WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: It's On Again 0:00:03.760 --> 0:00:06.640 Hi again everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.680 --> 0:00:11.640 the Bengals Booth Podcast. The I'll simply say it's on again. 0:00:12.680 --> 0:00:19.279 It's on again. Woo. Addition, as I get you set 0:00:19.280 --> 0:00:21.040 for the start of training camp on looking at some 0:00:21.120 --> 0:00:24.440 of the key storylines before getting to my two guests, 0:00:24.840 --> 0:00:29.120 team president Mike Brown and my broadcast partner Dave Lapham. 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:33.520 The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals. 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Now, let's look ahead to the start 0:01:48.040 --> 0:01:51.440 of training camp, beginning with some of the most important storylines. 0:01:52.160 --> 0:01:54.480 As you probably know by now, the news broke on 0:01:54.520 --> 0:01:58.320 Tuesday that Joe Burrow needs surgery to remove his appendix. 0:01:58.680 --> 0:02:02.200 It sucks for Joe. Appendectomies are considered to be routine 0:02:02.240 --> 0:02:05.000 procedures and he should be able to practice within a 0:02:05.040 --> 0:02:08.280 couple of weeks. For the sake of comparison, the UC 0:02:08.440 --> 0:02:11.800 Bearcats had a long snapper back in twenty eighteen named 0:02:11.919 --> 0:02:15.840 Zach Wood out of McNicholas High School, Kevin Huber's alma mater, 0:02:16.200 --> 0:02:19.960 who played in a game nine days after an appendectomy. 0:02:20.160 --> 0:02:23.000 Then there's the status of Jesse Bates. He has not 0:02:23.160 --> 0:02:26.280 signed the twelve point nine million dollar franchise tag yet 0:02:26.600 --> 0:02:28.760 and did not report on time for the beginning of 0:02:28.760 --> 0:02:32.639 training camp, but Duke Tobin and Zach Taylor expect him 0:02:32.639 --> 0:02:37.800 to eventually sign the tag and be ready to go. Well, 0:02:37.600 --> 0:02:39.920 we trust Jesse's going to be in shape. That's just 0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:42.320 who Jesse is, and Jesse will be ready to go. 0:02:42.480 --> 0:02:46.480 We have high hopes to have a great year together 0:02:46.560 --> 0:02:49.520 with Jesse again and to be right back where we 0:02:49.520 --> 0:02:53.160 were with him. We tried for a couple of years. 0:02:53.160 --> 0:02:57.640 It didn't come together. There's no hard feelings there. It's 0:02:57.680 --> 0:02:59.399 got to work for us and it has to work 0:02:59.440 --> 0:03:01.919 for him, and some times things don't come together. Maybe 0:03:01.960 --> 0:03:04.240 there'll be a chance in the future that something comes 0:03:04.639 --> 0:03:08.200 comes together in a way that we all feel good about. 0:03:09.120 --> 0:03:12.120 But you know, at this point we're we're focused on 0:03:12.200 --> 0:03:15.200 having the best possible year we can and Jesse's a 0:03:15.200 --> 0:03:17.560 part of that and a big part of it. Got 0:03:17.600 --> 0:03:21.440 nothing but love for Jesse's a He is a success story. 0:03:21.639 --> 0:03:24.360 You know, he's a draft choice here that's developed and 0:03:24.400 --> 0:03:27.120 become an outstanding football player. When he comes, we'll be 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:29.880 excited to have him. He's a great person, great player, 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:32.760 a great leader for us, and when he shows up, 0:03:32.840 --> 0:03:34.240 we know that he'll be in shape and ready hit 0:03:34.240 --> 0:03:36.120 the ground. Running and I'm not going to predict a 0:03:36.160 --> 0:03:37.880 timeline and when he shows up, that's up to him. 0:03:37.920 --> 0:03:40.240 But again, he's I know Jesse, I know he's working 0:03:40.320 --> 0:03:43.400 and he's prepared himself to again have a great season. 