premier League and previous weeks and as
there was some juice there for me. But having the
game's back on American soil and watching some baseball and
(01:04):
even the MLS contest the other night was fun just
to be able to flip back and forth to two
different channels, watching two different sports was like, all right, cool,
I'm back. You know. We we had a lot of doubts,
but here we are. We're playing baseball and we're talking
football here today and hopefully getting back there soon. We're
going to get into in subsequent segments a little some
(01:25):
updates on what happened this week. As of the time
of filming this there could be more news that continues
to break, so forgive us if it's slightly obsolete, but
we'll do our best to update you. The story I
wanted to start with on this hour was an interview
that Chris Thomason did with Adam feeling. He beat the
odds in as the article starts, but he wouldn't be
(01:48):
feeling as good if he were trying to make an
NFL team. In as it says here in Chris Thomason's tweet,
I know that if I had was going through this
offseason as a rookie, I wouldn't be in the NFL.
There's no chance. And he's talking about the general components
of what we've talked about George related to this offseason,
(02:08):
how some of the business of signing undrafted free agents,
bringing guys in, trying guys out that are fringe players,
maybe veterans trying to catch on, or rookies trying to
catch on with the team for the first time. That
business hasn't really happened in the same manner as it has.
There's been virtually no there's been no hands on tuning.
I shouldn't use the word virtual because it has been virtual. Uh,
(02:32):
there's been no hands on teaching. There's no practicing against
other players. For somebody like Adam Feeling, who broke into
the league in a really unique manner, he's saying he
wouldn't be in the NFL, and I get it. He
maybe he's right, maybe he's maybe he's over to Jaddrak
a little bit. But yeah, players aren't going to get
a chance to show what they can do because of
what everything being condensed. I mean, let's face it, When
(02:52):
so training camp does open and practice really do take place,
you're gonna get you guys ready. You don't have a
time to experiment. Let's see what this guy can do
it see what this undraft, the free age it could do.
You don't have time for that. You have to get
the guys that you think of your starters ready to play.
That's why I think football gonna be so sloppy in
September because of very few painted practices, no preseason games.
(03:13):
We may hate the preseason, but they do serve somewhat
of a role here. Four was ridiculous, but two it
really is the perfect number in my mind. But no,
none of those either. I think a lot of players
or a lot of teams are going list and I'm
just getting the players ready that I know can play.
We'll see what happens after that, but I want to
get the players ready who I know can play, Get
them ready to play, because I don't have time to
screw around and worry about, you know, my sixth round pick.
(03:36):
You know he'll learn, he'll learn eventually, but since he's
not wasn't drafted to be a starter anyway, I've got
time for him. I don't have time for the guy
who I think is going to start. Now. I have
a game in less than a month. Right. We've made
the point about the Vikings, specifically that they drafted fifteen
players in this year's NFL draft, and most of any team,
and to make a specific comparison, uh in this article
(03:59):
in Pioneer Press, when the then unknown wide receiver feel
And made the Vikings practice squad. Seven years ago as
an undrafted free agent out of division to Minnesota State
man Cato. He had a rookie minicamp, spring drills, four
preseason games to show what he could do, and the
Vikings had a ninety man training camp roster. Due to
the coronavirus pandemic, Vikings players will have none of those
(04:21):
things this year. There were no on field drills during
this past spring, and NFL teams are expected to have
just eighty players in training camp and no preseason games.
So a stark contrast George to what Feeling was looking at,
really anybody was looking at in any other year. We
all know he's a very much a long shot player
to be as good as he is, but still it
(04:42):
says a lot about the differences just from a year
ago that the way in which the NFL is conducting
business from a year ago. Absolutely, listen, we all know
this is going to be a strange year. We're gonna
have to accept things. And I love Listen. I don't
think a lot of people care. But this guy can
make the roster or not. But it is unfair to
these guys who are gonna give They're all but that's
where we're at right now. Alright. I keep saying, if
(05:03):
you want to have football or any school from them
out of baseball, basketball, hockey, whatever it might be, you're
gonna have to accept some strange things are going to happen.
It's not gonna this is not going to be a
year like any other, you know. I keep you know,
I'm a big baseball guy, and I hate I don't
like a lot of the rule chains in baseball. But
that gets baseball on the field. Fine, I'll live with it.
This year the football is gonna be the same thing,
and that's gets football on the year. Fine, I'll live
(05:25):
with it. I don't care what you want to do.
I just want to see the games here. And we
went four months without anything here. You hope you can
get out there. You hope it's safe to get out there.
So I think everybody's got to make those, you know,
those sacrifices. But it's the players themselves, you know, GMS,
the coaches there. Things you're gonna have to do that
you've never done before, that you don't like, but if
you want to get the game on the field, it
has to be done. Yeah, he feeling obviously coming off
(05:47):
an injury ridd Old season in a disappointing season in nineteen,
especially compared to the thirteen catch season that he had.
He closes out this article by saying, you have to
try to make the most of your situation, and you
can't control all lot of it dealing instead of this
year's undrafted free agents. So I know there's going to
be a lot of guys that may have to try
again next year or maybe get some workouts throughout this season.
