WEBVTT - Lance with Mike Petraglia 1-9-26

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<v Speaker 1>Seven hundred WLW. We are up and running on a

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<v Speaker 1>Friday night of Verneil Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet.

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<v Speaker 1>Very excited to welcome in My first guest covers the

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<v Speaker 1>Bengals for CLNS sincywithwy dot Com, host of the Jungle

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<v Speaker 1>Roar podcast on YouTube. He's already dropped today's latest episode.

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<v Speaker 1>It's an excellent listen. That would be the man we

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<v Speaker 1>call Trags, Mike Petrellia. Mike, you were there. Let's start

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<v Speaker 1>broad and then we'll narrow it down. Give us your

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<v Speaker 1>general reaction to the sixty three minutes or so with

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<v Speaker 1>Duke Tobin.

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<v Speaker 2>Wow, that's a loaded question, Lamb. Well, I guess my

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<v Speaker 2>general reaction is good on the Bengals to make him available.

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<v Speaker 2>It was a very performative and perfunctory press conference. What

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<v Speaker 2>do I mean by that? I think it was there.

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<v Speaker 2>I think it was held so that Duke Tobin could

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<v Speaker 2>show his faith on behalf of the front office and

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<v Speaker 2>ownership and give their perspective on what happened this past year.

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<v Speaker 2>It was also a pr ploy and an intelligent pr

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<v Speaker 2>ploy to offer some sympathy to the incredibly frustrated fan base.

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<v Speaker 2>That is why you heard Duke Tobin say multiple times

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<v Speaker 2>that they are disheartened by Bengal fans being disheartened and

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<v Speaker 2>that they are all about trying to change the narrative

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<v Speaker 2>by dedicating themselves to improving the roster this offseason. So

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<v Speaker 2>when it comes to the nuts and bolts, the x's

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<v Speaker 2>and o's of how they're going to go about it,

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<v Speaker 2>the people making those decisions aren't going to change. You're

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<v Speaker 2>not going to have any additions to the scouting department,

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<v Speaker 2>You're not going to have any additions to the Pro

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<v Speaker 2>Football Operations staff, the one that does the evaluations in

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<v Speaker 2>free agency, for instance, Duke Tobin is not going to

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<v Speaker 2>hire an assistant or two to help him evaluate talent.

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<v Speaker 2>He's not going to do that. And what I was

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<v Speaker 2>left with is feeling like, well, they're just going to

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<v Speaker 2>run it back with the same people. And at the

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<v Speaker 2>very end of the sixty three minutes, we got an

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<v Speaker 2>insight to what he meant by that, and that is

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<v Speaker 2>that the technique of what they do this offseason is

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<v Speaker 2>going to be a little bit different, meaning the personnel

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<v Speaker 2>and the scouting department are going to try and tweak

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<v Speaker 2>what they do. The coaching staff is going to come

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<v Speaker 2>back with different schemes, and there's going to be a

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<v Speaker 2>little bit of emphasis on the players to do their

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<v Speaker 2>jobs better. That's what I was left with in tragues.

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<v Speaker 1>When it comes to why we should believe they can

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<v Speaker 1>fix this, the go to answer seems to be because

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<v Speaker 1>we've done it before. And I think that we have

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of fans shaking their hands.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, here's why it does. What happened in nineteen eighty one,

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<v Speaker 2>what happened in nineteen eighty eight? What has happened so

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<v Speaker 2>far after twenty twenty one? All three of those years

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<v Speaker 2>that I just mentioned, of course were Super Bowl years. Well,

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<v Speaker 2>within three years the team was headed down the slide

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<v Speaker 2>to oblivion. Now in eighty eight they made it back

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<v Speaker 2>after seven years and fine, But in three more years

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<v Speaker 2>after eighty eight, what happened? They went into the dark

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<v Speaker 2>dark ages of Bengal football. And they've been to the

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<v Speaker 2>playoffs lance twice in ten years. Skinny on my podcast

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<v Speaker 2>also mentioned that, and he was the one who asked

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<v Speaker 2>Duke today, well, you've been to the playoffs just twice

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<v Speaker 2>in ten years, why should any fan bel leave that

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<v Speaker 2>you're capable of turning things around? You and your staff

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<v Speaker 2>and Duke again came back with the answer, We've done

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<v Speaker 2>it before. I believe in the people we have in

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<v Speaker 2>the building. Well, you may believe in the people you

