Well, now I've heard of that guy. He's okay, welcome on in on this glorious Saturday. It's great to have you with us. Big Saturday for college football. We've got UC at Utah tonight in a Big twelve showdown. Winner of course, will jump right back into conversation for the championship game, Big twelve Championship game, you see, really has never left that conversation, all of that play by play
right here on seven hundred WLW. And of course Game seven of the World Series tonight Toronto at home with a chance to close it out. Series tied at three to three as the Dodgers climb back in it last night. So that's the world of sports percolating around the world in and of itself for a lot of issues, not the least of which is the government shutdown, which is now into its second month. And at the core issue right now for Republicans is just to get the government
up and running again. Just have the Democrats do what they have done consistently over time, and that is vote on a clean resolution, don't junk it up with anything, just get government workers paid and let the country keep rolling along. But of course that's not what Democrats are
doing this time. They seek any opportunity for disruption, and their disruption right now is some form of medical plan payment whatever for people who are in this country illegally, particularly as it pertains to Medicaid, and also the continuing funding that's needed for Obamacare, which expires at the end of the year. They'll say, okay, let's talk about Obamacare and then we'll get the We'll get the CR pass.
Let's make this part of the CR.
And then we'll get everybody up and running, the air traffic controllers and you know, the federal government, the police and whatnot.
Let's just just get that in there in the CR.
Of course, this is a complete departure from what Democrats have done over the course of time. Nevertheless, both sides are dug in snap funds. Now could be the first casualty of this government cut down. This is food assistance for about forty two million Americans who need food assistance. There are people in this country, believe it or not, that are not doing as well as you and me, and they need help. But of course this is the victim of this government shut down. And now, of course
we've got judges that are popping up Oh god. I was wondering if these federal judges were okay. Apparently they are, because now we have whack a mole going on with federal judges amazingly appointed by Democrats who have stuck their noses into all of this. So you've got moral issues, which is getting people fed. You have political issues, which is, you know, if you're the Trump you don't want to come down on the side of not feeding people. And
you have a judicial issue. You have legal issues with all of this.
This is a.
Confusing story, I know. But I know somebody that can lend credence to it and clarity, and he's standing by the joint This is a man who has never lost a trial in his life. He is widely referred to as America's attorney. This is somebody who when he walks into a courtroom, judges not in deference and opposing attorneys look at their clients and just tell them, take the deal, take the deal, Take the deal, take the deal. This guy never loses. He, of course, is our good friend
Jeremy Rosenthal. And Jeremy, how are you on this glorious Saturday.
I'm great. Can we like maybe simulcastis and fort Worth and Karen County Tuxes. I've got a couple of prosecutors who need to hear everything that you just said. Because I'm working this weekend. I'm at my desk getting we're We're getting ready, man, We're getting ready.
Good for good for you, good for you. I'll do it. I'll put it on your answering system. Whatever you need. We are we done.
Did we not have some sort of Supreme Court ruling that these federal judges who they must have firecrackers up their rear ends it lit every so often. Weren't we led to believe by the Supreme Court that all of these people need to stay in their lane. And now we have the same judges that are popping up again. You've got the three I mentioned. I didn't mention John McConnell,
who was an Obama appointee in Rhode Island. Judge Adira Telwane from the District Court of Massachusetts, an Obama appointee.
Those are the two that are snap snap consumed.
And then, of course it wouldn't be a weekend without the US District Judge Colin Caller Coutelli completing the mythical trifecta, who ruled from the bench that Trump's requiring proof of citizenship to vote is illegal. Were all these judges told by the Supreme Court stay in your lane? Or did I miss something here? Did I miss something?
The lanes are extraordinarily big. So the Supreme Court ruling that came back earlier this year. What what what had happened was that party judges were enjoining rules and laws nationwide based on one claimant, one plaintiff. And what the courts came back and said is that the courts can only solve problems for people who are in court, who are in front of them, and in some instances for the planiff, for somebody seeking for somebody seeking that type
of relief, it's easy, and in others it's hard. And so it just depends on who's the claimant. Right. When the claimant is the state of Colorado, right, everybody in Colorado is sort of subject to that, And so it's easy for judges to take action based on really large
swaths of people and groups. This is why you see twenty two, twenty three whatever it is states that are joining this lawsuit plus this group, plus that group, plus you know, all these other entities and by and large in most instances, it'll it'll cover as many people as they can. So that's the new trick if you will to try to get these judges to to exercise jurisdiction, if you're the plaintiff over as broad a group as you can.
I okay, understand that. And of the states you mentioned, they're all led by Democrat attorney generals. So that's where this that's how this is landed in this case on John J. McConnell's desk along with Judge Indira Telwanny. That's how they That's how it landed on their desks, all right. But I in my interest that there are three things here. There is the morality of this, the moral obligation to feed people who cannot eat for whatever reason, and it's a it's a significant number.
Uh.
There is also the political implication. I'm looking at Trump. I mean, he's not stupid. He may be a lot of things to a lot of people. But if he tries to block what these judges are doing at the Supreme Court, all of a sudden, he's starving fifty for almost fifty million people, not good politically. And then you
have what's going on here legally. So if you factor all of those things together, I can't see Trump taking what Indira Talwaunee and John J. McConnell did and appealing to the Supreme Court on this, can you?
It may be a little bit of thrown me in the briar patch. Right. And so you're seeing, look the government shutdown here, every politician in Washington is hitting reload on their browser to see what the polls are saying. Who's getting blamed for this? Right? And look, I don't know if the shutdown has affected you. I don't know if it's really affected me. I took a trip last weekend. I sat on the runway for what I thought was a long time. In my mind, I'm wondering if that's
because the air traffic controllers aren't getting paid. But look, I mean, if you're in federal court, you're noticing that things are winding to a halt. If you are the beneficiary of a federal program, then you're probably noticing that things are winding to a halt. If your spouse works for the Social Security Administration, then you're noticing things are
grinding to a halt. And the longer longer this drags out, the more and more people will begin to notice, right, and that's where the political blame is really sort of taking shape. So, yes, it's a bad look to not feed forty two million people, children and elderly people and underprivileged and mentally handicapped and mentally ill and anything and everything. So I think everybody wants to get them fed. Nobody wants to take the blame for not feeding them, right.
The Democrats don't want to get blamed for shutting down the government and ending this thing. And Trump doesn't want to get blamed for, you know, by taking this thing all the way up to the Supreme Court to make sure that people can't eat. Everybody recognizes that this program is a bit of a hostage.
Yeah, and and and you know, I again, it's these same judges. I mean in Dera Telwane we heard her before on immigration.
This John J.
McConnell seems like he's at the very least compromised politically. I mean, my god, the guy held Democrat various Democrat state committees in Rhode Island. He was the treasurer of the Rhode Island Democratic State Committee and begged to sitting senators to appoint him to the District Court in Rhode Island, Jack Reid and Sheldon Whitehouse. It just it seems to me that this is this is this is the old trick.
What you don't get at the ballot box, you go to court and try and get a judgment there, and you know, on the other side of this, I'm thinking, well, you know what, Okay, they get this, then what's next. What's the next lawsuit that comes down the road. And pretty soon whatever political capital that you gained in No Member of twenty twenty.
Four is slowly eroding. This is an old trick, is it not?
What you can't get at the ballot box, let's see if we can get it in a court room.
Are you saying that we don't need lawyers and that we don't deserve to be the best and make all the money and all that in the planet, which you were saying earlier, No, I.