0:03:43.440 --> 0:03:44.920 So just look forward to when he comes. We'll be 0:03:44.960 --> 0:03:47.680 ready for him. On the injury front, we knew that 0:03:47.760 --> 0:03:50.760 right guard Alex Kappa might miss the start of camp 0:03:51.040 --> 0:03:53.640 since he had surgery to repair a core muscle injury, 0:03:53.960 --> 0:03:57.000 and he is on the physically unable to perform list 0:03:57.040 --> 0:04:00.480 of the pup list, along with Joe Bacci, College, Kareem 0:04:00.560 --> 0:04:03.840 so I, JP Ryan, and Brandon Wilson. But we got 0:04:03.880 --> 0:04:05.960 a little bit of a surprise over the weekend when 0:04:06.000 --> 0:04:09.360 the team announced that right tackle l Collins would begin 0:04:09.480 --> 0:04:13.080 camp on the non football injury list. That's for players 0:04:13.120 --> 0:04:17.239 whose injuries did not occur during practices or games. Here's 0:04:17.279 --> 0:04:20.520 coach Taylor, he's dealing with an issue with his back, 0:04:20.640 --> 0:04:23.360 you know, and it's something he's experienced before and him 0:04:23.440 --> 0:04:26.000 and vets that kind of go through this stuff. On 0:04:26.040 --> 0:04:27.920 the coaching side of the medical side, we want to 0:04:27.920 --> 0:04:30.279 be slow to to get those guys back into the mix. 0:04:30.760 --> 0:04:32.840 We know it's long training camp, he's got a lot 0:04:32.839 --> 0:04:35.760 of Repsomer's belt. He feels good about where he's at 0:04:35.800 --> 0:04:37.520 and we do two and so we'll be slow to 0:04:37.560 --> 0:04:41.120 go with him and Alex, But there's good news on 0:04:41.160 --> 0:04:44.520 the injury front as well. Te Higgins and Joseph Osi, 0:04:44.680 --> 0:04:47.760 who did not practice during OTA's are good to go 0:04:48.000 --> 0:04:51.320 for the start of training camp. Osi was the star 0:04:51.400 --> 0:04:55.120 of the Bengals preseason opener last year, with seven quarterback 0:04:55.200 --> 0:04:58.159 pressures and a sack of Tom Brady before he heard 0:04:58.160 --> 0:05:01.560 his wrist and knee in that game. Duke Tobin is 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:05.600 eager to see him back on the practice field. We'll 0:05:05.600 --> 0:05:08.000 work him back in and and the coaches will be 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:11.040 cognizant of the fact that he's been out for quite 0:05:11.040 --> 0:05:13.520 a while, so we'll work him back in at his 0:05:13.600 --> 0:05:16.920 speed and hopefully he'll show what he showed down to 0:05:17.000 --> 0:05:18.680 Tampa last year. You know, he was going to be 0:05:18.720 --> 0:05:21.440 Bruce Smith there for for a very short period of time, 0:05:21.520 --> 0:05:25.400 so maybe that'll evolve. All the Bengals are hoping that 0:05:25.440 --> 0:05:28.920 Osai can boost their pass rush, especially on third down. 0:05:29.360 --> 0:05:32.240 The biggest battle for a starting spotted training camp is 0:05:32.240 --> 0:05:35.719 it left guard, where the leading candidates are Jackson Carmen 0:05:36.080 --> 0:05:40.120 and rookie fourth round draft pick Cordell Volson. Once again, 0:05:40.480 --> 0:05:44.240 here's Duke. We think we've got pretty talented guys that 0:05:44.320 --> 0:05:48.120 will be competing and it'll be good when when the 0:05:48.160 --> 0:05:52.560 whole the group of five actually solidifies and and kind 0:05:52.560 --> 0:05:56.960 of gets confidence in each other. But yeah, we'll see. 0:05:57.040 --> 0:06:00.880 I'm not gonna make any predictions. I think it's uh, 0:06:01.320 --> 0:06:04.000 it is what it is, and we'll we'll see who 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:07.080 who's the best five, you know, to start the season. 