To start right out of the gates. Former head of political science at Wright State University. She is professor of Merida. She's a Cincinnati kid. She published the first textbook on terrorism some years ago. And back with Sterling on seven hundred WLW Doctor Dona Schleg How are you? How are how was everything?
Good evening? Looking forward to an interesting week, big anniversary tomorrow at jan sixth.
Absolutely, and of course the.
Foreign policy picture just keeps getting more and more interesting.
That it does. You know, we spoke a few days ago and we were talking about the FBI quashing what looked to be an ISIS sympathizer or ISIS member looking to do harm stateside, which was fantastic news. The local state and the federal authorities were able to put the
hammer down on them. And over the last couple of weeks we talked about increasing naval presence in the part of the world around, say the Caribbean, and those gunboats or or drug boats or fishing boats whatever vessels they happened to be being taken out of the water fairly regularly.
And the talk had been and we had discussed this regime change and how it had gone historically for the US and oil being big part of that, and President Trump of course after actually it was Friday night after we spoke that all of the stuff that went down, which was snatching Maduro, president former of Venezuela, illegitimate as he may have been, and his first lady. They've whisked them back to New York. They faced criminal charges here domestically.
How surprised were you and how that went down over the weekend?
Surprised? And I think that was clearly you know, the element of surprise was one of the objectives in the administration. It's important to think of what happened though, is just very first step in regime change. The leadership is to capitate him, but all of his people are still running the operation in Venezuela, the military, the economy, etc. So we are in that strange position right now of having
to sit and watch. They've sworn in an interim president, as you probably know, Maduro's longtime vice president, but technically in their own constitution they're required to have an election here within thirty days. So imagine imagine the options that they are sorting through in Venezuela right now. The United States is basically standing on their neck in terms of their economy. You know, oil, the oil picture is clearly
very much at the heart of this. Will they hold an election, Will you know, the party who was denied taking office back in twenty four be allowed to run, you know, Will the people of Venezuela turn out in the streets. Well, I've been watching the media, and there have been a few smaller demonstrations, mostly in south southern Miami. But I think there's tremendous caution that there seems that they're holding their breath about these next steps, and it
is surprisingly turning into a region why at operation. Not only is this meant to choke off a lot of aid to Cuba and perhaps force a regime change there, but you know, the Colombians are sending troops to their border. President Trump has been speaking about the president of Colombia as being also one of the bad guys. And suddenly American foreign policy has turned all of its eyes on,
you know, on Latin America. Latin America and Africa were always two of the most neglected parts in our foreign policy. So for it to you know, this this sudden turn, the movement of so many assets to the Caribbean, as you mentioned it was an operation certainly on the scale of what happened in twenty eleven to take out to truct to arrest or. He was killed in the operation Osama bin Laden. He died in the operation and buried at sea. But the element of surprise was clearly very important.
What ultimately triggered it seems to have been Maduro's rather rude rejection of what President Trump considered very friendly terms for him to leave office. But right now we all have that question, as John Lennon said in his great song about you say you want a revolution, show us
the plan, you know, how will we engage her? President Trump seems to have deferred, you know, a lot of the responsibility in the oil sector to the oil companies once they have access again to try to rebuild the infrastructure that has been allowed to deteriorate very badly since it was nationalized by the Venezuelan government. Chevron is in a really great spot because they stayed in Venezuela. Exxon
got out, I think Kanaco bailed out as well. We took some real verbal blows at the Security Council today by the Chinese and the Russians. The Chinese, of course, by most of Venezuela's oil as well. So this is broad based, but the plan for how Venezuelans, under a lot of outside pressure, are going to transform their regime to comply with President Trump's demand. We are beginning a very interesting couple of weeks here in this transition. Be
watching to see if they call for an election. I think the smart bet would be if the military can get on the side of an election and a new government, maybe a national unity government, we may all be spared the prospect of American boots on the ground.
Doctor don Ascheles, let me introduce your reintroduce your real quick and I want to touch a couple of things because I know your rolling and bringing out great info. It's doctor Donald schleg former head of political science now Professor Meredith from Wright State, was sterling on the big one. You mentioned the oil companies and one still being there and actively engaged. However, you know, deteriorated a lot of their infrastructure, limiting the you know, their ability to get
a lot of that oil out. And of course the embargo in US now clamping down on where those oil you know, vessels can maybe go to. That Obviously, many of our effective enemies are in fact Hungary for and have made deals for clamping down on this part of
the world and tightening up those type of things. Isn't that probably in the best interest of this nation and our national security down the line, since we've talked about this other multi level game of chess between the Chinese US here in the United States and you know, looking at what Russia has has been doing also, or is that stretching it a bit?
Oh?
I don't think it's stretching it. I think the concern was over the the constant growing Chinese involvement in the Caribbean. Certainly that you know, you've heard the many stories about their investments in Africa in infrastructure. So part of this was to squeeze out I think put pressure on the Chinese major naval demonstration in the Caribbean. H where else involving the Chinese might we need to be prepared for
a major naval action. The Chinese just finished a series of very aggressive training missions around Taiwan, basically to demonstrate how they could absolutely completely choke it off. So it is what is the next step in I think you're right, it is clearly it's the great power game. This is US and China, I think in a proxy conflict in the Caribbean where we play to strength, But that Taiwan issue keeps nagging at me for us not to take our eye off that one either.
Are we in a position to really stretch out and go much beyond where we are now with our military forces if in fact China wanted to get froggy and more aggressive than just doing maneuvers in and around Taiwan, which is really a stone's throw from mainland China.
Oh, and there is a great question. A lot of the forces that were redirected into the Caribbean came from Europe and the Middle East. So no, I don't think we've robbed Peter to pay Paul in terms of our Pacific presence, particularly with an eye toward Taiwan. And you know that the Chinese are basically saying, it's our sphere of influence, just like we are now claiming Monroe doctrine, if you will. This is South America is our sphere
of influence. Do you know what that competition has led to historically, just sort of in general Great power war, Yeah, exactly, boot lots of boots on the ground.
As we look at this and a lot of the questions that come up is, you know, should we be in the business of snatching other elected leaders, however questionable or doubtful or frankly obviously illegitimate they are and acting in this fashion. I mean, where is the line on that?
I mean, I just got into an interesting conversation with a buddy of mine I've known for a long time, and he's like, well, it's against the law, and doctor schlike I simply said, if you have a bigger hammer, then it doesn't really matter effectively who says what the law is, because we are above and beyond that at this point. Is that irritating to a lot of people perhaps, But isn't that closer too accurate?
I think it's accurate. I think talking the law enforcement story of arresting him and prosecuting him, as we've recently done with the former president of Hondur. In fact, it's the same federal prosecutor who drew up the charges in both cases. Interestingly enough, but in terms of international law, international law is basically what we call self enforcing. It gets enforced if people abide by it, and if you break it. The only way to enforce it typically would
be either with economic or with military force. That is why traditionally great power conflicts over resources end up the in war. It's quite a demonstration. And I would also say we might be thinking about the stories we're not talking about right now. Tomorrow's January sixth, that's the five year anniverse. We have another major budget crisis coming up here at the end of the month, which will be here, you know, basically in the blink of an eye.
That's been for seemingly years now almost and of.
Course the nagging Epstein questions, So talk about comletely changing the story, you know, completely moving our attention. Uh, it's a it's a it's a remarkable demonstration of capacity. But the type of planning that went into this operation Sterling, we don't have the means to control what happens from
this point out, particularly in Venezuela. You know, we we have talked about taking our oil back, taking our oil facilities back, and that that that hits probably the biggest nerve in terms of nationalism, national pride, and national sovereignty that you could you know, ask any person in any country about how you feel about an outside force intruding in your affairs.
Is the bottom line go ahead of bottom line is what?
Well that that bottom line question? Will the public support this? I'm really reminded of Colin Powell who used to say, you know, you go into pottery barn, you break it, you buy it. We may be if if this thing goes very very badly, we have to consider we've bought the whole picture.
Well, what does that really mean? Because we left Afghanistan. I mean, we're just going to do what we do and the bottom line is if we get the oil flowing, that's all that really matters, right, I mean, strategically speaking, And Colombia is going to be scared in Mexico to a certain extent, probably somewhat unnerved. Cuba certainly has been.
I mean you can see it almost from South Florida, So I mean, how far off are we from really just seeing these dominoes fall a little bit more, because I don't know how it could come back to really hurt us anyway. We've tightened up the border, we're kicking people out of the country. We could effectively, rightly or wrongly, We're acting in some ways, some would argue elsewhere, and I've had the conversation that we're no different than Russia with Ukraine or some of these others, but we put
our face on it and describe it differently. And the only reason we didn't do more and haven't done more with Russia is because they've got the nuclear threat, correct.
