2/21/25 - The Mo Egger Show w/ Chad Brendel

Chad Brendel fills in for Mo talks Bengals offseason a look ahead to Reds Spring training and of course UC athletics.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Enter this nationwide keyword on our website. Bank that's bank.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Answer it. Now you've found Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (00:24):
Here we go Friday in the Queens City. It's the
Moegar Show. I am not Mowegar. I am Chad Brendle
sitting in today while Moe enjoys a day off. Thank
you for choosing me. Taren Bland on the Ones and Tues,

(00:46):
Taran Most said yesterday, I didn't get a chance to
react to this because it was right as I was
getting off the air for my my normal Thursday segment.
He said, I'll be listening. Why why does he do
that on his day off? Like, take take a day off.
I'm not gonna listen to work on my day off.

(01:07):
But I know he's probably out there listening somewhere. He's
a true company guy. He is a true company guy.
He's got to make sure I don't screw up this show.
The other thing, Chris Canty calling himself the ESPN Radio's
resident Super Bowl Champion. He did win a Super Bowl,
But the guy's a defensive end that had twenty two

(01:29):
sacks in his ten year career. Come on, that guy,
that guy he tries to pick on Cincinnati. Terren he
found his niche what picking like saying out landish things. Yeah,
specifically about Joe Burrow of Cincinnati. Yeah, he doesn't do
a couple others too. I there's really I listened to

(01:52):
it in the mornings on the way I take Kelsey
to him from school and it's on, and I usually
get out of the car much more irritated than I
was when I got in.

Speaker 3 (02:03):
B adil LoVa the week where Twitter caught him out
over his Jalen Hurts comment.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
He tried to, yeah, act like he didn't say it right,
Like that's That's one of my biggest problems with that genre,
with that, with that, the way that that group of
folks that are scattered about, uh sports media, they don't
want to own anything. Like you, if you're gonna say
some outlandish stuff, you're gonna get some stuff wrong. Just

(02:30):
live up to it. I say wrong stuff all the time.
Terran arren I said at the beginning of this season
that Cincinnati had the potential to be a top five
rebounding team in the country. They're not a top fifteen
rebounding team in the sixteen team Big twelve right now.
They sometimes you get it wrong. You talk as much

(02:50):
as we talk, you're not gonna get them all right,
That's okay, Own up to it. Be a man, Live
up to it. Drives me nuts, all right. Enough about that,
We have a lot to get to today. We're gonna
the Reds kick off the on field portion, the the

(03:13):
the actual fake, the fake game portion of spring training tomorrow.
So we're gonna get to some red stuff early in
this show. We're gonna talk to Clay Snowden of Just
Baseball here at at three point thirty. Get Clay's thoughts
as this team gets ready to begin the game portion

(03:35):
and preparing to lead up to opening day here in
about two months, about a month and a half, whatever
it is, six seven weeks of spring training. Basically the thing,
you know, we've set kind of our reasonable expectations for

(03:56):
this team. It is Mo talked about this yesterday. It's
a pretty vast, pretty wide number that is in the
range of variables. We were pretty confident this team was
gonna be above five hundred and be in the in
the playoff hunt last year. That that didn't really materialize,
mainly because they had a dreadful May and and never

(04:19):
really were able to recover from it, But I wonder,
what are you looking for out of spring training? What
are the storylines if any. Some people are just gonna
wait until things kick off on opening day, and I
get that that is not how it works. And in
this business that we were, we are in and I
would assume if you're a regular listener, you are also

(04:43):
one that follows things very closely. What are you looking for?
Clearly number one? And it's a question so important that
Tony asked it, and then Austin asked it again of
Charlie Goldsmith on the previous show, on this program or
on the station, Get Out of Spring Training Healthy that

(05:07):
last year that it felt like things went good for
what about a month, Aaron, and then the last two
weeks it was like dropping like flies, not going to
be ready for opening day, not going to be ready
for opening day, not going to be you get all,
you get the injured list, and you get the injured list.
Oprah was handing out il trips at the end of
spring training last year. So I feel like that's probably

(05:30):
the most important thing, and it's always the most important thing,
especially if you're kind of a small market, mid market club.
You don't have, you know, the necessary depth to sustain
some of those things that happen. But what are the
things that you're going to be looking for in spring training?

(05:53):
For me, it's going to be the starting rotation. What
does I think we're pretty confident at least as it stands,
you'll see Hunter Green at the top of that rotation.
You'll see Brady Singer pretty close behind, and then Nicolodolo,
if healthy. You think Will will definitely be in that

(06:16):
number three spot. What do the four and five spots
look like? I think that's the number one thing I'm
gonna be keeping my eye on. And outside of those
four and five spots, what does the depth look like
behind them? You're gonna go through a lot of pitchers

(06:40):
in today's day and age one of the things that
really burned the Reds last year. And look, at one point,
I think all five starters were out towards the end
of the season. You're not gonna it doesn't matter who
you are, You're not gonna be able to withstand that.
But what does the back end of the rotation look like?
What is the depth look like when you inevitably have

(07:03):
somebody go down for a little while are are your
sixth and seventh starters gonna be capable? Is Andrew Abbott
able to settle into that fourth or fifth spot in
the rotation? Is Nick Martinez in this rotation or is

(07:24):
he your jack of all trades in the bullpen that
is there if you need him to give you time
in that rotation? What is Graham Ashcraft? Is he still
a starter? Is he a guy that by the end
of spring training are we looking at and saying his

(07:46):
role is probably best suited as a two three inning
guy in the bullpen. One time through the lineup, you
let him cut down, focus on just two pitches, let
him attack the strike zone, be aggressive, and give you
another quality guy. And what I believe should be a

(08:08):
really solid bullpen. I don't think they're gonna be flashy.
I think they should be really solid. And then what
is Rhet Louder. Is he going to be healthy enough,
quick enough to earn his way into the back end
of the rotation or is he a guy that starts
at Louisville and he's break glass in case of emergency,

(08:31):
we need you get up here. You showed you could
do it at the end of last season. Let's see
what you can do in year number two. But overall,
I like the starting rotation. Like I keep almost saying
starting lineup terran because my brain is still basketball, but

(08:56):
I like what I'm seeing on paper. And then you know,
you've got Wade Miley, who will be back later in
the year potentially to give you some more depth. You've
got Carson Spires, who we saw a little bit last
year that I think there's some belief in. But are

(09:17):
you able to get to the start of the season
with a defined group, a defined second tier that you
know are going to be ready to go win and
if you need them, and guys that can support Like
I said, what I think should be a pretty solid bullpen.

(09:37):
It's always hard to predict because the bullpen numbers are
so volatile, but overall, you look at Diaz and Suitor
and Pegan and Tyler Rodgers and is Martinez in there
or not? But Sam Mall and you know everybody's favorite
Ian Jabou, Brandon Williamson, Julian Aguilars on the the Sixty Days,

(10:01):
so we probably won't see him for a while. Scott
Barlow a late edition, so that's kind of where that starts.
And we'll get into the position guys more but number
one for me and we'll build off that as the
show goes on. Is the back end of that starting

(10:24):
rotation and what does the depth look like? Other stuff
we will get to today outside of the Reds And
this has annoyed me for a while, Taran and we
were I was I was thinking over like the way
that the Bengals, you know, handle themselves. And I've talked

(10:46):
about it a little bit in the last two weeks
and the shows that I've been on the there's a
reason the perception about the Bengals is what it is
that they're quote unquote cheap, and that's a lot of
for a lot of people, that's reality, and you hear
it from guys that played in the NFL because amongst players,
that's that's the talking point. My question is, Tarn, if

(11:11):
they're gonna be cheap, why do they keep doing it
in the most expensive way possible? Does that make any
sense to anybody? Does it make any sense to you?

Speaker 4 (11:22):
Tarran?

Speaker 1 (11:24):
Probably do. But that's the thing, like, when you're gonna
be a cheap skate, you should explore every option on
what it does, what is required to save the most money.
If they go into this offseason and complete what they
said they were gonna complete, or what they say they're
gonna complete, or what they're gonna attempt to do. Bring

(11:45):
back Tea, bring back you know, give Jamar his extension,
Extend Trey hendrickson those three things that all could have
been done at a much cheaper rate. If you paid
take Tea two years ago. Two years ago, you'd still
have him under contract. He might be looking for an

(12:09):
extension on that at this point in time, but you
would have gotten what you are. He would be under control,
he would be where you want him to be. He
would have gotten a large sum of his money two
years ago in last offseason. Instead, now you're gonna have

(12:31):
to pay him I don't know, five ten million dollars
more a year than you would have two years ago.
Does that seem like being frugal to you, Jamar Chase,
just because they wouldn't go into guaranteeing money in a
second year. How many more millions of dollars is that

(12:53):
going to cost them? On? Jamar Chase, at least five,
maybe ten. He says he wants forty forty million dollars
a year. And the thing that blows my mind about
this is all it takes is thinking inside the box,

(13:22):
not outside the box. You know what. The Eagles have
that part of what makes them so great. Their GM
is a big part of this in Howie Rosman. But
they have a great understanding of the CAP and the
structure and how to get things done knowing, Hey, guess what.
The NFL is making millions upon billions upon billions of

(13:42):
dollars and the CAP's always going to go up. You
don't have to try to cut corners, you don't have
to try to be frugal. You make the deals that
make sense, You keep the play that you want to keep,
and you figure it out down the road. Why don't

(14:03):
the Bengals have a CAP specialist? They don't have a GM,
They've got a It's still my favorite thing, tearing. The
Cincinnati Bearcats have a larger scouting department than the Cincinnati Bengals.
Make that make sense, Make that make sense. But if
you don't want to do any of that, okay, go
get somebody and bring them in house that is an

(14:25):
expert on how the CAP works, what the loopholes are,
how we can get this done now to save us
X amount of dollars down the line. It's the definition
of insanity doing the same thing over and over again
and expecting different results. It's crazy to me. They're not cheap,

(14:53):
but it makes sense that they're not cheap Terran they're poor,
because isn't that like a common denominator of of ending
up in a situation where you're poor. You've got money
coming in, you're just bad with how you're managing it.
The Bengals are bad with how they manage their money,

(15:14):
So we'll discuss that. Another thing you see in Xavier,
both in positions where if they want to make the
NCAA tournament, it would behoove them to win all of
their remaining games, a much more accomplishable feat for Xavier.
They've got Creighton at home. The other games should all

(15:35):
Seaton Hall Saturday. The road trip two Butler will be
a little tougher, but Xavier should be in a position where,
outside of Creighton, they should be favored to win out,
and they might be favored against Creighton at home. They've
had problems with basketball. Sheldon Cooper, which is what I
call Ryan Kalkbrenner. I've called him that since he was

(15:56):
like a sophomore junior in high school. Then he looked
just like Sheldon Cooper, Taren, are you familiar with Ryan
Kulkbrenner's face, Yes, and I don't like it. Doesn't he
look like Sheldon Cooper? Do you know who Sheldon Cooper is?
The Big Bang Theory, Jim Parsons, Do you know that is?

(16:19):
I know the show Big Bang Theory. Yeah, you know
Sheldon Cooper, like the main character. Pull up a picture
of him and Ryan Kulkbrenner and put him next to
each other. Cincinnati a much more difficult path. They've got
to be TCU on Saturday, They've got to be Baylor.
They'd have to win at Houston. They'd still have a

(16:43):
surgeing Kansas State team. It's not likely for Cincinnati. But
it's fascinating to me because you have two teams that
built their rosters in absolute polar opposite ways, and their
resumes are almost identical. They did things as different as

(17:03):
you could do them, and they're both with four or
five games left in the regular season in an almost
identical place, which is outside the bubble, looking in and
trying to figure out a way to get to the
finish line ahead of the curve. It's wild when you
really look at it. But there is a common denominator

(17:26):
that kind of has both of them in the situation
that they're in. We'll talk about that. We'll talk about
UC playing TCU on Saturday. We'll talk about Xavier and
Seaton Hall and much much more. Let's take a break.
We'll get to it. This is the Moegger Show. Ready
ear in Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (17:46):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 5 (17:49):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center at U see help.
You'll find comprehensive care that's so personal it makes your
best tomorrow possible. That's fell inless care, better outcomes, Expect
more at uc health dot com. Westbound seventy four up
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southbound seventy one seventy five at turf Way Road. It's

(18:12):
a disabled vehicle on the right shoulder and southbound seventy
one Slow traffic from Martin Luther King Junior Drive to
Liberty Street. I'm at Ezelek with traffic.