0:06:07.480 --> 0:06:09.120 But I know one thing, You're gonna need more than 0:06:09.120 --> 0:06:11.880 five as the year goes on. You never only get 0:06:11.920 --> 0:06:15.159 through with five. You're gonna need six, seven, eight, nine 0:06:15.200 --> 0:06:17.600 and two practice squad guys that are ready to play 0:06:17.640 --> 0:06:21.640 at a moment's notice. Regardless of who wins that left 0:06:21.680 --> 0:06:25.039 guard spot. Mike Brown expects the old line to be 0:06:25.200 --> 0:06:31.880 vastly improved. We've tried our best to add people there, Keis, 0:06:32.200 --> 0:06:36.920 Kappa Collins, they're veteran players. They should come in and 0:06:36.960 --> 0:06:41.559 be able to shore up our performance make us better. 0:06:43.040 --> 0:06:48.600 I want to see how it comes together. I'm hopeful 0:06:48.720 --> 0:06:52.160 that it'll turn the trick and give us better protection 0:06:52.279 --> 0:06:57.120 for Joe. We're aware of the shortfall there last year, 0:06:57.200 --> 0:07:02.560 believe me. And we'll see if this can help. I 0:07:02.600 --> 0:07:07.800 think it ken I wanted to, but the proof is 0:07:07.800 --> 0:07:11.400 in the pudding well. With Mike Brown coming up shortly, 0:07:11.480 --> 0:07:15.160 but first a brief visit with Special Teams coordinator Darren Simmons, 0:07:15.400 --> 0:07:19.320 who will oversee a training camp battle at punter between 0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:22.400 thirty seven year old Kevin Huber and twenty five year 0:07:22.440 --> 0:07:25.880 old Drew Chrissman. You know, I think it was unique. 0:07:25.880 --> 0:07:29.480 I told Kevin and Drew that the competition really wouldn't 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:31.480 start until training camp comes around, and I think that 0:07:31.520 --> 0:07:34.440 affords Kevin the best opportunity, you know, to not pun 0:07:34.560 --> 0:07:37.840 himself out and hern OTAs and I think it's the 0:07:37.880 --> 0:07:39.520 right way to go about it. And so we'll see 0:07:39.560 --> 0:07:42.640 what kind of shape he's he is coming back into it. 0:07:43.320 --> 0:07:45.280 You know, Drew's had the opportunity to punt here for 0:07:45.320 --> 0:07:47.520 a couple of days with the rookies and to kind 0:07:47.520 --> 0:07:49.400 of get him his feet underneath him a little bit. 0:07:49.880 --> 0:07:51.640 But yeah, it'll be unique for Kevin. It'll be the 0:07:51.640 --> 0:07:54.280 first time that he's been pushed. He's a competitive guy. 0:07:54.320 --> 0:07:56.760 He knows how this league works, and you know, I 0:07:56.760 --> 0:08:00.880 expect nothing but his best shot, and it'll take Drew's 0:08:00.880 --> 0:08:03.480 best shot to unseat him, you know, quite frankly and um, 0:08:03.600 --> 0:08:05.680 but I think that's what you want. I think you want. 0:08:05.720 --> 0:08:07.520 You want to keep the best guy and the guy 0:08:07.520 --> 0:08:09.960 who's going to give our team the best opportunity to 0:08:10.160 --> 0:08:12.160 you know, not only exchange field position in the punning game, 0:08:12.160 --> 0:08:14.440 but also to score points in the field goal portion 0:08:14.480 --> 0:08:16.360 of it too. So the field goal the holding will 0:08:16.400 --> 0:08:18.400 have you know, an effect on that as well. How 0:08:18.400 --> 0:08:20.840 big of an effect Kevin estimated to me that holding 0:08:21.000 --> 0:08:23.840 is sixty percent of the job. Now, yeah, well I 0:08:24.120 --> 0:08:28.080 kind of gave him that assessment, you know, at the 0:08:28.160 --> 0:08:29.800 end of the year. You know, I would tell you 0:08:29.840 --> 0:08:32.160 it was probably flipped before that, you know, with the 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:35.280 advent of and the way that we use analytics now 0:08:35.320 --> 0:08:37.160 to we go for it so much more in fourth down, 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:40.600 and with the weapon we have is you know, at 0:08:40.600 --> 0:08:43.720 the kicker position now it really expands the field for 0:08:44.000 --> 0:08:46.720 So I would have said before that probably sixty percent 0:08:46.760 --> 0:08:48.920 of the punters job was punning and forty percent was holding, 0:08:48.920 --> 0:08:50.679 and I think I probably flipped that, and