Ah, that nuclear threat. And of course we're not talking about Ukraine Russia either at this point. Are we the idea in Iraq in two thousand and three that Iraqi oil would pay for complete reconstruction? Do you remember that one?
I heard it?
Yeah, I remember, I remember that one. And now we talk about the thousands of American servicemen and women who were injured or died in that war, and Iraq is still one of those barely holding it together states, you know, trying to put the pieces back together, and it's not going particularly well. Their oil production has not been returning either.
Your point about putting the oil industry back together, getting the economy up and going, that should be the most compelling argument for the people in Venezuela today to make a decision to work with the United States, call for an election, respect their constitution, respect the consequences of that election, and then the oil companies will have a chance to probably renegotiate their terms, get that economy back up on its feet. Venezuela used to sell a lot of oil.
Its productions has fallen massively, which is why the country is such a disaster in terms of hyperinflation, violence, crime. A quarter of the people have fled that country, A quarter of their citizens have left the situation. It has deteriorated so badly. So a rebuilding of the industry is what clearly has to happen. This may be the point, but the onus you talked about the multi level chess game. What are the powers that be that run the economy
and the military in Venezuela. They have a choice right now. They've been talking, you know, a lot of bully conversation,
but there are no negotiations going on right now. I guarantee you to step this thing down, particularly for Chevron to be right at the front of the line, you know, to resurrect and to repair its economy, and perhaps perhaps maybe one of the inadvertent positive outcomes will be for the Venezuelans to get a legitimate, dually elected government which would be in a position to do something about the narcotics trafficking, the corruption there in the government with the
cartel's Mexico, you mentioned several other states. It's widespread in the hemisphere, and those are two enormously petroleum wealthy countries, and yet the cartels are so powerful. So we're taking a risk trying to force a change right now.
We only have about a minute left. And I'm curious about this as you sort of look at it, because there are two, if not three, twenty five I think, or close to thirty million dollars bounties on the heads of those in the military that were high up, that were Maduro's sort of enforcers in some fashion, and they were left behind. So do we push for them to
go away, pay them off to go away? Will they be whisked back to the United States, Because as long as they're there, a lot of the dirtiness hasn't gone anywhere, regardless of how true or not true, Maduro's corruption in fact proves to be.
Completely agree. If they're smart, they will be negotiating their exit strategies right now to try to get in front of what's going to be a series of tremendous changes in Venezuela, hopefully not brutal and violent, and a lot of chaos. It could be a positive turning point for the country, but those are going to be the decisions which will drive what will fall to us next.
Thank you am.
Running the country of Venezuela.
Concerns, Yeah, big time concerns SJ six anniversary tomorrow, which a lot of people don't want to talk about. It's so far in the distance memory. And if things had gone differently legally before this last election, then of course this conversation would be another scenario too. So these are strange days. Former had a political science now Professor Emeredith from Wright State University, Cincinnati. Kid doctor Donashlake, thank you
for making time. I appreciate you being here on a Monday, Sterling.
Thanks Sterling, talk to you.
Take care of yourself and coming up, we got Gary Jeff Walker joining me next seven hundred WW is our Gary Jeff Walker? Is he surfing Venezuela? Is he taking a trip south trying to fulfill an obligation to step in if necessary, to control the Venezuelan nation and to get that oil pumping and to get things safe and under control. Know who the hell knows? I don't know. He text merely said, Sterling, you're on then I said yes. He says, can I be on with you? I said yes,
He said, I want to talk Venezuela. I many of all things to talk about. Sure, Gary, Jeff, are you awake? Are you alive? Or you half in the bag? What the hell is going on?
Shirling?
I am here, and I am clear eyed, and I am fine. I'm showing in the footsteps of Bill Cunningham, who, of course appeared on his own show when I was hosting on December twenty second, because Willie just can't stay off the radio. And apparently I am cut from the same mold.
Yeah, by the way, you got a nice jib cut.
Thank you. I didn't know you'd noticed.
Well, you know, I'm here to help.
I'm glad I was wearing a low cut T shirt tonight so you could. First and foremost, I have heard a rumor that the Bengals are working with the Cleveland Browns to trade Zach Taylor for Kevin Stefanski, a real coach who won Coach of the Year two times. Secondly, secondly, yes, you know. In eighteen twenty three, a US president named James Monroe established Monroe Doctrine, which basically said, in our hemisphere that European powers weren't allowed to colonize.
Or interfere in the Western Hemisphere.
Because this was our backyard and we were going to protect that at at no cost to us.
Just you better stay out. And two hundred and.
Two years later, President Trump has established the Monroe doctrine, the Donro doctrine in the case of Venezuela and the extraction of Maduro is a win win, win, win, win win win. Not just the United States, but it's a win for the Venezuelan people. It's a win for anyone who appreciates and believes in freedom and fair elections. Maduro, of course, famously did not allow the opposition.
Candidate, Maria.
Gosh With Mashadow, did not allow her to be on the ballot in twenty twenty three to oppose him because she received ninety two percent of the vote to oust him as president. In twenty twenty, the Justice Department indicted Maduro on narco terrorism charges, of which he was never brought to justice during the Biden administration, and Joe Biden famously put a twenty five million dollar bounty on Maduro's head.
And now the Democrats, who all agreed with Joe Biden are saying that Trump's action in bringing him to justice was illegal. It's not about drugs, as so famously has been said by the Trump administration too. It's not about oil as many people think it's not.
This is about China.
Oh yeah, and it's influenced in Latin America first and foremost and only. This is about keeping communists China out of Latin America. And that's why Chile and Colombia and these other countries, Cuba especially are quaking in their boots because the cutoff of Venezuelan cheap oil to those countries and the butting up to China that has been done with Brazil and Colombia and most famously Venezuela.
Is now over.
This is about keeping China out of the Western hemisphere. And that's really what it's all about. And nobody really has been saying this, sterling, and I will first the first thing I thought when this happened, I said, oh, this is about kicking China out of out of Latin America.
You noticed one of the first things that President Trump did after he got into office was send Secretary of Saint Marco Rubio to Panama because we built the Canal and then President Carter receded the control of the Panama Canal, which we built to Panama back in whatever year it was that they took an instantly communist China started monopolizing the ports in and out of the Panama Canal, and Marco Rubio and President Trump and his administration moved to
immediately once again in our backyard, kicked China out of the Panama Canal. And it's no stranger to me though. I was on the air Saturday morning when this news broke, Sterling, and I was doing my history notes for the day, and I said, January third, nineteen ninety, what did the US do? They finally got Noriega and brought him to justice. They extracted him on the same date, thirty six years later they're doing with Nicholas Maduro.
It was his term, Nicholas Maduro.
And this is a win win, win, win win, as I said, because once again, Venezuela is not the drug mule for Europe or the United States moving the cocaine through Colombia through Venezuela into Mexico and to the United States and to Europe.
That's not happening.
When President Trump closed the border almost instantly once taking office, after Joe Biden and the Democrats said, well, it has to be done with Congress.
This is not an easy thing to do.
It was easy as an executive order and a pen with President Trump, we have zero crossings, illegal crossings coming across our border, all right, and Venezuela and Maduro, as President Trump is rightly stated, we're releasing all of the prisoners out of their prisons and their mental institutions and sending them northward to the United States because of the open border policies of the last president Joe Biden.
Secondly, the idea.
That communists China, and again this is the big deal here, is that communists China is now unnoticed. They can talk about Iran and Cuba and all the other countries that were benefiting from the cheap oil that Venezuela stole from American oil companies who established their wills and built the infrastructure originally back in the nineteen twenties. This is returning the money that the communists Hugo Chavez first and then
Nicholas Maduro stole from American oil companies. It's restoring oil and it is bringing cheaper oil prices to the United States and around the world.
Let's hope they can still sell that oil to China.
Well, now, I think the problem you go with that is to say, then does that mean that the oil pumped out of the United States ground is also the oil company's oil and not our oil? Because I mean, and just to be devil's advocate, because their argument has been, for how long once you do this thing and help get their business up, do you get to just keep sucking it out of the ground and taking it that That's what their argument has been.
Well, the argument is fine, but no, that's not right. American oil companies actually are responsible for that oil being pumped out of Venezuela in the first place. So yes, they have a financial stake and a reason to claim the profits from that which we're stolen by Chavez and Maduro the communists. But the big thing here is that it puts China Jizingping and communists.