Know, I have no problem, but believe in our legal system. I have no problem with lawyers and prosecutors. I got problems with judges because I think at the very least they arrive at the bench. And you don't need to comment on this if you don't want to. At the very least they arrive at the bench. They arrive compromise because they're either there by getting elected where they have to raise funds and go into the community and try
and get money out of people. They may have to issue judgments on down the road, or they're appointed by the old boys network. I don't think this country does a very good job, and I don't know what the answer is of putting judges on the bench, whether it be local, whether it be federal. But be that as it may, Yeah, we need lawyers, I think. I think I think we need them. But I I and I think that this is just to me as a citizen.
I'm looking at this and I'm saying, Okay, we don't get our way, let's go sue, and let's put somebody in a corner where there's no possible way out of it. So I think it falls on Trump. He's got to extend an olive branch of some kind to get this thing going again, because it's going to have nobody if people aren't getting fed. But I think the last thing anybody wants is to have federal judges just banging the cabal that gabbled and issuing decrees for the entire country
to follow. When their Lane is Rhode Island. I think that's my problem, right, right.
And and we've talked about this before, ken h A being a judge, there's no way to get a judge that's not a political function. Right. There's just no way to to find somebody anywhere that's not elected or appointed or somehow put in their position by something that's not political in some way, not the Supreme Court, not the county Court at law in Collin County, Texas. There's just no way, uh, to to have that, to have that work. That's not going to be political. It's just a it's
just a side of it. And and and when we kind of talk about again kind of going back to what you were saying about the shutdown, this is what we're what we're doing, is we're controlling the bleeding, right, uh, And and and and as we're going to see more and more and more of these things as certain pools of money dry up, as certain pools of needy people have their head on the chopping block. Right in this instance,
it's the snap funds. So as as this thing goes on and on and on, Uh, everybody's bleeding out right, And and and the politicians will i think come together, uh when they see that Okay, now it's going to hurt me. You know when when when when the Democrats look at this or will the Republicans look at this and say, okay, we're taking the blame for this. The Democrats are gambling, uh that that you know, health care costs and prices, if if those begin to make people hurt,
they're gambling that they're going to blame the Republicans. Obviously, you know Donald Trump to your point at the beginning of our conversation, you know, he's kind of hoping that that that that that people see it his way that look, it's the Democrats that are taking this program hostage, not me.
And and so as this thing sort of goes on and the blood letting continues, at some point, you would think that the politicians are going to say, okay, you do you do the need of that, and then here we go, we're going to get this thing cracked up again. So this is exhibit seven, right, this this snap thing. You know, we've already been through it with the federal employees where we've already been through it with in several different sectors. So so yeah, this is this is just
sort of how this goes. And and if you're the Democrats right now, you don't have either House of Congress. What you got is are the courts. So that's that's where you're going to go.
Yeah, well you got the you got the usual suspect sitting behind the bench. Now this beauty on the U. S. District Court, I guess in d C. She by the name of Judge Colin Kohor Katelli. We remember her from the immigration situation. Trump wants voter registration. You know, you have to show an ID when you vote. What a concept? You got to do that when you get on an airplane. Why wouldn't you want to do that if you if you're if if you want election integrity. But she said no,
that that's not right. And he he doesn't have the right to uh issue that kind of executive order that would require voter I d This one, I think does go to the Supreme Court. I don't think the other one does. I think that everybody is an agreement that these forties two million people, somehow, some way need to get their federal assistance for food. But I think this the other judge, this Colin Caller Katelli.
Her edict this week. I think this is going to Supreme Court.
Do you agree it could? You know, these executive orders certainly have are more broad reaching, and they bring up novel issues that we've not really confronted anymore, not the least of which is what's the extent what is the extent of in the executive order? And where does that thing really love in our laws. It's not a statute, right, and it's not necessarily a court order or anything like that.
And so executive authority has certainly been the hottest topic I would say of twenty twenty five as far as the courts are concerned. So this is going to be probably yet another test of that. It's interesting too, because and a lot of issues not only the executive's authority, but we've also had a lot of issues that deal with federal sovereignty versus state sovereignty. Elections are something that
the states have typically exercised control over. You know, the Feds can kind of come in and watch, but you know, states typically are are are able to conduct elections in
the way that they want. They have for you know, just by way of example, I watched something the other day about ranked choice voting in Alaska, and and that that thing would have to I'd have to read that seven times to make sure I didn't screw up my ballot, you know, because you get to you get to do a first choice, in the second choice and a third choice, and then they put it in the computer and then here's your winner. And sure, okay, if you say so.
So there're certainly novel issues, and I think that I think you're probably right for no other re and then you know, again, kind of going back to the very beginning of our talk, you know, Trump losing at this level is probably a little bit of throwing me into the briar patch.
Yeah, exactly.
And by the way, no matter how many times you screw up rank voting in Alaska, you still wind up with Lisa Murkowski. Jeremy Rosenthal, it's great to have you on a weekend where I know you're working probably on a murder one case or something right now, so I appreciate your time. You are America's attorney and it's great to talk to you again. You have a great rest of the weekend, Jeremy. We'll be in touch.
Joe red Raiders, We're going to be in the Big twelve Championship we'll see if the Bearcats can make it or not.
All right, already drinking at this hour in Texas, our good buddy Jeremy Rosenthal, Stay.
Well, my friend, you too, Bye bye.
It's just it's astounding.
But no, there's no way in hell that you can morally or politically oppose what these two judges did. Telwandy and McConnell. And the Democrats know they got Trump over a barrel on this thing, but I don't even I would like to think he wouldn't appeel him anyway, because I mean, this is this is getting real. It's all fun and games till somebody gets hurt. And apparently that people are starting to get hurt with these snap funds. We'll see where it goes. My guess is there will
be action on this early part of next week. It's twelve twenty six, it's Saturday. We got a lot to get to between now at three o'clock on seven hundred w welw alreday here in the Tri State and glad you are with us. The weather has really modern. I mean, I don't want to say it rained a lot this past week, but I swear to god I was out on I seventy one, and I saw a guy with a boat looking for two of everything, but.
Not this weekend.
Nice last night for the kids, and trick or treating nice today. Tomorrow is going to be good for the Bengals. We'll see if the Bengals are good for the weather tomorrow. Nevertheless, it looks like they're stabilizing here and that is a good thing. In Columbus, it's a bit of an adventure. Ohio State ten, penn State seven. That's with six minutes and eighteen seconds to go in the first half. Texas
twenty four Vanderbilt three. They're playing that one in Austin, number twenty, Texas number nine Vanderbilt nine, twenty two to go. On the second quarter, Miami and SMU tied at seven. Miami the number ten team in the country and number twenty two Houston at home losing to West Virginia twenty
one to fourteen is the score in that game. Of course, there are many other games later on this afternoon, not the least of which, and the one that we're all looking forward to is the game tonight between the University of Cincinnati and the University of Utah out in Salt Lake City. A couple of things on this game. One, I can't believe that Cincinnati is a ten point underdog, but if you put that up against some factors that
maybe you're not thinking of. I certainly was until I heard that everybody thinks Denver and the thin air that Denver has this great advantage in that it's the thin air in Denver that visiting teams struggle with. Well, it's kind of the same thing in Salt Lake City. The air does get thing. I was in Utah, southern Utah about three years ago and was backpacking through some of the rocks there, you know, the down in Moab and places like that. I was backpacking and it got to me.
I could feel it was difficult to breathe. And it was not for anything to do with the kind of physical shape I'm in. It was just it's difficult to breathe. So that could be a mitigating factor and why the line on this game is the way it is. The Other thing that could be is it's a late start. I mean, let's face it, it may be a an eight to fifteen kickoff in Utah, but it's also ten to fifteen for the visiting team back home. So the team is going to have a lot of time today
to kill. Somebody asked Brendan sorosby the U SEE quarterback, you know you're going to take a nap, take many naps? What are you going to do between now, which would be like right now and the game tonight.