Speaker 1 (18:22):
This report is sponsored by Rapid Radio BLAGAMAC Cincinnati's ESPN
fifteen thirty. Branda I used to magazine Saturday to rip.

(18:45):
It's a just the most natural sounding voice in the
history of hip hop? Would you agree with that? His cadence,
like the rasp to it like that? To me, that
like personifies hip hopes. Biggie and there are other guys

(19:06):
I like more than Biggie. It's not a long list,
but when I like that, just it's it signifies that
to me. Let's ask Mike, Mike, what do you think
are you? Are you a Biggie Small's guy, you a
Tupac guy? Really? Tarn and I have had this conversation
many many times. I I just I don't think Tupac's
music has aged as well as biggiees.

Speaker 6 (19:29):
Yeah, that could be, that could be.

Speaker 1 (19:32):
What what you got for me that.

Speaker 6 (19:37):
I'm hurting?

Speaker 4 (19:37):
I just wanted to call and say hi.

Speaker 1 (19:39):
And Buddy, I hope I hope you feel better.

Speaker 6 (19:43):
Yeah I do too.

Speaker 7 (19:44):
Uh, but thanks for taking my call.

Speaker 6 (19:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (19:47):
I wish the Bearcats had a breath of fresh air,
but they're done. Still play in the not Invited Tournament.

Speaker 1 (19:53):
Actually, I don't think it's going to be the not
I don't think it's going to be the not Invited Tournament.

Speaker 6 (19:57):
Mike, Oh, it's not.

Speaker 1 (20:00):
I think they're going to play in the Crown Basketball Tournament. Oh, well,
you know what that is, Royal. No, it's a tournament
being put together by Fox. It is in Vegas March
thirty first to April sixth. It will include at minimum
two teams from the Big Twelve, the Big Ten, and

(20:22):
the Big East. There is a possibility mic that the
Crown Basketball Tournament involves Cincinnati, Xavier, Ohio State, and Indiana.

Speaker 8 (20:36):
That's pretty funny.

Speaker 1 (20:37):
Do you want to hear something even funnier about that, Mike?

Speaker 6 (20:40):
That would get a big viewership.

Speaker 1 (20:42):
So conference tournaments end on the fifteenth, sixteenth of March, right,
This tournament for teams that don't make the NCAA tournament
starts March thirty first, with the caveat being the transfer
portal opens in the middle of that on March twenty fourth.

(21:03):
So most of these teams are going to go to
this tournament in Vegas at maybe half because if you
didn't make the NCAA tournament and the transfer portal is
opened and you're on to twenty twenty five, twenty six,
you ain't gonna have your whole team in Vegas unless
everybody's like, look, I'll stick around to go. I'll stick
around for a week in Vegas.

Speaker 8 (21:25):
You talk about rolling the dice.

Speaker 6 (21:27):
Yeah, it's the most appropriate place to do.

Speaker 8 (21:30):
So that's good info.

Speaker 6 (21:33):
I appreciate that.

Speaker 1 (21:34):
I got you.

Speaker 6 (21:35):
May I know you do you always do. God blush you.

Speaker 8 (21:40):
The the reds.

Speaker 7 (21:42):
I I think it's all about that pitching staff that
you had mentioned. I mean, it's gotta be about that
pitching staff. And how high are you on Louder and Burns,
because if these two cats can do something now, all
of a sudden, you go a little depths in that
starting rotation.

Speaker 6 (22:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (22:02):
I like the the the potential of both of them,
but we'll see. I. You know, Louder I'm a little
more high on because we've seen him. But you know,
we'll see I. I. I like the the the opportunity

(22:26):
to have both of them kind of in the wings
so that if you need them, they're ready to go. Mike,
I do have to run real quick, brother. I forgot
something and I need to get it taken care of.

Speaker 6 (22:37):
Okay, thank you, Okay, thank you, Mike.

Speaker 1 (22:39):
We'll talk soon. I'm in. I'm in late next week.
We'll talk then I'll talk then.

Speaker 6 (22:43):
Thanks.

Speaker 1 (22:44):
Please, all right, We're gonna take a break, Taren, I forgot.
We're gonna talk to Scott Saderfield a minute. I forgot
about it. Wait what Yeah, we'll talk to Scott Saderfield
a minute. Let's go to a break more after this
since nat He's ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 2 (22:58):
Thirty Cinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Traffic from the.

Speaker 5 (23:04):
UC Health Traffic Center at U see help. You'll find
comprehensive care that's so personal it makes your best tomorrow possible.
That's boundless care for better outcomes. Expect more at ucehealth
dot com. Westbound I seventy four after North Bend Road,
the right lane is blocked from a disabled vehicle. Northbound
seventy one seventy five. Police activity off onto the left

(23:27):
shoulder that between Buttermilk Pike and Dixie Highway, causing a
two minute delay. I'm at ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 1 (23:35):
This report as soon as you did there, Tarren, a
little back to back with Biggie and Tupac. I like it.
Let's get to it. We've got a special guest on
the line now. As Cincinnati had football coach, Scott Siderfield
joins US coach. Were you were? You a big ear
at Tupac guy in the in the mountains of North Carolina.

Speaker 6 (23:59):
I would say, I'm more biggie.

Speaker 1 (24:01):
Okay, Okay, I like that's. I like that. Yeah, off
season rolling along, you had a chance to, uh to
get back into the indoor practice facility this week. How
is that bad boy coming along? And are you actually
at a point where you're like, okay, we'll move in,
let's just start.

Speaker 9 (24:17):
Oh yeah, I'm definitely at that point. It's incredible. Every
time we've had an opportunity and chance to go go
in and kind of just tour and show some people around,
it's you can see how much work has been done,
even if it's you know, just a few days and
you come back and it's like, man, okay, and it's
starting to get.

Speaker 6 (24:34):
You know, more and more finished.

Speaker 9 (24:36):
And some of the rooms are actually you know, putting
some ceiling tile in this past week, and I'm like, man,
we just we.

Speaker 6 (24:41):
Just put the furniture in here. We're ready to go.
So they started putting gravel.

Speaker 9 (24:44):
Down in the indoor, so you know, you got a
base for the for the turf that's going in. So
we're not far off, and we certainly can see the
great progress they've made.

Speaker 1 (24:55):
Do you ever, I do this every time I go
by there, I look at that place and go, how
the hell did they fit that thing in that place,
in that spot right there? How did that fit in there?

Speaker 6 (25:05):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (25:05):
I know, it's a it's a big you get you
get up by it, you know, and if you realize, man,
this thing is huge.

Speaker 6 (25:11):
You know, you got to miss one hundred.

Speaker 9 (25:12):
And twenty yard field inside that that building there and
then and then all the offices of weight room and
training room and locker room and the missic Incredible that
they do fit it right there and.

Speaker 6 (25:22):
In the relatively tight space. But they made it work.

Speaker 9 (25:24):
And I'll tell you, the designers did an unbelievable job
with that building and the flow of the building. I'm
just very impressed with with all the things that they've.

Speaker 6 (25:31):
Done with it.

Speaker 1 (25:32):
We are less than a month from the start of springball. Uh,
what's your take? A lot of teams are canceling their
spring games or you know, moving away from that. Teams
are there's talk about the NFL model with OTAs and
things of that nature. Do you like the way it
is now?

Speaker 8 (25:49):
Are you?

Speaker 1 (25:49):
Are you open to an evolution of that calendar? Like
how does that sit with you? Is everything changes at
warp speed?

Speaker 6 (25:58):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (25:59):
I mean, you know, I tend to agree with with
what some are saying out there because you know what
the world and landscape that we're in now when when
you're dealing with you know, several transfers that are coming
in midterm. Also, you know, the trend now is for
the high school student athletes that are coming out early.
You know, we had twelve high school players that came
in January and you're looking, you know, close to thirty

(26:19):
guy new players, and so you know, it's almost a
third of your team. And you know, and I think
teams are you gonna You're gonna design your schemes to
fit the talent that you have, and so obviously you're
gonna look a little bit different. And I think teams
don't want to put out there.

Speaker 6 (26:34):
What they're gonna look like.

Speaker 9 (26:35):
I mean, this day and age, with all the technology,
we all can find you know, film of guys that
are potentially in a spring game. And and so I
see what these these uh, these programs are doing, and
I'm you know, I kind of you know, we I don't,
you know, I believe in what they're doing because you
don't want to show what you got necessarily, and but
also think you you want your fans and you're to

(26:55):
be able to see what you you know, put teams
progress as well. So I see both sides of it.

Speaker 6 (27:00):
But I do think the calard needs to be tweaked
a little bit.

Speaker 9 (27:02):
We are, we are trending toward the NFL model with
everything that we're doing. When you think about you know,
transfers and nil and all the things that are happening,
and you know, it wouldn't be mad to go to
some mini camps that they do and just have ours
in the summer and you know, do some things you
know a little bit different in the spring. I think
would be beneficial for their guys. So it is very

(27:23):
interesting to how how it's changing right before eyes, you know,
in a matter of just a few years.

Speaker 1 (27:28):
More time in the offseason, where your players are actually
allowed to pick up a football.

Speaker 9 (27:33):
Yeah, no question, no doubt about that. They have tweaked
a few of those rules. But I mean, you know,
are in the different times constraints that we have with
these guys. But I mean these guys many they're here
for us and you know, obviously to get an education,
but but they're here to play some football, you know,
And I think, you know, we get our school work
done in the morning time and then the rest of

(27:54):
the day is football, and that's where they want to
be because they want to get better as individuals. They
want to get better to help their team, you know,
I think now, and they create a lot of value
for themselves. They're good football players and they're going to
make more money. We all know that, and so you know,
they want to be in there to get better. And
I think, you know, some of the rules are a
little bit archaic in that regard. And you know, so

(28:15):
once they're there, I mean, these guys want to meet,
they want to they want to train, they want to
do all those things.

Speaker 6 (28:19):
So so yeah, we need to look at it.

Speaker 9 (28:21):
And I think we have been looking at the calendar
and change that, especially the recruiting calendar as well.

Speaker 6 (28:25):
You know.

Speaker 9 (28:26):
So all these things are will evolve over time, I think,
and we'll eventually get where we need to get to.

Speaker 1 (28:30):
Speaking of the NFL model, one of the big things
in the NFL model is being able to retain your
own Uh you retain Dante Corleone, you retain Brendan Soresby,
you retain Joe Roy or you retain Gavin Gerhardt, have
to feel good going into springball that you do have
that core of leadership that you cultivated last year. You
established the culture, and now you have a group of

(28:52):
guys that are coming back that can help continue to
build upon that.

Speaker 9 (28:56):
Yeah, I mean, that's it was huge for us to
be able to get these guys back, and I think,
you know, there's nothing else I mean, you know, getting
back I was huge. They're obviously great players and great
leaders for us. But also it tells these guys that
were in the portal, you know, what our culture is
like and what are programs like. I mean, because these
guys obviously would have left if they didn't feel confident

(29:16):
in what we're doing in the program. So so that
really helps in order for us to attract some of
these you know, free agents out there to be able
to come get a part of our program. So I mean, yeah,
there's there's a lot of aspects. I think that that
was very beneficial for these guys to come back, you know,
But I think above everything else, they just enjoy coming
every day to the office and trying to put work

(29:37):
in to help themselves continue to develop and get better
and as individuals and and just being around each other.
I think, you know, these these relationships and these guys
are forced here over the time they've been here obviously
will last them for the rest of their life. And
and I think that's part of the most important thing,
is just the relationships that everybody has with one another.

Speaker 1 (29:55):
When you look at this league. You spent time at
Louisville adjusting to the AC. Has it been different in
the Big Twelve because everything is so equal, like there's
there really isn't like a power structure at this point
in the league, and every week is so kind of
its own individual event where there's not a lot of

(30:17):
we know that these are the teams that are going
to be at the top, and these are the teams
that are going to be at the bottom. How Arizona
State was picked last and almost one a college football
playoff games?

