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Speaker 1: All right, bye that for three ESPN fifteen thirty Moeger,

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Speaker 1: thank you for listening. Hopefully you're having like the most

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Speaker 1: awesome Wednesday ever done early today five thirty, We're finished

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Speaker 1: not forever. UK basketball tonight at seven pregame at five

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Speaker 1: thirty Wildcats at LSU. We got a lot of college

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Speaker 1: troops to talk about today, Rick Browing in forty minutes

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Speaker 1: on Xavier and the NKU The Musketeers in Action tonight.

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Speaker 1: Full show preview is available now on Twitter at Moegar.

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Speaker 1: Thanks to share Facts Credit Union, you know what you

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Speaker 1: should do start the new year by becoming a member

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Speaker 1: of the greatest credit union on the planet, share Facts

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Speaker 1: Credit Union. Become a member today. Learn more at share

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Speaker 1: facts dot org. We got TJ. Friedel on the show

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Speaker 1: in the four o'clock hour as well. Great great grammar

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Speaker 1: by me. My thanks if you have been in the

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Speaker 1: audience this week, really the last week and a half

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Speaker 1: for putting up with me. I talked to yesterday about

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Speaker 1: how I needed about fifteen hours of sleep. I didn't

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Speaker 1: quite get that much, but I got a lot. I

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Speaker 1: think I'm operating at about seventy percent. We're getting there,

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Speaker 1: so thanks for bearing with me this week is a

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Speaker 1: inch closer to ideal health. It's been a combination of things,

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Speaker 1: neither of which are really that important to anybody besides me.

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Speaker 1: It is an interesting sort of contrast in the AFC North.

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Speaker 1: So the big NFL news obviously Mike Tomlin stepped down.

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Speaker 1: We found this out just over twenty four hours ago.

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Speaker 1: And I've read a lot of things about his legacy,

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Speaker 1: what's next. Apparently he has signaled that he's not necessarily

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Speaker 1: looking to jump back into coaching. Maybe he's gonna do TV.

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Speaker 1: I've read about his Hall of Fame case, which he

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Speaker 1: has won, but the Hall of Fame has made it

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Speaker 1: harder for coaches to get in. What's most interesting about

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Speaker 1: his departure for me, though, is what it means here.

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Speaker 1: Danner talked about this a little bit yesterday and you

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Speaker 1: can find that conversation on the iHeartRadio app. But it

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Speaker 1: is an extraordinary dichotomy because in the AFC North you

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Speaker 1: have three teams that the early portion of their offseason

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Speaker 1: has been defined by change. They're changing coaches, and in

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Speaker 1: the case of Pittsburgh and Baltimore, like dudes who have

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Speaker 1: been there forever, guys who have been there for a

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Speaker 1: long time, guys who are seemingly institutions, super Bowl winning coaches,

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Speaker 1: and then, in Kevin Stefanski's case, a guy who had

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Speaker 1: one arm tied behind his back because he works for

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Speaker 1: the Browns or worked for the Browns, but still a

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Speaker 1: guy who's getting interviews, a guy who's highly regarded, a

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Speaker 1: former coach of the year, a guy who's had success,

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Speaker 1: a guy who's gotten a lot of acclaim those three

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Speaker 1: franchises moving on, or in Pittsburgh's case, the coaches moved

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Speaker 1: on from them franchises. They're off seasons being defined by change.

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Speaker 1: The Bengals their off season so far defined by continuity.

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Speaker 1: Now there will be changes. Hell, maybe they need a

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Speaker 1: new offensive coordinator because perhaps Dan Pitcher is going to

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Speaker 1: be the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns, and

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Speaker 1: maybe there is an assistant somewhere on Zach Taylor's staff

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Speaker 1: that gets an opportunity to be a coordinator somewhere. And

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Speaker 1: the NFL makes you draft seven players, or they at

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Speaker 1: least give you seven draft picks. You can choose to

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Speaker 1: trade them. But it's impossible in the NFL to have

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Speaker 1: a quiet, just totally serene, completely consistent offseason because of

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Speaker 1: the draft, but so far the offseason has been defined

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Speaker 1: by continuity. Duke Tobin talked about this at length on Friday.

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Speaker 1: That was the theme of his press conference in sixty

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Speaker 1: three minutes. There was a lot of stuff there, a

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Speaker 1: lot of content, lots of stuff to chew on, but

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Speaker 1: the main theme of it was continuity. Change in Cleveland,

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Speaker 1: change in Baltimore, change in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, continuity. It's continuity

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Speaker 1: versus the division, continuity versus the world. Okay, want to

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Speaker 1: look more foolish than you already do as an organization

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Speaker 1: by wasting Joe Burrow, by not making the postseason each

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Speaker 1: of the last three years. Want to look even more

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Speaker 1: foolish than you already do. Have your continuity fail in

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Speaker 1: the face of change everywhere else. It's been pointed out

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Speaker 1: a few different places, the number of new head coaches,

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Speaker 1: head coaches new to their respective teams the Bengals will

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Speaker 1: be facing next year. And I'm sure in some cases

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Speaker 1: we'll be talking about first time head coaches, and in

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Speaker 1: some cases we'll be talking about new head coaches who

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Speaker 1: have had experience and maybe success elsewhere as head coaches.

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Speaker 1: But this is it, man, Like this this is the

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Speaker 1: continuity test. How does your continuity work when there's no

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Speaker 1: continuity anywhere else against the teams you're measured by against

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Speaker 1: two teams that were better than you in your division

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Speaker 1: this past season. If it works well, then the Bengals

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Speaker 1: are probably going to have a leg up on a

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Speaker 1: lot of the teams they play, and on at least

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Speaker 1: some of the teams in the AFC North. Look, because

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Speaker 1: you're changing coaches doesn't necessarily have to mean your team

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Speaker 1: is going to take a step back. The Baltimore Ravens

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Speaker 1: I think have the best opening in the sport right now,

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Speaker 1: in large part because they've got a two time MVP quarterback.

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Speaker 1: They've got Lamar Jackson, they have a good roster in place,

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Speaker 1: and a front office with a great track record. There

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Speaker 1: is every reason to believe that the Baltimore Ravens should

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Speaker 1: be at least competitive next season. Doesn't feel like it's

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Speaker 1: going to be a rebuild, but there is an adjustment

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Speaker 1: period that maybe a build in. There are some hiccups

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Speaker 1: that can come with change, especially when you're swapping out

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Speaker 1: a coach who's been there for nearly two decades. Same

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Speaker 1: dynamic applies in Pittsburgh, where they have no idea who

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Speaker 1: their quarterback is gonna be. It feels less likely that

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Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers is gonna come back next year than it

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Speaker 1: did late on Monday night. So if it's not him,

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Speaker 1: then who, Because it doesn't matter who they have tried.

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Speaker 1: The Pittsburgh Steelers have sort of been stuck in the

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Speaker 1: upper reaches of the NFL's middle class. That's not really

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Speaker 1: where you want to be. They have a coach who's

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Speaker 1: leaving after nineteen years, regarded as one of the NFL's

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Speaker 1: great leaders. It would be natural to assume that there's

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Speaker 1: gonna be some sort of hiccup, some some sort of

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Speaker 1: adjustment period. Maybe baked in. Doesn't mean the Steelers can't

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Speaker 1: be competitive, doesn't mean the Steelers can't be good, but

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Speaker 1: you would assume that there's gonna be maybe growing pains

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Speaker 1: for a first time head coach, maybe the daunting task

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Speaker 1: of taking over for a towering fire like Mike Tomlin's

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Speaker 1: gonna be a little bit too much. And then in

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Speaker 1: Cleveland it's new head coach and a whole bunch of

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Speaker 1: baked in issues like the Deshaun Watson thing still being

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Speaker 1: a thing, and at least going into the offseason, some

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Speaker 1: quarterback uncertainty here boy, it's it's what we've talked about

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Speaker 1: the Bengals having as a prime asset, right, It's the

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Speaker 1: thing we've talked about why Duke Tobin's job is pretty enviable.

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Speaker 1: You've got to fix one half of the team, and

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Speaker 1: you've got to take a team that already has Joe Burrow,

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Speaker 1: Jamar Chase t Higgins and Chase Brown and put it

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Speaker 1: in a position to be in the postseason. You have

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Speaker 1: to take a team that is pretty much set on

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Speaker 1: one side of the ball and get it to the

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Speaker 1: playoffs next year. That's pretty good, but it's also to me,

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Speaker 1: the ultimate test, right And if it doesn't work whole

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Speaker 1: boint number one, how bad are you gonna look? Number two?

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Speaker 1: How hard of a time next year are you going

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Speaker 1: to have telling people that continuity is best when other

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Speaker 1: teams in your division have changed things or been forced

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Speaker 1: to change things and they're having more success. We'll see,

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Speaker 1: We'll see. It is the ultimate contrast in this league

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Speaker 1: right now, one team not changing, the other three changing,

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Speaker 1: and the team that's not changing telling the world having

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Speaker 1: Duke Tobin tell the world continuity is why we're going

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Speaker 1: to be better and achieve better results in twenty twenty six, uh,

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Speaker 1: thirteen minutes after three o'clock five point three, seven four

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Speaker 1: nine fifteen thirty can get you in eight sixty six

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Speaker 1: seven h two three seven seven six works as well.

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Speaker 1: You know what the most overrated trope in sports is

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Speaker 1: will play any anywhere, anytime. How many times have you

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Speaker 1: heard a coach or a player say that we'll play

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Speaker 1: anybody anywhere any time. Now, in pro sports you could

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Speaker 1: say that and you might mean it. But in professional sports,

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Speaker 1: the schedule is dictated to you. Pro sports teams don't

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Speaker 1: make their own schedules. The New England Patriots have been

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Speaker 1: criticized this year for having a lot of success against

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Speaker 1: a not great schedule, in some respects a historically not

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Speaker 1: great schedule. I don't know if it's criticism. There's skepticism

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Speaker 1: about the Patriots, and it's fair, it's justified. I'm not

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Speaker 1: sure beating the Chargers and their dilapidated offensive line is

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Speaker 1: going to make anybody change their mind about their championship bonafides.

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Speaker 1: The good news is they get a chance to prove it.

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Speaker 1: They get a chance to prove that. You know, the

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Speaker 1: skepticism about our championship bonafides based on our schedule. It's

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Speaker 1: not legit because well, here's what we do in the postseason.

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Speaker 1: We'll see college sports a little bit different because when

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Speaker 1: it comes to non conference teams have a little bit

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Speaker 1: more control over their schedules. The Miami RedHawks won again

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Speaker 1: last night, eighteen and zero. Eighteen and zero. This is

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Speaker 1: an offensively at least terrific RedHawks team, ninth in the

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Speaker 1: country and scoring offense, they have the highest field goal

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Speaker 1: percentage in all of a Division one men's college basketball.

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Speaker 1: Last night, they didn't just win, they absolutely throddled Central Michigan.

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Speaker 1: Won by thirty nine points, hung one hundred on a CMU,

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Speaker 1: a bad CMU team that is now five and thirteen

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Speaker 1: with just one win in the back. The RedHawks are

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Speaker 1: eighteen and zero. For what it's worth as it relates

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Speaker 1: to their NCAA tournament resume, only fifteen of those games count,

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Speaker 1: so you may see, hey, the RedHawks are fifteen and er.

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Speaker 1: Whoever is mentioning that is, well, they're they're discarding the

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Speaker 1: games against D two schools or lower because those games

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Speaker 1: aren't under consideration. We don't put that as a part

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Speaker 1: of your resume when judging whether or not you're gonna

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Speaker 1: make the NCAA tournament still fifteen and oh eighteen and

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Speaker 1: oh overall six and oh in the MAC on the

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Speaker 1: fringes of the AP top twenty five. There's obviously a

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Speaker 1: huge movement online to rank them. Scott Van Pelt, the

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Speaker 1: best broadcaster in the United States, on his show last night,

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Speaker 1: made the case for the Miami RedHawks to be ranked

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Speaker 1: one of four undefeated teams. You feel for him. You

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Speaker 1: feel for him. And this is not me uncovering new

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Speaker 1: ground by any stretch of the imagination, because this has

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Speaker 1: been a lament for decades. They can't get anybody to

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Speaker 1: play him anywhere, anytime. They can't get anybody to play

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Speaker 1: them anywhere anytime, and god knows they've tried. What you

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Speaker 1: hate about it is that schedule is gonna work against him.

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Speaker 1: According to ken dot com, their strength of schedule ranking

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Speaker 1: three hundred and sixty third in the country. There are

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Speaker 1: three hundred and sixty five men's Division one college basketball teams.

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Speaker 1: And so the next time you hear one of these

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Speaker 1: college basketball coaches say we'll play anyone, anywhere, anytime, well,

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Speaker 1: imagine Travis Steele raising his hand, going okay, well, what

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Speaker 1: about well about us? What about what about us over

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Speaker 1: here in Oxford where I had a good team last

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Speaker 1: year that came this close, should have won the MAC

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Speaker 1: Tournament title game last year, came this close to making

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Speaker 1: the tournament last season, did not this year. And you

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Speaker 1: hate it. You hate it because it feels like, and

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Speaker 1: I could be dead wrong about this, we're gonna get

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Speaker 1: tarn get our guy, the Nky Brackett guy on the

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Speaker 1: show this week. It feels like if they don't win

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Speaker 1: the MAC Tournament, even if they do go undefeated, that

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Speaker 1: they're at least still gonna have to sweat things out

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Speaker 1: on selection Sunday. I don't believe we've had a MAC

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Speaker 1: team make the tournament as an at large since Miami

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Speaker 1: did it in nineteen ninety nine. I remember that they

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Speaker 1: lost the MAC Tournament title game, made the tournament, then

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Speaker 1: Wally zrbia I took him to the Sweet sixteen where

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Speaker 1: they lost to Kentucky. You feel for him because here

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Speaker 1: they are enjoying this basketball renaissance. That program should be good.

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Speaker 1: If you are roughly my age, maybe a little bit older,

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Speaker 1: maybe a little bit younger, you remember in the nineties

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Speaker 1: when it felt like Miami basketball mattered, and for much

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Speaker 1: of this century it has not. It mattered so much

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Speaker 1: last night that on the best sports show we have

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Speaker 1: in this country, the RedHawks were a talking point. Should

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Speaker 1: they be ranked? Maybe if they keep winning, they will be.

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Speaker 1: But the problem is if they keep winning, that doesn't

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Speaker 1: guarantee they make the NCAA tournament. And while that's a

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Speaker 1: statement about how this process works and how the tournament works,

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Speaker 1: and man, I don't want to see them expand the

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Speaker 1: field at all. It stinks because here on January the fourteenth,

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Speaker 1: a team like that that is being celebrated and should

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Speaker 1: be celebrated. You still can't help but wonder are they

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Speaker 1: going to take care of business those handful of days

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Speaker 1: in Cleveland two months from now? And if they don't,

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Speaker 1: how much of this that they've done this season is

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Speaker 1: going to be forgotten. We'll see, We'll see. But they

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Speaker 1: keep winning and it was fun watching last night. I

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Speaker 1: passed out early because I haven't felt good, and I

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Speaker 1: woke up. I had fallen asleep watching college hoops. I

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Speaker 1: woke up and Van Peltz on the year talking about

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Speaker 1: the Miami RedHawks, and I thought that was pretty cool.

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Speaker 1: We'll have teams that make the tournament happens every year.

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Speaker 1: Who lose eleven times, twelve times, thirteen times? North Carolina

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Speaker 1: lost thirteen games last year played in Dayton. It's never

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Speaker 1: really about the most deserving and that's no knock on Carolina.

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Speaker 1: We'll have them every year. Teams that lose eleven, twelve,

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Speaker 1: thirteen games. Miami could lose two. Miami might not lose

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Speaker 1: any and if they lose in the MAC Tournament, perhaps

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Speaker 1: still on the outside looking at that should not be

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Speaker 1: the case. Twenty minutes after three o'clock on ESPN fifteen thirty,

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Speaker 1: your phone calls are coming up, Rick Boring. Later on

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Speaker 1: this hour on as Xavier, As Xavier on Xavier and NKU, TJ.

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Speaker 1: Friedl is going to join the show at four thirty five.

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Speaker 1: Is the Verizon issue solved? As are phones working? Like?

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Speaker 1: Can folks who have Verizon? I guess in the United

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Speaker 1: States of America that was a Verizon outage? Do we

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Speaker 1: know if TJ. Friedel uses Verizon. I'll have to figure

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Speaker 1: that out. He is supposed to join us at four

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Speaker 1: thirty three Today. I live my life by just a

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Speaker 1: handful of rules. I'll live my life by one of them.

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Speaker 1: Next on ESPN fifteen thirty, twenty five after three o'clock.

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Speaker 1: This is ESPN fifteen thirty. I'm guaranteed human, and today

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Speaker 1: I almost feel like this is ESPN fifteen thirty. We're

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Speaker 1: finished early today at five thirty. Kentucky versus LSU. Busy

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Speaker 1: college basketball tonight here locally, Rick Brooring. In twenty minutes,

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Speaker 1: you see plays tonight against Colorado the Bearcats. Bearcats are

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Speaker 1: eight and a half point favorites tonight, and I'm not

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Speaker 1: sure I completely understand that the Buffaloes are twelve and

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Speaker 1: four on the season. Cincinnati, this team badly needs a win,

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Speaker 1: and not so much for the metrics, not so much

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Speaker 1: for the NCAA tournament. I think just I can imagine.

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Speaker 1: I know what it's like when your best efforts go unrewarded.

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Speaker 1: I know what that's like in life, and I know

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Speaker 1: what it's like in sports. And for all of the

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Speaker 1: heat that's on West Miller, for all of the anger

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Speaker 1: and frustration that's out there, a lot of which is

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Speaker 1: very very very justified, much of which I feel, I

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Speaker 1: don't think you could have any issue with the effort

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Speaker 1: put forth by the players as a collective, and I

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Speaker 1: just as a fan. I want to see that get rewarded.

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Speaker 1: More than anything else, I'd like to as somebody who

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Speaker 1: cares about this program, and like I do, as somebody

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Speaker 1: who cares about this program, and if you care about

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Speaker 1: the program, then I think, yeah, at least kind of

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Speaker 1: care about the people who play for it. I want

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Speaker 1: to see their efforts get rewarded. Tonight's game is going

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Speaker 1: to occur against the backdrop. I guess of some people

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Speaker 1: trying to wear paper bags this has been written about.

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Speaker 1: I guess you're not allowed to wear a paper bag

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Speaker 1: because it violates you see his clear bag policy. I

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Speaker 1: don't live my life by that many rules, but one

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Speaker 1: of them is to each their own. You do you,

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Speaker 1: I'll do me. If you're not harming anybody, if you're

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Speaker 1: not putting somebody's safety or enjoyment in peril, I do

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Speaker 1: not care. I don't believe in there are being rules

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Speaker 1: for being a sports fan. I don't believe in there

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Speaker 1: being obligations for being a sports fan. If you want

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Speaker 1: to be the sort of fan that paint your face

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Speaker 1: and wears every piece of gear and you have your

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Speaker 1: Twitter handle, is you know, reflective of the team you're

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Speaker 1: root for? And that's all you can talk. Fine. And

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Speaker 1: if you want to be an extraordinarily casual fan and

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Speaker 1: just watch a handful of games and you never really

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Speaker 1: want to go, and that's okay too. Like you do you,

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Speaker 1: I'll do me, and we'll get along as long as

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Speaker 1: you're not harming anybody. And so if you're going to

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Speaker 1: the game tonight and you want to wear a paper bag,

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Speaker 1: and you can get away with it, because again it's

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Speaker 1: apparently against arena rules, okay, fine. And if you don't

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Speaker 1: want to do that, okay, fine. Like everybody has their

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Speaker 1: own method of being a fan, and everybody has their

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Speaker 1: own ways of expressing frustration or discontent, and I think

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Speaker 1: all of those methods are subject to criticism. If you boo,

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Speaker 1: some people aren't gonna like the fact that you don't boo.

