Bengals Booth Podcast: Something's Coming

on Twitter. Then I'll quiz the coordinators. Not with x's and oh's, we do plenty of that, but I've got a few offbeat questions for Brian Callahan, lou Ana Rumo, and Darren Simmons. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by bud Light. Seltzer refreshed the Game and here's a quick reminder that you could have the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing on iTunes, Stitch, your Google Play, Spotify, or pod Bean.

It's the greatest since Traveling Trophies in college football. The eighth rank UC Bearcats open the season on Saturday against the Miami RedHawks in the one hundred twenty fifth Battle for the Victory Bell They've been playing for the right to hold on to the bell since the eighteen nineties. One side of the bell is painted black with white numbers showing Cincinnati's victories, while the other side is white with red numbers showing Miami's victories. It's a cool tradition

and one of many like it in college football. TCU and SMU battle for the Iron Skillet, Minnesota and Michigan compete for the Little Brown jug and Mississippi State and Ole miss duke it out for the Golden Egg. It's part of the fun of college football. Now, let's get to my conversation with Dave Lapham, including a bunch of ask lap questions that you've submitted on Twitter. Were there any roster moves that you found surprising or particularly interesting?

Nothing that was, you know, really surprising. Obviously, there was an indication during the course of training camp to Michael Jordan was having some consistency issues, which you know, had

kind of plagued him throughout his career. Really, I mean, you see snaps where it's like, wow, big strong can come off the ball, can move people and be a real factor, and then there'd be snaps it'd be like where did that come from kind of thing, so that that North and South Pole inconsistency is is something that coaches are fearful of. You know, you don't know what

you're going to get. So I think the biggest thing that coaches look for is is intelligence and then you know, know what to expect out of a player on a snap by snap basis, And in a couple of cases that was probably a factor in the elimination of you know, of them making the fifty three man roster. The biggest surprise to me was the absence of Trenton Or. I thought he was a slam dunk locke to be on the fifty three man roster. I thought he was the

number five wide receiver. As we do this recording, there's a spot available on the practice squad. It might go to him if he clears waivers. It sounds like that's a possibility. But man, I thought he was good to go on the fifty three. Yeah. I think it's the special teams, you know, aspect is so important. Stanley Morgan

is such a huge factor on special teams. Mike Thomas is such a huge factor on special teams that when you get down to that that number you know the five six seven, however many you're going to keep wide receivers that it's a combination of how many snaps you're gonna get from a player, not only at the line of scrimmage offensively or defensively, but at in special team snaps, and who gives you the largest total. And that's where

you know, I guess he slid. Obviously, it'll slid down the total pole a little bit because Stanley Morgan and Mike Thomas or their core special teams guys for Darren. So it comes a big part of that evaluation process for sure. All Right, let's get to some ask Lap questions that were submitted by fans. Question number one comes from somebody named Trey Oddly enough, his questions about Trey Wayne's His question is, is Trey Wayne's third year of

his contract a player or team option? And do you sense any frustration within the organization regarding his availability for the past two years. I can answer the first part. There isn't a player or a team option. It was a three year deal, however, structured in such a way that they could get out of it at the end of this year with minimal cap damage. It would be five million in dead cap money, So if things don't work out at some point this year, they could move

on at the end of the season. Now on to the second part of the question, do you sense any frustration? Yeah, that's going to be a big factor in the evaluation process. I think of do they get out of it or do they go for another year. It's unbelievable how and he's been with respect to injury, it's it's it's amazing. I think you'd have to dig really hard to try to find a player that has been compensated at a higher level for fewer snaps. I mean, I don't think

there is one. I think he may be the most in team history. And you know a lot of that. Bryant and a wide receiver a few years back. I know they paid a lot of money and he never played a snap. He never even really got through a training camp. Um. But that's that's the variable that you you have no control over as a player or an organization is the injury factor. And man, a once a guy seems to be hit by it, it's like how do you how do you work your way out of it?

