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Can you hear the bumper? Six o six? In the Queen City of Cincinnati. Chick Ludwig seven hundred w l W Sean Dickmann is co hosting tonight. Russ Jackson is producing and running a big board in our control room. This is sports talk and like Eric Carmon and the Raspberries, we're going all the way to nine o'clock and that's when Donna d takes over the waves and we have news with the Reds acquiring two outfielders and JJ Bledet and Dane Myers. Tonight's Cyclones game is postponed with the
k Wings because of the ECCHL player strike. The Miami RedHawks trail Fresno State nine to three at halftime in the Snoop Dog Arizona Ball. And oh yeah, the Michigan Wolverines have a new football coach in longtime Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, a move that also impacts the University of Cincinnati. And speaking of the UC Bearcats, we welcome in from the Inquirer and Cincinnati dot Com Scott Springer, who covers the Bearcats. Scott, thanks for hanging tough with us tonight.
Can we go ahead and put Scott on there. Here we go, Scott, thanks so much for joining us tonight.
Hey.
I talked to Kyle Whittingham at the twelve media days there in uh in Frisco, Texas back in July. Good guy, what a hire? And what did he just you know what to them because uh, you know, they're they're kind of shoving him out the door. And he ends up getting a better job and he's probably going to take some of his staff, including his offensive coordinator who came from New Mexico I think it was and brought the quarterback there that that ran all over the place. So good hire by Michigan.
No doubt. And I also think of Kerry Combs, who is named, uh the special teams coordinator for the Michigan right before everything blew up there.
Yeah, I think he gets paid either way. I hope he's six. Carry's a good guy. I'm always rooting for the Ogs man, no doubt, no doubt. Yeah, Uh, far as I can tell, he's got a signed document that says he gets paid. So it happened with Sarron Moore is not his fault.
So it's a beautiful thing.
Man.
That's fantastastic for Carrie. We're definitely rooting for him. And and how about the Bearcats coming up, getting ready to go against Navy on January second in Memphis and a lot of changes. New quarterback Brady Lichtenberg gets his chance here, Scott.
Yeah, yeah, And he actually played in the last Bowl game and there was Sabby Fenway ball he got in and the third quarter had won Kerry for five yards. So nothing to write home about. But there's like four Bearcats that played in that game. Gavin Gerhard jack Dngele, Rob Jackson. I'm thinking I think that might be it that Brady got in that game. So he's been around, and hey, you know, from adversity comes opportunity, said the
great Rick Menner. And this is his chance. Brendan Sowersby, you know all signs that I can tell your point to Texas Tech and he's not going to be there. And that would have been a nice matchup if you looked at Soorsby versus Blake Rba, the Navy quarterback, and early on UC was favored in this game, and that was considering swords Pe would play. Now they're like a touchdown underdog and they're gonna have to go out and prove themselves. And you know, Navy's good number twenty two
team in the nation. Two losses. Notre Dame thumped them pretty good and they lost to North Texas. Won the Army Navy game on a fourth and eighth call, you know, by the goal line and got you play and won that. The one thing I think maybe helps you see a little, and it's a big maybe, is that's their biggest game
of the year. That was December thirteenth, and they had to come off of that and go into exams, and they had just two practices and then they gave them ten days off and they're not practicing until the twenty ninth in Memphis, right before the ball game. So UC's gonna have several more practices. Will that matter, I don't know. You know, because Navy just played a game and you see hasn't played since November twenty ninth, and TCU and you have a quarterback change. You do have some other
opt outs. But my take on it now, and it would be okay, you look at Navy and say Navy's the better team, and those Navy kids are tough and they are regimented. I'm sure they're home doing sit ups and not eating pumpkin pine and stuff. But you know, if you can catch him maybe a little too fat and sassy from that Army win and with not enough practice,
you know, maybe that works in your behalf. If you're UC it's hard to say, but you know, you're not going to have Coleone playing and some of the other guys, and but you do have all your offensive line, and you do have some decent running backs, you have all your receivers coming back there. They're going to be a little weak in the secondary. But Navy doesn't throw a ton. Now, having said that, he did throw for three hundred and thirty nine yards against Air Force this year, so they
can throw. But the kids that are playing, or the kids that want to be there and have a chance to get some tape and go on national TV and have a chance. And the thing I like best is Joe Royer's playing. I think that really says something. And you know that's something new in these days where everybody
just wants there. If they're not in a college football playoff game, they just say, well, I'm going to opt out, and you know, go pump iron and get ready to run my forty and look good in my underwear and all that, and Joe's going to go play. So good for Joe.
Royer, good elder boy, very positive sign. Scott, This is Sean McMahon. How you doing tonight?
Great? What's up?
Hey?
I got a quick question for you. You mentioned how good of a Navy team this is. They're ten and two U SEE sitting at seven and five. U SEE hasn't won a game since October. They beat Baylor in their homecoming game. What's the path to victory for you see? With them missing so many key players.
Well, you have to hope that Reggy Lichtenberg plays with the biggest ship in the world on his shoulder. You have to be able to run the ball. But you know this just in maybe defends the run quite a bit. They see that in practice all the time, so he's gonna have to make some throws. The upside is you have all the receivers back playing and including Cyrus Allen,
who's one touchdown catch away from the school record. So if they can throw the ball successfully on Navy, and you know you're gonna have to make some stops defensively, but you do have most of your defensive line back. You don't have Corleone. They've got a guy named Landon Robinson on the other side on their defensive line who's kind of like Corleone but not as heavy, about six foot two eighty five. But he's the first team All
American and he's an Ohio guy, and he's really good. So, like I said, I think, you know, maybe if you get enough of these practices and you can work some wrinkles in, you have a chance. You know that these games are so hard to predict. But you know, I watched East Carolina in Pitt today and I think East Carolina had had eight or nine opt outs, including you know, key positions, quarterback, running back, all over the place, and they want and they beat pit you know, a pretty
solid team, So it can be done. You know, I always say that the tough team wins, whoever wants it, the tough guy wins. Now that's that's kind of tough when you're going against the Service Academy, because those boys are tough.
Scott Scott Springer with us. Yeah, Scott Springer with us for a little bit more. Man really appreciate your time, Scott, and we were talking off the area, Sean and I Sean bumps into Brady Lichtenberg's mom at a concession stand at the What the Baylor game? Was that the Baylor game? Yeah, we were.
We were standing underneath the second deck of the pavilion, though kind of by the deader the old deadly building, the CCM building, And I noticed this woman stands next to me and she's got a number, a number chain wrapped around her neck. It's in the number sixteen, and I'm thinking, who's sixteen? I can't remember off the top of my head. There's so much roster change every single year, it's hard to keep up. And I finally just asked them, was like, do you have a son on the team?
She goes, yeah, my son's Brady Lichtenberg. And I was stunned to hear he was still actually on the team. I'm pretty passionate fan. I felt kind of embarrassed to admit I didn't know he was still on the team. So I was pretty thrilled to hear that he's stuck through the coaching change and he's stuck behind. You know, he's he's been the number two guy for a long time and he's finally getting his opportunity and his mom
was as sweet as could be. So you know, I'm rooting for the guy as hard as possible to go get the win for Uce and to represent the Bearcats. And you know, I hope he makes the most of his opportunity.
Yeah. Toledo kids, Yeah, Yeah, Toledo kid, Toledo Saint John. That came in with some really good credentials, but he's gutted it out here, Scott, and that says a lot about the person.
Tashi is his second start in twenty twenty three, the first year in the Big Twelve. He started at West Virginia. Unfortunately, cracked his ribs in that game and that game didn't go so well, but a lot of them didn't go very well that year. But that's when he had most of his playing time in twenty twenty three. So like career wise, he's twenty six or forty five, I think three hundred and thirty three yards, three touchdowns, ninety four
yards resting one touchdown. But but this year it was mainly that Northwestern State game where the other both the other quarterbacks got in. Samon Jones also got in. Bran Or through for a touchdown in that game. Other than that, Brady you know, got in for a cup of coffee against Utah when that one got out of her hand.
And so, yeah, he hasn't had his opportunities because you have Brendan Sersby, who if you're believing everything you read is going to command over five million bucks and you know, I love the guy, but she was I don't know if I'd pay five millions, you know, yeah, it's it's I'd be thinking, well, what can I get for two and a half or you know, you know, maybe I get somebody that can move the team.
Scott looking at looking at Navy style with their misdirection, the way they run the football, man, that's going to be a challenge for the for the Bearcats.
Well, yeah, it's just a it's an old offense, but it's new in terms of the players because most people don't run it anymore. Old school wing tea and you know, you have to, you know when they say the dive, the quarterback in the pitch and assignment football and those things. But they're able to throw out of it too. So it's just something a lot of the kids haven't seen since their high school days. Tyson Vite, I think you
said the last time he coordinated against. It was against Wofford like in two thousand and four or something like that. So it's but that's what they do, and that's how Navy and Army win, you know, because typically they're recruiting undersized guys, so that kind of offsets that with their ability to run that offense.
To a tee Scott, Navy you mentioned loves to run the ball at Service Academy football. It's classic. But they're not afraid to throw the ball deep down the field either. You see, obviously has to watch out for that. Do you expect them to kind of load the box We're used to seeing them play the three three five defense. Do you think they're going to put more guys up front in an attempt to stop Navy's run game and force them to throw the ball more.
I think they're gonna have to because I don't see how you can play three three five. I mean, honestly, and I'm not no expert, so I'm not going to go on some great critique of the three three five. But yeah, from a press box in some of the games, I've looked out through my binoculars and I said, we'll shoot. They could just run it to the left and there's nobody there, so I you know, I don't understand the movement and everything, but there's no way you can have
three down linemen against the Army. And Scott Saderfield has said as much in practice this month.
Let's definitely hope with the Bearcats being one and eleven in November these last few years they can get it would be really nice to get a Bowl win if we could take a little U turn here, Scott and just look at basketball here for a second. Lipscom comes in here what from Nashville, Tennessee on Monday night, and it's the last uh what pre conference game before we really get rocking and rolling next Saturday at home against the Houston Cougars.