Here's what he had to say.
It could be, you know, multiple short naps and then we got watching it with football. Take another nap. Could just be one long nap where you know you're dreaming and stuff. You catch that rim cycle. We don't know, we'll see. Yeah, it's kind of like Thanksgiving. A lot of people sleep through Thanksgiving.
But college football is it's just hit its stride right now. Indiana, who thought Indiana would be number two in the country. They're at Maryland today and that's a three thirty start, and we've got Kentucky and Mark Stoops fighting for his life. That team is at Auburn today. So there's a lot going on in college football. And when there is a lot going on in college football, we like to welcome in someone who I think knows more about it than anybody I know. And he writes for the Athletic Dot
Com And I've said this many many times. The Athletic dot Com is the best sports investment you can make for somebody in your family that may be a sports fan this coming holiday season, because if you have a subscription to the Athletic dot Com. I'm not paid to say this. I am a consumer. I'm not paid to say this. There's no junk up role videos and ads
or anything. It's just good sports journalism. And one of the people that I speak of about to join us right now, and the mere fact that he's from Cincinnati makes it even better. He is their college football editor and it's great to welcome in Stuart Mandel here to seven hundred w wel w and Stuart, how are you on this glorious game day?
I'm great, Ken Howard thinking my hometown.
Ooh man. I'll tell you what.
It's percolating on a number of different levels, one way for the bear Cast, the other way for the Bengals, but believe the Bengals aside. How much of a surprise to you were the Bearcats or have the Bearcats been this season? Because it seems like a lot of the national guys are wondering exactly where this team came from. Are they a surprise to you.
Absolutely pleasant surprise. It didn't see it from a from a you.
Know, obviously as a your national you don't know the ins and outs of a program.
You don't. I don't, you know, I wouldn't.
I don't know, Like in the off season, right, I couldn't have told you their personnel and depth. Obviously I knew their quarterback, but it just didn't seem the first couple of years in the Big.
Twelve really.
Done anything to indicate it would give you the sign that like, oh yeah, things are on the up. They obviously had a big win last year or a issue. It kind of got discounted because they didn't have Sam Levit in that game. So and then they played the first game against Nebraska, and right, it would have been if they had upset Nebraska, right, that would have really
some chocolate. So it really took a few weeks, maybe even more to realize like, oh yeah, actually these guys are pretty good and out of one for Tony and I thought, actually last week's when was probably the most impressive yet just lining up and running it down my throat, you know, yeah.
No, it was, and I think it's it's going to be maybe the showcase game that your colleague, Justin Williams at the at the Athletic has at the second best game in college football today, certainly tonight, but in the in the game day, I'm just you know, I think in college football anymore, if you've got a quarterback, and the quarterback can maneuver and maneuver with players he might not be completely familiar with because of the portal and whatnot,
I think you've got a leg up. And here's Brendan Soresby, who's just I marvel at what he does on a daily basis. He kind of reminds me in a lot of ways of Baker Mayfield and just his escapability and his ability to make plays where there none seemed to be. But that's everything in college football today. If you've got a quarterback that can do that, the ceiling is pretty high, is it not.
Yeah, And give them a lot of credit because you know, unfortunately these days, if you have a good quarterback, the next thing you have to do is make sure they don't leave, you know, especially if a big ten or SEC program, a deep pocket program is going to come calling. But I know they gave him a really nice deal kept for Insource. He kept them in place, and boy has he really shined this year.
Yeah, and they went out and got wide receivers to throw to. He didn't have anybody really of any note last season. But now he's got Jeff cald Well, he's got Cyrus Allen, he's got Caleb Goodie, he's got the tight end that came prancing down seventy one from Ohio State, Joe Royer. So he's got weapons to throw too, and they've got some stability on defense. And quite frankly, it was a year ago this time when a lot of people were wondering if Scott Saderfield had what it takes
to coaching the Big twelve. I don't think it's that way anymore. I think they've they've figured out this whole portal thing quickly, where a lot of their continent operas are struggling. What off teams, what of coaching staffs? Figure it out? And others don't. Is it all money? Is it all deals in this day and age, or what else? What else could it be?
Well, first of all, I was one.
Of the skeptics of Scott got Batterfield, So kudos to him for for kind of putting those doubts to rest Well, I think it's twofold. In terms of your question, Yes, you got to have an I own money, nobody nobody that's winning these days doing it without paying their player as well. But also you got to get the right players. And I mean, for State spent a ton of money on their transfers the last two years and they're terrible. They they either picked the wrong players or they haven't
dissolved them. Well, you know, so it's not like, Okay, we made a bunch of deals with ignorantee of success. Right maybe if you're Texas Tech and your billionaire get you like all the best transfers.
But so yeah, step one is having the money and the resources and frankly a lot.
Of money, but.
Knowing how to allocate it, especially with the revenue share now. But step two is finding the right players. And I do think that sometimes, you know, in terms of high score recruiting, like high score recruiting, they start studying those guys as sophomores, maybe even earlier, do a lot of time to evaluate high score cruit transfer portal. Kid who was in the portal on Tuesday, he's visiting your campus on Thursday.
And so I do think a lot of people.
You know, miss because they don't have a lot of time frankly to scout these guys.
Yeah.
Well, and the other thing too, I think the successful stabs are stabs that actually know what culture is. You hear a lot of coaches preach about culture and family and all that other stuff, but to actually implement it.
Is another thing.
In this day and age, you go back ten years ago to use your recruiting analogy. That's how you acquired players. You might get a transfer, sure, but most of your roster camp recruiting. So the player would arrive as freshman and then learn to integrate his self into what other players are and where they're from and all that in
essence grow up together. Now it's not that way, and culture becomes so much more important because if you don't have that, if you don't have an inclusive culture, people aren't going to get to know each other, and all of a sudden you have dysfunction. I think that's what's happening at a lot of these schools.
Right The athletic My colleagues are the athletic.
Christ Fldman Ropperso had an excellent story of Friday about what went wrong for Brian Kelly Lsu and that was that was a big, big part of it, because there was an assistant in there quoted saying, it's actually more important now than ever because you are bringing in, in many ways, a whole new roster every year and you don't have a lot of time to get guys you know, kind of familiar with your culture and your system and bought in.
And so I think a.
Lot of these times when we see highly touted teams, Oh they got a great portal class, they're gonna be great this year, and they fall apart, it's because of that. You can't just have a band of guys who come in from all over the place.
And I mean it's not the NFL, right, the NFL.
These guys professionals, They change teams, they know what to do.
So yeah, it's really important.
I mean look at Indiana clearly, for Signetti has built a plan and a culture there and they get guys to come and buy in and they're out there kicking the race bus. They do not have obviously the kind of resources that Ohio State or Michigan have, but.
They got it right. I mean they really did.
Like they are one of these team.
Programs that got their portal guys, right, Yeah, and they got a quarterback.
They have Mendoza, and you know where he didn't work at one school, he's working there. So you would have to think, for example, with Signetti in Bloomington, you would have to think that a he knows what he's doing, and he is a staff that knows what he's doing. But it kind of it doesn't You know, you're right, you could throw an all star team together, but it
it doesn't always work, and oftentimes it doesn't work. So I look at Indiana if you're if you're surprised by what has happened here in the at the University of Sin today, I'm surprised by what's going on at Indiana. I thought they'd be good, but number two in the country, no way. Were you surprised or are you surprised that they are number two in the country.
Yeah, I guess not now, But I thought that. I mean, I knew people were sleeping on them coming to this season. I thought they would still be really good, but they've just taken it to a whole other level. I mean, they're different.
