WEBVTT - Lance McAlister 10/14/26 0:00:03.450 --> 0:00:07.159 The following takes place between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. 0:00:08.500 --> 0:00:10.520 You want answers? I think I'm entitled. 0:00:10.560 --> 0:00:12.660 You want answers? I want the truth! 0:00:12.960 --> 0:00:14.890 You can't handle the truth! 0:00:22.829 --> 0:00:25.630 All right, here we go. 808 or make it 608. 0:00:25.630 --> 0:00:30.140 That's usually the start time. 608-700-WLW. Welcome into R & 0:00:29.860 --> 0:00:34.500 L Carriers Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet. I'm Lance McAllister. 0:00:34.780 --> 0:00:36.260 You know, you wait all day and you prepare a 0:00:36.320 --> 0:00:39.150 show and then you botch the first line to begin 0:00:39.159 --> 0:00:40.330 the show. It can only go, well. 0:00:42.240 --> 0:00:44.760 It can only go uphill, I would hope, from here. 0:00:44.840 --> 0:00:47.880 We'll see. That will be the challenge. Glad you were here. 0:00:47.940 --> 0:00:50.300 We've got ground to cover, as always. We've got headlines 0:00:50.340 --> 0:00:52.200 to get to. What do you say we do those 0:00:52.659 --> 0:00:55.440 and get Roland Bengals players on the bye and join 0:00:55.460 --> 0:00:58.150 their time off, resting up and getting ready for the 0:00:58.230 --> 0:01:01.510 AFC North Road showdown at Baltimore a week from this Sunday? 0:01:01.850 --> 0:01:04.330 By the way, Jesse Minner saying this afternoon that Trey 0:01:04.370 --> 0:01:08.390 Hendrickson is a full go for this Sunday in their 0:01:08.450 --> 0:01:11.100 battle in Cleveland against the Browns. He was dealing with 0:01:11.160 --> 0:01:13.959 a broken finger, had surgery, had missed last week's game. 0:01:14.200 --> 0:01:18.150 So full go this weekend, and barring anything happening from there, 0:01:18.190 --> 0:01:24.220 would be ready for the Bengals in two weeks. Programming 0:01:24.270 --> 0:01:27.030 note tomorrow night. I'll be with Rocky for the roundtable show. 0:01:27.069 --> 0:01:29.149 We'd love to have you there. Bengals may be on 0:01:29.170 --> 0:01:31.170 the bye. We're not on the bye. We're on the clock. 0:01:31.450 --> 0:01:34.770 Talking Bengals and Bearcats and high school football and fantasy football. 0:01:35.130 --> 0:01:37.950 You name it. 6 to 9 o'clock at Longnecks in 0:01:38.090 --> 0:01:41.310 Wilder tomorrow night. Stop by and hang out with us. 0:01:41.709 --> 0:01:45.959 Former Bengals quarterback Jake Browning is signing with the L.A. Chargers. 0:01:46.740 --> 0:01:50.880 Baseball news. NLCS moves to L.A. for Game 3 with 0:01:50.920 --> 0:01:53.760 the Brewers up two games down on the Dodgers. It'll 0:01:53.780 --> 0:01:57.870 be Robert Gasser for Milwaukee tonight, Blake Snell for L.A. 0:01:58.170 --> 0:02:03.230 First pitch is 8 o'clock. Shohei Otani remains in the lineup. 0:02:03.330 --> 0:02:07.610 Despite his struggles, he's been dropped to 6th in the order. 0:02:08.190 --> 0:02:11.160 The AL series is even at 1 after the Rays 0:02:11.200 --> 0:02:14.780 bounced back last night. Thursday's Game 3 has been moved 0:02:15.060 --> 0:02:19.340 up to 1 o'clock. That was originally 6 p.m. Eastern. 0:02:19.580 --> 0:02:22.870 They'll play at 1 tomorrow afternoon. due to the forecasted 0:02:23.169 --> 0:02:27.000 weather issues in Cleveland. Phillies are going to keep manager 0:02:27.010 --> 0:02:29.910 Don Mattingly on a two-year deal. He took over 28 0:02:29.910 --> 0:02:34.620 games into the season. They went 79-55 on his watch. 