Hikes, Yes, oh yeah, yeah yeah. Well then you shoot, you look at the big twelve. They got four of the top ten. Yes, you know, Houston's number eight, and then you have Iowa State in there in Arizona and BYU at ten. I think, so yeah, crazy league, which you know, on the outside, you have every opportunity to crawl back in this thing if you can get some wins, and you know, it helps your your ratings and all that. On the other side, of it. You know, you can
go down the tank in a hurry. And last year in January was not good for you see, they they rebounded a bit in February. So but I think you're probably going to see some changes come Monday because the way that Clemson game played out, and you know, he started a different lineup in the second half that included Gisel James and included Sincere Buck Harris and and with
that lineup they made some strides. So I don't know for sure that they're going to change the line but the indications where there was going to be some form of a change, and you have to look at, you know, in just two short games, the contributions that Gisel James has made, you know, coming back, you know, surprisingly and no one really thought he was going to be back, and he came back and was effected right away and has effected the team right away, and they played differently.
You know, they had a little more pep in their step when he came back the first game. And I don't know what the heck happened down there in Greenville. You know that game, it's thirty to five and you're going, man, this is like the Washington Generals against the Globe Trotters, and then in the second half they have a chance to win. And he's Wes Miller said, you know, in the four Power four losses Xavier, Louisville, Georgia, Clemson, you have either had leads or you know, in the Clemson game,
you're a possession from winning. You know, somehow that would have been the craziest win ever. But I can tell you that the Clemson media were sitting there and I think they had their stories written at halftime and they're ready to call it a night, and then suddenly they're biting their fingernails.
So yeah, those stories got The bear Cats have all this talent, and what drives me crazy is being able to close. That's what That's what they have to do. Close the deal, win a close game, and who knows what could happen if that happens.
Well, you know, if they win Monday, they're eight and five. So is that great? No, not at all. And considering the records of the other Big twelve schools, you know it's an upward climb. But you know, eight and five is a lot different than five and eight, and so you definitely have a chance to make up the ground in that league. It's just not you know, you had some really disappointing games. But again, you know, coach speak
or whatever. You know, come February March, if you make a run and you're winning, Nobody who even remembers those November losses. Uh, you know, and there's certainly that Eastern Michigan hunt is one you want to raise from your mind forever. That's just a brutal night.
Yeah, that was one of the worst losses I've certainly seen in my time as a as a UC Bearcat fan. Scott, you brought up Jisel James coming back probably the headline of the year so far for this basketball team. What does he bring offensively and defensively to this program for West Miller Well experience.
He's a third year player, and I think he brings confidence when he's on the floor, they just seem as a unit to be more comfortable. So he's knocked down a shot so far. I know in the past, you know, he hasn't exactly been the greatest of Marshman from three, but he's hit him so far. And he's always had a decent mid range game. And you know, the kid can score points. So uh, they just seem more comfortable
with him out there. And then when you add in Sincere Harris's defense, he's he's very you know, he can drive you crazy. I mean he him make a steal and and then maybe go down and clank the layup and that that drives you, battie. But you know, every now and then one might sneak in there. So he plays defense like an old Bearcat player. And Wes Millers even said that, and that's something you know, people like us miss you don't see that that that toughness, that
persistence and all that. And the more those guys, the better.
Would you can would you think that he would continue to get more playing time as as we go on in the season. Scott Paris or Gizzle Gizzle James, I'm sorry, oh I I.
Think he's going to start Monday, but I don't know. You know, I don't know positively because West doesn't you know, run the starting lineup by me. But just from listening to the postgame press conferences and seeing what I've seen, you know, things have to change. And kerk Crease it can be very good, but you know there's times where he can't hardly hit the backboard and he's just going down and doing behind the back turnover passes and you don't need that.
Jizzle brings the sizzle. Man, we want him back. We've got him back. Let's let's go. Scott.
I'm happy he is back.
Yeah.
I mean, I'm a parent of four boys, and first time I saw him just walking in the crowd, I said, man, I'm happy to see you.
Fantastic.
You know, kids struggle with stuff, and so I'm glad he's back.
Yeah, good headline. All right, Scott. Hey, really appreciate you joining us tonight with the family altogether in town. Thank you, sir, Yes, sir, I'm off all right, Thanks Scott, appreciate you. Hey, he's shown McMahon. Great to have him in here tonight. This is the Chickster chick Ludwig. Man, I've got my coffee, I've got my computer. All we need is you and we're glad to have you tonight for three rocking hours of sports talk reds. Gosh, there's so much going on.
We're going crazy, college football, basketball, We're getting ready for the Bengals tomorrow. Even the El's got some news. The COHL with the strike. No game tonight against the k Wings at the Heritage Bank Center. So Chick lud Wig alongside Sean McMahon Sports Talk seven hundred WLW six eight in the Queen City of Cincinnati. Chick Ludwig alongside Sean McMahon, A couple of elder guys. But I'm Ohio State and he's UC and we are having a blast tonight, going
all the way till nine o'clock. Appreciate Scott Springer joining us talking all things you see football and basketball. Well, now it's time to talk some Cincinnati Reds. And it won't be long until spring training gets here and we're playing baseball. I can't wait. I can't believe we're already at this point in the year. Chick around the corner, man, it really is. And the Reds looking for outfield depth,
Well they got it. They're getting it. They're getting it with the acquisition today of two outfielders, JJ blood Day who used to play for the Athletics, and then Dane Meyers in a trade with the Marlins today. So what does it all mean? Uh? Tito francona manager, has talked about wanting depth and then wanting versatility, wanting wanting some players who can win Okay, so these moves are going to get absolutely trashed by fans. Okay, it's already coming
in strong that it's there. They're dumpster diving that reclamation projects, change of scenery projects. Put them into Great American Ballpark, which is a small park, and let's see what they can do. What do you think, Sean?
It kind of just feels like more of the same. I hate to say it, but it's nothing that excites me.
Now.
I'm I'm not a baseball manager and I'm not I don't run an organization, so I can't in depth tell you exactly what the Reds need. But this feels like more of the same that they've gone for in the past. This, this just feels like they're just redecorating. They're just they're just changing. They're putting lipstick on a pig. It feels like.
Will Myers, Nick Martini, Austin Slater, Connor, Joe Tommy fam Garrett Hampson, Bubba Thompson, the names go on and on and on and on the thing with to me acquiring these two guys, you want competition, yep? Okay, And like I said, Tito Francona has talked about, uh, depth. You want to you want to give TJ. Friedel a little bit of time off every once in a while in center field because he was ground down, uh in September last year. You could see it too, You actually see it.
So with TJ. Friedel in center and the former third baseman now playing in right field. But you've got Will Benson, You've got Reese Hines, You've got Blake Donne, you've got Tyler Callahan. With these two guys automatically give you is great competition. Yeah, so may the best man and may the best men win.
One thing I wondered, Chick, is if you are able to give guys like TJ. Friedo breaks, or able to rotate guys in and out of the outfield, how could that help them offensively? You know, giving guys time off. How could that help improve their batting at the plate? You know, we'll see you would hope that would have a positive effect on everybody.
You know, like you said, TJ. Friedo got ground down, he got tired at the end of the year. Could that help him in other areas?
It's tough to say at this point, obviously, but we'll see how it helps the Reds in terms of their depth and longevity as well.
What I like the fact that guys show up at the ballpark knowing, did you you better be ready because you're going to come into the game as a defensive replacement or or a pinch runner, pinch hitter. And Noel v Marte looks like he's got the lead in right field. Yeah, and TJ Friedel this club needs power in left field.
It's it's that simple. And hopefully if JJ Bledet can improve, and we saw some good numbers from him in twenty twenty four with the A's twenty home runs forty three doubles, he did back two forty three and he's he's really cheap at one point four million, So yeah, money's not a concern for either of these guys. And you've got you know, they're decent hitters.
About two forty two to fifty for both of them, which in today's league isn't bad. A lot of people look at that and they scoff at that. But with the way that today's hitters are hitting, not many people are actually hitting above three hundred, so two forty two to fifty is probably slightly above league average, maybe right about there.
Well, and Dane mais bat in two thirty five last year, six home runs, thirty one RBIs in one hundred and six games, six seventeen ops as well. Yeah, yeah, right handed hitter. He's right handed and JJ Bletate lefty, so both highly thought of.
Man.
Fourth overall pick was JJ the day coming out of Vanderbilt. Yeah, with the with the Marlins, and then he gets traded to the Athletics, So, uh, want don't know what the fans think. Is this love here? Are we rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic? Or could these guys amount to something?
You know?
One thing, Chick that I heard Lance bring up was why did the Reds seem like they never go after players who are good right now? Yeah, they go after guys who were were good and at one point in their career and you just hope that they're going to be a spark for this team and it's really never worked out it. The first name that comes to mind for me is Mike Mustakis. Yes, that was the guy who I remember when the red signed him, I felt like a big deal. It really did ended up being
kind of a nothing burger, which stinks. You never want you never you always want these guys to work out, right, you want them to be comeback Player of the Year and to have the best year they possibly can. By no means is anybody rooting against these guys. But you know, why can't they go after guys that are are killing it in the league right now?
At least it's not costing them a lot like Candelarios and uh and Mike Mustakas those those hurt. That's rough they really did. Hey, yea, we got time to go out through the phones. We got Bill in Monroe, Bill by your season tickets Bill with these two signings.
Not at all.
I got my pack for Christmas, for their lives, and that's about what we did last year. But I just don't understand you have.
A glaring need. You had this need for two or three years.
They're competitive, they need something to put them over the top. And they this kid going back to General Dollar to try to find it here to fill that spot, and it's not gonna happen.
What's crazy, Bill? To me, what's crazy is they offered Kyle Schwarber a boatload of money, what one hundred and twenty million over five years, So the money was there, then all of a sudden, no it's not We're back to the payroll from last year and where did the money go?
Yeah, chick, I don't even understand the Schwarber thing because I'm from Monroe here. I mean my Wiatt babysat Kyle Schwarber. But she works have been around local school as you might even know her. But the trick is Kyle Schwarber would have been worth and I don't know how who's doing the mass of the Reds, but they're not very good. Kyle Schwarber would have probably that would project be worth at least ten to twelve million a year to the Reds when all of a sudden done and you project
that over five years, that's sixty million. If the Reds are going to jump a guy like Kyleg Swarber, you've got to offer him.