And then there are cases where we're going to be injured for a couple of years and go on and have a great career. So what are you looking at? You just don't know. Uh, if you had a crystal ball, that would be great. I guess it's going to be interesting how it turns out. First and foremost, even for this year. I mean, he's he's got a hamstring issue, he said, both hamstrings that have acted up on him in hand. Sometimes when no start, they linger and they

nag and they nag away. Will he be able to get healthy and then go out and just play and play, you know, fourteen games of the seventeen game season potentially, and then then you'll be in a in a different evaluation mode obviously than you are right now, because right now you don't know what he can do at this stage of the relationship. You don't know what he can do other than rehab, you know, rehab from surgery, rehab from hamstring issues. That's that's all you've been able to

determine other than that. It's so the level of frustration has to be high, not just for the organization, for him too. I mean, he's not happy about it. And there's no two ways a guy hopes to be injured as much as Trey Wayne's has been injured, there's absolutely no way in hell. And I thought he looked like the guy that they were hoping he would be in training camp. He and A Wougier were both performing very

well at practice. I agree, he's long, he's got some strength, he's got you know, athletic ability, he can change direction. I think he's a I think he's a solid, a solid guy at the cornerback position. But again, when when will he be able to line up there on a consistent basis and show those abilities on a snap by snap by snap basis. Question number two comes from Alexander. Are the losses of Osi sample and Wayne's a big

problem that hasn't really been fixed. I think I think the edge rush position is still If I had to pick a weakness on the roster, that that that's it, and they're still trying to address it. There's no doubt in my mind that when they traded for b. J. Hill, they were trying to find a defensive end and couldn't put a deal together. And even you know, fourth and fifth defensive ends have value, so couldn't come to an agreement. If there were any inkling of an agreement happening at

the defensive end position. There was a trade at front for a defensive end before the Bengals did trade for for bj Hill, So I thought, well, you know the league, there has been a trade consummated and documented here, maybe the Bengals will be able to follow suit, but couldn't quite put it together. So they're still looking, you know, still bringing guys in off the waiver wire. Guys are here and and cut and brought back to the practice

squad like Noah' spense. So they're still in a mode of trying to build that that edge rush position up. But it's unfortunate they drafted four defensive or four edge rush guys in the last two drafts and not many of them are making the dance here for the for the beginning of the football season, and that that's got to be a source of frustration. You know, whether whether it's a meniscus that has to be sutured or you know, a shoulder that has a laboring issue that on injury

reserve for a short period of time. It's it's varied. It's for the year, it's for three weeks, it's for six weeks, it's for order that the case may be, but by every every guy that was drafted seems to be sprinkling. Those names are sprinkled all over the injury list from coach Queaz. With Geo gone, will this be the season Joe Mixon gets more involved in the passing game. I think, I think Joe Mixon is gonna get a

lot of work. Yeah, I do. I think I think Joe is capable of being a three down back um. But I do think that samaj p Ryan can give them a blow, you know, uh, and Chris Evans can also do the same thing as a as a receiving you know, running back. But again, you get into those second and third and long situations, let's pick up pass protection becomes vitally important, and that's the that's the final step for Chris Evans to show the coaches that I'm I am more than adequate as a as a pass

protector and blitz pick up. Joe Mixon will do that, you know, Joel stick his nose in there and get dirty. And I think we are going to see a lot of Joe Mixon, particularly early in the season. Question from Derek how huge of an impact did the addition of Frank Pollock have on the performance of the offensive line in the preseason, only giving up one sack, and on that play the ball was snapped early and the guys weren't really even trying to block. Yeah, I mean the guys.

That's a bad situation When the center forgets to snap count and snaps at account earlier and you're still in your stacenary position, those guys are blown past you. That's a bad feeling. I've been there. It's not a good feeling. It's not a very comforting feeling at all. So I think the guys really did buy into, buy into Frank

Pollock everything about him. They bought into him as a as a coach, as a former player, as a person, as techniques, how he how he conducts practice, the level of intensity, the level of focus, the grind of practice, the conditioning aspect of practice. The thing I like about Frank's practices, he gets a lot of sneaky conditioning in like they're not running sprints as such, but they're running a lot from drill to drill, and he has them

on the move. There's no walking, they're running, And I think Frank utilizes every last second he can possibly utilize to his advantage and his players advantage in terms of trying to get better at practice. And I think the players responded to it both mentally, physically, spiritually, you know, every way you can. They are all in there buying, But Frank Pollock is selling and it's not being sold at a sale price. I need to add some sneaky

conditioning to my lifestyle, all right. Next question comes from Bengalorean, help me understand what our offensive line depth looks like. I fear we are one injury away from a potential hold. It's young, you know, that's the thing. It's it's it's a young group. But again, you have to trust that Frank Pollock knows what he's doing. Um. I think I think that that Frank um understands maturity and understands when