(06:08):
I don't know, but it's definitely going to be a
different year. Welcoming in our radio audience now as we
close out this segment. But I think he says it well, George,
I think unfortunately some of these guys dreams will be
on hold. The NFL is just figuring out a way
to conduct business differently. I said, this is a a work
in progress. No, we've never no one's ever had to
(06:29):
go through this. No sports league has ever had to
go through certainly not the NFL. There were some pickures
I saw earlier in the week for baseball during the
Spanish flu of they were wearing masks, but there we
haven't been through this, No one has. It's a pandemic,
right we gotta do what we gotta do to get
possibly have a season. Mike, So once again, I understand,
I understand it's it's frustrated certain players, coaches, team members
(06:51):
that might be. But hopefully this is really the big
hope for me. Hopefully it's just for this year. Yeah. True,
So a little insight as to what is different about
this year from a player's perspective and a player that
really needed business to be done in the way that
it's normally done in order to make a team. George
and I will come back with some more NFL business
updates after this on the sports grid dot Com, Betting
(07:15):
insights and entertainment at your fingertips as our team covers
the most important topics in sports wagering, real time odds,
predictive betting models, expert picks, and more. Want the edge
than get on the grid sports grid dot Com. Back
(07:36):
on the Grid, Mike and George talking about some updates
to the NFL start of the NFL season. We're trying
to get everybody into training camp here, Chiefs and Texans
expected to be back in camp first. Um as we
film this, there's a lot of news breaking, so some
of more of this may be clarified by the time
(07:58):
you're watching it, but I feel for you to send
George to hate mail on Twitter or frankly, just go
to his Twitter feed and he may have retweeted and
clarified some of the things that we're about to talk about.
But important conference calls occurred late in the week George
on Friday, Thursday Friday amongst the ownership group and then
the NFL p A regarding safety and health protocols regarding money, scheduling, training,
(08:23):
camp reporting, testing, all of this stuff. I don't think
even after these calls one cent of it is smoothed out.
Like we saw bumps in the road with MLB Juan Soto,
a positive test doesn't allow him to play for the
first few days, followed by negative tests were That's going
to be part of what we're dealing with. Two. By
the ways, false positives, you're just gonna have to say,
(08:45):
I'm sorry, it's the best we can do right now.
I'm sorry you missed Game X, but we just gotta
move ahead. Agreed. This is gonna happen in the NFL too. Yeah,
you gonna have some of you guys who have positive
tests and maybe they're not positive were they will they
feel fine? False negatives full got false negatives as well.
By the way, it's what we're gonna have to live with.
Once again, it keeps saying it over and over again.
(09:05):
If you want the games to be played, we're going
to have to live with this. That there's gonna be
sometimes where you don't have your best player. You know that. Also,
this guy can't play because he tested positive and you
find out oh no he was actually Okay, it was
a false one. It'll make you angry, But what are
you gonna do, really, what are you going to do?
You haven't got with choice but to have these tests.
But for every thousand and I think they're gonna have
(09:26):
what one to three that are false? Yeah uh yeah.
So Chris Mortenson and Dan Graisiano and Tom Pellicero and
many other people out there have done an excellent job
of reporting on a wide variety of the logistics and
business issues that are plaguing in the NFL right now
that need to be solved. But here's a few of them.
(09:48):
We talked about the eighty man roster deadline in the
previous segment, so that's an eight instead of a nineties.
So the eighty man roster deadline is August sixteen, before
padded practice. Teams can have a ninety man roster if
they go with split squad set up. Some teams have
plans to split squad and use stadium and regular practice facilities. Also,
negotiations started, NFL owners wanted to players to give thirty
(10:11):
s grow and players are okay with threat of not
playing because no force major in the cb A except
expect both sides to take losses in unprecedented times to
make this work. And he also clarifies that lost revenues
will be significant in NFL, but the sharp drop should
be more than counterpunched by massive spike coming with new
TV and media deals, a seventeen game season, more playoffs,
(10:35):
and gambling revenues. I'll stop there and then i'll continue
on the next rant, but i'll let you comment there. Yeah,
I think that's what we're all probably most concerned about
right the most of the rest of this thing. They'll
they'll work it out. It's the money that's always the
part that worries me. They'll work out the health and
safety protocols. We've seen that in all the sports. They've
been able to do that. But what the rail Baseball
(10:56):
was the money because the owners want the players to
take I guess they want a pay cut. In the
MLB players said, yeah, not gonna happen. And if i'm
the NFL, I'm thinking the same thing. It's not gonna happen.
As you like to point out on these shows, what
business is guaranteed to make money, right, And I completely
agree with you. You're not guaranteed to make money. These
(11:17):
NFL players can lose their career on any play, any hit,
so why should they take less money? I don't think
they should either. But I'm also curious about the fact
of the salary cap. Right, we've heard, We've heard everything
about the cap. Right first, they were gonna take seventy
million dollars off next year, which we you're gonna have,
you know, a hundred free agents on the street, good
players right now. If they do stuff like that now,
(11:39):
they weren't spread over maybe two years or four years
or five years. I don't know, Mike, why they can't
do it over eleven years over the entire So Chris
Mortenson may may have clarified it again, this might need
some additional clarifying, but the salary cap appears to be
remaining the same for twenty and there is a cap
floor of one seventy five million, and with the possibility
(12:01):
of it being higher based on revenue streams. That's what
my Grafflo and Tom Pelicero report. I mentioned that those
guys are doing a lot of work on this, so
that that's one seventy five still is a twenty five
million dollar hit, George, if it was, if it was
the maximum hit, that that it's a lot. You know
we're talking. Yeah, I just don't understand basically call it,
(12:26):
but it could be higher. So what if it's you
still don't ever want it to go down. I don't
understand this, you know, I know anybody who remotely watches
football know that there could be a huge revenue spike
in two years with the new television contracts. Why don't
they just say, hey, you know what, We'll wait until
then and then we'll adjust the cap where instead of
(12:48):
it going up seventy for each team and only goes
up I don't know, forty million for each team. The
owners don't want to float it to the players, and
they should be able to, of course they can. If
this is about the owners wanted to stick it to
the players again. It's really all it is. They want
to they want to get out of certain contracts. This
will give an excuse to do so, you know, and
they want the contracts to go down, or the floor
to go or I guess the average of the contracts
(13:09):
to go down. Then or they could start again where
maybe the next quarterback doesn't get thirty eight million, but
it goes down to million whatever it might be. So
it starts at a lower and the crappy thing is
the quarterbacks. It won't It won't affect them at all.