More than what everybody else is.
He would have taken one hundred and fifty million from the Reds and done it gladly and been worth more than that down the road. But the short sightedness and just the repetition, it just breaks your heart. Because the Reds have great pitching, they have great young players, they have position players, but they need that bopper in their lineup. I mean it's not rocket scientry, and you just don't
see him doing any of that. Luise Robert, the guy hasn't played a full year in six years for the White Sox.
You're absolutely right.
I mean you've got to go after somebody and be aggressive doing it. I mean, like it's urgent. Don't try to talk a guy down like kyleege Schwarbery. I mean, he's only led what two straight years and home runs. I hear guys knocking because he's going to strike out two hundred times. He's not there to play defense, and he's not there because he strikes up. He's there because he knocks in about one hundred and thirty five one hundred and forty runs a year. He's going to hit
you fifty or sixty home runs. Bill is what answers what the Reds need?
Bill?
What does it say to you as a fan when the Reds make these kinds of signings? What what message do you get from the organization when when you see them go after guys like this?
Well, I doubt that I'm very different than any of the average fans. You're a fan because you're passionate about a sport. I'm an Ohio State football, Kentucky basketball fan. These guys go after what they want and they do it knowing that they're going to put a great product on the field.
Ain't bad. Well, I'm with you with the guys, yes, sir.
But but but when you're talking about the Reds, Cincinnati fans have not only been they're passionate and they've been patient. Is this time for Casteline and that family to either put up or shut up?
Do you think they've been too patient?
Bill?
What's that?
Do you think Red fans have been too patient?
And I think that's to their credit since they baseball fans are are are are true read I mean they're they're they're they're purists, and they are they are passionate. But my gosh, man, either do what you said you're going to do or the true giveaway was where you're gonna go. I mean might have been something we laugh about, but they don't know just how accurate that was.
Well, then what about the comment they made about the ticket sales too, after they couldn't get Kyle Schwarber right about him driving ticket sales.
Well, when you got such short sightedness, like I said, Kyle Schwarber, you may be paying him.
I mean he was worth thirty million a year.
He's yeah, but you may have been paying him one hundred and fifty but his total worth might have been two hundred and fifty million. How can you not see that the local guy comes home. I mean, just like he did with Griffy. You bring these Cincinnati guys home and and Red Spans is gonna show out.
They're gonna be there.
They're gonna buy stuff, They're gonna show the games, They're gonna buy the jerseys.
I'll agree with you. Hey, we've got to run. Hey, appreciate the call, Thank you, sir. One thing about this city chick is though, and we've got touchdown Tommy calling in from Milford, our favorite eagle, Tommy.
Are you there? But well you say, chicks there? All right.
Great to hear your voice as always.
It's always good to talk to you guys as well. Hey, I kind of caught the back end. Just came out of Cooper's Hawk. Had a great, great time there. But the thing I got with the reds Man, the hard part is that everybody's got to understand there is no there is no payroll caps, you know, and you know when you're gonna compete against La and New York, and you can't afford to buy players. And the players you're gonna buy, our guys are either past their prime or
you're looking for lightning in a bottle. You know, it's unfortunate, you know, and then you make bad moves. I mean, you know, Candelara, I mean that that hurts you from Pittsburgh got sixteen million dollars. I mean, that's that's almost ten percent of more than ten percent of your payer are not getting anything out of it. And guess what's gonna happen with day La Cruz. Where's that gonna go? They're gonna get more draft picks and players, and because
they're not gonna be to afford him either. Yeah, the Reds fans are just in a bad spot.
Man.
It would have been nice to get him signed a here or two ago. Really for the long term.
Yeah, who knows.
Yeah, they're gonna have to open up that pocketbook for that. Wow, they're gonna have to the breaks truck for there's no doubt.
And you know what, you know what's gonna happen. I mean, for pr they're gonna have to do it. But you know, Casoline doesn't have the cash. I mean, unfortunately, he's an owner that runs as a business versus many of these owners run this as a hobby. I mean financially, I mean, we just can't compete in that space. And you know, unfortunately, it's gonna be interesting if the NFL got it right by putting a salary cap in there. It allows middle market teams to participate. And when the Reds don't do
well drafting, you've got nowhere else picked up players. And if you look at their starting lineup, I think half of their starting lineup, maybe even slightly more than that, are guys they picked up in trade.
They were in guys they developed well, and they're just hoping.
The Spencer Steers of the world and yeah, you know, and some of the free agents they've picked up will just continue to improve. And I'm I'm excited about South Stewart. The guy can play first base. He can d h. I love Spencer Steer, my favorite player. He can play left field, first base, So there's some versatility there. They're just trying to catch lightning in a bottle here with the two guys that they acquired today, So we will see.
It's frustrating, it is, right, Yeah, but it's you know, the good news is the guys you talked about, they're great teammates. I mean, and Frankcona is a great guy in the clubhouse. I mean, as a fan, you can at least root for good guys, right, Yeah, you don't have trouble makers. You got guys that are trying to overachieve. I mean there's something about you know, taking the lunch pail to work and essentially, you know, make making you know, limit lemon lemonade out of lemons, you know.
And everybody I talked to Tommy loves Will Benson do the Reds love y? Is it time to uh fish or cut bait with this guy?
I like him, but just too And yeah, I mean, you know, you know what it's like. I mean, you know, a baseball player, unlike football, you got one hundred and sixty two games. You could get hot for twenty games and if you're if you if you stink for one hundred and forty, you stink. Right In NFL, you have a couple of good games, you're still a good player. But unfortunately it's a grind, and some guys aren't aren't ready for the grind. And when you look at Benson.
I mean he looks like a thoroughbred.
Yes, I mean, how big that guy.
And he's got a cannon yeah, you know, and he improved last year bad swing, Yeah.
He improved his swing last year.
So uh And and the Reds don't have a whole lot of money any so, I mean, you can kind of live with some of that, but unfortunately you can't be in your starting eight. They're starting nine, you know, because you got to have a guy that produces every day. Yeah, and they still need they need pumper in the outfield. They still need an outfield thumper.
You know.
I like Freido and I like you blah blah blah. You know, but they're they're good. They're good role players. You know, you need you need a stud. And I was hoping they're gonna draft one three years ago and they still haven't drafted a stud.
We're hoping that Noel Marte can can be that guy. Uh, he shows signs. They all show glimpses, don't they, Tommy.
Yeah, I mean, like I said, I mean, it's uh, you know, it's uh, they look good dressed up. But I mean, look at the score book and the box score at the end of the game. It was like no impact or order to get hot. One game and they're gone for three games.
Turn them into the gas house gang. Let them steal, get on base and steal and uh because it's just not a power hitting team. They need a stud to hit the ball over the wall at gab and Tommy, we got a run, man, It's always great hearing you.
Absolutely Man. We'll go rads man.
I'm still behind him.
But hopefully they get a couple of good you know, couple of lightnings in a bottle like we talked about. You know, it could happen.
Fantastic, All right, Tommy, I appreciate you, thanks so much. As a sports talk the Chickster chick Ludwig with Shawn dick Mann on seven hundred at w LW seven oh six in the Queens City of Cincinnati. Chicklog Wigs seven hundred WLW sitting alongside Sean McMahon co host tonight, it's an honor, pleasure and privilege to welcome in our next guest. He's a Bengals insider. He writes for clans since he dot com. He's the author of the Jungle Roar Pod. You know him as Trags. You can follow him on
Twitter at trags. He is Mike Petrellia Mike, Happy New Year to you. And two thirds of the Bermuda Triangle play tomorrow at pay Course Stadium. The only team missing is the Jets, but Boomerisiasin calls the Jets, the Cardinals and the Bengals the Bermuda Triangle.
I'm glad you filled me in there, check And by the way, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy twenty twenty six from not only me, but a former colleague of yours, a lovely Debora am Tucker.
So she sends her greetings. We appreciate that. I thought you would appreciate.
Thank you very much, And Trags did last week at least remind us us of what could be what hopefully will be next season when you've got the big three on the field at the same time.
Yes, I don't think there's any question about that, especially if you have Chase Brown as productive as he was in the run game and the run blocking as strong as it was last week. That's to me what really opens up the pass game for the Bengals this team, when they have all of their weapons on the field at the same time and the blocking is just respectable. It doesn't even have to be spectacular. If it's respectable,
this offense is almost impossible to defend. And that's what the Bengals had schemed up in the offseason, at least offensively. When you resigned Jamar Chase and t Higgins and you know you have Chase Brown under control for the next couple of seasons. That's what the Bengals envisioned. They did not envision the defense falling apart and being as ill suited to handle the you know, the core of the season and the bulk of.
The season, I should say, the way it has. And you know, they got a.
Tremendously bad break in the injury to Joe Burrow obviously, but that is separate and apart from the defense failing them the way they did.
Mike Petrelli is with us trags and great story off on cl nssinc dot com. Jamar Chase try to get into the end zone? Are you kidding me? For the first time since October sixteen? Doesn't seem that.
Long, but it is.
It is, and it's because the defenses have made him the priority to shut down. I mean, when people say, you know, you can't pick and choose between T. Higgins and Jamar Chase. Well, defenses have picked Jamar Chase to shut down. T. Higgins is going to make his fifty to fifty catches high pointing the ball like he does all the time, but they do not want Jamar Chase exploding down the field because I think defensive coordinators feel like if Jamar Chase gets his rhythm going in a game, he's almost.
Impossible to stop. Whereas with T.
Higgins, he's going to make it you know, maybe a player or two big downfield. But he is a different type of receiver in terms of his explosiveness. So teams have shown a lot of double cloud to Higgins and Jamar Chase, a lot of double teams, bracketing coverage, special gimmick defenses on Jamar Chase, all designed to shut Number one down and keep him out of the end zone.
Even that being said, Jamar Chase last week and even in the game against the Baltimore Ravens when they were shut out, he had ten catches for one hundred and twenty yards. He's still going to put up numbers. Bengals are going to still find ways to.
