It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day. Now here's Nick coffee.
All right, let's get the five o'clock hours started here on a Wednesday afternoon. Happy hump day, everybody. Hopefully you've enjoyed your Wednesday. We've had some fun on the show today. I had some fun throughout the day. I did start the show complaining about something that I'm sure none of you care about, and that is that I've just had to accept the fact that I can no longer live in denial that I don't need to be medicated for allergies.
I've lived here in the Ohio Valley my entire life.
In each year, really in the last three to four years, I suppose allergies have impacted me more, and today was a day where I just had to accept, Okay, you got to do something about this. And some of you've given some recommendations on the text line as far as what daily allergy pill I can take to kind of help me not be, you know, as miserable. But I was at the zoo earlier today for a nice field trip with my daughter's class, and I think every school
kid in the state of Kentucky was there. It was very busy, a lot of busses from all over the state, seemingly bringing kids.
I do exaggerate, but there were.
I mean, I feel like the amount of busses that were rolling in when I was in the parking lot waiting for them to arrive, it just never ended.
But I was out having a good day at the zoo.
And man, I got my rear end kicked by these allergies. But other than that, the day's been really good. And I don't know what the weather looks like outside right now, but it was a beautiful day all throughout until I arrived here about two thirty or so, so hopefully that's still the case. I you know, weather can change pretty quickly, and oftentimes over the years I've mentioned weather that you know, it's a beautiful day, and then sure enough I realize I've been in here for two and a half, for
maybe even an hour, and you know, it changes. But anyways, hopefully you guys have enjoyed your hump day, and hopefully you guys have enjoyed yourself throughout these first couple of hours. We'll try to finish strong here in the five o'clock hour. It is Coffee and Company. Fuel about Thornton's here on
Sports Talks seven ninety. Make sure you keep Thornton's in mind whenever you need to stop and get gas, because if you sign up to become a member of their Refreshing Awards program, you're going to save money every time you get gas, every single time, and once per week. You can save up to twenty five cents per gallon. So take advantage of that. You'd be foolish not to. I mean, do what you want, but who wouldn't want
to save money at the gas pump? I mean, that's crazy not to save money, especially when you know you're gonna need to get gas at some point, unless you're driving one of the electric vehicles, which certainly you see those out there, but not as much.
I don't know.
I feel like the Tesla momentum kind of faded off a little bit, didn't it. So anyways, we're fuel about Thorntons. You knew that, but I like to tell you anyway. So this is something we talked about. I believe either last week or the week before. I get my week's confused, but I know recently it was exciting news that Louisville fans received that Louisville and Memphis are going to renew
their series, their rivalry. I mean, it is a rivalry, but obviously I'm jealous because I didn't get to get a chance to experience it like those that are a little bit older than me. Right, I don't remember the Memphis State days and that's when it apparently was at its peak. But we now know it's going to be a six year series between these two teams. And I guess it was the newspaper in Memphis that got some
more details on it. So in the six year series, there'll be two neutral site games with it sounds like those. I guess it can change, but I believe right now the neutral site games are going to take place in Nashville, which I know Louisville fans love making that trip down sixty five South to enjoy music city. Nashville is always a lot of fun. And I remember they played they
played Western Kentucky in Nashville. I believe this was in like November of twenty nineteen, that year that Louisville was really good and then you know, it all came to an because of a global pandemic but they played Western and I don't know if it was bridget Own Arena or.
What it was, but it was it it'll be a pretty competitive game.
And I remember afterwards, because of a recent loss to somebody, with that win against WKU, it meant that Louisville was going to be number one in the country. And then they turn around and the next game they played was against Michigan and the big in the ACC Big Ten Challenge, And I mean that was a moment where Louisville playing as the number one team in the country and Chris Max's second season that was It seems like a blur,
but that was that was a lot of fun. There's one other thing about that game that I'm curious if you guys remember. It's a really random, not relevant fact about that game, but I remember it because it was one of those things that, like on the show at the time, people complained about and there was a lot of complaining going on, and it was because that game because it was.
A neutral site.