now I 0:08:50.679 --> 0:08:52.839 would probably think that fifty five percent of his job 0:08:52.920 --> 0:08:56.480 is holding and forty five percent is actually punning and 0:08:56.520 --> 0:08:58.240 that's a good thing. You know, what means we're getting 0:08:58.240 --> 0:09:00.920 an opportunity to score points. Uh So I think that's 0:09:00.920 --> 0:09:03.679 pretty accurate. You were able to sign the highest rated 0:09:03.720 --> 0:09:06.400 long snapper in college football last year as an undrafted 0:09:06.400 --> 0:09:10.920 free agent. Is that competition similar to the punting competition? Yeah? 0:09:10.960 --> 0:09:14.120 I think way, Why the hell not get him getting Kevin? 0:09:14.240 --> 0:09:16.960 Kevin's getting pushed, so why not push Clark too? Now, 0:09:17.200 --> 0:09:20.439 I think that at some point here that the uh, 0:09:21.520 --> 0:09:22.920 you know, if other time is going to catch up 0:09:22.920 --> 0:09:24.320 with those two guys and it's going to be up 0:09:24.320 --> 0:09:26.120 to them when that time is this year, is it 0:09:26.200 --> 0:09:27.920 next year? Is it three years? So now I don't know, 0:09:29.000 --> 0:09:30.760 but but I think I owe it to our team 0:09:30.840 --> 0:09:34.280 to uh push those two positions and push those two 0:09:34.360 --> 0:09:37.040 players specifically as hard as I can because it's it, 0:09:37.400 --> 0:09:40.680 uh you know, it's it's it's that important for where 0:09:40.679 --> 0:09:43.200 we're at as a team. Um. And I think, you know, 0:09:43.400 --> 0:09:45.280 I think they both need to keep working to improve. 0:09:45.400 --> 0:09:48.520 Kevin Clark, I mean, um, you know, on the deficiency 0:09:48.679 --> 0:09:50.920 deficiencies that they had. I don't think Kevin punted his 0:09:51.000 --> 0:09:53.600 best down the stretch last year. I think he struggled 0:09:53.600 --> 0:09:56.800 down the stretch in this pieway or even having this conversation. UM, 0:09:57.440 --> 0:09:59.360 and so he knows that, he feels that, and I 0:09:59.360 --> 0:10:01.520 think he's uh uh, you know, on board. I think 0:10:01.559 --> 0:10:04.000 he's probably excited about having competition. It's it's be the 0:10:04.000 --> 0:10:06.800 first time he's had that. Who are your top candidates 0:10:06.840 --> 0:10:10.120 to return kicks and punts? Well, you know, with the uncertainty, 0:10:10.120 --> 0:10:14.200 probably Brandon Wilson, you know, and certainly what his injury brings, uh, 0:10:14.240 --> 0:10:16.640 you know, it really opens that spot up. UM, A 0:10:16.679 --> 0:10:19.000 couple of candidates saying, Chris Evans will well, we'll get 0:10:19.000 --> 0:10:21.520 a shot in there. You know, he was somebody who 0:10:21.920 --> 0:10:24.000 did that for the first time in the Cleveland game, 0:10:24.120 --> 0:10:25.880 you know, and then ultimately did it throughout the playoffs 0:10:25.920 --> 0:10:29.840 and handled handled the position well enough. But but I 0:10:29.880 --> 0:10:32.959 think what he lacks obviously his experience. UM. I think 0:10:32.960 --> 0:10:34.640 Puka Williams get a crack at that, and I think 0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:36.600 Kami last we'll get a crack at that too. I mean, 0:10:36.640 --> 0:10:38.839 those are you know, a couple of three guys. It's 0:10:38.880 --> 0:10:41.200 at the kick return spots and you know, the pump 0:10:41.240 --> 0:10:43.160 return spot. I think it'll you know, Trent Tail will 0:10:43.200 --> 0:10:45.680 be the first guy that trots out there, um as 0:10:45.720 --> 0:10:48.200 the incoment, but he'll be pushed hard by Poking and 0:10:48.280 --> 0:10:51.600 Kwammie also, um, you know, I've told Kwammie and Puka 0:10:51.720 --> 0:10:53.640 both that I mean, the only, the only opportunity to 0:10:53.679 --> 0:10:55.960 make our team is to be the pump return, and 0:10:56.200 --> 0:10:58.599 I think they both understand how critical that spot is 0:10:58.600 --> 0:11:00.280 