Speaker 9 (30:26):
Yeah, Yeah, it's very competitive in this league. I mean
it's certainly different compared to the ACC. I thought, you know,
there were a couple of teams that you know, had
better talent than the ACC that kind of stood out
whenever you played them. And then there are just a
lot of teams that were pretty close to the same.
And then there are a couple of teams that were
probably not as good in the talent aspect. And so

(30:48):
but this league, I feel like, you know, everybody's got
pretty good talent, everybody's got good coaches. I mean, it
is it is extremely competitive. You think about all the teams.
Last year, every team lost two conference games. I mean,
if that's not I don't know.

Speaker 6 (31:00):
What is right.

Speaker 9 (31:01):
And and what that proves is that, you know, any
given week, you got an opportunity to go out and
win your game.

Speaker 6 (31:07):
But it also proves you go out and lose your game,
you know, and so you.

Speaker 9 (31:10):
Have to be on point, you know, And a lot
goes into it, I think, because you know, were thinking
about our schedule. You there's there's a bunch of teams
you don't play.

Speaker 8 (31:19):
Now.

Speaker 9 (31:19):
Now who knows if those teams are going to be
good that year or or not as good? And I
think and also where are you playing these guys? You know?

Speaker 6 (31:25):
Are you playing them at home? You play on the road.

Speaker 9 (31:27):
And then when you play them, do you have your
your guys?

Speaker 6 (31:30):
Are they healthy?

Speaker 9 (31:30):
Are they are they able to play and help you
go out and win. So there's just a lot of
aspects that going into a season. I think you know
that you need you need to have some luck. I mean,
the ball needs to bounce your way at some at
times because you know, we think about how how competitive
and how tight the games are and they come down
to just a couple of plays and they come down
to the fourth quarter, and so you know, I think
all these things you know, are involved with that, and

(31:52):
but it makes it for some great football I do.
I do think you know, each each week and it's
in the Big twelve, you're gonna get some good football game.
You're gonna get some competitive games. I think it's great
for the fans. But obviously, you know, we got to
come out.

Speaker 1 (32:04):
On top without getting two into the weeds. Give the
people kind of a feel of the transfer portal class
and how you think maybe a couple of these guys
can really step in right away and give you a hand.

Speaker 9 (32:17):
Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, I think we
all know we went out and got you know, several
wide receivers, and I think just just off the surface,
looking at these guys work out in the last month,
you know, they've really kind of stood out. I think,
you know, Cyrus Allen's the guy that really has stood out.
You know, he's got he's got solid you know size
as a wide receiver, but he also has great hands
in great speed.

Speaker 6 (32:38):
You know.

Speaker 9 (32:38):
I think Jeff Calwell creates problems for for DB's with
his size at six five, I mean extremely long arms.
You know, broad jumped over eleven feet consistently. He can
run with those long strides.

Speaker 6 (32:50):
And Caleb Goodie has had some winks as well. He
can really run.

Speaker 9 (32:53):
So I really think those guys that have shown themselves
over the last you know, last month, you know, and
also the DBS. You know, we went out and got
several dvs, and I think those guys have come in
and it looked really good to running around the doom
is smooth out there playing in the corner position, you know,
and in those safeties when you're thinking about you know,

(33:14):
Christian Harrison, Tayden Barnes or Xavier Williams.

Speaker 6 (33:17):
You know, those guys have looked they're really good at also.

Speaker 9 (33:19):
So I mean I do think all these guys, I mean,
if you go down the list, I mean Tylie Walker
and you know Taren t Zo and Patrick Girt who
just got here. A couple of weeks ago and has
already received this black shirt. So I mean, yeah, we're
excited about these guys we brought in. They really kind
of fit right in. They've brought a great work ethic
amongst those guys that have come in, and they really

(33:40):
fit right in with the team and and love what
they're bringing to our guys right now.

Speaker 1 (33:44):
I don't think people realize this because generally for offensive lineman,
if you don't hear their name, they're good. If you
hear their name, the things aren't going great. How big
of a loss was John Williamson And how hard is
it to reap place a starting left tackle that gave
you the type of season he did because he just

(34:05):
went about his business. We could hardly get him to
talk to the media, Like you'd ask him to come
over to the media and he'd look at you like,
I really have to do this. But he was he
was the model of consistency last year at left tackle.

Speaker 9 (34:19):
He was and he's probably one of our most improved
players from the year before. You know, he came in
and you particularly a left tackle that that's a spot
where everybody you knows you have to be good there.
You know, it's the backside of the quarterback and protection
that he had an outstanding year and so good of
a year. In fact, he wasn't on anybody's NFL radar
going into the season, and then once we started playing games,

(34:39):
he got on everybody's radar and everybody coming in wanted
to talk about him. And then you know, now he's
going to the combine here to.

Speaker 6 (34:45):
Come next week, I guess.

Speaker 9 (34:47):
And so you know, he's really improved and helped himself out,
and so he will be difficult to replace just with
that experience, and you could really see the growth from
from his you know, two years ago to this past
season in the Big twelve play.

Speaker 6 (34:58):
And he really played with great poise.

Speaker 9 (35:00):
I mean, just watching some cut ups today of the
way he was playing was outstanding. And it'll it'll be
that'll be something that we're gonna have to replace, and
and you know, we've got several guys and several candidates
that will be there to try to do that and
and potentially that to be a spot, you know, when
we get into the spring portal, you know, where we're
maybe maybe try to bring another lineman in so that
that's that's one spot.

Speaker 6 (35:20):
That we're certainly looking at.

Speaker 1 (35:21):
As we go through spring and maybe in the spring
portal you can say, look, we're replacing a guy that
you know, we just got drafted. Why don't you come
in here and yeah, get drafted here as well.

Speaker 6 (35:31):
Well, that's right, Yeah, there's no question about it.

Speaker 9 (35:33):
And that's certainly uh, you know, with three guys going
to the combine, that's that's that's great for us in
our program. And I feel like, you know, with all
the NFL attention that came in last year, and I
feel like we're gonna have many more this year and
you know that maybe then we've had.

Speaker 4 (35:46):
In a while.

Speaker 9 (35:47):
So we're looking forward to these guys that are coming
back that we all think, you know, have great NFL
potential since that he.

Speaker 1 (35:55):
Had football coach Scott siderfield one one more before I
let you go, uh, Brendan Soresby hot start to last year,
things kind of cooled in that back half. Going over
the tape, what what what were you guys able to
identify as as maybe some some things that that didn't
go according to plan as according to plan as they

(36:17):
did in the first half of the season. And when
you look at what you've got coming in and the
ability to maybe help him out a little bit. How
do you take the lessons learned from that back half
of the season and translate them into making him better
in year two?

Speaker 9 (36:32):
Yeah, And I think probably the biggest thing is once
we got into that, you know, last half of the season,
you know, we're playing some real some really good defenses.
You know, three of those top teams on the road
at night, and you know, difficult environments and and but
their players were pretty good that we played, and and
and I thought we had a we had a hard
time of getting our receivers away from their dbs and
and you know, and we did not We couldn't push

(36:53):
the ball down the field. And when you're watching the film,
and if you can't push it down the field, then
you're going to get even tighter coverage. And it just
made it a lot more difficult to throw the football.
I do think that's one of the things while we
went out in this off season try to get more
speed on the outside, and we were able to We're
able to get some of those guys that can really run,
and so hopefully we'll be able to stretch the field
more this year, you know, and I think he'll be
able to showcase that, and we did the first excuse me,

(37:16):
first half of the season, and I certainly we got
to be able to do that next year. You know,
you've got some great underneath targets when you think about
Joe Royer, Tylie Walker coming out of the backfield, Evan
Pryor coming out of the backfield, and then we just
need some of those guys on the outside to push
the ball down the field. And at times I thought,
you know, Brendan just you know, pressed too much, and
you know, he's got to take what the defense gives

(37:36):
him and not try to make a play when it's
not there. And he got us in trouble with the
West Virginia game, certainly a game that we usually could
have won that game with, you know, if we could
take care of the ball. So he's just got to
play within himself and just end up distributing the football.
But we do have to help help him out a
little bit with you know, getting some guys that can
get open also. So that's sortainly the things that we're
working on this off season as we head into the
spring practice. That'll be a you know, one of our

(37:57):
major emphasis coach.

Speaker 1 (37:59):
I appreciate ciate it. We uh sorry, I was one
segment late. I my brain doesn't work great. It's off.
It's Basketball's got me all messed up.

Speaker 4 (38:07):
Coach.

Speaker 9 (38:08):
I just figured you just got to talking a little
bit longer and you needed to and I fifteen minutes.

Speaker 6 (38:13):
W It's all good.

Speaker 1 (38:14):
We got a caller, Mike from LA. Mike is in hospice.
He has been a longtime caller of the show. So
I was chatting with Mike and then I looked down
and saw Stipid texted me, and I was like, oh,
I gotta go.

Speaker 6 (38:26):
It's all good man.

Speaker 1 (38:27):
You know I talk a lot, coach, You know I
talk a lot.

Speaker 6 (38:30):
That's right. That's right.

Speaker 1 (38:31):
Appreciated coach. Thanks, and we'll see in a couple of weeks.
Appreciate it. There you go, Cincinnati head coach Scott Saderfield
getting ready for h spring ball as we roll into
the twenty twenty five season. Stick a break, Taran, Are
we just going straight to our two? You were done? Okay?
Hour two coming up next Sinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (38:54):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Traffic from the you See.

Speaker 5 (39:00):
Health Traffic Center at u See Health. You'll find comprehensive
care that's so personal it makes your best tomorrow possible.
That's boundless care for better outcomes. Expect more at ucehealth
dot com. Westbound seventy four after North Bend Road. The
right lane blocked off from a disabled vehicle on Burnett Avenue.
It's an accident at Northern Avenue. That is south of

(39:23):
Forest Avenue. In northbound seventy one accident after Smith Edwards.
I'm at Ezelk with traffic.

Speaker 10 (39:30):
And you're listening to the Home of the Bengals ESPN
fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (39:46):
Here we go, hour number two, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.
This is the Mowagger Show. I am Chad Brendle filling
in form. Oh you can find me on Twitter at Chadbrendle.
You can find me at Bearcat Journal everywhere else. Thank

(40:08):
you as always for choosing me, Tara. I let's just
can we look this is a two hour show. Now
our number one we got I you know, things happen players,
I mean, you know, I think we recovered. I think
we we you know, we went into halftime tied. It
was a good segment with Scott Ciderfield. A lot of

(40:29):
good information in there just kind of space that I
was supposed to have him on a segment earlier. Sometimes
that happens, it's that's the that's the the content game.
But we got him and we talked and we had
a good conversation. Dude, have you have you seen the
practice facility? Like have you been up on campus or
around campus? Taron, No, you have to drive by, like

(40:54):
go out of your way next time you're up around
Clifton and just drive by the new practice facility. It
is is incredible that they fit that thing into that.
Like if you think of what was there in the old,
like you know, practice fields, and look at what is
there now, you just shake your head and go, how
how in the hell did they do that? Because that

(41:16):
doesn't fit there. It's massive. It's gonna be fun to
get in there. And unfortunately, Taran, we are not it's
not gonna be open for spring for spring football, so
we're gonna be in Nippert Stadium in you know March
or you know March into April. And I can tell

(41:36):
you from experience that is not a comfortable experience. It's
a little cold, a little some of those days are
a little a little brisk at Nippert Stadium. As you
get to the end of winter and into spring, news
of the day Bengals release Sheldon Rankins saves them nine

(41:57):
point six million dollars on the cap, just a free
agency signing that didn't work. Some of that, of course,
because he missed, uh, most of the second half of
the year, if not all, the second half of the year.
We did find out from Jeremy Fowler finally what was
wrong taren viral meningitis, which sounds terrible you and so

(42:23):
that you know that that question kept coming up, like
he's got an illness, So he's got a two month illness,
Like is he okay? Hopefully he gets back on track.
That I imagine cannot be fun for for anybody, but for
a for a top tier athlete, having your body kind
of go through something like that does not sound, uh,

(42:45):
does not sound pleasant. But more money off the books.
I think they're they're they're getting close to like seventy
dollars in cap space as they get ready to navigate
this off season. So that's kind of the big one.
Last night, Tarren, did you watch the hockey last night?