Get him the ball.
But what defenses have decided to do is make sure you keep Jamar in front of him and keep him out of the end zone tricks.
Do you think part of helping Jamar get into the end zone is making improvements in the running game for the Bengals offense.
Yeah, no question, Sean. Because when you can run the ball and you.
Demand the respect of the opposing defense to run the ball, you spread out the defense in the red zone.
When you don't all of your.
Resources from the linebackers on back to the secondary and the specialized defenses that are designed for the red zone, especially low red zone, which is inside the ten yard line, they can shut down your receivers much more easily, make the space and the windows much tighter. That's what the
Bengals have faced pretty much all season long. But in the games where Chase Brown has been able to run the ball effectively in the low red zone, and let's not forget some AJP rhyme, when those two can run the ball, it takes at least one linebacker, perhaps two depending on how well the Bengals are running the ball, and gives you know, more one on one opportunities in the red area in the end zone itself.
For Chase Higgins and Andrea Josebash.
Never going to complain for a victory in the National Football League. A lot of fans are screaming that it didn't mean anything. It could possibly cost them a higher draft pick. But drags, you are playing for thirty two teams, the one you're on now, in thirty one other clubs, you better bring it every Sunday, every snap.
Well, here's the thing about that, chicken. It's a great point.
People can make the argument about the draft picks all they want, but the thing, given where the Bengals are going to be drafting, you know, in the high single digits, you know, eighth, ninth, maybe tenth, or the low teams wherever they wind up drafting. If they win let's say seven games, the young players on this defense that the Bengals are counting on have to show something going into
twenty twenty six. They have to show the coaching staff that they belong on an NFL defense going into next year, that Al Golden can rely on them going forward. Because Al Golden and Zach Taylor will be back next year. You can almost take it to the bank right now. They're not going to be any changes in that regard, and if that is the case, then both of them, especially Al Golden, need to know who they can rely on going into next year. That's why these last three
games last week in Miami included matters so much. It matters on the defense. These defensive players have to show that they have made strides from those Jets and Bears games that were absolute disasters, unqualified disasters, to the point now where they're playing respectively, and it's a lot easier to also play defense when you're playing with the lead, which Bengals did not do a good job of midway through the season. So that is what the Bengals are
playing for in these last two games. The defense of the young players like Barrett Carter, Demetrius Knight.
Junior Shamar Stewart.
How about him, Let's see him get at his first career sack tomorrow against Arizona. I think that's something you can also be on the lookout for, not just Jamar Chase finding the end zone for the first time in two months.
Triggs, we don't quite have a full year sample size of an Al Golden defense, but year to year, are have you seen anything from Al Golden that you.
Like so far? Yeah?
I do think the way he is manipulated the players and used him in different positions. I think the fact that he can use some of his corners inside and outside, specifically Dax Hill, helps the Bengals play more defenses. He can scheme up more defenses to stop passing driven league, especially when you've got guys. You know, Patrick Mahomes will come back healthy, no doubt. Josh Allen, you know that's that game against Buffalo. Go back and watch the first
three quarters and how good the defense played. He played very very well. Obviously, you know, the turnovers change that game. Not really the bad defense, but the turnovers back to back passes by Joe Burrow really flipped that game. The Bengals win that game on the road. We have a different take on the Bengals defense for the last six weeks of the season, much different.
Yeah, it was great to see Jalen Davis, who you're really starting to blossom and hopefully he can figure in the next year. But you're exactly right, this club needs to find out, well with these young defensive players who can be here, Who who they can count on, who they can trust for twenty twenty six.
No question, And you know I think Jalen Davis is one of those role players at the Bengals love he's you know, not he's not Mike Hilton, but he is starting to play a lot like him, which is a good thing.
And Jalen Davis is beloved in that locker room.
Zach Taylor can't speak highly of him enough, neither Canal Golden. He's somebody that went right from the practice squad to playing full snaps. That's hard to do, That's very difficult to do, but Jalen Davis managed to do it because he pays attention in the film room. He you know, is a very good teammate in the locker room, and he's terrific in practice from everything we you know, we're told by Zach Taylor and also Al Golden. So Jalen Davis is a nice refreshing story as.
We finish up the season. But that doesn't mean the.
Bengals aren't going to be in the market for, you know, starting nickel going into next year. I think that I think they like Dax Hill and DJ Turner on the outside, I think they are probably in the market for a nickelback. I definitely think they are on the market for a safety, if not two safeties. They are in the market for two defensive edges, even if Trey Hendrickson comes back on a franchise tag, and they're definitely in the market for one or two interior tackles on the defensive line.
And really, you just took the words out of my mouth. At every phase of the defense front, middle, and back, they need help. And it'll be fun to see Corey Kiner come back here with the Arizona Cardinals tomorrow. Former U SEE running back.
And you know, obviously mister Ohio football with Roger Bacon back in twenty twenty, I would hope now he's.
Listed on their depth chart as the third.
Running back in the backfield behind Michael Carter and another running back. But I would think that Jonathan Gannon, the head coach of the Cardinals, would try to get him some good reps tomorrow, hometown team coming back to Cincinnati, not only a star with Roger Bacon, but as you said,
the Cincinnati Bearcats. It's a great story to follow and hopefully he gets some good reps, but also a King Davis Gaither is coming back as a starting linebacker tomorrow as well, so that's also kind of a feel good story, but not nearly the feel good story that Corey Coyner is.
Yeah, you're absolutely right, Drags and looking forward to seeing Marvin Harrison. He's got a heel injury, only one catch in December. Looking forward to him and Jacoby Brissette. Oh my gosh, he's got nine lives and he's beaten the Bengals before as a backup quarterback journeyman.
Yeah, who can forget Opening Gay twenty twenty four, a game the Bengals had no business losing to first year coach Gerrod Mayo, and they lost sixteen to ten.
That was not that loss.
That single loss last year kept him out of the playoffs. Can't say that this year. But Trey McBride, keep an eye on him. He is an outstanding tight end. He plays on Arizona, so nobody talks about him a lot in the NFL, but he's a tremendous tight end and he is probably, with Harrison dinged up, probably their number one weapon on offense.
Mike Petrellia, you can follow him on trags. You've been generous with your time, you and your you and your significant other. Happy New Year, Love you guys. Merry Christmas trags.
Hey, Sean, you do a great job.
Check It's always a pleasure being on with you. Happy New Year, guys, thank you so much. And this is Sports Talk. Hey, you want to check in on the Bengals. Yeah, we'll talk some more and we're even going to touch on the Michigan football coach. Oh yeah, big nets all coming up on seven hundred WLW seven thirty six in the Queen City of Cincinnati, Chick Ludwig alongside Sean McMahon. This is Sports Talking until nine o'clock tonight. And Hey,
loving our next guest. He's covered the Ohio State Buckeyes for twenty years and after nine years at the Dayton Daily News, he started his own news letter and you can sign up for it at cuss Cus cuss Words Sports and the link is on my Facebook page. Check it out. We welcome in Marcus Hartman. Marcus, Happy New Year. How are you, stud?
I'm pretty good, Chick. I appreciate you having me on. Happy New Year to you as well.
Fantastic. Well, we can't wait till this coming week Wednesday night and Thursday. Oh my, the college football playoff quarter finals. And it all starts with the Cotton Bowl seven point thirty on Wednesday Night, New Year's Eve, the Ohio State Buckeyes against the Miami Hurricanes, two teams that have quite a history back in two thousand and three when the Buck guys pulled that baby out out in the desert. The Hurricanes fans and players haven't forgotten.
Yeah, yeah, it's amazing the subplots there. You've got to this game, people asked Jeremiah Smith, I think I looked it up with weren't about three years later, two and a half years later, if the people down in Miami are still mad about how that game went down?
And he said, yes, for sure they are.
So you can tell, you know, the the parents and the grandparents of these players are gonna want some revenge, even if the players aren't that aware of it firsthand. And I think it's a pretty interesting matchup on paper, you know, I think ironically, you know, I really thought Georgia probably deserved to jump ahead of Ohio State after the Big Ten championship game.
And I think that this is a little tougher draw.
I mean, I think you look at especially you know, on the hoof, I think Miami is one of the best teams out there and it's hard to the acc sometimes you know, you don't know exactly how tested they are, but if you watch them play, you know they've got some dudes. So it's gonna be a game where you're gonna have to go out there and earn it, you know, in a matchup type game where there's gonna be a lot of physical similarities between these teams.
Wow, what Miami did going into Kyle Field in the was just phenomenal and chopping down Texas A and M. That was just incredible.
Yeah.
I was sort of going back and forth during the game about which team would would be Ohio State would rather see, and at the end, I definitely still felt.
Like it was they would rather see Texas A and M.
I know A and M a little more complicated on defense, you know, maybe kind of do some of the things that maybe that Indiana had done that kind of messed with Ohio State. But I think the better roster would be Miami. And you look at I don't know how Texas A and M was going to score at all.
Against Ohio State.
Miami's obviously got a veteran quarterback, a good offensive line, and then they've got some skill guys that you really have to worry about. So I think they were a better all around team. And the funny thing is looked at the stats and I felt like the stats were a little more even in that game. It really if you just watched it, Miami had you know, four or five scoring opportunities. They missed some field goals, so it felt like Miami should have won that game more than
they did. But you know, whatever happened last Saturday doesn't necessarily have anything to do with what happens next week either.
Absolutely. Marcus Hartman is with us talking Buck Eye Football, and two guys on Miami scare me their their defensive vents, Rubin Baine Junior and akem Mesidor Man. They get after it in their speed and quickness. Man, the buck guys offensive line is really really going to be tested.
Yeah, you know it.
There's no doubt those guys are are very good players. But it's kind of interesting Ohio State and you know, in terms of just one on one matchups generally have been pretty good, especially in past protection. Both their tackles have held up pretty well.
You know.
Austin Thyreveld started the year, you know, with the big match up against Texas and pitched a shutout. Has kind of just been a steady guy from then on. What's really bothered them has been more stunts and like the sim pressures that Indiana was able to run pretty successful.
You know, where they you don't know who's come.