0:02:34.940 --> 0:02:37.780 He guided the Phillies into the playoffs before they lost 0:02:37.820 --> 0:02:41.660 to the Braves. Joe Espada, who guided the Astros to 0:02:41.740 --> 0:02:44.799 two American League West titles in his three seasons, will 0:02:44.880 --> 0:02:47.799 not be returning as manager next season. The Astros were 0:02:47.900 --> 0:02:49.900 swept in two games by the White Sox in the 0:02:50.040 --> 0:02:52.850 AL Wild Card Series last uh, this year. And after 0:02:52.889 --> 0:02:56.230 going 81 and 81 to win the American Lake West, 0:02:56.590 --> 0:03:00.530 he actually interviewed for the vacant Mariners job yesterday. And 0:03:00.570 --> 0:03:03.700 the twins have hired a pitching coach blast in the past. 0:03:03.760 --> 0:03:10.460 Anyone remember this name? Brian Reith, Brian Reith, the 48 0:03:10.460 --> 0:03:14.410 year old pitched three seasons for the Reds between 2001 0:03:14.410 --> 0:03:18.660 and 2004. After coming over in a trade with the Yankees, 0:03:18.700 --> 0:03:22.780 that was the Denny Nagel deal, and Drew Henson was 0:03:22.860 --> 0:03:26.120 in that and others. Brian Reith, the Twins pitching coach, 0:03:26.460 --> 0:03:30.260 announced today. College football, UC at West Virginia on Saturday. 0:03:30.620 --> 0:03:33.930 We will talk IU and Ohio State later in the 0:03:33.990 --> 0:03:37.370 show on a couple of different fronts. College basketball, NKU 0:03:37.430 --> 0:03:40.700 hosting Tennessee Martin as we speak. in a public exhibition 0:03:40.740 --> 0:03:44.220 game at Truist Arena. Xavier plays its second public exhibition 0:03:44.240 --> 0:03:47.720 game tomorrow night at 7 versus No. 8 Tennessee. They 0:03:47.760 --> 0:03:52.310 take on the Volunteers in Knoxville. UC will host Illinois 0:03:52.430 --> 0:03:56.450 in an exhibition game on Saturday at 5. After a 0:03:56.570 --> 0:04:01.590 historic season in Oxford, Miami basketball has had five games 0:04:01.710 --> 0:04:07.070 tabbed for national TV. Matchups including two versus Akron, one 0:04:07.110 --> 0:04:13.160 versus Ohio, eastern michigan and kent state and fc cincinnati 0:04:13.220 --> 0:04:16.790 back in action tonight hosting new england revolution 7 30 0:04:16.790 --> 0:04:20.330 kick from tql catch it down the dial on espn 0:04:20.330 --> 0:04:23.849 15 30 remember if you miss this show if you 0:04:23.950 --> 0:04:29.020 miss an interview bengals line the round table show if 0:04:29.060 --> 0:04:31.760 you miss anything from this show including my opening 60 0:04:31.760 --> 0:04:39.030 seconds of this show listen to the podcast 700-WLW.com, and 0:04:39.050 --> 0:04:42.190 the iHeartRadio app. It's presented by Modern Office Methods. We 0:04:42.230 --> 0:04:45.670 love Modern Office Methods. With proactive monitoring and fleet management, 0:04:45.950 --> 0:04:49.570 your printers stay productive and your workplace stays secure. Modern 0:04:49.630 --> 0:04:53.700 Office Methods, secure technology for a secure workplace. Learn more 0:04:54.060 --> 0:05:00.120 at momnet.com. All right, Bengals early tonight. 7 o'clock hour, 0:05:00.190 --> 0:05:05.210 we will preview Ohio State and Indiana. Bill Rabinowitz, who 0:05:05.270 --> 0:05:10.740 covers the Buckeyes, 7.35 tonight. At 7.06 tonight, we'll get 0:05:10.839 --> 0:05:16.480 Hoosier perspective. Our Bloomington correspondent. Luke Brenneman on the call 0:05:16.660 --> 0:05:19.339 on Saturday. He checks in at 7.06. In between that, 0:05:19.380 --> 0:05:22.970 at 7.20, there is a major, and I mean major, 0:05:23.050 --> 0:05:25.950 college soccer match taking place tomorrow night. The Xavier men 0:05:26.250 --> 0:05:29.750 versus Creighton. Xavier and Creighton are two of only four 0:05:29.790 --> 0:05:33.539 remaining unbeatens in all of college soccer. And they're going 0:05:33.650 --> 0:05:37.480 head-to-head tomorrow night at Xavier. John Higgins, their head coach, 0:05:37.540 --> 0:05:40.740 checks in at 7.20. 8 o'clock, I will have some fun, 0:05:40.779 --> 0:05:43.540 get a football topic for you. Actually, I asked the 0:05:43.640 --> 0:05:46.380 question of Peter King last week when he joined me. 0:05:46.900 --> 0:05:49.609 His answer was so good, I said, I got to 0:05:49.620 --> 0:05:52.890 make that a topic. So that's what we'll do coming 0:05:52.930 --> 0:05:56.030 up at 8.06 tonight. But up next, Bengals on the by. 0:05:56.190 --> 0:06:01.250 My thoughts, my frustration. I will share those with you. 0:06:02.270 --> 0:06:06.909 And perhaps you'll share your reaction to my thoughts. And 0:06:07.250 --> 0:06:09.050 we'll make our way through our first hour tonight. First 0:06:09.089 --> 0:06:11.589 of three. I'm ready. Let's go. R & L Carrier 0:06:11.610 --> 0:06:17.700 Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet. 700 WLW. Hey, I 0:06:17.740 --> 0:06:18.780 heard Christmas music. 