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Speaker 1: If you decide, you know what, I've bought tickets, but

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Speaker 1: I'm not gonna go, people are gonna take issue with that.

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Speaker 1: If you decide, you know what, I'm not gonna buy

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Speaker 1: tickets anymore, people are gonna take issue with that. If

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Speaker 1: you decide, you know what, not only am I not

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Speaker 1: gonna go, but I'm not gonna watch or listen. You're

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Speaker 1: gonna find folks who take issue with that, well, you're

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Speaker 1: not a real fan. I just for me. Man. You

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Speaker 1: fan the way you want, I'll fan the way I want.

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Speaker 1: I've never used this microphone to tell people to go

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Speaker 1: to games or not go to games. Now I'll use

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Speaker 1: it to say, Hey, if you're gonna go to a

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Speaker 1: game and just yell f bombs all over the place

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Speaker 1: and make somebody somebody else who's got their kids with

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Speaker 1: them cringe, don't do that. Don't get into fights with people.

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Speaker 1: Don't act like an a hole, one of my other

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Speaker 1: general rules in life. If you don't act like an

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Speaker 1: a hole, we are gonna get along. So if you

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Speaker 1: want to wear a bag to the game tonight, go ahead.

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Speaker 1: Here's why I wouldn't. Now I'll be at the game tonight.

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Speaker 1: I work on the UC broadcast. It is the coolest

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Speaker 1: part of my job because I get to work on

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Speaker 1: the broadcast for a program that I have been a

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Speaker 1: die hard fan of since I was twelve years old.

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Speaker 1: There are times that I wish I could be in

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Speaker 1: the stands drinking a beer yelling, but what I do

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Speaker 1: is a pretty nice alternative. So I don't have the

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Speaker 1: option to wear a bag, but I wouldn't wear one

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Speaker 1: for this reason, because I think the players are playing

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Speaker 1: hard and people wear paper bags the Bengals games. Let's

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Speaker 1: be honest, that atmosphere is not as intimate. There is

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Speaker 1: sort of an intimate feel to a college basketball game,

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Speaker 1: and there's I think a connection that fans seek with players,

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Speaker 1: and it's harder to in this day and age that

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Speaker 1: you don't necessarily have in the NFL environment. I'm frustrated,

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Speaker 1: We're all frustrated. But I have had no issue with

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Speaker 1: the effort put forth by the players on the team

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Speaker 1: this season. I don't know anybody who's had any issue

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Speaker 1: with the effort put forth by the players on the

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Speaker 1: floor of this season. Last year a different story, because

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Speaker 1: I thought toward the end of the regular season the

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Speaker 1: effort had been compromised, and we talked about it, and

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Speaker 1: we talked about it vociferously and extensively on this show.

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Speaker 1: To me, you wear the bag, that's a message. And

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Speaker 1: it may be a message that it's intended target is

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Speaker 1: administration or the coach, but it's also the unintended target

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Speaker 1: of the players. That might not matter to you. And again,

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Speaker 1: if you can get away with it and you're not

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Speaker 1: harming anybody do what you gotta do, like to each

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Speaker 1: their own. I have no interest in a back and

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Speaker 1: forth of fans screaming at each other about what they

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Speaker 1: choose to wear to a basketball game. If it's me,

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Speaker 1: I'd have a hard time looking at some of those

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Speaker 1: dudes going coming to watch a play. But I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: wear a bag over my head because I'm embarrassed to

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Speaker 1: watch you try to win a game. It's just me,

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Speaker 1: and that's to me, that's part of the message. Like

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Speaker 1: sometimes you send messages and you know the intended message

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Speaker 1: isn't necessarily what's received. How we just listened to a

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Speaker 1: sixty three minute press conference by a football a de

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Speaker 1: facto GM, and that entire time he was sending messages.

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Speaker 1: Some of them were well intended, some of them were

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Speaker 1: well received, some of them maybe not so much. To me,

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Speaker 1: the message you are sending the players is not so

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Speaker 1: much you're not good enough, but your efforts aren't good enough.

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Speaker 1: And as agonizing as this season has been, as much

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Speaker 1: justifiable frustration is out there as much as Wes Miller,

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Speaker 1: I think, by his own admission, would say, you know,

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Speaker 1: deserves a lot of criticism for just the results his

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Speaker 1: team has achieved. I don't believe lack of effort has

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Speaker 1: been a reason why. And so if it's me, I'm

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Speaker 1: not wearing a bag for that reason. You want to

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Speaker 1: wear a bag to the game tonight, they're gonna tell

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Speaker 1: you to take it off because it's against arena rules.

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Speaker 1: That's an entirely different story. It's pretty simple for me.

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Speaker 1: If you have a clear bag policy, pay player bag.

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Speaker 1: You're not gonna able to put a clear bag over

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Speaker 1: your head. That's a dangerous b sort of defeats the purpose.

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Speaker 1: But fan how you want to fan? I've watched former

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Speaker 1: players sort of sound off on this, and I actually

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Speaker 1: think that's going to lessen whatever the actual bag movement

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Speaker 1: was going to be tonight. But you fan how you

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Speaker 1: want to fan. I talk about this with Bengals fans

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Speaker 1: all the time, Like, dude, if you want to be

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Speaker 1: a super fan, be a super fan. And if you

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Speaker 1: don't really care about free agency in the draft, you

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Speaker 1: just know, for like seventeen Sundays or Thursdays and Mondays

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Speaker 1: a season, I like watching the Bengals with my family.

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Speaker 1: That's okay too. You do you let other people do

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Speaker 1: themselves as long as nobody is being Harmed. I can

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Speaker 1: only tell you what I would do if it's me.

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Speaker 1: I wear the bag. I think I'm sending a message

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Speaker 1: to those players, and I don't think those players deserve

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Speaker 1: that message. Sports Headlines, our next phone calls are coming up.

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Speaker 1: This is ESPN fifteen thirty and fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

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Speaker 1: Sports Headlines are a service at Kelsey Chevrolet, home of

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Speaker 1: lifetime power train protection and guarantee credit approval from their

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Speaker 1: family to yours for life kelseyshow dot Com. I just

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Speaker 1: saw this. Two former Bengals among the inductees of the

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty six College Football Hall of Fame class, Kajohn

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Speaker 1: Carter and Peter Warick, along with Garrison Hurst and Terrence Newman,

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Speaker 1: one of my favorite all time Bengals to interview. New

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Speaker 1: honorees will be inducted into the College Football Hall of

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Speaker 1: Fame during the sixty eighth annual NFF Annual Awards Dinner

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Speaker 1: presented by Las Vegas on December the eighth. Long time

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Speaker 1: to wait for those guys, but congratulations Nonetheless. College hoops

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Speaker 1: and you See looks for its first Big twelve win

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Speaker 1: of the season as the Bearcats host Colorado tonight. Tip

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Speaker 1: off at seven pm. You can hear the game live

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Speaker 1: on seven hundred WLW. Xavier, coming off a win at

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Speaker 1: home over Providence, takes on Butler tonight. That game at

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Speaker 1: the Centas Center starts at six thirty. Coverage on fifty

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Speaker 1: five KRC begins at six pm, and Kentucky hits the

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Speaker 1: road in SEC play to battle LSU. That game will

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Speaker 1: start at seven pm. Pregame coverage on ESPN fifteen thirty

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Speaker 1: at five thirty. The Wildcats coming off their victory first

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Speaker 1: SEC victory of the season on Saturday night over Mississippi State.

428
00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:43,840
Speaker 1: LSU's team still looking for its its first SEC victory

429
00:25:44,359 --> 00:25:47,840
Speaker 1: this season. If you miss anything on this show, like

430
00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:52,320
Speaker 1: Paul Danner Junior yesterday, who was terrific as always, go

431
00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:57,040
Speaker 1: listen to it anytime anywhere on the iHeartRadio app. It's

432
00:25:57,119 --> 00:26:01,080
Speaker 1: cliche for coaches to say anytime anywhere because they never

433
00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:04,280
Speaker 1: mean it. I do mean it. You can listen to

434
00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:09,639
Speaker 1: our show, whether it's live or after the fact, anytime

435
00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:13,160
Speaker 1: anywhere on the iHeartRadio app. Also good to my page

436
00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:15,920
Speaker 1: at ESPN fifteen thirty dot com. Podcasts of this show

437
00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:20,639
Speaker 1: are a service of Longneck Sports Grill. If you're thinking about,

438
00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:22,600
Speaker 1: you know, going out to watch the games tonight, nice

439
00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:26,040
Speaker 1: and warm inside long necks, tons of TVs, great food,

440
00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,119
Speaker 1: and so much more. Wilder Hebron and Rich with a

441
00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:32,080
Speaker 1: new Hebren location. It's going to be open here very

442
00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:35,560
Speaker 1: very soon. I don't want to squeeze anybody, and so

443
00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:37,400
Speaker 1: I'm gonna get a break in. We'll talk to Rick

444
00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:40,840
Speaker 1: Brewing and then hopefully hear from you next on ESPN

445
00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:46,440
Speaker 1: fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station Redsfest. Redsfest is going to

446
00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:50,600
Speaker 1: be happening at the Cincinnati Convention Center, and TJ. Friedel's

447
00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:52,439
Speaker 1: going to join us to talk about it and so

448
00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:57,320
Speaker 1: much more. At four thirty five on Wednesdays, we chat

449
00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:00,920
Speaker 1: with our guy, Rick Brooring, Musketeerreport dot com color man

450
00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:04,959
Speaker 1: for NKU Radio broadcast. We talking about the Musketeers and

451
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,480
Speaker 1: the Norse and last week the Miami RedHawks. We'll see

452
00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:12,360
Speaker 1: if that comes up this week. Hi, Rick, Hey, how's

453
00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:16,000
Speaker 1: it going doing well? How about you? Oh wonderful? I

454
00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:20,000
Speaker 1: went to the Xavier basketball game on Saturday against Providence.

455
00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:25,399
Speaker 1: What'd you think? Well, here's why I bring it up,

456
00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:29,359
Speaker 1: because there were three things I thought would happen or

457
00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:32,240
Speaker 1: not happen at the game. One would be that I

458
00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:34,480
Speaker 1: would be asked more than two and a half times,

459
00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:37,360
Speaker 1: what are you doing here? Because that's what happens when

460
00:27:37,359 --> 00:27:39,720
Speaker 1: I go to the Cinta Center and I got four

461
00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:41,760
Speaker 1: of them, I got four? What are you doing heres?

462
00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:43,720
Speaker 1: I thought they would be able to get off three

463
00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:47,200
Speaker 1: point shots against Providence because the Friars are awful defending

464
00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:50,640
Speaker 1: the three point shot. I did not have the Musketeers, though,

465
00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:53,520
Speaker 1: getting out in transition the way they did against Providence

466
00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:56,480
Speaker 1: was that as surprising to you as it was to me.

467
00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:02,440
Speaker 2: I'm I'm not sure that you know the specific matchup

468
00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:04,520
Speaker 2: made it surprising, But I do think that that was

469
00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:06,359
Speaker 2: a good sign for Xavier that they were able to

470
00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:10,360
Speaker 2: get that transition offense back on track because when well,

471
00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:12,479
Speaker 2: let's face it, when they're in the half court, they

472
00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:14,800
Speaker 2: don't have a lot of firepower to just set up

473
00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:18,600
Speaker 2: and either throw it into a post player or beat

474
00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:21,600
Speaker 2: you with one on one matchups. It's a lot of

475
00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:26,000
Speaker 2: slinging the ball around, shooting threes, playing with their still

476
00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:28,640
Speaker 2: and that's a lot easier. You can do it before

477
00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:31,360
Speaker 2: the defensive set and get out and transition and score quickly.

478
00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:33,400
Speaker 3: So it was definitely a good sign for.

479
00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:38,320
Speaker 1: Do we lose? Do we lose? Rick? Is Rick?

480
00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:38,840
Speaker 3: There? Is Rick?

481
00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:43,480
Speaker 1: Okay? Do we lose? Rick? Rick's phone called? Does Rick

482
00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:46,520
Speaker 1: have Verizon? Is this a precursor of things to come

483
00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:48,160
Speaker 1: when we talk to people on the fun Is Rick there?

484
00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:48,960
Speaker 1: I heard something?

485
00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:49,080
Speaker 3: Hi?

486
00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:52,920
Speaker 1: Rick? Rick? Are you there? I can hear you fully clearly?

487
00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:53,640
Speaker 3: You know hear me?

488
00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:56,240
Speaker 1: Well, now I can, But you broke up for a second.

489
00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:59,720
Speaker 1: Please please finish your thought. You kind of broke up

490
00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,680
Speaker 1: there after you talked about it being easier to do

491
00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:04,680
Speaker 1: what they want to do offensively when you can run

492
00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:05,440
Speaker 1: up and down the floor.

493
00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:09,080
Speaker 2: Yeah, I just think you know, Providence wants to do

494
00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:11,280
Speaker 2: that same thing. They want to play a full court

495
00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:13,000
Speaker 2: game and get up and down, and so that allowed

496
00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:14,800
Speaker 2: Xavier to do it a little bit more. And I

497
00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:17,240
Speaker 2: think it's something you'll see them continue to try to

498
00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:18,840
Speaker 2: do going forward. In Biggie's play, they.

499
00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:20,920
Speaker 1: Play Butler tonight. Are the Bulldogs any good?

500
00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:26,640
Speaker 2: They're better or last year? Especially on the defensive end. Now,

501
00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:29,880
Speaker 2: the interesting thing is you mentioned Xavier being able to

502
00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:33,080
Speaker 2: shoot threes against Providence. You thought that that would be

503
00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:35,400
Speaker 2: able to happen, And I think the same thing in

504
00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:39,640
Speaker 2: this Butler matchup where last year because of Butler's style

505
00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:42,480
Speaker 2: of play on the defensive end, they play more health defense,

506
00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:46,960
Speaker 2: they collapse on drivers. Xavier was able to penetrate kick

507
00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:50,480
Speaker 2: and get off clean shots and they swept the Bulldogs.

508
00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:51,200
Speaker 4: In that series last year.

509
00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:54,400
Speaker 2: Xavier this year, as much as we thought the style

510
00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:57,000
Speaker 2: of play was going to be different switching from Sean

511
00:29:57,080 --> 00:30:01,000
Speaker 2: Miller to Richard Patino, they're really running the same style

512
00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:04,040
Speaker 2: of offense. And because the big men that they got

513
00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:06,680
Speaker 2: in the transfer portal haven't worked out, they are really

514
00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:08,720
Speaker 2: similar in terms of their ten and seas and who

515
00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:11,160
Speaker 2: they match up well and don't match up well with.

516
00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:14,640
Speaker 2: So I think it's another game where you feel like

517
00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:16,360
Speaker 2: you can maybe get some ball movement going on the

518
00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:19,440
Speaker 2: offensive end and generate some clean looks from the perimeter,

519
00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:22,920
Speaker 2: and maybe it's another pretty good matchup for the Musketeers.

520
00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:27,760
Speaker 2: But based on the analytics and vetting odds, it looks

521
00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:29,920
Speaker 2: like another complete boss up game at the Centas Center.

522
00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:32,000
Speaker 1: It's a home game against the team that has won

523
00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:34,960
Speaker 1: once in its conference. When you have upcoming a game

524
00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:37,880
Speaker 1: at Creighton, we know what the Blue Jays did here.

525
00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:40,920
Speaker 1: The next one is against Saint John's. I wonder what

526
00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:43,160
Speaker 1: the main storyline everybody's going to talk about for that

527
00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:45,760
Speaker 1: one is going to be. But the Red Storm are good.

528
00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:48,440
Speaker 1: They go to Seaton Hall. The Pirates are good. They've

529
00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:50,800
Speaker 1: lost to the Paul. They play them again. Then they

530
00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:53,520
Speaker 1: have to go to Yukon and to Saint John's. If

531
00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:55,960
Speaker 1: the idea is to finish somewhere in the middle of

532
00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:58,160
Speaker 1: the pack of the Big East, it seems to me

533
00:30:58,280 --> 00:31:02,240
Speaker 1: that they cannot afford to lose the Knight's game. Yeah,

534
00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:05,320
Speaker 1: and you know what does that actually mean?

535
00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:07,280
Speaker 2: Like, I don't think anyone's calling this a must win

536
00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:11,800
Speaker 2: game when there's no nothing to really play for it necessarily.

537
00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:14,640
Speaker 2: But to your point, I don't know how many wins

538
00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:17,240
Speaker 2: there are left in the Big East slate. You played

539
00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:19,840
Speaker 2: some of your easier games in the early portion of

540
00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:22,720
Speaker 2: the conference schedule. It's going to get really difficult. This

541
00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:25,920
Speaker 2: feels like a winnable one for the Musketeers. I'm not

542
00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:27,360
Speaker 2: sure how many times we'll be able to say that

543
00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:29,880
Speaker 2: while we're doing these interviews in the coming week. So yeah,

544
00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:31,440
Speaker 2: if you're a Xavier fan, you'd like to see them

545
00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:31,920
Speaker 2: get this one.

546
00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:36,080
Speaker 1: Rick Brooring is with US Musketeer report dot Com. NKU

547
00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:39,320
Speaker 1: Radio was the Norse loss on Sunday the toughest one

548
00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:39,840
Speaker 1: of the season.

549
00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:45,040
Speaker 2: I think the Purdue Fort Wayne I might put as

550
00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:48,640
Speaker 2: tougher loss only because they had the big lead. They'd

551
00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:50,440
Speaker 2: run out to a big lead on the road and

552
00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:54,040
Speaker 2: then they saw it trickle away. This came at green Bay.

553
00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:56,560
Speaker 2: I mean, you got to tip your captain green Bay

554
00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:59,640
Speaker 2: to some extent, like you could leave them all wide

555
00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:01,680
Speaker 2: open and let them shoot with.

556
00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:03,480
Speaker 1: No defense in the gym, and they.

557
00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:05,720
Speaker 2: Shoot, you know, seventy percent from the field and eighty

558
00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:09,680
Speaker 2: percent from three point range, and that's pretty impressive. So

559
00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:12,000
Speaker 2: the way they shot the ball to start that game

560
00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:15,360
Speaker 2: and put MKU in such a look it was going

561
00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:17,720
Speaker 2: to be a disaster type day for the Norse. And

562
00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:20,320
Speaker 2: they battled their way back and they had so many

563
00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:23,320
Speaker 2: chances down the stretch to win it, and they just

564
00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:26,800
Speaker 2: couldn't make that one extra play needed. That was the

565
00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:28,920
Speaker 2: frustrating part of it is. I mean, they got the

566
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,800
Speaker 2: exact type of shot you'd want with their best three

567
00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:34,680
Speaker 2: point shooter, Cal Robinson, top of the key off a

568
00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:36,640
Speaker 2: kickout at the end of the game to win it,

569
00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:40,240
Speaker 2: and it just didn't go down and that was after two, three, four.

570
00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:42,680
Speaker 2: Other opportunities that they had right before it that they

571
00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:45,280
Speaker 2: had spoiled. So yeah, it was a difficult finish to

572
00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:45,960
Speaker 2: the game for sure.

573
00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:49,400
Speaker 1: Should they come out of this mini homestand seven and three,

574
00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:51,800
Speaker 1: I think so.