(43:09):
I listened to it. I was at the work, so
I listened to it. How is that? How's the I have.
My problem with hockey is I just don't think it's
a great sport for TV. I can't imagine it's maybe
radio is better because you're just constantly getting the the
description relayed to you.

Speaker 3 (43:28):
I wasn't it wasn't bad. I like every time a
goal scorer just like glanced over.

Speaker 6 (43:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (43:35):
But Sean McDonald's a phenomenal Yeah, that's that's the one
of the pleasures. You know, you get a guy that's
really good at it. They can they can make like
watching grass grow sound exciting. Kudos to the end of
the NHL. They hit on something. They hit on something

(43:56):
that I think as I you know, I was reflecting
that you're hearing all the hot takes today about what
the NBA can learn from this, and you know, how
does it relate to other All Star type experiences, Because
essentially what the NHL did is they bagged their All
Star Game. They created this event the four nations. They

(44:18):
did a round robin where all four teams played each other,
and then they had a championship game that was the
USA and Canada last night. That I know, social media
is not the greatest gauge of exactly what people are feeling.
But generally, when everybody on social media is talking about

(44:40):
one specific thing, that thing is a hit. It achieved
its desired market share, whatever verbiage you want to use,
And I think I think it's rare Taran because in hockey,

(45:04):
what's the one difference in hockey between the NBA and
the NFL in Major League Baseball? What jumps out at you?
If you had to pick one major difference between that
sport and the other three, you can't have fast in hockey.
You can, though, Like that's why they're at this point
because the All Star Game was beginning to kind of

(45:26):
look like the NBA All Star Game, where it was
just goal after goal after goal after goal, and they
needed something new. No what struck me as in terms
of why it was so popular in America, A win
would have been I don't want to say a surprise
because they had just beaten Canada a couple days earlier,

(45:50):
but a win would have been significant in hockey. United
States defeats Canada, that is, you know, long considered, if
not the best hockey nation, you know, one of the
two best hockey nations. If they tried something like this
in basketball, and this is what I've heard of, you
know a lot of people talking about because even during

(46:13):
All Star Week Tarran, we heard like, why don't they
have USA versus the world? Like that would that would
instill some pride. But the difference I think being even
in a game of USA versus the world, don't we
just expect in basketball like this is that's our game,
Like the USA is going to win that. And if

(46:34):
the USA doesn't win an All Star game of the
best players from the USA against the best players from
around the world, fans in the US are disappointed. Might
not even be the word like a little little angry
that you know, the world is taking over. It kind
of would have been like the response in Canada last

(46:55):
night if the USA had gotten that goal in overtime.

Speaker 3 (46:58):
But I don't think that would have been as far
as it goes to NB, I don't think that will
be the case because it's it's just the it's just
a game, like it's not like this the Olympics or
nothing's on the line.

Speaker 1 (47:08):
Really yeah, but nothing was on the line last night.
I mean, ultimately it's it was just an exhibition game.

Speaker 8 (47:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (47:13):
But to your point, like you said here in America
would say we're not considered a.

Speaker 1 (47:18):
We're not considered the hockey nation.

Speaker 3 (47:21):
Because today we know if the NBA does it, the
world is not going to consist. Like I say, we
go to the Olympics, that's probably pretty much team Canada.
Probably that's team Canada.

Speaker 1 (47:33):
Well, that was the other thing that made it, Like
the NHL has not allowed their best, the the NA
the pros to go play in the Olympics. So the
Olympics was like junior hockey almost you know, the guys
that haven't made it yet or the guys that are
working their way up to the Olympics. Whereas this was
they call it what best on best was the hockey

(47:56):
term for it. So best on best us a versus Canada.
The odds may have been even, but it would signify
something important for the American sporting population. That's why everybody
I wonder how different it would have been if Canada

(48:16):
had won the first game, because I think everybody like
was was ready for a coronation last night. Essentially America
won the game in the in the round robin, like
now let's go get let's go get our our trophy

(48:37):
or whatever that you know, whatever they gave away for
it was a trophy. But let's go get our trophy
against a team that were better than and I mean
the the hockey was compelling. I had it on all night.
It was interesting. People were captivated by it. I just
don't think it's something in the other sports that moves

(48:58):
the needle quite like it did last night.

Speaker 3 (49:02):
Yeah, and going back to the NBA, like, I think
it's almost kind of too late. It's not too late
to do it, but like next year if they do.
You was able to the world like Lebron is forty,
Steph Curry is two years from being forty, Kevin Durant
is like thirty seven, like you, we would almost if
you watched basketball on the night in a night out basis,
you would almost expect the world to win because we're

(49:24):
just older. Would you expect the world to win? Yes, okay,
I would Luca if all together, like if Luca Wimby Jokic,
Giannis Shay like yeah, like our best, our next best
young American is what Tatum and hen you see you
see what he did the Olympics.

Speaker 1 (49:46):
Well you know who the next best American? Did you
see the video with Aunt and Obama? Yes, I had
no problem with what Anne did or said. No, But
the funny I don't have any problem with it. The
funny part was like lebron and you know that that
group that was standing there KD like they saw aunt
talking to the to the president and they're like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, hey,

(50:08):
young blood, that's we didn't we didn't approve you for
that yet. You haven't worked your way up to talking
to the president yet. And Obama loves that kind of stuff,
like he rolled with it. But I thought it was hilarious,
like seeing that reaction of like, you know, you're you're
kind of reckless, like cousin or younger brother. All of

(50:30):
a sudden, it's talking to somebody they shouldn't be talking to.
And all the older kids, no, hey, we were, you
don't that's not we gotta just it just took Obama
back to the Chicago roops, right because aunt Ant don't care.
Ant treated him like just oh oh yeah, you just
happened to be the former president, like whatever, Man I
talked to people, how I talked to people. I thought

(50:52):
it was funny. Maybe you're right, maybe the world would
exter that, you know, the the audience would expect the
world to win that game. But I just think it's
American basketball. Like, I don't think it has like that
underdog kind of tone to it. Or if they win,
they're expected to win, and if they if they lose,

(51:12):
it's an indictment on American basketball. Right, we would have
gone straight back into aau culture. And you know, our
guys aren't being trained up and da da da da dah. Right,
And we've seen like the World Baseball Classic is is one.
I don't think the Major League Baseball All Star Game
needs messed with. I think that's the one that works

(51:38):
because it's the truest to like the form of baseball.
It doesn't turn into a home run derby because the
pitchers are just grooving the ball down the middle of
the plate.

Speaker 3 (51:50):
Right, and these pictures care right, Yeah, you're about to
hit five home runs off of.

Speaker 1 (51:55):
Me, right, they don't, you know? So I think in
baseball it doesn't need fixing. I think it works. Basketball.
I don't know, like that thing like it didn't. It
didn't bother me, but it didn't work last weekend.

Speaker 3 (52:08):
Yeah, I much rather seem just seeing a full game
and see yuy I scored two hundred points said.

Speaker 1 (52:12):
That that's that's all I want to see in the
I want to see if somebody can break two hundred
because for me, it gives me the the all the
AMMO I need for the crowd that's like, oh, they
don't play defense in the NBA. It's like, no, if
they don't play defense in the NBA, then the teams
would score two hundred points every night.

Speaker 3 (52:29):
But I've seen the thing on Twitter where it was like,
because I know you've seen it, like everyone's saying had
All Star Game, Like do we just what's All Star
games back in the day better?

Speaker 1 (52:38):
Or it was just nostalgia? And I think it's a
little bit of both.

Speaker 3 (52:40):
But the thing is, back in the day, guys weren't
just coming up pulling shooting threes from half court right
like in the back of the day. Also, they was
doing dunks that I can't do, like like we can
all get there and shoot court shoot half.

Speaker 1 (52:53):
Court, right. We might not make them, but we can
shoot them right.

Speaker 3 (52:56):
Yeah, Like but they would like but they were doing
and stuff like we can't do.

Speaker 1 (53:02):
Made it fun. I just don't know, Like I guess
they're talking about now like one on one.

Speaker 3 (53:09):
I think I've got too much pride to shout out
to the w NBA with that unrival league because they
did it, But I don't think. I don't think they're
gonna do it in the NBA.

Speaker 1 (53:19):
Well, one like they Lebron had a whole video erased
of him getting you know, clowned at a dunked on
it in an open gym type deal. You think he's
gonna risk going out there one on one like Lebron
versus Wemby, and Wemby just you know, tarantulas him and
doesn't let him score, right, he ain't gonna want that

(53:41):
out there, end of the day. Kudos to the NHL.
They're not gonna be able to do it next year
because of the Olympics and they are letting the pros
play in the Olympics, so the Olympic hockey next year
is going to be outstanding. But they they found something,
They found something that works. That was great to see
because it's kind of a dead week in the sports calendar,

(54:04):
and it gave everybody something to really like, latch onto
and enjoy.

Speaker 3 (54:10):
If you got me and my people watching hockey, then yeah,
you guys all wat you something.

Speaker 1 (54:14):
I saw some of your people talk like talking strategy.
I don't like this offensive. I'm like, man, is this
the first time you watched hockey in fifty Like, get
out of here with that. I don't like the offensive
setup in the zone, Like, come on, you don't know
what the hell you're talking about. Let's take a break.
We will, We'll get back to some reds and Clay Snowden.

(54:37):
At four thirty, we move Clay. So I appreciate Clay
for his versatility, and we'll have more after this. Cincinnati's
ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (54:49):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 5 (54:53):
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(55:13):
Washington Way. That is a fifteen minute to light and
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Speaker 11 (55:25):
This report is sponsored by Truth.

Speaker 1 (55:40):
Something for a Dance Friday dance party going to Sunday
I did. Now what you did is gotta drag the DJ.
We got a brand new bad.

Speaker 3 (55:57):
Bangs all right, the halftime shows, I mean I would,
I would enjoy it.

Speaker 12 (56:02):
I don't know about the rest of the world, too short,
DJ quick, I'm down like I.

Speaker 1 (56:16):
Was not in the group of people that was upset
about this year's halftime show either Arren. I enjoyed it.
I mean, I mean I might look like somebody that
was upset by this year's halftime performance, but I thoroughly
enjoyed it. I don't take selfies in my car, though,
so that might disqualify me. Let's keep it rolling. Get

(56:38):
back to some Red's talk. We we talked about the
pitching in our number one ran I was. I was
scrolling through the depth chart listed on on reds dot
com yesterday. Do you know how many positions they have

(56:58):
Gavin Lux listed on the depth chart? I do not
second base, third base, shortstop, left field, center field, right field,
and designated hitter. The only two positions they do not
have listed for Gavin Lux are catcher and first base,

(57:22):
which I think he can will catch her probably now,
but first base definitely. I mean, I'm sure he could,
he could catch. Probably he's six, he's not a small guy.
He'd throw him back there for an inning. I need
to know, like, what is the plan for Gavin Lux?
Are you really gonna Based on the depth chart listed

(57:45):
now on the Red's website, he is listed as the
starter at second base. If Matt McClain's healthy, he's not
a starter on this team. And if it's not second base,
where is Gavin Lux gonna play? Like that's his primary position,
that he's that he's played in the majors. And if

(58:08):
he plays second base, where is Matt McLain. He's not
going to be the shortstop. Elie de la Cruz is
the shortstop. I think it's a good problem. Half it's
not a you know, it's not especially given the number
of injuries that they've dealt with the past couple of years.