China puts them.
Unnoticed that they know no longer going to be able to buddy up in our own backyard and assert their influence.
I hope that we are just as aggressive further down the line, and also in the parts of Africa where they have obviously been building lots of roads and a lot of other things, helping to sort of ease their way into those markets and help their infrastructure building sucking out some of those minerals and natural resources.
The other way it's a win win win for Venezuela is because now the Venezuelan people will benefit from the oil the resources that.
They have the largest.
No, that that is exactly what's going to happen.
We hope so Venezuela.
Don't know what's going to happen. That's what they say. That's what we hope happens. But we don't know.
We know what the past is. We know what the past is. Sirling, don't interrupt me. Eight million people, a quarter of the popcast left Venezuela because they were starving and eating.
Their not dispiriting any of that. All I'm simply saying is until the oil is flowing, we don't know how that money is going to flow in that country period. You know that as well as.
I We know it's going to flow to the average Venezuela and more than it has in the last twenty years.
I hope we know that.
I hope they hope it is the case. Also so do I.
This is the first and foremost. Again I will state this is about keeping communist China out of our hemisphere. Jaslemen RhE doctrine. We have precedent for it, and it was totally legal to perform a police action with the military.
Well, I think our lawmakers are still approval.
We didn't.
There is no there is nothing in the constitution that says the president cannot.
Use military to perform certain acts that are not war.
This is not war, and that's what the Constitution requires Congress.
To be a part of.
And that's any Respectfully, though, listen, man, I'm not disagreeing with the idea that this son of a bitch is good to be gone and good to be prosecuted in the United States, but the idea that Biden, why are you yelling at me all, I'm simply saying to you, stop yelling at me. What is wrong with you? I'm not disagreeing with you both, for God's sake, I'm trying to get a word in as edge wise, and what.
I'm trying to tell you.
Again, what I'm trying to say to you simply is this, we hope that all the things that have been said come to fruition. But we have had a horrible history of replacing or allowing a change ahead of a nation with our assistance, be it convertly or I'm not using anything in the Middle East, I'm not.
I'm not. You're not.
Where else have we done it successfully?
This is not answer the question.
I do say it. No one said that, you said it. I'm asking you where have we done it successfully yet? One? Name one?
This is this in our in our hemisphere.
Just name one country where we have our hemisphere anywhere, name of influence.
I'm not talking about one anywhere. I'm not talking about the Middle East.
You can't name a single one.
This is not Vietnam. This is not a racket.
I'm not.
You've mentioned all of those. I said, name one single place where we have ousted someone and it has worked in our favor successfully in the next decade to two. Name one.
President Trump is a unique dress.
You can't answer it because you don't have an example.
Because this is not the same thing as those other things.
I never said anything about the other things you did. I said, you don't have any history talked about.
Where have we done this successfully?
Right?
And it's not about anything we've done before, because anything we've done before, we're on the other side.
Of the I'm not disputing his location on Earth. You're still on it. You are unable listen. Man, I love you and I'm glad that this guy is gone. But you refuse to answer a question because there is no answer. We have never successfully taken someone out of office in a foreign land and put someone in there, either of theirs or hours, as a puppet, or otherwise successfully for any period of time. You can't name, you can't name.
We have not installed a puppet in Venezuela. This is not about regime change. The regime is still in power in Venezuela, according to whom guess, the vice president of Venezuela is ready to who's now.
Needs to be She needs to be ready because we'll give her too. But again, as much as I want this to work for their people, mostly for hours, but certainly for theirs, and I respect the idea of sovereignty, you mentioned all these other foreign lands where it's failed, I never once going to mention any of those as
an example. I simply asked you, and if you have to hear it from anyone else, who's a supposed expert across the country or internationally, to name one single place where were you being engaged in anything like this, whereas we're.
This isn't about this isn't about regime change or building a nation. This is about keeping China out of our hemisphere.
I'm not disputing.
But we're still but we are having a regime. But we still have to worry about a regime change.
Because there you have to worry about communists China.
And that's it.
There still has to be there still has to be listen, man, there still has to be someone in place there to operate the country, just like any other nation state.
Yes, and we will be in charge of.
Right. So then we're talking regime change. We have never successfully done it.
We're we're talking about changing the minds of the people who are already there in place.
Well, I hope it works. I want it to work.
I hope it's already working.
The Vice president, two days in, you don't.
Know if anything's working yet. It's two days I love you, but you're you don't. You can't say in any way at all, two days in that it's working already. You can't.
It is working. It is working.
Only because what didn't see, Well, I.
Hope it is. I will.
When the United States for the people of Venezuela. Did you see all of the people in Florida celebrating what just happened in Venezuela.
Yeah, because they're in exile. I totally you know, there's.
A chance for their country to actually have a democracy and maybe they can go back to their country.
Speaking of that, Jay six, the anniversary tomorrow, how how do you celebrate that you're back here tomorrow night? What do you think about that and where we are now?
I'm glad that you mentioned that, because tomorrow night on the show in the nine o'clock hour, retired Lieutenant Navy Commander Tom Caldwell, one of the J six dependents, will be with me, joining me.
As Will as Will kim.
Hale, who was incarcerated for almost four years for nothing that he did that they were charging him with. I'm excited about tomorrow night's show and I'm glad you brought it up.
Thank you. I wanted to help you, I want to promote you. I like you, and I am interested in the anniversary. I still think it was a failed attempt at overtaking. It was not a tourist trip. I've been to DC, I've taken tours. Not once ever have I seen or been a party to anything like that. And if it had been Democrats doing that, we would have been absolutely over the wall going after them, talking about them being Unamerican, and tell me, wouldn't have.
Done the illegal, unconstitutional things that the Biden DOJ and the FBI I did with the January sixth defendants.
We never would have done that.
That was a total usurption of the constitution.
And of law.
Grand juries and prosecutions and confessions and successful prosecutions all and then pardoning them is an inexcusable stain on on this nation. And I am supportive of this president.
What was done to the true American patriots who were exercising their constitutional rights to assemble and address their grievances with a government that outs inside.
The capital breaking stuff and threatening to kill people. That's the American.
People who weren't even inside the capital Stirling that were incarcerated and persecuted and had their lives ruined for years by the Biden do OJ.
That's a horrible thing. All I know is sons of bitious who've went in there going after lawmakers, Republican and Democrats alike, including the former Vice president, should have still been locked up, should have been convicted, and rightfully so, and the fact that they were pardon is inexcusable.
And regardless of celebrating, I'm celebrating their freedom on this five year anniversary.
God bless them.
Merrick, We're all free to do that. Gary Jeff, have yourself a great night back here tomorrow night after lands at nine. Yes, yes, you are a good man. Take care of yourself, brother, you know, I'll see you later. He's Gary Jeff Walker. I'm sterling. This is seven hundred wulw SX. It's a Monday night. The regular season of the NFL is concluded, and there's no Monday Night football and the Bengals are done through until next season. And
what will they do to get better? Ben Baby for me, ESPN haven't had him on in a while, was kind enough to take the call, said hey, I'll come on, why not, Ben Baby? How are you happy New Year? How's everything? And what's going on?
Yeah? Well, well throwing you know, nothing whole lot going on this week except for Zach Taylor coming back, Duke Tobin coming back. We'll hear from Duke Tobin on Friday. So even though the Bengals aren't in the postseason, it's going to be a very eventful we on the banks at Paycor Stadium.
There's no question how far away, because we saw this defense get better, but there are still, you know, a lot of hurdles to get over and changes in personnel and natural attrition and otherwise maybe going out and shopping and trying to get better. Talking to Ben Baby with ESPN Sterling in seven hundred WLW, how far off are they? How many pieces do you think they are away? The offense isn't complete. I'm not even going to mention the foot in Moneymack and how that went. It was like
a yip situation or something. I have no idea.
Yeah, you know, when you look at the defense and I think, you know the game itself against Cleveland, I think there are other issues besides having mcpheerson and the two pats obviously one of them blocked and then the one miss like you mentioned, But you know, defensively, I think there's still some pieces obviously that need to be added here. I think the fact that Joe Burrow and Jamoar Chase both you Know basically said listen, you know a Jamar saying the Poms are obvious and Joe saying,
you know, we need championship caliber roster. I think when you look at how they've spent their defensive draft picks, and you've got to either ask two questions. Are we developing these guys to get them to play at the level we need to or do we need to go out and get players to be able to do that? And how do we identify players better when they come into our building. I think these are all big questions
that Tobin needs to be asked, you know. I do think it is notable that the Bengals are making Tobin available to talk and quite frankly answer questions about how this roster was constructed, because I think that's where things really went wrong when you go back and book in hindsight as to why the Bengals aren't in the playoffs.