It will affect the other guys. It'll be like a
veteran linebacker that's got to take a million two instead
(13:29):
of a million six. Now everybody at home is being like,
are you crazy, guys, I'm gonna make a million bucks
to play linebacker. Well, he just sacrificed four grand because
of the way that they squeezed the players in this instance.
I'm not suggesting that there is no responsibility for the
players to have to share in this in some way,
but they don't have the ability to smooth it out
(13:51):
over the life of their careers. Many of them. The
owners could just say, you know what, We're not going
to increase the cap when it comes time to increase it.
We're going to artificially hold the cap down when it
should inflate after the big TV deals. I don't know,
I understand the economics of it. Maybe not every iota,
(14:14):
but I do think this is at least moving in
the right direction, giving them a floor, but still one
seventy five down from that's a pretty big adjustment. I
hope it doesn't adjust that much because it will result
in in players getting cut. Absolutely. Well, that's twenty three
million for each team. Plus it's not going up next year,
which I can guarantee with certain teams were assuming it
would go up next year like it always does every
(14:35):
season to account for their contracts. So yeah, it's going
to be you're gonna see players, more players on frads.
It was obviously that's also not good for the players.
He goes once again, that drives prices down. If you
have if you have five top wide receivers, well you don't.
You don't need to pay them as much. You know,
there will there be as many jobs going around. It's
it's not good really all around. It's not good for
the game. The owners though, I just thinking with their
(14:56):
uh you know, their bottom lines. But as you you
just said, the owners have the abil league. They're gonna
only team attend. It could be in their family forever.
They'll make up these losses. The players cannot their Their
careers are fun finite, three years, four years. Some guys
will get eight years, but very few. Yeah. Uh. The
NFL p A Executive Committee voted unanims unanimously to recommend
(15:18):
the proposed changes to the c b A. As we
film this, the conference call amongst the NFL player reps
is ongoing an important resolution to the new CBA agreement.
Again a lot of this via Chris Mortenson of ESPN. Uh,
there will be a fund slash benefit established to pay
back any benefits eliminated as a result of COVID up
to three and paying back any loss guaranteed money to players. So,
(15:42):
as noted by many, the NFL player ups will vote YadA, YadA, YadA.
So uh so that's it, George. There at least does
seem to be some thawing of the hard line. Look,
we were you and I were both concerned about them
not having discussed finances to this point. I would actually
give the NFL a gold star if as this stuff
(16:03):
all came to a head, they have proved it this quickly.
Should they have waited this long? Probably not. But I
think they were so concerned about health protocols above money
in this instance in order to get the deal. Then
I'm saying they care more about it in this instance
to get the deal done that I would actually give
them a check mark here for getting this stuff done
(16:26):
potentially without delaying the Chiefs and Texans reporting to camp
for at least getting their COVID tests. Oh, I would.
I would give a gold start check mark. But I
think they've They've done a great job here. I did
not expect this no way, because you know, this is
not really a deadline to get it done. I guess
it's close to what if you want to run a
perfectly normals. He's looking at the date here, it's with
(16:48):
late July. You know, I'm surprised it didn't go on further.
You know, it's basically wonder one of the owners that, well,
what else they have in store here? Because they weren't
delaying for a little bit. Now they're not, you know,
so I wonder what's going on here. But I think
the fact that they've got it done, which means theoretically
everything should move along now. According to pace, testing has
to be done, So I guess that's the next big thing.
When everyboy gets test coming us. What percentages do all
(17:10):
those come out? We've heard that's another stickling employed right
about five percent. It's more than five percent. It's daily
left of five percent every other day. I do want
when those initial tests come out, how that's going to law?
What the what the percentages? Yeah, MLB intake testing was
one point eight one nine percent. We'll see if the
NFL matches at Georgia and I'll be right back more
NFL talk on FFC Sports grid dot Com Betting insights
(17:33):
and entertainment at your fingertips seven as our team covers
the most important topics in sports wagering, real time odds,
predictive betting models, expert picks, and more. Want the edge
than get on the grid Sports grid dot Com. M M.
(17:58):
You're watching sports Cred back on the grid. Welcome back
to our radio audience as well. George and I are
talking about some news and notes. I'm gonna play a
little bit of a fun game here on this final
(18:20):
July weekend. Is it the final July weekend, Yes, I
believe it is. Yes, next week, yeah, final July. I Look,
these days, weeks, months have blended together, obviously in a
way that they haven't before. But on this final July weekend,
we are just gonna play, have a little fun with
it before the football actually get started. People get out
(18:43):
there in paths where they may or may not be
hitting each other because contact may or may not transmit
COVID virus. It's it's getting tough, George, but we'll have
a little bit fun with that game. So a couple
of news and notes. What I think the one business,
uh component that really has started to move is the
signing of a lot of rookie contracts. Jeff Gladney, defensive
(19:05):
back from the Vikings, he signs his deal, Chase Claypool
of the Steelers signs his deal. So, whether they are
first round picks or extending a little bit into the
mid rounds, these teams are trying to lock up the
rookies so that if and when the camps open in
the next week to ten days, they'll be ready to go. Yeah,
(19:27):
we've see this every year, right, some some teams take
longer than others, but for the most part due to
the CBA. There's not much to negotiate here, alright, youn
go hear some language, some payout language, but that's it.