It's kind of like the modern cousin of the zone blitz, where you're not sure who's coming and who's not in the end up blocking air. That's been more of an issue for Ohio State. Now, who knows, Miami may install some of that stuff here in their ten days off, but obviously it's going to come down to I think how well Ohio State's offensive line plays, because I think that's the biggest question mark.
Of the four lines.
Mean, Ohio State's defensive line is elite. Miami has a good offensive line and a good defensive line, especially those edge You guys, the Ohio State offensive line's been a little bit more up and down this season. You know, they came off a great game against Michigan, they kind
of struggled against Indiana. They're going to have a new right guard, probably the Gabe Van Sickle, but you know he's replacing a guy Tigra Shabola from Makota West, who also had his share of ups and downs, but he's injured, so it'll be interesting to see kind of how that shakes out in terms of what they're able to do, what the communication is like, and just physically. You know, how how Van Sickle look when he's out there against a top ten opponent.
No doubt Marcus and giving Julian Saying time to get the ball to his you know, his incredible wide receivers in Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith, and opening some holes for the running game too.
Yes, yeah, And I think you know the other thing was Brian Hart.
I'm sorry, Brian Day said this week, you know he is going to call plays, yes, which I think is I feel like, you know, one of the underrated storylines of last year was halfway through the playoff, Day said, oh, yeah. By the way, I've been way more involved in the offense here in the playoffs than I was in the
regular season. And because a lot of the kind of day to day grind of the head coaching job is over there in December and January, and I don't think it's a coincidence that they came out there and they were looking to attack in the passing game, and they were more aggressive when Day you know, had his fingerprints completely on the offense instead of just kind of overseeing, you know, kind of from afar what was going on. So I think we would have seen a similar transition again this year anyway.
The only question is.
As we you know, as people, as Bengals fans know, it's it's tough to manage the game and call the plays at the same time sometimes, So as long as I've been saying is it's probably good for Ohio State if they can have a double digit lead going into the fourth quarter not have to worry about any potentially
difficult game management decisions. And I think the way that they will call the game may lend itself to trying to go out there and kind of get control of the game, make Miami play from behind and just kind of see what Carson Beck does in that situation if he's got a press, and.
Go from there.
Marcus Sean mcman here, this game profiles to me very similarly to that of the game that Miami just played against A and M I have a feeling this is going to be pretty low scoring.
These are two really good defenses.
Matt Patricia has been an excellent defensive coordinator for Ohio State. This is probably the best defense Miami's faced all year. To me, I think that the game comes down to how well does Miami's offense play against Ohio States defense, because I don't think they've seen anything like this this year.
Yeah, I think, I think you're right.
I mean, and they've got a veteran quarterback who will turn the ball over from time to time, so obviously that's the big the caveat for Miami. I mean, if Carson Beck throws a couple of interceptions, they're going to be in real big trouble. I think in Ohio State, for all as good as they've been, they have not forced a whole lot of turnovers.
You know.
They haven't had as many snaps as some defenses, so there's been fewer opportunities.
But that's the one thing.
So again, they've got almost that as a wild card that's kind of in their back pocket. If they force a few turnovers, it's going to be they're just about unstoppable. But I agree, I mean, I think it's going to be up to I think the two things.
I mean, and that's how it usually goes.
I mean, the Ohio State.
Offensive offense needs to come out and you know, establish some things that it's able to do to move the ball consistently after only scoring ten points against Indiana. But I think you're right, maybe the bigger challenges. Can Miami get much of anything going against Ohio State? And obviously they've got the skill guys, They've got a good offensive line, but the Ohio State is awfully tough and thematically they've done a lot of different things. So this will be
a very good chance. I mean, I think for both sides of the ball, this is the time you go out there. If you're as good as you think Ohio State has been all year.
This is a great chance to go prove it.
I mean, if they're that good, they should be able to win if they just play their game.
But it's a great opportunity for Miami to say, hey, you know, we're.
The you and we're back.
And I kind of ironic that really, you know, they never really recovered.
From that National Championship game, never been the same.
Since they lost that Fiesta ball, So this is really their best opportunity to prove themselves on this stage.
Marcus do you think that this game is a lot higher scoring than that, or do you see it being fairly low scoring as well.
I don't think it's going to be a shootout. I don't think it's going to be thirteen to ten either. I think both teams will have some success. You know, Miami has an efficient offense, which I think is it's sort of what you want to be against Ohio State. They haven't given up a lot of big plays, but you need big plays. So that's sort of the catch twenty two. They're trying to generate big plays against the defense that doesn't give up a lot, but also be efficient.
And so I think they will be able to move the ball, and I think Ohio State kind of the same thing. I think that they'll be able to I think they'll be more consistent moving the ball, and they've got those explosive wide receivers. If they're both that hundred percent, that would make a huge difference compared to what we saw certainly against Indiana and against in Michigan. You know, those guys had each had the one big play, they didn't do a whole lot the rest of the game,
and obviously that was enough. So I think both offenses will have some success. I think they'll move the ball some and he talked about it's going to be you know, weather won't be a factor. So I think it'll be more of a game where you know, the winner is somewhere in the twenties and you know, something like a twenty four to fourteen type game, or maybe a twenty four to seventeen type of a game.
I would think, I don't know what.
I don't usually look at the lines. I think Ohio State is favored by like ten. I'm not sure what the over under is, but that's kind of.
What it feels like.
Yeah, the over under is forty two and a half in Ohio State. I'm stunned is a nine and a half point favorite. I'm not a gambler. I don't bet, but I would take I would take Miami Ohio State time. Ohio State at times this year has started slow. Penn State ran on them, God Pue ran on them. They throw an interception against Michigan to start the game. So I'm you know, I'm a little bit concerned as a buck Eye grad and fan.
What well, then that's you know, that's why I came away thinking. I mean Miami would be you'd rather play A and M because I think they would have had a harder time scoring. When you talk about being able to confuse Read, I mean he was obviously confused at times with whatever what Miami was doing.
But Miami just has more game breakers, you know, And that's really what it kind of comes down to.
Uh And and you know, the great thing about the playoff and about these intersectional games is, you know what, you really don't know what these teams have on the line until they line up against each other, and then that's where the proof comes out. So this is a great opportunity for for these teams to kind of prove
what they really look like against each other. But I agree, I mean, I yeah, I would think logically it's more likely to be decided by less than nine points, I think, So I think, how we're going to put a bet down, the safest that would be to take Miami on that one, even if you think Ohio.
State is going to win.
But like I said, I mean, you know, it's it's a chance for o High State to just go out there.
And prove it.
I mean, you know, if they if they are as good.
As the press Cuppings had been most of the year, and I'm a believer, especially in the defense.
You know, then this is a chance for them. It's a It's a game that they should win if they go out there and take care of business. But Miami is certainly dangerous.
And the game is at at and T Stadium in Arlington. Good vibes from the Buckeyes from last year, Marcus, give me a winner in all four games, Miami and Ohio State.
I think I got to go with the Buckeyes.
Okay, how about Oregon and Texas Tech on Thursday, January one in the Orange Bowl.
You know, that's a really fascinating matchup because these are teams that are kind of built similarly, and they're going to have a lot of name, image and likeness guys, a lot of transfers.
But they're both talented, and so I think you got to go with Oregon.
I really like Dante More, I think that they're pretty good on the lines, and I believe that they're.
Going to be healthier at the skill positions than they have been.
So I'm going to go with Oregon.
Great and then the granddaddy of them all been out there twice. I love it the Rose Bowl, Alabama and Indiana.
I'm not a believer in Alabama, and I am a believer in Indiana, at least in this round.
So I think Indiana's tough to play against.
I think they're good all around at every level of football and every level of offense and defense. I think Alabama is a bit of a paper tiger with no running game, and they've just been they haven't quite been Alabama.
I'm going to go with Indiana fantastic.
And lastly, in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans at Caesar's Super Dome, Ole Miss and Georgia, I think you.
Gotta go with Georgia. I mean, maybe there's still a chance at this Georgia. I guess from what I've talked to people, this is not, you know, the death star Georgia type team. But they're still pretty good. They've still got a good roster. I believe they already beat Ole Miss once.
Right, and then you've got Ole Miss without Lane Kiffin.
They're a good team on legit team for sure, But Georgia knows how to how to play in this kind of a stage and this.
Is new for Ole Miss.
I'm gonna have to go with the Bulldogs.
You've been generous with your time, Marcus Hartman, and my partner here, Sean McMahon, has one more question for you.
Yeah, Marcus, the focusing specifically on the Alabama Indiana game, This is just kind of a funny question. Do you ever think you'd see Indiana favorite as a touchdown favorite against Alabama in the Rose Bowl?
That is, no doubt a very wild thing all the way around. You know, one of my favorite stats for a long time was Indiana and Minnesota shared the Big Ten title in nineteen sixty seven, and they are the only teams to not win at least to share it since then.
Wow, not counting you know the newer teams that have joined.
In, and so now Indiana has put all that to bed, and you know, you watch them play. They passed the look test. I mean, they're a good team. And again Alabama's almost the opposite. They don't really pass the look test, like they tend to somehow figure out how to win. So no, I would have never anticipated that kind of thing, but I also think that it's.
Fair right now.
Well, Marcus, really appreciate your time tonight and tell folks how they can reach you and get your newsletter.
Yes, as you said, you can find the newsletter online at cut words sports dot com, c U S W O R D S S P O r T S dot com and that is free.
That's good to know.
And if you can look that up and give me a follow, I would really appreciate it. I will be out there in Dallas with some with updates on that newsletter, and I'll also be writing for Press Pros magazine, which I understand is something that Chick is familiar with. I talked to the publisher today and he said to make sure and and get a shout out for them. So I will be there for both accords here next week and I'm very much looking forward to flying out tomorrow.
Fantastic Marcus, safe travels, Happy New Year, and dare I say it, go bocks man. It's not a matter of life or death. It's more important than that. Thanks so much, Marcus, Thanks very much following me time all right, appreciate it. And Press Prosmagazine. I just wrote a story for like a holiday issue, Marvin, the Bengals and Me a look back on my career covering the Bengals over twelve years. I don't have to pick up a copy of that.