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<v Speaker 2>have in the building, but your fan base doesn't and

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<v Speaker 2>the results aren't there. And he mentioned many times today

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<v Speaker 2>Lance that the effort and the dedication of the coaching

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<v Speaker 2>staff and the young players is exceptional. Well, that's great,

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<v Speaker 2>and you see improvement in the young players terrific. Where's

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<v Speaker 2>the production and the NFL, as is any major league sport,

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<v Speaker 2>professional sport, it's all about production, and the Bengals production

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<v Speaker 2>the last three years has been very poor. Last year

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<v Speaker 2>they had a winning record, but they were nine and eight, Lance,

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<v Speaker 2>they were four and eight with Joe Burrow starting all

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<v Speaker 2>twelve of those games, and of course he started all seventeen.

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<v Speaker 2>There's a serious fundamental flaw in the players that are

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<v Speaker 2>being put around Joe Burrow, certainly on the defensive side

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<v Speaker 2>of the ball.

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<v Speaker 1>And you alluded to the scouting aspect of all this,

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<v Speaker 1>and he really doubled down on the fact that despite

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<v Speaker 1>we all know how small the department is, his belief

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<v Speaker 1>that they have all the information they need.

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<v Speaker 2>They believe that they would rather have fewer voices contributing

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<v Speaker 2>to the pie, if you will, fewer chefs making the

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<v Speaker 2>meal because too many chefs ruin the meal. And they

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<v Speaker 2>have believed that for forty forty five years, Lance, and

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<v Speaker 2>it's not going to change now it is.

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<v Speaker 1>I get still worked up over this. I got to

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<v Speaker 1>take a breath. He also mentioned finishing in the big

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<v Speaker 1>aspect of being able to finish games, and yet is

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<v Speaker 1>what's frustrating to me trags. While he pointed out the

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<v Speaker 1>troubles finishing this year, they had troubles finishing last year

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<v Speaker 1>and it wasn't fixed.

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<v Speaker 2>So it just that's not a question. It's all land. Yes,

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<v Speaker 2>what is the natural logical deduction you take from that? Well,

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<v Speaker 2>if you can't finish games, it's coaching. So I interrupted

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<v Speaker 2>Duke and I said, well, Duke, you know what that means.

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<v Speaker 2>It means that falls at the feet of Zach and

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<v Speaker 2>his coaching staff. What do you think of them? And

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<v Speaker 2>then he went into this flowery uh commendation and praise

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<v Speaker 2>of Zach Taylor. And I agree, having covered Zach Taylor

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<v Speaker 2>now for five full seasons, he's one of the brightest

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<v Speaker 2>football people I have ever been around. But that doesn't

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<v Speaker 2>mean necessarily he's a good head coach and a situational coach,

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<v Speaker 2>especially at the end of games. What did Duke point

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<v Speaker 2>out this afternoon, Specifically, we have losing DNA at the

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<v Speaker 2>end of games. Players make too many mistakes. They don't

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<v Speaker 2>wrap up on tack like Jordan Battle at the end

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<v Speaker 2>of the Bears game. He pointed that game out specifically today,

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<v Speaker 2>which really means to me that game stuck in his

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<v Speaker 2>craw And you know, as much as the Browns game

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<v Speaker 2>was a microcosm of the season, that Bears game ticked

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<v Speaker 2>everybody off in the organization. And I'm sorry, but you've

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<v Speaker 2>got to have better coaching to teach the technique. Jordan

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<v Speaker 2>Battle is not a rookie and he, as much as

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<v Speaker 2>Duke Tobin pointed him out as perhaps one of the

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<v Speaker 2>cornerstones of the defense going forward. You've got to be

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<v Speaker 2>much much better if you're Jordan Battle going forward. And

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<v Speaker 2>I think it's up to the coaching staff to take

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<v Speaker 2>a long, hard look at how they're going to get

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<v Speaker 2>Jordan Battle to be more productive, because right now I

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<v Speaker 2>don't think I see it drags.

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<v Speaker 1>It seems pretty clear based on what he said and

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<v Speaker 1>how many times he referenced it, and emphasis will be

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<v Speaker 1>on improving, upgrading that defensive line and pressure on the quarterback.