going to be for them. That's that's only they're going 0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:02.560 to seat Trent or truly, only who they're gonna be 0:11:02.559 --> 0:11:04.560 on the forty six man rosters is to be the 0:11:04.559 --> 0:11:08.480 starting return, starting pulp return specifically. So those are a 0:11:08.480 --> 0:11:10.240 couple of guys that, you know, three guys related each 0:11:10.240 --> 0:11:14.440 spot that it was pretty wide open, honestly. Before we 0:11:14.440 --> 0:11:16.840 get to my one on one conversation with Mike Brown, 0:11:16.960 --> 0:11:19.960 here's a reminder that the Bengals Booth podcast is presented 0:11:20.280 --> 0:11:23.400 by Ultimate Bengals, the free to play fantasy football game. 0:11:23.679 --> 0:11:27.040 This past season, Ultimate Bengals awarded a weekly winner during 0:11:27.040 --> 0:11:30.000 the course of the year with tickets, autographed merchandise, and 0:11:30.200 --> 0:11:34.120 money can buy experiences all up for grabs. Find Ultimate 0:11:34.160 --> 0:11:38.200 Bengals in the App Store and Google Play. We recently 0:11:38.320 --> 0:11:41.600 learned that the Bengals have been negotiating with local companies 0:11:41.640 --> 0:11:45.360 about selling naming rights to Paul Brown Stadium. That was 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:48.040 one of the topics I discussed with team president Mike 0:11:48.120 --> 0:11:50.880 Brown when I had the opportunity to spend about ten 0:11:50.880 --> 0:11:55.800 minutes with him on Monday twenty twenty one. Was one 0:11:55.800 --> 0:11:59.280 of the most successful seasons in franchise history. How did 0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:03.120 you sell them? Rate the big postseason wins? Do you 0:12:03.200 --> 0:12:06.400 save a special bottle of wine? Do you and Nancy 0:12:06.480 --> 0:12:08.719 go out for dinner? Do you do anything after those 0:12:08.760 --> 0:12:12.960 big victories? No? I just sit and feel pretty good. 0:12:13.840 --> 0:12:17.400 And that's the extent of celebration for me. I'm an 0:12:17.400 --> 0:12:20.880 old man now and those games are night games. I'm 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:24.120 not looking to jump up in the air and click 0:12:24.240 --> 0:12:28.840 my heels. It was a great run, though. It was 0:12:30.480 --> 0:12:36.400 exciting a playoff run as you're ever gonna see, and 0:12:36.800 --> 0:12:42.520 I just couldn't have felt happier about how all that went. 0:12:42.840 --> 0:12:46.360 It was a good year. What sticks with you more 0:12:46.679 --> 0:12:52.040 an exhilarating win or a heartbreaking loss? Oh? I probably 0:12:52.760 --> 0:13:01.080 remember the losses. They stick in your crow. You remember 0:13:01.240 --> 0:13:05.840 Super Bowl losses more than others. Were here with Dave 0:13:05.960 --> 0:13:09.040 Lapham and were you in one of those games? A 0:13:09.120 --> 0:13:12.560 second game or the first game, first one, super Bowl sixteen. Yeah, 0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:18.040 and I don't care. That was a close game when 0:13:18.080 --> 0:13:22.800 we could have won that game, and you just don't 0:13:23.280 --> 0:13:26.080 get it out of your mind. Has a little spot 0:13:26.160 --> 0:13:29.480 back there then it pops up every once in a while. 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:33.080 He told me once that that first Super Bowl, super 0:13:33.120 --> 0:13:36.480 Bowl sixteen was the loss that hurts the most because 0:13:36.520 --> 0:13:38.600 you thought that the Bengals were the better team. Do 0:13:38.640 --> 0:13:40.800 you still feel that way? Is that the one that 0:13:40.960 --> 0:13:44.400 stands out most of all? Well, I have to confess 0:13:44.480 --> 0:13:48.000 I did think we were the better team. You can't 0:13:48.000 --> 0:13:50.200 win when you turn the bowl over like we did 0:13:50.200 --> 0:13:52.920 in that game, But I