You're not gonna get any more money than what's what's
in the CBA there, So you should be it. They
all should be in by camp, you would think. Every
now and then we do see a boat of the
situation where one guy might not be in. But I
(19:49):
expect the most, if not all, to be in by camp.
I do wonder this, you know, I just went through
my head once again. A player, even a rookie, is
worried about COVID. You know, maybe someone playing in one
of the Californi on your teams, one of the Florida teams.
You know, the nightmare is down there. Maybe they fight
for extra things a little harder, you know they normally would,
because maybe they have not all that thrilled up being
there once see things calmed down anyway. But I expect
(20:11):
most these rookies to be these conjects to be done
there the next Really I U said seven to ten days,
I think it will be less than that, as I
think all camps will be opened by the end of
the by the end of July. Actually, yeah, uh so
so good news that we're starting to see some momentum. Right,
we'll see how these conference calls play out and exactly
(20:31):
when everybody can report, but Chiefs and Texans are supposed
to be first. We'll see another piece of news to
a tongue of Bolos said he's quote ready to go
in an interview with USA today. He's recovery has been
reported ahead of schedule on multiple occasions, and the quarterback
himself is now confirming this. The possibility of him taking
the field as a rookie is looking increasingly likely. This
(20:53):
is all according to Rhodo World. Uh Fitzpatrick still a
favorite to start Week one, but it wouldn't be surprising
if to get some starts. So im gonna said it
over under two US starts this year, six and a half. Oh,
I'm gonna go over. I'm just gonna go over. I
think they want to see what they have in two
a here. I think he's going to be a good,
(21:15):
solid player. I don't love it because once again he
hasn't been able to go on the practice field. There'll
be no preseason games. You don't know if he has
any kind of chemistry there. But I just have a
funny feel that this is a team that wants to
get their new toy ya. I want to see that.
I'm looking at their schedule here. I just want to see,
you know, if it's Patrick and get off to a
big start, how that might change. I have it right here.
(21:37):
So they start at the Paths on Sunday, sep hosting
Buffalo at Jacksonville hosting Seattle. That could be Seattle coming
down hot. It's the longest trip in the entire Seattle
plays well coming out and he doesn't seen the ball
with him. I get it. But that is the longest
trip in the NFL. Is Seattle in Miami, and that
(22:00):
would be potentially playing in the Miami Heat. So they
can come to New York and kick the Giants tail
all over MetLife Stadium. That I get. But going to
Miami when it's still bordering on summer weather, that might
be a little bit tougher. Even the fans, no fans, whatever,
that's still a potentially tough trip physically. Then, as at
(22:20):
San Francisco at Denver. So the tough part for them
is that the beginning of the schedule isn't particularly easy
so I think if you're looking at and Fits goes
out there and you know he fits, is it up
to three and three? What if they're three and three,
I'll just be bullish on them. They beat Jacksonville, Seattle,
and Denver, they're three and three. I hasn't I like
(22:42):
this Miami team as far as I think they can.
I think they're terrible team anymore. I don't. I think
they're gonna do some damage. But man, I mean three
and three has been nice, right, So I don't know,
But I do think they were and seven and went
five and four down the stretch and they got a
bad call against the Jets. They should have been six
(23:03):
and three. But that's the crazy. They were all in
seven and they went five and four down the stretch.
Trust me, I lost their O I lost their under
bet because they played well at the end of the year,
including beating the Patriots, and you're that angry at all.
Good to see that. Um, I'm glad you've gotten over that.
I haven't. So I'm gonna say he plays starting weeks seven,
(23:25):
cause I think that makes sense. You will play two
good defenses at sanfre and Denver. Things aren't gonna go
well for Fitzpatrick Fair and you come home for two
games against the l A teams, get Arizona, the Jets
back to back, Jets back to back, the bye weekend
between Cincinnati. I think it's the perfect time to put
them in there, perfect time. After week six, I only
think will be playing all that great. You say three
and three. I'm probably more with two and four rain,
(23:47):
but three and three wouldn't shock me. I think they
could possibly be Denver as well there, but think be
the perfect time to make that switch. Six weeks in
and your schedule starts to get more in your favor.
And played both of the l A teams at home
back to back, another weird scheduling quirk. The Ladies back
home to home, the Jets. They played back to back
with the bye weekend between. That's weird. Weir um So
(24:09):
that so you're saying if they were three and three
they would bench fits for TWA. I think that's when
you make this. I don't think they'll be three and three.
I think they'll be two and full. But I think
I just don't think things are going to go well
at San France at Denver. It really not really fits
his full You know, you took the two tough places
to play. I think that's when they make the switch.
(24:29):
Six and a half. I picked because it's a tough number.
They have six games specifically after the bye week, so
if they got to the bye weekend, they were, you know,
limping into the bye week, and they were I don't know,
four and six, and they knew that they were in
trouble the first game in New York. You really don't
want that. Jamal Adams. Jamal Adams isn't even gonna be
(24:52):
on the team anymore. He'll be a cowboy, right, Oh god,
I hope not. But well, Adams gonna Dallas. Genavian Clowney
is going to Dallas. So don't you read the fans.
