6/3/25 - The Mo Egger Radio Show - Mo Egger

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right here with y'all.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Good out for you and im Moegar. This is ESPN
fifteen thirty. Thank you for joining us today.

Speaker 3 (00:07):
So glad that you are here. So glad that you
are here.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
It's been a long day of deeply intense show preparation.
I've really dived into the minute of Bengals OTAs and
the off season and what's left of it training camp
getting closer. Paul Dayner Jr. From The Athletic and the
Growler Podcast is here. We're gonna talk about Grumpy Tito

(00:30):
Francono a little bit later on. We have the Grumpy
Tito Compliation compilation, compolization compilation. We got a bunch of
sound of Tito being grumpy, including last night. I was
grumpy too after last night. But Tito the Magnificent got
some very fair questions after the game, and yet he's
still grumpy. And we have to talk about that in
roster construction and Nick crawling so much more as a

(00:52):
relief for all that. Our friend Paul Dayner Junior is
here from The Athletic and the Growler Podcast.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
How's it going. It's going great.

Speaker 4 (00:58):
I was, you know, I've watched a lot of the
same grumpy compilation, uh, that that you have and it's
sort of taken me back a little bit.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
Is it reminiscent of anybody you've covered?

Speaker 5 (01:08):
It?

Speaker 4 (01:08):
Is? It is where after a loss, you know you're
gonna get some grumpiness and possibly something that's gonna be
feel gonna feel unfair in the moment to whatever question
you're asking.

Speaker 3 (01:20):
Yeah, I think I've think we've been down that path before.
We've seen that before it happens. Is Terry Francona, Marvin Lewis,
I certainly hope not for the Reds sake.

Speaker 4 (01:30):
I you know, I get it, like I get I
get frustration after games and it can be tough. But
man like when when the easiest of questions coming about
literally just hey, how about a net help explain the
decision from something that like I feel like it's Oh,
there's never a point in any postgame press conference that

(01:51):
you have in any sport where if you ask the
person who made a big decision to help us understand
their big decision, that that should ever get a negative response, right, Right,
we just want to understand what went in your decision, right,
And that's all I hear is help us understand your
explain what's going on.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
We're curious, right, Like, that's the point of this.

Speaker 4 (02:12):
Why else are we here with the microphones and the
lights and the cameras other than to explain, help us
explain and understand what's going on a little bit better.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
Yeah, I don't.

Speaker 4 (02:20):
I mean, I've been on the other end of those
many times, and you just got to sit there and
take it and know, you know, you don't want to
be part of it.

Speaker 3 (02:28):
You're just trying to ask the right question.

Speaker 4 (02:29):
So yeah, I I feel I feel for our good
buddy Charlie.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah, And I hate to make it about his interactions
with Tito, because I know a journalist, Yeah, you don't
want to be the story.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
But it does feel like it's always I know, I
says like, I guess I don't even need to, but
you know, and I don't know.

Speaker 4 (02:50):
Maybe maybe it's something about the fact that these are
the questions that are the ones that get under a
manager's skin because they're the ones that he knows that
I don't know if they.

Speaker 3 (03:00):
Right or not, you know what I mean, those are
the But I mean it's harder.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
Been a big league manager for twenty four seasons. You
have to know the moment the game ends. As you're
walking past unused Austin Wins and unused Matt McClain. In
the middle of your twenty fourth big league season, which
has included stops in places like Philadelphia and Boston, you
have to know as you make your way to the
interview room, you know what they're probably gonna ask me

(03:23):
about why I stuck with Garrett Hampson and not the
other options.

Speaker 3 (03:26):
You should know that this isn't a guy who's new
to the gig.

Speaker 4 (03:29):
Come on, man, Garrett Hampson keeps being put in these
spots where he has one its derogatory.

Speaker 3 (03:34):
I badly.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
I'm watching the game with my wife last night, and
I'm like, I want this dude to go yard because
that would be a cool story be and tie the game.
See like, Garrett Hampson will stop being a punchline. We'll
talk about the Garrett Hampson game. Instead, we're still talking
about the Garrett Hampson game for not for good reasons.
You're just back from the venue formerly known as Paul
Brown Stadium.

Speaker 4 (03:54):
That's correct. The practice feels adjacent ota Phase three. We're
in Phase three. Yeah, right before the mandatory mini camp
that takes place next week, which which if a player
doesn't show up at they can be fine.

Speaker 3 (04:06):
Fine.

Speaker 2 (04:06):
And then you were in the locker room. Anything interesting
come out of the locker room today A little bit.

Speaker 3 (04:10):
I'm I'm oh, I don't know. I don't know about interesting.

Speaker 4 (04:13):
I did have a good moment from today, Okay, I
have a favorite moment that I really enjoyed, and so
we're seeing I think we mentioned this.

Speaker 3 (04:21):
Last time we talked.

Speaker 4 (04:22):
I can't remember, but I know that I've enjoyed that
the last two weeks in this phase, we have seen
a little bit more of the good on good in
the passing game, offense, defense, which we didn't see as
much of that last year. It's been enjoyable to see
the defense has come. There has been an intensity to
these sessions of like, hey, okay, they're getting after it,

(04:44):
a lot of juice, a little talk back and forth,
like okay, today we had a fun moment where Joe
Burrow was trying to connect with Mike GASICKI short on
out cam Taylor Britt makes a great instinctual break on it,
dives picks it off off. Question whether he land in
bounds or not. Not totally sure but it was a
great play. Talks trash Yes, throws the ball in the air,

(05:09):
pointing Joe Burrow. Next play which felt like almost a
quick snap deep bomb to Jamar chase over DJ Turner,
which felt like an absolute like, uh, don't forget that
we have this, Like Jamar comes back into the huddle
and josephs whatever play we were supposed to run here,
we're not, Jamar, You're going deep.

Speaker 3 (05:27):
I'm not gonna listen to this.

Speaker 4 (05:28):
I think they were still celebrating on the other end
when that ball was in the air and Jamar had
DJ Turner beat by about seven yards. Competitive competitives, We've
been asking for this, right, like truly competitive, a lot
of energy, a lot of back and forth, a lot
of adrenaline starting to pump a little bit, and I
like that. I think it's been It was a fun
moment to witness, a fun moment to see and to

(05:51):
hear both sides of it. Who I think we're feeling
feeling that moment in particular, there's been a there's been
a decent amount of that at the end.

Speaker 3 (05:59):
So that was that was kind of the most notable
thing that stuck out to me. Good.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
I like the level of competitiveness. I like the juice
is flowing in early June.

Speaker 3 (06:05):
This is good. I'm still buying Cam Taylor Brid a
little bit. Okay, I'm buying Cam Taylor Bird.

Speaker 4 (06:10):
And I know that this is like this is this
is problematic to do this time of year. I just
I like the way that I felt like he has
had a I'm out here to prove it mentality even
in these ota sessions.

Speaker 3 (06:25):
Like I just you.

Speaker 4 (06:26):
Felt that energy and I know his nicknames juice and
that's kind of his thing or whatever. He still got
to go prove it on the field. But like, I
like his approach. I like the way that I feel
like he's taking things on. I like the way that
he's not afraid to throw the ball up in the
air and talk a little trash after he makes a play.
This defense is they need that. He's the type of
guy that wants to be that type of guy. I

(06:46):
like him feeling the enough confidence in himself to do that,
considering where he was at last year. I just I
want to buy Cam Taylor Brid. I feel like we've
seen it from him a little bit more in stretches
than almost anybody on that defense. You know that was
out there today, at least in terms of a young
player that's capable of rising up to another level. And

(07:08):
you know it's in him. So I'm buying it a
little bit. I'm buying Kim Taylor Bride. I'll say this
about him. Number one, he did get bench last year.
I thought he responded well to the benching publicly and
on the field. I don't gather that he sulked. I
don't gather that he felt sorry for himself when his
turn came up again, which you knew it would. He
played okay and that says a lot to me. Also,

(07:29):
if you.

Speaker 2 (07:30):
Take over the course of his Bengals career, if we
were to cut up his best I don't know, thirty snaps.

Speaker 3 (07:35):
There's a really good player there.

Speaker 2 (07:37):
Yes, Like we're not talking about a guy who's off
the street. I mean we are talking there's something for
Al Golden to work with there. And we talked when
the offseason started, where is the group that you're willing
to go Okay, there's something here. Let's see if Al
can can mold more out of it. And look, I
would have been more than okay with another corner or
another safety. They say you can't have enough players at

(07:58):
every position, specifically those but like we said that going
into the off season with Cam Taylor Britt, there's more
of a reason to believe those things than I think
with anybody else in that group.

Speaker 4 (08:08):
Yeah, and I think they're leaning into some things where
it's like, hey, let's give you more opportunity to play
more man, play more press, man, use your physicality, use
him in the slot a little bit more. We've seen
him in this OTA session. He's been kind of hanging
out in there and covering in the play he made
today was with Gisicki in the route. So like, I
just I think they're trying to build that. You can

(08:28):
see them building him up and leaning into some of
his strengths and things that he does well, which is
the strength of some a lot of these guys do
well in terms of a lot of the man coverage
stuff and seeing the possibility of what they could be there.
So uh, I like it. I like uh, I like
I like what I'm seeing from him and some of
those guys. So there's a chance there's a chance there
all right.

Speaker 2 (08:44):
From uh Samar Stewart is still there but not really
doing anything that's correct.

Speaker 3 (08:49):
You're already tired of this.

Speaker 4 (08:51):
I was tired of it last I haven't been tired
of it. I just it's just can't believe it's still
going on. It's it is ridiculous. It is ridiculous, but
they're you know, we're we're going to keep going that.
Nothing's changed, nothing's changed now.

Speaker 3 (09:02):
Next week is mandatory Mini camp, Right, he's there, so
but does he have to be there mandatory? Is it
mandatory for him to appear even though he doesn't have
hasn't signed his contract.

Speaker 4 (09:13):
I mean, nothing's gonna change over what he's doing right now.
I mean he's he's gonna show it, be there and
he's going to be in his ninety seven and he's gonna.

Speaker 3 (09:21):
Be watching right like, unless unless he signs. Is it
helpful that his dad is spoken out on his behalf?
I gotta tell you so what I do.

Speaker 4 (09:29):
The answer is yes, yeah, sure, I mean I appreciate
any context that anyone is willing to add to this situation.
And there is this segment of like, man, do we
need more relatives on Twitter?

Speaker 3 (09:42):
Like it is a relatively new phenomenon that's that's out there.

Speaker 2 (09:46):
It's it's tough because you have to start following all
these relatives on Twitter.

Speaker 3 (09:49):
Yeah, typically wouldn't be following.

Speaker 4 (09:51):
Yeah, Family of the Bengals podcast is around the corner.
I feel like it's only too long until that's just
kind of right. You should add that to your network.
We're not off, not far off. I mean, it feels possible.
I just you know, so that's the only reason I
hes said. I appreciate any context that anyone wants to
lend us as to why this charade is still going

(10:12):
on though. Okay, but so nothing's really He's still there. Yeah,
nothing's changed. It's the same as it has been.

Speaker 2 (10:18):
He's still on the field, but not really doing much
of anything. Yeah, okay, very good. And then Trey Hendrickson's
also not there.

Speaker 4 (10:24):
Also not there anything, which is actually notable considering two
weeks he was there just like a school resource.

Speaker 3 (10:30):
Do you do you like when you go to these practices?

Speaker 2 (10:32):
Are you looking over your shoulder waiting, listening against Craig
going to show up today?

Speaker 3 (10:35):
Is that going to be a thing.

Speaker 4 (10:36):
I'm always aware you show up with your head on
a swivel. Yeah, you've gotta be prepared.

Speaker 3 (10:39):
We would be shocked if he showed up next week.
Ah not. I mean, considering that there's fines involved.

Speaker 4 (10:48):
Remember last year, Jamar showed up and stood on the
side at this stuff last week to avoid the finding,
and Trey might.

Speaker 2 (10:57):
Use that as an opportunity to talk more to you
guys fine with me, which would be great, I don't,
I mean, you no sweat off my back. So now
if he shows up to collect to know when you
do get paid. But if he if he shows up
in order to not get fined at mandatory mini camp,
should I read into that that he'll still play the
first game of the season to not lose the money
that he would relinquish by not playing.

Speaker 4 (11:18):
You could read into that, I could could you could
read into that maybe he's considering that money might mean
something to him.

Speaker 3 (11:24):
I don't know that that necessarily means anything.

Speaker 4 (11:26):
I mean, because I mean to me, it's it's always
gonna be uh oh my my back, yeah, right, like
that's what this is gonna be. Uh and so that's
yeah right, and so yeah, I think that's that's what
that where this ends up. But I so you can
read into that whatever you want to. I mean, it
would just to me, it would make sense. I can

(11:47):
show up and stand on the side, uh, and not
potentially get fined, right, or or I can just show
up and be there and be a bit of a
distraction in that regard.

Speaker 3 (11:57):
All right, I do want to ask you this. We've
and you've written there's next to no chance that Trey
gets traded. Okay.

Speaker 2 (12:05):
What's interesting to me is this still gets talked about
a lot. I was in Chicago this weekend and on
sports talk radio in Chicago, I stumble upon a Trey
Hendrickson conversation about what can the Bear's trade form? And
then I was asked to go on a show in
Milwaukee yesterday to talk Red's Brewers. And then as an aside,
they're like, what would it take for the Bengals to
trade Trey Hendrickson to the Packers? So in various cities,

(12:26):
now we've done this with t Higgins in the past
as well. In various cities at least fans or people
who do what I do for a living are having
conversations about their local team's ability to land Trey Hendrickson
via trade.

Speaker 3 (12:40):
Your comments.

Speaker 2 (12:44):
In the Chicago show, I wanted to call in, No,
I don't know if you're allowed.