0:06:19.060 --> 0:06:19.800 Oh, man. 0:06:19.839 --> 0:06:23.159 Here we go. R & L Carrier Sports Talk presented 0:06:23.180 --> 0:06:26.320 by Kelsey Chevrolet. I'm Lance McAllister. For those wondering, and 0:06:26.360 --> 0:06:28.620 many have, I have my dinner tonight. I brought it. 0:06:28.940 --> 0:06:33.520 I remembered it. It was last night's dinner. I just remembered, 0:06:33.580 --> 0:06:35.490 I didn't make a new one. I didn't eat last night's. 0:06:35.790 --> 0:06:37.790 And for those who need to know, it's a turkey 0:06:37.830 --> 0:06:42.450 sandwich with Swiss and some Snyder sourdough nibblers. That was 0:06:42.490 --> 0:06:45.180 my dinner tonight, which I tend to forget at home 0:06:45.339 --> 0:06:47.340 once a week or so. And last night was my 0:06:47.440 --> 0:06:51.659 one time. So I'm good. If you're wondering, my dessert 0:06:51.680 --> 0:06:56.030 tonight will traditionally be a Kodiak no-bake protein ball that 0:06:56.070 --> 0:06:59.360 Kelly makes with peanut butter. And he rolls it with 0:06:59.420 --> 0:07:03.060 either oatmeal chocolate chip ingredients or the snickerdoodle. You get 0:07:03.120 --> 0:07:06.060 one of those. Well, just one with a chilled glass 0:07:06.100 --> 0:07:10.700 of milk. Oh, you are living large with a Kodiak 0:07:10.750 --> 0:07:13.090 no-bake protein ball and a chilled glass. Got to be 0:07:13.110 --> 0:07:15.309 a chilled glass of milk. Not a big milk guy. 0:07:15.610 --> 0:07:20.550 The glass has to be chilled. And then you are solid. 0:07:21.270 --> 0:07:21.510 All right. 0:07:22.270 --> 0:07:26.690 I've been verbally sparring over this all week. So I thought, heck, 0:07:26.730 --> 0:07:29.330 I'll make it a topic. I'm part of a text 0:07:29.390 --> 0:07:32.530 chain about this with family and friends, and I'm losing 0:07:32.610 --> 0:07:35.860 my mind. This was a topic of a conversation at 0:07:35.890 --> 0:07:38.750 lunch yesterday. And what I'd like to do is give 0:07:38.790 --> 0:07:41.150 my side of this and then maybe get your side 0:07:41.170 --> 0:07:43.450 of this. And the beauty of, I really like Tuesday 0:07:43.470 --> 0:07:45.800 and I like working every night of the week, but well, 0:07:45.860 --> 0:07:48.880 not Fridays very much. But Tuesdays and Wednesdays allows me 0:07:48.980 --> 0:07:51.880 time to take some calls because Monday I have Bengals 0:07:51.900 --> 0:07:54.180 Live and Thursday is the Roundtable Show and they're not 0:07:54.240 --> 0:07:56.580 caller shows. So Tuesday, Wednesday, I kind of like to 0:07:56.600 --> 0:08:00.160 do topics that are me and you kicking things around 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:05.240 and discussing. So here's what I have to get off 0:08:05.280 --> 0:08:09.440 my chest. There seems to be a developing narrative in 0:08:09.520 --> 0:08:14.480 some parts, not everybody, in some parts, some corners, as 0:08:14.540 --> 0:08:20.070 the Bengals hit the bye along these lines. Relax. They'll 0:08:20.090 --> 0:08:25.489 be fine. They'll figure it out. They always get better 0:08:25.530 --> 0:08:32.210 as the season goes on. Well, my response to that is, 0:08:33.320 --> 0:08:38.140 The Bengals don't get my patience and understanding. They haven't 0:08:38.360 --> 0:08:43.370 earned it. I need more from this team. They haven't 0:08:43.410 --> 0:08:49.390 been good enough. The expectation wasn't three and two. The 0:08:49.470 --> 0:08:52.949 idea wasn't to get through the first five weeks. It 0:08:52.990 --> 0:08:57.689 wasn't to survive the first five weeks. I think anybody 0:08:57.790 --> 0:09:00.209 saying that is either lying or wasn't paying attention to 0:09:00.230 --> 0:09:04.130 the offseason expectations for this team. I mean, in reality, 0:09:04.210 --> 0:09:09.690 five weeks in, at times the