Then I can't get through all the stories about how
every free agent lands in Philly to get to the
Dallas stories. Every time I read a free agency story
about the NFL that Philly writers and fans are like,
(25:14):
I just come to Philly, Like, all right, why doesn't
nobody just come to Philly. Give you guys a four
hundred million dollar cap. You can design Clowney and every
free agent running back that has come up over the
last two years, they will sign a free agent running back.
I'm still waiting for There's no way they're going with
Miles Sanders. He's not built that way. They had to
give him somebody. I'm not saying that the guys started
(25:35):
Scott Board. Come on, they need somebody, they need somebody else.
They to get eight carries, ten carries a game. Maybe
I don't think that's hard to find. Well, I hear
the why. That's where I think it's wait for the
price to come down. It's wait for somebody to get
cut or that. That could be the aw as well,
Broyce Freeman, somebody like that. Somebody might find themselves out
(25:57):
of a depth chart somewhere one of the you know,
maybe Gus ed Words gets cut. Gus Edwards is Gus
Edwards is the ultimate eight carry seven eight carry a
game guy three yards in a cloud of dust. Give
Miles Standers some time off. I don't know. I'm not
as bearish on Sanders as you. I don't know that
he's going to be se Quon Barkley or some of
(26:17):
the other I just don't think he's the kind of
guy you want to give twenty plus touches, so he
won't make it through the rest of the season. I
get it. It's somebody there to help him. That's what
I think. He's not on the roster right now. True,
I see what you're driving it. Okay, So you wanted
to we got a few minutes left here and we
can carry it into the next segment. You wanted to
(26:37):
set up a little game, uh here, a quarterback shell game,
so to speak. Tell me what it's all about, exactly
what it is as if you've watched NFL Live, you've
seen them spin the wheel for the quarterback, same theory here.
We don't have a wheel here. You know, I don't
have the budget for that. But we're gonna use a
little dice here. So we just gonna pretty much you
can pick a division you want to start with or
whatever you're gonna one. Going to make a decision here, Mike,
(26:59):
little die for you're gonna pick a division and then
you can roll roll with Die. You decide before we
roll with Die. You're gonna decide do I want to
roll with Die to get a better quarterback? Or am
I happy with this what the quarterback as is? And
there's no dial. If you pick the f C West,
you're not rolling with Die and Pat Mahomes are you,
but you might on everybody else? All right, So let's
(27:21):
stick with the a f C. East since we were
just talking about too. Okay, So Miami, would you would
you keep to and Fitzpatrick you get the whole quarterback situation,
or would you roll a die and see if you
can do better this year in the future. It's not
an easy decision, that is it. Do you want to
stick with do you want to stick with the rookie
(27:41):
and a good sell it back up? Or do you
think you can do better with the dial roll. I
don't know what the percentages are, how any good quarterbacks
you would take over? Him? Is not the coach of
the Jets, I really like. I think I'm gonna Dick.
I think we're gonna take the to uh upside because
(28:04):
the franchise might not run him into the ground. That's
a close one. I'm fifty fifty on that. I'm not
a believer in Josh Allen. I'm as much of a
believer in Sam Donald at least as I am in Josh.
The only really from Miami right now? Oh oh, I oh,
all right, I've seen it. I'm glad you talked me
through this. Really, would you take somebody else or would
you roll a die to take it? Chanre, You're gonna
(28:26):
do better than two? I would, by the way. Um,
all right, let's roll the die. I want to see
how this works out. All right. So you ended up with,
Oh my god, you ended up with the Saint. You
end up with Miami. Okay, that that can't count. You
ended up with number twelves A four eight. Oh, you're
not gonna be happy like you ended up with number twelve.
(28:48):
You ended up with Gordon Menshew? Gardner? Minshew? Why why
is it? Gardner? Minshew? Why is he twelve? How are you?
ANFC East, ANFC North, ANFC South twelve a f C
West in order of standings of last year. That's terrible. Yeah,
you can. You can't have snake guys on that roll, buddy.
But I did initially say I'm I didn't understand the game. Okay, alright, Uh,
(29:12):
let's do again. We got one more role before the
break that was week. Let's go a f C North.
We'll just keep going. We'll pick a pick a team first, Oh, Steelers,
would you roll a die on Ben? Yeah? Because he's
a million years old and he's coming off Tommy John,
you got twenty two, so you've got somebody in the
A f C, NFC, uh north right, Kirk Cousins and
(29:38):
his contract, but he got a younger quarterback. Would I
take Kirk Cousins over Ben Roethlisberger. Absolutely not. I mean
I got him because I rolled the stupid dice, but
I would not want that instead. I mean, you have
a more long term you don't have to worry about
stretching with somebody long term. We're gonna do more of
(29:58):
this after the break. I have a problem with this game,
George and I'll be back on FFC. Get on the
Grid sports grid dot Com betting insights and entertainment at
your fingertips seven as our team covers the most important
topics in sports wagering, real time odds, predictive betting models,
expert picks, and more want the edge than Get on
the Grid sports grid dot Com. They We're back here
(30:31):
on the grid, George and I going through a little
bit of a quarterback shell game, uh so to speak.