Speaker 4 (12:48):
Is when you have this job, if you're allowed to
call it be a calling. Yeah, I mean you could
leave a talk back.

Speaker 3 (12:53):
Maybe. Here's why I would say.

Speaker 2 (12:55):
I called Rocky Boyman once after the Bengals Colts playoff game.

Speaker 3 (12:58):
Oh yeah on the way back. Yeah, that fired up.
Here's the thing. I was in the passenger seat, by
the way.

Speaker 4 (13:05):
For what it's worth, I will say this, I think
the thing that I come back to with that is yeah, Okay,
well who's coming on the who's coming back?

Speaker 3 (13:16):
It's it's it's that's what makes the sits.

Speaker 4 (13:18):
Not that I don't think that there wouldn't be someone
listening on the other end. I think they would listen.
But I mean, are the are the Packers sending Rashaan
Gary as part of this trade? Are the you know,
is Chicago sending Montees sweat? Like? I mean, we there,
This team needs a pass rusher. That's that's not gonna change.

(13:39):
And so unless there's some kind of an answer coming,
they're not just gonna take a pick. And I think teams,
maybe people in fans and hosts not gonna call sports
talk hosts uninformed.

Speaker 3 (13:51):
They're not. Oh, trust, they're not going to offend me
at all.

Speaker 4 (13:55):
If that's the word you choose to use, you know,
maybe not totally understand that this team is not going
to make a deal that's going to leave them out
an edge wresher, and so I don't and there I
just don't see how that occurs. You know, there was
a point earlier this offseason where the Bryce Huff rumors
started circulating with Philadelphia, and I thought this is one

(14:17):
that makes sense, and well that that would be a
way that you could see how it could work out.
And Huff gets traded to San Francisco and it's like, OOKA,
that was an opportunity you could have, you could have
I don't know if he fits or whatever, and who
knows like how they viewed him, but it's like, that's
what it has to look like, is you gotta have
something coming back as part of that, and I just
I just don't see that at this point coming from anybody.

(14:40):
And the Bengals are willing to play this game, and
so I think they still feel like Trey's gonna cave
and or they're gonna figure it out and find the
number and make it work.

Speaker 3 (14:52):
That's my assumption. At this point. What day are we
into the tray the days of Trey.

Speaker 2 (14:57):
Well here, I took a day off last week we
had Memorial Day.

Speaker 3 (15:02):
I've got to refigure. I've got to rehab your numbers
because it.

Speaker 2 (15:05):
Was it was going to be seventy what's seventy nine
days of ninety one if I'm not mistake.

Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yeah, I don't know that we're going to hit the number. Yeah,
but that's all right. We're tracking towards it, though. We're
going to come closer to seventy nine than zero. There's
no doubt about that.

Speaker 2 (15:20):
Paul Danner Junior, The Growler Podcast and the Athletic dot
Com follow on Twitter at Paul Danner Jr. You've written
a lot since you and I last talked. I have, yeah, yeah,
well I do that. Sometimes I print out the stuff
so we could talk about it. I'm glad I've got
there's a bunch of you go, yeah, I got, I
got Eric Gregory. It's always good to see the printed word.

(15:40):
Oh yeah, Gregory about that. I like to print articles,
I know, and I appreciate Favery two thousand and seven
in that regard. We'll get to all of that. Paul's
here till four. I'm here till six. Thank you so
much for joining US today. I'm Oegar. This is ESPN
fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 6 (15:55):
Station, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

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Speaker 2 (16:39):
Paul Danner Junior is here Theathletic dot com and mcgrowler podcast.
Before we talk about stuff you've written to. Anybody in
the locker room, say anything interesting.

Speaker 8 (16:50):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (16:52):
I was not part of this, but Jermaine Burton spoke
for fifteen minutes today total.

Speaker 3 (16:57):
Yeah, I was so.

Speaker 4 (16:59):
I have a story coming out on year two with
Dan Pitcher and so I was talking with Dan in
the hallway after practice, and when I came in, it
was like, oh h Jermaine just talk for like fifteen minutes.

Speaker 3 (17:10):
So sorry, I won't have that story for anybody, but
I think.

Speaker 4 (17:13):
It's probably already out there some of the things of
the opportunities for you to write about Jermaine Burton if
you were not there yet. I'm just not there yet.
And I here's the thing, and I will say and
Pitch even said this to me when I talked to him.
He's like, you know, it's it's we're not just saying it.
He's doing the right things. He is doing the right things.
He's like and I understand that it's got to be

(17:34):
a show me thing with Jermaine, but right now he's
doing the right things and showing us and there's, you know, hope,
and there's a reason why they didn't give up on him,
and that's kind of shared within the buildings as he
tries to make good on it for right now. And
so I'm not there yet with it, but you know,
there's a there's an opportunity there. But here's the thing

(17:55):
about Jermaine, and I hope this makes sense. Last year
we don't start talking about him and things about we
don't start talking about his lack of maturity and not
knowing the playbook and all that sort of stuff until
in the preseason he plays in the game and plays well,
which tells me the coaches have no problem letting everybody

(18:19):
know the light bulb is not coming on. So I
think this summer they'll not be shy again about telling us,
telling the world that the light bulb's not come on,
that he's not getting Like last year he was against
guys who you know, did not make NFL teams.

Speaker 3 (18:34):
He was unbelievably good, and that wasn't the story.

Speaker 2 (18:37):
It was, Yeah, that guy you're watching torch dudes who
are going to be, you know, driving mail routes in
a few weeks. This guy isn't getting in it. He's not
he's falling asleep at meetings, he's not showing up, I
mean all that stuff. Like So if back then they
were telling us and they were making it known, like
you can run with this to the broadcasters, this guy,
the light bulb's not come on. He's not doing the
stuff we need him to do. If that was the

(18:58):
case last year, it'll be the case this year. If
you don't hear about Jermaine Burton, that's gonna tell me
he's doing all the right stuff. Yeah that makes sense.

Speaker 3 (19:05):
Yeah, it makes sense. I mean I don't I don't think.

Speaker 4 (19:08):
I mean, they're not at the point right now where
they can they're you know, there's just the leash is
so short as it should be. Yeah, I mean, you
just can't. You can't rebuild anything until it has to
be perfect for the most part. And I'm not saying
that he's been perfect or whatever, but like you're right there,

(19:29):
there's not gonna be some sort of hiding because we
all are looking for it and we all know the situation.

Speaker 3 (19:35):
Everybody knows the deal. So that to me is a
thing that you're right.

Speaker 4 (19:40):
It will show up in camp if you know, because
he was torching dudes last year that are gonna have mailroads.

Speaker 3 (19:45):
But yeah, he was torching them running the wrong routes.

Speaker 4 (19:47):
Yes, he's just running deep and that's not the call.
And so that's that's fine in and you know, follow
the snaps. If he's still in and he's not playing
until the fourth quarter, is still of the preseason, Like
there's enough way is that it's going to be obvious
and things that we hear, things that we see, we
know the background now and and that we'll see if
it's paying off.

Speaker 3 (20:06):
But right for right now, yeah, I mean it's they're okay.

Speaker 2 (20:09):
With that first preseason game on that Friday, I think
it is in Philadelphia. If in the fourth quarter Jermaine
Burton hasn't yet appeared and it's not good, he charges
out on the field and it's a bunch of guys
that I've never heard of trying to cover them. That's
gonna tell us a lot.

Speaker 4 (20:26):
You always follow the snaps, right, You always follow the snaps.
That's just especially in the preseason with guys that need them. Uh,
And so yes, he should be.

Speaker 9 (20:36):
You know.

Speaker 4 (20:36):
Another thing that I talked with Pitch about today was
about how, you know, the thing this time last year
was who was gonna take TV's you know numbers, How
are they going to fill that up? The third receiver,
the fourth receiver? And he's like, that's not the question now.
The question now is the fifth receiver? Right, He's like,
and that's a fun beat, Like Jermaine has an opportunity.

(20:57):
Charlie Jones like, there's these people He's like, and you
can even say maybe the central sire if you count
Chase Brown as a receiver, Jimboy.

Speaker 3 (21:04):
Mays, is he gonna be the Moeger Award winner.

Speaker 2 (21:07):
I haven't. I haven't handicapped the odds yet. But he's
a good value on Jamoy good value. Yeah, you're definitely
definitely good value there.

Speaker 3 (21:15):
I did not.

Speaker 4 (21:16):
I was looking today for some undrafted receiver to make
a play.

Speaker 3 (21:21):
I didn't see anything.

Speaker 4 (21:22):
I know, I didn't see anything either. There was the
stars Jamar t gets sicky. A lot of the lot
of the known quantities were making plays today. So but
I'm looking, I'm looking. I just didn't. I didn't quite
see it, all.

Speaker 2 (21:34):
Right, So you have a piece coming out about your
two for Dan Pitchers, the offensive coordinator. Yeah, yeah, looking
for them in the coming days, hopefully, i'd like to.

Speaker 3 (21:43):
It's the summer model. It's load management season. As you're aware. Oh,
I know.

Speaker 4 (21:48):
So sometimes a story gets close and you're like, I
could use a little bit more, let's just push it
to next week, right, And so because it's in season,
it's it's easy, definitely, Because I know I'll have two
more days in the in the locker room, I can
I can add something on it. Well, I don't have
till next week in case I do need somebody who's
going to be in the building that I need to
talk to or to watch something whatever. But I am

(22:10):
anticipating something that coming soon.

Speaker 2 (22:12):
You wrote you focused on Eric Gregory, a defensive tackle
who's hero is an undrafted free agent, and it's a
good read. I'm gonna bring up something that to somebody
who covers the league might sound like it's obvious, but
I think to a lot of folks who follow the
NFL maybe it's not. The confused look on your face
speaks volume.

Speaker 3 (22:31):
I didn't know. I thought there was a question coming.

Speaker 4 (22:32):
I didn't know you were doing one of your good
teases that you're so good at sup professionals.

Speaker 2 (22:36):
Hardly twenty nine away from four o'clock Sports Headlines More
with Paul Danner Junior, Who's with us for the Hour
on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 6 (22:45):
Station SINCY three sixty with Tony Pike.

Speaker 3 (22:50):
Don't want to move on, the Doctor Keep Going.

Speaker 6 (22:52):
And Boston Elmore.

Speaker 3 (22:53):
I think you should continue to let me keep going.

Speaker 10 (22:55):
There, Sincy three sixty Tomorrow which twelve News on ESPN
fifteen thirty Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic from the.

Speaker 1 (23:06):
UC Health Traffic Center.

Speaker 7 (23:08):
Find answers from leading brain health experts at you see Health.
Learn more at ucehealth dot com. Seventy one seventy five
at northbound at Kyle's Lane, right lane blocked off from
an accident. Police am moved that crash further off toward
the right side of the highway, but still got about

(23:28):
a twenty minute delayed back from two seventy five. Once
found on Burlington Pike. It's another accident at Limaberg Road.
I'm at ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 3 (23:37):
This report is sponsored by.

Speaker 2 (23:39):
Play Home of Lifetime powertrain protection and guarantee credit approval
from their family to yours for life, kelseyshow dot com.
Garrett Hampson and the Reds in action again tonight at GABP.
Hunter Green gets the ball for Cincinnati against Freddy peralto
seven ten is Tonight's first pitch. Garrett Hampson, by the way,
not in the start lineup this evening. You want it here?

(24:02):
It is friedol locks his dhing tonight. Ellie de la
Cruz had short Tyler Stevenson is catching Red's only using
one catcher tonight, so they have extra positional versatility in
the later innings when they need to use Austin wins
Steers at first base, Benson's and left Santiago Espinal who
has turned into Santiago Espinal recently. He is playing third base,

(24:22):
betting seventh Frehleys, and right Matt McLean is hitting in
the ninth spot. Again remember the games during the week
and hour at seven ten games live on seven hundred WLW.
Reds have selected the contract off lefty Joe la Sorsa
from tripa A Louisville and they have optioned him to Louisville.
Congratulations to Joe. They selected the contract from Louisville and

(24:44):
sent him there. I don't know what that means. I
guess they add him to the forty man roster. Maybe
that's there.

Speaker 3 (24:52):
You go, dude. If I'm worrying about.

Speaker 2 (24:54):
Joe la Sorsa in a season of Garrett Hampson and
Rhese Hines and Blake Dunn, I got other problem.

Speaker 8 (25:00):
Connor.

Speaker 3 (25:00):
Joe.

Speaker 2 (25:01):
Bengals had a practice today, Paul was there. Nobody got hurt,
so nobody cares. Paul's really you're really summon it up.
You're honest today, right?

Speaker 3 (25:10):
Yeah? Is there anything else?

Speaker 4 (25:11):
No, that's it's it's the main reason we're here, There's
no question.

Speaker 3 (25:15):
It's so we're just making sure everybody doesn't get hurt OTAs.

Speaker 2 (25:17):
Exists for players to not show up too, so we
have stories or for players to get hurt at so
we have something to worry about. Yes, Joe Burr threw
a pick to Cam Taylor Brick.

Speaker 3 (25:26):
Yeah, and then on the next play he threw a
seventy yard bomb to Jamar Chase.

Speaker 2 (25:29):
So you wrote about the the new version of undrafted
college free agent, right, and Eric Gregory is one of them.
Howard Cross is one of them, and it's it's a
good piece, and it kind of puts into context that
these guys get to the NFL. In many cases they're older.
They have what free twenty five year old rookies that

(25:50):
have a chance to make the team. They've made some
money because you can make money as a college football player. Now,
I think what some observers, maybe more casual observers of
this league would not realize is how heated the competition
can be for undrafted college free agents that they have
to get sold. In many cases they do get pitched,

(26:11):
and many of them, like in Eric Gregory, do have options.