(58:29):
I don't think it's a bad problem to have to
have a A. I guess what we're seeing tarn that
is get was Gavin Lux? I guess is my question
was Gavin Lux really brought here to be a utility guy?
And if so, that that's fine with me because if
used properly, and if he's not a defensive liability. It

(58:52):
is nice to have a guy that can give pretty
much everyone else a night off. And like just hypothetic
he's speaking. Let you you start Gavin Lux at third,
you can move Spencer Steer to first that day, or
you could give Spencer Steeer a day off, or you
could one of those two could be, you know, be

(59:13):
the designated hitter. You can. I don't think you're gonna
give Ellie a whole lot of days off. I think
probably early and maybe this is the plan for the
early part of it, Like you play Gavin Lux at
second and you let McLain kind of ease back into
being your everyday second basement given that he missed an
entire year, and you don't put that load, that workload

(59:35):
on him right away. I'm just fascinated to see in
spring training, like, is Gavin Lux a guy that they're
gonna play somewhere different every day? And you know me,
I'm I'm really curious about the corner outfield spots. Can
Austin Hayes be an everyday left fielder? Is Jake Frailey

(59:57):
an everyday right fielder? Where does Will Benson into this?
Hopefully we never see Stuart Fairchild. I'm just saying, you know,
is TJ. Friedo your everyday centerfielder. I've heard Matt McLean
mentioned in centerfield. The Reds don't have him on their
depth chart, but maybe that's something. As spring progresses we

(01:00:20):
see a little bit more. You know, who's gonna know
this stuff more than me? Tearn, Oh, Frank Clace notor
You're right. So let's take a break and when we
come back, I'm gonna ask Clayce Notden where the hell
is Gavin Luck's gonna play when Opening day rolls around?
More after this. Since Any's ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 2 (01:00:35):
Thirty, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic.

Speaker 5 (01:00:41):
Traffic is stop and go southbound seventy five between the
Western Hills Viaduct and Fort Washington Way That is a
fifteen minute to late and through there. Locust Pike closed
off due to flooding both directions between Feaster Road and
White's Road on that ezelic with traffic from the UC
Health Track.

Speaker 1 (01:01:02):
What's the windows other frames?

Speaker 6 (01:01:04):
Funny? One big?

Speaker 1 (01:01:05):
So what's the windows other frames?

Speaker 6 (01:01:09):
Funny?

Speaker 1 (01:01:12):
You can't tell. I mean, I think there'd be a
lot of people sitting at home going I've never heard
this before except us. I mean we be dancing. I
don't know if i'd be crip walking, but moving us
was always always let's get to the lines. I know

(01:01:36):
he's a big I know he's a big Mount west
Moore fan. Clay Snowden from Just Baseball, Clay, How you doing,
my friend? It's been a long time.

Speaker 8 (01:01:45):
I know it has been Thanks for having me on
next time? Can we get some far side as the
playing music?

Speaker 1 (01:01:51):
I mean he's requesting walk up music now, Taren, but
we could probably do that. Terren's probably got some.

Speaker 8 (01:01:56):
Far side, Karen said. West Coast was today. I did
not request anything. I was waiting to hear what was coming,
and then I thought about it as as.

Speaker 6 (01:02:06):
I was waiting.

Speaker 1 (01:02:06):
Do you know who Mount wes Moore is? Do you
know the members of that group? I don't Snoop Dogg,
ice Cube, E forty and two Short. Are you familiar
with all those young gentlemen? Of course, okay, of course
they made it like a supergroup. That was their their
hit song.

Speaker 8 (01:02:22):
I actually did not know that they formed a supergroup.

Speaker 1 (01:02:25):
They did, and it was delightful and now you've heard it,
and now you can go look it up this weekend
and you can. You can bump big Subwolfer and your
wife will be like, Clay, go to bed, Go to bed.

Speaker 8 (01:02:36):
I stick to the late eighties to mid nineties hip hop.

Speaker 6 (01:02:40):
I see this was a twenty twenty thing. I'm out.

Speaker 1 (01:02:42):
Yeah, well those guys are all from the late eighties
and mid nineties. Yeah, I know, but you know you're
not here for their.

Speaker 8 (01:02:48):
New stuffy Joey Boto in twenty twenty three.

Speaker 1 (01:02:50):
You know, I relaxed, Clay. I can hang up on you,
and that's great, Clay. How many positions will Gavin Lux
play in spring training? He is listed on the depth
chart at seven different positions.

Speaker 8 (01:03:09):
I don't think that's you know, not intentional. They need
to move them around because essentially he's going to be
somebody that has to fill in for several different players
rather a the injury or underperformance. So I think he'll
move around a lot early.

Speaker 6 (01:03:26):
Then we'll see him.

Speaker 8 (01:03:26):
Kind of settle in as others do as well near the.

Speaker 6 (01:03:29):
End of spring.

Speaker 1 (01:03:30):
Okay, that's kind of what I was thinking, is as well,
like early, you've got him as a Swiss army knife,
and then if somebody goes down for a little bit
of time, then he can fill in there. The only
thing they've got him listed as the starter is number
one on the depth chart at second base. And I
just can't imagine a world where Matt McClain is healthy
and he is not starting every day at second base.

Speaker 8 (01:03:52):
Couldn't agree more. And I think the whole moving Matt
McLain around thing that they had talked about in the past,
like to me, get.

Speaker 6 (01:04:00):
Rid of that.

Speaker 8 (01:04:00):
Yeah, just completely do away with it. We don't need
to get cute. You have a really good second basement.
You have a very good player who has had some injuries.
Let's not do the thing where we try to make
him something he's not. Let him be very good at
what he is and try to keep him on the field.
I don't like the idea of moving him around, especially

(01:04:22):
at this point.

Speaker 1 (01:04:23):
Is there anything specific? And you can't take a whole
lot from spring training, it typically does not translate. Is
there anything specific that you know going into the first
set of games tomorrow all the way up to the
last games out in Arizona? Is there anything specific you
will be keeping an eye on to watch the development

(01:04:44):
as this team prepares for the season.

Speaker 8 (01:04:46):
I think what you can take away most in spring
training is who's a big leaguer and who's not. I mean,
it's that simple. I'm not going to look in and
see if you know, Jake Craley's powers back or not,
because I feel you can't take that away from spring
But I can see as Reyes Hines look like a
big league or how about Will Benson At this point,
I'm not entirely sure Will Benson's a big leaguer, so

(01:05:09):
I want to see that, And the others are mostly
pitcher related. So is Connor Phillips working out of the bullpen?
Does he look any different after a completely horrible and
lost season last year? And so for me, it's more
of that. It's more how many fringe guys look like

(01:05:30):
big leaguers and how many look like they can't you know,
they would sink if they got called up.

Speaker 1 (01:05:38):
How good can this starting rotation be? And do they
have the necessary depth to withstand you know, whatever might
bubble up over six months of playing every day, Because
that was really and like I said earlier, like look,
by the end of the season, they didn't have a
single like starter, you know, one of their top five

(01:06:02):
guys in the starting rotation as they went through like
August and September. You're never going to be able to
surprise survive that. But are they deep enough to if
something happens where they've got six seven different options that
can get them through patches.

Speaker 8 (01:06:18):
Yeah, I think that it's going to be better than
last year. There's a lot of unknown still. I love
hundred Green and yeah, exactly. I wish I could Brady Singers.
He's a good addition. After that, it's like, you know,

(01:06:39):
here's this player who's quote unquote talented but but injury,
but this but that, there's a lot of unknowns. Graham
ash crap adding a curveball. I mean, he's doing all
he can to stick in the rotation. He needs something
because it's just simply not been good enough. You can't
strike out six per nine and be a starter. I
just don't see it. So to me, it's right Ashcraft.

(01:07:02):
You know you've got pressure from louder now, and I
feel like we don't talk enough. We being just fans
in general, don't talk enough about Chase Burns, the first
round draft pick last year. He's moving up fast. He's
a quick climber, He's going to be putting pressure on
and I just want to throw in to remind everyone
Wade Miley was signed, so Chase Petty, Chase Burns, Red Louder.

(01:07:30):
That kind of next wave of young talents exciting. We'll
see what they look like for this upcoming season.

Speaker 1 (01:07:36):
I feel like we don't talk enough, Clay, just you
and me.

Speaker 8 (01:07:40):
Yeah, let's make it an every Friday thing. Why not?

Speaker 1 (01:07:44):
I mean, I'm in next Friday, so you're in for
next Friday. I promise I won't bump you at the
last minute to a different time slot.

Speaker 8 (01:07:52):
You can anytime, it doesn't matter. I'll send you a
list of the hip hop songs on one played.

Speaker 1 (01:07:59):
Okay, okay, and I'll get that forwarded over to Tarran
and we will like, what's your style of eighties and
nineties hip hop?

Speaker 4 (01:08:05):
Like?

Speaker 1 (01:08:05):
Are you like a big Daddy Kine? Are you like
Eric Bean Rock.

Speaker 8 (01:08:10):
M So like I'm I'm looking at my albums right now,
the docs right okay, Naughty by Nature.

Speaker 6 (01:08:18):
I'm a huge.

Speaker 8 (01:08:19):
Tribe fan, any love Tribe, Clay.

Speaker 1 (01:08:23):
I cried for three days.

Speaker 8 (01:08:24):
D I don't know, I don't know if you're in
the Diamond d.

Speaker 1 (01:08:27):
Dela Soul Love day La. I cried for three days
when Fife died.

Speaker 8 (01:08:31):
Clay, Yeah, that was rough.

Speaker 1 (01:08:33):
I did. I sat in my I sat in my
office and cried for three days. And my wife at
the time said, you're crying over a five foot tall
rapper and I said, yes, I am. And if you
don't leave me alone like we might, it's not going
to be good for you. We got something to work
with here, Tarren, like Clay's clad, I didn't. I didn't know.

(01:08:54):
I was unaware, and now I know. I wasn't familiar
with your game. I was, Yeah, this team, realistically, Clay
has someone that should be considered a contender for the
cy Young and someone that should be considered a contender
for MVP, and one of the best managers in baseball. Well,

(01:09:19):
will this team compete for a National League Central Division title?

Speaker 8 (01:09:25):
The tough part is there's more players on the field
than just that.

Speaker 1 (01:09:28):
It's a good start for me.

Speaker 8 (01:09:30):
It's a step in the right direction, and I think
that they can compete. I would put the percentage pretty low,
you know, ten twenty percent. Maybe I just need to
see more from the players that they were counting on,
and it looks good on paper. Noel V Marte to me,
I mean a year ago we were saying this guy's

(01:09:52):
the future third baseman. He looks like he's not even
a big leaguer. At this point, Cees has to show
me more, Jane. I think that if enough balls in
their favor, they can be I also think that the
Cubs had a good offseason. I think that the Brewers,
although we played this game before, I am not gonna

(01:10:13):
let the Brewers thing haunt me anymore.

Speaker 6 (01:10:15):
I will not count.

Speaker 8 (01:10:16):
Off the Brewers until late August early September. And they
they show me each year that they're competitive. And you know,
the one team that's kind of hanging around is the Cardinals.
I think that they will eventually sell off pieces, but
they just haven't. They just simply have it. They have
some young players too. I think the Reds are better

(01:10:38):
than the Cardinals. I think they're better than the Pirates.

Speaker 6 (01:10:42):
I think on.

Speaker 8 (01:10:43):
Paper, they might be better than the Brewers. But I'm
only I would only say that to you.

Speaker 1 (01:10:48):
Nobody's fine, and the Cubs are good.

Speaker 6 (01:10:51):
The Cubs are good.

Speaker 1 (01:10:53):
Yeah, nobody's listening. That's fine. Don't worry about it. If
it is there, it's It feels like this roster is
pretty set on what we'll see opening day already. Is
there a potential surprise? Is there somebody you're looking at
that said, man, this guy's got a chance to come
out of nowhere and take people by storm this spring.

Speaker 8 (01:11:17):
I think the easiest path in doing that would be
in the outfield, just because so many of those players
have the same ceiling to me. So if somebody, you know,
Stuart Fairchild doesn't look great and they're ready to move on, you.

Speaker 1 (01:11:31):
Know somebody I'm ready to move on.

Speaker 8 (01:11:34):
Yeah, I mean it's fine if they do. I I
always pick on Fairchild and I feel like I'm being
mean to him at this point. But other than that,
it's going to be in the bullton. And like I said,
like someone like Connor Phillips, Lion Richardson one of these
starters that to me shouldn't be a starter anymore. If

(01:11:55):
they come into spring and they are in the bullpen
and it just looks different. We seen this before. I
think the Reds have enough arms that could fill out
a bullpen without it being some huge panic button need.
But I don't think a lot of those arms are
so good that I would, you know, hesitate to replace

(01:12:17):
them if somebody.