But yet there's always even when you play a neutral like example, when Louisville plays Memphis and let's say they play them twice in Nashville, like the contract currently states is going to happen. One of those games, despite it being a neutral site, will technically be a game that is on Louisville's side, meaning the network coverage, the TV coverage, I should say, and then one of them will be
on Memphis side. So when Louisville was in that series with WKU, that happened to be it was a neutral site game, but technically it was WKU who had the right to broadcast. And I can't even think of the
network it might have been. And I don't even think this is still a thing anymore, But do you remember stadium like watch stadium that it wasn't just that for some reason that I don't know, And it was probably because it was a November on a Saturday, to where the actual stadium network, which is really a streaming thing, they were all like they didn't they didn't have the ability to put this basketball game on because there was
football going on. So it was a basketball game. This will be a great trivia question one day if you have want to have a really difficult trivia contest including Louisville basketball trivia. That game was played live on Facebook only. Do you remember this at all?
No? Yeah, it was during the holidays.
It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so I think it was pretty actually might have been.
It was Black Friday.
It was Black Friday because the next day Louisville played Kentucky and football and that was the game where it was in Lexington, And that was actually the game when SAT started boohooing about ELL's down at midfield. So anyways, that game was on Facebook only on the watch Stadium or the Stadium Network, whatever it is, whatever it was called on that Facebook page.
How about that trivia for you?
Remember Stadium It was some weird time.
Are they still a thing?
I don't think so.
I mean, the only thing I.
Think of when I think of Stadium is Jeff Goodman, because he's been one of the biggest and really the best when it comes to just breaking stories and breaking news and being connected. I'm not saying you gotta like the guy, but Jeff Goodman has been one of the bigger movers and shakers when it comes to college basketball
reporting for a long long time. He's worked for Gosh, he's worked for Fox, CBS at ESPN in my lifetime, and then when he moved on from ESPN, he worked for Stadium and that's the only reason I knew they existed, and I don't I don't know if they exist anymore. But anyways, there's some random information, useless information for you that you can do whatever you want with. But nonetheless, the Memphis I mean, if Louisville was gonna so some would say maybe the uh. By the way, Bally Sports
Live bought the Stadium network, so there you go. But anyways, the if Louisville was gonna play a neutral site game, I mean, where would we play it, Like we're a city, We're not like, you know, going and playing a Louisville neutral site game in Frankfurt would make no sense. Certainly you would never do it in Lexington or really any city. And so I like the it's kind of a it makes And by the way, Nashville and Memphis are nowhere
near each other, like they're not. I mean, in fact, a lot of Memphis is you know, there's like West Memphis. I believe that is actually Arkansas. So anyways, that'll be exciting. And since bringing this up, somebody on the text line has asked if I know what they're going to do about the Cincinnati series, because when they play at Freedom Hall, that's not going to be a home game for your
season tickets. And first of all, I don't know, and I wouldn't be the one that would ever knows sort of how they're going to work that out, But that'll probably just be a standalone game.
To where like you just have to buy tickets.
I mean, it's not part of it kind of feels like it should be season tickets because one it's at home. Technically, it's just not the home you've had in a long time. It's Freedom Hall, not the Young Center. But having these games back on the schedule, Memphis and Cincinnati, I love it, I really do. And I hope that you know both teams including Louisville. I mean when I say both teams,
I meant Cincinnati and Memphis. But if you can sort of rekindle that old rivalry flame and also play teams that in the non conference, if you beat them, you'll get some value, and if you lose to them, it's not a bad loss. That's that's the best of both worlds. So we'll probably get more the Cincinnati series. By the way, somehow leaked to John Rostein. It's not I mean, it's going to happen, but it's not official. They haven't announced it,
and that probably means they're still working through it. They're still working on it. So anyways, speaking of working on things the future of college sports, I think there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel right now. When it comes to things being regulated, they're actually being rules that people have to follow, because when the NCAA confirmed yesterday that they are conceding enforcement, they are no longer going to even attempt to try to
enforce anything because they don't have any power. It's really all of their fault and has been because they never budge from that archaic, ancient amateurism model, and that's really why we're here. But you know that's in the past that people working with the NSTAA right now had nothing
to do with that. So I do think they are trying their best to util to do what they can to clean things up, but they don't have any power, and schools have proven that by hiring lawyers and fighting everything in court, and more often than not they're winning.