Speaker 3 (26:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (26:15):
So this happens at the end of the draft where
the teams are still on the clock. It's the sixth round,
it's the seventh round, and you are a player who's
potentially this is when you could get drafted. You're holding
your phone in your hand. This is going to be
the moment of my life. And it rings and it's
a team and they're like, you think you might want

(26:36):
to come here as an un drafted free agent and
you want to throw it in a lake. And Eric
Gregory kind of spilled out this story because he was
a guy who was potentially, you know, a late round pick,
but people view him as somebody who could come in.

Speaker 3 (26:49):
He played well in the SEC or whatever, and he.

Speaker 4 (26:53):
Had to sit there and take all of those calls
as people are pitching it. People come here, come play
for us. He said, he had about six or seven
and you got to kind of make that decision quickly.
And I tell all of these guys that come in
here is that you know, I think I would rather
almost be an undrafted free agent than be selected in
the seventh round. You can pick your spot, you can

(27:16):
find your opportunity. And Eric Gregory is a perfect example
of that. He came to Cincinnati because he sees the
opportunity clear as day. The team that didn't have a
defensive tackle picked that has an opportunity to as a
depth piece.

Speaker 3 (27:29):
You have played sixty.

Speaker 4 (27:31):
Six, however many games at Arkansas and you come in
ready to fill a depth role so often. And this
is kind of the interesting thing about these older guys
is you know you're older, and that's a detriment. It's
used against you. We've seen all that you can be.
But if what you can be is somebody who was

(27:51):
productive in the SEC and can immediately be more polished
and mature and able and see the opportunity and be
motivated rather than take time to develop to fill a
depth role on the back of a roster, maybe that's
all he's gonna be, but that's also something they need.
And so with a couple of guys between him and
Howard Cross, who are these very similar types of backgrounds here,

(28:15):
you have an opportunity where that and I think that
a similar conversation about Dimitri Snide has had in the
same regard of when.

Speaker 3 (28:22):
You can come in. It changes, it fast tracks the
timeline on these guys. I mean, in the.

Speaker 4 (28:27):
Past, undrafted guy comes in, usually he's probably if he's
young or he hasn't played a lot, and you're betting
on that he's got some raw skills that you can
develop and maybe down the line he can be something.
Now there's this like new side where it's somebody you
know who they are. They're mature enough to handle it,
to understand their opportunity, and you feel like they're gonna
make the most of what they have right now, and

(28:48):
that you need it. It might not be a sky
high piece of your team, but it's something you need.
And at a position like they need a defensive tackle
and at linebacker as well, you can get something there
to fill a role. And I think that's interesting because
that before Nil and COVID year and everything didn't totally exist, right,
I mean, you'd be betting on maturity, but you didn't

(29:09):
really know. Now it's pretty proven. I mean what these
guys have done to handle it. And I mean another
guy who's a literal dad, he's got a second kid
on the way, he's he's been through a lot and
it understands the opportunity he has here.

Speaker 2 (29:23):
I was thinking about this as it relates to Corey
Kiner and having a conversation with somebody who is close
to him about how it's got to be so hard
because you work your entire life with that goal and
that dream to hear your name called, right, and that
you that can never be replicated. If your name's not called,
it's not like, let's try it next year, and then
you quickly have to flip a switch and it's go, okay,

(29:45):
Now I get a chance to maybe pick the place
that's best for me, and you have to have a
good agent who's good at like, all right, maybe here
you can get the most money, but that's not about that.
Let's let's find a place where you're still alive and
kicking in early September. And as a player, I have
to imagine that's so hard. I have to imagine it's
so hard to maybe turn down the first financial offer

(30:06):
that comes your way, or maybe the first offer that
comes your way, and then kind of get over the
fact that you know what, maybe what was best for
me was to not have my name called in round
six or seven. That's got to be really hard.

Speaker 4 (30:17):
Yeah, and I think guys certainly struggle with that in
the moment, but by the time they show up and
they realize, Like you know, when I talked to Eric Gregory,
he kind of looks around and he's like, there's no
difference between me and a guy that was picked in
the fifth round or the sixth round. And and can
look at what's happened here in the past, whether you're

(30:37):
talking about Muma Jong Medal last year or Cam Grandy
or any number of these players, there's a history there.

Speaker 11 (30:43):
Ryan Rico, Ryan Ricocluster, who showed up out of nowhere,
right and and so I just and that's how the
Bengals sell it, and they feel like they don't have
to do a hard sell to these guys.

Speaker 4 (30:56):
They just show them the list of these are this
is last year alone, this is what we've what we've
done here, and we have an opportunity for you, and
you know that we'll give you a real chance. And
uh and I think that that works. It's certainly resonated
with Eric h.

Speaker 2 (31:11):
I like what you wrote about Scott Peters and we've
we've talked about his his impact on the incumbent offensive lineman,
his role in developing Dylan Fairchild. How his presence on
the team shaped shaped draft strategy. Here's what I like
about it. Like, I don't like neanderthal offensive lineman's intense, uh,

(31:32):
and he wants players who are gonna blow snot bubbles,
and they're gonna eat class. Like, tell me something about
what you're gonna do to teach these guys. Tell me
what you're gonna do to to teach these guys how
to play the position. What I got from this piece
from Scott Peters or Scott Peters is there's some insight
into how he's going to teach the position and do
it differently than the previous guys.

Speaker 3 (31:51):
Yeah, I think it.

Speaker 4 (31:52):
Sounds smarter, It sounds more nuanced, it sounds something that
connects better younger players.

Speaker 2 (32:00):
I wrote the thinking Man's offensive line coach quote less
cave Mammy.

Speaker 3 (32:05):
I don't know why I put quotes there, but I did. Yeah.
But no, you're right though.

Speaker 4 (32:09):
I think that's the point is that there is a
there is a theory behind this, and that's what you know.
Offensive linemen are smart as smart, if not smarter than
anybody in the building have been since the beginning of time.
They and I think there's an appreciation, and you hear
that from guys like and going around talking to guys
last week about about him and how it's going. That
was the thing, it was they you know, I mean,

(32:31):
Cordell Wilson has been talked about a lot, but I
mean he really perks up talking about the opportunity to
work with Scott Peters, and the same thing for some
of these other guys where you just you can tell,
like Ted Kerris sing, I'm learning, I'm doing things that
i haven't done in year ten that doesn't happen and
that's great.

Speaker 3 (32:48):
He's like, you know, it's it's.

Speaker 4 (32:49):
A lot of him being able to teach things the
way that I've never I've been trying to teach it
that I've been when people ask me what to do,
I've been trying to tell him. And now I'm like, wait, no,
he's saying that this is what I've been trying to
say all this time. And somebody who can do that
and formalize it in ways that guys understand it and
be willing to come in and kind of rebuild those
tools so that they can go in and pull them

(33:11):
off on the fly. I just think that has connected
clearly with this group, and as we've said many times,
any different strategy at this point you'll take, Yeah, but
anybody that can do something. But the fact that it
feels younger and smarter and a little bit different, a
little more innovative, I do think is something they have

(33:32):
not only needed, but is connecting with these guys right now.

Speaker 3 (33:35):
It may not work.

Speaker 4 (33:36):
They may may be out there in week five being
like we're trying to I'm out here trying to do
this strike thing and I got Joe sacked like it.
Maybe it ends that way, but I do feel like
it is certainly connecting for this moment in time.

Speaker 2 (33:49):
The other piece you wrote, and this this comes back
to something we talked about yesterday because the Bengal sent
out the press release involving the three front office hires.
So my take, look, it's it's low hanging for you
beat up on the Bengals for the size of their
scouting department, the size of their analytics department, and some
of those criticisms are very valid. But when I heard
from the organization, hey, you know, we kind of got

(34:11):
behind this offseason because of the amount of time and
energy it took to get the Jamar Chase and t
Higgins deals done. My first thought was, then you need
to hire more people if you can't do all these
things at once. I don't know who you hire, I
don't know what departments you feel, but you need more
people at the very least got more people.

Speaker 4 (34:30):
Yeah, I mean I specifically asked Duke Tobin this question.
I feel like I do every year, but in February,
and his was, if I thought we were missing something,
I would definitely add more people. Four months later he
added more people. So he clearly went through something. Yeah,
over the last four months, you can surmise what you
think that was that said we need more people and

(34:54):
changed his opinion from where he was back before this
offseason started. And I and you know, Christian Sarkesian leaves
and so maybe it is kind of a two for
one because it takes more time to build some of
the rapport from Christian who had been here for a while.

Speaker 3 (35:12):
I am really intrigued by the Trey Lot Bounty piece
to this.

Speaker 4 (35:16):
Who is he's for those that don't know, he's kind
of he's more on the analytics side. They've never really done,
they've never brought And I know people are like oh,
you have a second analytics guy, and it's I mean, no,
they should have eight. They should have more. That's my
point though it's like it's only two. Are really going
to make a big deal out of this? But at

(35:37):
least the willingness to go this far and be like,
let's put more of an analytics piece into our draft
strategy and understand that that's not fair on Sam Francis,
who's doing all this stuff for you in season. You know,
the only other person in your analytics data partent department
who's part of your game management.

Speaker 3 (35:55):
He's part of all that stuff.

Speaker 4 (35:56):
I mean when he shows up in January or February
trying to catch up on the draft, like that's his
impact is minimized, Whereas you know, I think with Trey,
what you're gonna see is you're going to see somebody
who's going to be part of the draft process from
the very beginning and trying to bring some of the
in like they need that, and the willingness to go there.

(36:16):
And I know, but you know, there should be so
many more. There should be. I'm not of the opinion
that they need to look like the Ravens or the
Browns and have ten people that are research assistants like
I don't think it. I think there is a bit
of I think there is a bit of overkill, but
I do think a willingness to say I have since

(36:39):
I've ever asked Duke this question said I don't need
more voices, I just need the right voices to be
willing to say here, I need more voices.

Speaker 3 (36:47):
There's a piece that we're missing here. We do need
some more data in our draft.

Speaker 4 (36:51):
It's an admittance that let's realize that there have been
some shortcomings and that's all you can ask is people
to do better and willing to change and adapt. And
I think this is at least a small piece of that.
It's not, I mean, it's no one's putting them on
the level of anyone else in the league even close.

Speaker 3 (37:08):
But at least it is.

Speaker 4 (37:09):
A movement in that right direction, and that's what makes
this more notable than just a random June transaction.

Speaker 2 (37:16):
Do you have any thoughts on this year's Ring of
Honor process and the announcement that at the end of
this year they'll sort of go back to the drawing.

Speaker 4 (37:23):
Board with this thing. I love that they're going back
to the drawing board. That drawing board should involve putting
everybody else in that's on the current list. You've said this,
and I am in agreement with you. You are on
the right side of this. Yeah, they're pick your two
this year and I'm fine with whatever. And then next
year all seven should go in that are remaining, and
then then start over with whatever new process you want

(37:46):
it to be that includes modern players with go buy
the Hall of Fame rules of five years or od
or whatever you want to do.

Speaker 2 (37:53):
You can make your own criteria. I could adjust it.
It doesn't even have to be a fan vote. I'm
glad it is, but it doesn't have to be.

Speaker 4 (37:59):
But it is grow if you don't put these people
that have been on this list this whole time in
because you waited too long to do it. And now
we're going to be like, oh, Jim Breech or Lamar Parish, right, sorry,
we're changing the rules now. And you're I know you've
been on this list every year and we all recognize
that you as a legend that deserves to be in, but.

Speaker 3 (38:18):
We're not going to do it. We're going to change now.

Speaker 2 (38:20):
You and I have talked about this exhaustively. I think
Dave Lapham. They should just put him in, right, please. So,
but I did my ballot and I put it on
social media last week and I said it was Dave
Lapham and Lamar Parish. Lap was easy for me because
fifty years basically with the organization, that's a no brainer.
And then so I said it came down to then
I took the two oldest players because I don't want

(38:40):
to make these guys wet anymore. And now I'm mad
because I'm having to debate between Lamar Parrish and Bob Trumpy,
who both last played for the Bengals the year I
was born.

Speaker 3 (38:51):
That is, it's crazy, beyond ridiculous.

Speaker 2 (38:53):
And so I hate to come off as angry about
the Ring of Honor because I'm glad they do it. Yeah,
and Ring of Honor Day is cool, and I I'm
glad they're celebrating these players. I hate that they put
Lamar Parrish at odds with Bob Trumpy, at odds with
Reggie Williams. I hate that we're putting a bunch of
guys who at their best most recently played thirty three
years ago against each other.

Speaker 3 (39:15):
I hate that, so rectify it by putting.

Speaker 4 (39:17):
It all and you're and you're debating by who's oldest anyway,
because you it's like that's more like nobody wants to
do it this way, right, And so yeah, I'm with
you on that. And I just think, you know, a
couple of years ago, uh, we had this centennial class
for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Canton and
all these people, like, we have to clear the decks
of all these senior players. And it was cool, and

(39:39):
it was cool and everyone was on board with that.
These guys deserve it, and we otherwise they'll sit and
they'll never get the recognition, right, They'll never get that,
And you have you to some point you just have
to say, yeah, I understand this was never probably how
we initially thought we were gonna do it, But let's
clear the decks so we can start doing it the
right way. The Pro Football Hall of Fame did that
a few years ago. I feel like this is a
great opportunity for the Bengals to do the same. Uh,

(40:00):
you know next year when they re envisioned or.

Speaker 3 (40:03):
Whatever that looks like.

Speaker 2 (40:04):
Last year, we had Leaping Tiger versus striped b to
deflect our attention away from what was happening on the field.
Is there anything this summer of that magnitude? I have
to have a radar. I mean, nothing will trump Leaping Tiger.
I mean that's you know, I don't.

Speaker 3 (40:18):
Know versus striped be, versus striped be.

Speaker 2 (40:21):
Last year wasn't awakening for me last summer because I
didn't realize there was such affection for the Leaping Tiger.