offenses looked clunky. It's 0:09:09.730 --> 0:09:12.330 kind of like become the word. How do you describe 0:09:12.390 --> 0:09:16.719 Zach Taylor's offense at times? Clunky? I've never heard anybody 0:09:16.790 --> 0:09:20.969 else's offense described as clunky. They've missed tackles, they've failed 0:09:21.010 --> 0:09:23.510 to cover the tight end, and failed to set the edge. 0:09:23.840 --> 0:09:27.120 Their special teams haven't been special enough, and they've lacked 0:09:27.160 --> 0:09:30.600 discipline at times. Probably the most surprising thing I've just said, 0:09:30.620 --> 0:09:33.500 because certainly not covering the tight end is of no surprise. 0:09:33.960 --> 0:09:37.590 But the answer at the bye can't be, they'll be fine, 0:09:38.110 --> 0:09:43.650 they'll figure it out. At least as I look at it. One, 0:09:43.990 --> 0:09:47.790 how has that gone in the past? I mean, I 0:09:47.809 --> 0:09:52.059 figured out by that, they missed the playoffs last season, 0:09:52.900 --> 0:09:55.679 they missed the playoffs the year before that, and they 0:09:55.710 --> 0:09:58.410 missed the playoffs the year before that. So how exactly 0:09:58.429 --> 0:10:00.980 did figuring it out later in the year go for 0:10:01.020 --> 0:10:06.059 those Bengals teams? You know, to me, a narrative, and 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:09.490 I know about narratives, a narrative that requires turning the 0:10:09.520 --> 0:10:14.830 clock back to 2022 for support has no legs. You 0:10:14.870 --> 0:10:19.230 don't get to say, hey, relax, they'll be fine, they'll 0:10:19.250 --> 0:10:21.890 figure it out, They always get better as the season 0:10:21.929 --> 0:10:26.370 goes on, dot, dot, dot. You can't say, look at 2021, 2022. 0:10:26.370 --> 0:10:32.330 This is 2026. And I guess the more pressing question 0:10:32.350 --> 0:10:36.860 would be, why do Zach's teams always need time to 0:10:36.910 --> 0:10:40.220 figure it out? I mean, the core of this team 0:10:40.260 --> 0:10:45.819 has been around for how long? How many years? How 0:10:45.860 --> 0:10:48.700 many games has the core of the team played together? 0:10:51.390 --> 0:10:56.709 3-2 at this point includes a never-should-have-happened loss to the 0:10:56.770 --> 0:11:03.280 Steelers and a home loss to Jacksonville. So that's division 0:11:03.320 --> 0:11:10.260 game and a home game. Two more DNA issues with 0:11:10.340 --> 0:11:16.480 Zach Taylor's teams. Winning in the division, winning at home. Now, 0:11:16.500 --> 0:11:19.319 I get it. You can't win a Super Bowl in 0:11:19.340 --> 0:11:23.560 the first Five weeks of the season. But you sure 0:11:23.640 --> 0:11:30.620 can make it a lot more difficult. That's what's frustrating. 0:11:32.809 --> 0:11:38.010 Those games, weeks one, two, three, four, five, those games 0:11:38.110 --> 0:11:43.829 play a role in determining the AFC North and in 0:11:43.870 --> 0:11:49.300 deciding home field for an AFC title game. Three and 0:11:49.360 --> 0:11:57.770 two means they're chasing wins that they should have already banked. Now, 0:11:57.790 --> 0:12:01.469 of course, there's still time. I think that's the most 0:12:01.510 --> 0:12:04.290 frustrating thing. It's like when I say something like this, 0:12:04.330 --> 0:12:07.910 the response is, what are you, writing them off? Well, no. 0:12:08.820 --> 0:12:12.620 They've got 12 more games left. My point is they 0:12:12.720 --> 0:12:17.340 have to be better. They should be better than three 0:12:17.380 --> 0:12:20.840 and two. And I don't believe in just magically thinking 0:12:20.860 --> 0:12:24.459 they'll be fine, they'll figure it out, because I don't 0:12:24.559 --> 0:12:27.040 see the evidence that that has happened in time the 0:12:27.080 --> 0:12:31.179 previous three years. And to me, the most frustrating thing is, 0:12:31.480 --> 0:12:35.640 it's like a built-in narrative with Zach's teams is, well, 0:12:35.660 --> 0:12:38.229 they're going to figure it out after the slow start 0:12:38.250 --> 0:12:40.050 through the first four or five weeks of the season. 