I thought, you know, uh Rourke was a really good quarterback with Brandom.
And Doza is on a whole other level. And their defense, their defense.
Is really taking a step up. We got them last.
Year, you know, and when they finally you know, first of all they had they had such a week competition for most last year, you didn't really know how good they were. And then when they finally got to Ohio State and that's a Notre Dame, they really got exposed in the trenches this year. They played Iowa very early in the season. Obviously, the game at Oregon, and I mean the game against Illinois obviously was the most eye opening.
And they are.
Kicking every respot physically, so really good team. At first, I said, you know, people would say in Indiana win the national championship, and I say, absolutely not. They're really good, They're not on that level. I do now think you have to take them seriously.
As the national championship contender.
Yeah, well, Chattiwi Stewart Mandeldiathletic dot com. We're talking college football, you see, and Utah later on tonight. I guess at the other end of the spectrum is the University of Kentucky. And I hate to speculate on anybody's job, but I would think the clock is running out on Mark Stoops. They've lost some games in the SEC this year, and other than the loss to Georgia, I'm sorry, other than the last Tech lost to Texas, they've been basically blown out.
I'm just I'm wondering, are you seeing the same thing too, that maybe this isn't going to be a happy ending at the end of the year for Stoops.
Other than yeah, a very nice buyout, it seems like the Kentucky fans have really given up on them for sure. Now I'm from a distance saying care for what you wish for. I mean, he had the best run of any Kentucky coach in Spare Bryant. It hasn't been as great recently, to say the least. They kind of bottomed out. But you know, you look at this market, this coaching cycle, and all the jobs that are already opened, some very attractive jobs in there. There are not enough good coaches
to go around. There are not we might see twelve thirteen, fifteen powerful jobs open, and there are not fifteen really good candidates out there. So if you're Kentucky and you're kind of further down the pecking order, you know, how can you be sure, you're actually going to upgrade for Mark Stoops, but look, program has to deal with I mean, this is this is a this is you're playing for the fans, right, You've got to You've got to keep
your fans engaged. And for instance, with Penn State, a lot of people who maybe weren't as familiar were like, how can they fire a dance? Franklin, you got such a good record, And I said, did you did you see after they lost to Northwestern at home? I mean, I've never seen a crowd be so nasty to the coach.
They they had to pull the plug.
And you know, I'm not.
There in Kentucky to know whether it's reached that depth just yet.
It's not good, I can tell you that. And fans are reactive anyway to begin with. So but given the fact that I mean, he's you know, he played Texas tough and had a chance to win that game, but there was some questionable coaching calls in the overtime of
that game. But I mean have with Tennessee and with South Carolina, with Georgia and it, I mean, they weren't even really the same that they didn't go along on the same field with those teams it was, so I think that's probably part of the problem that's exacerbated his situation. What games are you watching today? Are you going to go to any or or are you going to just be a television addict today?
You know most weeks now and just a television addicts. I need to the verses of my job. It's more important for me to see all the games instead of just some of the games. The YouTube TV might make that difficult for me. Thankful, We'll see what happens there. It's you know, it's one of those weeks where I look at the matchups and I'm like, something crazy is going to happen. I don't know what exactly, something crazy
is going to happen. I am interested to see Vanderbilk go to Texas because Vandy, you know, is kind of the.
Talk of college football right now, and Texas is not.
Then what we thought they would be, and arch manning status is in doubt. So you know that really that really interests me in a lot of front. Interested to see a cocktail party in Georgia and Florida because in that game, it never matters. You know, Florida fired their coach. They know a great record doesn't matter, Like I guarant
to you, they will. They will show up to that game and then an interesting swing game if you will, USC and Nebraska because whoever wins that it becomes talked about as possibly a fourth they can playoff team, and whoever loses is definitely out. But I will say the game I am most excited for all the game is definitely Cincinnati Utah. I guess you guys got to stay up late.
For that one.
Yeah, I know it's it's you know, there's a blessing and occurs to that, but no, no, I think if there's a reason to stay up late tonight, it's Cincinnati Utah. And the schedule kind of falls nicely because right before that you've got Oklahoma Tennessee, so you could you'll probably be able to get it most if not all, of that Oklahoma Tennessee game and before Cincinnati and Utah. Anyway, great catching up with you, Stuart Stewartmandel Theathletic dot Com.
It's one of the many reasons why to subscribe. In fact, if you've got somebody on your gift list this holiday season, there you go. If they're a sportsman, perfect perfect gift. Stuart thanks. Well, you know we'll be calling down the road. Thanks all right, thank you, bet anytime, anytime. Seventeen to seven, Ohio State over Penn State. Just under two minutes to go in the first half of that game up in Columbus and IU at Maryland is going to be another one.
We're about two hours away from that kickoff. Iun two in the country, number two in the country. Kirk Signetti has got that program up to heights. It is rarely seen. Meanwhile, for US, it is one twenty six on this Saturday afternoon. Straight ahead. FC Cincinnati can make short work of Columbus, will they. We'll chat with a soccer influencer of great note here in the greater Cincinnati area. Next on seven hundred wlw WLW Welcome back. I'm ken Brew two o'clock.
Donald Trump works well on the international stage nationally. You sit a few roadblocks thanks to these whack them old judges running around in their robes banging their gabbles on anything they could find. Snap seems to be the big thing now. Is Snap a sham? And are we really getting the true story from the media regarding Snap? Well, the answer to the true story from the media on anything is no, but we're going to get into that at two o'clock. Meanwhile, tomorrow, oh wait, no, one more thing.
Ohio State seventeen, Penn State fourteen seventeen fourteen, Ohio State at the half up in Columbus. Meanwhile, as we can say now, tomorrow night in Columbus, it's game two between the Columbus Crew and your FC Cincinnati. FC Cincinnati up one game to none in the best of three. They win tomorrow, it's over. They lose. They're back here next weekend for match number three. FC Cincinnati can end it tomorrow six thirty kick in Columbus. In the hell is
real Dettterby playoff? By the way, I mean, isn't that a little contentious when you hear these announcers say Derby, the thing is spelled Derby. That's Derby, not Dutterby. It's like it's you know, we're in the middle of County Cork. No, it's Derby. Nevertheless, detr By Derby. We welcome in one of the great soccer influencers in the greater Cincinnati area. He's our good buddy DJ Sweitzer, and he's standing by to join us right now to talk about this Game two between Columbus and FC Cincinnati.
DJ, how are you on this glorious day.
I'm great, Ken, glad to be joining you once again.
Why do they call it detrby when it's really spelled derby d erb Why can you explain to me why they do that on Apple TV?
I'm mesmerized by this.
I think it's a bit leaning into the way the English pronouncers technically say it, so I think it's another one of those little English uganisms, squeaking its way in there.
So in England, then when they say something isn't going right, would they say something ain't going right just to lean into America a little bit?
Do you think that happens?
Maybe during the NFL broadcast, you know.
So this match that was down here on Monday night, I thought, clearly FC Cincinnati played the better game. I thought they had the better opportunities, couldn't put the ball in the back of the net for various reasons. But I think By and Laura je FC Cincinnati fairly dominated that game. Was I watching the same game you were watching?
Yeah?
I mean it was definitely, you know, a match where two different teams are really playing two different styles of soccer, and we definitely saw some ways where both teams had some opportunities, but at Sea since A definitely were the side that had the better of the opportunities. They had better expected goals, better chances overall, more chances overall. They definitely looked the SA that dominated and I'm not at all surprised they came away with the win.