Speaker 4 (40:27):
I didn't either, I didn't think that. I always thought
Leaping Tiger was kind of like I as Leaping Tiger
with Dick Lebo and John Kinnam.

Speaker 3 (40:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (40:36):
No, no amount of affection for Leaping Tiger, I will say,
and this is a bit of an off shoot, not
abou Leaving Tiger necessarily, but like, the coolest thing I've
seen was Chad Johnson wearing the Jamar Chase in that
old school jersey.

Speaker 4 (40:54):
That's the coolest jersey I've ever seen, agreed, and what
he wore on that night that he went in right,
And so I was like that if any anything you
can do to replicate that, I would be with because
I thought that was as cool as it gets.

Speaker 3 (41:08):
Mini Camp next week, multiple days, three days.

Speaker 4 (41:12):
Maybe you know, here's here's your story that happens is
it's gonna be.

Speaker 3 (41:17):
They let them go on day three, and then it's ah,
do you want to start the season fast? Urgency? No urgency?
How dare you let them go play volleyball on the
third day?

Speaker 2 (41:27):
Read Paul Danner Theathletic dot Com and catch the podcast
The Growler.

Speaker 3 (41:32):
Thank you as always pleasure.

Speaker 2 (41:33):
Let's talk about Grumpy Tito Francona next on ESPN fifteen
thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 6 (41:41):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (41:44):

Speaker 7 (41:48):
Find answers from leading brain health experts that you see
health Learn more at u sehealth dot com. Still got
that accident on in southbound seventy one seventy five on
the off ramp to Burlington Pike. Also westbound on Burlington Pike.
Another crash at Limaberg Road and Don Paddock Road. Police

(42:11):
are on the scene of an accident at Carolina Avenue.
I'm at ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 2 (42:16):
This is ESPN fifteenth. I mean we have an hour
and fifty four minutes to go in this show. My
producer Tarren Bland is dying, dying to play Pitbull at
some point today, and I'm thinking about giving him permission.
If you're a longtime listener to this show, you know,
we have basically two rules when it comes to the

(42:38):
music that we play coming out of breaks in the
in the industry, we call them a bumper songs bumper music.
No Will Smith after about nineteen ninety one, and no
Pitbull under any circumstances. But Pitbull is going to play
a concert I guess before after I don't know, during
that Red's Braves game at that racetrack in Tennessee and

(42:59):
Tim McGraw's to be there, and Pitbull, I guess they've
added him to the bill as well. And so because
it's timely and because there is a sports angle, I
am considering briefly lifting the band, if for no other
reason for me to remind myself why of all the
artists that have ever produced music, Pitbull is the worst.

(43:19):
I'll think about this is if Taryn had his way,
he'd be playing pit Bull out of every break.

Speaker 3 (43:25):
I am not gonna let him do that.

Speaker 2 (43:28):
Just like Terry Francona last night in the ninth inning
did not allow either Austin Wins or Matt McClain to
hit with the Reds down to their final out. Reds
lose the ballgame last night, three to two. The first
subject of my ir last night was not Terry Francona.
It wasn't Garrett Hampson. It was Brady Singer. Look, Brady

(43:49):
Singer is not on the staff to be an ace.
But the reality is, if you're a red starting pitcher,
you have a very small margin of error to work
with because this team is offensively challenged. Brady Singer got
a couple of runs in the first inning last night.
The Reds successfully executed a squeeze play, which, as much

(44:11):
as I'm into the never bunt way of thinking, first
of all, a successfully executed squeeze play aesthetically is pleasing.
Number two, this team is so bad offensively, I'm open
to anything. But they also put a couple of guys
in scoring position because of the error, and they couldn't
get those runs home. So I had a bad feeling
at the end of the first inning last night that

(44:32):
I thought those two runners they stranded in scoring position
where they got them there with less than two outs.

Speaker 3 (44:37):
I had a feeling that was gonna loom over.

Speaker 2 (44:39):
The course of the night. It did. Brady Singer giving
the runs back in the top of the second inning
was massively frustrating, and it was massively frustrating because he
walked the eighth and ninth hitter during the course of
allowing two runs in the second inning. Obviously, he gives
up the home run to Christian Yellich, who was made

(45:00):
a living off the Reds, but Brady Singer couldn't hold
on to an early lead, only went five innings. Now,
the bullpen last night did a really, really nice job,
and so look, man, it's not an awful start. Five innings,
three runs, but you kind of take the mound in
the second thinking that might be all I have to
work with, and it was. Brady couldn't make him hold up.

(45:20):
And I know I'm nitpicking here, but still offensively, this
team totally shut down over the final eight innings last night.
They lose the ball game three to two. You'll hear
Terry Francona here in just a second. Chances are you've
either seen people on social media post about this, or
maybe you listen to extra innings with Lance last night.
I know he talked about this certainly Tony and Austin

(45:42):
did earlier today on SINCY three sixty. With Trevor McGill
on the mound, Milwaukee's closer, the Reds went quietly in
the bottom of the ninth inning. Jose Travino grounded out,
Santiago Espinal lined out, and Garrett Hampson struck out swinging
to end the game. I feel like we have already

(46:03):
talked more about Garrett Hampson than we should for a
guy who is essentially the last dude on the roster.
He was acquired to give the Reds some versatility. He
was acquired to give the Reds a guy who could
play a lot of different positions, and.

Speaker 3 (46:16):
There's value in that.

Speaker 2 (46:18):
At no point in his big league career has he
ever been a good hitter. He was not acquired for
his bat. He was not acquired to handle the bat well,
which is euphemism for that guy gets some hits occasionally.
He's not a great hitter, though he obviously was not
acquired for his power. He's on the team for one reason.
I would argue they don't need another guy who can hit,

(46:40):
but whatever, he's on the team because he could play
a lot of different positions and play them pretty well.
He is a lifetime two thirty eight big league hitter.
In eighteen hundred sixteen big league played appearances, he has
twenty nine home runs. Has not hit a home run

(47:01):
in a Major League baseball game since twenty twenty three.
Twenty twenty three was his most recent home run. September ninth,
two thousand and three his most recent major league home run.
So we know why he's on the team. It's not
because of his bat. So let's just ask this question first,

(47:27):
with other options on the bench, who cares even for
a second, who they are with other options on the bench.
Is there a world where you willingly let Garrett Hampson
be the guy at the plate with two outs and
nobody on in the ninth inning of a one run game.

(47:50):
It's not eight to one where you need one thousand
base runners. It's not nobody else. It's two outs, nobody on.
By the way, the next guy, TJ. Friedel is their
hottest hitter. Terry Francona let Garrett Hampson bat. Now, that
in itself ain't good. So you might have been asking

(48:11):
last night, well, who else could they have used? The
first answer for most of us was Austin Wins. Now
Austin Wins is the Reds third catcher. The Reds are
carrying three catchers in large part because when they had
two catchers due to the Tyler Stevenson injury, Austin Wins

(48:32):
was really productive, really productive, did a good job behind
the plate and offensively hit at a high enough level
that they have chosen to be one of a handful
of teams I think there are six to go ahead
and carry three catchers. Austin Wins on the season is
batting four hundred. Now it's a limited number of plate appearances,

(48:55):
just forty three, basically because since they brought Tyler Stevens
and back, Austin Wins has barely played, barely played. In
the month of May, Austin Wins had a grand total
of seven played appearances. Seven played appearances in the month

(49:16):
of May. He hasn't started a game since May sixth,
so he hasn't started the game in a month. But
they're carrying three catchers. They're using a roster spot for
Austin Wins. He never plays, if though there would have
been a moment to play him to use his bat
and his bat being one of the reasons why they're

(49:38):
choosing to carry three catchers. Wouldn't two outs, nobody on
ninth inning and Garrett Hampson at the plate be the
reason that you said, you know what we're gonna do,
We're gonna do it, and we're gonna give Austin Wins
his eighth plate appearance since April thirtieth.

Speaker 3 (49:58):
Wouldn't that be it?

Speaker 12 (50:01):
Now?

Speaker 2 (50:01):
I know when you're carrying a lot of catchers. I
know when you're carrying three catchers, what you don't want
to do is burn them, right, I want to burn
those catchers.

Speaker 3 (50:09):
Might need one later.

Speaker 2 (50:10):
It's hard, especially when you got a catcher who's on
a fairly regular basis also serving as the designated hitter.
But if you're not gonna use a guy when there's
two outs and nobody on in the ninth inning, a
situation where if you make one more out before scoring,
you don't need a catcher, why do you have the

(50:33):
guy on the team if the reason you're not going
to use him is because he plays catcher legitimately five
point three seven, four nine, fifteen thirty, Somebody make this
make sense for me. It's not the fourth inning, it's
not the sixth inning.

Speaker 3 (50:48):
It's not even the ninth inning leading off.

Speaker 2 (50:52):
If the next guy up makes an out, it doesn't
matter who's left to catch, because the game is over.
He might be going, well, Mo, it's Austin Wins. I mean, yeah, okay,
he's batting four hundred this year, but you know that's
a mirage. He's over the course of his career not
been a great offensive catcher. He's kind of bounced around.

(51:12):
That's why he's bounced around. He's a career two forty
one batter. Okay, but the reason he's on the team
is because you liked him enough and large part offensively,
to go ahead and carry three catchers. If Austin wins
primary position was first base, third base, right field, center field,

(51:34):
anywhere else. Bat boy, if his primary position was anywhere else,
would you have used him last night?

Speaker 3 (51:40):
My guess is Terry Francota would.

Speaker 2 (51:42):
Have said, yes, yes, I'll use the guy batting four
hundred who's on the team because of how well he
hit earlier this year. You can't use him because he's
a catcher. Dude, don't carry another catcher, like if you
have a guy that you just cannot use in a
do or die situation, because of the position he plays,
use in the guy being on the team.

Speaker 3 (52:01):
This makes no sense, no sense whatsoever.

Speaker 2 (52:06):
So maybe, like you last night, like I'm frustrated watching
Brady Singer give back that lead, and I'm frustrating watching
this team offensively and man Austin wins. May have hit
and may have struck out, and the game ends and
we all still feel the same. And Terry Francona gets
an entirely different line of questioning, which he's grumpy about,
which we'll talk about, but let's start with that that
basic piece of roster construction. By the way, Tito, the

(52:28):
Magnificent Tito, who you're not allowed to seconds, the Magnificent
Tito has kind of intimated that we're probably not going
to carry three catchers forever. You know, once Christian and
Carnassian Strand comes up, a pretty good chance we're not
going to carry three catchers forever. So you're acknowledging this
is something you don't want to do, but you're doing
it anyway. Why because the guy hit, Who in their

(52:50):
right mind cares about who catches in the tenth inning?
If there's no tenth inning, Who in their right mind
cares about running out of catchers. By the way, they
had two guys who are catchers in the game. So
if the game does go extra innings and we play
the tenth, then we start with that silly magic runner
on second base. And for some reason, Tyler Stevenson gets

(53:10):
hurt last night. Well, and by the way, he was dhing.
So let's use Jose Travino as a better example. Jose
Travino gets hurt. Okay, you're gonna lose the dh which
is an ideal, But Tyler Stevenson is still in the
baseball game. There's still a backup plan. There's still a
plan B. Instead of that, they didn't use Austin Wins
because they wanted Garrett Hampson to bat so sore. There's

(53:33):
the the first thing we have to discuss. Then there's
Matt McClain. Now, I gonna be honest with you, because
I always am. I cannot blame Terry Francona for not
having a lot of faith in Matt McClain. Because Matt
McLain is at a terrible season. But first of all,

(53:56):
as much as Matt McClain has struggled this season and
his numbers have taken him from a guy who was
a decent bet to be an All Star this year
to a guy who you can make the case should
be playing in Louisville. He still has six home runs
this season. That might not be a ton, but on

(54:17):
this club he's tied for second. There's only one other
player who has more home runs on the team than
Matt McClain ands Elie Dela Cruz. Austin Hayes has as
many yees six. So while I understand the lack of
faith in Matt McClain, and I think you do too,
down one, two outs, ninth inning, both hitters give you

(54:44):
essentially the same chance at getting a guy on base.
Matt McClain's on base percentage this year is not good.
It's two sixty nine. But if I were to make
you wager an amount of money that matters to you
on one of those two guys getting on base for you,
Matt McClain or Garrett Hampson, who, by the way, his
career on base percentages three to zero one. As much

(55:09):
as Matt McClain has struggled, I'm still putting my money
on Matt McLain. Again, this is not considering Austin Wins
who apparently wasn't under consideration to be used in that
situation last night. But at the very least, the tiebreaker
is if you can well, if both guys have the
same shot of getting on base, Matt McLain has a
better chance of you know, as they say, running into one,

(55:31):
hitting a home run, tying the game. Garrett Hampson. There's
lots of different things he could do. Maybe the least
likely was hit a home run, even in this ballpark.
So as much as I understand the lack of faith
in Matt McClain, if it's an either or proposition, and

(55:53):
I've put this on social media on Twitter at Moeger
thanks to United Hartlanta assurance, if it's an either or oposition,
as much as it is fair to wonder, should Matt
McLain being Louisville, As much as it is fair to wonder, like,
is Matt McLain never gonna be good again? Game on
the line, which it was two outs, nobody on ninth inning,

(56:14):
Milwaukee's closer out there. If both guys are essentially the
same bet to get on base, I don't know about you,
Maybe you disagree. Give me the guy who has a
better chance of hitting one into the seats. So Terry
Francona got it wrong with Austin Wins, he also got
it wrong with Matt McLain. Now, the other part of

(56:35):
that is we've talked a lot this year about Matt McLain,
and I hate that he's struggling.

Speaker 3 (56:40):
We all do.