So I think what you've probably had happen as school presidents and athletic directors probably for months now, have probably had conversations realizing the best case scenario for us to clean this up is for everybody to agree to a certain set of rules and then we sign off on it saying that we will follow these rules, and if not, you know, you won't be a part of these power conferences anymore. You agree to these rules, everybody follows them.
And also with your agreeing, you're signing off saying that you're not going to threaten to sue and take it to court because you got in trouble or maybe you're just trying to ben the rules. So that is really I think what has to be done in order to get this thing cleaned up and hope that it will
get worked out. But one thing that really has has hit me in the last twenty four hours is that maybe I'm a little naive and thinking that everybody's just gonna say, okay, let's do it, because there are schools that probably are aware that it's a mess and it's chaotic, and I'm sure maybe even you know it's impacted the bottom line for them. But with that, they're using money
to succeed. They're buying players, and they're willing to pay way more money for anybody because they know they have resources to do that, and with this new world, despite being chaotic, maybe some have been more successful because they're able to utilize resources that they've always had, but you couldn't really utilize because in a previous world you couldn't pay to be good. Now you can, you can buy players.
So I'm hopeful, but it wouldn't shock me if there are some schools that are like, yeah, we're not signing that, and at that point it comes down to a game of chicken. If Tennessee and the SEC, Florida State in the ACC, Ohio State.
In the Big Ten.
And I'm just thrown out random examples here. I'm not saying these are the schools that would in fact fight it, but if they did, are those conferences really one able? Too willing to say, Okay, well you're out. You no longer are a member of this conference. Some schools wouldn't risk that. Others probably feel like they can because they know their value. Ohio State leaving the Big Ten would make the Big Ten. Dare I say, a substantially less
valuable conference. They'd still be good. But Ohio State runs that league, do they not? So we'll see. But the latest is that there are meetings going on this week in the Big ten where school presidents are going to be a part of these meetings, and they're going to discuss this affiliation agreement that's out there, that's going to be on the agenda. And then next week the SEC and the Big twelve are going to meet and it's the same situation. They're going to discuss the affiliation agreement.
And I guess try to get everybody on the same page. Now, the ACC just had their spring meetings and presidents were not there, and I guess this thing wasn't far enough along to where it was even out there to be discussed.
But it sounds like, according to Ross Tellinger of Yahoo Sports, that the AEC presidents are meeting independently this week, and I would assume it's to discuss this, and I think we'll know with them the next I don't know, a week or so if this has got real momentum or if in fact, you're going to get some pushback, and if and if there is pushback, as far as what happens from there, your guess is as good as mine. That's the best I can say, all right, real quick.
I wanted to mention this just because It's really cool to be able to say this. It's been a while since Louisville basketball had such a highly regarded freshman to
be joining the program. So Mickel Brown junior one of the best recruits that has ever committed and signed to play for Louisville, which I'm hopeful he breaks the curse because last time we talked about this, I mean, it was a reminder that some of the best players as far as coming from the high school ranks that committed to Louisville either didn't end up playing here or it didn't end up coming close to being.
As good as we expected.
I'm hopeful that mckail Brown junior will change that and all accounts he's got. I feel like he has more height than anybody that is signed with Louisville in a long time. Again, he's a McDonald's American and he won the three point shootout there. He's the number six player in the country according to twenty four seven Sports.
He is. He was a really, really impressive at the Nike Hoops Summit. Draft. Express has him as a lottery pick.
I think it is in next year's draft, so at least they did at one point, so regardless of what ends up happening. Right now, he's got a lot of momentum and that's awesome to see. But he will be representing well, I shouldn't say that he's going to be. He's been selected to compete for the USA Basketball Men's Under nineteen training camp in Colorado next month, So if he makes the twelve man team, he'll represent the United States in the THEBA Under nineteen Men's World Cup in Switzerland,
which will take place in late June early July. Which, look, if he ends up making that roster, I'd say he's got a good chance of doing so. And if he does, that'll just get more love for Louisville, which, again, freshmen, there's just there's not it's just the new world now, right, Like you clearly are going to want to recruit and
bring in really talented freshmen because you just are. There'll never be a scenario where nobody goes to the high school ranks at any point, but you just don't have to have them now because now you can reload every year with players that are coming off their freshman season or maybe they've played three years elsewhere, whatever it may be.