Speaker 1 (01:12:18):
Pops final question that's a big one for me. Is
Austin Hayes good? What give me the Austin Hayes profile.

Speaker 8 (01:12:26):
I have always been a fan of Austin ha. Yeah,
and just quickly on Austin as he's got a cannon
of an arm. He's a better fielder than what his
stats say or what his metrics would say. In my opinion,
I've watched him quite a bit and I think he's
one of those type of players that fans are going

(01:12:47):
to gravitate too quickly. You know, a lot of hustle
and sneaky pop, much better power. Twenty twenty three, he
hit sixteen home runs. If he were to play his
games of Cincinnati that year, he would have had twenty
eight home runs. And the reason why we got to
remember that leftfield wall in Baltimore was pushed back. It's

(01:13:08):
being brought back in this year, but that hampered him
a lot as a poll hitter with okay power. But
you know, with that wall being back, it really took
away from the summerun totals. I think he may finish
the season with the highest f war, you know, the
highest war of Indy outfielders in the.

Speaker 1 (01:13:27):
Red Clay thirty home runs for Austin Hayes. Got it,
he was.

Speaker 8 (01:13:34):
He was an All Star teammate during the All Star
Game of Luis.

Speaker 6 (01:13:39):
Robert who everybody wants.

Speaker 8 (01:13:40):
Yeah, we'll forget all Star teammates.

Speaker 1 (01:13:43):
I appreciate it. Clay. Where can they find.

Speaker 8 (01:13:45):
You on Twitter at Clay Underscore snow smo and at
just Baseball dot com.

Speaker 1 (01:13:53):
I love it, brother, You're already booked same bat time,
same bat channel next Friday, and we'll have a week
worth of spring training games uh to discuss as well.
Thanks you too. All right, there you go, Clay Snowden.
I didn't I didn't know Terren. I would have never guessed.

(01:14:14):
Now I got something to work with. I would have
never guessed. I the naughty by nature thing, I might
have guessed. But he's speaking tribe daylaw like he's speaking
my language. Look, he didn't say outcast. I might hold
that against him, but he was close.

Speaker 9 (01:14:34):
He was.

Speaker 3 (01:14:34):
Next time he's on, I'm gonna h him. I'm gonna
hit him with some tribe with some daylight and see
what he knows.

Speaker 1 (01:14:38):
All right, Yeah, you gotta you gotta go like it's
so easy, you know, or a Sunday roller skate something
you know, something deep, a deep dayla cut you can't
hit him with like buddy, yeah, you know me myself
and I like that's that's a layup. All Right, We're

(01:14:59):
gonna take a break. We'll be back to close out
hour number two right here on Sinsati's ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 2 (01:15:05):
Thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 5 (01:15:10):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center. At u See Health,
you'll find comprehensive care that's so personal it makes your
best tomorrow possible. That's found this care for better outcomes.
Expect more at ucehealth dot com. It is an accident
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I seventy five miles Road remains closed off due to

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flooding both directions. That is between Covered Bridge and Daily Road.
Please find an alternate route on that ezic with traffic.

Speaker 1 (01:15:41):
This report is sponsored by Staple Game Train Coming through Train.

Speaker 11 (01:15:55):
It's gonna take the whole world isables.

Speaker 1 (01:16:02):
Closing out our number two. Get into a little college
basketball here. We haven't talked about much college basketball today since.
As we roll into the weekend, Cincinnati hosting TCU xavior
UH playing Seaton Hall both teams have to have leins,

(01:16:24):
both teams backed completely against the wall. A loss for
either of these teams down the stretch does potentially significant
damage to these slim hopes that they can can either
make it into the tournament or not. It's when you
look at roster construction, it is fascinating to me that

(01:16:48):
the two teams could not have done this differently. Cincinnati
went very old school this offseason. Roster retention was the emphasis,
it was the core principle in their roster construction. Xavier
pretty much started over, brought in, you know what, six

(01:17:12):
seven new guys, completely rebuilt a team that didn't work
last year. Cincinnati didn't work last year, decided they were
going to stick with it. They were going to continue
forward with their plan, and interestingly enough, both teams have

(01:17:33):
ended up at very similar places. The difference being Xavier
a little bit more front loaded in their conference schedule,
where Cincinnati it's been you've had the games against teams
that you see should beat, have been a little bit
more spread out. Xavier had a lot of tough stuff

(01:17:54):
in January, and then this back half of February into March,
it lightens up for them a little bit. The one
loan exception being Creton next week at home. But I
think the common denominator for both of those teams and

(01:18:14):
the reason a main reason why they're both in the
position that they're in. Didn't get what was expected at
point guard. We've seen flashes from Gisel James, but it's
not been consistent for Cincinnati, and I genuinely thought Davian
McKnight could be first second team All Beast, All Big

(01:18:35):
East type player and it hasn't materialized. Think Xavier's gotten
exactly what they hoped for, if not more, out of
Zach Fremantle considering his situation, what he was returning from,
and then the fact that they thought they lost him
for the season after the Crosstown shootout, or at least

(01:18:56):
a majority of the season he missed three games, has
not really missed it be Ryan Comwell has been a
little bit inconsistent, but I think some of that is
he's being asked to do more than his game allows.
Gisel James not taking the jump that Wes Miller anticipated

(01:19:18):
coming into this season, and then Davion McKnight being a
better player for the most part last year than he
was this year not taking that jump as well. Both
of these teams thought they were going to get more
from their point guard, and because they didn't, at least consistently,

(01:19:40):
they've got a lot of work left to do. The
Fat Lady hasn't sung yet, Tarn, but somebody's given her
a microphone that that was on the message. No, she's
not warming up anymore. She's on stage and they've handed
her a microphone. She's warm, she's ready to go. She
just needs to be told to sing. Xavier has a

(01:20:01):
better chance to send her back off a stage. I
think it's gonna be damn near impossible for Cincinnati to
get there. It would be funny if both of these
teams end up in the Crown Invitational Tournament and we
get Crosstown Shootout two in Vegas. Who says no? You
can't say no. It's contractual, Taran, They have to go.

(01:20:23):
If you're one of the two top teams in those
three conferences Big Ten, Big twelve, Big East, and you
don't make the NCAA Tournament, you are contractually obligated to
play in the Crown Tournament a week after the portal opens.
What could possibly go wrong? Vegas? Oh, I mean plus Vegas.

(01:20:47):
I'm talking about having like six guys on your team
when you go out there for the tournament. Oh, let's
take a break hour Number three coming up, Cincinnati's ESPN
fifteen thirty win a thousand dollars. Enter this nationwide keyword
on our website.

Speaker 4 (01:21:04):
Cash, that's cash.

Speaker 8 (01:21:07):
Enter it now.

Speaker 1 (01:21:21):
Our number three The Monteleggers Show on a delightful Friday
in the Queen City. I'm Chad Brindle sitting in today.
MO will be back Monday, So don't fret. Did you
see what played this tegasin.

Speaker 6 (01:21:40):
Now?

Speaker 1 (01:21:42):
I was very unfamiliar with the game. I mean, I
am super impressed. There's the outcast, big NWA Doggie style. Okay, Dayla,
three feet high and rising. All right, all right, he's
got street cred now Tarren, and he's got the DC

(01:22:05):
like no one does it better. Hat tip. He might
have to be on every time I'm on. I mean,
and that's an like I if I've dug around through
enough boxes, I could probably put a CD collection that

(01:22:25):
rivals that together. I don't think. I don't. I'm not
a vinyl guy. Man, that's an impressive vinyl collection. He's
got exactly Man, we're gonna have to put some respect
on his name. Klay Snowden put some respect on that
man's name. Aran, did you see the somebody put out
the proposed lineups for the USA against the World All

(01:22:51):
Star Game, the basketball one. Yeah, I saw. You responded
to it. That's that brought it. What brought it to
my attention, USA brunts and Curry, Durant, Lebron and Tatum
against Yannish Joker, Sga, jok It or don'tch it Joker

(01:23:11):
and Wimbiana.

Speaker 6 (01:23:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:23:13):
I said, yeah, first take did that, and I'll probably
respond to USA will get cooked if they use that lineup.

Speaker 1 (01:23:18):
I don't think there's a lineup they could use that
wouldn't get cooked against that Yannis Luca, SGA, Joker and Wemby.

Speaker 4 (01:23:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:23:33):
Well it goes my point earlier. Yeah, like right now
the world is running basketball.

Speaker 6 (01:23:39):
Now.

Speaker 1 (01:23:39):
To be fair, it's one country against the world. It
should be hypothetically, but basketball is because it's more further
evidence basketball has become a world game.

Speaker 3 (01:23:51):
That's why I said, Like, that's why I said earlier,
like it's not like it's the Olympics because in the
Olympics we won't have those guys teaming up with each other.

Speaker 1 (01:23:59):
Right, doesn't matter.

Speaker 3 (01:24:02):
It takes the world to beat one small one a
small country, one country.

Speaker 1 (01:24:06):
Yeah, and in hockey, like they're really after you get
past the four teams that were in the tournament, and
then like Russia, there's not a whole lot of other
great like hockey countries Norway, Sweden, United States, Canada, Russia.

(01:24:29):
There's a lot of countries that are basketball crazy now.
So yeah, that is a big difference. Let's let's get
to some Bengals. Sheldon Rankins cut today nine point six
million dollars in savings. That's a that's a move that

(01:24:52):
didn't work really through no fault to the Bengals. I
see this happening a lot in sports now. A guy
gets hurt in the fan base is like, well, that's
that's a bust of a signing. How do we know
you're playing sports? Guys get hurt, you think the front
office like, you have no idea. The front office is

(01:25:15):
sitting there in you know, April, like, well, what sign
this guy? But what I think it's viral meningitis in October?
Then what do we do. I've heard it a lot
with like Connor Hickman at u see broke his foot
in the Xavier game, tried to play through it and
has played so he's like he's been a bust in
the Big Twelve. He played twenty six minutes, just over

(01:25:39):
a half of actual Big Twelve action. How do you
know that guy was a bust in the Big twelve?
Is it unfortunate that the player got hurt? Yes, But anyway,
Sheldon Rankin's gone clears up some more cap space for
the Bengals. I have been trying to figure out different

(01:26:04):
ways to approach this other than you know, the obvious.
How long have we talked about the obvious? If the
Bengals aren't going to hire a general manager and they're
going to continue to have Duke be the de facto
general manager, and they're going to put him with a
five to six person scouting department, and they're going to say,
you know, our assistant coaches, that's their job to take

(01:26:27):
care of the scouting from the end of the season
leading up to the draft. All the different ways that
you talk about, like the Bengals pinching pennies. They don't
want to give guys multi year guarantees, which you know,
most everybody in the NFL, especially for your higher end

(01:26:48):
your your top tier talent. They are giving multi year
guarantees to players. Now you're making yourself an outlier. You're
making yourself seem non player friendly, which I think is
you know, one of the reasons that you hear when

(01:27:11):
you listen to the media who trashes the Bengals the
most former players, Guys that have been free agents, Guys
that have have been friends with guys that have played
on the Bengals, that have heard all the stories that
come out about the Bengals. Changing perception is going to

(01:27:34):
be a long road, and some of the things they
have done have led towards, at least locally, some change
in perception. Starting to do kind of caravan type stuff
in the off season to connect with the fans, and
starting the ring of honor, and you know, retiring guys
that retiring, they're putting the names up of guys that

(01:27:58):
have meant so much to the to the franchise in
their time here. But ultimately it comes down to winning games,
and what the Bengals are doing is actually the exact
opposite of pinching pennies. They are being cheap just for

(01:28:19):
the sake of saying that they're cheap. If you look
around what's being done in the NFL and what should
have and could have been done here two years ago.
Let's say you get the t Higgins extension done, you
end up paying him probably under what you paid him

(01:28:41):
last year on the franchise tag. You probably end up
paying him under this year for what you're going to
pay him on the franchise tag if he does not
sign a long term extension. They obviously feel confident that

(01:29:02):
there's a path to getting that extension done. They have
talked plenty about getting that extension done. With the salary
cap increasing by over twenty million dollars, all of a sudden,
there's a little bit more wiggle room to play with
and getting that done. But you could have had t
Higgins significantly cheaper two years ago and had him under

(01:29:26):
contract through next season and the following season at a
reasonable rate. You could have had Jamar Chase signed last offseason,
and instead you kind of jerked him around you You
didn't put your best foot forward in that negotiation. Now,

(01:29:54):
what do you think he made himself in the offseason
or during the season. Taran five million a year, seven
million year, ten million a year more than he would
have gotten if they had just signed the deal last summer,
easily five million more. I'm thinking in like the seven
to eight range, because he he was going to get
thirty five. He was going to get the Justin Jefferson contract,

(01:30:17):
which is thirty five. Right, you're a Vikings fan, you
should know this, Taran.