Speaker 2 (56:41):
His struggles have had a domino effect because now they
have to use guys like Santiago Espadal who, by the way,
remember he handles the batwell, guys like O Firs last seventeen,
but hey, he has really handled the batwell. They've had
to have him hit second because Matt McLain stunk at
batting second. He hasn't been better hitting eighth. He's not
been better hitting nine. Now you might recall we were
told often weeks ago, don't worry about Matt McLain. So

(57:04):
I can't help but wonder when is it going to
be okay to worry about Matt McLain.

Speaker 3 (57:08):
I am a big believer in.

Speaker 2 (57:09):
The Marvin Lewis axiom of I see better than I hear.

Speaker 3 (57:16):
Well.

Speaker 2 (57:17):
I heard yesterday Terry Francona express confidence in Matt McClain.
I saw in the ninth inning that he wasn't used
with the game on the line, so you could tell
me you have confidence in him. You chose Garrett Hampson
ahead of him in the ninth inning. There's lots of
different issues here. Maybe the least important is Tito's postgame demeanor.

(57:46):
Terry Francona has a Hall of Fame resume and has
a reputation in this sport as being a beloved figure
because of his affability. Even the most affable among us
are allowed moments of frustration, are allowed, moments where the
emotions just get the best of us. Even that the

(58:07):
nicest among us are allowed to have bad days. And
so I give people a long leash man. But there's
been kind of a recurrence here where it feels like
Tito when he's asked very fair questions, kind of bristles
at them and shows us his uglier side. And he
doesn't drop a bunch of f bombs, and he doesn't,

(58:30):
you know, make a show of it. But still there's
no reason to be a jerk. But you know we'll
give you all right, Well, occasionally be a jerk. Fine,
he had a bad day. He's doing this often. Here
is the most recent example. This is Tito answering questions,
specifically about the decision to stick with Garrett Hampson in
the bottom of the ninth inning last night.

Speaker 3 (58:51):
You want to keep a plan the whole day to day.
Maybe he was able to run, but he was gonna
pinch on the knife. What do you want him to do?
You mentioned it last with us game? Okay, okay, then
the cup.

Speaker 13 (59:09):
From the last six games, we've had a lot of
success in the first inning, But has it felt like
that that's been a very important for kind of creating
momentum in all these games for me?

Speaker 14 (59:17):
I know, I know, you guys keep asking, whatever happened
six games ago, it doesn't matter compilation. We show up
today and try to win compilation of we you know,
we doesn't matter what happened in Cincinnati. It just doesn't
enter into our game.

Speaker 2 (59:34):
Is there.

Speaker 15 (59:35):
You know, if you could figure out why things like
that happened, they wouldn't happen, obviously.

Speaker 4 (59:38):
But when the team struggles, it seems like it's feast
are famine with this offense.

Speaker 14 (59:45):
I mean, like, you're right, If I had the answer,
I wouldn't be sitting here kind of pissed off. But
we're gonna have to figure that out better. Because you
know it when days when you're really swing it, Okay,
that's good. We're gonna have to find ways to manufacture
some more runs when we're not swinging very good?

Speaker 3 (01:00:05):
Is there? You know if you could figure out.

Speaker 14 (01:00:08):
You mentioned all the losses are the same as at anting
like the seven trying to take some way down of
the sales in the game. And I'm trying to tell
you that we showed up to win and we didn't.
Now we're gonna have to show up tomorrow. And if
that inning affects us tomorrow, we're not.

Speaker 3 (01:00:28):
As No, it won't.

Speaker 2 (01:00:30):
So there's Tito being grumpy the one last night. There's
no reason for that. You are a big league manager.
It is part of your job and accepted and understood
part of your job that after a game, win or lose,
but in particular when you lose, you're going to get

(01:00:52):
questions from the professionals who cover the team about some
of the decisions you made. The questions are not supposed
to be challenging necessarily or antagonistic, or nobody's supposed to
approach you in a confrontational manner.

Speaker 3 (01:01:08):
Nobody has.

Speaker 2 (01:01:09):
What was asked last night was a very fair question.
It was about the decision to not use Matt McClain.
If you can't handle that, what are you doing? And look, man,
that's where Tito Francona like it might not matter. And
if the Reds win one hundred games this year, which
doesn't seem likely, nobody's gonna care if Terry Francona acts
like an ass after the games. But as a fan

(01:01:32):
who wanted to know that last night, wanted to hear
one of the reporters ask about the decision to use
Garrett Hampson. Not only are you being a jerk to
the person who's just doing his job, you're being condescending
to your audience. And your fans are your audience. And
Terry Francona has been in this sport for a long
damn time. He's managed in places like Philadelphia and Boston

(01:01:55):
cities where there's a bit of a reputation the media
has for really being probing and at times a little
bit too tough. That ain't the case, Hair, You're gonna
get very fair questions about your decisions. A manager in
his twenty fourth season, who is managed in higher pressure
games than Game number sixty one, who has managed on

(01:02:18):
bigger stages than the one provided on June twid who
is managed in tougher cities than Cincinnati, should know that
this has been a very frustrating season to this point.
This has been a season filled with frustration and disappointment
and a lot of fan disaffection.

Speaker 3 (01:02:40):
You want us to hang.

Speaker 2 (01:02:40):
With you, You.

Speaker 3 (01:02:42):
Want us to believe in what you're doing.

Speaker 2 (01:02:45):
Don't be an asked when you're asked legitimately fair questions
after the game twenty seven minutes after four o'clock.

Speaker 3 (01:02:52):
This is ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:02:58):
A lot of folks who have asked me, and I've
seen people tweet about this. Well, you know, I think
Terry Francona's gone at the end of this year. You
think he's just gonna walk away and decide this isn't
worth it.

Speaker 3 (01:03:06):
I do not know.

Speaker 2 (01:03:08):
I'm not qualified to say whether he will or won't.

Speaker 3 (01:03:11):
I don't know. I don't know how happy he is
with his job.

Speaker 2 (01:03:14):
I don't know how optimistic he is that this is
going to get turned around here.

Speaker 3 (01:03:18):
I don't know. Here's what I do know.

Speaker 2 (01:03:21):
There's been a crankiness to him in public settings that
I don't think was a part of his m O
if you will in Cleveland or Boston or Philadelphia. I'm
sure he had bad days. I'm sure he had issues
with certain questions. The guy's been around as a big
league manager. He's in his twenty four season. But for

(01:03:42):
a guy who is, you know, universally beloved in this
sport in large part because of just how congenial he is,
how affable he is, how accommodating he is, the last
couple of weeks hasn't sounded like that. And look, I
understand the frustration. We all feel it. You could hear
it in my voice. If you at all care about
the Reds, whether you work for the team, manage the team,

(01:04:03):
play for the team, or just cheer for the team,
I don't know how you're not exasperated. And if you're
a fan of the team, you go back a long time.
More so than Tito Francona or any of these players.
We have decades invested in this. I can't help but wonder, though,
is there a level of frustration that is starting to
boil over that is going to make him reconsider whether

(01:04:27):
or not he wants to manage this team long term.
I think that's a legitimate question. I might not be
prepared or qualified to answer it. But I don't know
how you don't. Here's this guy known for how accommodating
he is who a few times. It's June third. By
the way, they haven't yet played half the season has
already been short, condescending toward reporters asking again, very fair questions.

(01:04:52):
Is there a level of frustrations that's about more than
just the result of the most recently played game? And
if the answer is yes, what does that mean for
his willingness to stay in his current capacity once this
season ends? Sports headlines are next, I screwed up the
clock will take some phone calls as well on ESPN
fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 6 (01:05:13):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty Traffic.

Speaker 1 (01:05:20):
Both Traffic Center.

Speaker 7 (01:05:21):
Find answers from leading brain health experts at u see health.
Learn more at ucehealth dot com. Soundbound seventy one seventy
five after twelfth Street, the left lane blocked off from
an accident. Traffic is stop and go back to Fort
Washington way up, about a six minute delay at the moment.

(01:05:43):
Also got delays building up in both directions from an
accident at US twenty two at Creekwood's Place. I'm at
Ezelk with traffic.

Speaker 3 (01:05:51):
This report is sponsored by Triple A Tigres Sports Station
sports headlines.

Speaker 2 (01:05:58):
All right, Taren, this is it. This is the one
you get to play. This is Pitbull. Oh yes, you
know it's not bad until he opens his mouth.

Speaker 3 (01:06:10):
Well, it's just this is just the beata.

Speaker 2 (01:06:13):
Pitt Bull is going to be playing that game at
the car racing Track in Bristol Reds and Braves and
Tim McGraw is going to be there, And today they
announced that pitt Pull is also going to be in
a pregame concert post can't when's it going to be
the middle of the seventh inning? When's Pitbull gonna take
the field and play?

Speaker 3 (01:06:33):
Well, if they, if they won't, fans turn the game off.
It better not be middle of seven? Any are you?
Pitbull guy?

Speaker 16 (01:06:38):
Not?

Speaker 8 (01:06:39):
Really?

Speaker 3 (01:06:41):
All right?

Speaker 2 (01:06:42):
Well, pit Bull is going to be August second, I
think is when that game is that the Bristol Motor
Speedway Reds and Braves. In early August MLB Action with
I saw Tim McGraw at the venue originally known as
Paul Brown Stadium in the summer of twenty twelve, and
it was a twin bill with Kenny who I'm a
huge fan of. And Grace Potter also played that show

(01:07:03):
and I like her. And it rained between sets and
so everybody got wet during the Timocrawl show. That's a
good show I liked. I've seen Timocgrawl twice. Pitbull I've
never seen it.

Speaker 3 (01:07:11):
Never will. But woman, just text you when the when
the first pitch is thrown.

Speaker 2 (01:07:15):
Yeah, just text me when they start the baseball game.
And are Timmogrowl and Pitt Bill gonna play? Pit Bill
pit Bull gonna play together? Are they like they gonna
collaborate on a song or something?

Speaker 3 (01:07:25):
I hope not. That would be terrible.

Speaker 2 (01:07:26):
Uh you know what I mean. It couldn't be any
worse than if he played by himself. Why not try
it right? Sports headlines are a service of a Kelsey
Chevrolet Home of lifetime powertrain protection and guarantee credit approval
from their family to yours for life Kelsey chev dot Com.
There are very few musical artists whose like work I

(01:07:47):
just despise. There's obviously some that I don't prefer. There's
obviously a lot that I love I have very eclectic
musical tastes. When when if I'm somewhere in Pitbull comes on,
I almost just want to leave immediately. Reds and Brewers
again tonight at GABP, Hunter Green is gonna throw for
Cincinnati against Freddy Peralta. Seven to ten is tonight's first pitch.

(01:08:12):
You could hear the game live on seven hundred W
l W. Starting lineup for the Reds this evening. By
the way, Red starting lineup on this show still unsponsored.
Get your scorecards out. TJ Friedel's in center field, Gavin
lux is dhing Elie de la Cruz at short, Tyler
Stevenson behind the plate. Spencer Steeer is playing first base,

(01:08:33):
Will Benson and left Espinall's a third Frehlien right. McLean
is batting ninth and playing second base. Cincinnati Today also
selected the contract of Joe Lesursa from Louisville and optioned
him to Louisville. Pretty pretty transactional announcement there. It's, by
the way I'm looking at the announce it's before the game.

(01:08:55):
It's before they play at the racetrack. I've never is
there anything to do in Bristol, Tennessee. Besides go to
the car racing track.

Speaker 3 (01:09:03):
Not sure.

Speaker 2 (01:09:05):
Florence Yaws are home tonight against the Tri City Valley Cats.
Bengals had another ota today. No one got hurt. No
Trey Hendrickson, Shamar Stewart was there but not really practicing.
And if it matters to you, it certainly matters to me.
The Nicks have fired their head coach, Tom Thibodeaux. Nineteen
away from five o'clock. Let's talk to other folks.

Speaker 3 (01:09:25):
JT. You're on ESPN fifteen thirty. J T, good afternoon.
How are you.

Speaker 16 (01:09:30):
I'm great.

Speaker 9 (01:09:30):
I'm not a pitball guy. Just for the record, okay,
makes most of us Okay, thank you.

Speaker 17 (01:09:36):
So no one loves Charlie Goldsmith more than me. We
were lucky to have him. He's of extreme intellect, a
great writer, great on the air, and nothing as Charlie.

Speaker 3 (01:09:47):
I think he's the absolute best.

Speaker 17 (01:09:49):
But at the same time, when Terry Frank Turner goes
off on him, I would say, not go off. But
he's kind of a jerk, and he's a little short.

Speaker 3 (01:09:57):
He's a jerk to him specifically.

Speaker 17 (01:10:00):
Yeah, yeah, and my heart goes out to Charlie. But
at the same time I would rather have a grumpy,
condescending manager than someone who's has a monotone voice who
pretends or maybe doesn't care that the Reds winner lose.
When the Reds lose and Terry Francone is in a
bad mood, and I hate to say this, but if

(01:10:23):
he's short and condescending, I kind of appreciate that because
it just shows me that.

Speaker 3 (01:10:27):
He cares and that everybody that's fine. I don't disagree,
but then be that way to everybody. I don't be
a jerk to one guy.

Speaker 17 (01:10:34):
I hope he is. I don't want him to go.

Speaker 3 (01:10:37):
I would tell him our guy.

Speaker 17 (01:10:39):
I love Charlie Goldsmith, but at the same time, like
I love the competitive spirit, I'm sorry for Charlie, and
I'm sorry that Terry Francona has laughed out at him.
At the same time, like I want a grumpy manager
after we lose.

Speaker 3 (01:10:55):
I think there's a difference.