0:12:40.370 --> 0:12:43.050 It takes them a while, Lance. Well, why does it 0:12:43.090 --> 0:12:50.630 take them a while? You know, this season was always 0:12:50.809 --> 0:12:55.810 about a Super Bowl. Not making the playoffs. This season 0:12:55.850 --> 0:12:59.790 was always about the Super Bowl. That's where Joe Burrow 0:12:59.809 --> 0:13:05.459 set his expectations. Now or never, he said. Best Bengals 0:13:05.520 --> 0:13:10.300 team he's been on, he said. Comparisons to the 2019 0:13:10.300 --> 0:13:18.280 LSU National Championship team. Zach knows that. What was it? 0:13:18.350 --> 0:13:21.630 The Fox-Sideline reporter, Jen Hale, reported during the game on 0:13:21.710 --> 0:13:27.030 Sunday that he, quote, tore into his squatted halftime. Joe 0:13:27.070 --> 0:13:34.220 knows it. He was ticked. Reportedly addressed the team afterwards 0:13:34.320 --> 0:13:40.300 on Sunday. They aren't settling for a false narrative of 0:13:40.330 --> 0:13:45.770 hope and patience. I just don't think you should either. 0:13:47.750 --> 0:13:52.360 Need more. Demand more. We're just back in an all 0:13:52.420 --> 0:13:56.500 too familiar spot with this football team. Season's not over. 0:13:57.380 --> 0:14:01.179 They haven't been written off. There's still plenty of opportunities. 0:14:02.179 --> 0:14:10.270 But to me, it just is so aggravating when it's 0:14:10.350 --> 0:14:14.780 explained to me in terms of just Take a deep breath. Relax. 0:14:15.320 --> 0:14:18.240 They're going to be fine. They're going to figure it out. 0:14:18.960 --> 0:14:22.180 Look at the run game. They got it figured out 0:14:22.240 --> 0:14:24.940 last year. Look at fill in the blank. They got 0:14:24.980 --> 0:14:29.200 it figured out. They'll be better after the remainder of 0:14:29.220 --> 0:14:32.240 the season after the bye. Look at his record. Maybe 0:14:32.260 --> 0:14:35.170 not directly after the bye, but after the bye, the 0:14:35.230 --> 0:14:38.210 remainder of the season, look at the record. I don't 0:14:38.330 --> 0:14:42.479 want to look at all those records. I want to 0:14:42.520 --> 0:14:45.840 look at a team that's better than what we've seen 0:14:46.120 --> 0:14:52.230 through five weeks. I just think the expectations were there, 0:14:53.300 --> 0:15:00.770 not lowering them to here to make it okay. Does 0:15:00.790 --> 0:15:05.250 that make any sense whatsoever? Can I get an amen? 0:15:06.050 --> 0:15:10.010 Any hands in the air, preach, Lance. Sometimes I feel 0:15:10.030 --> 0:15:14.090 in this group conversation I'm having, I'm like the lone voice, 0:15:15.370 --> 0:15:20.510 and sometimes I can't figure out what I'm missing. Because 0:15:20.530 --> 0:15:22.760 I've got to believe you're thinking, and I've got to 0:15:22.780 --> 0:15:26.300 believe more than not are nodding their heads saying, exactly right. 0:15:30.020 --> 0:15:34.760 I need more from this team. They haven't been good enough. 0:15:37.650 --> 0:15:41.710 I want the Super Bowl contending caliber team. And I 0:15:41.750 --> 0:15:48.930 want to see it now. Let's open up the lines. 0:15:48.950 --> 0:15:49.500 513-749-7000. 0:15:49.510 --> 0:15:53.220 1-800-THE-BIG-ONE. I would love your thoughts on that. After news. 0:15:53.400 --> 0:15:57.420 R & L Carrier Sports Talk presented by Kelsey Chevrolet. 700-WLW. 0:15:57.680 --> 0:16:01.860 Of a football road trip and game day experience, you 0:16:01.960 --> 0:16:05.900 think everyone... should experience at least once in their life, 0:16:06.160 --> 0:16:08.870 or one on your bucket list. I asked that of 0:16:08.900 --> 0:16:12.330 the legendary NFL writer Peter King last week on Sports Talk. 0:16:12.530 --> 0:16:15.490 Without hesitation, he gave me an answer. It was a 0:16:15.630 --> 0:16:18.230 really good answer, so much so I said, bookmark that. 0:16:18.550 --> 0:16:20.590 That's going to be a topic, and it'll be tonight 0:16:20.630 --> 0:16:23.470 in the 8 o'clock hour. The football road trip and 0:16:23.510 --> 0:16:26.950 game day experience