I was so afraid during that match because we've seen this several times this year where they dominate a match and they can't put the ball on the back of the net. And was it more of what they weren't doing? Were they Is this still something that dogs them even though they've made changes, radical changes with the folks up front, or was it just the way Columbus plays And it's one of those matchups what side do you fall on?
So I think it's a bit more on how Columbus plays. They're a very possession oriented, conservative type of side where they like to hold on the ball and they like to get men behind the ball and it's a very tough nut to crack sometimes and even with the firepower that pat Noun has at a disposal.
With the Secason Snatty squad.
It can be tough to break it down, and like you said, a couple of those opportunities that went, you know, without a finish early on in the match. It definitely leaves you nervous, and it's one of those things as you get later on in the match that you're like, geez, that they don't convert one e Columbus sneaks in here.
I thought a vander who's obviously their best player, but I thought it was guilty of playing a little hero ball in that game.
Did you feel the same way, Well.
I mean, he's the type of player that's always trying to unlock and come up with some of those creativity type of moments, so you can't really fall him. It's kind of in his nature. But there were some times where he probably chose something a little bit more extraving him, where a simple opportunity might have been an easier finish.
There was a little bit of news from FC Cincinnati this week. First of all, Roman Celentana was honored with the Save of the Year and it was just an incredible save that occurred, actually a series of saves that occurred earlier this year, and you know, I don't know where this club would be without Celentano. Yeah, I mean every goalkeeper is going to have it off night. But the fact that he was honored this week I think
is nice. But I think it speaks at his consistency and this is what you need at this time of the year is solid goalkeeping. I would think they're probably trying to scratch their heads in Columbus leading into this game tomorrow and night to figure out, Okay, how do we deal with this dude?
Even if that back line for.
Cincinnati is as stout as it is, what do you think is going through the minds of the Columbus crew and how to deal with Celentano?
Well, I think Columbus's main priority right now is scoring goals. It's not something that they've had exactly a lot of success with over the last month the month and a half of the season, really mean, many times they've had more than one outside of the kind of an outlier game in Atlanta towards the beginning of September. So they're just looking to find answers offensively all the time, not
necessarily as to get past Roman. But I think their big thing is they're going to try to hold onto the ball as much as they can and try to make sure that SEC don't have those opportunities to split forward and break forward and have some of those counter attacking chances that they tend to create in the flow of play. So I think they're really going to be concerned with can we hold onto the ball out last that FCC scoring opportunities and maybe pit something out of our kind of weekend attack.
And then the other honor was Nick Hagland wins MLS Comeback Player of the Year. I mean, his injury last season was just horrific, but I was really happy to see it on a number of levels. One, he seems like a decent dude. Second, he's from here, and third when he's in that lineup, it's it's a little bit different look for them.
Hagland.
You know, some people looked at him and wondered, and I was certainly one of them before his injury last year, like maybe, you know, as a game really passed this guy by, But it really hasn't, has it.
No.
I mean, Nick is a guy who keeps defining or redefining what type of player he is and kind of meeting and exceeding the expectations A lot of people said for him when he first arrived here. Obviously, he came, you know, in those first couple of seasons with the SCC when they're trying to make their mark in the league, and he has a great pedigree, whined a championship up in Toronto. It wasn't exactly a guy that you would
be like, that's a mark he's signing. But Nick just had a habit of sticking around and finding his way to be useful for the team. Well again, that first name that really jumps out on the back line when he's in there. They seem to have their stuff together and it is exciting to see what he's going to be able to do with him next or this weekend. Is he again is going to have to step into that role.
Do you think this thing goes to a third game? How do you think this plays out tomorrow night?
I mean, as far as things go in Columbus, that SCC haven't exactly had the best run up there. They've only won once and I think seven trips to Columbus. Although it's gotten a little bit better over the last year. They're one zero to one where they had a win and a draw. So I think there's an opportunity to go up to Columbus and get a win, but they're going to have to get that goal early and set Columbus on their back foots so that they're.
Not just clogging up that field for the rest of the match.
You know this, this this series seems so elongated. You're playing three matches in roughly two weeks. It's just I mean, I don't know. I've never played the game professionally. When I did play, I wasn't that good as an amateur. In fact, I was so poor as an amateur I don't think I played beyond youth. But the fact of the matter is, it seems like that they could could, you know, maybe tighten us up a little bit. Is three matches inside of two weeks too long or is that about right for you?
Well, I mean, obviously the international window from Major League Soccer is coming into play here a little bit and causing some of these long layoffs in between the matches, which is less than ideal but probably best from a player perspective. I do think the players probably would prefer a little bit of time off, so there's an opportunity
for recuperation. Obviously, the turnaround between this last game and this one is it's fairly tight, but then we get this big jump in between games two and three, so it really becomes a question of you know, do you want to have that break? And I think right now this banged U s Cconcinty team will take a little bit of time and get some of these other guys back into the lineup if they can.
Now, I asked you the question before last. How does this thing play out? I'm going to pin you down. Do they win to borrow night?
I think this is that same game to loose? So yeah, I think I think they've got it here this weekend.
Ken, Right, So we're coming, We're looking for you. If it doesn't happen, I'm just gonna let you know. Is that all right? We'll be looking at now.
I'll da you.
DJ Sweitzer soccer influencer. By the way, what is a soccer influencer?
Hey?
Just run in my mouth about the sport when other people don't want to hear it.
What of about what about a million and a half here in the greater Cincinnati area?
All right, DJ, stay well, you know we'll be in touch.
Thank you appreciate it.
Game will be on ESPN fifteen thirty tomorrow, night. You see tonight here on seven hundred WLW and UK.
Tonight on ESPN fifteen thirty. So we've got a.
Big guy in the iHeart media family here in Cincinnati. Got a lot going on one forty nine already on this Saturday. I am ken Brew and this is seven hundred.
W l W. It's Radio seven hundred WLW.
Yes, gather around the lemonade stand.
We have one more hour to go, and that would be from now until three we count down to UC football and that's a long countdown. Kickoff is not until ten fifteen tonight out in Utah, Utah, as they used to say back in the old neighborhood, the starting quarterback for Utah is a guy named Devin damp Here. He's very good, but he's been hurt. Even in his absence last week, the backup bird Fickland, played very well.
Either way, it.
Sounds like you see HAD football coach Scott Centerfield has his team prepared.
And obviously, you know, Napier is their guy, and if he's healthy and then we anticipate him playing and you know, but now for them, they got to feel really good about the fact that they got another guy that can put in there and had an outstanding game and think he was.
A Big twelve Player of the Week this past week.
So but I think, you know, it's what they do team wise, you just have to defend that whole offense.
Be in about an hour and a half out in Maryland College Park, Maryland, it will be the Terps against number two Indiana. I don't think a lot of people, as we talked about with Stuart Mandela an hour ago, I don't think a lot of people really saw this coming for Indiana, and a lot of people are wondering what the success is or why.
And obviously you know Nampier is their guy and he's healthy.
No, that's the wrong guy. This guy is Kurt Signetti. He's their head coach. So what's the reason. You know, it's a reason for this.
You know, the thing we ask our guys that do is play every play.
Like it's nothing, nothing, game on the line, and from beginning then, regardless of the competitive circumstances.
And I think they've bought into that message.