Speaker 3 (01:30:22):
Yeah, no, but if I'm smart, well, if the Bengals
are smart, you don't go higher than forty.

Speaker 1 (01:30:28):
Well. But my point being, they could have had him
at thirty five last year, thirty five one, so that
he could have more than his buddy Jefferson. But they
dragged their feet. They potentially anger and upset the player
because of their outdated business practices, outdated business model. And

(01:30:56):
now you're scrambling and you're probably gonna have to give
Higgins somewhere close to thirty, and you're gonna have to
give Chase forty plus, and you're giving Joe fifty. And
you've got a two hundred and seventy million dollars salary cap,
and you got three guys that are taking a significant

(01:31:22):
chunk one hundred and twenty million, almost half of your
entire salary cap. And that's not including Joe. Burrow has
said he wants Trey Hendrickson back, he wants Mike Koseki back.

(01:31:43):
You're probably gonna see some defections on the offensive line.
You're gonna have spaces to open the air, and you've
got a team that's not great at drafting, so there's
really not a group that's in that. You know, this
is a premium player at a premium position on a

(01:32:03):
rookie contract. Outside of what Amarius mems on the offensive
and defensive line, Miles Murphy, we don't know, don't know,
couldn't tell you, couldn't give you an accurate response to that.

(01:32:30):
They're hustling backwards, is the best way I can describe it, Arran,
Because in an attempt to cut corners and save money,
they're costing themselves money. They're not everything with it. Maybe
this is it. This just popped in my head, Terren.

(01:32:51):
Everything they the decision making process, the operation of running
this business feels like everything is short term. Outside of
the Borough deal, you had to get that done, But
like the one year we're only gonna give out one
year guarantees. That tells me they want everything to be
on the table year to year. That's short term stupidity,

(01:33:18):
not that's not having a long term vision, and it
just doesn't stack up. That is, we believe this is
the way to do it, to get from point A
to point B. They keep ending up at point C
and wondering how the hell did this happen. So I've

(01:33:41):
gotten to the point where and I'm not gonna believe
they hire a GM until they actually, like put out
a press release the Bengals have hired a GM. They
believe Duke Tobin is their GM, even though he doesn't
have the title. And that's fine, but you have to

(01:34:03):
understand doing things the way that they are, it's gonna
result in Joe Burrow getting sick of it. He's already
pushing to the brink with the way this franchise is operated.
And honestly, I wouldn't blame him if in a couple

(01:34:27):
of years. I don't think it's anything close, But as
we get close to the end of his second contract,
I wouldn't blame him if he said, you know what,
I can't do this anymore. I'm done with this. I
think I would be too, because you've got a team
that says they're gonna support you. They say they're gonna

(01:34:48):
spend the money, and then they do things like not
sign Tee, force him to go into free agency. They
twiddle their thumbs on Jamar could have got a deal done,
then watched him go out and win a triple crown.
That's the most Bengals thing ever. Jamar's like, no, I

(01:35:08):
want to get this done. Let's get across the finish line.
Let's get this done. I'm done worrying about it. I
want to go out and play. Bengals say, ah, those demands,
that's that's too much for us. Can't do it. Guy says, Okay,
now I've got a triple crown under my belt. You
want to talk now, because if you want to talk now,
I'm splashing the pot. Little Rounders reference Tarreen. Have you

(01:35:33):
ever seen Rounders?

Speaker 4 (01:35:39):
He's not there.

Speaker 1 (01:35:42):
AnyWho. I just think it's it's there's a way in this,
in this environment in the NFL, to be wise with
your money with the salary cap. And the Bengals are
doing the exact opposite. The blueprint is out there. The

(01:36:02):
blueprint is what Philadelphia is doing, what Kansas City's doing,
what the Rams are doing, what the Lions are doing.
Can they adapt and adjust? Because they have adapted and
adjusted on the fly on some things. But the big stuff,

(01:36:22):
the stuff that really matters in roster building and roster
construction and giving Zach Taylor everything he needs to have
a team put themselves in a position to win a
Super Bowl. And then they want to start looking for shortcuts.
Great teams don't lift trophies with shortcuts. Take a break

(01:36:51):
more after this, the phone lines are open if you
want to discuss. Since that he's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:36:57):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteenth traffic from the.

Speaker 5 (01:37:02):
UC Health Traffic Center. At u See Health, you'll find
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That's boundless care for better outcomes. Expect more at ucehealth
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(01:37:23):
one and on Kemper Road. It's an accident west of
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at Cross County Highway. I'm at ezek with traffic this report.
It's sponsored BICE.

Speaker 1 (01:37:43):
I'm expecting and now live in nic correctional facilities.

Speaker 4 (01:37:48):
Because some don't agree what how a tude is.

Speaker 1 (01:37:50):
Cruising through our number three. Get out to the phones
and talk to my man, mister Ace. I have not
heard from mister as in a while. How are you,
my friend?

Speaker 9 (01:38:00):
Man?

Speaker 4 (01:38:01):
Virtual high fives and real high fives to mister C.
M B. The cash money brother. Hey, I can use
your initials because I know them. You domb man, that's me,
that's Michael Brenda.

Speaker 6 (01:38:21):
Are you.

Speaker 1 (01:38:23):
Are you outside my house right now?

Speaker 9 (01:38:25):
Hey?

Speaker 6 (01:38:26):
With your middle neighbor?

Speaker 1 (01:38:28):
Okay, what time?

Speaker 7 (01:38:29):
Man?

Speaker 1 (01:38:30):
How you been man?

Speaker 4 (01:38:32):
Napok here? I guess I could say dealing with the
winner of uh just I don't know, man. I mean,
the football team didn't quite do what they do. The
college football team didn't quite do what they do, and shot,
the only basketball team that matters to me is in
college didn't do what they do here in Cincinnati. So
it's like, shoot, we don't have a pro basketball team

(01:38:54):
that has that be a frustrating point.

Speaker 1 (01:38:56):
Nor do we have anything.

Speaker 4 (01:39:00):
I'm not sure how the Cyclones are doing down there
in minor league hockey.

Speaker 9 (01:39:04):
But.

Speaker 4 (01:39:06):
Ah, at least we do have. We got wrestling coming
on Monday, and I mean somebody might get hit with
a chair or thrown into the river or something crazy
like that.

Speaker 1 (01:39:16):
You think, so tarn, You think we could get Jay
to like maybe hit Tony with a chair if Tony's
close enough. Yeah, somebody to hit him with a chair.

Speaker 4 (01:39:32):
Strange the things have happened. I mean, personally, I would
like to start up the campaign to make Tony Pike
the next University of Cincinnati football head coach. And I
say that for real. I know that you had the
coach on earlier today and he could still possibly be
listening to this program, but I would definitely say the
program is nowhere near the state that he inherited it.

Speaker 1 (01:39:56):
Yeah, but mister A, I don't think Tony's got the
workout to be to be the head football gad like
Tommy Tuberville is like, dang, that guy doesn't work much. Oh,
you're keeping quiet on that one.

Speaker 4 (01:40:14):
That Tony Pike would. I say, Tony Pike would raise
a whole lot of funds locally, if anything, because he
is still probably the biggest bearcat legend in the city. Man.
I mean I did have the munch He's for munchy
lego just because his name. Man. And I mean, shoot,
if he actually did actually become a pro football player,

(01:40:35):
whether it was it a Lorena football or I mean,
whether he made himself on a video game and put
himself in the NFL as a free agent could shoot.
He was an undraftable less than fifty percent completion quarterback,
you know, and that would definitely say.

Speaker 1 (01:40:50):
In the ni Elier, Uh, they actually had a guy
that could have made a million dollars. In Cincinnati, they
had a quarterback at one point. He never he never
really played befo where he transferred, transferred, but his name
was Benny Coney. Ah, Benny Coney would have made a
lot of money in nil in this town.

Speaker 4 (01:41:12):
Oh man, just imagine Benny Coney and then town. Hey,
I would imagine just I mean not if he could
have made in Forest Chili blow up overnight.

Speaker 1 (01:41:25):
Yeah, I mean there would have been a bidding war
for Benny Coney's nil.

Speaker 6 (01:41:30):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah man.

Speaker 4 (01:41:34):
But it is a totally different sports world that we
live in now.

Speaker 1 (01:41:38):
I mean, hey, look, n i L.

Speaker 4 (01:41:39):
I think has killed so much stuff. Potentially, it's just
an adjustment so much stuff potentially.

Speaker 1 (01:41:45):
I think we're in an adjustment period because I think
once revenue share really gets going, like all of this
because the NCAA was so bad at getting out in
front of this, we found ourselves in a cycle that
just like they had to start from scratch on getting
any kind of control over what the actual situation was.

(01:42:07):
Now with revenue share, I do think it is going
to settle a bit and hopefully we can find like
a middle ground between where things were and where they
are right now to get things back on track, because
some of the stuff that I hear mister Ace is

(01:42:28):
just incredible, incredible. I mean the word on the street,
you know, you know aj Debansa, you know that is.

Speaker 6 (01:42:37):
Not right off.

Speaker 1 (01:42:38):
So he is the number one recruit in the class
of twenty twenty five. Okay, he is. During his recruitment
out of nowhere, he transferred to U Tall Prep. It's
a kid from Boston transferred to Utall Prep. Why BYU

(01:43:03):
funneled over a million and a half dollars to the
kid to go to Utah Preps so they could have
him close to campus And now he's committed to BYU
and the word is somewhere between six to seven million
dollars for next year to go play at BYU.

Speaker 4 (01:43:23):
Well, it sounds like they're just doing what the SEC
schools did for many years.

Speaker 1 (01:43:28):
Hey, if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying, Miss Race.

Speaker 4 (01:43:32):
Hey, if I did back into my heritage for my
college days, even though I did not go to an
SEC school, that was definitely an SEC country. And I
definitely will run down the horrible SBC country because the
fact that, yeah, their teams won multiple national championships in

(01:43:53):
college football and they had quite a streat running, but
they definitely had any of his stuff and shenanigans going on
off the field.

Speaker 6 (01:44:03):
I mean, the.

Speaker 4 (01:44:04):
Whole damn Newton thing was definitely a real.

Speaker 6 (01:44:07):
Thought down there in the SEC country.

Speaker 4 (01:44:10):
Who was it? I want to say the guy he
coached at Troy State University, which happened to always sing
the land SEC kickoff our players who weren't in who
were in eligible, pro forty eights and our types of
guys and a lot of jucos to keep their program
growing and shoot. Troy State is a very well known

(01:44:31):
program because their coach used to be at Auburn and
his statement to some guy recruited was keep it down
home cuts when he dropped off some cash to him.
And this was way before n I l But yeah,
if you're not cheating, you're not trying, and it was
plenty of backdoor deals that were going on shoots. Hey,

(01:44:51):
they probably had more deals inside best than you see
in NASCAR, But we won't talk about that.

Speaker 1 (01:44:59):
All right, brother, to get him rolling, you got anything else?

Speaker 4 (01:45:03):
Snap? Man? I just have to say, man, I'm hoping
that the Bengals. I'm sorry that Sheldon Rankings has to
leave the team without having made an impact. I really
was hoping he did, because I was like, dang, all right,
we got we got some help on the inside and
BJ and Sheldon should be able to push the line
and then shoot outside.

Speaker 6 (01:45:23):
Man.