everyone should experience, or one that is 0:16:27.070 --> 0:16:29.650 on your calendar. bucket list coming up eight o'clock tonight 0:16:29.730 --> 0:16:32.540 we jump in with both feet into the Bengals conversation 0:16:32.660 --> 0:16:34.900 out of the shoot and the idea of three and 0:16:34.940 --> 0:16:36.800 two to this point to me it's it's not good 0:16:36.840 --> 0:16:40.540 enough that doesn't mean I I've cashed in all the 0:16:40.600 --> 0:16:41.950 chips and they're done and they're not going to make 0:16:41.970 --> 0:16:45.130 the playoffs just saying I'm not I want more from 0:16:45.170 --> 0:16:47.590 this football team because more was expected out of this 0:16:47.610 --> 0:16:51.750 football team Not even by, like, fans and media as 0:16:51.790 --> 0:16:54.190 much as the players themselves. I mean, what was Joe's 0:16:54.250 --> 0:16:56.500 talking point? What was Joe asked about? And what was 0:16:56.520 --> 0:16:59.920 Joe very upfront in talking about with no hesitation the 0:16:59.980 --> 0:17:04.680 entire offseason? Winning the Super Bowl, now or never. I 0:17:05.780 --> 0:17:08.440 think it was Ben Baby who asked a follow-up and said, 0:17:08.500 --> 0:17:10.400 now or never, and Joe says, that's how I look 0:17:10.460 --> 0:17:15.450 at it. That's how the organization looked at it based 0:17:15.510 --> 0:17:18.950 on their actions. Do you think the organization went all 0:17:19.030 --> 0:17:22.310 in in this offseason to just get in the playoffs? 0:17:25.050 --> 0:17:26.540 I think they went all in to win a Super Bowl. 0:17:26.560 --> 0:17:30.800 At least make a run at one. Does this look 0:17:30.840 --> 0:17:34.900 like a team through five weeks capable? It does not. 0:17:35.700 --> 0:17:42.450 Might it? Yeah. But it's not right now. And that's 0:17:42.490 --> 0:17:48.290 the frustration. Because five or five weeks in, and they 0:17:48.450 --> 0:17:53.570 don't look like that. Doesn't mean they won't. But it's 0:17:53.609 --> 0:17:58.650 for five weeks they haven't. Why? Because every year, this 0:17:58.730 --> 0:18:02.629 is one of the talking points about Zach's teams. And 0:18:02.670 --> 0:18:06.860 it drives me crazy. Dayton, we go, James, you were 0:18:06.920 --> 0:18:07.160 on 700 WLW. 0:18:10.500 --> 0:18:11.760 Hey, my friend. 0:18:11.840 --> 0:18:12.980 How's it going? 0:18:13.220 --> 0:18:15.119 Very well. Good to hear from you. What's on your mind? 0:18:15.980 --> 0:18:19.719 So, again, for me, it's like two points here. And 0:18:19.740 --> 0:18:22.920 I thought your post today or last night, whenever it was, 0:18:23.180 --> 0:18:27.100 on this topic was great. The first is when we 0:18:27.580 --> 0:18:30.740 walk out of SoFi Stadium having lost a nail biter 0:18:30.830 --> 0:18:34.550 to the Rams... And we're like, okay, we got Joe Burrow, quarterback. 0:18:34.710 --> 0:18:37.890 And he had said that season, my window's always open. 0:18:38.070 --> 0:18:38.690 Okay, great. 0:18:38.830 --> 0:18:45.820 So we reasonably expected, that was 2022, we reasonably expected 0:18:46.080 --> 0:18:48.700 that it was going to be, yes, we went back 0:18:48.740 --> 0:18:52.500 to the AFC championship game. That was great. But, you know, 0:18:52.720 --> 0:18:54.810 then it's been nothing. It's been crickets and not even 0:18:54.900 --> 0:18:59.150 close to the Super Bowl. So that was number one 0:18:59.250 --> 0:19:01.350 for me. Like, I just figured we'd be back by now. 0:19:02.010 --> 0:19:04.490 Number two is what you just talked about. Joe said that. 0:19:04.630 --> 0:19:05.390 It's like, no. 0:19:05.890 --> 0:19:09.690 He didn't say we're all in. Now, to make the playoffs, 0:19:09.770 --> 0:19:11.950 I mean, yeah, you should make the playoffs. You should 0:19:11.990 --> 0:19:15.990 make the playoffs. He's talking about the Super Bowl. And, yes, 0:19:16.070 --> 0:19:20.820 the Bengals stepped up. And, you know, things aren't– you 0:19:20.880 --> 0:19:24.100 nailed a lot of your points in your post, you know, the– 0:19:26.859 --> 0:19:30.100 offensive line still not there and just to watch these 0:19:30.200 --> 0:19:32.840 running backs come in and just go up and down 0:19:32.940 --> 0:19:36.140 the field is just disappointing. 