the player doesn't necessarily have the maturity. I think that was his biggest problem with Michael Jordan, and immaturity can show itself in many ways. Uh, in a way that it can show itself as the game not being important enough as such. You know, it's a little a little immature in that regard. Um. I think that he probably feels like he's got to work with Fred and that regard a little bit. Mcfred's got immense physical potential. Um Isaiah Prince is a is a a Frank Pollock feel

good story. Basically in training camp, how we responded to Frank and Frank, I think, what's going on with a lot of these guys, and then you know, you talk about the young guys Hill at center, Carmen, you know at guard, and and Deonte Smith will talk about mature already in a positive way. Deante Smith carries himself like a six year of veteran. I mean, that's that's his

I think that's one of his biggest intangibles. One of his biggest strengths is this guy gets it and he shows you that he gets it in a lot of different ways. So I wouldn't I wouldn't be all Wang chunged if I had to put Deante Smith in the game, Jackson Carmen, He's getting there. There's a maturity factor there as well. Hill to me, really is solid. I think he's a pretty pretty good player at the center position. I think he'd line up a guard as well. So

I think there's I think there's enough depth. It's it's very inexperienced depth, and that could be the concern that the questions you know, were referencing and concerned about it. And I can understand that. You just have to have to have faith that Frank Pollock knows that these players are capable of going in there and handling it um mentally and physically. And there has to be a trust

between coach and player and player and coach. It has to be both ways, and I think that's what's going on between Frank and these offensive linemen as long as Tray health is healthy, because that's the question mark, who is your backup center? If his groin injury lingers into the start of the season. Yeah, he's got a hip flexor and that's you know, right right in the front of the earth abd him into your leg, upper leg area.

It's kind of like right in there. Um, so he's uh, Obviously, in my mind, they must not think it's too severe. I don't think they would have pulled the trigger on the Billy Price trade if Trey Hopkins had been dinged up in his three STAPs, because remember, you know you can protect Joe. You can you know, you can control the narrative and protect Joe from any kind of trade.

Trays in there hucking and bucking in the running game, and you know, trying knocking heads around and uh and in pass protection, you know, taking some severe putt some severe stress on that NISA. For some reason it didn't work out for him or or Trey Hill had a significant injury. I don't think in my wildest imagination I would have traded Billy Price, and they must feel pretty good about it. We'll see question from Grants who impressed you the most during training camp? In preseason? Boy? Who

impressed me the most? So that's an interesting question. I would have to say. Deante Smith kind of came out of nowhere in my mind. In my eyes, I he played, you know, East Carolina. What level of football did he play? On a snap by snap basis down there? I know he had a really good Senior Bowl, and that's that's kind of a that's an indicator. You know that he's he's not over his head. So if you're not over your head at the Senior Bowl, that's a that's a

good omen uh. And he came in here and and I'm not saying he'd lit it up every single day, approximately whoa look at the anti Smith? But the thing, the thing that I always look for with players is when it goes badly, how long does it take for it to turn back around again? Anything more than a snap, you're gonna have trouble in the NFL. I mean, you're gonna have selective enmusu. You have to like boom, it's over. You can't let one bad play turn into two or

five bad plays in a row. So to me, when I'm watching guys, I look at that and it's like, if a guy has a horrible repid practice, Okay, let's see what happens. Oh man, Deante's moved on, or in the game, oh man, he get knocked on his ass. Let's see what happens. Oh well, he's moved on. And then if you see guys, they'll have a great play what's going on? And then another one what's going and then a couple of great And then that's when you say, I'm not sure about that guy. I'm not sure how

much I can trust that dude. But if you have a guy that bounces back mentally and physically right away, I think that's a huge factor in the evaluation process. The easy answer to the who impressed you most question was Van McPherson, Oh true. My guy though, would be Chitabey a wuge I think he looks like a legit quality starting cornerback, uh, second round draft pick type guy, which is what he was by Dallas five years ago. Yeah, I think I think he's going to have a big year.