Well they have, and they're they're very good and again taking on Maryland today and favored despite being on the road UK at Auburn later on tonight, so we are now into our second month of the government shutdown, and to most of us, we have not been affected. Unless you work for the military, or you're someone who is working for government agencies like the air traffic controllers, or it may be somebody that relies on federal funding, it's
probably not affected your life all that much. It's about to particularly with the situation that is going on with the ATC and how there may be delays and flights and whatnot. And it's also affected SNAP SNAP, which is a term for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and those are benefits, and those benefits help those who maybe have food shortages
in their life or no food in their life. But remember, not too long ago, there was the one big beautiful bill that was passed by Congress, and in that one big beautiful bill, that particular program was really dug into to remove most refugees, asylum seekers, trafficking and domestic violence victims, and other legal immigrants. About ninety thousand people will lose SNAP in an average month according to what the Big
Beautiful Bill is all about. But now we're hearing that forty two million people are going to be affected because of the government shutdown. And not being able to continue funding SNAP. It's complicated, and there have been gross abuses of SNAP since the Democrats got that program up and running. For example, this is from it's a federal I'm sorry, this is a federal This is a report from the Department of Health and Human Services.
And this is the quote.
Federal, state and local spending on refugees and asylum seekers, including food, healthcare, education, and other expenses, totaled four hundred and fifty seven billion with a B dollars from two thousand and five to twenty nineteen. Again, that's from the Department of Health and Human Services and during that time, twenty one percent of refugees and asylum seekers received SNAP benefits.
The Big Beautiful Bill cut that out, But look at the abuse that went on before the one Big Beautiful Bill, and it makes you wonder if that was that program was so corrupt, Well, what is it now? Who is it serving now? And Trump's got a problem. We've got a couple of problems with this one. He has two judges.
John J.
McConnell maybe the most politically compromised judge in the country.
He operates out of the U. S. District Court of Rhode Island.
He was a political operative for the Democrat Party in Rhode Island and contributed to Democrat candidates. Begged two Democrat senators to appoint him to the bench there in the District Court, and he so was. He issued a ruling on Snap, as did Judge in Deira Taiwani of the
US District Court for Massachusetts. The two rulings that came down yesterday seem to be in conflict with each other, and it also seems, at least from what I'm reading, it also seems to raise the specter that there is this slush fund of about five and a half billion dollars that could be paid right now to eliminate the SNAP problem, except that five and a have billion wouldn't
pay for a full month. The program costs the federal government about nine billion dollars monthly, and it's not clear whether or not that they can dip into that money legally. And so the Trump administration is looking for some guidance from these two judges that don't be don't seem to be in sync with each other. Meanwhile, there's a giant political problem that Trump has, and when it comes to politics, why not turn to one of the finest political minds
of our time. He is doctor Frank Sorrentino, noted political pundon and also someone who has written the definitive history of American presidents. And I asked doctor Sorrentino to join me today and he's absolutely delighted. I'm told he's standing by online too, So let's go to him, Doctor Sorrentino, how are you on this glorious.
Saturday, doing wonderful and it's a pleasure to be with you.
I'm glad you're with us here. Doctor. A lot of things percolating.
First of all, I think if I look at Donald Trump right now, what I see is kind of a micro cosm of his presidency. He succeeds internationally, he settles wars, he makes deals with countries that brings dollars into America. All things percolating rather well there, except perhaps on the Ukraine Russia front. And then when you get back home, he's got tremendous problems. He's got problems with the opposing party that doesn't want to do business with him. He's
got problems with regards to his own party. He has people that call themselves Republicans, but they're really Democrats, and it makes it difficult for him to get things done where in the middle of a government shutdown. So why is this guy so good internationally getting things done but so snyming on so many fronts? Want with what he wants to get done by things here at home?
Well, I think there is a divide in America, and this divide is much more polarized and deeper. So it transcends Trump. But Trump has his own style which in some ways exacerbates some of that polarization and tension that exists. So he's both a product of that polarization which put him into the presidency, and it creates the problem of trying to deal with it at the same time, Why.
Do Democrats hate him? Why do they hate him so much? Is it because he did not allow Queen Hillary to ascend to the throne in twenty sixteen?
Or is it deeper than I think it's deaker than that, But it begins there.
Hillary couldn't represented the internationalization of the Democratic Party and
the corporatization of the Democratic Party. And what you had in the post Cold War was this notion that America was no longer a domestic nation but a member of the globalized community, where we could offshore almost all the industrial production of the United States A bit of a hyperbole there, but at the same time enriched the profits of the corporate elits of America, and it did benefit large numbers of people, particularly people on the coastal elites
of the Pacific and the Atlantic, and it impoverished a large number of people. But those people weren't as important because they didn't have the technical skills, because they were of a prior error in terms of technology, and two, they didn't have the wealth and the political power. So Trump marshaled the agreed class, if.
I could put it that way.
And what he did was in danger large numbers of people who made magnificent profits during the period following the Cold War, and I think that was very difficult. Now on social issues, I think I could speak from New York here, where we're about to have maybe a socialist mayor, is that the Democrat Party has also embraced a different view of how governance existed in the United States for
a period of almost two hundred and fifty years. We now see a majority of Democrats sympathetic towards the concept of socialism and socialism and globalism, while Trump represents nationalism and capitalism.
You know the issue we have here at home. The government's been shut down for over a month. Food assistance the plans snap is running out, probably will run out here in the next day or two for those that need food. Military is not getting paid. Although apparently there is some sort of private funding that will help air traffic controllers on the job, not getting paid air travel
can be a problem. My point in all of this is that the Republicans have the majority in the Senate, and there's a thing called the filibuster, and it wants the filibuster blown up and done away, which means that you can get legislation passed with a mere majority. You don't have to get to the sixty vote threshold. And there are a lot of country club Republicans in Washington, DC right now, doctor that are saying, no, that's army Jeddon.
We should never go that way because if the Democrats ever get control, then they would have the ability to push through their agendas statehood for example for DC, or packing the Supreme Court. My position is Trump is waiting on judges to be approved. He's got a government that's been shut down because of Democrat obstinates. Should we be worried about the filibuster because it doesn't matter what Democrats are going to do if they get in power, they're
going to do it anyway. They're going to do away with it. So why not just get it over with now, get the government running, get judges approved, and get this thing back on track.
Why not just do it?
Well, if that's an interesting and very tempting solution, the problem is that I think you erode some of the restraints. I remember when Harry Reid was the Senate majority leader and Obama was president and they lowered the level for district court judges and Appella Court judges to majority than when Trump got elected. That Mitch McConnell did it for the Supreme Court, and what we have is a polarized judiciary as well. There is something to be said about
super majorities in the Senate. Now. The problem here is is some people will say, as you did, that it's going to be done anyway. The filibuster may be a relic, and it may well happen. You may be right, but I'm not so sure it's a good idea.
If we could.
Strengthen that norm.
We could then develop more consensus so that administration becomes just as one sided and just push forth an agenda that half the nation detests.
Okay, you don't think, Yeah, okay, I mean I understand that, and I think I think your point is valid. But there has to be something that gets this off the dime, because here we are not a year into his second term, and we've got this obstinence on the side of the Democrats, and we already talked about Trump derangement syndrome, particularly on the far left of the Democrats, and they're sucking the rest of the party into their into their corner with him.
So what are we looking at three more years of paralysis here? I mean, they can't even they can't even get a continuing resolution approved, which has been the norm, particularly for the Democrats since since god knows when you can go back decades.
They can't even get that done.
So then if that's the case, and your anti blowing up the filibuster, then where's the answer here?
How does he get done?
Yeah?
And it just surprises me a bit because he is a deal maker and he seems to be unwilling to offer a face saving device for the Democrats, and I think that's critical in all negotiations he could offer. I mean, one of the big problems is this Obamacare Affordable Care Act, where they made arrangements okay, where the insurance companies would
get almost a guaranteed ten percent profit. And he made another alliance with the pharmaceutical companies where they could sell the drugs at list price, and that was successful in getting it passed, but now it becomes symbolic of the financial crisis in the United States about health care. I think the Democrats are so dug in on this that
he's got to offer them something. Of course, the subsidies are what keeps Obamacare going, and there may be some temporary thing which you want to you want them to vote for the clear continuing resolution, but they don't appear to be doing that. And I think with his foreign policy success, he could offer an olive branch, whether it is on snap or some subsidies for the Obamacare dreamings, which are going to be very very high for a
lot of people, and it's fundamentally destructive. I think of the healthcare system the way he was formulated.