Oh awesome. Yes, Pressprosmagazine dot Com appreciate it. This is sports talk and we're gonna get eight o'clock hour is gonna be wide open. We're gonna give some shout outs and have some fun. He's Sean Nick mahon. This is Chick Ludwig and it's awesome having Russ action. Jackson Back is a producer on seven hundred WLW Sinnati three minutes through the top of the hour. Gonna have some fun in the eight o'clock hour. This is Chick Ludwig alongside Sean McMahon and Sean Yes, Sir, the Red's Mate. A
couple of moves, bringing in a couple of outfielders. Thank goodness. We are pitching rich. Yeah, because it's tough to get pictures to come in to Great American Ballpark. The Devil's Layer that Adam Wainwright calls it. But we were able to acquire a Brady Singer last year in a trade. Haven't traded him yet out of here, so we are pitching rich, especially with starters.
This is arguably the best starting lineup we've seen for Reds pitching in a while, in a long time. You're in a really good spot with that. I think you know, last year you had a lot of injury. Hunter Green was out for a while, n if he had not been injured for two months. Yeah, yeah, hugs, and they
still made the playoffs. I still feel bad for Hunter Green in the regard that he pitches so well so often, and more often than not, the offense is the thing that lets him down because he goes out there, he pitches so well and he keeps his e R down. You know, he maybe allows a run or two and the Reds offense just can't respond and take the lead, uh and and take the take over the game for Hunter And it's frust It's gotta be frustrating for him.
It's it's it's a talking point that's been talked about a lot on this station. But I feel bad for the guy in that in that regard. But yeah, pitching wise, the Reds are in a really good spot.
And just looking at the starting possible rotation as far as starters go, Hunter Green, Nick Lodolo, Brady Singer, Andrew Abbott, Chase Burns and gosh, there's Brandon Williamson and Juli and Aggie are coming off injuries. But then there's rhet louder to not pitch last year. Be awesome to have this guy back, Yeah, it would, it would.
You've got plenty of depth at the pitching position, and like I said, you put yourself in a really good spot and now offensively, you just got to get it figured out.
That's that's been there. That's been there, wees for a long time. Now.
I'm not breaking any news here, but you know, the word frustrating is gonna come up time and time and time and time again.
Emelio Pagan is back, probably as the closer. He didn't get that kind of coin to set up. Yeah, okay, I love Tony santition, but he cannot grind They cannot grind him down like they did last year.
No, No, he was hitching was almost every day. He was too good for them to continually use him the way that they did. They need that's a guy that you want to give him some time to rest because he proved to be incredibly valuable for this team in situations where they needed him to step up, and he did a great job. It's just you know, again, it's kind of like the TJ. Friedl thing we mentioned. He just got wore down by the end of the year, and you just can't play when you're tired. Man, It's hard.
And Connor Phillips had a great ending to the season and Graham Ashcraft is sitting there too, so they got some warriors out there. But we've reached the top of the hour. Break news coming up. He's Sean McMahon. This is chick Lud. We just a couple of wild and crazy elder guys. But Sean went to UC the Chickster
went to the Ohio State University. And Russ Jackson Action Jackson back in our producing tonight, running the big board in the studio, and this is Sports Talk on seven hundred WLW eight O seven in the Queen City of Cincinnati. Chickhoad Wigan seven hundred w l W. Sean McMahon is co hosting, and Russ Jackson Action Jackson is producing and running the big board in our control room. This is Sports Talk and we're going all the way to nine o'clock when Donna d takes over these airwaves and she's
going to be talking relationships. Well, I want to take this opportunity to give a series of shout outs to our loyal listeners. And I want to start with Dennis Moore, always listening on Saturdays in Mount Healthy. He's the brother of the great Terrence Moore, sportswriter author, does a phenomenal job. I had Terrence on a couple of weeks ago. He's just fantastic. Check all of his books out at terrencemore
dot com. Bob for Beck, the airline pilot listening live in Brazil, and I sent him a text wishing him a happy New Year, and say hello to the girl from Ipanina for us, and hey a shout out to Bruce McDaniel and Wilder Kentucky. Bumped into him on Tuesday night doing the show with Lance, the Roundtable Show. Fantastic guy listens all the time. A loyal seven hundred WLW listener.
And if you're looking for a place to sell celebrate a Bengals victory tomorrow over the Arizona Cardinals, you'll want to come to Wings and Rings, the Beckett Ridge location. I will be with Jim Breach, the leading score in Bengals franchise history from five thirty to eight thirty. And it's at forty seven eighty two Plum Square in Westchester, we'll be broadcasting live on seven hundred WLW and Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Now Sean Ludwigs have a tradition and
it's called the Eve Before New Year's Eve Celebration. Love it and it takes place at j Taps Tavern on Glenway Avenue on the West Side, Best Side. So I was planning on going early, but I was with Lance and Austin Elmore at Long Necks and Wilder on Tuesday night for the roundtable show. I got done at seven thirty and then I hustled over to the West Side and greeted a whole bunch of friends, made some new friends, and Russ Brady was there University of Louisville stud from
Elder High School taking photos. And I met three women who are in my brother Dan's eighth grade class at Saint William's School. About that, Okay, they're awesome, Okay, Barb Pulman McPhillips, Mary Ann Mingus Bachencotter and then Susan Langenbrunner Richardson.
And you know what they like me.
It's hard not to like you check unbelievable, unbelievaby. I have at least a handful of fans here, but they love it. Yes, they're the newest chick magnets and they love it. When I talk about Saint William Parrish, West Price Hill and the West Side best side. And you know what, Sean, when you think about it, what what does the West side have? Okay, we've got churches, plenty of those. We've got ball diamonds, we've got chili parlors, and we've got watering holes. We got a lot of
those on the West side side of town. That's what makes We're born there, we grow up there, we work there, and we're probably gonna die there. So I like to tease everyone, Hey, you need a passport to get off the hill. Yep. But it is a tremendous place. And where else can you drive for a half hour and only go a mile. That's how it feels on the West so high, you know. And but still we love our hometown, we do.
And uh.
And then you never know who you're going to bump into. And Sean, we've talked about this off the air. You're at a football game and you bump into the immortal voice of the Cincinnati Reds. Yes, Tommy, Yeah, you know.
The funny thing about that chick was the that was the game I brought up earlier, the homecoming game you see and Baylor, which was the last football game that they won. I was meeting up with some friends of mine, some old colleagues from when I was working for UC football at the time, and one of my buddies shot out to Steve Maller by the way, buddy of the buddy of the program, Steve Mauer, and he tell he walks up to me and he goes, hey, by the way,
I saw Tommy. I was like, Tommy throll. He says yeah, Like, no kidding. I didn't know he was here. So I quickly got on my phone. I shot Tommy at text. I said, Tommy, you're here somewhere. He goes yeah, and so I asked him where he was at. We met up, we got a photo together. I actually made a post about it on Instagram. Even Audie Elmore was like, how did they How did you meet up with Tommy? And I was like, someone told me he was there. They recognized him. So I got sent over and chit chatted
with Tommy. It was his first UC football game. I promised him I'd get him some UC swag, so I got to work on that for the next time that I see him. I owe him some UC bearcat gear. But he loved Nippert. He loved his experience there, and it's neat bumping into people in the wild like that.
Oh, that's fantastic. And also last week when we were at the when Jim Breach and I were at the Wings and Rings Finnytown location, a gentleman was hanging around like the last half hour of the show and he comes up to us during a break and he just is going crazy. He loves WLW, loves listening to Bengals post game. His name is Ryan Favors from and he's got family all over Madisonville, Kennedy Heights, finny Town, and he's going to try to make tomorrow's show. But I
wanted to give a shout out to Ryan Favors. And when I asked his name and I said, hey, I'll try to drop your name in a shout out on Saturday, his eyes lit up like silver dollars. There you go, Ryan. Just awesome. So and last week at Finnytown, a guy comes up. I'm just getting there and getting set up and with Mike Mills are on site engineer and a guy comes up. He's got a University of Cincinnati sweatshirt on and he says, are you chick Ludwig, I'm there, Yeah,
and he goes, I'm Kevin Johnson. Shake hands with him, and he's a fraternity brother of Alfred Nipperts. How about that, Delph, Yeah, Alifred Nippert Sigma Alpha epsilon SAE SAE. And he said,
how did you get to meet Alfred Man? Well, I've got to give my partner here a big time shout out because last year Alfred called in after a game and we found him so interesting because he's the half brother of Jimmy Nipperts okay at Nipperts Stadium is named after, and the half brother of Lewis Nippert, who owned the Reds during their World Series back to back championships. Yeah, in seventy five and seventy six, it was amazing.
I remember he called in after one of those UC games and I remember you were on the air before the news. I think it was at like the top of the hour and we only had a few minutes. We didn't have quite enough time to really get in depth. Conversation and we ended up tracking down his phone number and we ended up bringing you brought him in a couple of times, yes, to come in studio and talk.
And he has just so many fascinating stories. And it's amazing because I actually grew up chick across from the old Procter and Gamble estate and obviously the Gambles and the Nipperts correct, you know, you know, married into each other, and they knew each other. They're two very powerful families in the city. And it was such a neat connection to make and to have him come on the show. And he messages you very frequently.
Yeah, we we we are texting one another all the time, living in Nashville, but then making frequent trimps to Cincinnati.
Yeah.
So got to be cool to know that your your half brother is named Uh, there's a there's a stadium named after after your half brother, and like you call it the Wrigley Field of College football football because that's really what it is, the third oldest in FBS.
Well, and when Jimmy passed, his dad uh donated really the money to finish Nippert Stadium. Yes, okay, James Gamble, Yeah, then to build the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house. I didn't know that part. Yes, that's one hundred years old. Also, how about that? That is incredible man, So rub and shoulders with some folks in high places.
Yeah.
Really?
And where where would Nippert Stadium be without without Jimmy Nippert, without you know, the the Gambles donating all that money the pro Where would the program be without that incredible history? Yes, which is why it's such a privilege to know Alfred, Yes, James Gamble, Jimmy Nipperton.