So we're going to continue that in a moment. I'll
get one piece of news from Todd Gurley. This is
via two point nine Atlanta, who he interviewed with uh
he's talking about sitting out. He said he's open to
sitting out this season if the NFL doesn't come up
with a proper COVID nineteen safety plan. Obviously things are
(30:54):
being approved as we speak. I don't really think I
think he's as George at Police said during the break,
I think he's saying what a lot of players are
thinking right now. It's really not structured, right Girly said
about the NFL's current restore plan. There's not a proper
plan in place, and I'm comfortable with I don't have
a wife, I don't have kids. You have to look
at the guys on the other side who have a
(31:15):
pregnant wife, kids and a wife they just want to
go home to every single day. We saw it in
Major League Baseball, George with Buster Posey a unique situation
where he adopted premature twins. He didn't want to put
his family at risk. Totally understandable. Are there other NFL
players that are in similar positions. I don't really know,
but it's entirely possible that somebody might feel uncomfortable as
(31:36):
the season gets closer and want to opt out for
some reason. I just get the sense that, look, I
thought more baseball players were going to opt out. I
think we're official numbers at fourteen. I think it's unclear
whether or not some of those guys get paid. I
thought it would be as many as twenty five a roster.
So we're not there. Does it happen in the next
(31:57):
thirty days in baseball and things get out of control? Uh? Maybe?
But for some reason, I've gotten the sense from even
as concerned, even as the football players have remained concerned
and voice their concerns to a variety of different publications,
I don't get the sense that they're going to sit out.
(32:19):
Whether it's the culture of the sport or the fact
that they have shorter careers, I just don't know. Excuse me, Well,
for me, it is the shorter careers, Mike. You can't
sit out unless you're an established star or you made
your money already. Right. You can't sit out because you're
the average NFL careers what two and a half three years,
that's all it is. So you've got to make your
(32:39):
money while you can. So No, I don't think they're
gonna You're gonna see a lot of opt outs. I
just don't think so. Now, I do wonder what could happen.
We saw in baseball on Thursday. You talked about Earli
on the show. One Soto tested positive els and he
can't play. I do wonder if a whole bunch of
players on one team test positive. Player goes this is ridiculous.
We've got eight players out now and one of these
guys is really sick. I'm plan, you know, it's obviously
(33:01):
it's in the building. It's this that, whatever it might be.
I can't do this anymore. I do wonder, what, what's that?
What's going to happen there? I go to see a
team that's playing that team the week after what you know,
we're playing this team. They just had eight guys nailed
out out. No, no, no, that's that's crazy. I'm not
doing it. Yeah, I can see that sort of thing happening.
I mean, what hapen what Soto on Thursday? First, they
are in Boom tells that all the Yankees don't fratnize
(33:24):
with them. They'll go anywhere near them, stay away from
the Nationals, which means everyone's worried that Soto got it
and apparently they had all the tests that we're going
on this what happened in football as well. They had
all the test that we're going on that hadn't come
back yet. They didn't know the result yet. Oh we know,
you know, eleven of the players could have had it
and they just didn't have the results yet. So this
is something you have to worry about. That being said,
I keep I want to keep saying this over and
(33:45):
over again. I'm not feeling bad for anybody. This is
what you've signed up for. If you don't know this
is this could be a problem going in, then you
haven't done your research, you haven't done your education. All right,
There's going to be issues here in regards the players safety.
There is you are taking a risk if you play,
and you dare well should know that before playing. Agree,
I'll say the funny the funky thing about the baseball
(34:07):
is that I've mentioned in a number of times on
this show is that the one point eight percent positives
on the intake testing I thought was a good thing.
It was a lower number than I anticipated. Freddie Freeman,
who's a star for the Atlanta Braves, he was sick.
He had COVID and he was sick for a few days.
He was symptomatic. He was away from the team for
(34:29):
a period of time. But opening day started and Freddie
Freeman was out there first inning facing Jacob de Gram
So there obviously is the ability for players to recover
and come back. I just thought that that percentage was good, hope.
Now we've seen oddly vastly different stories from college football,
(34:50):
for example, where dozens of players on the same team
of tested positive, albeit my old and asymptomatic cases in
a lot of instances. Um, is it the nature of
football itself? Is it the nature that their college kids
and they just haven't really taken care to social distance
and wear masks. It could be all of the above
(35:10):
that I mentioned. I just thought the one eight percent
positives was good for baseball because it was a lower
number than I anticipated. Other people might be like, are
you nuts. I wouldn't want to be around population that's
too almost two percent positive. It's really how you feel
personally on it. Uh. And I just wonder if it's
the culture of football, the nature of them being college
(35:31):
kids and everything else. Yeah, that's what when I was
talking earlier that this is what I want to see
what that percentage will be when they take their next tests.
You know what's going to happen there. I agree at
one point it was lower than I expected it will
be higher. Thought it was gonna be eighteen percent or
something like that, but I thought it would be four
or five six somewhere and there. So I was definitely encouraging.
Baseball was expecting five. I think I think they were
(35:53):
as well. I think I think everyone was, uh happily
surprised that the number was one point. I think hockey
came out uh when they first did, they were actually
pretty low too. And then we'll see what that what
happens with them next week when they go to the
bubble of two bubbles in Toronto at Everton. What that percentages?
But it's certainly good news right now. Yeah, uh so,
(36:13):
uh So that's it really on Girlely, I think he
voiced some concerns. I don't think he's legitimately threatening at
this point to sit out. I think it was just
the NFL players. It's another NFL player as they sort
of sieged on social media last week in order to
say that we want to play, letting everybody know, putting
(36:33):
the pressure on the NFL publicly to get their affairs
in order regarding health and safety protocols. It's not gonna
be perfect. We know there's been bumps in the road
with MLB, but here we are George. Opening Day happened,
and we played a whole bunch of baseball games, So
there will continue to be bumps in the road. But
I'm actually feeling more bullish about these seasons than I was,
(36:55):
say a few weeks ago. I I remain confused in
terms of foot ball, specifically, when we lose position a group,
potentially that's not going to happen in baseball. Most likely,
it's unlikely that the whole starting pitching staff would go down.