But he's he's stubborn too. That could run his problem but foreign policy.
He seems to know that you don't win by just demanding what you want. You have to have that win win situation, and I'm not quite sure. I mean, you could say this the principle of continuing resolutions, and I agree with that, but at the same time this hostility, he could be more magnanimous and then try to win again on some of these other issues about how you're going to finance the government. Yeah, I think that's a real problem.
No, yeah, I yeah, absolutely, And shame on the Republicans for not having their own quote unquote Obamacare. Where the hell is that They've never They've always said Obamacare is bad. They never came up with anything better. So if you're going to just say we're going to dig our heels in and we're going to try and take Obamacare down, whether it's through not voting on these subsidies or bastardizing whatever Obamacare is, okay, fine, Well what do you offer
in return? They don't have anything. The Republicans devoid of any ideas on healthcare for the United States. And it's that's where they and I part because I think if you're going to say, okay, that's bad, get rid of it.
Okay, well, what do you got that's better? And they don't have anything that's better.
I think you're absolutely right, Ken, because they have basically been opposed to the Obamacare, but have not provided a solution that deals with some of these same issues in a more economical way that doesn't destroy the premiums and the economic welfare of a large segment of the American public. And that's one of their great failures. But they don't prioritize that. They prioritize the rhetoric but not the solution.
And the Democrats have not been willing to modify the Affordable Care Act by taking some of those incentives because that's part of their constituency. And we're facing this very, very difficult crisis because I.
Think more than we could go back two.
Centuries, but the hatred of both sides towards each other is reaching a feverish pitch where so many people are seeing things like assassination and defying the law as legitimate options. And when that happens, you risk not only civil peace, but the unification of the country on agreed upon principles of how you're going to govern.
Absolutely, that's why you've got a doctorate. And that's why I'm sitting in Cincinnati talking to you, because you're the expert, Doctor Frank Sorrentino. You can find you out doctor Frankmsorrentino dot com as doctor with a d R d R Frank Msorentino dot com. Okay, Doc, have a great rest of the weekend, and you and I can't take.
Down the world.
It's always a pleasure.
All right, Stay well, doc YouTube now by.
Yeah, we'll see, we'll we'll see exactly when this comes to a head. I've got a feeling it'll be after election Day. It'll be after this Tuesday. Everybody will get interested. I've said the big thing was after last Sunday when they had was it last Sunday they or last Saturday they had the no Kings nonsense. I said right after that it's but it didn't, it didn't get settled. Now I'm thinking after election Day we'll see. But I think he's right. I think an olive branch from Trump would
go a long way. And just bringing this thing to.
A head, we'll find out. That's the beauty of it.
We'll all find out together to twenty seven News Radio seven hundred at w l.
You've got your whole life ahead of you, so choose a Medicare plan you can count on. And that's what you get with a medica.
Coming up after the news at the top of the hour, it's sterling and he'll create probably six or seven major problems, but so all of the problems before the ones he creates, So.
Stay tuned for him.
Ohio State up in a commanding fashion in Columbus over Penn State thirty one fourteen, twelve minutes to go in the fourth and final quarter. Of course, tomorrow it's the Bengals end. It is the Bears down town at Pey Corpse Stadium. The Bears are a two and a half point favorite, largely because Joe Flacco's hurt. Now he's going to start. He said he will play and said also
this this week. I don't know, I've never really dealt with it before, but I guess there's a point where it's not really up to you.
It's just kind of how it's reacting and how you feel.
So that's why I wanted to make sure, you know, I was able to test it out a little bit.
So the Bears are not in great shape either. I mean, they did win four in a row before stumbling last week week in Baltimore.
What's going on up there?
I know their secondary is beaten up, and their quarterback, whom they once thought was the future of the franchise still is on shaky grounds new head coach and Ben Johnson.
But what of others?
And why does it seem that that team is struggling as much as it is in the red zone? I mean, they're just they get in the renzo, they.
Don't know what to do. And so I was wondering about that.
I wanted to get Kevin Fishbaine on because he covers the team for the Athletic dot Com. He's one of the reasons why I subscribe to that website, and I was just wondering if we get some insight from him, and there is just boning in right now online number one, So let's bring him on in. So what is the problem with the red zone? I mean, they've got a lot of problems, but the red zone really, to me is I mean, that would be a red flag if I'm a Bears fan.
Yeah, They've had issues all over the board inside to twenty and it's been penalties, it's been not getting the run game on track. It's been you know, passing in accuracy, you name it. It's been kind of institutional issue more so than on one player that they've had so many problems. You know, they're five for six teams scoring touchdowns the red zone in the last four games as well, below
league average and where they should be. And this is Ben Johnson, who you know, the Detroit Lions are one of the best teams in the league in the red zone. So I think that it's a lot of just hammering out the details, gaining these guys in the same page, kind of some of that coach speaks stuff. But look, it's hard not to reference the quarterback when you're talking
about the red zone. You know, the quarterback is tasked with so many of those things to try to get the ball in the end zone, and Cable Livers just has not been consistent enough in those critical situations.
Is it still a matter of transition from from one coaching staff to the other. I mean, he's got Zach Taylor's brother is the passing game coordinator up there.
Is it?
Is it that kind of one of those things that you would expect, or is this kind of eat in the season to expect these things.
Yeah, I think do you expect it to take some time? Look Jared Goff, who was a veteran who's been to a Super Bowl, it took him eight games to really get a new groove with Ben Jonson back in twenty twenty two. So this is this is kind of the critical stage now for Caleb Williams. If you're gonna use that comparison, this is the game that he if he goes in the golf timeline, then he should start to really feel good in the system. So yeah, it's going
to take time. And I think too and Ken you know this about you guys have a quarterback there and Joe Burrow, who, as much as the team struggled his rookie year, I feel like when you watch Burrow, you knew right away and it has not really been the case here for them to be able.
To say that.
I think the Bears would love to say that, but maybe we also should have a little bit more patient.
Yeah, yeah, it is so difficult, it really is. I mean, burrows are few and far between, as you know in the Lake, but I think there could be something on that whole transition thing. How how is the line holding up Uh, there's a guy up there other plays guard, Joe Tooney who's from down here in the Greater Cincinnati area that I thought would have been a target for the Bengals in the off season giving their you know, their line problems. But how is the line in front of Williams played this year?
Yeah, it's been better. Obviously that the Bears made some big investments. You mentioned Tony. They traded for Jonah Jackson, gave him a new contract. They and Drew Dollman, who is the best center available. Their run blocking has generally been pretty good. Darnel Wright the right tackles, playing through an injury. He has a lot of big kind of brace on his arm, but he's been playing really, really well the past few weeks. Still better than the left tackle.
Is a great story on drafted guy out of Canada and has helped their run game. But obviously it's going to take him some time in the in the past game, and we've seen that the last two weeks where opponents have really gotten to him on pass plays. So the line is better, but when he was taking significantly fewer sacks than it took last year. But it's still it still can be better.
Again.
Red zone issue fall starts a bit a major issue with this group, and you know, same thing with these guys even better, and it just takes time with the new playbook sometimes, especially one is detailed as Ben Johnson.