Speaker 2 (01:10:56):
Look, I don't expect him to come and tell and
tell jokes like I don't expect a night club routine.
I expect I expect a somber mood. I expect a
manager to not be happy, especially when you know the
losing has kind of gone on the way it has
here recently. Like I am absolutely not saying that Terry Francona,
you know, needs to come in and start spinning tails

(01:11:19):
and high fiving people and passing out cigars. I do
think there is just a level of decency though, that
you could demonstrate to the people who are simply doing
their jobs and when you aim your frustration at one person.
And I hate to make this about Charlie specifically because
I know journalists, people who cover the team don't want

(01:11:39):
to be the story and so I know, for I
know that Charlie doesn't want to be talked about, but
it is there's a pattern of his questions that Terry
doesn't like. And look, man, if they have some sort
of issue, if there's something about Charlie that Terry doesn't like,
let that play out behind the scenes when he And
by the way, also if you're getting unfair questions, and

(01:12:01):
I sort of feel like it's fair game when you're
getting legitimate questions about your decision making and you keep
sort of acting condescending to the same guy and you're
sort of, I don't know, undermining him a little bit,
I think that's really unfair. I think it's really unbecoming
and I think it's really unprofessional.

Speaker 3 (01:12:20):
Well I agree with.

Speaker 16 (01:12:21):
That on a certain level.

Speaker 17 (01:12:22):
But at the same time, not everyone could be the Pope.
Not everyone can.

Speaker 16 (01:12:26):
Be Joe Tory.

Speaker 17 (01:12:28):
Maybe maybe Terry has been grumpier as he gets older.
But you know, Charlie Goldsmith, as much as I love you,
if there was a Charlie Goldsmith night, good American Ballpark,
I'd be like, I'd be the Grand Marshal of Chroli Goldsmith.

Speaker 3 (01:12:42):
Sure.

Speaker 17 (01:12:42):
At the same time, like I.

Speaker 3 (01:12:44):
Get it, like I have.

Speaker 17 (01:12:45):
I'm married, and when my wife has a bad day,
I'm like lucky right for supper, honey.

Speaker 2 (01:12:54):
If if I have a bad day, right, which uh
I was gonna say, if I have a bad show,
But that's that's most If I have a bad day
and I go home and my neighbor sees me getting
my mail and goes, how is your day?

Speaker 3 (01:13:06):
And I go, I was fine.

Speaker 2 (01:13:07):
And then I walk up my driveway and there's my
daughter and she goes, how is your day, Dad? And
I go, it was fine. And then my wife says
how is your day? And I start, you know, kind
of talking down to her.

Speaker 3 (01:13:17):
Well, that's a lousy thing to do. Just as a
human being.

Speaker 2 (01:13:20):
It's to me this has might not have anything to
do with his performance as manager of the Reds, and
I fully understand if they were ten games over five hundred,
no one would care. And by the way, I think
what we all care about most was the weird decision
making of the ninetheenning. But since we do consume the
post game when somebody is kind of being singled out,

(01:13:40):
I don't like it when somebody is being single and
when somebody is being singled out where I come from,
that person is being bullied, and I despise bullies. I
don't like it when the manager of the Reds bullies
one individual reporter. I didn't like it when Brian Price
did it to uh see Trent Rose Grands eleven years ago.
I don't like it when Terry frank Con does it
to my guy Charlie.

Speaker 17 (01:14:02):
No, I don't like it either. But at the same time,
like he has the competitive spirit of like Kobe Bryant
and Michael Jordan. So if you're sealed those guys being
interviewed after a game, I don't think they're trying to
be bullied. And where I think differentiates are those scenarios
is that they didn't pick out one guy.

Speaker 16 (01:14:19):
They were just jerks to everyone.

Speaker 8 (01:14:20):
So you're right, it's not fair.

Speaker 17 (01:14:23):
My point is, like, I love Charlie, but I love
the competitive spirit of our manager.

Speaker 2 (01:14:28):
I also think fine, I have no reason to question
his competitive spirit. And again, man, I understand he's frustrated.

Speaker 3 (01:14:37):
I think it's one thing.

Speaker 2 (01:14:37):
If he's getting questions that are stupid. I think it's
one thing. If he's getting questions that are unfair. I
think it's one thing if he's getting questions that he
feels like he's being asked to throw a player out
of the bus. When you're getting general questions about the
performance of your team, like Terry Francone has been doing.

Speaker 3 (01:14:52):
This long enough.

Speaker 2 (01:14:53):
He had to have known the moment the game ended
last night, I'm probably gonna be asked about the decision
to leave Garrett Hamp's. He might have a perfectly reasonable explanation.
He tried to come up with one. It doesn't make
any sense to me. He had to know that question
was coming. What I want to know is, if that
exact question comes from anybody else, is his response the

(01:15:14):
same Based on the way we've watched him behave the
last couple of weeks. My guess is the answer is no.

Speaker 3 (01:15:19):
Again.

Speaker 2 (01:15:20):
If he's got an issue with Charlie, what he should do,
knowing that Charlie is going to be asking questions in
the setting that is made public, is call him into
the office, talk to him, air out your differences, and
then in the public forum behave professionally. I don't think
Terry Francone has done that well.

Speaker 17 (01:15:36):
I would bet that they that may happen soon. I
hope that I'm right, And thanks for ahead of me
on Mel.

Speaker 3 (01:15:41):
Appreciate anytime. JT.

Speaker 2 (01:15:43):
Thank you for the phone call. On Look, the bigger issue.
The bigger issue is the way the roster is constructed
and the decision to carry Austin Wins on your team
if you're not going to use him, and the lack
of faith in Mount McLain like, those are things that
matter a lot more. But uh, I don't know, man
Like as a fan, I last night I wanted to

(01:16:06):
know about one thing.

Speaker 3 (01:16:07):
I didn't want to know about Brady Singer. I didn't
want to.

Speaker 2 (01:16:09):
Know about the suicide squeeze play. I didn't care about
how Aaron Savali was throwing or how has curveball looked.
I wanted to know in the ninth inning, what was
the thought process behind letting Garrett Hampson bat with two
outs and nobody on in a one run game when
there were other options? That is a I cannot imagine

(01:16:32):
if you're a Reds fan, hardcore, casual, or anywhere in between,
how as the ninth inning unfolded you didn't want to
know the same thing. What you're telling me when you
get mad at the guy who answered, who asked that question,
is my question is stupid.

Speaker 3 (01:16:48):
I'm like, man, I'll think the question is stupid. I
got watched that post game last night.

Speaker 2 (01:16:53):
I'm like, somebody's gonna ask him about, you know, letting
Garrett Hampson hit hopefully you know, is the answer going
to make me fee feel better about it?

Speaker 7 (01:17:00):
No?

Speaker 2 (01:17:01):
But like, why care about what the manager says if
you don't want some level of insight into his thought process.
It's all I'm looking for to be a jerk about it,
and especially to be a jerk about it when it's
like the fourth time in a couple of weeks and
it's aimed at the same person. I just think, is
Terry Francona is better than that? Like that is beneath.

Speaker 3 (01:17:21):
Him, a manager of that stature, and by every account,
a person of that quality that is beneath him.

Speaker 2 (01:17:32):
It is unbecoming of that role to act that way
toward one person. It's being a bully. And nothing I
hate more than someone who's a bully. Brendanman and Jones
on Baseball.

Speaker 6 (01:17:42):
Next Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (01:17:47):
Traffic from the UCE Health Traffic Center.

Speaker 7 (01:17:50):
Find answers from leading brain health experts that you See
Health learn more at you See Health Thought southbound seventy
one seventy five after twelfth Street, the lup lane blocked
off from an accident. Traffic is stuff and go back
to Fort Washington way up about a six minute delay

(01:18:11):
at the moment. Also got delays building up in both
directions from an accident at US twenty two at Creekwood's Place.
I'm at ezelic with.

Speaker 6 (01:18:19):
Traffic Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:18:22):
It is the mikelob Ultra five o'clock Happy Hour on
ESPN fifteen thirty. It is hot out, we got summer weather.
It is the best. It's pool season. Nothing goes better
with a hot summer day than an ice cold Micultra.

Speaker 3 (01:18:41):
I'll be having one at about two hours, though not
in a pool. Looking forward to that.

Speaker 2 (01:18:46):
Mikeelob Ultra superior like beer, superior taste. I'll tell you
what Nick Crawl should buy, Terry Francona, like a keg
of michelob Ultra. Because the last hour we have been
focusing on Terry Francona. Terry Francona ninth inning decisions, Terry

(01:19:08):
Francona is the way he's answered questions in the postgame
media room, like we've been talking about that for an
entire hour.

Speaker 3 (01:19:16):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:19:16):
That's partially on me, and that's fine. It's partially a
reflection of what I think a lot of folks were
talking about after the game last night and have been
discussing amongst themselves this afternoon. The decisions by a manager,
the decisions of a manager in a close game are
under the microscope, by the way. MLB Network earlier today

(01:19:40):
on one of their shows, did a segment about a
game last night involving the Los Angeles Dodgers, where Dave Roberts,
who's won as many World Series as the Magnificent Tito Francona,
whether or not he should have pinched it for Max
Munsey in the tenth inning last night. They spent four

(01:20:02):
minutes on this. So managerial decisions are under the microscope
in every city, no matter who the manager is, no
matter if it's a newbie, no matter if it's a
guy who's been around for a while and hasn't won,
or if it's a future Hall of Famer, in Terry Francona,
it is part of the gig. So we've talked a
lot about what Tito was wrestling with in the ninth
inning last night, Austin wins or Matt McClain or Garret Hampson.

(01:20:26):
We've talked a lot about Terry Francona, the only member
of the organization who has to speak to the media
twice a day and do a pregame radio show. Nobody
else has to do that. So Tito and the Magnificent
Tito in the postgame press conference setting, has had issues
with questions posed to him by one particular reporter, and

(01:20:46):
we have spent a lot of time on that.

Speaker 3 (01:20:48):
You know whose name we haven't mentioned, Nick Krawl's.

Speaker 2 (01:20:52):
Nick Krawl should buy Terry Francona a keg of michelob Ultra,
or take him out to an expensive steakhouse or buy
him a car. I don't know, but he should do
something nice for him. Because the Reds are nine games
at her first place on June third, that's not a
Terry Francona issue. I think the Reds would have the

(01:21:14):
same record no matter who the manager was, Terry Francona,
David Bell, Buddy Bell.

Speaker 3 (01:21:19):
It wouldn't matter.

Speaker 2 (01:21:21):
I think the Reds are basically a roughly a five
hundred team regardless. So we can discuss ninth inning last night,
Garren Hampson. Let's be honest, no matter what Tito does,
they probably still lose the game. That's just the way
things have gone. The guy we haven't talked about is
Nick Crawl. What is interesting about this year. Last year,

(01:21:43):
David Bell paid the price. You might have believed he
deserved to lose his job. You might have thought he
was scapegoaded, you might have thought he did a good job.
But if you have a chance to hire a Terry Francona,
you do that. And that's kind of where I am.
Although I don't think David Bell did a good job
with last year team. Regardless, the Reds were disappointing last

(01:22:04):
year and it cost David Bell his gig. What will
be fascinating is if this season continues to go the
way it's gone. The Reds are nine games at a
first place, They're under five hundred, The hardest part of
their schedule hasn't gotten here yet. Offensively, they are showing

(01:22:25):
no signs of being dramatically better than they have been
over the first sixty one games. The roster limitations we
worried about in February and March are the same roster
limitations we have complained about in April, May and now June.
So let's be honest about that. The most likely outcome
right now feels like Reds are on the outside looking

(01:22:48):
into the playoffs, and the losses outweigh of the wins.
What happens then, The last time the Reds were awful,
all the was aimed at Phil Castellini, and the discussion
was about how the Reds were starting fresh. Traded away
all those players in spring training twenty twenty two, traded

(01:23:10):
away more players at the deadline in July of twenty two,
and then it was a clean slate in twenty three.
The Reds are decent that year. Everybody felt good throughout
most of the summer, even though the team finished just
short of the postseason. Even though the front office did
nothing to that team still felt pretty good. Last year

(01:23:30):
a step backwards it cost David Bella's gig. What if
this year represents another step backwards, or at least not
a step forward. What happens with Nick Krawl, who has
been a part of this organization for a while, And
not only what has happened with Nick Krawl? You know,
Brad Meter is the GM who serves just beneath Nick Krawl.

(01:23:52):
The REDSMO now for a while has been Walt's an
advisor wayange Krivsky's the GM. Wayne gets bounced, Walt gets promoted,
waltson director of Baseball Ops. Dick Williams works underneath him.
Walt eventually leaves, Dick gets bumped upstairs. Dick decides to leave,
jumps off the sh sinking Titanic. Nick Krawl ascends to

(01:24:12):
Dick's old job. Is that what they're gonna do again?
I certainly hope to god they're not in a position
to make that decision. Ideally, this thing gets turned around,
but last year was obvious, like we think we're a
manager away.

Speaker 3 (01:24:27):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:24:28):
That's not to say that the Reds didn't make moves
this offseason. They did, and a number of them have
worked out to Nick Crawl's credit. Last year it was
all right, we're on the right track. No need to
blow it up, no need to make wholesale changes. Let's
make some additions. Let's bring in a Hall of Fame manager.
This is Nick Krawl's team. I mean, this team this

(01:24:51):
year is the result of years now of Nick Krawl
being the guy, being the guy in charge of the
tear down twenty one to twenty two, being in charge
of making the decisions that led to the eighty two
win team in twenty twenty three. He's no longer in
the shadow of his predecessor. He's no longer in the

(01:25:12):
shadow of his predecessor's predecessor. The trades that had been
made that had yielded players like Spencer Steer not having
a good season, Christian and Karnassi on strand, no idea
how good that guy is. Those are Nick Krawl's decisions,
and so too, by the way, our decisions, like the
one to bring Santiago est but all to Cincinnati that's
been pretty decent. Or the one to sign Jose Travino

(01:25:34):
or trade for Jose Travino and then sign him long term,
that's been a good one. Nick Kral owns jam Or
Candelario not working out, and so positives and negatives. This
is Nick Krawl's team. How many of them does he get?
I don't know the answer, obviously, maybe ownership is not
yet entertaining that answer, But it's gonna be one that

(01:25:59):
gets asked louder and more frequently the longer this goes.