Talking to Ben Baby from ESPN about the Bengals season wrapped up yesterday. Tough loss against the Browns. It's always tough in the AFC North. It was a season really for the taking as far as that goes, because the AFC North at a down year. But you had Joe's toe, and Flacco came in, and we saw Jake Browning not what he once was. We saw Chase brown I mean, what a monster he and p Ryan tandem going at
it from the backfield. I mean, and there were so many other questions, but I mean, wasn't it amazing to see him sort of step up and go next level in the midst of this very tumultuous season.
Yeah, you know, I think this is what the Bengals needed to a degree. You know, they needed to find a a better and more consistent running game, and over the course of the season they were able to find that. Now here's the thing, Sterling, I think that they still
need more from the running game. And I don't know how much of that is dependent on the running backs they have, But when you look at how teams play the Bengals, they said, all right, we are for years now, they said, we are not going to give Joe Burrow and Jamar Case and p Higgins the ability to go down the field and attack us vertically like they did in twenty twenty one. Really before teams figured out just
how good the receivers in Burrow could be together. And if you're going to teams are going to play you that way. Guys in that building will tell you, we have to be able to run the ball. And the year after year, the coaches said the same thing. We've got to be explosive in the running game. And I think the biggest problem with this Bengals offense they are
not creating enough explosive plays. And I think when you spend as much money as you have, you've got to be able to take what the defense is given you and exploit them in that way. And I think we just don't see enough of debt. And I think as good as Chase Brown has been, I think there's still more room for him and his offense to grow.
In twenty twenty six, man baby from ESPN with Sterling on the big one and to go back to defense and you live and breathe this and study this like there's nobody else except maybe guys employed by the Bengals. But I'm interested in this. The defensive draft picks they've had many, They've had many big names and high end
draft pick type of individuals coming into Cincinnati. How much of it is failing to develop Some of those who weren't as good as expected or or just being forced into service earlier than expected, and that sort of adjust and changes their development because that was sort of a circumstance for a few.
Of these guys.
Yeah, I think there is some some credence to the fact that there was a delayed developmental process for some of these young guys. We saw that when Miles Murphy got on the field a little bit more, he was able to defind his footing. We see how DJ Turner start to come into his own as well. The young linebackers started to play well, you know, once they got
deeper into their rookie seasons. And I think that's one of the reasons why when you look at why the Bengals moved on from Louis and Rubo, you know they say, listen, we know we have to develop these young guys. We cannot go out and afford them. I understand where lou was coming from as well, because we saw what they were at the beginning of when they started out and they just didn't make that a set that you needed
them to initially. And I think this year it really felt like a rebuilding year for this.
Team and this defense.
You wanted to see these young guys grow a little bit more, and they have, but again, I think you still need more difference makers on that side of the ball. You look at what Philadelphia did last year when they won the Super Bowl, and they paid all these guys on offense well, they drafted incredibly well on defense and those guys were able to play and get up to
speed quickly. I think that's going to continue to be the mission for Al Golden, the Bengals defensive coordinator, is getting these young guys not only just to play well, but to really be difference makers for this defense.
For so long we talked about parodying the NFL and the struggles that sort of go with it. This season, we've seen more than a couple of teams that have gone effectively from worse to first or at least into the playoffs, if not to first. So that gives us
some hope. With this window still open with this Bengals team, how much time do you think they have to get healthy and well and beefed up with talent to hopefully get to the playoffs and maybe deep into the playoffs again, because that window is not as wide open as it once was. Because as bizarre as it sounds, Joe Burrow is not a kid anymore.
No, and Burrow is going to be entering his seventh season next year, and you know, the Bengals are now three years or moved. You can say, oh you anything, you know, you can hear about urgency and this and that. I think every team that doesn't make the playoffs is going to say, you know, it's it's urgent that they find a way to get back in I think it's how do you change what you've done previously that has not worked and find a way to get back into contention.
I think that's the edict that that Joe Burrow was handed out and said, listen, something's got to change. You know, Jamar Chase again said something similar to that effect, and you know, Zach Taylor kind of didn't really answer the question of what exactly they'd like to change moving forward.
Curious see what Duke Tobin has to say about this, But ultimately they have to do something to get this back to where it needs to be because you know, the if you're a Bengals fan, or really a fan of any team in the AMS North this year, you've got to be frustrated because this is the worst the division has been in quite some time, and if you were able to get to ten wins, you were going to be able to win it. And you saw the Baltimore Pittsburgh game, I know it was entertaining. I don't
think that was a well played game. I mean, you look at how each of those teams tried to lose the division. It's like the story of the year the division. Nobody really wanted to win. And so I think there's so many questions that all four teams have to answer. But you go look at it across the AFC, there are a lot of good teams out there, and that's not with you know. You know we were talking about the Baltimore Ravens not making the playoffs, Kansas City not
in the playoffs. We'll see how good Buffalo is going to be. And you see some of these younger quarterbacks, these younger teams really starting to play well. And it's it's going to continue to be tough to really go make a run in a very crowded division conference.
Ben Baby covers the Bengals for ESPN. I'm sterling this seven hundred WLW when you look at the retention of this coaching staff at least as much as they share with us that you know that are going to be around Zach, et cetera. Are you surprised at that? And
what I mean by I shouldn't say surprised. We know that Joe Burrow, you know, is comfortable with them, and there were injuries extenuating circumstances I suppose in this, But if Burrow was not on board with this, how likely do you think it would have been that it would have been a new regime as far as management and operations on the field for this Bengals football team.
You know, it's a really good question. I don't have a great answer for you. I think it's the obvious thing would be that if Burrow, you know, did not think that they were moving in the right direction, obviously, you know, I think they would. The front office will have to take that into consideration. I think Zach Taylor has done a very good job the entirety of his coaching tenure, even going back to when Indy Dalton was here, trying to make the quarterbacks as comfortable as he possibly
can and put them in positions to succeed. I think that's why you see when different quarterbacks come in, you see a different style of play, why Joe Flacco operates the offense differently than than Joe Burrow. And then when you go back to what Jake Browning was doing well in twenty three, you know the offense was differently back then as well. I think that is a credit to what Zach Taylor has done. And I do think there
are some very good coaches on staff. When you look at how they developed, how they put and positions to win, I think they have done a lot of good things. Unfortunately, you know, I think it's Ted Carris hold reporters. You know, after the game yesterday, you know, the Bengals are the would be Kings, and they've got to figure out what exactly is keeping them from finding ways to play better in the middle of the season, but also finished games,
because this is now a multi year problem. And you go look at the Bengals record over the last few years, one of the worst teams in the league in one score games and really a team that should be more dominant in some of these situations.
Then Baby Cover spangles for ESPN with Sterling on the big one. Closing games out has been a problem, and losing close games has been a problem, and that's an amazing thing. Preserving the lead or going down field and getting it at the end and closing is everything. So how is there a magic bullet for that? I mean, other than getting a big lead and not giving it up along the way. Because what we talked over the last couple years, Ben was what, let's win some games
to start the season. Well they finally did that. Then you get a toe problem and then you know, navigating the in between and that ugliness. And we saw what was a promising end I suppose, at least till Cleveland and seeing them seemingly put it back together again and you can sort of check and see that offense clicking. But the end between and finding a way with that and closing it out, I mean, that is just ponderous.
Yeah, And I think that's something that that there does need to be a legitimate answer given I think by the coaching staff at some points too. Why this has been an issue over the last two seasons. You go back and the Bengals led Baltimore twice in the second half in twenty twenty four, lost both of those games, a major reason why they didn't get in the playoffs this year. Could not close out the Jets and the Bears. You know, the Bears ended up being a pretty good team.
We'll see how good they really are in the playoffs. But the Jets are one of the worst teams in the NFL, and by quite some margin. And you couldn't win that game yesterday. The Bengals should have beaten Cleveland. You know, we're in control at too many mistakes and then you know, they allowed the Browns to go out and now ran And I think as bad as Shador Sanders played yesterday, I have to give him a lot of credit for that last drive, being able to leave
the offense down. I think that you know, they did exactly what they needed to do to win that game late. But you know, again, a situation where the Bengals are able to find if they can just get a couple of plays, this ends up being a win. And this is not a as Joe Burrow said earlier this season, it's a whole you know, it's just not a good football team. And so they have to figure out what exactly is the problem in that regard.