575
00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:53,320
Speaker 2: I mean, I think that's the way you feel with

576
00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:57,320
Speaker 2: the way that they've been playing, hopefully because of the

577
00:32:57,360 --> 00:33:00,280
Speaker 2: success that they've had a bit more of a home

578
00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:04,520
Speaker 2: atmosphere and home crowd advantage in these games, and anytime

579
00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:06,400
Speaker 2: they're playing at home right now, I think you feel

580
00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:09,640
Speaker 2: pretty good in this conference. I mean, we've talked about

581
00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:12,160
Speaker 2: how close a lot of these teams are, whether it

582
00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:13,560
Speaker 2: be at the top of the conference or even the

583
00:33:13,640 --> 00:33:15,840
Speaker 2: team at the bottom of the conference not being as

584
00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:18,480
Speaker 2: bad this year. When you go on the road, it's

585
00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:20,880
Speaker 2: tough to get wins for everyone. We've seen that across

586
00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:23,120
Speaker 2: the league. So you want to hold serve at home,

587
00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:24,880
Speaker 2: and I think k using a good spot to do that.

588
00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:27,760
Speaker 1: It's always awesome to have you and we'll talk to

589
00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:31,480
Speaker 1: you next week. Thanks. Well, that's our guy, Rick Brooring.

590
00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:35,520
Speaker 1: Rick Boring Musketeer Report Time. A very business like, very

591
00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:39,600
Speaker 1: business like segment there by, aside from the phone issues

592
00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:44,680
Speaker 1: which are not his faults, very business like, straightforward meat

593
00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:49,040
Speaker 1: and potatoes college basketball analysis, not a lot of not

594
00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:52,160
Speaker 1: a lot of fluff, not a lot of hyperbole, not

595
00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:55,680
Speaker 1: a lot of bs. He didn't want to play grab

596
00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:58,479
Speaker 1: ass for lack of a better term. Just good, I'd

597
00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:02,480
Speaker 1: say good. Six minutes and four seconds of just hardcore

598
00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:06,200
Speaker 1: nuts and bolts college basketball analysis. And the best part

599
00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:14,040
Speaker 1: about it is it was all absolutely free. All right now,

600
00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:16,680
Speaker 1: it's air turn. We're guess fridol four thirty when TJ.

601
00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:20,920
Speaker 1: Friedel joins us? Do we think TJ. Friedel's phones is uh?

602
00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:24,200
Speaker 1: Are the is the Verizon issue that plagued the entire country?

603
00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:25,520
Speaker 1: Has that been resolved?

604
00:34:26,560 --> 00:34:26,600
Speaker 2: No?

605
00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:27,040
Speaker 5: No?

606
00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:31,920
Speaker 1: I I am a Verizon customer. I've I've gotten two texts.

607
00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:34,040
Speaker 1: Do we think I can? Should I try to make

608
00:34:34,040 --> 00:34:37,120
Speaker 1: a phone call. I'll try to call the radio stations.

609
00:34:37,760 --> 00:34:41,319
Speaker 6: M that's that is his history here.

610
00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:45,600
Speaker 1: This is missus me calling. It's ringing, that's it.

611
00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:47,480
Speaker 6: Yeah, I'll try to put you on the air.

612
00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:57,759
Speaker 1: Go ahead, see what that sounds like? Hey, all right,

613
00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:01,560
Speaker 1: well at Verizon, I'm a Verizon cstomer just made a

614
00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:04,560
Speaker 1: phone call. We have folks who are waiting while I'm

615
00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:07,920
Speaker 1: just wasting everybody's time at moeggor on Twitter, you could

616
00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:10,919
Speaker 1: always send a tweet thanks to our friends at Delta Dental.

617
00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:14,400
Speaker 1: Delta Dental is building healthy, smart, vibrant communities for all

618
00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:20,680
Speaker 1: good at Delta Dental, Oh dot com. I have a

619
00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:22,239
Speaker 1: question that we have to get to in the next

620
00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:27,080
Speaker 1: hour as well about Dan Pitcher, the Bengals offensive coordinator,

621
00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:30,920
Speaker 1: who apparently, according to a one NFL insider, has like

622
00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:32,759
Speaker 1: a legit shot to be the head coach of the

623
00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:36,440
Speaker 1: Cleveland Browns. We'll spend some time on that. I have

624
00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:41,040
Speaker 1: another question about the Reds and their call it what

625
00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:46,920
Speaker 1: it is failed pursuit of Kyle Schwarber, which involved the

626
00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:50,520
Speaker 1: Reds trying to sign a guy who had fifty six

627
00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:54,879
Speaker 1: home runs last year. It obviously didn't work because Kyle

628
00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:57,800
Speaker 1: Schwarber decided to resign with the Philadelphia Phillies, but I

629
00:35:57,880 --> 00:35:59,719
Speaker 1: do have a question about it. I will ask it

630
00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:03,839
Speaker 1: if the four o'clock hour as well. Five point three seven,

631
00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:06,080
Speaker 1: four nine, fifteen thirty is our phone number. We are

632
00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:09,759
Speaker 1: coming up on four o'clock. Your phone calls are coming up.

633
00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:15,120
Speaker 1: This is ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station. Oh oh,

634
00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:22,120
Speaker 1: what's what's the word, what word? What word? Happy? Happy?

635
00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:25,800
Speaker 1: I tell you, I'm happy to tell you that I

636
00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:32,399
Speaker 1: have a new microphone, somewhat new microphone for the last

637
00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:34,799
Speaker 1: and this is maybe why I haven't been feeling all

638
00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:40,040
Speaker 1: that good. The microphone we have been using stunk. I

639
00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:42,840
Speaker 1: can't even describe what it's smelled like. It was craddy,

640
00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:46,800
Speaker 1: it was nasty. Right now. I don't know if this

641
00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:49,360
Speaker 1: is a brand spankadoo microphone, but it doesn't smell and

642
00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:52,319
Speaker 1: I see no crud. That will probably change between now

643
00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:58,160
Speaker 1: and five thirty the uh I I put it in

644
00:36:58,719 --> 00:37:02,640
Speaker 1: the So we have four microphones in here. We never

645
00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:05,360
Speaker 1: have three people on in studio at a time. Tomorrow

646
00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:07,759
Speaker 1: in studio we do have Andrew Abbitt, an Ameliopa got

647
00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:10,120
Speaker 1: I gotta make sure those guys don't talk and into

648
00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:12,719
Speaker 1: this one here. But the one position where there's never

649
00:37:12,880 --> 00:37:17,719
Speaker 1: anybody talking into it. I've put the old Kruddy microphone there,

650
00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:20,640
Speaker 1: and I've positioned it in a way that when you

651
00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:22,840
Speaker 1: walk up to it, you see it's got just a

652
00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:24,960
Speaker 1: lot of gunk on it. Don't talk into that one.

653
00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:28,520
Speaker 1: So tomorrow will have Andrew and Emilio on microphones that

654
00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:30,640
Speaker 1: don't smell. And then if they happen to have a

655
00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:33,680
Speaker 1: third person, whoever that guy is, whoever that person is,

656
00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:36,960
Speaker 1: I'll just have them share a mic with me, because

657
00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:39,840
Speaker 1: I could just throw it away. That would be a

658
00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:42,640
Speaker 1: waste of resources. That would probably I get I'd get

659
00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:45,920
Speaker 1: written up for that. But more important to me than

660
00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:48,920
Speaker 1: anything else is the microphone doesn't have a bunch of

661
00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:51,640
Speaker 1: junk on it. It doesn't stink and like to hear

662
00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:54,560
Speaker 1: that's happening. That's that's the brand new microphone, the pseudo

663
00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:58,160
Speaker 1: brand new microphone. TJ. Friedel is not going to join

664
00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:00,440
Speaker 1: us in studio, but he will join us on a

665
00:38:00,560 --> 00:38:03,279
Speaker 1: phone that hopefully works, coming up at four thirty five.

666
00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:05,360
Speaker 1: Show's over at five thirty today. We have a lot

667
00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:07,320
Speaker 1: of ground to cover between now and then. But but

668
00:38:08,760 --> 00:38:10,719
Speaker 1: to this point in the broadcast, we have not taken

669
00:38:10,719 --> 00:38:12,680
Speaker 1: a phone call, and we have folks who have been

670
00:38:13,120 --> 00:38:17,280
Speaker 1: waiting patiently. Starting with Lou, Lou, thank you for your patients.

671
00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:20,560
Speaker 1: You're on ESPN fifteen thirty. Good afternoon, Good.

672
00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:24,440
Speaker 4: Afternoon, thanks for taking my call. I'm on in Florida,

673
00:38:24,600 --> 00:38:26,319
Speaker 4: so obviously it's down here.

674
00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:26,920
Speaker 1: Okay.

675
00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:32,120
Speaker 4: I have a couple questions and comments regarding the draft,

676
00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:34,080
Speaker 4: and then I'll put them out there and then I'll

677
00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:37,640
Speaker 4: sit back and listen. Yeah, I don't know how we

678
00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:42,239
Speaker 4: can keep hendrickson another year. No, I don't see that.

679
00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:46,719
Speaker 4: I also, I'm starting a question can we afford to

680
00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:50,279
Speaker 4: have two number one wide outs? I love Tea, but

681
00:38:50,440 --> 00:38:54,799
Speaker 4: I'm just questioning. You know, if somebody called us and said, hey,

682
00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:57,239
Speaker 4: we're going to give you a second round and a

683
00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:01,360
Speaker 4: sports or fifth round pick for him, what we entertain that?

684
00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:05,480
Speaker 4: And then the last two things are do we have

685
00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:08,640
Speaker 4: any trade bait to get some more draft picks on

686
00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:12,600
Speaker 4: our roster today? And if not, if you guys are

687
00:39:12,719 --> 00:39:15,880
Speaker 4: managing it, would you trade down to get more picks

688
00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:17,960
Speaker 4: with that comments?

689
00:39:18,040 --> 00:39:19,719
Speaker 1: So there's a lot there that you gave me. I

690
00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:21,800
Speaker 1: don't think the Bengals are going to trade T Higgins.

691
00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:24,320
Speaker 1: I don't have a problem with them not trading T Higgins.

692
00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:27,160
Speaker 1: To me, he's exactly the type of person you want

693
00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:30,120
Speaker 1: to build around. They have plenty of money to spend

694
00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:35,879
Speaker 1: despite paying Jamar Chase and T Higgins. So if you're

695
00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:38,840
Speaker 1: looking at it from a player a player quality perspective,

696
00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:40,560
Speaker 1: who you're going to get that's better than T Higgins?

697
00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:45,279
Speaker 1: At his position, and number two, the money they're paying

698
00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:49,080
Speaker 1: those guys is not prohibitive towards making the team better elsewhere.

699
00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:52,399
Speaker 1: I would rather have T Higgins than whatever's behind door

700
00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:54,439
Speaker 1: number two. Let's say it was a second round pick.

701
00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:57,440
Speaker 1: I would rather have whatever's behind door number two is

702
00:39:57,440 --> 00:39:59,040
Speaker 1: a second round I'm sorry, I would rather have T

703
00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:02,000
Speaker 1: Higgins than whatever behind door number two as a second

704
00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:04,560
Speaker 1: round pick. And if the primary motivator is clear, the

705
00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:08,480
Speaker 1: salary what they're paying jamar T and Joe is not

706
00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:10,840
Speaker 1: prohibitive towards making the rest of the team better. In

707
00:40:10,920 --> 00:40:12,560
Speaker 1: free agency, they got a lot of money to spend.

708
00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:16,279
Speaker 1: So there's number one, number two, Trey Hendrickson. I think

709
00:40:16,320 --> 00:40:17,920
Speaker 1: the writing's on the wall. I think it would be

710
00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:20,680
Speaker 1: shocking if Trey were back with the Bengals for this

711
00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:23,719
Speaker 1: simple reason. They had no plans for him to begin

712
00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:26,919
Speaker 1: with for twenty twenty six. He wasn't in their twenty

713
00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:30,279
Speaker 1: twenty six plans. What changed? He had a year where

714
00:40:30,280 --> 00:40:32,680
Speaker 1: he got injured. Why wasn't he in their twenty twenty

715
00:40:32,719 --> 00:40:35,400
Speaker 1: six plans? Because he was going to be an older player,

716
00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:37,319
Speaker 1: and the older a player gets, the more you run

717
00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:40,520
Speaker 1: the risk of injury. So their fears about Trey Hendrickson

718
00:40:40,600 --> 00:40:43,120
Speaker 1: proved to be valid. Now you could say they should

719
00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:45,880
Speaker 1: have traded him last year, that's very fair, But they

720
00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:48,800
Speaker 1: hesitated to give Trey Hendrickson a long term deal because

721
00:40:48,800 --> 00:40:51,640
Speaker 1: of his age, because when players get older, they're not

722
00:40:51,719 --> 00:40:54,120
Speaker 1: as productive and they're more likely to get hurt. Well,

723
00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:57,080
Speaker 1: this year, Trey Hendrickson wasn't as productivity, was hurt, so

724
00:40:57,160 --> 00:40:59,279
Speaker 1: why would they then reverse course and bring him back?

725
00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:01,960
Speaker 1: So I don't think he's coming back. I'm with you

726
00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:06,279
Speaker 1: there in terms of trade bait. No one is going

727
00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:09,000
Speaker 1: to like this. No one is going to like this,

728
00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:11,960
Speaker 1: and this is probably not what they're going to do.

729
00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:15,680
Speaker 1: I think the most interesting tradeable player is Chase Brown

730
00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:18,160
Speaker 1: because I think you can replace him. Now, that's no

731
00:41:18,320 --> 00:41:22,359
Speaker 1: knock on Chase, but you know, he is a running back.

732
00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:24,880
Speaker 1: He is a running back in his system that's always

733
00:41:24,920 --> 00:41:27,640
Speaker 1: going to be pass first. In that pass first system,

734
00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:30,000
Speaker 1: I think you're always going to be able to find

735
00:41:30,080 --> 00:41:32,360
Speaker 1: running backs that can thrive just because of how you

736
00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:35,000
Speaker 1: have to defend the Bengals. That doesn't mean that a

737
00:41:35,160 --> 00:41:37,600
Speaker 1: Chase isn't a valuable player. It doesn't mean it can't

738
00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:40,480
Speaker 1: help the team. Next year. But could I add a

739
00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:43,279
Speaker 1: pick and then use one of those picks on Chase

740
00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:47,040
Speaker 1: Brown's replacement and then I don't have to pay Chase

741
00:41:47,120 --> 00:41:50,160
Speaker 1: Brown long term. It doesn't become a thing this offseason

742
00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:53,600
Speaker 1: if I don't sign Chase Brown long term, and then

743
00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:56,120
Speaker 1: you know, I have extra draft capital to use on

744
00:41:56,160 --> 00:42:01,040
Speaker 1: the team elsewhere. I'm not envisioning that becoming a realistic scenario,

745
00:42:01,520 --> 00:42:03,560
Speaker 1: But if you're looking at the current roster through the

746
00:42:03,640 --> 00:42:06,680
Speaker 1: lens of who could they flip for picks? To me,

747
00:42:08,280 --> 00:42:11,319
Speaker 1: that's the first name that comes to mind in terms

748
00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:14,400
Speaker 1: of them trading down. They're in the top ten. I

749
00:42:14,520 --> 00:42:16,759
Speaker 1: think you at that point look at it in terms

750
00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:21,240
Speaker 1: of quality over quantity. If they do what they're supposed

751
00:42:21,280 --> 00:42:23,520
Speaker 1: to do in free agency, I think it's going to

752
00:42:23,640 --> 00:42:26,200
Speaker 1: lessen the need for more picks in the draft. And

753
00:42:26,280 --> 00:42:28,080
Speaker 1: if you have an opportunity to get a top ten

754
00:42:28,120 --> 00:42:30,680
Speaker 1: player at number ten and that guy can make an

755
00:42:30,719 --> 00:42:33,320
Speaker 1: immediate impact on the team this year, I have no

756
00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:36,560
Speaker 1: issue not trading the pickdown. Does that answer all your questions?

757
00:42:37,600 --> 00:42:40,719
Speaker 4: Yes, sir, thank you for the insight. It's just tough

758
00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:44,719
Speaker 4: to sit here and miss the playoffs again and be

759
00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:48,240
Speaker 4: looking at the draft and still have the same people

760
00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:52,880
Speaker 4: and management driving it. Tobin, I don't know. It's just

761
00:42:53,080 --> 00:42:55,480
Speaker 4: I'm with you when you made the statement that you know,

762
00:42:55,640 --> 00:42:58,040
Speaker 4: the good news bad news is good news. We're going

763
00:42:58,120 --> 00:43:01,359
Speaker 4: to be the only team that as continuity. The bad

764
00:43:01,480 --> 00:43:03,759
Speaker 4: news is we're going to be the only team of continuity.

765
00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:06,880
Speaker 4: And I don't know that I have a lot of

766
00:43:06,960 --> 00:43:10,759
Speaker 4: faith in the fact that that we're going to do

767
00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:13,160
Speaker 4: it in the off season. Got my fingers crossed. Yeah,

768
00:43:13,400 --> 00:43:18,160
Speaker 4: that we do, but it's based on past years. I

769
00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:21,759
Speaker 4: don't have that faith. But I'm always rooting for him.

770
00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:25,440
Speaker 1: Lack of faith is totally justified. Lou hope we hear

771
00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:28,279
Speaker 1: from me again. Man, thanks so much. You bet yeah

772
00:43:28,600 --> 00:43:31,840
Speaker 1: on that Chase Brown thing. Like Chase Brown is a

773
00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:34,600
Speaker 1: very good player, he is also a running back that

774
00:43:34,760 --> 00:43:37,200
Speaker 1: is never going to be a run first offense. They

775
00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:40,000
Speaker 1: maybe should lead into the run game a little bit

776
00:43:40,040 --> 00:43:42,560
Speaker 1: more than they do. But if you are looking at

777
00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:44,520
Speaker 1: let's just say the class of twenty twenty three, and

778
00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:46,239
Speaker 1: you're going, okay, well, we can't sign all of them,

779
00:43:47,200 --> 00:43:49,800
Speaker 1: positional value does become a part of the conversation, and

780
00:43:49,920 --> 00:43:53,080
Speaker 1: I this isn't so much about trading Chase Brown because

781
00:43:53,080 --> 00:43:55,560
Speaker 1: I don't I don't think there's anybody on the roster

782
00:43:55,680 --> 00:43:57,440
Speaker 1: they have right now that they're going to trade for

783
00:43:57,560 --> 00:44:00,480
Speaker 1: more picks. I don't look at the draft this year

784
00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:03,239
Speaker 1: through the lens of add more picks. I look at

785
00:44:03,280 --> 00:44:06,000
Speaker 1: it through this lens, and maybe this is the wrong one.

786
00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:09,600
Speaker 1: I look at it through the lens of nail it

787
00:44:09,680 --> 00:44:13,520
Speaker 1: in free agency and then draft seven players. If you

788
00:44:13,680 --> 00:44:17,120
Speaker 1: nail it in free agency, if you address all the

789
00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:20,520
Speaker 1: position groups on defense you need to address in free agency,

790
00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:23,400
Speaker 1: then you're not going to need to trade down. And

791
00:44:23,440 --> 00:44:25,480
Speaker 1: that doesn't mean there's not going to be an opportunity

792
00:44:26,080 --> 00:44:29,160
Speaker 1: in the draft once it's underway to trade down. But

793
00:44:29,360 --> 00:44:32,040
Speaker 1: I don't know that I need to trade establish players

794
00:44:32,080 --> 00:44:35,839
Speaker 1: that I like that have value for draft picks. If

795
00:44:36,719 --> 00:44:38,480
Speaker 1: I'm going to do a good job in free agency,

796
00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:44,200
Speaker 1: I would rather have money allocated toward Let's say it's

797
00:44:44,600 --> 00:44:47,480
Speaker 1: work and I'm overly simplifying this, or maybe I'm overly

798
00:44:47,560 --> 00:44:51,320
Speaker 1: complicating it. I if it's me and you said you

799
00:44:51,440 --> 00:44:55,000
Speaker 1: could you could add up a draft pick somehow and

800
00:44:55,200 --> 00:44:59,560
Speaker 1: use that pick on a linebacker, or go sign and

801
00:44:59,640 --> 00:45:02,800
Speaker 1: experience Ant's linebacker who knows how to be in position

802
00:45:03,200 --> 00:45:05,720
Speaker 1: who might not be a star, but as a starting

803
00:45:05,800 --> 00:45:10,319
Speaker 1: caliber player who's more reliable than Barrett Carter or Demetrius Knight.