I think if I had to pick a position group that had the earliest impact on me and then continued, it would be the secondary. But then it started to get you know, sprinkled and dotted with injury, and it's like, now you know Owen's they're not all out there, and some practices there were as many as three guys that you know that weren't weren't available. Um, and there there was a major line of demarcation. I mean there were

guys and then there weren't. And we saw when Miami put fifteen points on the board in the final less than six minutes of a game. Um, you know that that some of those guys weren't up to snuff. But um, yeah, and McPherson, you're right then, I mean, McPherson is people people have say kickers, kickers, football players, Hey, they put

points on the board. Now they're they're hugely important. And when you have a guy that as soon as you cross the fifty yard line, the opponent not only you your special team's coach Darren Simons, but the opponent has to start to think about all Jesus, they're in scoring range. That's a huge weapon. That's a huge deal. You know, we saw that when facing Baltimore. Look look at every year and facing Baltimore Ravens, it's like Justin Tucker can

hit from monster yardage. Now that's somebody that can do it for us as well. That's a that's a big factor question from Greg. Could Thats Moss play a big role this season potentially, you know, if they're injury, um, it'd be interesting to see if if they lose a tight end, depending on which tight end they lose, who's who's the one, Shrek or Moss. If it's a receiving tight end, probably you know, if lose a guy that is more of a factor in the passing game, probably Moss.

If it's a guy that you know you need to have a little bit more um, a little bit more open to block on the on the edge, you know, it might be Shrek um that that'd be interesting to see. But obviously, Daddius Moss is the possessor of a ringing endorsement from his college quarterback, and that that holds some weight. So when you when when Joe Burrow has the faith and the confidence and Daddius Moss that he articulated, um,

the coaches believe it, obviously, and it's a factor. So I think I think if it's uh, if it's somewhere at some point in the season and you have a stretch of games where I think we need a tight end that has has to be a receiving option or receiving threat, I think he's probably a guy they're really going to look at hard. Question from governor chief, what are your expectations for Darius Hodge and how many sacks can he rack up? That's that's what a story. What

a story. That is a guy, undrafted linebacker from Marshall who we're talking about, how many sacks is he going to wrap, you know, rack up as an edge rush guy for the Bengals. I honestly, if all the edge rush guys were healthy that we talked about, he'd be a practice squad guy. And really, when I think about it, that's where he probably has the best fit because you can develop them. It'll be interesting to see how he

responds going against true studs on a regular basis. So he does have to go in there and provide significant pressure. And right now, you know, he's one of five guys. I mean, he's one of the guys that that you know. I think he's probably gonna have to fill some sort of a role for twelve to fifteen snaps coming off of that edge. And if he's if he's out there for fifteen snaps a game, you know, and is accumulating

a couple of hundred rushes, I don't know. She could he could he get as many as seven sacks possible, possible, But I think I think now we're I think now we're talking about best case scenarios. Obviously this question comes from a wog the goat, but the question is not about Chittabey a wouge. How long do you see Colleed Kareem being out? You know, I think I think Kareem will be out three weeks, you know, I think three weeks. Uh, he's on age, your reserve, he can come back after

three weeks. So I think that that that is a time frame that that makes some sense he's got a laboring problem. It wasn't torn where it had to be repaired surgically, so he just has to rest it and

rehabit and and those good things. But you know it's the opposite shoulder from the shoulder that he has some arthritis that he deals with in So I mean, now it's likes both your shoulders when you're a when you're a rush guy and you have to you know, you have to use your upper body, grab, pull, swim, rip, all these different moves. Your shoulders are vitally important. There's no question about it. But um, he may miss the first quarter of the season and hopefully he hopefully he

comes back. But have you ever seen a situation, Dan, where where two guys like Osai and Kareem in the first preseason game against Tampas in the first series makes an impression that's just unbelievable. I mean, he beats a tackle that gave up one sack last year and he beats him and sacks the goat. And then Kareem in the in the game the third preseason game, blocks a pass and has a sack on first and third down. The first series you know of the football game against

the Miami Dolphins and then they're both hurt. I mean, it's just it's just unbelievable. It's like it's like, man, this black cloud, when is it going to go away? Both of these guys have have extreme potential coming off the edge, and right now the Bengals are going to be missing one for the season and one for maybe twenty five percent of the season. This question comes from