0:19:37.170 --> 0:19:40.730 Yeah and i um you know some of those things 0:19:41.609 --> 0:19:44.129 the the box will probably wind up getting checked and 0:19:44.150 --> 0:19:47.669 it'll be better but some won't but my point is 0:19:48.210 --> 0:19:52.490 why can't more boxes be checked? from the start with 0:19:52.550 --> 0:19:55.169 this team and and this coach they're just to me 0:19:55.210 --> 0:19:57.950 what what's frustrating is it's like it takes too long 0:19:57.990 --> 0:20:00.149 to figure out the rules of the game or or 0:20:00.190 --> 0:20:03.260 to move the chess pieces everybody else the opposition moves 0:20:03.320 --> 0:20:05.859 all the pieces and and zach and his staff and 0:20:05.880 --> 0:20:08.900 the team needs too long to figure out what chess 0:20:08.980 --> 0:20:11.460 piece they're now going to move and by that time 0:20:11.500 --> 0:20:14.020 you're looking and saying well now your margin for error 0:20:14.100 --> 0:20:16.310 is greatly reduced you're gonna have to wait how many 0:20:16.400 --> 0:20:19.869 times over the last five years have we said In 0:20:19.910 --> 0:20:21.910 order to do it, they're going to have to win 0:20:22.090 --> 0:20:25.109 six of their last eight or five of their last seven, 0:20:25.130 --> 0:20:27.210 and they're going to have to get some help. That's 0:20:27.410 --> 0:20:29.850 always been the talking point, it seems, with this team. 0:20:30.730 --> 0:20:33.590 No, no, I agree with you, and you actually brought 0:20:33.630 --> 0:20:36.000 it up, and maybe you've been on the record for this, 0:20:36.080 --> 0:20:40.560 but I don't know. If someone says, Zach Taylor does 0:20:40.700 --> 0:20:43.720 this very well, he's excellent at this, he's a great 0:20:43.800 --> 0:20:46.300 leader of this Bengals team that we have right now 0:20:46.340 --> 0:20:48.720 because of this, I don't know what to say. I 0:20:48.760 --> 0:20:51.660 really don't have any response to the naysayers. 0:20:52.980 --> 0:20:55.850 Yeah, I mean, look, he came in and he built 0:20:55.950 --> 0:21:00.650 something and he connected with his team. It was kind 0:21:00.670 --> 0:21:05.460 of like a college rah-rah, I got your back, you'll 0:21:05.500 --> 0:21:07.080 have mine, we're in this together. 0:21:07.100 --> 0:21:07.460 And that. 0:21:08.500 --> 0:21:12.580 was the basis for building something. But we're in year 0:21:12.800 --> 0:21:15.100 eight of it, and I think it is very fair 0:21:15.140 --> 0:21:18.679 to say, what would be the identity under Zach Taylor? 0:21:18.820 --> 0:21:21.900 What is Zach as a head coach? And I would 0:21:21.980 --> 0:21:24.340 answer that question by saying what he is as a 0:21:24.380 --> 0:21:27.680 head coach is frustrating. That is what I would answer. 0:21:27.760 --> 0:21:28.560 He's frustrating. 0:21:29.540 --> 0:21:30.260 That's great. 0:21:30.460 --> 0:21:32.960 I love it. That's what he is, frustrating. I agree. 0:21:33.460 --> 0:21:36.000 It's just like, get it together, man. Get your team together. 0:21:36.040 --> 0:21:36.730 You're not doing it. 0:21:37.160 --> 0:21:37.760 James, thank you. 0:21:38.800 --> 0:21:39.340 Thank you, sir. 0:21:39.540 --> 0:21:45.510 All right, good hearing from you. 513-749-7000, 1-800-the-big-one, 1-2-3-4, lines open. 0:21:45.770 --> 0:21:48.530 Behind that, if you'd like to jump in, in Western Hills, hey, Rick, 0:21:48.550 --> 0:21:50.430 you're on 700-WLW. 0:21:51.230 --> 0:21:56.330 Well, Zach Taylor's personality and demeanor, I don't think he's 0:21:56.390 --> 0:21:59.169 very tough on them in practice. They always told us 0:21:59.190 --> 0:22:02.150 you play hard like you practice. If you don't practice 0:22:02.190 --> 0:22:04.030 very hard, you're not going to play hard on Sunday. 