804
00:45:10,400 --> 00:45:14,520
Speaker 1: I'd rather have the free agent so I kind of

805
00:45:14,600 --> 00:45:16,239
Speaker 1: view it as if they do what they're supposed to

806
00:45:16,280 --> 00:45:18,719
Speaker 1: do in free agency, you'll be more than happy with

807
00:45:18,800 --> 00:45:21,640
Speaker 1: the allotted picks they have. I do think though, when

808
00:45:21,640 --> 00:45:25,880
Speaker 1: you start to talk about extensions, Miles Murphy is trending

809
00:45:25,960 --> 00:45:27,360
Speaker 1: toward one. They don't have to give him on this

810
00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:29,960
Speaker 1: offseason because of the fifth year option, but he is

811
00:45:30,080 --> 00:45:32,120
Speaker 1: trending toward being a guy that you want to sign

812
00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:36,279
Speaker 1: long term. DJ Turner isn't just trending. He is a

813
00:45:36,320 --> 00:45:39,040
Speaker 1: guy you want to sign long term. I think they

814
00:45:39,120 --> 00:45:42,200
Speaker 1: have finally found a home for Dax Hill. Dax Hill

815
00:45:42,239 --> 00:45:45,239
Speaker 1: obviously being in the twenty twenty two class. Like I

816
00:45:45,320 --> 00:45:48,360
Speaker 1: think you could realistically say the two starting corners, the

817
00:45:48,440 --> 00:45:52,600
Speaker 1: two outside corners they want for twenty twenty six, we're

818
00:45:52,640 --> 00:45:54,200
Speaker 1: on the team this year, and now you want to

819
00:45:54,239 --> 00:45:59,360
Speaker 1: be on. I don't know how huge of an appetite

820
00:45:59,360 --> 00:46:03,440
Speaker 1: they're going to have for extending Yoshavas. We'll see very

821
00:46:03,480 --> 00:46:07,959
Speaker 1: good pick relative to where he was taken. I'm looking

822
00:46:08,040 --> 00:46:11,279
Speaker 1: for upgrades at every position, but you could certainly you

823
00:46:11,360 --> 00:46:13,880
Speaker 1: could sell me on there being a world where they decide,

824
00:46:13,920 --> 00:46:15,520
Speaker 1: you know what, we've gotten as much out of him

825
00:46:15,560 --> 00:46:17,400
Speaker 1: as we're going to get or as we need, and

826
00:46:17,480 --> 00:46:22,080
Speaker 1: now we'll look elsewhere. But the interesting guy to me

827
00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:24,840
Speaker 1: is Chase Brown because of the value of running backs,

828
00:46:25,440 --> 00:46:30,920
Speaker 1: because of his his importance to the offensive collective where

829
00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:36,279
Speaker 1: he is important. Right, he's an important guy. But there

830
00:46:36,320 --> 00:46:39,399
Speaker 1: are a pass first offense, and I feel like there's

831
00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:41,160
Speaker 1: a lot of dudes who could do what Chase Brown does,

832
00:46:43,400 --> 00:46:47,239
Speaker 1: not like Chase Brown was a first or second round

833
00:46:47,280 --> 00:46:51,839
Speaker 1: pick himself. Chase Brown was taken in the fifth round.

834
00:46:52,400 --> 00:46:54,359
Speaker 1: Is there a version of him in the twenty twenty

835
00:46:54,440 --> 00:46:56,400
Speaker 1: seventh draft? Hell, is there a version of him in

836
00:46:56,440 --> 00:47:00,560
Speaker 1: the twenty twenty sixth draft. I'm gonna guess they're interested

837
00:47:00,600 --> 00:47:03,600
Speaker 1: in signing Jordan Battle. I don't know about Charlie Jones,

838
00:47:04,200 --> 00:47:07,719
Speaker 1: but Chase Brown's interesting. Now. If they did say we

839
00:47:07,800 --> 00:47:10,120
Speaker 1: want Chase Brown back, that's cool. He's a good player.

840
00:47:11,640 --> 00:47:14,279
Speaker 1: But as we talk about like offensive weaponry and what

841
00:47:14,400 --> 00:47:16,640
Speaker 1: they're paying like, they're a pass first team. So give

842
00:47:16,680 --> 00:47:20,520
Speaker 1: me the best wide receivers pass first team as good

843
00:47:20,560 --> 00:47:22,399
Speaker 1: as Chase is, And again, man like who doesn't want

844
00:47:22,440 --> 00:47:24,720
Speaker 1: him on the team next year? Who would be angry

845
00:47:24,760 --> 00:47:27,160
Speaker 1: if they signed him long term? But if it's about

846
00:47:27,239 --> 00:47:30,640
Speaker 1: difficult decisions and you factor in how the players are used,

847
00:47:30,719 --> 00:47:33,320
Speaker 1: what the overall core philosophies of the teams are, what

848
00:47:33,440 --> 00:47:36,880
Speaker 1: the strength of the offense is, and the overall value

849
00:47:36,880 --> 00:47:41,719
Speaker 1: of the position, Like, maybe Chase gets squeezed. I don't know,

850
00:47:42,680 --> 00:47:44,359
Speaker 1: but I don't look at the draft through the lens

851
00:47:44,440 --> 00:47:48,680
Speaker 1: of they need to add more picks number one on

852
00:47:48,800 --> 00:47:52,520
Speaker 1: the offensive side of the ball. They're set. They got

853
00:47:52,600 --> 00:47:54,839
Speaker 1: to get the Dalton Reisner thing done. And if they don't,

854
00:47:54,880 --> 00:47:58,800
Speaker 1: then you know what's planned. B. But one half of

855
00:47:58,840 --> 00:48:03,040
Speaker 1: their team is good. They also have money to spend

856
00:48:03,040 --> 00:48:09,480
Speaker 1: in free agency, the Chase Higgins thing. If the players

857
00:48:09,520 --> 00:48:13,279
Speaker 1: are good, okay, then you look at the money. The

858
00:48:13,400 --> 00:48:15,799
Speaker 1: money does not make it prohibitive toward making the rest

859
00:48:15,840 --> 00:48:19,719
Speaker 1: of the team better. If they would have done what

860
00:48:19,800 --> 00:48:22,239
Speaker 1: they should have done last offseason, there would have been

861
00:48:22,760 --> 00:48:27,520
Speaker 1: money spent on free agents and draft choices that made

862
00:48:27,600 --> 00:48:33,200
Speaker 1: an immediate impact. ESPN Today ranked all thirty two rookie classes.

863
00:48:33,280 --> 00:48:37,040
Speaker 1: The Bengals were twenty third. That can't be the case.

864
00:48:39,080 --> 00:48:42,560
Speaker 1: Called Dimitrius Night their best rookie. Maybe he was, I

865
00:48:42,600 --> 00:48:45,960
Speaker 1: don't know. Dylan Fairchild might have something to say about that,

866
00:48:47,600 --> 00:48:50,360
Speaker 1: but the point being if they had a good draft

867
00:48:50,440 --> 00:48:53,640
Speaker 1: class and that class of guys made a positive impact,

868
00:48:54,120 --> 00:48:57,200
Speaker 1: nobody's talking about what t Higgins is making. Nobody's talking

869
00:48:57,200 --> 00:49:00,359
Speaker 1: about what Jamar Chase or Joe Burrow are making. Those

870
00:49:00,400 --> 00:49:04,839
Speaker 1: three guys like it's not making it prohibitive toward making

871
00:49:04,880 --> 00:49:06,880
Speaker 1: the team better this year. There's money to spend in

872
00:49:06,920 --> 00:49:11,240
Speaker 1: free agency, and if they spend it wi wisely, not wildly.

873
00:49:12,200 --> 00:49:14,560
Speaker 1: They don't need the most expensive player at every position.

874
00:49:14,719 --> 00:49:18,799
Speaker 1: But if they spend it wisely, Okay, now he gets

875
00:49:18,800 --> 00:49:24,480
Speaker 1: seven picks, use six of them on defense or five

876
00:49:24,560 --> 00:49:27,840
Speaker 1: of them on defense. I don't think we have to

877
00:49:28,480 --> 00:49:32,480
Speaker 1: make this offseason more complex than it needs to be.

878
00:49:33,560 --> 00:49:36,400
Speaker 1: The Bengals are really good at making off seasons complex.

879
00:49:36,480 --> 00:49:40,040
Speaker 1: And so you wonder, like which player will there be

880
00:49:40,200 --> 00:49:45,000
Speaker 1: a long protracted standoff with which player will there be

881
00:49:45,200 --> 00:49:51,920
Speaker 1: an unnecessary offseason distraction with what will they do to

882
00:49:52,040 --> 00:49:55,320
Speaker 1: screw up the draft? How aggressive will they really be

883
00:49:55,480 --> 00:49:59,719
Speaker 1: in free agency? All very fair questions because of their

884
00:50:00,320 --> 00:50:05,319
Speaker 1: recent and not so recent history. But you know again,

885
00:50:05,400 --> 00:50:08,759
Speaker 1: to me, I am set on offense because I've paid

886
00:50:08,800 --> 00:50:12,719
Speaker 1: those guys. I need an overhaul on defense. The good

887
00:50:12,800 --> 00:50:16,680
Speaker 1: news is there's money to spend. There's money to spend

888
00:50:16,800 --> 00:50:20,279
Speaker 1: to get the sort of players they need. Would you

889
00:50:20,440 --> 00:50:23,400
Speaker 1: love for I don't know. Would you love for the

890
00:50:23,440 --> 00:50:25,400
Speaker 1: best player at every position to be available and you

891
00:50:25,440 --> 00:50:30,360
Speaker 1: can sign them? No, I need a new version of

892
00:50:30,480 --> 00:50:32,880
Speaker 1: Dj Reader. Was Dj Reader a big star when the

893
00:50:32,920 --> 00:50:35,399
Speaker 1: Bengals signed him? No, Now they overpaid him. I kind

894
00:50:35,400 --> 00:50:37,319
Speaker 1: of feel like they're not in a position anymore where

895
00:50:37,360 --> 00:50:40,319
Speaker 1: they have to overpay. They're gonna be competitive. Is there

896
00:50:40,360 --> 00:50:42,479
Speaker 1: a new version of him? Is there a new version

897
00:50:42,520 --> 00:50:45,080
Speaker 1: of Trey Hendrickson, who is not a star when the

898
00:50:45,160 --> 00:50:49,279
Speaker 1: Bengal signed him. Is there a more established version of

899
00:50:49,360 --> 00:50:51,600
Speaker 1: what they got from Logan Wilson during his best years?

900
00:50:53,080 --> 00:50:55,839
Speaker 1: Is there a new version of Mike Hilton of Von

901
00:50:55,960 --> 00:50:59,640
Speaker 1: Bell not even should obe a woozie? Like, none of

902
00:50:59,680 --> 00:51:01,600
Speaker 1: those dudes they had on the defense in twenty one

903
00:51:01,640 --> 00:51:05,360
Speaker 1: and twenty two were like uber stars. They weren't multiple

904
00:51:05,440 --> 00:51:08,800
Speaker 1: time All Pro players, multiple time Pro ball players. You know,

905
00:51:08,960 --> 00:51:13,800
Speaker 1: Bona fide household names good players. Fans in the cities

906
00:51:13,840 --> 00:51:16,480
Speaker 1: where they left were probably disappointed to see them leave.

907
00:51:17,400 --> 00:51:21,840
Speaker 1: Can I find that class of player across multiple positions

908
00:51:22,640 --> 00:51:26,200
Speaker 1: and spend on them. Yes, I think so. And if

909
00:51:26,280 --> 00:51:31,000
Speaker 1: you do that, okay, I don't need a thousand draft choices.

910
00:51:31,120 --> 00:51:33,439
Speaker 1: I need the one the league's the picks. The league

911
00:51:33,480 --> 00:51:36,520
Speaker 1: gives them the caveat to that would be you know,

912
00:51:36,680 --> 00:51:44,040
Speaker 1: let's depending on how draft night goes, the interesting guy

913
00:51:44,160 --> 00:51:48,080
Speaker 1: is going to be Caleb Downs. I saw mel Kiper's

914
00:51:48,120 --> 00:51:50,280
Speaker 1: first big board had him as the sixth best player.

915
00:51:50,680 --> 00:51:52,759
Speaker 1: They need a safety, depending on what they do in

916
00:51:52,840 --> 00:51:55,920
Speaker 1: free agency, may still need a safety if the six

917
00:51:56,040 --> 00:51:58,040
Speaker 1: best players there at ten, or if you have him

918
00:51:58,080 --> 00:52:00,279
Speaker 1: on your board and he's the top five player, three

919
00:52:00,360 --> 00:52:03,920
Speaker 1: player and he's there at ten, I think you take him.

920
00:52:04,760 --> 00:52:07,440
Speaker 1: If he's gone and now at ten there hasn't been

921
00:52:07,480 --> 00:52:11,480
Speaker 1: a run, a run on edge rushers or three techniques,

922
00:52:12,160 --> 00:52:14,520
Speaker 1: and you know you can get a guy who can

923
00:52:14,560 --> 00:52:17,960
Speaker 1: make an impact like I don't know, twelve or thirteen, Well,

924
00:52:18,000 --> 00:52:19,680
Speaker 1: then maybe a trade down and at a pick like

925
00:52:19,760 --> 00:52:23,200
Speaker 1: you can be creative on draft night, depending on how

926
00:52:23,239 --> 00:52:26,480
Speaker 1: the draft board goes, what we don't know on January

927
00:52:26,560 --> 00:52:28,920
Speaker 1: the fourteenth is how the draft board is gonna go.

928
00:52:31,200 --> 00:52:33,279
Speaker 1: But I don't look at the draft through the lens

929
00:52:33,320 --> 00:52:35,440
Speaker 1: of the nade to add as many picks as possible,

930
00:52:35,440 --> 00:52:37,880
Speaker 1: because you can nail it in free agency, and if

931
00:52:37,880 --> 00:52:42,680
Speaker 1: they do then have a quality draft, you're gonna spend

932
00:52:42,719 --> 00:52:45,799
Speaker 1: most of your time, effort, and money on defense. There's

933
00:52:45,880 --> 00:52:48,040
Speaker 1: no reason why that defense can't be in a position

934
00:52:48,719 --> 00:52:50,759
Speaker 1: to put the team back in the postseason next year.

935
00:52:50,920 --> 00:52:54,400
Speaker 1: I do think the Chase Brown conversation is interesting, and

936
00:52:54,880 --> 00:52:57,080
Speaker 1: whenever you do this, you get accused of not liking

937
00:52:57,160 --> 00:52:59,080
Speaker 1: a player, and I'm sure the first time Chase Brown

938
00:52:59,120 --> 00:53:00,799
Speaker 1: has a good game for the Beatles next year, I'll

939
00:53:00,800 --> 00:53:03,799
Speaker 1: get the you want to trade him. I don't necessarily

940
00:53:03,920 --> 00:53:07,040
Speaker 1: want to, but I do think there's a conversation about

941
00:53:07,360 --> 00:53:09,760
Speaker 1: where he would be in the pecking order of players

942
00:53:10,239 --> 00:53:11,960
Speaker 1: that you want to sign to be on the team

943
00:53:12,719 --> 00:53:17,960
Speaker 1: past twenty twenty six, and at the top of the

944
00:53:18,000 --> 00:53:23,200
Speaker 1: list of players that you don't necessarily have earmarked for

945
00:53:23,440 --> 00:53:27,600
Speaker 1: past twenty twenty six. I think you're at least open

946
00:53:27,680 --> 00:53:30,880
Speaker 1: to listening to conversations about trading them. We are way

947
00:53:30,960 --> 00:53:33,920
Speaker 1: late twenty one minutes after four o'clock. TJ. Friedl is

948
00:53:33,920 --> 00:53:36,680
Speaker 1: going to join us in fifteen minutes on ESPN fifteen

949
00:53:36,760 --> 00:53:40,080
Speaker 1: thirty Cincinnati Sports station, Well twenty five helps to turn

950
00:53:40,120 --> 00:53:42,640
Speaker 1: the microphone on twenty five minutes after four o'clock. This

951
00:53:42,920 --> 00:53:47,760
Speaker 1: is ESPN fifteen thirty TJ Friedel in just a few minutes.

952
00:53:50,520 --> 00:53:52,920
Speaker 1: Five one, three, seven, four nine fifteen thirty is our

953
00:53:52,960 --> 00:53:56,319
Speaker 1: phone number, along with eight sixty six seven oh two

954
00:53:56,400 --> 00:54:02,080
Speaker 1: three seven seven six. TJ is supposed to call us

955
00:54:02,200 --> 00:54:05,120
Speaker 1: right at four thirty, So we're going to do a

956
00:54:05,320 --> 00:54:07,920
Speaker 1: quick segment here and make time for him, and then

957
00:54:08,000 --> 00:54:10,520
Speaker 1: when TJ's done, you and I between now in five thirty,

958
00:54:10,600 --> 00:54:13,000
Speaker 1: I am going to throw out a pole question here momentarily,

959
00:54:13,080 --> 00:54:16,359
Speaker 1: and it's a pretty simple one about the AFC North

960
00:54:16,480 --> 00:54:19,480
Speaker 1: next year. We started the show by talking about the

961
00:54:20,200 --> 00:54:25,160
Speaker 1: sort of contrast where you've got three teams changing, some

962
00:54:25,440 --> 00:54:29,320
Speaker 1: by their own volitions, some maybe not, but three teams

963
00:54:29,719 --> 00:54:34,320
Speaker 1: changing in relation to the Steelers and the Ravens changing

964
00:54:34,360 --> 00:54:38,040
Speaker 1: ahead coach is seismic change because it never happens. And

965
00:54:38,120 --> 00:54:41,640
Speaker 1: then over here the Bengals maintaining status quo. And so

966
00:54:41,719 --> 00:54:44,200
Speaker 1: I'm kind of curious as to who you think the

967
00:54:44,400 --> 00:54:48,160
Speaker 1: favorite for the AFC North in twenty twenty six should be.

968
00:54:48,320 --> 00:54:51,239
Speaker 1: We'll get to that as today's poll question on Twitter

969
00:54:51,360 --> 00:54:55,399
Speaker 1: thanks to United Heartland Insurance. Here in just a bit. TJ.