What have I not asked about this that you see as being an obvious thing or that's not being talked about this last season and moving ahead, because I mean, the only thing that matters is what's next. I suppose Ben baby.
Yeah, I think the two big questions that I have or Joe Burrow's health moving forward. How healthy was he finishing the year? You know, it seemed like everything was okay, but you know, how much how will that toe continue to respond as he goes further and deeper into the offseason. And also, at one point is enough going to be enough? And is Burrow is going to get set up? Are other is going to be frustrated? You know, as the front office is going to decide we can't continue this way.
And really, the Bengals when they were when they were drafted Joe Burrow in twenty twenty, they were given a massive lifeline to revitalize this organization in a fan base that when I got here in twenty nineteen that was a checkdown, a checked out could get true and you know, you end up having one of the best quarterbacks in the league. And ultimately, did you capitalize on the resource the NFL literally gives you to be good? You know, you just have to be bad enough to be in
a good position to draft a great player. The Bengals
got a transcendent one. Did they maximize Burrow? I think, whenever all was said and done and with his time in Cincinnati, that's going to be the biggest question for everybody in the building, and I think they have to be able to say, yes, we think we did everything we could, and if not, long after Burrow's gone, I think there will be many fans who remember how this tenure of the Bengals franchise went and how they'll feel about the franchise moving forward because of that.
I have an unusual question, but I'm going to ask because I think you're qualified to answer it better than I. We see how the parody and the way the money is adjusted and handled for budgeting for these teams in
the NFL. Could Major League Baseball benefit from being in a better situation handling those same type of resources in whatever way would work for them because it is a different sport, obviously, where you could see more regularly the worst to first kind of scenario, which gives markets where teams have historically maybe not been or smaller markets a better chance to do it. Even though the Reds seemed to just be a you know, just that close so often.
Yeah, you know, I just don't. I don't want to hear that. You know, I'm I'm a Texas Rangers fan. We spent a lot of money. We want to work through as recently, but listen, we went out and spent a lot. We got Corey Seeger got core you know, Marcusenian, and they did what they needed to do to win. I think the NFL has a cash floor.
It's not the.
Salary cap that's the problem. It's that there is a cash floor, which means that every few years there's a minimum amount of money that has to be spent, and if you don't spend it, it gets allocated to your roster regardless. So at least you decide how to spend it because it's getting spent. Anyways, what we see in so many markets in Major League Baseball, or owners in franchises who have no incentive to go out and put competitive products on the field. They're okay with with sand
bases not showing up. They're okay with empty ballparks on a day and day out basis, And quite frankly, you're seeing too many people okay with being less and less culturally relevant in America, where you're not seeing the best athletes want to go out and play baseball anymore, and that's not ideal, and there should be other issues when you look at it, you know, I think you have to give the Japanese a ton of credit some of
these Asian countries in South American country, Central American countries that have produced so many great baseball players. And I think it's a larger conversation because we spend so much money on youth sports in America, and yet are we even producing players at the level that we need to given the investment that we have when other countries do not invest in that way. There's something about or just like in boxing, the amateur system sometimes doesn't always work
the way it does. I think there's so many questions about baseball, and I mean, we could go for hours on this, and I don't know if I'm qualified. I don't know if I'm qualified for any of this either, But I think those are big questions that Major League Baseball does need to answer if they want to be continually relevant with kids who may or may not be interested in sports in general in a few years.
It's interesting and that you see these ratings that whether it's radio here or TV here, and across the country. In Major League Baseball, they've seen it grow the last couple of years as they've tweaked the game a little. One would hope that that interests domestically for kids stateside to sort of go out there play and find their
way would be it. But I don't know that that's the only answer either, So but I just wanted to get in your head about it because I know you look at and study this in in a multitude of different ways. So I really appreciate you taking time and doing what you do. It's always good to follow you, and thank you for taking my call. I hope we can do this again soon. We still have not talked boxing as much as I'd like, and then I'm trying to learn cricket. But I realized that it's a small
interesting population who's interested in that. But I'm trying to figure it out in the worst way.
So hey, listen, at this point, I think we're gonna have as many boxing fans in the US's cricket fans, yes the way that that's what keeps calling.
So were you happy to see Paul get beat down a couple of weeks ago?
I mean, that's what should have happened, right, I mean, it's like asking, like asking Joe Burrow to go play, go play against Mason High, Right, Well, I expect is going to happen. I mean, you know, I just the fact that that was even allowed in the state of Florida. I mean, if John McCain was still alive, I think there'd be congressional hearings about this. I mean, that's just the amount of things that happened in some of these
states is absurd. That's a fight that never should have and saying would never have happened in an actual state that Florida deserves a lot of criticism, and quite frankly, they are lucky that Jake Paul did not get severely hurt against a guy who was a former unified heavyweight champion of the world.
Yes, yeah, big deal. He is and does survive that car crash too, which is a whole nother thing together too. I thought of you when I was like watching replay of that, and I felt sort of sick, not because he lost, but because I enjoyed him losing so much, which it really is just bizarre. But I was like, yeah, yeah, and why am I cheering that? But I did? I really did. That's all I have I.
Think in America now, if you can create, and I think this goes across from many many athletes who hear this out. Floyd Mayweather got this better than anybody. If you can get people to care about you one way or another, hate you're a love you. They're going to tune in for one reason and they're gonna you know, it's going to be one or the other, but they're tuning in regardless. And I think the Paul Brothers have that effect.
Yeah, I think I think you're right. And you know, for radio and they're broadcast at least historically they've said that people who hate you tend to listen more. They love to hate you, So I guess that's the trick is to have him love it in some fashion. Ben Baby at ESPN, thank you for doing what you do and making time into lending your ear into your insights and everything else.
Man.
I hope you have a fantastic new year and we can catch up again soon. Thank you, sir.
Sounds good.
Thanks Sterling, take care of yourself. The ESPN's Ben Baby Sterling coming back after your ten third report. Whole lot of ground tocover on the Nation station on a Monday night seven hundred WLW. I'm not mistaken, Lee Mallin, will have your eleven o'clock report about twenty three minutes or so. Bengals keeping a Zag Taylor, and they're also keeping Dick Tobin Duke Tobin. And you just happened to hear me a little bit ago talking to Ben Baby from ESPN
about all that. You can certainly sound off five point three seven four nine seven eight hundred the big one. What else is going on? What a crazy story about a guy who's had some mental health issues, who at one point in time apparently had been caught trespassing or some type of issue in and around one of the regional hospitals here, I think a you see and dealing with mental health stuff, and then he trespasses on the Vice President's place in Walnut Hills, which is a stone's
throw from where I used to live. But his house is bigger than my place I was staying at the time when I was living over there, that's for sure. And I did not have that kind of security. I had security, but not nobody available who was going to help some loan. And I'm not trying to discount this
at all whatsoever. But the guy busted up a couple of windows and now is dealing with federal charges and so on, vandalism, criminal damaging, trespassing, obstructing official business, which would be the business of the Secret Service, which apparently when you are somebody at that level like the vice president, probably for a governor and so on, maybe even the mayor.
I'm not sure how deep it has to go where you have to worry about people who are looking to do you harm, who are off the rails, crazy, insane or mentally deficient, challenge drunk high.
Uh.
These are not allegations about this guy. I'm just talking in broad terms or generalities. In a time where just a few years ago you had Pelosi's husband who was attacked with a hammer at their home in somewhere in around San Francisco. Could have killed that guy. Uh, and then of course you have lawmakers that were in Minnesota who were in fact gunned down, and an innocent person
as well. These are contentious, dangerous, unsettling, unnerving times. And uh, you know, it's just good that the vice president, his wife and anyone else there did not come to harm. And even further good thing that you know, there was not overreaction and any damage done significantly or permanently to this guy who's now accused of this attack. He was arrested. I want to clarify it, guys, I had I had it in front of me and misplaced it where I
was on the on my paper. Uh do you see Health Psychiatric Emergency Services building is what this guy Defour was arrested for. He apparently was there for trespassing is what they had charged him with. And then later he was found not to be culpable, competent, capable, functional enough to stand trial and deal with those charges going back two years ago and excuse me, and they were dismissed. And then in two thousand and four, and this has been a reported WLWT. I've seen it all over wire
Services as well. Two charges of vandalism breaking the front window the Hyde Park business there for another situation too, and then he went into treatment and lieu of a conviction for that type of thing. But apparently that treatment is still ongoing, and clearly the treatment's not working. If he shows up at the vice president's house vacant at the time or otherwise and looks to take a hammer to it, or whatever it was he used to bust
in some windows. That's some trippy stuff. So the weirdos out there all over the place, and you know, these are content anxious times, and you just don't know people that are off their rocker or people that are just up to no good and somehow can rationalize or justify
some really crazy things because they think whatever. Which then leads me to the anniversary tomorrow of January sixth and and I know some people are celebrating tomorrow like it was some type of freedom and American like patriotic endeavor that took place.