So you know, having really highly regarded freshmen just doesn't mean as much as it once did unless you've got somebody that is believed to be somebody that could come in right away and be one of the best, maybe one of the best players in your conference. And I'm not saying that for sure Markel Brown Junior is that guy, but all signs point to him being potentially one of those guys. I mean, he's the number six player in
the country, you know, when he picked Louisville. I mean by that point, I think it was down to a few schools, But I mean he's the caliber of a player that at any point throughout his recruiting if he decided he wanted to go to any school, they would have taken him.
Mean, he's that good.
So best of luck to him next week next month at the training camp in Colorado, and hopefully he can represent the United States. That would be I mean, not only that would be cool to have the Louisville player a part of that, but be cool for him too. Or We also talked about the conference finals last night getting started with the Thunder going up one to zero, and I.
Don't think it'd be great for the NBA. In fact, I know it wouldn't be good for the NBA.
But I think right now, I'd have a hard time seeing anybody beating Oklahoma City. And I think the team that maybe had the best chance to do it was probably the team that they just beat in the seven game series because of Nikola Jokic. So maybe I'm wrong. Maybe ant Man and the Wolves get it rolling and they can find a way to win this series. I mean, they were up early last night and they're still really good. I'm not writing them off, but okaysee's really really good.
And I have a hard time thing and that the NBA. When I say the NBA, I guess I mean Adam Silver like he'd never say it. But this goes back to something we brought up a little earlier earlier this week. It's it's common sense that the NBA, if they if they could choose for a certain team to win it all, which they can't unless you are somebody that believes it's rigged,
they would never choose the Thunder. And the scenario that we get the OKAC Thunder and the Pacers in the finals, I'd be excited because hey, I'm a Pacers fan, but also that would not be good for the NBA because I think it would be a big drop off in viewership compared to other teams, and there's nothing you can
do about it. It's nobody's fault. But I think I think we're in a slippery slope here as far as those that want to believe that it's rigged, Like I think the NBA getting a real dug because it'd be a big storyline, right, I mean, it's gonna be a storyline regardless of who's there. I mean, viewership in the NBA has been a storyline in the NBA this year because the product in the regular season is a hard watch. I mean unless you're just a diehard fan of a team,
because they play eighty two games. I mean, they tell you directly that it's not that competitive because players just decide, hey, load management, we're not gonna play. I mean, I think if you say it out loud, you'll realize how ridiculous it is. A league, a professional sport league has players that just in organizations just decide players aren't going to play just because, like you are directly telling your customers, your fans that it's not that competitive because yeah, it's
a Tuesday. This guy's just not going to play just because I mean, I don't know how you fix it, because you're not going to reduce the amount of games because that would reduce money.
That's just not happening. But I don't know, I don't know.
If I'm getting more open to believing conspiracy for conspiracies or maybe it's just this one. But Shack recently said something that you know, and maybe this is just Shack being Shack, but he shared a story I guess on one of his many platforms might have been a podcast
he does. I'm not sure what it was, but you know, he was the number one pick in the NBA draft in what year was it, nineteen nineteen ninety two, So he recently said that prior to getting drafted, David Stern asked him, do you want to be where it's hot or do you want to be where it's cold? And he said hot, And then he ended up getting drafted by the Magic who won the lottery and the other
teams that were, you know, potentially in play. The Minnesota Timberwolves were the third pick, but there was thought that they may you know, they were I think they might have been, like I don't know if they were an expansion team at that point just yet. But either way, I mean, if you wanted to believe that the lottery is rigged, I think there's enough evidence for you to
think that it is. But you know, I'm just I guess maybe I'm naive, but I don't want my Pacers to make it to the finals and maybe potentially win it and it be a storyline. Man, this sucks for the NBA. I mean, I would hope that it wouldn't rob me of any joy. I don't think that it would, but I don't know. I mean, I guess we'll find out if we get there, because who knows. Maybe the Pacers can't get past the next but I know tonight, I'm certainly hopeful that they get past the Knicks in
Game one and the pace. By the way, I'm trying not to be biased here because I'm a Patcerf's fan, but like, they've been phenomenal in the postseason.