970
00:54:55,560 --> 00:54:59,440
Speaker 1: Friedel is scheduled to join us next on ESPN fifteen

971
00:54:59,520 --> 00:55:03,480
Speaker 1: thirty since that esports station. Sports headlines are a service

972
00:55:04,040 --> 00:55:09,760
Speaker 1: Kelsey Chevrolet home of lifetime powertrain protection and guaranteed credit

973
00:55:09,840 --> 00:55:13,600
Speaker 1: approval from their family to yours for life kelseyshev dot

974
00:55:13,680 --> 00:55:18,520
Speaker 1: Com College Troops. Tonight, Busy Night locally you See is

975
00:55:18,600 --> 00:55:21,880
Speaker 1: hosting Colorado the Bearcats, looking for their first Big twelve

976
00:55:22,000 --> 00:55:25,040
Speaker 1: victory of the season. Tip Off is going to be

977
00:55:25,239 --> 00:55:28,400
Speaker 1: at seven o'clock tonight. You'll hear the game live on

978
00:55:28,520 --> 00:55:32,959
Speaker 1: seven hundred WLW. Cincinnati zero to three in Big twelve

979
00:55:33,040 --> 00:55:36,239
Speaker 1: play so far this season, Taed Boyle's team is two

980
00:55:36,320 --> 00:55:40,239
Speaker 1: to one twelve and four overall, having lost its last

981
00:55:40,320 --> 00:55:42,640
Speaker 1: game to a really good Texas Tech team by two

982
00:55:43,000 --> 00:55:46,480
Speaker 1: Bearcats last I looked on FanDuel eight and a half

983
00:55:46,560 --> 00:55:50,120
Speaker 1: point favorites. Meanwhile, Xavier looking for back to back Biggiaest

984
00:55:50,120 --> 00:55:53,000
Speaker 1: wins as the Musketeers host. Butler of that game will

985
00:55:53,080 --> 00:55:55,120
Speaker 1: start at six point thirty. You'll hear it live on

986
00:55:55,480 --> 00:56:02,040
Speaker 1: fifty five KRC. Excuse me. Also tonight, the Kentucky Wildcats

987
00:56:02,080 --> 00:56:05,640
Speaker 1: on the road against LSU Pregame coverage on ESPN fifteen

988
00:56:05,719 --> 00:56:09,600
Speaker 1: thirty begins at five thirty, and tip off will be

989
00:56:09,920 --> 00:56:14,200
Speaker 1: at seven pm, twenty seven. Away from five o'clock ESPN

990
00:56:14,320 --> 00:56:17,560
Speaker 1: fifteen thirty, we were in a holding pattern, so to speak,

991
00:56:18,200 --> 00:56:19,040
Speaker 1: waiting for TJ.

992
00:56:19,400 --> 00:56:19,480
Speaker 3: Now.

993
00:56:19,600 --> 00:56:25,240
Speaker 1: I tested. Apparently not all Verizon customers were affected, because

994
00:56:25,360 --> 00:56:28,520
Speaker 1: I got through when I called the radio station. But

995
00:56:29,040 --> 00:56:32,759
Speaker 1: maybe maybe TJ. Friedel is a Verizon customer. He is

996
00:56:32,800 --> 00:56:36,080
Speaker 1: supposed to call us right now, and maybe he's not.

997
00:56:36,200 --> 00:56:38,080
Speaker 1: I have no idea. Maybe he just forgot, maybe something

998
00:56:38,120 --> 00:56:40,440
Speaker 1: else came up. Maybe he's like, I could do two

999
00:56:40,520 --> 00:56:43,400
Speaker 1: things at four thirty four on a Wednesday afternoon. I

1000
00:56:43,480 --> 00:56:46,680
Speaker 1: can call Moe's radio show, or I could do almost

1001
00:56:46,760 --> 00:56:50,200
Speaker 1: anything else, and perhaps almost anything else was a better option.

1002
00:56:50,600 --> 00:56:53,120
Speaker 1: Maybe he's simply a minute or too late. We don't know,

1003
00:56:54,480 --> 00:56:57,719
Speaker 1: but we hope to hear from him tomorrow. We are

1004
00:56:57,800 --> 00:57:02,000
Speaker 1: expected to have in studio Andrew Abbott and Emilio Pagan

1005
00:57:02,239 --> 00:57:05,320
Speaker 1: while we wait for TJ. Terren. Should we take a

1006
00:57:05,360 --> 00:57:06,160
Speaker 1: phone call or two?

1007
00:57:07,239 --> 00:57:08,080
Speaker 3: Why not? Why not?

1008
00:57:08,719 --> 00:57:11,359
Speaker 1: Ron and Milford? Go ahead, you're on ESPN fifteen thirty

1009
00:57:11,400 --> 00:57:13,880
Speaker 1: of TJ Friedol calls. I'm gonna hang up on you abruptly.

1010
00:57:13,920 --> 00:57:18,320
Speaker 3: Okay, Oh come on though, you're not gonna do that, Tron.

1011
00:57:18,280 --> 00:57:19,400
Speaker 1: Probably not, Probably not.

1012
00:57:21,760 --> 00:57:21,800
Speaker 2: Mo.

1013
00:57:22,880 --> 00:57:26,160
Speaker 7: Everyone, including the talking heads on ESPN, and we know

1014
00:57:26,240 --> 00:57:28,800
Speaker 7: they got to be doing it sarcastically, are talking about

1015
00:57:28,800 --> 00:57:32,479
Speaker 7: how lucky the Bengals are to have their system in play.

1016
00:57:32,880 --> 00:57:35,680
Speaker 7: I don't know myself, really, we know how the system works.

1017
00:57:35,720 --> 00:57:36,880
Speaker 3: Why are we so fortunate?

1018
00:57:38,200 --> 00:57:40,200
Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't know if it's system or

1019
00:57:40,760 --> 00:57:42,920
Speaker 1: half of the team in place. I think in that regard,

1020
00:57:42,960 --> 00:57:45,560
Speaker 1: they're pretty lucky. Like there's a lot of teams that

1021
00:57:45,680 --> 00:57:48,240
Speaker 1: need to do better next year. How many of them

1022
00:57:48,320 --> 00:57:51,240
Speaker 1: have a genuine a list or at quarterback and a

1023
00:57:51,440 --> 00:57:53,800
Speaker 1: to do list that isn't as long as the Bengals.

1024
00:57:55,280 --> 00:57:57,160
Speaker 7: Well, I give them that because, like you said, I

1025
00:57:57,400 --> 00:58:00,480
Speaker 7: give the offense and a plus. I think they're hopefully

1026
00:58:00,520 --> 00:58:03,600
Speaker 7: gonna sign Rise or if not, they'll try to unfortunately

1027
00:58:03,680 --> 00:58:05,840
Speaker 7: plug in rivers there at right guard, I guess, or

1028
00:58:06,280 --> 00:58:08,480
Speaker 7: maybe they'll go the cheap route and put in Lucas

1029
00:58:08,600 --> 00:58:13,360
Speaker 7: Patrick as a scrub. But as we know, like you said,

1030
00:58:13,480 --> 00:58:16,560
Speaker 7: I gotta spend all seven picks met on defense unless

1031
00:58:16,680 --> 00:58:19,280
Speaker 7: there's somebody that wows them in the sixth and seventh

1032
00:58:19,360 --> 00:58:21,720
Speaker 7: round that they weren't surprising to be there on offense.

1033
00:58:22,920 --> 00:58:24,120
Speaker 7: Otherwise I gotta.

1034
00:58:23,960 --> 00:58:24,800
Speaker 1: Go all defense.

1035
00:58:24,880 --> 00:58:27,360
Speaker 7: And then, like you said, I gotta also throw all

1036
00:58:27,400 --> 00:58:32,360
Speaker 7: the money on free agency on defense too, because I guess,

1037
00:58:32,400 --> 00:58:34,720
Speaker 7: as Duke said, we've got to be able to rush.

1038
00:58:34,560 --> 00:58:37,400
Speaker 1: The passer, and we got to be able to Yeah, look,

1039
00:58:37,560 --> 00:58:40,720
Speaker 1: you can never have enough offensive lineman. And so if

1040
00:58:40,760 --> 00:58:44,680
Speaker 1: there's some attention and some resources devoted to adding to

1041
00:58:44,800 --> 00:58:47,840
Speaker 1: offensive line depth, and that's a big deal. It's a

1042
00:58:47,880 --> 00:58:50,040
Speaker 1: big deal because A, as I said, you can never

1043
00:58:50,080 --> 00:58:54,600
Speaker 1: have enough offensive line depth. B you're looking at maybe

1044
00:58:54,640 --> 00:58:58,400
Speaker 1: a long term replacement for Orlando Brown. And also they

1045
00:58:58,520 --> 00:59:00,960
Speaker 1: had really good offensive line hell this year, and from

1046
00:59:01,000 --> 00:59:03,280
Speaker 1: one year to the next, you know, it's not that

1047
00:59:03,600 --> 00:59:05,840
Speaker 1: likely that that carries over. And so if if there's

1048
00:59:06,000 --> 00:59:09,320
Speaker 1: a pick or a free agent signing devoted to an

1049
00:59:09,320 --> 00:59:12,920
Speaker 1: offensive lineman, that doesn't break my heart. I would imagine

1050
00:59:12,960 --> 00:59:14,760
Speaker 1: that they're going to look for next year's version of

1051
00:59:14,840 --> 00:59:17,680
Speaker 1: Noah fense somewhere, you know, because that's what they've done,

1052
00:59:17,920 --> 00:59:22,080
Speaker 1: whether it's been Hayden Hurst which worked out, IRV Smith

1053
00:59:22,240 --> 00:59:27,160
Speaker 1: which did not, Mike Kasiki, which has worked out, No

1054
00:59:27,280 --> 00:59:31,720
Speaker 1: offense which mixed results. Uh, They've always looked at that position,

1055
00:59:31,880 --> 00:59:33,800
Speaker 1: tried to find a veteran I would expect them to

1056
00:59:33,840 --> 00:59:38,200
Speaker 1: do that. I think beyond that everything should go to

1057
00:59:38,280 --> 00:59:41,600
Speaker 1: the defense. And there aren't many teams and I think

1058
00:59:41,640 --> 00:59:44,160
Speaker 1: this is where Duke Tobin is in a pretty enviable spot.

1059
00:59:44,680 --> 00:59:47,760
Speaker 1: There aren't many teams that the to do list or

1060
00:59:47,880 --> 00:59:50,880
Speaker 1: that the the things they have to get done are

1061
00:59:50,960 --> 00:59:54,120
Speaker 1: that streamlined. Now within that streamline to do list, there's

1062
00:59:54,120 --> 00:59:55,520
Speaker 1: a lot of things. There's a lot of items they

1063
00:59:55,520 --> 00:59:57,560
Speaker 1: got to They have a lot of things go right.

1064
00:59:58,320 --> 01:00:01,840
Speaker 1: But I think if you compare a Duke Tobin's task

1065
01:00:02,000 --> 01:00:06,200
Speaker 1: this offseason to any of his peers who are overseeing

1066
01:00:06,680 --> 01:00:10,440
Speaker 1: twenty twenty five non playoff teams, I think most of

1067
01:00:10,520 --> 01:00:13,320
Speaker 1: those dudes would agree that Duke Tobin's in a pretty

1068
01:00:13,400 --> 01:00:14,080
Speaker 1: enviable spot.

1069
01:00:15,640 --> 01:00:19,680
Speaker 8: Well, GASICKI is this off season's Geno Stone and the

1070
01:00:19,760 --> 01:00:21,920
Speaker 8: fact that I feel like they're gonna ask him to

1071
01:00:21,960 --> 01:00:24,240
Speaker 8: take a pay cut based on the fact that he

1072
01:00:24,360 --> 01:00:26,400
Speaker 8: was unhealthy and new look, he didn't put up that

1073
01:00:26,760 --> 01:00:27,520
Speaker 8: big numbers.

1074
01:00:28,720 --> 01:00:31,480
Speaker 1: Maybe, but I guess with Geno Stone, we didn't know

1075
01:00:31,520 --> 01:00:33,800
Speaker 1: who Plan B was. My guess is if they tell

1076
01:00:33,960 --> 01:00:36,280
Speaker 1: Mike Gisicki to take a pay cut, they have a

1077
01:00:36,800 --> 01:00:37,720
Speaker 1: Plan B in mind.

1078
01:00:39,880 --> 01:00:43,040
Speaker 7: Well, we know the Plan b's on on the team

1079
01:00:43,080 --> 01:00:43,880
Speaker 7: because Noah Fense.

1080
01:00:44,080 --> 01:00:47,280
Speaker 8: I think all three of his bumbles got returned for touchdown,

1081
01:00:47,400 --> 01:00:49,760
Speaker 8: so we don't need to see that action anymore.

1082
01:00:50,400 --> 01:00:53,440
Speaker 7: And Drew Sample, well, it's Drew Sample.

1083
01:00:53,520 --> 01:00:54,480
Speaker 3: It needs to take a pay cut.

1084
01:00:54,520 --> 01:00:56,400
Speaker 7: As we know, he's just the blocking tight end. And

1085
01:00:57,000 --> 01:00:59,160
Speaker 7: we love blocking, but I feel like we got to

1086
01:00:59,160 --> 01:01:00,440
Speaker 7: be able to find someone block.

1087
01:01:01,680 --> 01:01:03,480
Speaker 1: You want to ask Drew Sample to take a pay cut?

1088
01:01:06,320 --> 01:01:09,240
Speaker 7: All he does is block, right, I mean block and

1089
01:01:09,360 --> 01:01:10,760
Speaker 7: catch two passes the year.

1090
01:01:10,680 --> 01:01:17,080
Speaker 1: And what's wrong with blocking? Like end?

1091
01:01:17,120 --> 01:01:17,600
Speaker 3: Come on now?

1092
01:01:17,760 --> 01:01:20,080
Speaker 1: If his job is well, there are different types of

1093
01:01:20,120 --> 01:01:23,240
Speaker 1: tight ends. I mean, look look around the league. You'll

1094
01:01:23,280 --> 01:01:24,920
Speaker 1: find a lot of teams that have tight ends that

1095
01:01:25,000 --> 01:01:28,000
Speaker 1: they want in the field when what they're doing calls

1096
01:01:28,040 --> 01:01:30,000
Speaker 1: for a blocking tight end. And then they'll have a

1097
01:01:30,080 --> 01:01:32,160
Speaker 1: tight end who's on the field who's maybe a little

1098
01:01:32,160 --> 01:01:33,960
Speaker 1: bit less of an inline tight end that they're more

1099
01:01:34,080 --> 01:01:36,600
Speaker 1: likely to throw the ball to like I don't have

1100
01:01:36,680 --> 01:01:38,720
Speaker 1: in front of you with Drew Sample's number is if

1101
01:01:39,000 --> 01:01:41,520
Speaker 1: they're so hard up financially that they have to ask

1102
01:01:41,640 --> 01:01:43,480
Speaker 1: Drew Sample to take a pay cut, that then there

1103
01:01:43,520 --> 01:01:46,640
Speaker 1: are more dire straits than I think. We we've even discussed.

1104
01:01:49,120 --> 01:01:51,520
Speaker 7: I'm only making like Mike Brown, which is cheap.

1105
01:01:51,600 --> 01:01:54,520
Speaker 3: As we know, we're just thinking like Mike Brown. You

1106
01:01:54,600 --> 01:01:56,480
Speaker 3: gotta think like, you know, where can I.

1107
01:01:56,520 --> 01:01:57,200
Speaker 5: Save a penny?

1108
01:01:58,120 --> 01:01:58,320
Speaker 6: Yeah?

1109
01:01:58,360 --> 01:02:00,959
Speaker 1: But I mean all right, so they saved the issue

1110
01:02:01,000 --> 01:02:03,080
Speaker 1: with Gino Stone was not asking him to take a

1111
01:02:03,160 --> 01:02:06,600
Speaker 1: pay cut. It's if he said, first of all, was

1112
01:02:06,600 --> 01:02:08,480
Speaker 1: already a player who was bad last year to begin

1113
01:02:08,600 --> 01:02:10,560
Speaker 1: with number two? What were they gonna do if he

1114
01:02:10,600 --> 01:02:13,400
Speaker 1: said no? We never got the answer. I believe Ron

1115
01:02:13,520 --> 01:02:15,000
Speaker 1: we have TJ. Friedel. I have to go.

1116
01:02:16,360 --> 01:02:17,640
Speaker 7: I take it easy mode.

1117
01:02:17,680 --> 01:02:20,360
Speaker 1: Say hi to him from Ron I did. I'll definitely,

1118
01:02:20,480 --> 01:02:23,280
Speaker 1: I'll definitely make sure that we pass along your regards.

1119
01:02:23,320 --> 01:02:26,560
Speaker 1: Twenty one twenty now away from five o'clock. This is

1120
01:02:26,800 --> 01:02:30,760
Speaker 1: ESPN fifteen thirty. TJ. Friedel is coming off a season

1121
01:02:30,800 --> 01:02:32,720
Speaker 1: where he played in one hundred and fifty two games.

1122
01:02:32,760 --> 01:02:36,280
Speaker 1: I'm getting I'm doing the intro assuming that we have him, Tarran,

1123
01:02:36,360 --> 01:02:39,480
Speaker 1: Is that TJ. Friedel on line seven? Break all right,

1124
01:02:39,640 --> 01:02:42,000
Speaker 1: Arren says, break live rate. See this is not what

1125
01:02:42,120 --> 01:02:45,880
Speaker 1: happens on podcasts. This is live baby. We may or

1126
01:02:45,960 --> 01:02:48,880
Speaker 1: may not talk to TJ. Friedel next on ESPN fifteen thirty.

1127
01:02:49,920 --> 01:02:53,200
Speaker 1: Been eight years since we've called it the DL eight.

1128
01:02:54,040 --> 01:02:59,600
Speaker 6: Maybe ten, golso know's what happened eight years ago?

1129
01:03:00,200 --> 01:03:03,560
Speaker 1: What else happened eight years ago? That's right? The Minneapolis miracle.

1130
01:03:04,040 --> 01:03:05,280
Speaker 1: How do you celebrate, Tarn.

1131
01:03:06,640 --> 01:03:08,560
Speaker 6: I'm just wearing a mon Podkings hoodie.

1132
01:03:08,600 --> 01:03:09,120
Speaker 1: I understand.

1133
01:03:09,400 --> 01:03:11,800
Speaker 6: Very good, only positive thing about that playoff Roun. We

1134
01:03:11,840 --> 01:03:12,760
Speaker 6: got smoked the next.

1135
01:03:12,640 --> 01:03:15,960
Speaker 1: Week against Philadelphia thirty four to seven. Yeah, I remember.

1136
01:03:17,320 --> 01:03:19,120
Speaker 1: What do you think TJ. Friedel's doing right now?

1137
01:03:20,680 --> 01:03:21,280
Speaker 6: I'm not sure?

1138
01:03:22,720 --> 01:03:25,560
Speaker 1: Is do we know if he has been affected by

1139
01:03:25,600 --> 01:03:29,120
Speaker 1: the Verizon outage? I just I looked at Verizon. Verizon

1140
01:03:29,320 --> 01:03:34,280
Speaker 1: is acknowledging that there's been an outage affecting some customers

1141
01:03:34,400 --> 01:03:38,840
Speaker 1: and maybe TJ. Friedel is one of them. Just to

1142
01:03:39,160 --> 01:03:41,640
Speaker 1: address some things we talked about there with with Ron

1143
01:03:42,240 --> 01:03:46,880
Speaker 1: the Drew sample thing. Drew sample was maybe not worth

1144
01:03:47,000 --> 01:03:49,800
Speaker 1: using a second round pick on. But he's been a

1145
01:03:49,880 --> 01:03:53,920
Speaker 1: good player in the role specifically designed for him, been

1146
01:03:53,960 --> 01:03:57,320
Speaker 1: a fine player. I mean, maybe there's only so much

1147
01:03:57,360 --> 01:03:59,520
Speaker 1: of an impact that a blocking tight end can have.