It could happen, but it's unlikely. Um. Plus, they have
a thirty man taxi squad ready to go. The rosters
(37:17):
already at thirty. They have another thirty guys. Will it
be lower quality baseball players? Yeah, but we don't know
how long they're filling in for. It could be only
a couple of days at a time. Difference from football
to baseball is to back up your point here, in baseball,
what's the worst case scenario. You said it, the whole
starting staff goes down. Alright, deal with that. Take take
you guys from the the taxi squad thirty and you
(37:38):
still got a baseball game. In football, the entire offensive
line goes down. Well, now you've got Patrick Mahomes running
for his life. And do you really want a guy
who you can't play right, who has a half billion
dollar contract running for his life as soon as the
bull snapped. That's the different difference in football is that
you know someone could get really hurt. We really hurt here.
So I think that's that's the huge difference from me here.
(37:59):
Oh not. I think you're right. I think it's gonna
be live with whatever happens, live with it. You know,
guys are gonna go out. We're gonna have this over
and over again, mentioned one solo and baseball top baseball
player out. Yeah, we're gonna have this in football, we're
gonna have probably have it in hockey, probably have it
basketball as well. And I'll keep saying it over and
over again. If you want to see the games played,
live with it. This is what it is. In two baseball,
(38:22):
starting pitchers go down right before starts fairly often. Blake
Kershaw was supposed to start Opening day. We found out
that day that he wasn't pitching. How often do we
find out the day of that Pat Mahomes back tightened up,
or Ben Roethlisberger's elbow is sore, he's not going to
(38:42):
be able to play today. We will know about those
injuries in advance, because it's typically as a result of
the wear and tear of the season, not the morning of.
That's extremely rare. There's the occasional last minute cancelation of
a player didn't go well in warmups and he doesn't
have to play, but we generally already you know that
that player is somewhat injured. Um. The baseball culture different
(39:04):
from the football culture in that regard. So let's continue
on with this game, the sham of a game that
I keep getting screwed on with the roles. I gotta
pick a I gotta pick a team. Now, would you
like to ask me all those tributa questions that I've
rarely got one? Right? This is my revenge? Yeah, that's
that's just true. Um. I never paid my paid, I
never paid back my texting you of that horrible ending
(39:29):
to the game. I was supposed to do something on
social media. I never got around to it, So chalk
that up to pandemic. Anybody who did listen Mike text
me about eleven o'clock, maybe ten fifty at night. Oh,
you gotta turn on the NFL whatever. I think it
was the NFL Network, whatever else you gotta turn it on.
You got turned onto. I think it's Fox Sports one
actually whatever, you gotta turn it on. R Now I'm thinking, oh,
we're on TV or something's something I need to say. No,
(39:51):
I'm a Cowboy fan. Mike decides I should watch the
end of the green Bay Dallas game from three or
four years ago when Mason Crosby kicks the game. When
he kicked it was an amazing ending to my In
my defense, it was an amazing ending, wasn't Aaron Rodgers
was really good there at the end of how he
held onto that football in that sack by Jane Either
(40:12):
it was amazing. All right, let's play. So I'll pick
another team. Uh, just just just go to division, go
go down. Just picking on something that random, all right,
Matt Ryan, I'm not rolling Caroline at Teddy Bridgewater. Teddy
Bridgewater just signed a big contract. Boy. You must like Miami.
(40:33):
You get would you trade Bridgewater for to and Fitzpatrick.
I'd rather to in Fitzpatricks in this case, I would
why And it's not it's not an anti Teddy thing.
I just don't. I think that to a ceiling is higher.
I think because Caroline is already playing, they're not playing
(40:53):
for a playoff spot this season super Bowl. Why not take,
as you said, the higher ceiling with to a lower contracts.
I give you more cap room for years to come here,
and once again, you've got time of development anyway. You're
not playing to win this year, so you have time
you gotta come. Well, you probably don't have to compete
with Breeze and Brady, they'll probably both be gone by
the time two is really there, but it gives you
some time here to really get too up to date.
(41:14):
I agree with you, I would. I would take this
pretty easily to over Bridge and Teddy Bridgewater. Obviously, he
performed admirably with the Saints last year. They didn't light
it up when he was in there. He hasn't been
a high volume passing quarterback overall. I think he's obviously
a player that everybody likes, and I think he's a
solid quarterback. But I probably put him more in the
(41:36):
Kirk Cousins range than I would the you know, the
the next up and coming quarterback Brane. I don't want
to say Lamar and Patrick Mahomes because people aren't really
in that range. But I probably put him more in that,
you know, middle of the pack range. Is he had
top ten quarterback? Could Teddy Bridgewater be a top ten quarterback?
(41:56):
I think I probably doubt that a little bit. He
could come close by. I don't know that he's the
guy that i'd feel confident in winning the Super Bowl?
Would you rather have Teddy Bridgewater? Jared Goff? You take
the contract? Contract? Gets what this game is about? The
contract counter? I would take Bridgewater would take I have
more flexibility, only three years then get out of there,
(42:18):
maybe after two. But in any event, okay, I'll pick
another team, the Niners. Let's roll the dice. Jimmy g
Chris Venture not gonna be happy with you, because I'd
roll the dice. Because he's Italian, who cares, no loves
He loves it because he's Italian. That's why he likes him.