Like I know that the Bucks.
Weren't great this year and the Calves had some injuries, but I mean, the Pacers have been rolling in the postseason and I wouldn't be shocked if they win big tonight. Now, I also respect the Knicks and know that they've got a really tough team. They're going to be at home and they're gonna have a big time home court advantage.
But bring it.
Is Reggie on the call tonight? I need to look into that because in fact, is Reggie even doing games anymore?
Yeah, he's on the call tonight. Be sure it's on TNT.
Right, Yeah, but like next year Reggie's joining Yeah he's okay, Yeah he's he's still with TNT. But I think his contract ends because if you remember, he got he got picked up by NBC because the joy like when you look at maybe I'm here, but when I looked at the NBC lineup for NBA having Michael Jordan, I'm.
Pretty sure Reggie was a part of that.
Either way, well, it doesn't matter, it's not relevant. But what I need to do is take a quick break. We'll come back on the other side. Keep this thing rolling along. The tush push for those of you that think it's unfair, tough because they did not get enough votes to make it illegal in the NFL, So the
tush push is here to stay. Also, we now know who's going to be featured in Hard Knocks after they couldn't find an NFL team initially, and then it was going to be Belichick until it sounds like his girlfriend got on the way.
Fiance.
Yeah, I'm sorry. Apparently apparently apparently she's telling people they're engaged, which yikes. All right, quick break, we'll keep it rolling along here in the five o'clock hour. It's coffee and company. Feel about Thornton's on Sports Talk seven.
Ninety Now back to coffee and company. Fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
So, a band of the tush push play that the Eagles have made very popular did not receive enough votes at the spring meetings today that the NFL had.
Adam Schefter said that the.
Votes came in excuse me, twenty two to ten on the proposal, which.
Was submitted by the Packers. I guess the Packers were.
The ones who wanted it to be voted on to get rid of, and it needed twenty four votes.
I guess it got twenty two.
So just short, and I mean, what I'm curious about and maybe Austin you could help me here. Others could do this right, I mean, what makes this such a doable and successful thing for the Eagles and not anybody else. I mean, I keep hearing it's because of Jalen Hurts just has such strong legs. But the other there's other quarterbacks in the NFL that have strong legs, I would assume.
I mean, they have like the biggest offensive line. To Colin Coward was kind of talking about this before our show. They just have a bigger offensive line. The only other offensive line just like them is probably like the Lions. But Jared Goff's like a tall right, So you got Jalen Hurts who's like a short, stocky guy, and I guess those two would maybe not them, But the Eagles and like the Bills are the only ones that can
pull it off. So far, it seems like, at least at a consistent level, that they're doing it because Josh Allen is just this big horse back there and he could just get a yard.
Yeah.
I mean, I'm kind of of the belief that if they can do it and it's within the rules, then you know, people got.
To figure out a way to stop it.
I Mean, I don't love the play. It kind of gets on my nerves just because like, all right, we know what's coming up here. But I mean, it scores it's what the NFL likes. The only thing that I'm shocked over is they didn't, uh just for the fact that, I mean, a player's safety can come into you know, because it is just like everyone's going head for first.
He got Lineman just kind of getting as low as they possibly can and and I can only imagine the beating that Kelsey has taken when he was doing it. So I don't I don't know what what kind of a power move that was, Like you said, him just showing up to to to Egan Minnesota with uh with whoever Howie rose Men and they're like, all right, guy, this guy is gonna change your mind. I mean, it.
Worked, but I just don't like, I mean, what why does Jay Like, why would Jason Kelce need to be the guy that is because because because he's part of it, he was part of like making it popular. I mean, maybe he was there to speak if somebody brought up players safety, but no offense. Even if he was there to do that, he's not a doctor and like he's not objective. He's with the Eagles, right, like yeah, I just I don't know. It seemed like such a force and he's clearly mister popular.
But it's just basically.
Personnel is the main reason that that only certain teams are able to pull it off like they can and I don't.