1148
01:04:00,640 --> 01:04:03,240
Speaker 1: But when's the last time you watch a Bengals game

1149
01:04:03,280 --> 01:04:08,480
Speaker 1: and thought man Drew Samples, Drew Sample's been been a problem,

1150
01:04:08,600 --> 01:04:10,560
Speaker 1: or Drew Sample's out of position, or Drew Sample's not

1151
01:04:10,600 --> 01:04:13,680
Speaker 1: blocking the guy'sposed to block. He's making two point eight

1152
01:04:13,760 --> 01:04:15,400
Speaker 1: three million dollars. If you have to ask him to

1153
01:04:15,440 --> 01:04:17,320
Speaker 1: take a paycoat, what are you doing? What do you

1154
01:04:17,440 --> 01:04:21,240
Speaker 1: got that's better in his role specifically than Drew Sample. Now,

1155
01:04:21,960 --> 01:04:25,920
Speaker 1: I think at tight end, and you certainly wouldn't put

1156
01:04:25,960 --> 01:04:28,440
Speaker 1: all your eggs in this basket. But at tight end,

1157
01:04:29,680 --> 01:04:36,800
Speaker 1: the variable that you have to at least consider is

1158
01:04:38,080 --> 01:04:42,520
Speaker 1: Eric All And like, you hated for this dude because

1159
01:04:42,640 --> 01:04:46,120
Speaker 1: you know he got hurt in college, he said, multiple

1160
01:04:46,200 --> 01:04:49,560
Speaker 1: knee surgeries since he became a pro. But there was

1161
01:04:49,680 --> 01:04:53,440
Speaker 1: that glimpse in twenty twenty four where he was like

1162
01:04:53,840 --> 01:04:59,120
Speaker 1: the tight end of our dreams, like could block, could catch,

1163
01:05:00,160 --> 01:05:03,960
Speaker 1: kind of remade how they did things offensively. But because

1164
01:05:04,000 --> 01:05:06,040
Speaker 1: of his injury history, but because it's been so long

1165
01:05:06,080 --> 01:05:10,680
Speaker 1: since he actually played. It's a variable, and he's a

1166
01:05:10,720 --> 01:05:13,200
Speaker 1: guy that you hope at least gets a chance physically

1167
01:05:13,320 --> 01:05:14,760
Speaker 1: to show what he could do at this level. But

1168
01:05:15,040 --> 01:05:18,080
Speaker 1: I don't know that you count on him. I think

1169
01:05:18,120 --> 01:05:24,960
Speaker 1: they're okay. Like theirm has been find a find a

1170
01:05:25,040 --> 01:05:29,640
Speaker 1: tight end, and the hit rate has been at times

1171
01:05:29,840 --> 01:05:33,400
Speaker 1: pretty good. Hayden Hurst was a good player. I KISSICKI

1172
01:05:33,440 --> 01:05:35,200
Speaker 1: has been a good pick up, although I think he's

1173
01:05:35,240 --> 01:05:38,520
Speaker 1: been used more as a pure receiver than tight end.

1174
01:05:39,120 --> 01:05:43,560
Speaker 1: Noah Fan had his moments. Unfortunately, when you think of him,

1175
01:05:43,560 --> 01:05:47,360
Speaker 1: you think of fumble sixes. It feels like he's not

1176
01:05:47,480 --> 01:05:50,880
Speaker 1: going to be somebody they bring back. But there's versions

1177
01:05:50,960 --> 01:05:52,880
Speaker 1: of him that you would imagine. They go and try

1178
01:05:52,960 --> 01:05:56,200
Speaker 1: to find a veteran tight end that you think, in

1179
01:05:56,320 --> 01:05:59,760
Speaker 1: a good year is going to catch forty to fifty passes,

1180
01:06:02,320 --> 01:06:05,680
Speaker 1: be a security blanket, add to the weaponry. Not the

1181
01:06:05,760 --> 01:06:10,120
Speaker 1: centerpiece of the offseason. But getting back to the original

1182
01:06:10,680 --> 01:06:14,520
Speaker 1: comment about the Bengals being lucky, I do believe this

1183
01:06:16,920 --> 01:06:19,520
Speaker 1: that if you were to ask most of the other

1184
01:06:20,480 --> 01:06:24,720
Speaker 1: general managers, including gms of teams that did make the

1185
01:06:24,800 --> 01:06:27,760
Speaker 1: postseason but were eliminated last week, of which there were

1186
01:06:27,800 --> 01:06:31,960
Speaker 1: obviously six, and you say, okay, you gotta do better

1187
01:06:32,000 --> 01:06:34,400
Speaker 1: in twenty twenty six. You got to get to work

1188
01:06:35,320 --> 01:06:37,280
Speaker 1: on the team being in a better position to compete

1189
01:06:37,320 --> 01:06:41,000
Speaker 1: for a championship. How many of them have with the

1190
01:06:41,040 --> 01:06:46,120
Speaker 1: Bengals have offensively, even if you want to say, well,

1191
01:06:46,440 --> 01:06:50,760
Speaker 1: the Chiefs, they still have Patrick Mahomes number one, You

1192
01:06:50,920 --> 01:06:52,919
Speaker 1: sure he's going to be ready week one. Number two,

1193
01:06:53,520 --> 01:06:57,480
Speaker 1: they've had Patrick Mahomes, and yet their offense in recent

1194
01:06:57,600 --> 01:07:02,120
Speaker 1: years has been very uneven, even when last year they

1195
01:07:02,160 --> 01:07:05,320
Speaker 1: won fifteen games and made the Super Bowl. Very uneven.

1196
01:07:05,960 --> 01:07:08,880
Speaker 1: There's a lot there to rebuild the Chargers. There's a

1197
01:07:08,960 --> 01:07:12,480
Speaker 1: lot to work on with regards to Justin Herbert and

1198
01:07:12,520 --> 01:07:16,680
Speaker 1: that offensive line. And Duke Tobin does sit in a

1199
01:07:16,840 --> 01:07:19,200
Speaker 1: very enviable seat. This does not mean that you should

1200
01:07:19,200 --> 01:07:22,280
Speaker 1: trust him. This doesn't mean that it's guaranteed to work.

1201
01:07:22,840 --> 01:07:27,800
Speaker 1: It doesn't mean that there's not very reasonable skepticism about,

1202
01:07:28,360 --> 01:07:32,880
Speaker 1: excuse me, maintaining the status quo and preaching continuity like

1203
01:07:33,200 --> 01:07:40,200
Speaker 1: all Legit all very fair, but still a pretty damn

1204
01:07:40,240 --> 01:07:43,720
Speaker 1: good place to start your off season. I got Burrow,

1205
01:07:43,880 --> 01:07:48,120
Speaker 1: I got weaponry, I got a good offensive line. All

1206
01:07:48,160 --> 01:07:51,400
Speaker 1: I gotta do is sign Reisner, add a piece here

1207
01:07:51,480 --> 01:07:56,240
Speaker 1: or there, not making priorities, and then I can devote

1208
01:07:56,240 --> 01:07:59,760
Speaker 1: all my time and energy to the defense. They should

1209
01:07:59,800 --> 01:08:02,800
Speaker 1: all always be looking to add offensive linemen. Then you

1210
01:08:02,840 --> 01:08:07,920
Speaker 1: should always be looking for players that represent good fits upgrades,

1211
01:08:08,520 --> 01:08:11,480
Speaker 1: And so you don't expect him for a second to

1212
01:08:11,680 --> 01:08:17,840
Speaker 1: totally ignore the defense, but you do expect the overwhelming

1213
01:08:17,840 --> 01:08:21,400
Speaker 1: amount of time, energy, resources, free agency dollars and draft

1214
01:08:21,520 --> 01:08:25,200
Speaker 1: choices to be used on the defense. That certainly doesn't

1215
01:08:25,200 --> 01:08:31,320
Speaker 1: guarantee that they'll get it fixed. But yeah, man likes

1216
01:08:31,479 --> 01:08:33,600
Speaker 1: as much as a lot of folks don't want to

1217
01:08:33,640 --> 01:08:36,840
Speaker 1: be even remotely optimistic about this team, and god knows

1218
01:08:36,920 --> 01:08:39,760
Speaker 1: I've spent the last four months complaining about what they

1219
01:08:39,920 --> 01:08:45,719
Speaker 1: didn't do last offseason. You have one of the great

1220
01:08:45,880 --> 01:08:51,280
Speaker 1: variables in all the sport and a quarterback do it

1221
01:08:51,320 --> 01:08:56,160
Speaker 1: at the most important position, who, when healthy, has claimed

1222
01:08:56,280 --> 01:08:59,040
Speaker 1: to being the very best at his position. That doesn't

1223
01:08:59,080 --> 01:09:02,160
Speaker 1: mean he is, that's subjective, but come on, you can't

1224
01:09:02,200 --> 01:09:05,800
Speaker 1: have the conversation about who handles the ins and outs,

1225
01:09:05,800 --> 01:09:08,759
Speaker 1: who handles the nuts and bolts playing quarterback best without

1226
01:09:08,800 --> 01:09:12,360
Speaker 1: talking about Joe Burrow. So yeah, I think to a

1227
01:09:12,439 --> 01:09:15,759
Speaker 1: degree they are lucky. Like that is the most important

1228
01:09:15,840 --> 01:09:21,559
Speaker 1: status quo you look in this division, man, The Cleveland

1229
01:09:21,600 --> 01:09:24,719
Speaker 1: Browns have been looking for a solution to quarterback since

1230
01:09:24,760 --> 01:09:30,439
Speaker 1: their reintroduction to the league. The Deshaun Watson contracts still looms.

1231
01:09:31,800 --> 01:09:37,120
Speaker 1: The Pittsburgh Steelers. Your guests as good as mine. Lamar

1232
01:09:37,240 --> 01:09:39,800
Speaker 1: Jackson is still Lamar Jackson, and my money would be

1233
01:09:39,880 --> 01:09:43,240
Speaker 1: on him having a bounce back season, but he played

1234
01:09:43,280 --> 01:09:46,880
Speaker 1: on evenly this year. There was weirdness with his health

1235
01:09:47,000 --> 01:09:53,800
Speaker 1: and not practicing. Like you know, ask ask a Steelers fan.

1236
01:09:54,560 --> 01:09:56,160
Speaker 1: Don't know who your head coach is going to be.

1237
01:09:56,240 --> 01:09:58,680
Speaker 1: And Mike Tomlin has been as much of the identity

1238
01:09:59,080 --> 01:10:01,200
Speaker 1: of the Pittsburgh stal And there's a lot of good

1239
01:10:01,280 --> 01:10:02,600
Speaker 1: to that and a lot of bad to that for

1240
01:10:02,640 --> 01:10:05,920
Speaker 1: a long time. What else you got offensively? What are

1241
01:10:05,920 --> 01:10:08,439
Speaker 1: you gonna do next year? And by the way, that

1242
01:10:08,560 --> 01:10:11,400
Speaker 1: defense that they spent a lot of money on, I

1243
01:10:11,520 --> 01:10:17,720
Speaker 1: thought at times this season was woefully underwhelming. So there's

1244
01:10:17,920 --> 01:10:21,720
Speaker 1: a lot of work to do, and in Cleveland, man,

1245
01:10:21,840 --> 01:10:23,960
Speaker 1: a lot of work to do. So yeah, I think,

1246
01:10:24,080 --> 01:10:28,960
Speaker 1: relatively speaking, Bengals are pretty lucky. I have lived through

1247
01:10:31,200 --> 01:10:35,639
Speaker 1: a lot of off seasons and the to do list

1248
01:10:35,720 --> 01:10:39,040
Speaker 1: at times, to go from one off season, or to

1249
01:10:39,160 --> 01:10:41,320
Speaker 1: go from one season that was really bad to the

1250
01:10:41,439 --> 01:10:43,960
Speaker 1: next where you hoped it would be really good, it

1251
01:10:44,120 --> 01:10:47,439
Speaker 1: was almost an impossible task. There was so much work

1252
01:10:47,479 --> 01:10:50,160
Speaker 1: to do, so much of an overhaul needed to be done.

1253
01:10:50,800 --> 01:10:55,800
Speaker 1: That ain't the case here, man. And by the way, like, yeah,

1254
01:10:55,800 --> 01:10:59,080
Speaker 1: they have a lot of problems. They don't need for

1255
01:10:59,160 --> 01:11:01,960
Speaker 1: there to be cat casualty, so to speak. There may

1256
01:11:02,040 --> 01:11:04,280
Speaker 1: be players they simply don't want to keep or move

1257
01:11:04,320 --> 01:11:07,640
Speaker 1: on with and decide to use the money elsewhere. But

1258
01:11:07,680 --> 01:11:09,479
Speaker 1: they're not in a situation where they've got to make

1259
01:11:09,520 --> 01:11:11,720
Speaker 1: the team better. But they need to cut guys to

1260
01:11:11,760 --> 01:11:14,360
Speaker 1: get under a certain number. There's tons of money to spend.

1261
01:11:15,000 --> 01:11:17,439
Speaker 1: They're set on one side of the ball. They have

1262
01:11:17,560 --> 01:11:25,479
Speaker 1: all their picks. Yes, that's that's a pretty damn, pretty

1263
01:11:25,560 --> 01:11:28,679
Speaker 1: damn good place to start an off season, an important offseason,

1264
01:11:28,720 --> 01:11:32,559
Speaker 1: a vital offseason, but a pretty good place to begin

1265
01:11:34,600 --> 01:11:37,840
Speaker 1: this process. So yeah, I think Duke Tobin to a

1266
01:11:37,920 --> 01:11:40,240
Speaker 1: degree is the the the envy of a lot of

1267
01:11:40,280 --> 01:11:45,080
Speaker 1: his peers who would would love to He's got some

1268
01:11:45,200 --> 01:11:48,599
Speaker 1: first world problems we'll we'll put it that way. Five

1269
01:11:48,600 --> 01:11:51,240
Speaker 1: point nine fifteen thirty is the number in an eight

1270
01:11:51,280 --> 01:11:55,439
Speaker 1: sixty six seven two three seven seven six. It's interesting.

1271
01:11:55,520 --> 01:11:58,320
Speaker 1: I talked about the Miami Rerdhawks at the top of

1272
01:11:58,360 --> 01:12:04,320
Speaker 1: the show and just how I want to even say unfortunate,

1273
01:12:04,400 --> 01:12:08,720
Speaker 1: because this is how it's been for a while. If

1274
01:12:08,760 --> 01:12:11,360
Speaker 1: you're rooting for a high major college basketball team and

1275
01:12:11,360 --> 01:12:15,439
Speaker 1: they're having a special season in January, there's excitement, and

1276
01:12:15,560 --> 01:12:19,200
Speaker 1: the excitement is over watching them play in March. If

1277
01:12:19,200 --> 01:12:23,960
Speaker 1: you're a Miami RedHawks fan, there's excitement. And I think

1278
01:12:24,080 --> 01:12:26,280
Speaker 1: the thing we talk about least that we should talk

1279
01:12:26,320 --> 01:12:30,360
Speaker 1: about the most in college basketball are regular season conference championships.

1280
01:12:30,560 --> 01:12:32,360
Speaker 1: I've tried to make this point. I tried to make

1281
01:12:32,400 --> 01:12:34,880
Speaker 1: this point when you see was winning conference championships, But

1282
01:12:34,960 --> 01:12:37,800
Speaker 1: I think winning a conference championship is so undervalued by

1283
01:12:37,880 --> 01:12:41,200
Speaker 1: many fans, not all, maybe not most, because I think

1284
01:12:41,280 --> 01:12:46,240
Speaker 1: who emerges at the top of a league throughout the

1285
01:12:46,320 --> 01:12:48,519
Speaker 1: course of the grind of the regular season having to

1286
01:12:48,600 --> 01:12:52,280
Speaker 1: play road games, is you know, the real sort of

1287
01:12:52,920 --> 01:12:56,240
Speaker 1: I don't know that really proves who's the toughest, who's

1288
01:12:56,240 --> 01:12:58,880
Speaker 1: the best, which roster is best constructed, which teams are

1289
01:12:59,400 --> 01:13:02,400
Speaker 1: in some case says get the luckiest. But you're looking

1290
01:13:02,479 --> 01:13:05,760
Speaker 1: ahead to March with excitement when you're a team that's

1291
01:13:05,800 --> 01:13:08,240
Speaker 1: fifteen and oh or eighteen and oh counting the D

1292
01:13:08,360 --> 01:13:12,840
Speaker 1: two and lower level wins in the MAC, there's apprehension

1293
01:13:12,840 --> 01:13:19,400
Speaker 1: about March because it's not promised more after this, maybe TJ.

1294
01:13:19,520 --> 01:13:24,719
Speaker 1: Friedel on ESPN fifteen thirty, pay four after five, ESPN

1295
01:13:24,800 --> 01:13:29,280
Speaker 1: fifteen thirty, Moelegger, thanks for listening. Hopefully you're having the

1296
01:13:29,360 --> 01:13:35,000
Speaker 1: most awesome Wednesday of your life. We're done early twenty

1297
01:13:35,040 --> 01:13:37,080
Speaker 1: six minutes away from the end of the show. Kentucky

1298
01:13:37,160 --> 01:13:42,439
Speaker 1: basketball the Wildcats battling Ls here tip off at seven pm.

1299
01:13:43,160 --> 01:13:47,360
Speaker 1: We are we giving up on TJ. Friedel was supposed

1300
01:13:47,360 --> 01:13:49,719
Speaker 1: to join us. I know the folks that the Reds

1301
01:13:49,760 --> 01:13:51,960
Speaker 1: have reached out. They're trying to get a hold of them.

1302
01:13:52,000 --> 01:13:55,639
Speaker 1: They don't know what happened. So maybe maybe maybe TJ

1303
01:13:55,800 --> 01:13:58,280
Speaker 1: will call in between now and five thirty. If so,

1304
01:13:58,960 --> 01:14:02,200
Speaker 1: we can't wait to talk to him. If not, you know,

1305
01:14:02,320 --> 01:14:04,559
Speaker 1: we'll live. Oh wait a minute, wait a minute, line

1306
01:14:04,640 --> 01:14:07,280
Speaker 1: seven is ringing. Now I got to do the little filibuster.

1307
01:14:07,840 --> 01:14:09,240
Speaker 1: Now I got to do a little thing where I

1308
01:14:09,320 --> 01:14:11,840
Speaker 1: sort of do the dance. Here, I'm getting a text

1309
01:14:11,880 --> 01:14:14,280
Speaker 1: saying he should be calling. Now I see him on

1310
01:14:14,400 --> 01:14:18,320
Speaker 1: line seven. Tarn is talking to somebody. The line is white.

1311
01:14:18,320 --> 01:14:20,479
Speaker 1: As soon as it turns green, it's going to mean

1312
01:14:20,520 --> 01:14:22,240
Speaker 1: that we could put the collar on the air. If

1313
01:14:22,240 --> 01:14:24,840
Speaker 1: it's TJ. Friedel, we will be talking with the Red

1314
01:14:24,920 --> 01:14:27,680
Speaker 1: center fielder. If it's not TJ. Friedel, then we're going

1315
01:14:27,760 --> 01:14:30,400
Speaker 1: to talk to Mike from Los Angeles. It is TJ. Friedel,

1316
01:14:30,560 --> 01:14:34,599
Speaker 1: TJ Hi Mouager, ESPN fifteen thirty. How are you hey?

1317
01:14:34,720 --> 01:14:34,880
Speaker 3: Good?

1318
01:14:34,880 --> 01:14:35,320
Speaker 5: How you doing?

1319
01:14:35,840 --> 01:14:37,840
Speaker 1: I'm doing? Is everything okay? Is everything all right?

1320
01:14:39,000 --> 01:14:41,759
Speaker 3: Everything's good? Always sitting around and I thought.

1321
01:14:42,120 --> 01:14:46,240
Speaker 6: Waiting for a call, and then here here you are.

1322
01:14:46,800 --> 01:14:50,320
Speaker 1: I understand. Well, it's say you made it. You made it.