It was not.
You know, it's it's bewildering the difference and in the whitewashing of history as we see it effectively, it was going on even in real time, and it's it's really hard to process. And and I want to believe that I think people know better, but then again, maybe they don't know better, and I you know, maybe I'm missing something. I want to give you a chance to sound off. If I've won three, seven, four, nine, seven, eight hundred, the big one. First of all, how big of a deal?
And I'm not here to criticize or anything else. I just want to know honestly, how big of a deal do you think the attack on the Capitol was January sixth? Do you in fact believe as I've heard from so many people that have told me, they said, Oh, it was just like some type of tour, a tourist thing that went on at the Capitol. And I've spent time in DC. I have friends who lived there, and I've
walked along the monuments there. I have not been fortunate enough to have the type of visitation that i'd like to. I mean, at one point in time, I'd like to get to the White House and see all that stuff up close and personal. But for a long time that they didn't allow anyone in unless you were, you know,
somehow super connected going you know, into that situation. They used to have regular tours, but then it became too unsaved for the occupants that you know on Pennsylvania Avenue there, President, first Lady and all those who make our government work at that level. Five three seven, four ninety seven, eight hundred,
the big one. And it's just a weird thing to me in that there were people chanting for the attack in the hanging of at that time a sitting vice president who was the former governor of Indiana and Mike pent There were people calling for killing of and maiming
of a lot of other lawmakers as well. And regardless of where we are right now with Donald Trump in office for his second term, which you know he won, looking back on January sixth, and somehow saying that that did not happen or it was not as severe and was not an attempt to distract and to avoid certification of an election that took place that was a loss at that time for Trump and a win for Biden, is delusional in my opinion, and really buying into the BS.
It's I think, hurtful in an ugly stain on this nation and perhaps long after I'm gone and you were gone in a generation or two or three, and you know, down the line, as we continue this democratic experiment in the greatest nation on earth, at least in my opinion, it'll be interesting to see for those that are here what that ends up looking like as we start looking
back in history and what that meant. It's it's disturbing to me is the lawmakers had to hide and they had to be ushered out of there to their safe places whatever they were. That we're making phone calls and in desperation and in fear, with people roaming the halls and busting into offices and everything else in the Capitol where our lawmakers do their work for us. We the people that that's what happened. It was not a tour, It was not people holding hands and comby eye. It
was not a peaceful protest. Some people may have been, but there were a whole lot of people in that building and on those grounds who attacked law enforcement officers and would have been more than happy to have changed the certification in how that thing played out if in fact, it had not gone the way it did in the end. And that is a wild thing for me to imagine in these United States, even now after that five years from that date tomorrow, in how things are looked at.
So I guess in time everything eventually comes out, or then again maybe it doesn't. Five point three seven four nine seven eight hundred, the Big One, your chance to get interactive. Other stuff going on. I want to say this because it's very interesting to me, and I have friends who have kids in school, and I have friends that are teachers that have you know, they teach little kids and older kids in high school some university level
for that matter, too effectively. January first was the new Ohio school cell phone band, and that overall prohibits keeps kids students from having the ability to use those handheld devices or what have you while they're in school, other than like in an emergency situation, or whether they put them in those little cubby holes or they put them in a little bit one of those little lockaway bags.
If you've gone to a concert or something, or an event where they don't want people pirting in, bootlegging video and audio of whatever's taking place, you may have already done that. It is an odd, awkward, uncomfortable scenario. I have friends that are pretty hacked off, some that already had a band in their classrooms or in some of the schools just since the start of this school year, and have told me that they have seen positive results as a result of the limiting access and the distraction
and the focus and the actual communication and socializing. And I guess the term would be being present in the moment in the classroom and ready to learn, which, if I'm not mistaken, is exactly what school is all about. But you know, one of the lingering things that people have a fear of is if something goes sideways, you know, something terrible bad happens, that they would not necessarily be able to reach out for help. So you hope that
that is not the reality. That the reality is that better learning, better engagement, better outcomes for students, which is good for the country in US as a people overall. And I think that you know this odd thing, And I've seen this with more older people than kids, And it's probably because I'm hanging out with adults more than kids,
just because I'm a grown up. And even my friends with kids, when I've been out with them, I often see their parents more just acted and engaged in their devices from time to time, either visiting their houses or out about for food or whatever together then I do the kids in many cases, which I think is interesting. And I guess that's how the worm is turned. Where kids are, you know, saying, well, mom and dad aren't
paying attention. They're in their phone or you know, you know, they're just in front of no different than the TV used to be. Now it's the phone in your hand or on your wrist or whatever else. Five one, three, seven, four, nine, seven, eight hundred The Big One it's a Monday sterling for Gary. Jeff, want to know what you think. Later on conversation I had with the former head of political science at Right State breaking down and looking at the historical significance of
what happened in Venezuela. With an incredible, I mean, precisionally run plan. They built a facility in the States on base for the for these high talent military personnel to basically work through what their plan was to go get Maduro, and they did overwhelming force, limiting any type of worry for retribution in response from Venezuela. They snatched him, they snatched the first lady, and he faced a courtroom situation
this afternoon in New York. It's a wild circumstance to see how that played out and the actual execution of it, the planning of it. It wasn't the biggest surprise as far as what it was leading to with the increase in naval presence in and around the Caribbean, aside from target practice going after those alleged drug boats, which some
probably have been. They went after a few over in the Pacific side as well, but it was just a matter of time and none of us were really sure if they were going to get him out of there, and certainly may not have expected it to go down the way it did. But that raid on Venezuela, technically speaking, the military angle, the business of going and getting someone in that situation, shows the might, the muscle and the capabilities of our military and the intelligence to go along
with that to get something done. And my guess is that a whole lot of people around planet Earth, and certainly in our part of it, in this hemisphere, are are looking a little bit more seriously at what the President says moving ahead, whether it's Columbia, maybe even Mexico, and certainly Cuba, which you can almost see from Key West if you look that direction in South Florida five point three seven four nine, seven thousand, eight hundred, the big One. I'm glad you're along at Sterling with a
quick break. We'll come back, give you a chance to sound off, and doctor Schlack after the eleven o'clock news will give us a look to her perspective historically and everything else with one went down in Venezuela. But let's get to Monroe and talk to Mark on seven hundred WLW with Sterling, Mark, how are.
You I'm doing fine. How are you tonight?
No complaints?
Man.
I'm looking at video right now from ABC Live Prime where they're showing Maduro being walked back apparently after the hearing earlier that he had. It's a pretty amazing thing. What are you up to do?
You?
What's on your mind?
Well?
I was going to come in on the Chase sixth thing, but you can. We could go with Maduro if you want, whatever you want, you call it's your time, okay. I you know, I go back to that whole thing. And I think there's a lot of controversy, especially with Nancy Pelosi. Trump volunteered to bring in a National.
Guard and she.
She decided she didn't want to do it. Then she admitted that she was negligent about it, and then she turned again and said she had nothing to.
Do with it.
So there's too many conflicts of admission there in my opinion.
I guess my question is who stirred up the pot, who rallied those people, and who sent those people to the capitol, and who went into the capital tore stuff up and looked and hunted effectively for these lawmakers.
Well, I'll be honest with you, I'll go a lot with the conspiracy theory. I mean, the deep state, in my opinion, is a lot deeper than most people think it is.
I think they are.
They had articulate to infiltrating people here, there, and everywhere when they need to. And I also believe they basically uh I wouldn't say own the press or what I would refer to propaganda, but you they reveal certain information and definitely withholding information. So I think you have this major splice and dice.
Uh.
I'm not even talking about the editing. I'm just wondering who was down there rattling those people and telling them to go to the capitol, because that wasn't edited. Just just who called them there, who said it was going to be a wild time, who sent them there, who said the election was stolen? And who failed as president to get the national guard there when he sent them all over the country subsequently this term, we know he has the capability to do that. That was the president
and that was those individuals who made that choice. The media didn't encourage in the go to the president did correct, Well, what was.
He guilty saying let's go over to the capital peacefully. I haven't heard that edited properly overall.