Joe bi Wan. As we ent our year three of Zach Taylor's tenure as our head coach, have you noticed any changes in the culture of the team or locker room and how about the culture of the organization in general. I do think that that the players that he that he brought in since he's been head coach, and of course that's not all his decision X Duke Tobin in the scouting department, the family, everybody's involved with these personnel

decision making process. But the fact that so many of them are captains, so many of them have been captains of their high school and college football teams, so many of them have football intelligence and overall raw intelligence and leadership qualities. As a result of it, I do think that, um that you go around through that locker room. There's there's no lot, not a whole lot of turds sitting

around in that locker room. I mean, there's some pretty good people in there, and I think that I think that the caliber of person, not only football player, has has really increased, you know, And it's it's one thing to be a solid citizen. You still have to play. You still have to be able to make plays. And uh, that was Paul Brown's big, big message. Um, you might be a fine human being, we might like you a lot, but if you can't play, you're not going to make

the team. So you still have to go out there and be able to perform. So um, obviously the combination of the two is the best case scenario. And I think I do think, um that that the caliber of player, the depth of the caliber of player in the in the caliber of person, I think it's improved, I really do. And I think I think it's there is a pretty good culture in the locker room. Um, and I think you know, zach Is is primarily responsible for that, but

there's no substitute for winning. Didn't Phil Sam tell you many years ago not to use the term turret in broadcasting? He did? This is a podcast, All that's raw, all right, yeah, he was. It was it was classic. I used it and nice working with you. I'm like, huh, he had me spell it, you know that that was the thing. It was like like, oh no, that's the little boy. That was a quick trip. We like to end with a wild card question. This one comes from local filmmaker

Cam Miller. What's your take on Bird's Band, the original band of the Cincinnati Bengals. I'm trying to think of his first name, George, George and his Shirley was the daughter and Shirley Bird obviously, uh, you know, held on kept up the tradition as such. Honestly, I was never an enormous fan, to be quite honest, Um, you know,

I thought, for my wife thought it was cute. That's that's I think that's very and I think a lot of the Cincinnati fans there was a there was a you know, soft spot in their heart for um, the original Birds band. But I could have done it, to be quite honest, But at that that stage of of of the week, that's game day, I am I'm not really I'm not looking at anything, I'm not listening to anything. I did have an ability to just I mean laser focus zone in and I felt like I had to,

you know, I didn't. I wasn't gonna allow any distractions, you know, to be a reason that that I didn't. You try to execute at the at the highest level I possibly could, so I couldn't even tell you that the uh here the Bengals growling. I do remember hearing that sum, but that's about That's about the extent of it. I didn't hear much else. Well, George Bird did write that, so he hit it out of the park. He did with the Bengals themes he did. He did hit that,

hit that out of the park. That that when when it when it sustains itself for as long as it did and has um, then you then you know you've got something going speaking of here, that Bengal growling. Jay Morrison of The Athletic Reason wrote a great story about the history of the song, and I highly recommend reading it if you haven't done so already. Several years ago, I asked Bengals president Mike Brown this question about that song.

When Bengals Growl plays on the sound system at Paul Brown's stadium after a touchdown, You know what I mean? Here that Bengal growling, mean and angry. Do you sing along or hum along? I can't sing it. I can't dance either, But I'm very fond of that song because George Bird wrote it. And George Bird was our entertainment director.

That was a title, but he was a neighbor of ours, dating back to when I was five years old and younger living in Masslin, or how he was a director of the Maslin High School band, which was phenomenal, and my dad had real respect for George and he brought him to Cleveland when we were doing the Browns and then down here. Let me tell you a story about

George that always amused me. He would tell the performer, the person who was going to sing the national anthem, to make it at a fast clip, none of the so called creativity. Please. They would look at him and say yes sir, and then go about doing just what they wanted. But he had the answer to that. In those days we had a band. He directed the band, and he didn't care how they did it. He did it the way he wanted to do it. It went at that pace and they better keep up or they

were left behind. He was a wonderful musician. He wrote that song. I think it's a great song. My wife can sing it. She's pretty musical. She can sing well. I think it's a great song. People can say what they want, Oh it's corny, they say, to heck with them. It's a great song and I'm proud of it. The Bengals Podcast is presented by Bud Light Seltzer. It's light

and refreshing with a hint of fruit flavor. With a regular season set to begin next week, You'll hear plenty of football analysis on this podcast, but I have something a little different for you today. Five offbeat questions that I asked each of the Bengals coordinators. Up first, offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. If you had a time machine and could attend any sporting event in history, what would it