And again I probably should know this, and I could probably look at up so my fault, but how often do they actually do it? I mean, it clearly is something that they've got in their bag and it's it's utilized.
A first down or the goal line.
Yeah, they had Jason Kelcey in Minneapolis on behalf of the Eagles this morning to lobby NFL owners as to why they should keep and not ban, But I mean, no offense to him.
Why would why would why would he.
Need to say anything like because he's Jason Kelsey, Like I just I don't know, I don't that to me that made me want them to ban it, even though I don't really care and I've probably also leaned more so why not, you know, just let them do it, figure out a way to stop it. It's not against the rules. It's just unique and credit to them for finding a way to do something that nobody else is doing.
But like him being there to speak, like, why why would we like, what would that do?
I mean, what's the argument for keeping it. Like what is other than like Eagles fans who like really I mean really really want it because they're the ones that perfected it. And I can only imagine that because their fan base is so like, so rugged, sometimes annoying. I won't go off the I mean they're kind of savages. I mean, they are savages. But my wonderful, wonderful fiance, her whole family is is go birds Eagles fans, so don't.
I don't want to ruffle any feathers here, But like, what what is?
It's not all like that, but you know, right right, the reputation is justified.
Yeah, I mean, they're not gonna attack me just because I wear my Vikings jersey over there.
But what they also they also couldn't lie to you if you told them that, like you expected others to do it, they would have to be like, yeah, you're probably right.
Yeah exactly. So I'm and I'm wondering, like if this was like the Cowboys perfecting and it Dak Prescott is the one that's getting one yard over them all the time, I can imagine that they would have a problem with it. But now they're like, so you guys trying to come at us again and just puffing their chest out as Eagles fans. So they're the ones like walking away from it. I think there's only like nine teams that like voted to like keep it, And I don't know, I just
don't know. There seems to be a lot more talking points of why it should be banned rather than rather than why it should have been.
The only one that I've come up is like a buzz reason is just people just say player safety. But I mean, you can just I mean, and I'm sure they do have medical experts that can give you some legitimate reasoning behind it, But like I feel like player safety some meaning, any any with anything in football that you want changed, you can just say player safety. And it's a crutch because, let's be honest, football is a violent sport that at any moment somebody could die. That's
not an exaggeration. That's a rare thing obviously, but like football is violent. And I say this is something that has been said a few times over.
The years, but I believe this.
If this sport was introduced to us today, medical professionals would tell us that we shouldn't play and it's not safe. I'm not advocating that we ever do that, because God, I love football. I can't imagine live without it. But you know, player safety as much as it is, and I give the NFL credit. They have invested insane amount of money into continuously evaluating how they can continue to operate and exist but also do everything they can to
keep people safe. But they're they're for a moment. There there was a time, and I feel like it's kind of died down a little bit. But like this notion that football's ever going to not be violent, the only way that would happen is if you don't make it football anymore. You make it like two hand touch or something like. So, I don't know, someone when I hear player safety, it's not like I'm like, all who cares
let them die? I mean, it's not that at all, But it's just it's thrown out there all the time, and it's just an easy thing to just, you know, we got to keep players safe.
Yeah, look how many other silly rule changes that they made just straight for player safety. The way that the onside kick is, the way that the regular kick is now, you got it, there's like no chance for a return whatsoever. H The way that they've made the quarterback rules the way that they've made targeting rules, and this is this is a play where guys are literally just going in head first and just like not even looking at where they're going. And it's not like they're they're obviously trying
to get a yard. You're going up with several you're going up with eight other people. That's just like bullying their way, trying to get through your guys that's blocking you, and they're they're they're just looking at the ground hoping to stop you and just head first. So, like, I know, concussions and head trauma has been one of their main things. So I'm a little bit baffled that this kind of state the same. I'm not salty, I'm just baffled.
The so the when it comes to players safety concerns, defensive players are often at risk of lower body injuries from being forced backwards in an unnatural position. Again, that can happen any moment in football. Again, that's not to say that what they're claiming is is uh, it's not true, but as far as often at risk for lower body body injuries anytime a ball is snapped and you're competing in a football game, especially at the NFL level that that that's always going to exist to an extent. Now,
maybe it'll be worse with the push push. But at another reason here as far as that was brought up, is that it goes against the spirit of the game. Traditionalists say the play is too much resembling r be more than football, and it undermines the strategic elements of the sport.