would have liked to have 0:13:52.920 --> 0:13:55.520 had another chance at it. Of course, you don't get 0:13:55.520 --> 0:13:59.600 but one chance, and we came up short. To their credit, 0:13:59.679 --> 0:14:03.640 they played well. I thought that Kenny Anderson out played 0:14:05.280 --> 0:14:13.720 Montana in that game, and I remember afterwards having the 0:14:13.760 --> 0:14:19.320 worst headache I've ever had in my life. It was 0:14:19.680 --> 0:14:23.080 what you get when you lose. It was recently announced 0:14:23.240 --> 0:14:26.680 that the Bengals are negotiating to possibly sell naming rights 0:14:26.720 --> 0:14:30.720 to Paul Brown Stadium. Why is that important to the 0:14:30.720 --> 0:14:33.400 long term health of the franchise and how difficulty is 0:14:33.440 --> 0:14:37.200 that for you personally? Well, I think my dad would 0:14:37.200 --> 0:14:40.280 have understood. I think he would even have approved it 0:14:41.680 --> 0:14:45.560 in his mind. What mattered most was the team. This 0:14:45.680 --> 0:14:48.720 gives us a revenue stream if we go forward with it, 0:14:48.840 --> 0:14:53.520 and we need that for doing things such as the 0:14:54.040 --> 0:14:58.600 indoor facility we're building to help us when we get 0:14:58.680 --> 0:15:03.800 to signing some of our headline players. That's going to 0:15:03.880 --> 0:15:10.320 be a real challenge. We have things to spend that 0:15:10.400 --> 0:15:15.080 money on, believe me, and it will help us. We 0:15:15.160 --> 0:15:18.360 need some help because we're a small market team and 0:15:18.440 --> 0:15:23.120 our revenues don't normally match up with the large revenue teams. 0:15:23.160 --> 0:15:25.120 We have to do with less, and this will give 0:15:25.200 --> 0:15:28.720 us a little more to work with. Last year, Joe 0:15:28.720 --> 0:15:31.720 Burrow became just the seventh quarterback to start a Super 0:15:31.760 --> 0:15:34.840 Bowl in his second season, joining names like Dan Marino, 0:15:34.960 --> 0:15:38.440 Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and other all time greats. Of 0:15:38.640 --> 0:15:44.400 Joe's many great qualities, what stands out most to you, oh, 0:15:44.520 --> 0:15:49.640 probably is poise. He can see the field, He has 0:15:49.680 --> 0:15:57.360 a sense of the rush, he never flusters, is accurate. 0:15:57.400 --> 0:16:00.200 Of course as a passer, he can move and run 0:16:00.240 --> 0:16:04.760 a little bit, but when you get down to it. 0:16:04.760 --> 0:16:08.280 It's the way he thinks that is most impressive. He's 0:16:08.320 --> 0:16:12.040 got a quick mind, a good football mind. Let's moved 0:16:12.040 --> 0:16:15.080 to Jamar Chase. He had a record setting rookie year. 0:16:15.160 --> 0:16:18.000 He was spectacular, but in training camp in the preseason, 0:16:18.040 --> 0:16:20.560 he struggled. He couldn't catch a cold for a while. 0:16:20.640 --> 0:16:24.360 There were you worried at all? Or did history tell 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:27.400 you that Jamar Chase was going to be fine? Well? 0:16:27.400 --> 0:16:30.240 What told me Jamar Chase was going to be fine? 0:16:30.280 --> 0:16:35.000 When Jamar Chase was fine and he was fine in 0:16:35.720 --> 0:16:39.360 capital letters, we all saw it was unbelievable. He had 0:16:39.400 --> 0:16:45.520 a great, great season. He's a tremendous talent, and he 0:16:45.920 --> 0:16:49.200 now has to face a new season and they'll be 0:16:49.240 --> 0:16:53.360 looking at him more than ever, and he'll have to 0:16:53.400 --> 0:16:58.000 be ready for it and keep the ball rolling. I 0:16:58.080 --> 0:17:01.480 think he will. What did you think of Zach Taylor's 0:17:01.520 --> 0:17:05.720 idea to hand out game balls to fans at local 0:17:05.760 --> 0:17:09.560 bars and restaurants after the playoff wins. Well, I thought 0:17:09.600 --> 0:17:14.400 it was nice. So he has a mindset to him. 0:17:14.400 --> 0:17:20.120 He thinks about other people, and I was appreciative of 0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:25.280 that and some of the other things he does. He's 0:17:25.320 --> 0:17:31.119 a good ambassador for the Bengals off the field, and 0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:34.040 that's just his nature. He seems to come by it naturally. 