be and why? I think, just because I love the history of football, I think it would be pretty fun to go watch the first Super Bowl, just for that simple fact that it's it's kind of what gives gives us all her living and it's the beginning of what it's become now and I think that would be kind of cool to be at that game in the stands watching it as a spectator. You know, I think, I truthfully think probably watching Secretariat in person would have been

pretty awesome. And I know that wasn't that long ago, but you know it was before I was born, so that would have been pretty neat. I'll go those two. I Now, I'll be thinking about it all day, like what else would I want to go to? If you could have lunch with any athlete in history, who would it be? And why this is still possible for me to do? But I would say because I have never

I'm trying to think where to start. When I was a sophomore in high school by as an undersized six foot quarterback, my kind of hero and idol at the time was Drew Brees, who was at Purdue and I wore fifteen when I was I was like he wore at Purdue. I still remember him holding that rose in his mouth when they wanted to get to Clint to go to the Rose Bowl. And he was kind of like my childhood and child a high school like my kind of hero that I that I'd always admired, and

I loved watching him play. I still love I watched him play for his whole career. I loved watching the tape. But I have ever met Drew Brees, and we've played the Saints a few times, and I just never went up to go introduce myself. But that would be one that would be one that I was had. I never had a chance to tell Drew Brees that you were my childhood idol. I'd love to sit down and have lunch of them. So I think that that's what I'll go with for that one. It's interesting because Joe Burrow

says that that was his favorite quarterback to watch. So the guy you're coaching, you you two share the quarterback you admire. We share an admiration for him and and deserving weself. You know, obviously had a chance to work with Peyton Manning, so that's a I had lots of years of being with one of the you know, I get Hall of Fame all time quarterback, but Drew Brees

is one that I never had a chance. I've never had a chance to talk to him, and I think that would be a fun That'd be fun go have lunch of Drew Brees and and tell him how much i'd how much I appreciated watching him play. What coach that you played for had the biggest impact on you probably my high school coach, Um Bob Laddiser was a head coach of deals at high school, and then our

quarterbacks coach there, Mark Pinella. He just actually just recently retired from coaching, And those were the two people that had probably, you know, the most impressionable age that I was probably most formed by, just philosophy, all of those types of things. They were a big part of what I believe football is supposed to be and all of those things. So I'll go with Bob Laddiser and Mark Pinella. Last thing, have you binge watched a TV show? And

if so, what's your favorite? BINGE watched a few of them this summer. I loved ted Lasso. That's a great show. Um, I'm excited for the second season. And then I did binge watch Yellowstone this summer, which was phenomenal. That was That's an excellent show. And those are the two that I spent the summer. Those are the two I watched this summer. I'm also I really like Peaky Blinders too.

Those are those are kind of my I like the the intense shows that you're gonna put a belief sign up in your office in honor of Ted lass, I should I saw somebody at a teacher I got gotta find that might buy and start wearing it. I'm with him on Ted Lasso. In fact, I've been thinking of buying some Richmond Greyhounds gear. If you don't watch the show, that's the fictional soccer team that Ted coaches. Up next

defensive coordinator Lou at a Romo. All right, if you had a time machine and could attend any sporting event in history, not necessarily football, although it obviously could be, But what would that sporting event be? I would probably say the Miracle on Ice. I mean, I've watched the movie. I watched it. I was old enough to but I was young, and just to be in that stadium to witness that, I think that would be pretty pretty awesome. That's my answer as well. If you could have lunch

with any athlete in history, who would it be? And why? Well, I'll just I'll play some favorite New York favoritism here would probably be Derek Jeter, just because again, you know, you watched the guy over twenty years and all he did was win, and he did it the right way, and to be able to ask him some questions about that. That would be I'd be pretty cool. Who is your favorite athlete when you were a kid, and why, Well, probably you go. When I was young, I would say

probably Lawrence Taylor. I was a huge Giant fan growing up, and I mean one of the best defenders ever. So I would say LT for sure. And I remember chanting LT a lot when I was a kid, So probably be him. He'd like to have him right now. Oh my god, everybody would What coach that you played for

had the biggest impact on you? My high school coach, Alpaterzo, just from overall being a young kid, teaching toughness, and I was a great teacher of the game and as the winning is football coach in New York City history. So to this day we're still best of friends, and so we'll be him. Have you? Binge watched a TV show and if still, what's your favorite? Um My wife had me pretty busy this summer, so there wasn't much TV watching, so I really didn't do much of that

Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones, so it's damn good. Now I'm not using the internet stuff, but that was good. My wife and I also Binge watched Game of Thrones. When the villains on that show get what's coming to them, it's about as satisfying as TV gets. Last, but not least, Special Teams coordinator Darren Simmons. If you had a time machine and could attend any sporting event in history, doesn't necessarily have to be football, although it could be. What

would that event be and why? Probably would have said one of the games for my dad's high school year of football. Um, you know, I think he was a good high school player. He never got to play in college because my granddad died not long after he graduated from high school. But he never got to play in college, so probably would have been one of the games my dad played in high school and football games. Was he a good athlete? Yeah, he was. I think he was. Um,

you know, like I said, just because my family were farmers. Um, he kind of to take over the family farm, so he never got the opportunity to, um, you know, go on and play after that, so they probably would have been there. It's great if you could have lunch with any athlete in history, who would it be and why? That's a good one too. Joe Montana and Joe Montana was you know when I was growing up. Was was the guy. He was probably the time Brady of this era.

And you know all the success that he had in San Francisco and led all those teams in San Francisco, but he had success in Kansas City, you know after that, which is closer to where I'm from, Um, it'll probably be him. This could be the same answer, but not necessarily. Who is your favorite athlete when you were a kid? This is this is close. Probably George Brett. Um. I

was a Royals fan. Again, beamed from the Midwest Ben before I was from UM, and it was just you know, it was the time the Royals were a solid team. You know they've kind of been through their share of ups and downs. But um, probably George Brett. What coach that you played for had the biggest impact? Again, Um, Glenn Mason my high school excuse me, my high school college coach of Kansas. UM. You know, going to KU, we were a team, we were kind of on the

verge whenever I went there of turning the corner. Kansas has been such a down tribe program for so long that they went to a bowl game, uh in ninety three, the year before I got there, and so they're just starting to trend upwards. And I think the one thing why I say that is because he really really pushed the players there to be better than what they thought they could. I think that's a job of every coach. But I think in Kansas we probably weren't the most

talented group. You know, this is the my senior years, last year, the Big Eight, and so I think that he got the most out of the talent level of that team and we were able to have a good season. My senior year in ninety five, I think we were tending to you know, we finished like nineth or tenth in the country. And I really respect the way he how hard he pushed guys to excel and to really

to believe in himself. So, you know, he really a lot of the foundations and stuff um that I even used day are a result of him because I played for him um And then Scott O'Brien would be another one. I never played for him, but I worked under and so a lot of the you know, everything that I'm about is what they were about. My last one. Have you ever Binge watched a TV show and if sell, what's your favorite? I've Binge watched a couple of them. Um. The last one that I binge watched, it was through

the pandemic, was Game of Thrones. I've always heard about Game of Thrones. I've never watched any of them. Um, But then I would get up early every morning before the rest of my familys have to watch it. It's not probably the most family worthy show to watch. That's why I have to get up early to do it. But I just I couldn't believe the outdoor scenes, some of the graphics scenes, you know. It was just it was a crazy show. Um. The other one is uh Ozark all on Netflix. I'm on Big O's are Big

Big O's art um person, So I've I've watched all those. Um. The that I've probably beinge watched before two is Yellowstone with Kevin Costner. I really enjoy that one too. Probably those three are the ones I could say I'm not a big binge watcher, though I don't. It's hard to find the time to sit down in front of the TV for one time. But those would be three. I haven't watched Yellowstone yet, but I can watch for the other two. Yeah, but the yellostone's really good. I mean,

it's it Uh. Kevin Cosser is a fabulous actor, and I think everybody on that show is good. I've been sitting there waiting. I thought the next season was supposed to come out in June. It hadn't been released yet, so I don't know what the paramount, I paramount network, what the hold up is, but I can't wait to see the next season. My thanks to Brian lew and Darren and that's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast, brought to you by bud Light.

Seltzer refreshed the game. If you haven't done so already, please subscribe and if you have a minute, give it a rating or share a comment. Bad helps more Bengals fans find this podcast. I'm Dan Horde, and thanks for listening to The Bengals Booth Podcast. H