Yeah, I watched, I watched the offense, and I mean even in games that that the Bears won, there it just seemed to be off a tick and I don't know what it is. And I don't want to hang everything on the transition because there's there's some there's some good players there. DJ Moore. Uh, you know, he's a good player, don Roma. Donza is a good player. I
think DeAndre Swift has proven himself in the league. And I know they're all battling injuries, but I mean that that the quote unquote skill positions, there seems to be enough talent I think for this team to be clicking just a little bit more.
Now.
Again, look, they had that long win streak that was broken last week. But it just seems like it should be better. Doesn't it seem that way to you?
Yeah, it should be. You know, they've got the players. You can you can spin it and say, you know, Swift's not a pro bowler. DJ Moore is accomplishes, He's been never been to a Pro Bowl. Rome is still young. You know, They've got these tight ends who they really like but just haven't really gotten going. And there's a
lot the names you ro outted up. I think a lot of teams would be happy with that collection of skilled players, and each guy has had their flashes, but it's just they just even even the game against Dallas, which is kind of the biggest offensive explosion they had, they stalled out a couple of times in the second half, and Ben Johnson he really wanted to kind of put that game away and they were not able to. So they have not come close to playing their best game
with something Ben Jonson has been emphasizing. As you know, Cincinnati's defense statistically creates an opportunity for the Bears to maybe try to get right. But you know, when you have false start and you're not consistently running the ball, and you're not accurate with the throws, you're not scorking the red though, it's a lot of things to fix them one week when you're going on the road. So it's I would say it's too too simple to say that Sincenay is going to be the recipe for the
Bears to get right. There's a lot of things that still need to get worked out.
Kevin fishban our guest. He is with the Athletic dot Com. He covers the Chicago Bears on a daily basis. They added CJ. Gardner Johnson this week the Bears. Do you have a great story up there Kevin on just the kind of problem he's been for teams off the field. But they're desperate. I mean, this is a guy that can cover the you know, the slot. Uh, they're gonna have their hands fall obviously in this game against the Bengals with Higgins and Chase outside, but he can cover
players in the slot. There's no question about that. Was that a leap of faith for them because I mean he's been with a lot of teams and we know why.
Yeah, it's you know, generally had a good sign when a team trains for you and then cuts to you a few weeks later, like what happened in Houston, and you have to dive into that when you're a Bear's steam And I will say this is rare for the Bears under GM Ryan Poles to bring in a player like this who has bounced around as much as he has,
but I think there is faith. Obviously. Dennis Allen was the coach when Garter Johnson came into the league, and Johnson had him for a little bit or overlap with him at Detroit in twenty twenty three, and Al Harris a secondary coach. It's a no nonsense guy who's got a lot of respect in this league, a lot of respect in the filing. I think certainly counting on him to help, but you're right, they need it. You saw Tyler Huntley and the Ravens really attack the Bears backup
corners last week and do so successfully. So to get a veteran who's competitive as they all get out, and you know what, sometimes in this league, I mean, you got to be careful with it and you got to harness it. But sometimes it's okay in this league to have somebody who can be a pest. And the Bears don't really have a whole lot of guys like that, so maybe you would like somebody who's a little more accomplished.
And it wasn't you know, cut in the middle of the season, but he is an upgrade from what they were using since Kler Gordon got hurt.
Okay, let's handicap this then seriously hurting a corner. You're you're going to get Joe Flacco this week. There's no doubt in my mind that whatever ailed him earlier in the week, he's he'll be there on Sunday. You know you're going to get Chase. You know you're going to get Higgins. If you're Chicago, the running game here in Cincinnati has blossomed, you also know that you're going to get a defense it's not very good and probably won't
have Trey Hendrickson. I'm just I'm just I'm just wondering as you look at this game and knowing all of that and seeing Chicago in the last four games before what happened in Baltimore, the way they played, just wondering, how do you handicap this one?
How do you how do you see this one playing out?
Yeah? It's I mean you talk about the secondary injuries for the Bear is going up against Chase and Higgins and that's a rough matchup. You know it was Rashan Bateman and Save Flowers were making big plays against them last week. I can only imagine which of our chases they can turn. You on the film I mean, he's been beating double teams of good corners, so I like that matter for Cincinnati, and as well as the Bears have been creating takeaways this season, they're not gained after
the passer very well. And if you give Joe Flaco time, he'll kill you. And you know, the Bears played him when he was in Cleveland and twenty twenty three and he led a fourth quarter comeback for the Ages in that game. Different coaching staff, different players, but it was only two years ago. So I like Cincinnati's chances to score a lot of points. And I just I know
that the Bengals defenses has been rough. I have a lot of faith in the Bears coaching staff to get things better, but you know, sometimes you just got to see it to believe it. And I haven't seen them from his Bears offense to really think they can fully
take advantage of Bengals defense. So I haven't made like an official pick yet, but I I can see I can see the Bengals finding a way to win this one at home, and if it's a shootout, frankly, I'm taking I'm taking Flacco, uh and those receivers over a Bears office and just hasn't gotten it all together.
Yeah.
I don't think anybody's buying into the Bengals defense down here just yet. But this is an important game for Chicago. I mean, after this, uh, they played in New York at home, you would think that that's a winnable game against the Giants. Then they got to go to Minnesota division rivalry game, and then they played Pittsburgh. If you're if you're Chicago, you would think your best shot here maybe this game against the Bengals and then the Giants.
Minnesota is going to get McCarthy back, we'll see how that goes. And Pittsburgh is uh is a team that's proven it could score some points. So this is kind of a pivotal game. Right after that series of games, they go to Philadelphia and then they got to go to Green Bay. So my guess is they got to make some sort of hay in these next four games if they want to stay competitive, if not inside the division as one of the seven teams in the NFC.
Right, that's a great point.
I mean, in the last five games, they're gonna be underdogs probably in all five. You got Philly, you got two against Green Bay. Sorry, they got they have Cleveland homes, will be favorite in that game. So five of their six final games they will be underdogs to Green Bay, uh two against Green Bay at Philly, Detroit, coming to Chicago, and then at San Francisco on a Sunday night. So they yeah, they've got to build a little cushion for
themselves as they enter that stretch. And this is a game that you know, look, they should win, but I would have said they should have beat Baltimore with Tyer Huntley at quarterbacks last week. And so yeah, you know Ben Jonson improved in that Dallas game that they need to prove anything to us, But that was a really pivotal moment for them coming off just an ugly, ugly loss in Detroit to make so many corrections and get
that win. And I'd like to think coming off the loss against Baltimore that he has a capability to get these guys in position to do it again. And and I'm curious what the Bengals look like coming off are just a tough such a tough loss to the Jets. You know, you don't have you don't have your star quarterbacking, you don't have your star defensive end, that's tough to get off the mat after losing a game like that
to a team at the JET. So that's gonna be another interesting storyline the follow You're right, this is this is a game that the Bears really for their the way their season looks like, you got to win this game.
Yeah, well that's why you and I live right. I mean, the game is one thing, but the stories are the are the even more intriguing things. Yes, drama abound, certainly Bengals and Bears at take War Stadium. Kevin good stuff can continue the good work at the Athletic really good stuff. If you're if you're just a football fan, it's it's a great he's a great follow. But also if you're a Bears fan, I can't think of a better guy
to follow than Kevin at the Athletic dot Com. Stay well, and I know you're coming to the game, so we'll see you down here on Sunday.
Thanks all right, thanks for Letten.
Bengals give up a lot of yards on the ground, but the Bears are banged up in the backfield. DeAndre Swift, lead running back out, one of the backups Rashawn Johnson out.
So see if that makes a difference.
You've got to tackle people, man, you gotta start tackling people. It is two fifty five News Radio, seven hundred WLW