0:17:34.960 --> 0:17:38.720 I don't think anything galvanizes a city quite like a 0:17:38.760 --> 0:17:43.359 successful championship level NFL team. What did you think of 0:17:43.400 --> 0:17:47.480 the way Bengals fans responded the last season. I thought 0:17:47.520 --> 0:17:52.320 it was wonderful. I thought at the game when we 0:17:52.359 --> 0:17:56.160 beat the Raiders here that you couldn't have had a 0:17:56.200 --> 0:17:59.040 stadium more live than that one was. And then our 0:17:59.119 --> 0:18:03.879 fans were so pleased with how it went. It was 0:18:04.040 --> 0:18:07.760 coming out of the COVID time, and this was a 0:18:07.800 --> 0:18:12.320 moment when they could get involved publicly again with each other, 0:18:13.000 --> 0:18:19.359 and it just caught fire. It was as exciting time 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:23.919 for our pro football team in Cincinnati as any that 0:18:24.040 --> 0:18:26.720 I remember. We had good times in eighty two and 0:18:27.040 --> 0:18:30.280 eighty eight, but I'd have to say this last one 0:18:30.400 --> 0:18:37.800 probably it was the most exciting UH season. The fan 0:18:37.880 --> 0:18:41.359 base is very excited about the white alternate helmet that 0:18:41.520 --> 0:18:44.440 is coming in twenty twenty two. What was your reaction 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:49.600 You saw that it's a white alternate helmet with black stripes, 0:18:50.320 --> 0:18:57.600 and I the women are excited about it, and my 0:18:58.800 --> 0:19:03.879 family and my end daughters and my daughter and my wife. 0:19:05.440 --> 0:19:07.320 You know, they just tell me I don't know what 0:19:07.359 --> 0:19:12.160 I'm doing. So they like it a lot, and I 0:19:12.200 --> 0:19:17.240 think I'll like it too. You joke, when your granddaughters 0:19:17.280 --> 0:19:20.000 ask you to do something where the franchise is concerned, 0:19:20.760 --> 0:19:25.280 you typically say yes. But in all seriousness, Elizabeth and 0:19:25.359 --> 0:19:29.440 Caroline have had a pretty remarkable impact on the franchise 0:19:29.440 --> 0:19:31.560 in the last year or so. You know, they got 0:19:31.600 --> 0:19:35.879 some things straightened out. They are in a way inside 0:19:35.880 --> 0:19:40.040 and outside. They had time to look at it from 0:19:40.080 --> 0:19:43.280 the outside. And let's face it, we were going through 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:48.280 some tough years and we needed a boost. We needed 0:19:48.320 --> 0:19:52.280 to do a few things that got the public behind 0:19:52.359 --> 0:19:58.040 us better. The Ring of Honor certainly is one of those. 0:19:58.400 --> 0:20:02.439 For some reason, the public see seems to insist on 0:20:02.560 --> 0:20:05.440 a indoor facility. They'll never be in there. Why do 0:20:05.520 --> 0:20:09.199 they insistent? But we're going to have it for the 0:20:09.280 --> 0:20:11.879 players now, and I think they'll like it. It'll be 0:20:11.920 --> 0:20:16.520 a warmer spot to practice. I always felt that your 0:20:16.920 --> 0:20:20.040 NFL player a little cold and snow, what the heck? 0:20:20.520 --> 0:20:26.520 But now we'll be a little bit warmer and it'll 0:20:26.560 --> 0:20:31.080 be easier for them. Paul Docherty recently retired from the Enquirer, 0:20:31.359 --> 0:20:33.320 and when asked about you, he said one of the 0:20:33.320 --> 0:20:36.000 things he admired most was that, no matter how harshly 0:20:36.040 --> 0:20:39.879 he criticized you, you never seemed to take it personally. 