Speaker 3 (01:26:04):
Let's be honest.

Speaker 2 (01:26:06):
The fact that the Reds are in nine games out
of first place, that they're three hundred five hundred going
into game number sixty two, the lots of reasons for that.
Some players that many of us thought were going to
be really good this year have not. Like the ripple
effect of Matt McClain having a terrible season continues to
be felt. It was felt in the ninth inning last night.

(01:26:27):
It's felt when you look at who's batting second on
a regular basis. It just that you hate to pin
it on any one player in a sport like baseball,
but you can't move on from that. Like Matt McClain's
been awful this year. He was supposed to be really good.
This team needed him to be really good. So there
have been individual player performances. Elie de la Cruz, so
I know, personally, is going through a tough time, has

(01:26:48):
been good and has had some awesome moments. He hasn't
made the leap yet. Nobody else on the team really
is having an all star caliber season. They've had some
players get hurt, and so there's you know, there's player
performance issues, and there's lucky issues. There's also roster construction issues.
You know, again last night, if you were unwilling to

(01:27:09):
use Austin Wins when he is I think for most
of us, the better offensive option than Garrett Hampson. If
you're unwilling to use that player because of the position
he plays, then you should have a different player who
plays a different position. Roster construction has come up often.
They've had to make in season moves for players like

(01:27:29):
Garrett Hampson. They've had to shuffle the deck at the
bottom of the depth chart in the outfield, with the
likes of Jacob Herdebies and Blake Dunn and Rheese Hines
and even my guy Will Benson. So when the final
accounting is done at the end of this season and
there's no new future Hall of Fame manager to hire

(01:27:52):
and no manager to scapegoat or replaced with an upgrade,
and you've got a fan base who is going to
be I think exhausted by hearing about how better days
are ahead? Is it going to be Nick Krawl tasked
with ensuring that better days are indeed ahead. This is

(01:28:13):
his team more than any other. This is his team.
So far it's been underwhelming. If we've played one sixty
two and his team ends up being a major disappointment,

(01:28:36):
I know what that's going to feel like for a
lot of us. I know what most of us are
going to want to see the Reds do. Does that
cost Nick Crawl his gig? One of the biggest questions
facing this team right now. And the more we talk
about Tito Frank Conin look man, I despise how Tito

(01:28:59):
has treated I hate to make the report of the story,
but I'll mention him by name. The more Tito kind
of talks down to Charlie Goldsmith and the more he
sounds nonsensical and explaining some And that's part of it too,
Like the nonsensical nature of some of the explanations. The
longer we do that, the more we're not talking about
the guy who's desk. This mess of a season thus

(01:29:23):
far falls in. And yes, I said mess of a
season because three under five hundred on June third is
not good enough. Nine games at our first place is
not good enough. Nick Crawl's team is not good enough.

(01:29:44):
Will there be consequences for that? If we're saying the
same thing in late September, five point three seven nine
fifteen thirty is our phone number. We are guest free
the rest of the way. Your phone calls are coming up.
We also have to play about two minutes worth of
audio from two people that I don't think I've ever
agree with, but who I agree with now when it
comes to one Bengals topic that at five thirty five

(01:30:06):
on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 6 (01:30:10):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (01:30:13):

Speaker 7 (01:30:16):
Find answers from leading brain health experts at U see health.
Learn more at UCHealth dot com. Disabled vehicle now cleared
away from the left lane on westbound two seventy five
between five mile and US fifty two on Clifton. An
accident over at Ludlow Avenue at least on the scene

(01:30:38):
of another crash on Shepherd Avenue at Yoming. I'm at
Ezemach with traffic.

Speaker 3 (01:30:44):
This report is sponsored.

Speaker 2 (01:30:46):
You have video a short while ago on both Twitter
and Instagram. This morning, I spent some time at the
house of Teresa Collins and Highland.

Speaker 3 (01:30:54):
Heights winner of I almost said Highland Park for some reason.
That's why you're HEARDing hesitating.

Speaker 2 (01:31:00):
Teresa Collins of Highland Heights, winner of this year's Mow
Your Lawn contest. And if you want to see what
it looks like when a man brings a lawnmower to
someone's house and gives her a bunch of concert tickets,
go watch on the on the Instagram or the Twitter,
and maybe we'll put it on the others too.

Speaker 3 (01:31:16):
I don't know. I'm guessing. No, she didn't mow he.

Speaker 2 (01:31:22):
She did not have time for me to cut her grass.
She had to get back to work and I had
to get to work, So I did not actually mow
her lawn, but I did offer, and she's all set
she said to go to River Bend all summer long.
And not only is she going to mow her lawn,
she got this lawnmower because she cuts her grass and

(01:31:42):
her dad's grass, which is awesome. Good for her, good
for her, congratulations. And we both had the same feeling
about paying somebody to cut your grass.

Speaker 3 (01:31:52):
So there you go. She was very, very very anti.
I pay someone to cut your grass, makes two of us.

Speaker 2 (01:32:03):
Let's see a lot of folks waiting on hold Ian
You're on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (01:32:07):
What's going on?

Speaker 8 (01:32:09):
Hey man, gotta get this off my chest here, all right?
So you have what happens when you have ownership that's
driving a Ferrari in the rain and doesn't really know
how to.

Speaker 3 (01:32:28):
Drive a Ferrari.

Speaker 8 (01:32:31):
At worst case, you're gonna wrap the car around the pole.
And that's kind of what they did with Joe Vada.
You wasted all those years. The best case, you're just
gonna spin out, and.

Speaker 2 (01:32:43):
That's not so bad.

Speaker 16 (01:32:45):
You still have a chance to redeem.

Speaker 8 (01:32:47):
Well, you kind of spun out with twenty twenty threes
lightning in a bottle, and we're in the midst of
just mishandling opportunities and in my opinion, you can only
move the smoke and mirrors so many times before you

(01:33:08):
just totally exposed. How long are we gonna let them
just in salty general intelligence of the fan base. And
I mean, I've known this for years, but there's nothing
we can do about it but sit there and watch
as they do this. You go get a manager to
try to pass the blame. I mean, let me tell you, man,

(01:33:30):
I just watched this year over year, and I mean
I know that I'm speaking to the mask here. Everybody
knows this and feels the same way. But I mean
we sat there and talked about getting another bad YadA YadA, this,
that and the other with the you know, they make
a bid and spend some money on a couple of guys,

(01:33:54):
and it bites them in the ass because well they're
not really focusing correctly and and it burns them and
so they get scared and they don't really want to
spend the money.

Speaker 16 (01:34:08):
Well, maybe this isn't for you.

Speaker 8 (01:34:11):
Maybe you should go back to selling brute and sell
the team. I mean, it's getting ridiculous, dude. I'm sick
and tired of it. This could be a good team,
but they don't want to go that extra mile. You
know what I'm saying. I could say a lot more,
but I'm just be spinning my wheels. I know, you know,

(01:34:31):
everybody knows.

Speaker 2 (01:34:33):
Ian they're they're They're not a They're not a franchise
that makes you feel like that they will do everything
they can to be the best in the world at
what they do. And that's that's not to say that
they haven't done some good things, even from a pure
baseball perspective, but for the last but for the last

(01:34:53):
twenty years, I think if you were to ask most
observers myself included, what is your great and takeaway of
the last twenty years of Red's ownership, I would say
that they have failed to demonstrate that they are committed
to doing everything they can to be the best in
the world at what they do.

Speaker 8 (01:35:16):
Yeah, man, I just go back to that quote around
what was it, twenty ten or whatever. Then we're committed
to bring in championships blah blah blah.

Speaker 3 (01:35:27):
You know, yeah, they have done it.

Speaker 8 (01:35:29):
And there's been some there's been some critical moments where
they've had opportunities to make the right move. If they
were a gambling man, which basically they are, owning a team,
and if this was a poker table, I mean they
would lose every time. What's worse than a guy that

(01:35:50):
has ego and money? Well, you're seeing it, you know
what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (01:35:57):
Oh, look at me.

Speaker 2 (01:35:57):
The common denominator managers have changed, players have changed, general
managers have changed, the rules of the game have been altered.
The common denominator is ownership. That's undeniable. And there have
been certain junctures over the last twenty or so years
where it felt like ownership face to test, or the

(01:36:18):
front office reflecting ownership's wishes face to test. The trade
deadline of twenty thirteen, We'll go back twelve years ago.
Dusty Baker famously said after they lost to the Pirates
when Marlon Brd hit a home run against him, well,
we could have gotten Marlon Byrd, but we didn't do
anything the trade deadline the following year, when it was time,
I think for most of us to hit the ejec

(01:36:39):
button and start on what's next. They did nothing the
following season twenty fifteen, when they traded for pennies on
the dollar players that they could have gotten more from
earlier because they had the All Star Game and didn't
want to ruin the All Star Game, even though that
year's Reds team was in route to ninety eight losses.

Speaker 3 (01:36:57):
The way they.

Speaker 2 (01:36:58):
Started to tear apart the team at the end of
the twenty twenty season, using the COVID year as their rationale.
We lost all this money during the COVID year. That's fine,
What about the previous thirteen years when you made money
hand over fist.

Speaker 3 (01:37:12):
The trade deadline?

Speaker 2 (01:37:13):
Two years ago when the Reds were in first place
on deadline day and they sat there and did nothing.
There have been moments, and individually you can maybe excuse
their actions in each of them, but collectively it has
added up to, I think a perception that the Cincinnati
Reds under their current ownership are not committed to being

(01:37:34):
the very very very.

Speaker 3 (01:37:36):
Best at what they do.

Speaker 2 (01:37:37):
They'll make some moves, they'll do some things, they'll add
to the payroll. This offseason, they did some good things.
It was I think, generally speaking, a productive offseason, but
it still felt incomplete. It still felt like they just
left a little bit on the table. And maybe if

(01:37:58):
there's something that encapsulates the experience. So being a fan
of this club for the last couple of decades. It's
that feeling of being incomplete, that feeling that they're trying
but not trying their best, or that they're doing the
best they can but not doing as they're not aiming
to do even better. I think that I think this
offseason again, Austin Hayes good pickup, Jose Travino, good pickup.

(01:38:21):
Brady Singer has had his moments, Gavin Lux has been
a good pickup. They added two relievers who had good resumes,
Like you could look at each of those individual parts
and go, good addition here, good addition there, But the collective,
the sum still made you feel like they're not quite
yet ready. And I think most of us are tired
of talking about the Reds going in every season either

(01:38:42):
in terms of either being not quite ready or not
even being close to being ready to compete.

Speaker 8 (01:38:49):
I got one last thing. It's literally ten seconds now.
I go back to a couple of years ago when
everybody was real loud, like thing doll the team, and
he like reacted the ownership. He said, like threateningly to
the fan base, well who you gonna get.

Speaker 3 (01:39:09):
Or whatever you're gonna get? Kind of bull crap.

Speaker 16 (01:39:13):
That to me.

Speaker 3 (01:39:14):
Says it all I'm done.

Speaker 16 (01:39:16):
With you, dude. I'm sick of it.

Speaker 8 (01:39:19):
I love the Reds and I always will, but I'm
sick of this crap and you ain't full of nobody.

Speaker 3 (01:39:25):
That's all I got there, Ian, thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:39:27):
I mean, look, this is inarguable they've wn the club
for twenty years, and that's the longer. The longer the
non winning goes, the more they have to combat that
have to combat folks just like Ian, who all right,
change the manager, swap out, some of the players, find

(01:39:49):
a new GM. At the end of the day, it's
an organization that I believe the perception is and I
believe the perception is fair that they're not willing to
do every single thing that it takes to try to
be the very best at what they do. That's nothing
I haven't said to people who run the club that

(01:40:11):
they're not completely willing to go to the end of
the earth to be the very best in this sport.
I don't think this offseason changed that, even though they
hired a Hall of Fame manager at nothing that has
happened on the field this season has made anybody feel
any different. Five thirty Sports headlines and then two guys

(01:40:32):
who I typically laugh at said something I think I
agree with about the Bengals.

Speaker 3 (01:40:35):
Next ESPN fifteen.

Speaker 6 (01:40:36):
Thirty, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Traffic from the UC Health
Traffic Center.

Speaker 7 (01:40:44):
Find answers from leading brain health experts that you see
health learn more at u seehealth dot com. Glenway Avenue,
it's an accident in near Federal Drive. Another crash on
Shepherd av Do that it's over at Yoming and on Clifton.
An accident at Ludlow Avenue. Stop and go traffic southbound

(01:41:06):
seventy one between Martin Luther King and Fort Washington Way
on that ezelik with traffic.

Speaker 3 (01:41:12):
Summer weather today. I think we've.

Speaker 2 (01:41:14):
Got summer weather tomorrow. This is the greatest summertime song
in history. It's also the last time Will Smith made
a good song. Thirty four years ago, played this one.
You can play this every day, Tarren. When you played
pit Bull before that, that did something to me that
I just didn't like. But Pitbull is gonna play before

(01:41:34):
the Reds Braves game at that car racing track in Bristol,
Tennessee sports headlines are a service of Kelsey Chevar Life
Home of lifetime powertrain protection and guaranteed credit approval from
their family to yours for life, Kelsey chev dot Com,
Hunter Green, Freddie Prawl. It's a good pitching matchup tonight
Reds and Brewers game two of three at GABP seven ten.