1323
01:14:50,400 --> 01:14:52,880
Speaker 1: It's awesome to have you excited for Reds Fest this week.

1324
01:14:53,479 --> 01:14:55,880
Speaker 1: I want to look back before we look ahead. You

1325
01:14:56,040 --> 01:14:59,679
Speaker 1: have been a part of this franchise since twenty sixteen,

1326
01:15:00,080 --> 01:15:02,280
Speaker 1: part of the big league club since twenty twenty one,

1327
01:15:02,400 --> 01:15:05,400
Speaker 1: so you've had a front row seat for so many

1328
01:15:05,479 --> 01:15:07,760
Speaker 1: of the things that have gone on on and off

1329
01:15:07,840 --> 01:15:09,800
Speaker 1: the field with this franchise. You were part of the

1330
01:15:09,840 --> 01:15:13,559
Speaker 1: team in twenty twenty two. Yes, you would have loved

1331
01:15:13,600 --> 01:15:16,360
Speaker 1: this past October to have a longer stay in the postseason,

1332
01:15:16,760 --> 01:15:19,439
Speaker 1: but to get there from your perspective, what did it mean?

1333
01:15:20,920 --> 01:15:21,439
Speaker 1: Meant the world?

1334
01:15:22,920 --> 01:15:25,559
Speaker 5: You know, ever since I've gotten caught up, the goal

1335
01:15:25,680 --> 01:15:28,680
Speaker 5: is to win a World Series. In first steps to that,

1336
01:15:28,720 --> 01:15:31,960
Speaker 5: you got to make the playoffs. Kind of like you

1337
01:15:32,040 --> 01:15:33,960
Speaker 5: touched on being with the team in twenty twenty two

1338
01:15:34,120 --> 01:15:39,360
Speaker 5: and going through that rebuild year and then seeing twenty

1339
01:15:39,439 --> 01:15:42,439
Speaker 5: twenty three the progress we made, and you know, this

1340
01:15:42,560 --> 01:15:44,960
Speaker 5: past season, just finally being able to pop champagne with

1341
01:15:45,000 --> 01:15:47,120
Speaker 5: the guys you've been grinding on hundred sixty two games

1342
01:15:47,200 --> 01:15:50,320
Speaker 5: with was incredible and it's good we got a little

1343
01:15:50,360 --> 01:15:52,679
Speaker 5: taste of it. Like you said, it wasn't as long

1344
01:15:52,720 --> 01:15:55,680
Speaker 5: as we were hoping for. You know, we didn't end

1345
01:15:55,720 --> 01:15:57,560
Speaker 5: up one of the whole thing, but you know, we

1346
01:15:57,720 --> 01:15:59,040
Speaker 5: know what it tastes like now we know what it

1347
01:15:59,120 --> 01:16:00,920
Speaker 5: takes to get there. So for us, I think that

1348
01:16:01,000 --> 01:16:04,280
Speaker 5: was the biggest thing. Adding Gavin Lux and Travino, a

1349
01:16:04,320 --> 01:16:06,800
Speaker 5: couple of guys who were in the World Series the

1350
01:16:06,920 --> 01:16:10,120
Speaker 5: year before, who know what it takes to get to

1351
01:16:10,200 --> 01:16:12,200
Speaker 5: the playoffs and what it takes to get that experience

1352
01:16:12,240 --> 01:16:14,240
Speaker 5: and then for all of us to do it ourselves

1353
01:16:14,439 --> 01:16:15,400
Speaker 5: was phenomenal.

1354
01:16:15,960 --> 01:16:17,920
Speaker 1: What was it like playing in so many of those

1355
01:16:18,000 --> 01:16:20,840
Speaker 1: games down the stretch where you know, we kept calling

1356
01:16:20,880 --> 01:16:23,080
Speaker 1: the guys the cockroaches, right, you couldn't kill them. But

1357
01:16:23,680 --> 01:16:25,800
Speaker 1: there were so many games where, yeah, there were so

1358
01:16:25,840 --> 01:16:27,400
Speaker 1: many games where it felt like, man, if they take

1359
01:16:27,439 --> 01:16:29,519
Speaker 1: a loss tonight, that's it, and you would bounce back,

1360
01:16:29,560 --> 01:16:30,639
Speaker 1: you would win every single time.

1361
01:16:30,920 --> 01:16:31,680
Speaker 3: What was that like?

1362
01:16:33,160 --> 01:16:37,439
Speaker 5: It was? You know, it's it's why you play the game.

1363
01:16:37,680 --> 01:16:39,519
Speaker 5: Meaningful baseball is what I call it. That's the word

1364
01:16:39,560 --> 01:16:41,960
Speaker 5: I use for it, playing meaningful baseball, playing games that matter.

1365
01:16:42,080 --> 01:16:46,080
Speaker 5: In September twenty seventh, twenty eight, twenty nine, thirtieth, you know,

1366
01:16:46,439 --> 01:16:49,240
Speaker 5: coming down the stretch there and going into every game

1367
01:16:49,360 --> 01:16:51,479
Speaker 5: knowing that, hey, you know, this could be it and

1368
01:16:51,720 --> 01:16:53,680
Speaker 5: do or die. We got to make the most of it.

1369
01:16:53,840 --> 01:16:56,880
Speaker 5: And you know, I think we're in a position there

1370
01:16:56,920 --> 01:16:58,680
Speaker 5: where we control our own destiny for a little bit.

1371
01:16:59,160 --> 01:17:00,840
Speaker 5: And then we kind of lost stat and we were

1372
01:17:00,920 --> 01:17:05,360
Speaker 5: chasing scoreboard watching, so then we kind of got ourselves

1373
01:17:05,360 --> 01:17:07,040
Speaker 5: back in the driver's seat for that Brewers series and

1374
01:17:07,080 --> 01:17:10,120
Speaker 5: gave ourselves the best chance to to get in and

1375
01:17:10,760 --> 01:17:12,720
Speaker 5: that's all you can ask for, is just like I said,

1376
01:17:12,720 --> 01:17:14,200
Speaker 5: to play meaningful baseball on the stretch.

1377
01:17:15,720 --> 01:17:19,280
Speaker 1: How does oh we have company everything? Okay, I can say,

1378
01:17:19,280 --> 01:17:19,680
Speaker 1: I'm not sure.

1379
01:17:19,680 --> 01:17:22,160
Speaker 5: If you hear my son talking to I got my

1380
01:17:22,600 --> 01:17:24,320
Speaker 5: five month old son, he's on the phone. He wants

1381
01:17:24,360 --> 01:17:25,160
Speaker 5: to talk to you guys too.

1382
01:17:25,280 --> 01:17:27,800
Speaker 1: So I understand, I understand. How How does how does

1383
01:17:27,880 --> 01:17:30,800
Speaker 1: that experience from September last year payoff? When you think

1384
01:17:30,800 --> 01:17:31,799
Speaker 1: about twenty twenty.

1385
01:17:31,600 --> 01:17:35,880
Speaker 5: Six, Well, you know, like I said before, I think

1386
01:17:35,920 --> 01:17:37,720
Speaker 5: it's just now we all know what it takes to

1387
01:17:37,800 --> 01:17:40,759
Speaker 5: get there. We all got a taste of that champagne

1388
01:17:40,880 --> 01:17:46,360
Speaker 5: for the postseason, and now we know down the stretch,

1389
01:17:46,479 --> 01:17:48,000
Speaker 5: you know, three one hundred and sixty two game, what

1390
01:17:48,080 --> 01:17:51,120
Speaker 5: it's going to take because you know, for me personally

1391
01:17:51,200 --> 01:17:54,320
Speaker 5: playing a couple of seasons now for full hundred sixty

1392
01:17:54,320 --> 01:17:57,320
Speaker 5: two games, that was my first season where like we

1393
01:17:57,400 --> 01:17:59,680
Speaker 5: talked about, down the stretch, you know, the game's meant

1394
01:17:59,720 --> 01:18:02,519
Speaker 5: a lot. Twenty twenty three, we came I think a

1395
01:18:02,600 --> 01:18:05,320
Speaker 5: game two games short, came right to the end. So

1396
01:18:05,439 --> 01:18:06,880
Speaker 5: to be on the other side of that last year

1397
01:18:07,160 --> 01:18:09,280
Speaker 5: and to clinch on the last game of the year

1398
01:18:09,439 --> 01:18:11,839
Speaker 5: was it was incredible. And I think it's that experience

1399
01:18:11,880 --> 01:18:13,400
Speaker 5: that comes with it. Not like I said, now we

1400
01:18:13,479 --> 01:18:16,599
Speaker 5: all know what it takes to play a playoff baseball,

1401
01:18:16,640 --> 01:18:18,800
Speaker 5: which a lot of us in that clubhouse never felt before.

1402
01:18:19,880 --> 01:18:23,559
Speaker 1: Your season, I think that's really important. Your season, your

1403
01:18:23,640 --> 01:18:26,240
Speaker 1: individual season. You know, the previous year you had the

1404
01:18:26,240 --> 01:18:28,479
Speaker 1: wrist injury at the end of spring training and so

1405
01:18:28,560 --> 01:18:30,960
Speaker 1: you play half a year. Last year you get through

1406
01:18:30,960 --> 01:18:33,280
Speaker 1: the full season, you play the full one sixty two,

1407
01:18:33,400 --> 01:18:36,640
Speaker 1: you appear in one hundred and fifty two games, and

1408
01:18:36,800 --> 01:18:38,840
Speaker 1: so I would imagine the first thing is health. But

1409
01:18:38,920 --> 01:18:41,800
Speaker 1: when you reflect on your season individually, what things come

1410
01:18:41,800 --> 01:18:42,120
Speaker 1: to mind?

1411
01:18:44,200 --> 01:18:46,400
Speaker 5: Yeah, I think, like the like he touched on, the

1412
01:18:46,400 --> 01:18:49,480
Speaker 5: biggest thing for me was just staying healthy, thing available

1413
01:18:49,680 --> 01:18:52,320
Speaker 5: for you know, just being ready, being there every game

1414
01:18:52,400 --> 01:18:54,800
Speaker 5: and being available throughout my name in that lineup every day.

1415
01:18:54,840 --> 01:18:58,920
Speaker 5: That was the most important thing for me. And then

1416
01:18:59,080 --> 01:19:01,840
Speaker 5: outside of that, you know, really recovering put my body

1417
01:19:01,880 --> 01:19:04,240
Speaker 5: in the best position to play every day. Outside of

1418
01:19:04,280 --> 01:19:06,840
Speaker 5: that came like knowing my role, knowing who I am.

1419
01:19:08,320 --> 01:19:10,720
Speaker 5: Like I mentioned before, Tito, Me and Tito had a

1420
01:19:10,760 --> 01:19:14,120
Speaker 5: good conversation last spring training, just about very transparent what

1421
01:19:14,160 --> 01:19:16,240
Speaker 5: he expected of me. You know, who I am, my

1422
01:19:16,400 --> 01:19:18,280
Speaker 5: role for the team, what I'm going to be, what

1423
01:19:18,439 --> 01:19:21,240
Speaker 5: he wants from me, and you know it was my

1424
01:19:21,360 --> 01:19:22,960
Speaker 5: job from that day to go out there and do it.

1425
01:19:23,800 --> 01:19:25,240
Speaker 5: And so for me, you know, I was just getting

1426
01:19:25,280 --> 01:19:26,960
Speaker 5: on base and trying to get on base two times

1427
01:19:27,000 --> 01:19:29,960
Speaker 5: a game, whatever that may be, and just set the

1428
01:19:30,000 --> 01:19:31,000
Speaker 5: tone for the guys behind me.

1429
01:19:32,120 --> 01:19:34,920
Speaker 1: Where did beyond what we get a chance to see

1430
01:19:34,960 --> 01:19:37,800
Speaker 1: And I'm not talking about like in game decisions, you know,

1431
01:19:37,880 --> 01:19:39,760
Speaker 1: who to pinch it, when to take a picture out,

1432
01:19:39,840 --> 01:19:42,960
Speaker 1: but sort of out of public view, where did Tito

1433
01:19:43,080 --> 01:19:44,840
Speaker 1: have the biggest impact on your team last year?

1434
01:19:49,040 --> 01:19:49,760
Speaker 3: That's a good question.

1435
01:19:50,280 --> 01:19:54,240
Speaker 5: I mean he had impact alsoughout like, but I think

1436
01:19:54,280 --> 01:19:58,120
Speaker 5: the biggest thing was was in the clubhouse and just

1437
01:19:58,240 --> 01:20:01,040
Speaker 5: his presence. You know, we get a Hall of Fame

1438
01:20:01,080 --> 01:20:03,720
Speaker 5: manager coming in and you know, after dB was gone,

1439
01:20:03,760 --> 01:20:05,280
Speaker 5: it was kind of like a big question mark of

1440
01:20:05,800 --> 01:20:07,040
Speaker 5: you know, it was going to come in. And I

1441
01:20:07,120 --> 01:20:10,840
Speaker 5: remember last off season in the news that we got

1442
01:20:10,920 --> 01:20:14,240
Speaker 5: Tito and I was like, wait, what, that's incredible?

1443
01:20:14,280 --> 01:20:15,160
Speaker 1: How do we pull that off?

1444
01:20:15,880 --> 01:20:18,599
Speaker 5: And got talked on the phone and just his excitement

1445
01:20:18,640 --> 01:20:20,400
Speaker 5: to be back around the game and his excitement to

1446
01:20:20,439 --> 01:20:22,960
Speaker 5: be managing the Reds and what that meant to him.

1447
01:20:23,720 --> 01:20:25,120
Speaker 5: And then we all really felt that in the spring

1448
01:20:25,200 --> 01:20:28,200
Speaker 5: training too. We felt his excitement and like you could

1449
01:20:28,240 --> 01:20:30,960
Speaker 5: hear it in his voice, and I think that just

1450
01:20:31,000 --> 01:20:32,920
Speaker 5: got the rest of us like rallying around each other,

1451
01:20:33,520 --> 01:20:36,960
Speaker 5: playing for each other. And then I think individually, he

1452
01:20:37,160 --> 01:20:39,600
Speaker 5: really did a good job of letting everybody know what

1453
01:20:39,680 --> 01:20:43,360
Speaker 5: he expected of each individual one of us so that

1454
01:20:43,439 --> 01:20:46,080
Speaker 5: we could really perform as a team. And I think

1455
01:20:46,120 --> 01:20:48,120
Speaker 5: everybody playing their role and doing what they need to

1456
01:20:48,160 --> 01:20:50,080
Speaker 5: do helped us as a team come together.

1457
01:20:51,479 --> 01:20:53,479
Speaker 1: As somebody who has been the father of a five

1458
01:20:53,560 --> 01:20:55,600
Speaker 1: month old before, I think I know the answer. But

1459
01:20:55,760 --> 01:20:57,120
Speaker 1: but what has your off season been like?

1460
01:20:58,760 --> 01:20:58,880
Speaker 3: Uh?

1461
01:20:59,280 --> 01:21:02,120
Speaker 5: Full dad mode? It's been great. Uh just getting to

1462
01:21:02,160 --> 01:21:04,720
Speaker 5: come back home and then the first month or so

1463
01:21:05,040 --> 01:21:08,519
Speaker 5: just letting the body rest, recover, do nothing. And yeah,

1464
01:21:08,600 --> 01:21:11,920
Speaker 5: so my son, Jonah was born end of July, so

1465
01:21:12,040 --> 01:21:13,600
Speaker 5: it was tough not getting to see him for a

1466
01:21:13,640 --> 01:21:16,160
Speaker 5: little bit. And then I have a four year old

1467
01:21:16,200 --> 01:21:19,280
Speaker 5: as well, So just getting to come back home and

1468
01:21:20,360 --> 01:21:22,960
Speaker 5: just dive into full dad mode and be with the

1469
01:21:23,040 --> 01:21:26,400
Speaker 5: boys and hang out with a family and spend down time,

1470
01:21:26,479 --> 01:21:28,120
Speaker 5: and then take about a month a month and a

1471
01:21:28,120 --> 01:21:29,920
Speaker 5: half off and then it's right back into it, right

1472
01:21:30,040 --> 01:21:33,080
Speaker 5: back to training, working out, hitting all that stuff.

1473
01:21:33,240 --> 01:21:36,320
Speaker 1: So does does that ram I.

1474
01:21:36,320 --> 01:21:37,280
Speaker 3: Can get to be with them?

1475
01:21:37,360 --> 01:21:38,400
Speaker 5: I just trying to be president.

1476
01:21:38,600 --> 01:21:39,920
Speaker 3: Yeah no, now with the kids.

1477
01:21:39,960 --> 01:21:41,080
Speaker 5: Didn't be as present as I can.

1478
01:21:41,240 --> 01:21:43,560
Speaker 1: You got dad time now and you have me interrupting it,

1479
01:21:43,720 --> 01:21:47,560
Speaker 1: so I I I appreciate it. Doude do to the

1480
01:21:47,600 --> 01:21:49,320
Speaker 1: next couple of weeks? Is that a ramp up? Do

1481
01:21:49,400 --> 01:21:51,679
Speaker 1: you take a little time off before you get things underway?

1482
01:21:51,720 --> 01:21:53,719
Speaker 1: In goodyear? What are the next few weeks beyond Redsvest

1483
01:21:53,760 --> 01:21:54,040
Speaker 1: look like?

1484
01:21:54,200 --> 01:21:57,400
Speaker 5: No, no, it's it's full go uh And I think

1485
01:21:57,479 --> 01:22:00,280
Speaker 5: red frest is I think this is I mean, for

1486
01:22:00,400 --> 01:22:03,360
Speaker 5: me personally, this is the first time it's ever been

1487
01:22:03,400 --> 01:22:05,840
Speaker 5: in like the middle of January that I can remember. Yes,

1488
01:22:06,000 --> 01:22:09,400
Speaker 5: only that's the caravan time. But I was kind of

1489
01:22:09,400 --> 01:22:11,800
Speaker 5: excited that it's middle of January because I feel like

1490
01:22:12,560 --> 01:22:15,439
Speaker 5: this is a big like build up for spring training,

1491
01:22:16,200 --> 01:22:19,560
Speaker 5: and it's like, hey, guys, it's baseball season, you know,

1492
01:22:19,880 --> 01:22:22,639
Speaker 5: big red fast downtown. Since you get everyone excited spring

1493
01:22:22,680 --> 01:22:25,639
Speaker 5: training right around the corner. So I'm excited. I'm excited

1494
01:22:25,680 --> 01:22:27,720
Speaker 5: to see the guys again, get together with them for

1495
01:22:27,760 --> 01:22:30,920
Speaker 5: the weekend and just get to steal the fans, interact

1496
01:22:30,960 --> 01:22:32,759
Speaker 5: with the fans, and be back in Tinsey.

1497
01:22:32,800 --> 01:22:33,439
Speaker 3: It'll be a good time.

1498
01:22:33,800 --> 01:22:36,920
Speaker 1: Well, you know, last year, every dispatch from Goodyear was

1499
01:22:37,000 --> 01:22:39,720
Speaker 1: about the vibes and it was an off season and

1500
01:22:40,040 --> 01:22:42,840
Speaker 1: a spring training defined by newness. Right, new manager, a

1501
01:22:42,880 --> 01:22:45,120
Speaker 1: lot of new coaches, a lot of players as you

1502
01:22:45,200 --> 01:22:48,320
Speaker 1: mentioned before that came from other organizations, and they had

1503
01:22:48,360 --> 01:22:50,320
Speaker 1: been a part of the postseason, had played in Kevin

1504
01:22:50,400 --> 01:22:53,360
Speaker 1: Lux's case, had won the World Series. There have been

1505
01:22:53,479 --> 01:22:56,400
Speaker 1: outside editions. But it feels like this year in spring

1506
01:22:56,520 --> 01:22:59,639
Speaker 1: training isn't going to be defined as much by newness.