I'm not talking about I'm not talking about any edits though. I'm just saying, did he not call people down there, raise hell, tell them that the election was stolen and everything I just asked you? He did, right? And those and those people did they were manipulated by who to go in there and ransack the place, even if it was just ransacking it, right. I mean, if I went in and ransacked the FBI building across the parking lot, which I shouldn't even joke about, that was a bad choice.
But if anybody, they'll be in here giving me a cavity search before the night's over. Mark, I'm not careful, so I got to be. But if somebody you know went in there, you'd have to blame them for being culpable for going in or someone who encouraged them.
Yes, well, yeah, I'll be honest with you. I think, in my opinion, and I'm not suggesting, hey, this is the perfect reason to go out and ransack and you know, create.
A riot or anything, but.
I think that election was stolen, and especially like what the Georgia thing, when Trump says, you know, let's find x amount of votes out there, I think it was marginal enough. It wasn't the swing it the other way around is like, hey, do a recount there.
I mean, you know, they did a lot of recounts. Mark. I appreciate the call, man, I appreciate you listening to it, and thank you. But time and time again, court proceeding after court proceeding after court proceeding, Trump appointees, other Republican appointees and judges and so forth. I mean, case after case after case. You know that there was not enough jacking around with the vote to make an end difference. And I mean it, it's just a lot of kool
aid drinking. It would be nice if everybody could just be honest and own whatever it is and what it was, aside from many manipulation by the media. I'm not the brightest bulb in the box, but I've been able to sift through it and sit here behind a microphone and talk about it for years now on occasion. I mean, it's just it's wild and we can agree to disagree with the anniversaries tomorrow and that all I can tell
you is that was not a good time tour. Like Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts or any other group going to DC to see the capital that was the hillacious anti American bunch of crap and those people being pardoned.
Just sad, sad, standing on history. The news straight away, give you a chance to hear what's going on around planet Earth, and you're eleven o'clock report, and then we'll get some insight into what went down in Venezuela and what the future may hold for us most importantly, and then of course our neighbors to the south moving ahead, we'll see how that goes. And let's get one more.
I think we have time. Let me look four or five, No, we got to stop, all right, Hang on the news straight away more Sterling coming back, seven hundred WLW back tomorrow or Western Hiding producing Lee Molts. They're updated about twenty three minutes in three seconds. If you're really paying close attention to time, you know this weekend was tough as a Bengals fan in that well, this season came to an end, and they played some good football on occasion when Joe came back with the tow, I mean
he gave up. He turned the ball over a few times, which was somewhat uncharacteristic. We know yesterday's outcome again the Browns was less than satisfying. Uh, sort of gave that one away. Talked to Ben Baby for MEESPN about that a little bit earlier. You can listen to the podcast after the show, UH and check out a conversation I
had with him. He's always compelling. Same with doctor Donald Schleck, a former head of political science at Right State, and even Garry Cheff, who we talked to a little bit earlier too and had some fun. But you know, you start looking ahead and kind I think, Okay, well, what
would the Bengals do next. We know that they've kept Zach Taylor, we know that Dick a Duke Tobin is going to be around, and I guess there'll be some more conversation about what they're going to do to improve that defense and whatever else that they need to fortify offensively to help get them to be where they need to be as long as that windows open for Uh. It's weird to say a quickly aging Joe Burrow, but in terms of NFL life span, you know he's getting there,
and so you know the window is relatively short. There's more years, but you want to get it done and get back to the playoffs and hopefully get there regularly and get there deep and then maybe get back to a super Bowl or something along those lines. That's rarefied air. But he is a rarefied quarterback in The talent around him is pretty exceptional generally speaking overall. And you know, we listen to Dan Horde, we listen to Dave Lapham,
we get spoiled. You listen to Joe Sunderman and Byron Larkin,
and you get spoiled. The talent, the people behind the microphones talking about Xavier basketball or Bengals certainly basketball, Bearcats as well, a Big twelve season, Big East season, respectfully, all about it, whether it's Terry Nelson hanging out with Dan Horde, who Dan does everything, excuse me, all of it were very spoiled in the Tri State as sports fans to get the talent behind the microphone who paint the pictures for us as we're driving around or listening
on the job or whatever it is. Around Bengals, around bear Cats, around Musketeers, and the Reds are no exception. Reds on radio on the Big One. Obviously, Hot Stove League is here. They'll be in the desert sooner than you know it, getting tuned up and ready to go and move. Still to be made, and they've made a few, but we'll see if they do a little bit more to make this Reds team a little bit more competitive going into twenty six and certainly behind the microphone, it
is a pretty amazing thing. Tommy Thrall is tremendous. You hear a lot of other guys around him in one of the best former Red player and a guy who, now you can tack this on to I'm sure probably a case full of plaques and trophies and rings and everything else. Not enough room on an average everyday mantle for Jeff Brantley, now the newly crowned Ohio sportscaster of
the Year thanks to the National Sports Media Association. Here's an earful of our Jeff Brantley doing what he does on a nightly and daily basis, making a compelling painting pictures to let us understand the game better and frankly entertaining as all get out. On the big one.
Line, drive down the left field line, that's gonna score a few. Coming around third, they're waving him onto the house.
Here comes to Vigno, the thought of the plate.
We're tired.
Three three a game, tyg basis clearing double from Christian in carnassium strand how about that sugar coming into the ballgame.
This is Zach Maxwell, who's fun throw that thing? Scored a run back in the two run third, and he ropes this one down the line.
It is out of here.
TJ.
Friedel Oh, oh my goodness, that was an absolute rope. Four to two reds Wow swings and fouls of backs. Still two balls and two strikes baseball, NASCAR, country music? More is that right down my alley? All in the same spot. The feeling you're gonna do that's like a redneck dream?
Got that right?
Coors Field International Airport balls are taking flight every fifteen to thirty seconds between six forty and nine forty each night. Make sure you got a ticket. Dela Cruise, a missile off the wall is last time up.
And this ball is kerr rushed deep right field. It is a five four ball game.
A two run shot by Dela Cruise, and folks, I think he's getting loose. Oh two, here we go, swing and a messy struck you now, boy. Brady Singer has been absolutely phenomenal in his first start in our Renz uniform, seven innings of one hit, shutout baseball. Talk to me, our ballpark was so bad in Fresno they condemned it at season's in. And here's the crazy part about it. We won the dang California League championship that year. We
were the best team in the league. Our bus broke down when we won the championship, all the way back at dim Park, No kidding. Oh wow, you had to wear shower shoes everywhere otherwise your feet were going to be eating up.
And nobody wants eating up feet. Jeff Farantley, a living legend National Sports Media Association Ohio Sportscaster of the Year just announced today, at least as far as me getting
word of it, So congratulations to him, well deserved. And how does that not whet your appetite and start getting you thinking about the spring and opening day in the Finlay Market Parade and get into the desert maybe for some spring training baseball watching Reds and you know, obviously the Guardians, they spend a lot of time playing each other, sharing that facility together. As the Bengals season wraps up, although you know this is a meaty, exciting time. Also
as a college basketball fan. We don't have the NBA in the Tri State certainly. And you look at just conference play between the Big twelve, the Big East with the bear Cats and the Musketeers respectfully. You cross the river, Northern Kentucky University, the Norse in the Horizon League taking on Wright State just up seventy five in Dayton, my old school. You got Miami doing what they do. You got o YOUU. I mean, I was just talking to Lance about this the other day and it is bewildering.
And Chick two for that matter, the other day on the show. And you think an hour's drive from where I sit right here on Montgomery Road right now. But Drew Western, Heidi producing me and keeping me in line, and you know, talking about Jeff Brantley, sportscaster the year and everything else. You hop in a car, you drive, you know what two hours, give or take, how much
college basketball is there to take in? I mean, it is bewildering to Lexington, to Louisville or UK and the Cardinals and doing what they do to Indiana who I mean, I don't even want to bring up Indiana football right now. I'm I'm very happy for Hoosier fans. You have to understand. I mean, I'm an Ohio kidd, I grew up as an Ohio kid. I'm a Buckeye fan. I can't help it.
And it was ugliness the other night. And the way that whole thing went down somewhat surprising or not, maybe depending against the Hurricanes in the Hoosiers for almost my entire career as a human were horrible. They were just never good at all. In the land of John Mellencamp, in the land of the late great Jim Scott, into Hoosierville, in the land of Indiana. They play on in the College Football Playoff, but they've got obviously historically great basketball.