Yeah.
Wow, spiked in a game against Miami winds up passing on Christmas Day. Yeah, and just a tremendous They've played on that dirt for a long time. They sure did, They sure did.
So.
I think I'm done giving out all my shout outs here. If I can give out a couple, I just want to shout out my family that's listening tonight. I told them all about it. They're all excited.
So shout out to all my siblings, my mom, and my dad back home listening right now. And also I want to give a shout out to an old landlord of my old neighbor of mine, Marge Nissen. She's a chick magnet herself. She listens to fifty five KRCNWLW. She's been a loyal radio listener for a long time. She is a sweetheart of a woman. And she was actually my brother's old landlord in Clifton when he was living in the same house that I was living in. And we still keep in touch to this day. She's a
loyal listener. We got a Christmas card from her, so we still keep in touch. I want to make sure that her name gets out on the airwaves as well.
Oh that is fantastic. Well, we're going to take a break here. When we come back, we are wide open. We're going to continue to probe here these Reds signings today with a couple of outfielders, JJ Blede and Dane Myers.
And.
Hey, talk some Bengals, talk some Reds, And if you want to check in on the college football playoff quarterfinals, please do. Michigan's got a new coach that directly impacts the University of Cincinnati because he leaves Utah in the Big twelve. And uh yeah, they took care of the The Utah Utes took care of the Bearcats, and then every other team followed that blueprint down the remainder of the schedule for UC. So we are at five one three seven four nine, seven one, eight hundred The Big One.
I've got my coffee, I've got my computer, and Sean on his his what water bottle water, He's got his laptop. All we need is you. Once again at five point three, seven four nine, seven thousand, eight hundred The Big One. This is Sports Talk till nine o'clock on seven hundred WLW. Twenty three minutes after eight seven hundred WLW. This is Chick Ludwig alongside Sean McMahon. Red's make a couple of
acquisitions today in the outfield. And before we get to that and the Bengals and our calls, Sean wants to give a couple more shout out.
I do want to give a couple more because I'm getting flamed by friends and family right now.
I love you, guys, everybody who's listening, Thank you. I appreciate it.
So shout out to my buddies from high school, duboys as we call each other, and shout out to my former UC football video crew, everybody involved, Nick, including you.
I'm talking to you, Yes, you Nick. So that's all I had, Chick.
I just was getting a lot of messages and some people all of a sudden got real jail and I had to rectify it.
Well, before you hit iHeartMedia Cincinnati as a producer man. You had some great experience as a what a videographer for University of Cincinnati.
Shot to some practice film for the coaches and some game film as well. Got to work behind the scenes for a couple of years, and then I did student radio for the next two years. So I had a lot of really cool experiences. And the best part about my career Bearcats never lost at Nippert Stadium in my four years. They were undefeated at Knippert all four years I was there, And I get to carry that flame with.
Me all the way.
That is fantastic. Well, hey, let's go out to the phones. Nick is on the west side, the best side. Wants to talk reds Hi Nick.
Hey, Chuck, Hey, Sean.
I mean, thanks for the shout out.
I appreciate it, though.
I didn't know you were on the line with signing.
How do you feel that compares to other signings like Jacob Webb of the Cardinals or you know, a funny good way, Like, do we think that this is enough to move us in the right direction in the now central or do we think we still need more pieces?
Oh?
I think they can always add more.
Uh.
What this does to me it increases the competition. And hey, let the best man or men, let the cream rise show us in uh in spring training and have a carry over to the regular season. Because Dane Myers and JJ Bleday, Uh, yes, they can be kind of considered reclamation projects. Change of scenery hopefully will help them. Uh. We could look at JJ Bleday as a dumpster dive. Okay, but they're gonna compete with will Benson, Reese Hines, Blake Dunn, Tyler Callahan and find out who can play. And I'm
I'm in Willie's camp who called earlier, Willie Cunningham. I'm gonna stay pop and I'm gonna look forward to this season and have faith in Tito Francona that he can put this team together and get back to the playoffs and win.
I believe if you believe.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Hey, thanks so much, Nick, appreciate it. That was the nick I shouted out. By the way he said he was going to call in. I didn't think he was serious. Fantastic. Hey, we've got Kevin, our good friend in Columbus.
What do you think can the Bengals turn around their defense in a year?
Hey?
Do you remember back when the Colts did that? They hired Tony Duneie back when Peyton Manning was quarterback. Remember they had the same problem, great offense and terrible defense and they did something like that.
Right, Well, the uh, it's gonna take a lot of You got hired as their.
Head coach, I remember, Yeah, to face the defense.
Yes, Uh, it's going to take man, it's gonna take your overhaul major.
Yeah. And I can't remember the exact years, but it seemed like they were able to turn it around and get to the super.
Bowl and all.
How about this year with Ben Johnson. Yeah, with the Chicago Bears. Yeah, they're the new kid on the block.
They are.
Isn't this a weird season? Uh, Kevin, because there's no there's no Joe around that. Yeah, there's no Joe Burrow, there's no Patrick Mahomes, and there's no Lamar Jackson. But we've got Trevor Lawrence. You're gonna have uh, the Houston crowd.
C J.
Stroud and uh, yep, yeah yeah around to here.
Yeah, but Bego's gotta do something. They only got Burrow for a few more years.
Right, Yeah, you're absolutely.
Right, and God do something on the Red's end. Frank Coda, Maybe it takes more than one year. I still think he can whip these guys into a contender. But you'll, we need some offense. Isn't it funny? They need offense, pigles need defense.
That's exactly right.
But hey, hey maybe maybe they get it together. It's always hope for spring training, right, chicks can't wait?
That's all I got.
You're right, Thanks so much, Kevin, all right, and yes go bucks, uh Sue? Oh boy, here we go, here we go?
Hi?
Oh yeah, Well I will talk about Reds and then I'm glad for a couple of the new players that they've gotten. But I was downtown l last week, and I haven't been downtown for ages. I think it's good that the Reds test will be at the new Convention Center, but when you haven't been down there a long time, you have to find your way again downtown. And mis condoned neat to see that ice skating places near there, but I am going to try to get down to see it. But don't know about that fountain, but it's
easy to find. We found that out, and I'm hoping that.
The Reds do have a better sheet.
And then your bangals.
Okay, all right, amen, alright, Sue. And when you say he went downtown, I remember is a kid, our aunts and uncles, our parents took us downtown for Christmas shopping. Well downtown. Yeah it was awesome. Yeah, I bet it was taking the bus downtown. And yeah, just I would love to see Cincinnati's downtown in those days. In those days must have been real toes. Yeah, Oh my gosh.
They had the what was it, the Santus Workshop elves downtown. They used to have a huge display of elves that would make it look like they were making presents, and it was like widely. It was an internationally claimed as as a as A as a big deal, no doubt.
Hey, if we reached the bottom of the hour News, we have a half hour to go and then Donna d and Doctor West are going to take over these airwaves and talk relationships at nine o'clock. Until then, Chick Ludwig with Sean McMahon seven hundred WLW Sports Talk thirty seven in the Queens City of Cincinnati, Chick Ludwig alongside
Sean McMahon. This is Sports Talk. We're going to the top of the hour and then Donna d along with her guest Doctor West, gonna be talking relationships and just to remind her the place to celebrate after a Bengals victory tomorrow, Wings and Rings, Beckett Ridge location, Plum Square in Westchester. I'll be there with Jim Breach Bengals Legend from five thirty to eight thirty, broadcasting live from Wings and Rings on seven hundred WLW and Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty. Well, Sean,
today is a college football plut watchers dream. Oh yeah, it is Walter Wall from morning until midnight tonight.
College football eleven am kickoff with a Military Bowl today between EASTCU and pitt And that was a great game, by the way East Carolina prevailed. I think we heard Marcus Hartman earlier talking about that game and how East Carolina was down so many pieces offensively quarterback, tight end, some wide receivers and they still managed to win today.
That was a great win for East Carolina.
But yeah, Wall to Wall coverage from morning until night with college football bowl games, and me personally, Chick, I'm still about bowl season. I don't care what anybody says about the playoff dominating. Anybody who says bowl games don't matter is just playing wrong. I love it this time of year.
I do too.
I'm always hunting the game, yep. And you got to have that remote ready. You had the People's National Championship on today.
That's the pop Tart Bowl, the BYU Cougars beating the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets twenty five to twenty one today. Always a great game, the pop Tart Bowl, and BYU of course just missing out on the college Football Playoff.
Felt good to get a win in the Pop Tarts fifteen points in the fourth quarter for BYU knocking off Georgia Tech twenty five to twenty one in the pop Tarts Bowl. But I'm bumming because it's an honorary Miami in yes, honorary. They fall today to Fresno State in this snoop dog Arizona Bowl eighteen to three, a game called on the CW by our very own Tom Brennaman. How about it? And he gets to hang out with Snoop Dogg. It's the second year in a row two
That is fantastic. And I didn't see that Snoop Dogg joined Tom. Oh yeah, in the in the presspot.
He needs to do that here though. Tom needs to bring him in. Yeah, preferably on a Monday or Tuesday when I'm usually working with Tom. So selfishly, I can hang out with Snoop Dogg. Now, whether or not he wants to come in at eight o'clock in the morning is his prerogative. Yeah, we'll see, but I think that'd be a lot of fun. You will be up all night and then come in probably, Yes, fantastic.
Well, in the third quarter here, late third quarter, North Texas a shootout here twenty fifth ranked thirty five to twenty lead over San Diego State in the New Mexico Bowl, and Missouri has a ten to three lead at the seven oh eight mark. In the second quarter, Missouri, the Tigers have a seven to three lead over nineteenth rank Virginia. So and then later tonight we've got LSU at Houston
nine to twenty kickoff in the Texas Bowl. That's at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans, YEP and and you give us those other scores there Sean from uh yeah, if you got them up. Yeah.
Penn State, who at one point in their season was three and six, came back from the dead to being at six and six. They made it to the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. They prevailed over Clemson twenty two to ten. Today, man, what a disappointing season for both of those teams. Twenty two to ten over Clemson for the Penn State Nitney Lyons and that's all I've got.