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<v Speaker 2>Yep, he's all about pressure in the quarterback. He said

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<v Speaker 2>that a couple of times this afternoon, Lance that you

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<v Speaker 2>got to get after the quarterback. And rebuilding the defense

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<v Speaker 2>to Duke Tobin means rebuilding along the defensive line. And

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<v Speaker 2>he mentioned by name in twenty twenty one and in

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<v Speaker 2>twenty twenty DJ Reader and Larry Ogan Jobi, and he

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<v Speaker 2>needs to go back to the drawing now. DJ Reader

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<v Speaker 2>is a free agent this year, but he's not the

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<v Speaker 2>same player he was five years ago. Let's not get

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<v Speaker 2>too far ahead of ourselves. But Duke Tobin and his

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<v Speaker 2>personnel staff have to go out in free agency, spend

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<v Speaker 2>the limit and find those players that they sailed to

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<v Speaker 2>find last year.

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<v Speaker 1>Sixty three minutes, approximately forty seven questions asked. You are

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<v Speaker 1>the president of the Cincinnati chapter the Pro Football Writers'

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<v Speaker 1>Association of America. Were you happy with the execution of

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<v Speaker 1>the group today? I thought it was an impressive performance.

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<v Speaker 2>I was. I mean, that's a lot of questions to

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<v Speaker 2>be asked, and it is a logistical challenge, to say

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<v Speaker 2>the least, to give the beat people their proper opportunities

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<v Speaker 2>to ask questions. Myself, Paul Danner, Junior, Richard Skinner, James Rapine,

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<v Speaker 2>Kelsey Conway, who did a fabulous job today, had three

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<v Speaker 2>questions actually typed up so that when she had her opportunity,

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<v Speaker 2>she got all three questions in. But also it was

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<v Speaker 2>an opportunity, as I said, this was performative for TV

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<v Speaker 2>folks to get all their questions in. And I thought,

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<v Speaker 2>given how lumbering environment this is, I think it was.

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<v Speaker 2>I think it was held pretty well. And here's what

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<v Speaker 2>I was happy about. It never got to the point

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<v Speaker 2>where somebody was show voting and trying to show up Duke.

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<v Speaker 2>Because what I was concerned about going in is there's

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of raw emotion from the fan base, and

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of reporters got questions like for comments and dms,

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<v Speaker 2>we're counting on you, We're counting on you. And yes,

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<v Speaker 2>we definitely felt the obligation to ask the questions that

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<v Speaker 2>needed to be asked for the fans, but you have

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<v Speaker 2>to do it in a manner where it's respectful to

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<v Speaker 2>Duke Tobin, and I thought it was. I thought it

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<v Speaker 2>came off very well in that regard. And one more thing,

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<v Speaker 2>one more thing. Good on Duke Tobin to take time

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<v Speaker 2>out at the very beginning to you know, send out

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<v Speaker 2>sympathy to Jay Morrison, who I think we all know

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<v Speaker 2>now has been through hell and he lost his wife obviously, Nikki.

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<v Speaker 2>And for Duke Tobin to you know, start the press conference.

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<v Speaker 2>I actually think it was good because kind of kept

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<v Speaker 2>everything in perspective. So good on Duke for doing that.

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<v Speaker 1>Trags, You've had a busy day and you were all

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<v Speaker 1>over this. Tell listeners how they can watch, read and follow.

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<v Speaker 2>Sure we have the reactions and my takeaways up on

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<v Speaker 2>the X at Trags t r Ags colns since with

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<v Speaker 2>a y dot com. We'll have a column up later today,

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<v Speaker 2>later tonight or tomorrow, and the Jungle War Podcast with

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<v Speaker 2>Richard Skinner is up on YouTube dot com at Jungle

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<v Speaker 2>War Pod. My apologies in advance. My sound is a

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<v Speaker 2>little low, so you might have to type me up

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<v Speaker 2>just a little bit when I'm talking.

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<v Speaker 1>Treg's final thought, and I'm late for news, but I

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<v Speaker 1>wanted to publicly thank you for your weekly, year long

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<v Speaker 1>contributions to the Roundtable Show. You made our show better.

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<v Speaker 1>Your appearances are much appreciated. We look forward to doing

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<v Speaker 1>again next year, and I hope I can bug you

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<v Speaker 1>before then.

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<v Speaker 2>You got it, Lance anytime, Thanks to you.

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<v Speaker 1>There you go, Mike Petrellia trags all right when we

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<v Speaker 1>come back. My thoughts, Your thoughts, let's say, exchange ideas.

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<v Speaker 1>RNL carry or Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet seven

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<v Speaker 1>hundred ww