Then you just up in Indianapolis too, for that matter. Is that more than two hours away? Two and a half. I don't know what the drive is up seventy four. It's been a while since I've made the drive. But I mean, you get there, you get Butler's Bulldogs too. And you've got other Horizon League matchups in the region as well, in Big twelve, in Big Ten, Big East Horizon. It's just ridiculous. We are in the land of plenty
for college football as well. And I just want to take a selfish moment to celebrate Jeff Brantley and the Reds and him getting the Sportscaster of the Year award and just thinking this is an exciting time too, and it's also Olympic time. Sooner than later they'll be doing the Winter Olympics. And I kind of am an Olympic fan. I know there's a lot of sports that are arguably activities, more like pingpong is an Olympic sport now it's a summer sport, not a winter sport, a lot of other
cool stuff to go with it. And speaking about Olympics in locals, I mean, here's a guy also who you know from the region let's just say the area if you will, and Nick Keepper from Lawrenceburg. Here he is now qualifying for his what is this one two three? I think it's his fourth Olympics now he's thirty one years old. He started when he was like, I don't know, six, thirty one years old, what did I say? Forty one?
Thirty one years old? And he was in Calgary and he got the free style the free ski halfpipe World Cup there and that apparently helps get him to the Olympics. So I mean there's a whole lot going on as far as that is concerned. Some of the best broadcasters in the game painting the pictures for us on a regular basis. I am very much looking forward to Red's
baseball back on the big one sooner than later. In a whole lot of college basketball between then and now two so hopefully we get some chance to enjoy it. Quick break, there's more to do. I appreciate you being along, your chance to sound off as well. Are you happy about this Bengals team and the lack of changes when it comes to management and the operation and the play calling.
I mean, you know, Joe Burrow seemed to be quite happy with Zach Taylor, and that's one of the things that you know, comfort for Joe Burrow and his circumstance and those around him and making sure that he has
what he needs. But the number of people that have reached out to me, either personally or by way of social media, and hearing a lot of other people talk about it, the frustration and the aggravation even though this season, and I have to say, if you look at what they had to overcome with injuries, and you could argue that their depth could have been better should have been better, and if it were better, they would have probably taken the AFC North. But they went out and got Joe Flacco.
They were able to adjust and alter their game plan to fit his game a little better. Didn't get a whole lot of wins one It would have been nice if he could have eked out one or two more. But you know, a lot of people pretty hacked off about the fact that there weren't changes made to coaching, at least at the top of the coaching chain in Cincinnati. For the football Bengals five three, seven, four nine, seven, eight hundred the Big one, your chance to get interactive.
Good bit more ground to cover before I'm out of here, and Kevin Gordon gets behind the wheel of America's truck and network, which rolls next at Sterling for Gary Jeff seven hundred WULW. Because the regular NFL season's over, it's finishes through, but the playoffs are here, and I I I'm finding it a hard time to get too engaged
in it. The Bengals aren't in it, and I mean the football the NFL is hard to I mean, it's just it's so good generally, so I'm sure I'll get more into it, but I did a little disillusioned, a little dissatisfied. I'm ready for baseball. I'm ready for some college basketball, full on conference season in front of us, in the midst of it already, frankly, So we'll see what the Bengals do in the offseason and try to get better. Five one, three, seven, four, eight hundred the
big one. Excuse me, I had a cough. I wanted to save you from it, so I hit the cough button so you didn't have to navigate it. Still navigating a little bit of a cold not as bad as a whole lot of other people with the flu numbers apparently, huge emergency rooms and so forth, pretty packed, and even hospitals at this point with a whole lot of people dealing with a pretty vicious flu season. They say, there's still a chance to get your shot, so get them.
If it was flu for me, which they weren't sure of, it didn't last very long, about a three day funk, and then now just sort of trying to navigate getting back to it in the midst of doing what I do, and I will sanitize and martinize the entire counter surface,
microphone and everything else. Common space. I'm not trying to bring the sickness to our friends and neighbors here, whether it's Tom Brenham in the morning, Scott Sloan, middays are Willie certainly Eddie, Rocky, Lance, Gary Jeff, or anybody else in GGA W will be back here tomorrow. I want to mention something else, because any time I can talk
about monkeys on the loose, I get excited. I just do because it's it's a rare thing because we you know, there's not a lot of native like monkeys and stuff in and around the tri State. Occasionally you'll hear a story about some monkeys getting out and about, but not always. So here we go headline escape monkey causes chaos inside Tennessee Music store, which really, if I remember correctly, I don't know what type of monkey it was, but I know at one point somebody for a holiday gave me
as a tiny sterling. I don't know if it was a chimp or a monkey. It was you'd wind it up and it would bang the symbols together and go or something in play like a drum or something like that. I don't even know, but either way, real monkey on the loose described as wreaking havoc and chaos inside this Morristown, Tennessee music store called Trade Center by the time law enforcement arrived, and the monkey had apparently escaped because it
knew the heat was on. Animal control officers also responded subsequently, but the simion, as it's described capuchin monkey, a cinnamon kapucha monkey, which is different than others, apparently knew that it was time to get out and a word has it. According to the US Department of Agriculture, there was a license keeper of primeates in Alabama at a farm that apparently I don't know if they raised them, they collect them, rescue them. I don't know what doesn't say, but apparently
someone boosted a monkey from Morristown. I'm sorry from I gotta hit this right. They hoisted a monkey from Alabama. They sold it to someone in Morristown, Tennessee, and then it apparently escaped because monkeys liked to get out and have some fun, and it went to the music store because I'm a like a human, I have an opposable thumb. Monkeys are not that far away from us. It also had interest in music and apparently tore up some stuff
and then bailed out. They subsequently apparently have captured it, and I don't have any word if it'll be heading home soon or if it's a monkey jail situation. I'm not quite sure. I would hope it's able to go run free again. Maybe they get at some symbols or something else. It just wanted it needed to play. People don't need monkeys, by the way.
I mean.
I had a neighbor named Todd when I was a kid who lived in an apartment building next door to me, and he'd have us after school over, a bunch of us kids, and the big attraction was he had a monkey in a cage where his family had a monkey in a cage in the living room, and it was, I'm telling you, the most god awful, sad thing. I can remember what it would do, and I remember my cousin's even coming over at one point to see it.
If you talk to them at some point, Donnie or Dougie, they will tell you probably that they remember coming over and having a monkey in a cage throw it crap at them. It's all it had. The only stimulation this monkey had was to grab crap and throw it at kids. Brought in effectively for Show and Tell to see it, and I wanted to save it. Then it was clear that it was happy, and my mom said, you cannot take the monkey from Todd's house. It will rip your
face off. It's just not something you should do, and so I did not. I don't know what happened to Todd. I don't know what happened to the damn monkey. I just hope it found a better place with more room to play and more stimulation than just piles of crap that it would fling at kids brought into the home, something else, completely different. I want to mention this. I thought I had another monkey story, but I don't. But
here is one I will share because I know. I had people reaching out to me and telling me that they were upset and that I should be able to sound off on this. They said that they had heard that MTV had gone completely dark, that they had shut down. They did shut down some overseas channels that were airing previously, but no, MTV is still out there wherever you can find it, if you have a cable system, streaming or
whatever else. It's been around for forty four years. But on New Year's Eve it did shut down a couple of the feeds that were out there in the UK, and some others that people weren't watching as much. But you know, you could still maybe find it and still maybe listen or watch a video that's not available on the iHeartRadio app all the time at your disposal, anything that you want, playlists and shows like this or me Eddie Rocky, whatever it is. But MTV is not what
it once was. I believe the real world ruined it.
But that's just me.
And now you can take the music with you anywhere in the iHeart Radio twenty four to seven, straight away, the Midnight Report you got, mister, excuse me, you get the news straight away you got atn rolling after that with Kevin Gordon and I am done. Gary Jeff is back tomorrow. I'll be back in Friday with Donna for Sloaney here on the Home of the Best Bengals Cover seven hundred WLW, Cincinnati.
News, Traffic and Weather News Radio seven hundred WLW, Cincinnati.
No independent review on the CDC's decision on pediatric vaccines. With your midnight reports, I'm we mawing breaking now. Massive changes on coming from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior and the CDC. They're eliminating six vaccinations from the long standing recommended list for children.
The CDC announcing it's further reducing the number of vaccines it previously recommended for children, effective immediately from seventeen to eleven.
That means the CDC will no longer recommend that every child gets shots for rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, meningitis RSV, and the flu.
The CDC now advising the rotavirus and flu vaccines should only be given to a child