1507
01:22:59,720 --> 01:23:02,360
Speaker 1: So what do you anticipate the vibe being in good

1508
01:23:02,439 --> 01:23:03,280
Speaker 1: Year in a couple of weeks.

1509
01:23:04,280 --> 01:23:05,960
Speaker 5: Yeah, No, you're right. I don't think it's going to

1510
01:23:06,000 --> 01:23:07,720
Speaker 5: be the first couple of weeks of getting to know

1511
01:23:07,880 --> 01:23:10,960
Speaker 5: people and getting familiar with some faces. And I think,

1512
01:23:11,840 --> 01:23:14,080
Speaker 5: you know, we have so many returning guys and added

1513
01:23:14,080 --> 01:23:17,360
Speaker 5: a couple of really good pieces this offseason. I think

1514
01:23:17,400 --> 01:23:19,400
Speaker 5: it's more so just gonna be a We're gonna hit

1515
01:23:19,439 --> 01:23:21,760
Speaker 5: the ground running. You know, we had a good year

1516
01:23:21,800 --> 01:23:23,560
Speaker 5: last year, but we didn't finish the way we wanted to.

1517
01:23:23,880 --> 01:23:25,920
Speaker 5: So how are we going to make the most of

1518
01:23:25,960 --> 01:23:28,479
Speaker 5: this year? And you know, fully expecting it to be

1519
01:23:29,040 --> 01:23:31,160
Speaker 5: a couple of days getting back together with everybody and

1520
01:23:31,240 --> 01:23:33,080
Speaker 5: good year, Hey what's up good this year? And then

1521
01:23:33,120 --> 01:23:34,080
Speaker 5: boom straight the business.

1522
01:23:35,960 --> 01:23:38,479
Speaker 1: I know, I can't wait. I'm sure you guys can either.

1523
01:23:38,640 --> 01:23:40,400
Speaker 1: Reds Fest this weekend is going to be a lot

1524
01:23:40,479 --> 01:23:42,800
Speaker 1: of fun, and then we'll flip the calendar here very

1525
01:23:42,880 --> 01:23:45,280
Speaker 1: soon and you guys will be in good year before

1526
01:23:45,320 --> 01:23:47,599
Speaker 1: we know it. As somebody who knows the dead time

1527
01:23:47,720 --> 01:23:49,760
Speaker 1: is precious, I can't thank you enough for taking some

1528
01:23:49,840 --> 01:23:52,559
Speaker 1: time out of your schedule to give us a few minutes.

1529
01:23:52,600 --> 01:23:55,120
Speaker 1: We'll let you get back unless he has something to say,

1530
01:23:55,200 --> 01:23:56,120
Speaker 1: because we're all ears.

1531
01:23:57,080 --> 01:23:58,280
Speaker 3: I know, I think you want to talk.

1532
01:24:00,040 --> 01:24:01,639
Speaker 5: It's any word yet, but you want to say something.

1533
01:24:01,680 --> 01:24:04,479
Speaker 1: I know it it's you know, it's kind of like me,

1534
01:24:04,720 --> 01:24:07,799
Speaker 1: so I can relate. TJ enjoyed the rest of your offseason,

1535
01:24:07,880 --> 01:24:10,240
Speaker 1: Have a blast of Reds Fest this weekend, and best

1536
01:24:10,320 --> 01:24:13,479
Speaker 1: of luck in twenty twenty six. Thanks ma'am. I appreciate,

1537
01:24:13,560 --> 01:24:16,040
Speaker 1: but I think that's a TJ. Friedel. He will be

1538
01:24:16,360 --> 01:24:21,879
Speaker 1: among the eighty that's right, eighty current or former players

1539
01:24:22,120 --> 01:24:25,439
Speaker 1: or broadcasters or coaches who are going to be at

1540
01:24:25,479 --> 01:24:28,599
Speaker 1: Reds Fest this weekend, everything benefiting the Reds Community Fund.

1541
01:24:28,680 --> 01:24:33,000
Speaker 1: Cincinnati Convention Center Friday from three to ten thirty Saturday

1542
01:24:33,160 --> 01:24:36,479
Speaker 1: eleven am till six thirty. You can get tickets now,

1543
01:24:36,640 --> 01:24:38,280
Speaker 1: there's all sorts of stuff happening.

1544
01:24:38,320 --> 01:24:38,400
Speaker 8: Well.

1545
01:24:38,400 --> 01:24:41,360
Speaker 1: Obviously last year we did not have Reds Fest because

1546
01:24:41,360 --> 01:24:44,439
Speaker 1: they were renovating the convention Center. This year in January.

1547
01:24:44,560 --> 01:24:48,000
Speaker 1: TJ's right, it's typically early December, but this year in

1548
01:24:48,040 --> 01:24:51,000
Speaker 1: mid January, and it's sort of like is the preluded.

1549
01:24:51,960 --> 01:24:54,439
Speaker 1: It leads you right into spring training, which starts in

1550
01:24:54,600 --> 01:24:57,559
Speaker 1: just a couple of weeks. Tickets available right now, reds

1551
01:24:57,840 --> 01:25:01,960
Speaker 1: dot com slash Redsfest, Reds dot com slash RedFest or

1552
01:25:02,120 --> 01:25:05,600
Speaker 1: thanks to a Tjfriedel. Tomorrow in studio, we will have

1553
01:25:06,320 --> 01:25:09,639
Speaker 1: our our I was going to say our friends. We'll

1554
01:25:09,720 --> 01:25:12,200
Speaker 1: have Andrew Abbott, who was an All Star last year,

1555
01:25:12,240 --> 01:25:15,160
Speaker 1: and Emilio Pagan, the newly re upped Reds Closer with

1556
01:25:15,320 --> 01:25:19,479
Speaker 1: us in studio at three thirty tomorrow. All right, it's

1557
01:25:19,800 --> 01:25:23,840
Speaker 1: sixteen minutes after five o'clock. This is ESPN fifteen thirty,

1558
01:25:23,880 --> 01:25:27,679
Speaker 1: Cincinnati Sports Station. All right, twenty two minutes after five o'clock.

1559
01:25:28,120 --> 01:25:31,240
Speaker 1: I just didn't hear amusing myself. This is ESPN fifteen thirty.

1560
01:25:32,680 --> 01:25:35,280
Speaker 1: We're done in like seven minutes. We got UK basketball

1561
01:25:35,360 --> 01:25:39,200
Speaker 1: coming up our thanks to a TJ. Friedel and his son.

1562
01:25:42,080 --> 01:25:44,880
Speaker 1: Let's see here, Mike, go ahead. Thanks for hanging on,

1563
01:25:45,000 --> 01:25:47,439
Speaker 1: Mike as always here on ESPN fifteen thirty. Go ahead.

1564
01:25:48,840 --> 01:25:51,400
Speaker 3: I love those one on one interviews with the players.

1565
01:25:51,479 --> 01:25:54,320
Speaker 3: They're really you know, you feel like you get to

1566
01:25:54,400 --> 01:25:55,599
Speaker 3: know the player a little better.

1567
01:25:55,720 --> 01:25:58,000
Speaker 1: So thank you, mom, You're very welcome. Thank you. Thanks

1568
01:25:58,040 --> 01:25:58,840
Speaker 1: to TJ. Friedel.

1569
01:26:00,040 --> 01:26:01,719
Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely good way to go, TJ.

1570
01:26:02,000 --> 01:26:03,639
Speaker 1: Way to go. TJ and his son.

1571
01:26:03,800 --> 01:26:06,360
Speaker 3: Get busy, Get busy. You hit three hundred this year,

1572
01:26:06,439 --> 01:26:13,920
Speaker 3: big boy, that'd be great. Okay, uh okay. First, I

1573
01:26:14,000 --> 01:26:17,080
Speaker 3: want to talk a little bit about college basketball because

1574
01:26:17,080 --> 01:26:19,680
Speaker 3: I got a question for you about that, and then

1575
01:26:19,720 --> 01:26:21,560
Speaker 3: I want to do another. I did my rant on

1576
01:26:21,640 --> 01:26:24,559
Speaker 3: the Breads yesterday. I'm going to rant on the Bengals today.

1577
01:26:24,880 --> 01:26:26,000
Speaker 3: See what your reaction is.

1578
01:26:26,160 --> 01:26:28,200
Speaker 1: Nobody has ever done that. On this show, Mike, So

1579
01:26:28,439 --> 01:26:29,000
Speaker 1: I can't wait.

1580
01:26:29,920 --> 01:26:34,400
Speaker 3: Yeah, very innovative. Okay, I'm looking at the AP Top ten,

1581
01:26:35,560 --> 01:26:38,960
Speaker 3: and you're a big, big, big on Houston. They ain't

1582
01:26:39,040 --> 01:26:42,280
Speaker 3: shown in the top ten. Brother. Then I'm looking at

1583
01:26:42,280 --> 01:26:45,720
Speaker 3: the NCA network over there either.

1584
01:26:45,800 --> 01:26:48,840
Speaker 1: They're currently ranked seventh in the AP Top twenty five pole.

1585
01:26:50,760 --> 01:26:52,760
Speaker 3: Well, then what was this on? I mean, I just

1586
01:26:52,840 --> 01:26:53,639
Speaker 3: googled it today.

1587
01:26:54,120 --> 01:26:56,400
Speaker 1: They're twelfth in the net and in the latest AP

1588
01:26:56,600 --> 01:27:00,200
Speaker 1: Top twenty five pole their seventh. And they did and

1589
01:27:00,320 --> 01:27:03,439
Speaker 1: they didn't hurt themselves by blowing out West Virginia last night.

1590
01:27:04,560 --> 01:27:06,760
Speaker 3: No they didn't. But I'm still not as big on

1591
01:27:06,840 --> 01:27:08,759
Speaker 3: Houston as you. I think they're a little bit slow

1592
01:27:09,000 --> 01:27:12,400
Speaker 3: and they're not gonna win the national championship. I don't wi.

1593
01:27:14,280 --> 01:27:17,200
Speaker 1: Okay, and that's so? So what is that? So they're

1594
01:27:17,200 --> 01:27:18,920
Speaker 1: not gonna win a national champ Well, neither are three

1595
01:27:19,000 --> 01:27:25,120
Speaker 1: hundred and sixty four other teams. I'm big on that program.

1596
01:27:25,600 --> 01:27:28,080
Speaker 1: I'm a huge admirer of that. I don't think that

1597
01:27:28,200 --> 01:27:29,360
Speaker 1: I don't think they had the best team of the

1598
01:27:29,360 --> 01:27:33,680
Speaker 1: Big twelve. Arizona is an absolute wagon. Iowa State I

1599
01:27:33,760 --> 01:27:35,920
Speaker 1: think is better, though Iowa State got it handed to

1600
01:27:36,000 --> 01:27:39,040
Speaker 1: him last night by Kansas. My thing with Houston is

1601
01:27:39,160 --> 01:27:42,560
Speaker 1: it's more about the program. In an era where the

1602
01:27:42,640 --> 01:27:46,280
Speaker 1: players are swapped out every year, it's really hard to

1603
01:27:46,479 --> 01:27:50,560
Speaker 1: have a program identity. But Kelvin Sampson's done it. Like

1604
01:27:50,760 --> 01:27:53,040
Speaker 1: in your mind's eye, you know what a Houston team

1605
01:27:53,120 --> 01:27:55,640
Speaker 1: looks like. You know what a Houston player looks like.

1606
01:27:57,160 --> 01:28:00,320
Speaker 1: Every single year. Their teams lead the league in play hard,

1607
01:28:00,680 --> 01:28:04,400
Speaker 1: They're awesome defensively, they run good stuff in the half court.

1608
01:28:04,800 --> 01:28:07,080
Speaker 1: And the evolution of that program. You know, when Houston

1609
01:28:07,120 --> 01:28:10,120
Speaker 1: a number of years ago first started really to challenge

1610
01:28:10,120 --> 01:28:12,960
Speaker 1: Cincinnati at the top of the American Athletic Conference, their

1611
01:28:13,040 --> 01:28:15,560
Speaker 1: offense was throw it against the glass and they'll go

1612
01:28:15,720 --> 01:28:18,400
Speaker 1: get it. And I hate that people still think that's

1613
01:28:18,439 --> 01:28:22,200
Speaker 1: what Houston basketball is because it's not. They run good stuff,

1614
01:28:22,800 --> 01:28:26,519
Speaker 1: like I am. They are to me, a version of

1615
01:28:26,600 --> 01:28:30,280
Speaker 1: what the Bearcats used to be. I love that program.

1616
01:28:30,840 --> 01:28:34,120
Speaker 1: I am a huge admirer of that program. The caliber

1617
01:28:34,160 --> 01:28:36,720
Speaker 1: of team they have this year is good, might not

1618
01:28:36,840 --> 01:28:39,160
Speaker 1: be as good as last year's. But will you be

1619
01:28:39,200 --> 01:28:42,240
Speaker 1: able to talk about the NCAA Tournament and the Final

1620
01:28:42,320 --> 01:28:46,840
Speaker 1: Four without running the conversation through Houston. Absolutely not.

1621
01:28:48,160 --> 01:28:52,080
Speaker 3: Well, we'll see and so you like Kelvin Sampson. Here,

1622
01:28:52,200 --> 01:28:54,560
Speaker 3: here's what I don't understand, though, maybe you can clarify this.

1623
01:28:55,120 --> 01:28:58,960
Speaker 3: So the AP doesn't have the one I'm looking at.

1624
01:28:59,000 --> 01:29:00,960
Speaker 3: They didn't have the Michigan in the top ten, but

1625
01:29:01,040 --> 01:29:03,639
Speaker 3: the NCAA net has Michigan number one.

1626
01:29:03,960 --> 01:29:06,599
Speaker 1: Michigan's currently number four in the AP top twenty.

1627
01:29:06,400 --> 01:29:12,760
Speaker 3: Five, but they're one in the net. So I haven't

1628
01:29:12,760 --> 01:29:15,040
Speaker 3: seen Michigan play this year. If you are they really

1629
01:29:15,760 --> 01:29:18,160
Speaker 3: what's great about Michigan I'm dying to know.

1630
01:29:18,400 --> 01:29:21,479
Speaker 1: Well, the first time I watched Michigan play, they they

1631
01:29:21,600 --> 01:29:26,200
Speaker 1: actually they lost to Cincinnati in an exhibition game. What's

1632
01:29:26,280 --> 01:29:35,080
Speaker 1: great about Michigan is Yaxel Landenborg, Like that's that to me,

1633
01:29:35,200 --> 01:29:37,599
Speaker 1: That's what's great about Michigan. They have a player named

1634
01:29:37,640 --> 01:29:41,000
Speaker 1: Yaxel Landenborg who came from UAB who a lot of

1635
01:29:41,040 --> 01:29:44,280
Speaker 1: Bear Bearcat fans dreamed of getting. He to me, if

1636
01:29:44,320 --> 01:29:46,760
Speaker 1: you start with Michigan, he is what's best about him?

1637
01:29:47,880 --> 01:29:50,280
Speaker 3: And then Kansas blew Oklahoma state out last night?

1638
01:29:50,360 --> 01:29:53,760
Speaker 1: Really bit Kansas blue? Kansas Blue. I was stayed out

1639
01:29:53,800 --> 01:29:54,200
Speaker 1: last night.

1640
01:29:54,800 --> 01:29:59,120
Speaker 3: Oh I was state my bit I uh, I thought

1641
01:29:59,160 --> 01:30:01,080
Speaker 3: I heard this, but maybe I'm wrong. That's why I

1642
01:30:01,120 --> 01:30:03,240
Speaker 3: want to ask you. I thought I heard the guy

1643
01:30:03,320 --> 01:30:05,840
Speaker 3: on ESPN. It might have Bene Van Pelt say that

1644
01:30:06,479 --> 01:30:09,920
Speaker 3: that Kansas had the number one pick coming up in

1645
01:30:10,000 --> 01:30:14,639
Speaker 3: the NBA Draft. Am I missing something who he's talking about?

1646
01:30:14,720 --> 01:30:15,800
Speaker 3: Or did I misunderstand?

1647
01:30:16,760 --> 01:30:17,840
Speaker 1: I don't know what you heard.

1648
01:30:19,040 --> 01:30:22,680
Speaker 3: Okay, So right now, do you know who's considered like

1649
01:30:22,960 --> 01:30:25,000
Speaker 3: one of the top two or three guys that are

1650
01:30:25,560 --> 01:30:28,680
Speaker 3: considered NBA number one this year.

1651
01:30:29,439 --> 01:30:32,679
Speaker 1: Well, Darren Peterson from Kansas is regarded right now, according

1652
01:30:32,680 --> 01:30:34,880
Speaker 1: to most experts, as the guy who's most likely to

1653
01:30:34,920 --> 01:30:37,960
Speaker 1: go number one. He's averaging close to twenty three points

1654
01:30:38,000 --> 01:30:44,000
Speaker 1: a game. He's his when he has been on the floor,

1655
01:30:44,640 --> 01:30:48,200
Speaker 1: and he hasn't always been available to the Jayhawks, but

1656
01:30:48,240 --> 01:30:50,360
Speaker 1: he was on the floor last night. Last night. He

1657
01:30:50,439 --> 01:30:54,000
Speaker 1: was effishing. I think he had sixteen and five. I

1658
01:30:54,120 --> 01:30:56,160
Speaker 1: watched him in that game against TCU that went to

1659
01:30:56,240 --> 01:30:59,960
Speaker 1: overtime that they won by four or five. He scored

1660
01:31:00,120 --> 01:31:03,040
Speaker 1: thirty two points. He's the guy that is being referred to.

1661
01:31:03,200 --> 01:31:05,320
Speaker 1: He is the guy that has clear cut the consensus

1662
01:31:06,080 --> 01:31:09,200
Speaker 1: number one pick in this year's draft. According to most obviously,

1663
01:31:09,280 --> 01:31:11,120
Speaker 1: there's still a lot that can happen between now and then.

1664
01:31:12,360 --> 01:31:14,600
Speaker 3: Is he a power forward or a guard or.

1665
01:31:14,720 --> 01:31:17,719
Speaker 1: No, he's a guard. He's a combo guarden. Okay, okay,

1666
01:31:17,840 --> 01:31:20,479
Speaker 1: thanks Mike, I got, I got what the show's about

1667
01:31:20,520 --> 01:31:21,280
Speaker 1: to end. I gotta run.

1668
01:31:22,400 --> 01:31:24,720
Speaker 3: Okay, Well, thanks, thank you very much. I appreciate it,

1669
01:31:24,880 --> 01:31:25,400
Speaker 3: very welcome.

1670
01:31:27,880 --> 01:31:30,200
Speaker 1: It is truly with Micah Box of Chocolates, and that's

1671
01:31:30,200 --> 01:31:32,599
Speaker 1: why we love him. We have to go shut We're

1672
01:31:32,600 --> 01:31:36,880
Speaker 1: back tomorrow. We're back tomorrow, and uh, I can't wait.

1673
01:31:37,080 --> 01:31:39,320
Speaker 1: Have a great night. Thank you so much for listening.

1674
01:31:39,439 --> 01:31:43,200
Speaker 1: Thanks to Tarren Bland for producing. Uh don't forget Tony

1675
01:31:43,240 --> 01:31:45,600
Speaker 1: Pike since he three sixty at noon. We return at

1676
01:31:45,640 --> 01:31:49,679
Speaker 1: three zero five tomorrow. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati

1677
01:31:49,680 --> 01:31:50,200
Speaker 1: Sports Station.