(01:41:56):
Remember seven ten tonight for his pitch. The game is
live on seven hundred WLW. It would be weird if
we carried the games on tape delay. Your starting lineup
for tonight's tilt Friedel's and center Lucks is dhing Li
de la Cruz had Short Stevenson behind the plate, Steers
playing first, Benson and left Espinal's a third Frehlien right.
Matt McLean is playing second base and batting ninth. Also tonight,

(01:42:20):
Florence y'all's hosting the Tri City Valley Cats. Throughout the records,
when the Yalls and Valley Cats play NFL Bengals had
practice today it went well. Shamar Stewart was there and around,
but not practicing. This is from a show called breakfast
Ball on FS one. Breakfast Ball. Among the panelists are

(01:42:45):
Craig Carton, who we have often made fun of for
his inane Bengals takes and for the fact that he
served time in prison. And Mark Schlaire, who has condescendingly
kind of talked like Tito Francona does to certain reporters,
He's talked that way toward Bengals fans for some of
his more inane Bengals takes. But I think both guys
are in the right here as it relates to the

(01:43:05):
Shamar Stewart situation. Tarren hit it, of course.

Speaker 15 (01:43:08):
It's a bad look for the Bengals one, Trey Hendrickson,
your best defensive player is not signed. You guys are
at an in pass with his contract. Now you're number
one overall pick. It was a seventeenth overall pick, but
your first round draft choice. You can't come to an
agreement on a contract that is completely slotted because of
what the language you want to get over on the player.

(01:43:30):
And it's just a bad look for the Bengals in
how they do business.

Speaker 13 (01:43:34):
He is every right not to sign that deal because
every other first round pick does not have it has
never had the language that the Bengals are trying to
squeeze in to this kid's contract. And for those who
are out there saying, well, it's kind of like a
sit in.

Speaker 3 (01:43:49):
It's not he can't go there.

Speaker 1 (01:43:52):
He's not an employee yet, he does not have a contract.

Speaker 3 (01:43:55):
He cannot go to the facility.

Speaker 13 (01:43:58):
And all he is saying is put the language in
my contract the way it is for every other first
round draft pick.

Speaker 3 (01:44:06):
If you didn't believe in me as.

Speaker 13 (01:44:08):
A first round town, then you shouldn't have drafted me.
His agent is right, he is right, And this is
another example of the Bengals being the Bengals.

Speaker 15 (01:44:17):
It's wrong and inside the locker room, the way that
resonates from player to player, the Trey Hendrickson thing, Now,
this rookie thing trying to get overall players.

Speaker 3 (01:44:27):
I'm telling you what that is.

Speaker 15 (01:44:28):
I mean, it is just a bad president to set
because you're right, it's one hundred percent. You know what
the guarantees are, you know what the money is. It's
already it's slotted.

Speaker 3 (01:44:36):
It's right there, right there, you go.

Speaker 2 (01:44:39):
Now, as a point of clarification, Craig Carton was the
second voice I heard there.

Speaker 3 (01:44:42):
Shamar Stewart is allowed to go to the facility. He
could practice if you wanted to.

Speaker 2 (01:44:47):
There's basically a waiver that you can sign, which you
know sort of puts the liability on the team if
something were to happen. I mean there are peck picks
who have not signed their contracts who are practicing. Schamar
could do that if you wanted to. So he's obviously
allowed at the facility. Every other syllable of that was
accurate and fair. This is unnecessary and Shamar Stewart is

(01:45:11):
completely in the right here by saying to the Bengals,
you want to redo the way you structure your contracts,
and you want to change the language in the contracts
you have for your draft choices. You want to establish
a new president, Fine, do that with somebody else. He
ain't doing that with me. Thanks to everyone who has

(01:45:34):
waited on hold. We will try to get to as
many as we can, starting with Steve. Oh, Steve, you're
on ESPN fifteen thirty Steve, Good afternoon.

Speaker 3 (01:45:42):
So how you doing.

Speaker 16 (01:45:45):
We're hanging out man driving home from Word.

Speaker 3 (01:45:47):
I like it.

Speaker 16 (01:45:49):
So I have a quick question. First one who has
the shortest leak beach this year? Satterfield, Wes or Jack Taylor.

Speaker 2 (01:46:04):
Well, I'll say Zach, because the Bengals are more well
healed than the university of Cincinnati is more equipped to
pay a coach than not.

Speaker 3 (01:46:14):
Work there anymore.

Speaker 2 (01:46:15):
They have more infinite resources, and so I and to me,
you know, look, they let him oversee a coaching staff overhaul.
He's got an MVP caliber quarterback. Typically, if you fail
to get to the playoffs a year after you overhauled
your coaching staff and you still have an MVP caliber quarterback,
you pay for that with your job. So I'll say

(01:46:38):
Zach has the shortest leash, but I also think he
has the best chance of having success because he has
Joe Burrow number two on the list, I'll say sadderfield.
And part of that is I'm not entirely sure the
roster is that dramatically better. I think a lot of
hinges on Brendan sores me and I didn't like what

(01:46:58):
I saw from Brendan toward the end of the season.
I think most observers would flip Wes Miller in that
conversation because he's been there longer. But I think Wes
has a better team, and so.

Speaker 3 (01:47:10):
I'll put him in that order.

Speaker 2 (01:47:11):
But I understand why the question would exist about any
of those three guys.

Speaker 5 (01:47:16):
Okay, and then the Bengals and you know, it's been
a disper I've been a fan since I was eight,
so nineteen ninety two, right, it's to.

Speaker 16 (01:47:29):
Pay all these guys at day of their receivers, which
they're great receivers.

Speaker 5 (01:47:33):
And I get it, but you know, it's the same mold,
just like the Reds go. We want to put all
this pressure on the back end of the defense. I
we want to talk about, you know, our cornerbacks and
our safeties.

Speaker 16 (01:47:49):
I mean, if you build, I mean the Bengals don't
even I still don't.

Speaker 5 (01:47:54):
Have a great offensive line, right, I mean, let's be honest,
they're still not top twenty.

Speaker 16 (01:48:02):
Would you agree, I don't know. I don't know, Okay,
I mean that.

Speaker 2 (01:48:07):
That's the thing, but that they're they're not among the
league's best. I think there is a scenario where they
could they could get to a point where they're roughly
league average, but I don't think they're great.

Speaker 16 (01:48:19):
But that's what I'm saying, Like, you don't always always
have to have necessarily the best, you know, receivers, the
best quarterback. But if you have a defense that can
rush the quarterback and get out of the quarterback, it
just takes so much pressure off your off your secondary
And my thing is, why aren't you just trying to

(01:48:41):
be I mean, yeah, you you know, you drafted some
guys last year, you know, And but I mean if
it wasn't for Trey Henderson, they literally would have they
would have no pass rush zero at all last year. Yeah,
And I get the whole thing with Trey.

Speaker 9 (01:48:59):
You know.

Speaker 16 (01:48:59):
Well, I'm but like, dude, you signed a contract two
years ago, like when we gave you the money that you.

Speaker 5 (01:49:06):
Wanted, and now you're like, oh, I did even better.
It's like at some point, like you're thirty years old,
you know, and the contract that came out was you know,
twenty eight million for two years or whatever, and then
they kind of backloaded it.

Speaker 3 (01:49:20):
Right.

Speaker 16 (01:49:20):
Is that is that correct?

Speaker 3 (01:49:22):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:49:22):
Look to make it as simple as possible, they've effectively
offered him a seventy five raise, right.

Speaker 16 (01:49:30):
And I just don't. I don't, like you have Joe Burrow,
like he's probably what got maybe seven years if he
can stay healthy. Why I just don't. I don't understand.
I don't. I don't get it. Like they're no I mean,
we want to say they're they're not the Reds, but

(01:49:52):
they're no better than the Reds, Like, why's just.

Speaker 2 (01:49:57):
Well, I mean with championship, I don't want The difference
is that the Bengals have a Joe Burrow who can
mask some of their other deficiencies. The Reds, the way
baseball works, don't have any one guy who can mask
all their deficiencies. But I do think I feel like
the off seasons feel the same. I don't necessarily think
the Bengals have had an unproductive offseason. They just haven't

(01:50:19):
done as much as I would have hoped when the
offseason started. And they're putting a lot on a defensive coordinator,
just like the Reds put a lot on a manager.
And they're asking one part of their team to do
a lot just like the Reds of just like the
Reds have asked what they're starting pitching.

Speaker 16 (01:50:36):
With draft picks, and I mean they were, they were
in the NFC Championship game last year. I mean, so
it's proven, like, just go win a championship for the Cincinnati,
City of Cincinnati to have a championship to celebrate that, Like, yeah, okay,
you might give up two years if not great football,
but this is this is what have you done for

(01:50:58):
us lately?

Speaker 5 (01:50:59):
That's how it is that's how it's going to be
for the next one hundred years.

Speaker 2 (01:51:02):
I think I think they would argue, and I think
some fans would argue that them not trading Trey Hendrickson though,
is aimed at winning a championship this year, because they're
not trade.

Speaker 3 (01:51:13):
They didn't trade.

Speaker 2 (01:51:14):
They didn't trade Tray before the draft to get a
bunch of picks in return. You know, they they kept
they they didn't move Trey, much like with t Higgins
prior to last year, because they wanted him to play
on the team this year, because they view him as
central to winning a championship in twenty twenty five. But look,
I feel like some of the complaints we make about

(01:51:34):
the Reds have often been applied about the Bengals, where
they often feel like a team or come off as
a team that isn't willing to do everything in their
power to deliver a championship. That criticism is being aimed
very sharply at the Reds right now. It has often
been aimed very sharply at the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 5 (01:51:53):
It's and my youngest kid, he played baseball and he
wants to go to Reds. Caam, I'm like, I don't
want to give my money. It's like I don't like,
I don't want to go down on a Friday nine
and spent a bunch of money.

Speaker 16 (01:52:06):
You know, my kid will you both baseball? Both Ellie
and you know he wants it. But it's like I'm
much trying to go spend my money somewhere else.

Speaker 4 (01:52:15):
You know.

Speaker 16 (01:52:15):
And it's it's sad really honestly. But but I appreciate.
I appreciate your time though.

Speaker 3 (01:52:20):
And you have a good night, buddy, Steve.

Speaker 2 (01:52:22):
You do the same, Tarren, How are we on time?
Three minutes? We're gonna do power. We're gonna do Lightning
round one minute for each Bob, you got one minute? Go?

Speaker 16 (01:52:35):
Hey, well what's coming up?

Speaker 3 (01:52:36):
I'm sitting here doing a talk show. How about yourself?

Speaker 12 (01:52:39):
Oh man, it's been a great day, mom. I uh,
I've done any day now for about four years, and
today I had my biggest sale in history.

Speaker 3 (01:52:52):
Would you sell a.

Speaker 12 (01:52:56):
Five by three scoreboard to somebody in downtown New York City?

Speaker 3 (01:53:04):
A five y three scoreboard?

Speaker 17 (01:53:07):
Yes, sir?

Speaker 3 (01:53:08):
What kind of scoreboard?

Speaker 12 (01:53:10):
Oh? Fair play?

Speaker 8 (01:53:11):
It's uh.

Speaker 9 (01:53:12):
It came out of a came out of a school
about twenty years ago. Actually, uh uh, can I ask
how much you got for two thousand bucks?

Speaker 3 (01:53:20):
Wow? I like it?

Speaker 12 (01:53:23):
Yeah, it's uh not everything works on it nowadays, but
the owner, the new owner, is aware of that. But
the thing that does work now, it's the loudest horn
you've ever heard. If if you've got this thing in
a house, oh my god, you're gonna You're gonna wake
up the neighborhood.

Speaker 9 (01:53:41):
Basically is that?

Speaker 3 (01:53:42):
Why? Is that why the guy wanted to buy it?

Speaker 12 (01:53:45):
I have no idea. I don't know, but he's, uh,
he's very excited about getting it. He wants it there
by Friday, which I don't think I can do that.
But but yeah, man, it's a great day.

Speaker 2 (01:53:58):
Well, I'm glad to hear it. Fortunately I don't have
time for anymore, Bob, because we have to go.

Speaker 3 (01:54:02):
But thank you. That's okay, that's all right.

Speaker 2 (01:54:04):
I'm congrat What are you gonna do with the money?

Speaker 3 (01:54:10):
Who knows.

Speaker 17 (01:54:11):
I'll probably go to that.

Speaker 12 (01:54:12):
I'll probably go to the Hot Rise game Thursday night.

Speaker 3 (01:54:14):
There you go, all right, Well live it up by
a whole section with the seats.

Speaker 2 (01:54:19):
There you go, all right, I gotta run, man, Thank you, okay,
very good? Uh Mike, you can have the last word.

Speaker 17 (01:54:25):
Go ahead, forget it, man. Let somebody else come on,
moll because that's not fair.

Speaker 16 (01:54:30):
You let me home all the time.

Speaker 3 (01:54:31):
So thank you anyway, Pal, all right, well, thank you Mike.

Speaker 2 (01:54:34):
Uh that's very kind of you. But the show is over. Uh,
not only is the show over. I'm off tomorrow, that's right.
Turn is Chaddon tomorrow? Who's feeling in tomorrow? James for Peen,
James Rapeat will be here tomorrow. Very good. I'm back

(01:54:55):
on Thursday. Have an awesome night. Thank you for listening.
Anything you might have missed go find on the iHeartRadio app.
Thanks to a long Neck Sports Grill, and we'll talk
to you Thursday. Thanks to Tarren Bland for producing This
is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 6 (01:55:08):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (01:55:34):

Speaker 7 (01:55:38):
Find answers from leading brain health experts at u see health.
Learn more at UCHealth dot com. Southbound seventy one after
fields irdle accident is off onto the left shoulder. Got
some slow traffic on eastbound two seventy five between Dixie
Highway and Madison Pike. You're at A five and it

(01:56:00):
delayed there in northbound seventy one slow traffic Smith edwards
to Ronald Reagan Highway. IM e xelic with traffic. This
report is by

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