0:22:05.320 --> 0:22:08.950 The lack of tackling, that comes from not having tackling 0:22:08.990 --> 0:22:15.270 practice during the week. I know there's restrictions from the union, 0:22:15.710 --> 0:22:18.889 the players' union, but other teams tackle hard, and they 0:22:18.930 --> 0:22:21.200 all tackle in practice, and it seems to me that's 0:22:21.260 --> 0:22:23.430 not like what they do with the Bengals. when they 0:22:23.470 --> 0:22:25.989 practice during the week. They don't have tackling practice for 0:22:26.010 --> 0:22:28.190 these linebackers. They couldn't because they would be able to 0:22:28.250 --> 0:22:31.430 do it on the week on Sunday. That could change. 0:22:31.970 --> 0:22:34.990 And they don't seem like they're very in much good shape. 0:22:35.050 --> 0:22:37.330 They're not conditioned right. They all seem to be tired. 0:22:38.190 --> 0:22:40.149 We see them huffing and puffing. I don't know how 0:22:40.190 --> 0:22:43.070 much they run, you know, how many laps they run. 0:22:43.090 --> 0:22:46.510 Do they have to pay for a penalty? I mean, 0:22:46.570 --> 0:22:49.540 when I played football, you did a stupid penalty. You 0:22:49.580 --> 0:22:52.570 had to go run laps. I don't understand why the 0:22:52.630 --> 0:22:56.370 Bengals can't push their team. Vince Lombardi used to have 0:22:56.410 --> 0:22:58.330 his team do grass drills all the time. I read 0:22:58.350 --> 0:23:01.710 a book about him. He said, we might be the 0:23:01.760 --> 0:23:05.020 best team, but we'll be the best-shaped team, and we'll 0:23:05.040 --> 0:23:07.419 beat them in the last third and fourth quarter. So 0:23:07.460 --> 0:23:09.760 the Bengals can do it. They just need to toughen 0:23:09.840 --> 0:23:11.760 up in the practices. That's what I think they. 0:23:11.700 --> 0:23:12.120 Need to do. 0:23:12.359 --> 0:23:14.980 Rick, thank you. Thank you for listening. Thanks for taking 0:23:15.020 --> 0:23:20.439 the time to call. I would point to, along those lines, 0:23:21.869 --> 0:23:24.730 Urgency is a word I feel needs to be applied 0:23:24.850 --> 0:23:28.010 much more to a greater extent with this team. And 0:23:28.050 --> 0:23:32.790 to me, I get being calm and being positive and 0:23:34.290 --> 0:23:38.790 it's going to be okay. I just, that may have 0:23:38.830 --> 0:23:43.740 been okay early on. I just think the deeper you 0:23:43.760 --> 0:23:46.520 get into this and the more the expectations go up 0:23:46.580 --> 0:23:49.959 and the stakes are raised, There just needs to be 0:23:50.040 --> 0:23:52.320 more of a delivery of a message of, you know what, 0:23:52.359 --> 0:23:56.700 I'm tired of this crap. I'm tired of watching this. 0:23:57.020 --> 0:23:59.570 And maybe he reached that at halftime. According to the report, 0:23:59.590 --> 0:24:03.010 he certainly laid into Eric Hall on Sunday like, I've 0:24:03.090 --> 0:24:05.490 never seen him get in the face of a player 0:24:05.650 --> 0:24:09.210 in eight seasons. Never, ever have I seen. Now, I'm 0:24:09.230 --> 0:24:11.220 thinking of all the things that have happened over eight 0:24:11.260 --> 0:24:13.540 seasons and all the things that were worthy of getting 0:24:13.580 --> 0:24:16.399 in somebody's face. I guess I found it interesting that 0:24:16.420 --> 0:24:18.600 it was Eric all he chose to get into the 0:24:18.640 --> 0:24:21.460 face of. And, yeah, I get the penalty was egregious 0:24:21.540 --> 0:24:24.110 and it was a headbutt on special teams. And you've 0:24:24.119 --> 0:24:26.510 got to be kidding me. But I don't know. I 0:24:26.530 --> 0:24:28.510 don't I don't want to go so far as to 0:24:28.590 --> 0:24:32.350 say that that calm, positive, everything's going to be OK 0:24:32.390 --> 0:24:38.280 approach leads to a lax way of doing things. But man, 0:24:38.340 --> 0:24:41.090 it just feels like of all times to put the 0:24:41.200 --> 0:24:43.909 screws to a team, the screws ought to be tight 0:24:43.970 --> 0:24:46.510 on this team. This is supposed to be a Super 0:24:46.550 --> 0:24:50.310 Bowl team. And I don't care what the Rams are 0:24:50.330 --> 0:24:53.430 doing right now or the Bills or anybody else. I 0:24:53.470 --> 0:24:56.609