Speaker 4 (01:45:23):
It's just gonna make it that much easier for Tray
and maybe we'll catch a couple of extra snacks from
some of our other guys. But I don't know. It
comes down to gods staying healthy. And unfortunately, Sheldon did
not have everything far right. He had a series of
unfortunate events.

Speaker 1 (01:45:43):
Viral meningitis does not sound like fun.

Speaker 4 (01:45:46):
No, But hopefully Miles Murphy or whoever he competes against
will be our starting d end on the other side
and provide some good sex. Man.

Speaker 1 (01:45:56):
So all right, I appreciate it, brother, all Right, We'll
go have a great weekend. We'll talk soon. Nope, all right,
let's take a break. George Vogel, The Handsome One. Coming
up next. Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:46:11):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Traffic from the UC.

Speaker 5 (01:46:17):
Health Traffic Center at U see help. You'll find comprehensive
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That's boundless care for better outcomes. Expect more at UCHealth
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(01:46:39):
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with traffic.

Speaker 4 (01:46:55):
There.

Speaker 1 (01:46:56):
We go close it out of Friday. One of my
favorite people, it's a handsome one. George Vogel has his
own podcast. It's on the Bearcat Journal Network, George in
the Jungle Tuesday nights, nine pm. If you need your
George in the Jungle fix, you need your George Vogel fix,

(01:47:17):
you can find it there. I invite everybody to listen.
It's one of it's my favorite podcast on the network,
one because George is on it, and two because I'm not.
So if you're looking, if you're looking, if you're looking
for something on Bearcat Journal that does not include me.
Tuesday nights, nine o'clock, George, how the heck are you?

Speaker 9 (01:47:41):
I'm doing good, you know, laying around trying to get
rid of a sign as headache, like the rest of
the Midwest and Northeast and probably the Southern States and
out west too.

Speaker 1 (01:47:52):
George, uh Wes Miller in this UC basketball team will
start here. I know. It's a painful conversation. Yeah, he's
he's there's all indication that he's going to be here
next year as well, and he's going to get a
chance to get this right. How drastic would the changes

(01:48:12):
you make in the end? Because because listen, we're a
month away essentially from the end of the season, and
then one week after that the transfer portal opens March
twenty fourth, the transfer portal is open. So I hate
doing this while the season's going on, but it has
to kind of like this is the way the sport is.

(01:48:32):
How would you change this roster a year from now?

Speaker 9 (01:48:36):
Man, Well, I guess if you'd asked me this three
weeks ago, I'd say, top the bottom.

Speaker 1 (01:48:43):
Everybody, Everybody's out.

Speaker 6 (01:48:45):
I mean, I know it felt that way.

Speaker 9 (01:48:50):
You know, obviously you got to get some some inside
scoring still that that that's somewhat reliable when everything else
isn't working. But you also, he's been consistent outside scoring,
which somehow they haven't gotten. I mean, you think coming
into the season, you know, de mos is gonna be
able to provide that, Gizzl's gonna be able to provide

(01:49:12):
some of that. Dan's gonna provide some of that, and
the bottom just fell out of those guys. It seemed
like at the end of December the bottom fell out.
Obviously they're getting defended a little differently.

Speaker 6 (01:49:22):
In the Big twelve.

Speaker 9 (01:49:24):
But gosh, Chad, that's a really tough question because I
I mean, I've thought about it, but I don't know
who I keep. I mean, it's hard, you know, yeah,
I mean, Gisel's shown the flashes. And then you made
a very good point about it's not the old college
game where you know you can keep Gizzle and it's

(01:49:46):
not going to cost you anymore with the rest of
the roster, but within il it does.

Speaker 6 (01:49:51):
Yeh.

Speaker 9 (01:49:51):
You gotta start worrying about where these funds are allocated.

Speaker 1 (01:49:54):
You have to play salary cap like you got to.
You gotta play GM. You have to figure out how
are we gonna properly allocate these funds to get the
most bang for our buck. And then you go into
the open market with an idea and you get there
and then prices you know, I know last year, like
everything almost doubled last year in one offseason. So you

(01:50:16):
thought like, okay, we think we can go get a
great player for eight hundred thousand, and all of a
sudden that great players making one point four one point
five million. So what you budgeted for now is not
a great player. It's a it's an okay player, Like
it's a good player, but it's it's such a different world.
I am glad they have to do it and I

(01:50:36):
get to talk about it.

Speaker 9 (01:50:37):
Yeah, I know, I thought for years I never wanted
to be the guy to figure out the salary cap.
I don't want to be the guy that figures out
how to keep baseball teams competitive where there.

Speaker 6 (01:50:48):
Is no salary cap, right.

Speaker 9 (01:50:50):
And you know, the Dodgers and Yanks and other teams
are paying out righteous money but that's kind of where
college is right now, you know, and you see all
the SEC teams got better in a hurry one l h.
It's just look at that conference and all the yeah
bunched uff at.

Speaker 6 (01:51:11):
The top is amazing.

Speaker 9 (01:51:12):
And you know, basketball used to be an afterthought in
that conference because everything was pretty much about football other
than Kentucky obviously and a few other scores schools, Tennessee, Florida,
places like that. But Chad, I don't know. It's it's
going to be a hell of a hell of a
thing to figure out. And just like you, I'm glad

(01:51:34):
it's not my problem. But yeah, you're starting to look
at these players and they have a value on them,
or those positions have a value, and it's like where
do we need to start and where do we need
to get much better? And can we keep a guy
like Gisel? Can we keep you know, you know, Day
Day or whoever coming back another year?

Speaker 6 (01:51:53):
I don't know?

Speaker 9 (01:51:54):
And it's uh, you know, Wes knows who he can
depend on or maybe he doesn't.

Speaker 1 (01:51:59):
Now YEA, nobody's got any idea, right.

Speaker 9 (01:52:05):
I mean I I you know, after December and you
saw how this team played, and yes, there was the
hiccup at Villanova, but they were even you know, they
were able to beat Xavier when they had a horrendous
shooting day and they were still able to lock down
on defense. And then it just seemed like January hit
the big twelve comes and the bottom fell out.

Speaker 1 (01:52:25):
Nothing worked, nothing though the defense has been it doesn't
even look like the same defense they played the first
half of the season, not fascinating.

Speaker 9 (01:52:33):
And then they'd shown flashes here lately of getting back
to some of that. But you know, when they won
those games, those were games that they won by shooting
the ball a heck of a lot better. And look
when when Gisel scoring twenty four twenty five points a game,
everything looks a heck of a lot better and there's
much better flow. And you know they didn't get that

(01:52:54):
at West Virginia because he wasn't hitting those shots, and
neither was anyone else for that matter, until Dan in
the final eight second. It's just a tough, tough I mean,
you know, and this is Wes's baby, and he knew
what he was getting into and he knows how tough
it can be.

Speaker 6 (01:53:14):
But he's got a tall task ahead of him.

Speaker 9 (01:53:17):
I hope he can pull it off. I'm not one
of those guys that have cashed in all my chips
on him just yet. But there's some serious, serious storm
clouds that make you wonder. I mean, I am wondering
a hell of a lot more about him and his future.
You see now than I was a month and a
half ago.

Speaker 1 (01:53:36):
I got they about three and a half minutes left
before Tarn turns me off and goes back to network
programming at six, The Reds, Where are you at? Are
you excited? Did they burn you last year? Are you
cautiously optimistic? Where are you at? You're all in?

Speaker 6 (01:53:53):
Chad?

Speaker 9 (01:53:54):
I'm not all in, but I may be the most
optimistic Reds fan. And he I mean, I'm not rose
colored glasses, but I'm I'm watching and reading and seeing
what's going on at spring training with Terry Francona. Uh,
couldn't have had a better manager higher in my eyes.

(01:54:15):
And then the things he's saying and doing and and
you know he's gonna be playing some mix and match
here they You know, I saw Gavin Lux brings three
different gloves with him, one for second, one for third,
one for the outfield. You know he's gonna take a
look at everybody. And I do like the fact that
there is a new set of eyes looking at everyone

(01:54:38):
and judging everyone and figuring this out. And I think
the Reds really needed that. And uh, we'll see they all,
you know, they get started with the games tomorrow. But
I'm cautiously optimistic that in this division they can be
in the mix and uh maybe find themselves a postseason spot.
Doesn't mean they're gonna win the World Series, but it

(01:54:59):
does me if if they get a break on the
health front, they'll be competitive.

Speaker 1 (01:55:06):
How many wins is Terry francona good for?

Speaker 9 (01:55:11):
Well, you think about that. I mean I would say
four to five, right.

Speaker 6 (01:55:15):
I think it's too many.

Speaker 1 (01:55:18):
It's more.

Speaker 9 (01:55:19):
I mean, I think at least that.

Speaker 6 (01:55:21):
Well, when you look at these.

Speaker 9 (01:55:22):
Players and their there war numbers and stuff. You know,
if you get up and you know someone that's a five,
that's a hell of a player. But yeah, you're right,
he's a hell of a manager. So he could be
an All Star type or A or an MVP type
and B eight or nine. You know, we'll see. I
think he's worth a lot though, I really do. I

(01:55:44):
just think out of all the guys, they could have
brought in to be the next manager.

Speaker 6 (01:55:49):
And you know, that's the first name that popped.

Speaker 1 (01:55:51):
Up for everything, but nobody thought it was real.

Speaker 9 (01:55:54):
He was probably I thought he was ready for the beach.

Speaker 1 (01:55:59):
George, Indiana job, come back and rejuvenated. Yeah, Indiana job
comes open. Every Indiana fan says Brad Stevens, and and
everybody that's not an Indiana fan laughs at him and goes,
you guys are so bleep and delusional. Red's fans, job
comes open. Terry Francone. Everybody is, will you guys shut up?

(01:56:20):
Wear enough? It's Terry Francona.

Speaker 6 (01:56:21):
That's what I thought it was. I was shocked that
he you know, and I.

Speaker 9 (01:56:27):
Didn't know exactly what all the health issues were and stuff,
but I know he had some stuff that was really
bothering him.

Speaker 6 (01:56:32):
And you, oh god, I'm telling you what.

Speaker 9 (01:56:39):
I just got out of physical therapy an hour ago,
and it's gonna take me all week in the recover.

Speaker 6 (01:56:45):
Are you kidding? That's a couple of a long time.

Speaker 9 (01:56:48):
But obviously Terry, you know, several months ago, crossed that
that bridge and it's back to being uh, not only healthy,
he sounds genuinely fired up to have this job and
try to get the Reds back on track.

Speaker 6 (01:57:04):
And when you have a guy.

Speaker 9 (01:57:05):
With that pedigree and really that that respected in every
corner of the baseball world, you gotta feel pretty good.
And I think every Red stand feels good about that high.

Speaker 1 (01:57:17):
I agree. It's going to be an interesting summer. Be
good or be interesting, that's Moe. That's the tagline of
this show. At least they're going to be interesting. Georgie,
enjoy your time on the couch. Have a great weekend.
Thank you for joining me YouTube.

Speaker 6 (01:57:30):
Chad enjoyed tomorrow afternoon.

Speaker 1 (01:57:32):
All right, appreciate it. We'll see you soon. There you go.
George Vogel, formerly of WLWT, now of the Bearcat journ
Ole podcast network. That's it. We'll see you next time
The Moagger Show. Since any's ESPN fifteen thirty and I'm
listening to the radio.

Speaker 3 (01:57:53):
I'm listening to the SAD.

Speaker 1 (01:58:02):
I just want you when your it gets don't act,
you know, let me play. I'm working late, I said,
I'll soon be home.

Speaker 4 (01:58:17):
Oh the girl was home home.

Speaker 1 (01:58:20):
Let me tell you what's your crime?

Speaker 12 (01:58:22):
Pun?

Speaker 1 (01:58:23):
Why because I'm flying superli Nay, I'm flying you know,
super FLA. But me and I'm super duper Fly.

Speaker 2 (01:58:35):
Fly Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 5 (01:58:40):
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Speaker 9 (01:58:58):
Traffic.

Speaker 5 (01:58:59):
They're stopping zo from I seventy five with a three
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seventy five. That exelic with traffic.

Speaker 1 (01:59:12):
This report