All Right, you got number nine? Oh well, you got
(42:39):
an easy one here. No. Nine is the Shawn Watson.
I think you're taken. Okay, how much money he's gonna
make you? Take it? To Shawn Watson. I mean, if
I had to Shawn Watson, if you can guarantee me
Shawn Deshaun Watson, I'd roll the dice for like guys,
I wouldn't roll the dice on would you rather have
(43:00):
Deshaun Watson or Lamar Jackson right now the rest of
their career. Well, they're both gonna get massive contracts that
we don't. We don't have any of that to break
the contracts sort of a push. Yeah, I think I'm
gonna go to Sean Watson. I like his build better.
It's crazy to say I agree with you and it
(43:20):
is not. Is not throwing shade at Lamar the top
five quarterback. He's done it one time, specifically and unanimous
m v P accolades, all that kind of stuff. But
I just I'm a huge Deshaun Watson fan. I think
Mahomes and Russell Wilson, and then I start thinking of
the next names, and Watson is on the tip of
(43:40):
my tongue when I'm rattling off those names. Yeah, I'm
with you there. I like I like to show it
a lot. I think the long term, you know, maybe
Drew Breeses has a better year than him now, but
I'd rather have Shawn Watson probably now that Drew Brees.
I think we have point out a lot about the
show on Watson this year. He doesn't have that Hopkins
Anymore's gonna be same. It has to be more on
his shoulders. But what he keeps saying earlier in the
(44:01):
show that we hope that Bill o'ba O'Brien doesn't hold
him back, he's gonna he's gonna have about Watson b Watson.
In fact, we're gonna close out the show by doing
Deshaun Watson props. After this and Georgia not come back.
We've got a three a little three minutes segment to
close it out, So come back with us on the Grid.
It's Mike and George on f FC. Get on the
(44:21):
Grid Sports grid dot Com betting insides and entertainment at
your fingertips as our team covers the most important topics
in sports wagering, real time odds, predictive betting models, expert picks,
and more. Want the edge than Get on the Grid
Sports grid dot Com Back on the Grid, closing it
(44:47):
out right now with Deshaun Watson props. Having a little
fun because I rolled the dice in George's Weird Game
and I finally won. Deshaun Watson would be my QB.
So let's take a look at his props for the year.
I've all and said that Kyler Murray as off AP
Offensive Player of the Year is a bet that I like.
But you know what, I like to Deshaun Watson AP
(45:07):
Offensive Player of the Year one just as much Kyler
Murray's plus thirty two hundred. Shawn Watson plus hundred doesn't
mean MVP. MVP usually goes along with having a really
successful team, like Lamar Jackson did last year. I think,
regardless of record, he should have won the m v P,
but they were fourteen and two. It made it a
slam dunk. So, uh, Deshaun Watson plus twenty hundred, you
(45:28):
like him more or less than Kyler just for example,
for comparison's sake, more or less mean I do like
the bet. Uh. It's like you said, because it's mainly
because I think for Houston to be successful, they have
to unleash him. De Shaun's gonna have to play well,
he's just going down. You can't rely on the You
probably can't rely on with defense totally. You can't rely
on that one receiver in Hopkins, and there's nobody else
(45:48):
on that offensive gonna take away. I guess the publicity
from him. If they win, it will be because of
the Shawn Watson. As much as I made like David Johnson,
He's not Barkley, he's not Isecular Elliott, he's not Christian McCaffrey,
he's not anyway near by himself. It's going to be
Watson at leads this team. If you believe they're going
to get the over was the seven a half wins,
it means the Shawn wasn't had an incredible year. That's
(46:09):
what it means to me. We've seen that schedule too.
Not easy here, uh the schedule that that's the reason
I won't do it, because I think it's gonna be
too tough for him to get. I do prefer Kyler
Murray at thirty two over. I'm gonna look at his
other props here if I have him Watson, No, they
don't have his yardage total up. Let's look for his touchdowns?
(46:32):
Do they have them? What? No, DeShawn Watson, you gotta
be kidding me. Most regular season passing yards? Here we go.
Here's that's another one that could potentially be in play.
But he's at plus twenty two hundred. The guys in
front of him for passing yards Mahomes, Dak Maddie Ice,
Phil Rivers, Phil Rivers, No way, that's a terrible that's
(46:52):
not happening. Tom Brady, Jared Goff, Matt Stafford, Ben Roethlisberger,
Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Baker a Field, went Scaroppolo,
then DeShawn Watson. He's too low. But I'm basically rooting
for Pat Mahomes to get hurt for that to happen.
I don't know that he's going to have the most
passing yards, but I think you go down the board
(47:13):
a little bit. It's kind of interesting. I don't know.
I just don't know that they'll throw that much. I
think they'll throw more. I don't know enough to get
him five thousand yards, which basically is what right near
where you need to hit in order to win the
passing arche title at t any problems anyways, you mentioned,
I don't think he'll throw that much. No hopins. We
don't think the receivers are gonna stay healthy. I'll stay
a life okay, so Shaun Watson AP Offensive Player of
(47:36):
the Year twenties and one that said, for us on
FFC and have a Brian Rokowski and George Kurtz. I'm
Mike Bluett. Thanks for watching sports grid dot com betting,
insights and entertainment at your fingertips seven as our team
covers the most important topics in sports wagering, real time odds,
predictive betting models, expert picks, and more. Want the edge
than get on the grid. Sports grid dot Com
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