Whatever. That's just a bunch of words.
They also made a change today, well, I guess they didn't make the change of the toushbush, but a change that was approved is the on side kick rule, allowing teams to declare an on side kick anytime while trailing, as well as lineup one yard closer to the opponents. So previously, teams could only declare on side kicks while trailing in the fourth quarter. I will be honest with you, I didn't even know that was a thing. I feel really stupid saying that, but.
You know, well, the recovery of on side kicks over the last few years has not been No one's recovered.
Yeah, it's very rare.
And how do you feel about There's a lot at least with some podcasts that I listened to, when people want to change that rule. There's been the idea floated out that I don't know, do like a fourth and fifteen or like a fourth and twenty for that play rather than a rather than just like an onside kick I mean, which I understand on the surface three thousand feet view, that sounds pretty good, but I mean it's
not like it. It shouldn't just be just because you're losing, you get a chance just to win, just because you can't recover the on side kick. How about don't fall down twenty one points in the third quarter and then you won't need that. So I'm not for the well, you should just give a team fourth and fifteen because they're not going to recover the on side kick, so just because they're losing, we should give them a shot.
No that I would I mean that would be I'm hell no to that. You and I are on the same page.
But everyone just thinks the excitement of it, it's the excitement of that one play trying to get twenty yards to where your skill position players are on the field, rather than like your gunners on special teams, leaving it in the fate of them. I can understand, but don't be down and you don't have that problem.
Yep. So the NFL.
I mean, it's not the NFL. It's HBO show. But Hard Knocks been around for a long time. I'm done lying to people. I've done it for years. Why you know why I keep lying. If I was ever going to really get into Hard Knocks, I would have already done it, you know.
I mean, it's been around for a long time. It's really popular.
The content of what it is is something that is usually right up my alley. But I've learned it from me. When it comes to behind the scenes, I'm just not that interested in NFL players behind the scenes. I love the sport, but like, to me, I would be more interested in a story about a behind the scenes Hard Knocks style show, for like a junior college football team like we've seen in last Chanchu.
Like.
I love those stories because it's it's it's interesting to me. I don't think that behind the scenes in the NFL. I'm not like against it, but it just doesn't intrigue me enough to wear Like, man, I got to see what practice was like this week for the Bills. It's like, it doesn't it doesn't. It doesn't do much for me. But again it's clearly very popular. So here's what we know.
Now.
The Bills are going to be featured on Hard Knocks this summer during training camp only, so it'll premiere August the fifth, and uh, it's their first appearance. Yeah, it says here that the it's the first their first appearance. Buffalo's due to the NFL rules expanding eligible teams by removing the playoff opt out clause, which I didn't even know that was a thing.
But yeah, you couldn't have made the playoffs and been on on Hard Knocks. You had to be like a bomb team.
It makes it makes total sense because of I mean, you would you know. The interesting side of it would be a team that's coming together to try to, you know, to get better.
Yeah, you're not.
You're not You're not fat and happy and successful. You're trying to compete and get better because you didn't, you know, make the playoffs. But they've had to make some changes
because nobody wanted to be part of it. But says the NFC East, including the Giants, Eagles, Cowboys, Commanders, will be featured in the end season Hard Knocks starting December twenty twenty five, offering a rare division wide look at the you know, the dynamics of that division, and that I think is probably the way they may go moving forward because it sounds like and I saw a little bit of it, but last year when they were featuring the inn season, uh, the nd season version of it
on the what what division is.
The AFC East?
Yeah, with the with the Bengals, Yeah, and the Bengals Ravens the North, right, Yeah, the North the Bengals Ravens, Steve and who else was it?
Who?
Brown?
Yeah? The Browns.
And I mean I checked that out because it was a rare. I think I might have showed you this, but there was a rare. I didn't even realize they were doing that. But I actually went to a Titans game when the Bengals and the Titans played because I have a cousin who's a big time Bengals fan, and we met him in Nashville and had a phenomenal time at the game. And they were filming and you could tell, I mean by looking at the field that wasn't just
cameras that's there for coverage of the game. Those were like cinema movie cameras and way more production people. And then my cousin had sent me a screenshot of the trailer promoting or previewing that episode, and there is a moment where you can see, right after a big catch by Higgins near the goal line, you can see my son in the background because we had that good of seats, not because of me, because of my cousin.