0:20:40.320 --> 0:20:44.800 Is he right about that? Or how do you handle that? Well? 0:20:44.840 --> 0:20:47.800 I know I shouldn't. Probably there's an occasion or two 0:20:47.920 --> 0:20:53.200 when I might, but not for long. The writers are 0:20:54.080 --> 0:20:58.360 doing a task, They're doing what they do, and the 0:20:58.400 --> 0:21:03.800 TV guys the same thing. All of this is just opinion, 0:21:04.560 --> 0:21:10.400 and it's fleeting. It's on to the next day very quickly. 0:21:11.960 --> 0:21:15.160 I like Paul Docherty as a person. He's a very 0:21:15.160 --> 0:21:19.480 bright guy, and I find him an interesting person to 0:21:20.680 --> 0:21:25.760 talk to. I wish him well in retirement, whatever he's 0:21:26.119 --> 0:21:30.119 going to do with it. John Madden passed away this 0:21:30.280 --> 0:21:35.119 past year. What was your relationship like with John Madden. Well, 0:21:35.119 --> 0:21:39.440 he was not too far off my age, and we 0:21:39.440 --> 0:21:46.359 were sort of friendly. I knew him mainly after he 0:21:47.640 --> 0:21:52.800 was let go or rather retired as a football coach, 0:21:52.840 --> 0:22:00.800 and before he became a big time telecaster, and we 0:22:00.800 --> 0:22:06.240 were just aware of each other. We would talk. I 0:22:06.240 --> 0:22:08.880 would say we were the kind of people that were 0:22:08.920 --> 0:22:12.400 on a first name basis and friendly to each other, 0:22:12.600 --> 0:22:17.119 interested in the others views on the different subjects that 0:22:17.240 --> 0:22:22.720 came up to h came in front of the NFL 0:22:23.760 --> 0:22:27.560 and I liked him. He was easy to like, a 0:22:27.680 --> 0:22:35.400 nice guy, and I think he did an amazing dual performance. 0:22:36.000 --> 0:22:41.840 A great coach and just as good announcer as well. 0:22:42.680 --> 0:22:45.760 This will be the Bengals fifty fifth season. Do you 0:22:45.840 --> 0:22:49.080 get as excited for the start of training camp as 0:22:49.119 --> 0:22:52.920 you did now all of the previous fifty four? I 0:22:53.000 --> 0:22:56.920 don't know that excited is the word for me? Probably concerned. 0:22:57.200 --> 0:23:01.520 Do I get concerned more? Yes? It just is what 0:23:01.600 --> 0:23:07.479 I do, and I am conditioned to believe it's the 0:23:07.600 --> 0:23:12.480 natural way, and I look forward to it. I like 0:23:12.680 --> 0:23:16.680 being around the players and coaches. Feel very lucky at 0:23:16.720 --> 0:23:18.800 my stage of life to be able to do that. 0:23:19.800 --> 0:23:24.199 And here we go again. I find it hard to 0:23:24.280 --> 0:23:27.440 believe that I have grown to be so old. But 0:23:28.359 --> 0:23:31.080 as long as I can hang on, I'll probably hang on. 0:23:32.040 --> 0:23:34.600 I always appreciate your time. Thank you so much, good 0:23:34.640 --> 0:23:37.560 to be with you. Find late time for an in 0:23:37.760 --> 0:23:43.000 depth training camp preview with my broadcast partner Dave Lapham Lap. 0:23:43.000 --> 0:23:46.320 There a lot of intriguing storylines going into this training camp, 0:23:46.359 --> 0:23:50.040 the improvements on the offensive line, the status of Jesse Bates, etc. 0:23:51.080 --> 0:23:53.320 What are the things that are the top of your 0:23:53.359 --> 0:23:56.600 list that you're looking forward to watching when camp gets underway. Yeah, 0:23:56.600 --> 0:23:58.879 I mean, I think you've hit on a couple of 0:23:58.920 --> 0:24:02.720 big ones, you know. I think offensively, the offensive line 0:24:02.720 --> 0:24:06.679 player is going to be huge. I'd expected to be 0:24:06.920 --> 0:24:10.240 much improved. I think it's going to ease a big 0:24:10.280 --> 0:24:14.680 burden on the offensive coaching staff. To me, in hindsight, 0:24:14.840 --> 0:24:18.920 reflecting on last year, the game planning that they had 0:24:18.960 --> 0:24:20.920 to do is five times harder than it should have 0:24:21.000 --> 0:24:23.679 been because they were trying to figure out how to 0:24:23.720 --> 0:24:25.800