That's the only other score that we didn't touch.
Army did beat Yukon forty one to sixteen as well in the Wassabi Fenway Bowl, a bowl game that was the last bowl game that you see actually made it to. They played Louisville, and that was when Fickel had just left to go to Wisconsin and Scott Saderfield had just left Louisville to come coach the Bearcats. So that was the last time you see was in a bowl game. So forty one to sixteen Army over Yukon not surprising. Chick Yukon play Hey, listen, playing an academy is tough.
Those offenses are hard to defend. They absolutely are. It was cool to have games. That game was at Fenway, the Pinstripe bull is at Yankee Stadium Stadium.
Yeah, so two historic places like that. That is a phenomenal. But you know, even though Miami lost today, Man, congratulations to the job that Chuck Martin did for the Miami RedHawks this year. Losing your quarterback at a really a terrible time. Just jumped out middle of the season, just jumped out, decided to just start preparing for the NFL Draft. He's been at several different places. But to leave your teammates like that, that was tough. That was a confusing
move on his part. I didn't really understand it.
I know entirely. I you know, if you think you have a shot the NFL, good for you. But I really didn't think leaving the middle of the season was the right move. That's not a great look to NFL scouts to just go I'm gonna jump out of my team and go get ready like you're in the middle of a season. Man, you still got a team you gotta lead. But yeah, like you said, Chuck Martin taking his team to the MAC Championship.
But of course they did.
I don't think they did not win the MAC Championship that belonged to Western Michigan this year, but they got there partially like kind of like how Duke did with the ACC. Those head to head tiebreakers allowed them to get in and play for a conference title.
Now, at the same time here that we've got wall to wall college football, there's two NFL games today. The Texans defeat the Los Angeles Chargers twenty to sixteen in LA, and then the Ravens have a thirteen to seven lead over the Packers at the thirteen minute mark in the second quarter. Packers are already in right, and so there's really only a couple of spots open, and that is the NFC South, either Carolina or Tampa Bay. Carolina has the upper hand there and they look like they have
all the momentum. Yes, and then the AFC North all but settled with the Pittsburgh Steelers having a two game lead over the Ravens with two games to go.
Here, so you said it earlier, Check, this has been a weird season. It really weird the amount of the teams that are making it to the playoff this year. I don't think anybody could have predicted a season like this, it's it's entertaining. Obviously not for Bengals fans, but if you're just a sports fan, it's entertaining to see these Some of these teams rise at like Carolina. Who would have thought Carolina and the Texans or the collapse of the Colts.
The Colts oh at eight and two at one time, and then Daniel Jones has a has an injury, the Achilles injury and base signing with Sauce Gardner as well, Yes, who was who got injured? And then to bring back wow a grandpa. Yeah in literally yes, at forty four, no doubt. It's incredible, man, it really is. Got to give him credit, you do, I mean for he what he had three days to learn an offense? Oh my gosh, three days. He's made over two hundred million dollars in
his uh, in his career. I'm eager to see what his pro rated salary is this year. Yeah, you know for just a handful of games here. Yeah, I know his insurance gets extended too.
Uh.
Yes, that is uh, that is fantastics a good benefit for this. Now we're gonna take one more break here and then we'll kickfight, scratch and claw to the top of the hour, and what I want to talk about when we come back from break the NFL versus the college football playoffs and college football for viewership. Yeah, because the NFL, they don't care. They're gonna they are a money making steamrolling machine. They don't care who else is on.
They're coming for ratings. The National Football League is a monster. When we come back on seven hundred WLW nine minutes before the top of the nine o'clock hour, this is Chick Ludwig alongside Sean McMahon. This is Sports Talk on seven hundred WLW. Thanks to all the loyal listeners were checking us out today and allowing us to be a part of your day. Sean, I love reading Yahoo Sports.
Jay Busby and he brings up a metaphor. Have you ever gone to the airport and you go to your gate and there's no seats, but you see a guy stretched out over three or four seats. Two more of the seats are taken up by his luggage is overnight bag and all this so he's taken up all this space. Okay, that is the NFL, that guy, Yep, everybody else Okay,
it could be college football. It was back in nineteen sixty one, the Sports Broadcasting Act of nineteen sixty one protected college and high school football from the NFL's you could call it incursion, and it mandated that the shield the NFL could not play Saturday games before the second Saturday in December, right when college football's regular season ends. The problem is, nobody back in sixty one foresaw what is happening today with number one, all the bowl games
and the college football playoffs. So no matter that we have what eight games today or however many there are, the NFL is going to play on Saturdays and steal viewers because they can. They're the NFL, the almighty, the all powerful. But like you said, Sean during the break, they're showing up in competition with college football on networks that not all of us have access to.
Right, these streaming services that people don't want to pay extra money for, like the Peacocks and Netflix.
And namely Prime. Yea, yeah, Netflix, it is NFL network, Peacock and Amazon Prime. And I'm looking at this on there. Okay, I've got the NFL network, but I don't have these other stations. I can't watch right exactly.
And then you know, people resorted to other means of watching those games via illegal streaming services online. They resort to those methods, and they wonder why they lose viewers. It's because you make these games exclusive and then you drive people to I guess you would call it I'm gonna put this in their quotes, desperation to watch these games.
It's mind numbing.
And you would think that they would want to work hand in hand with college football because these networks are paying so much money to get both of these products, college football and the NFL on their air waves. You would think they would work hand in hand. And it's been what sixty four years since that bill was signed. Yeah, so you would think that between then and now there'd be other legislation or I mean, I don't want Congress
to get involved in those sorts of things. I would prefer the NFL and college football talk this sort of thing over and go, hey, look, the NFL is nothing without college football. You get your players from college. You should want to work with us. We can work with you. Will have our games on Saturdays, you have yours on Sundays. We can promote the heck out of your games if we have our playoff games and you know, they can be lead ins to NFL games.
You know, maybe you do it that way. Maybe you have.
College games lead into NFL games on the same day. Yes, you have sort of almost warm ups to the NFL games. You can do things that can make sense, but they choose not to because, like you said, they're the NFL. They're going to have their way. And that's incredibly frustrating because college football is just as, if not bigger arguably than the NFL. Because there are certain regions of the country that don't have a team that root for college teams. Yeah,
I think about the Deep South. Check, I think about I think about Atlanta, Georgia. Yes, you know they have the Falcons, but people down there are rooting for Alabama and Auburn and Georgia and Tennessee. The college is a religion down there, no doubt it's not. The NFL is second to college football, So you would think that they would want to work hand in hand and figure this out together, as opposed to the NFL just saying now we're going to have our way.
It's it's it's mind boggling, it really is. And I just wanted to bring that up because, yeah, there are two NFL games on while college football is being played. Yeah, and I'm more focused on the college games. Oh, absolutely, yes. And Wednesday night, I mean I live for. My favorite day of the year is jan one. I mean my brother's house in Westchester. He's a food broker, my brother Jeff. Yes, and there's gonna be great food. There's going to be great football on And Ohio State is on the night
before New Year's Eve, seven thirty. It's either going to be a wonderful New Year's Eve or a lousy one. Yeah, I'm worried about the Miami Hurricanes.
Hopefully, Chick it doesn't end up like the Georgia game a few years ago, where right at the stroke of midnight, the Buckeys lose the game on a missed field goal. Hopefully you start the new year on a positive note for you and your Buckeyes.
But I remember Georgia obliterating Marvin Harrison junior. Yes, waiting for the flag to come out for uh, you know, illegal contact or p I or something unsportsmanlike conduct roughing, you know, yeah, targeting whatever. Come back from the commercial break, the Buckuys, You're kicking a field goal? What yah are you kidding me. Yeah, And then Georgia exploded for a long Instead of grinding out a long run, they scored quickly and reminded me of the Bengals against Buffalo. Just
make Josh Allen matriculate the bulk. No, no, forty yards boom, yeah, you know, and they're right back on the So it's crazy. Yeah.
And while we're on the college topic here, chick, we've got a few minutes left. We mentioned it briefly in the show, but we didn't really talk much about it. The Kyle Whittingham hire at Michigan. That's a big deal. I don't think anybody across the country even thought for a moment about Kyle Whittingham being a serious candidate for Michigan because he's been at Utah since two thousand.
And five, twenty one years, twenty one years.
And from what I'm hearing, he's kind of he was kind of pushed out, which shocks me because Utah, I mean, they were big because of Urban Meyer. And by the way, Urban Meyer was the last coach at Utah before Kyle Whittingham. So this it's amazing to think that Kyle Whittingham was there through Urban Meyer's best years at Florida and his best years at Ohio State. And he has been there for so I chick, I was like in kindergarten when
Kyle Whittingham got higher. The fact that they wanted him pushed out after a ten and two season makes no sense to me.
But for Michigan, I.
Think it's a good hire. We'll see if it's a long term solution or if it's kind of a mid range.
I don't know. I like the five years, not these ten year, one hundred million dollar deals. Yeah, it's a five year deal. His job is to restore credibility in a place that's marred by all these controversies and these scandals.
Yeah, and he builds a really good program man the guys that he brings through his program. Utah was always a tough play. I saw something earlier from an Oregon fan online who had mentioned that he always hated playing Utah because Utah was always bringing their a game every single time. It didn't matter how good or how bad they were. They just were a physical team under Kyle Whittingham. And that's a testament to Kyle and the program and the culture that he built while he was at Utah.
No doubt with the Gosh Mountain, west Pac twelve and the Big twelve.
Yeah.
So he's been around, he's seen it all, he's done it all, and this is a great hire. It's a good hire. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And hey, we want to thank our guest today Scott Springer from the Enquirer in Cincinnati dot Com Trags, Mike Petralia Bengals insider, Marcus Hartman from Cussword Sports and Press Pros magazine, and of course William Jefferson, Willie Cunningham, Willie J. Cunning That was fantastic and Sean, it's been an honor, pleasure and privilege being
with you today. Thank you very much. Chick I enjoyed it, fantastic and until next time on behalf of Sean McMahon. This is the Chickster Chick Ludwig saying thanks for listening to the Home of the Reds and the best Bengals coverage. Seven hundred a WLW