He hooked it up. But anyways, I ended up.
Watching a little bit of that to see if I could find that little clip, which I did, and it's little. You just have to hit pause and you can see his blonde hair and you can see us very we're in the background and it's not you can't see as clearly, but that's where we were sitting. But anyways, that was interesting to me just because I'm like Mike Tomlin in that and this isn't a surprise because he's believed to be I mean, I think I think a lot of people.
If you like the Steelers and not you understand why players like playing for Mike Tomlin. He's I mean, but hearing him in the locker room compared to like other coaches that you hear and look, you can't be you can't be fake, like you got to be who you are I think NFL players, really pros, will sniff it out if you're just trying to be somebody that you're not. But I think Mike Tomlin's been pretty consistent about who he is, and clearly they haven't had as much success
in recent years. But I get now why the Steelers organization feels as if they they're not. They feel like they got a coach that represents what they want to do, and they'll probably never change that unless you know, they're really forced to, meaning that the Steelers kind of fall off the cliff, which maybe that's this year because right now they're starting quarterbacks, make someon Rudolph is not I mean who else they got, I mean, who else do
they have? I mean it's kind of a dumpster fire. Yeah, so maybe that ends up happening. But uh yeah, Knocks will be a mixed bag this year. And again I probably won't watch it, but I know a lot of people do, so hope you enjoy it. Quick break, we'll come back on the other side, wrap this thing up on Sports Talks seven ninety.
Now back to coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
That's right, we were wrapping things up here on a Wednesday afternoon. Appreciate you guys hanging out with us. Hopefully you've enjoyed yourself. If not, come back tomorrow, We'll try again. I mean, that's all we can do, right, and I don't have any I'm not to the point where I can really I mean, I I don't wanna throw stuff
out there and then it not actually happened. But with next week being the last week, I've got some things in mind that I'm trying to put together to where we can have a fun week that will probably be a lot different than what we you know, typically do here. But if there's ever a week to do that.
Wouldn't it be? Wouldn't it be next week? Whenever?
It's the last week of the show. And for those of you that continue to ask what happens here at this time, I still don't know, And in fact, since last week, I've had no update, and you know they won't They're not gonna. I mean, I'm gonna have to
ask them before they tell me anything. And when I can say something about that, I will, But there's really nothing I can say because I have no clue what they what they will end up doing so, I would hope by next Friday maybe I can give you some type of insight as to what we'll be here from three to six whenever it will no longer be me, but a reminder if you still enjoy listening to me and you still want to do that, you still can. It just won't be here at this time on the station.
It'll be just just North on your radio dial from seven nine zero to eight four zero.
It'll be a lot earlier.
And for all of you that you know, I mean, it still happens from time to time in the last few months to where and I'll talk to somebody who says, man, I really miss you in the mornings because that was just the easier time for them to listen live, just because I guess maybe their schedule or whatever it may be. Well, now you will be able to listen in the mornings. It'll just be on a different station and it'll be
a different type of show. But I did feel really good about a meeting we had earlier today to where I mean, I'm gonna be able to put my own flavor on that morning show. It'll be again, It's it's a different format, but I think you'll still be able to recognize, Hey, I remember this guy, and hopefully you wouldn't have forgot about me just by simply changing the station.
But you know, I'm not leaving leaving, I'm just moving down the hall and getting up a lot earlier, which I got up today to be here for a sales meeting, and I got up a little earlier than I typically do, and I was like, man, I'm tired. And then I realized, oh, you poor son of a you have no clue. But get used to it, man, because I woke up feeling tired today and I would have already been on the air.
For like, you know, two hours at that time. So it'll be a US mint for sure.
But hey, I'm gonna make the most of the time we have left here on seven ninety the rest of this week and obviously next week. So hopefully you guys we'll join in with us in these final shows. All right, have a good night, everybody, talk to you tomorrow right here on Sports Talk seven ninety