10/2/26 Full Show

0:00I'm Susie Welch, the host of Becoming You, a podcast where I help you stop living by default and start living by design. Listen to Becoming You, wherever you get your podcasts. My dad's not here right now, he's still at work, so I'm going to bless him. Mike Shope and the Bulldog. I'm going to see if there's a clean version so that my parents and the people at my school will not get met at me. We've got the spritzer filled with water, just in case if stockets too fire, I'm going to set up the speaker and I'm going to listen to Mike Shope and the Bulldog. I think this is the best Mike Shope feature that I've heard in a long time. I think his flow is really good on it and I like his aggressiveness on it and the Bulldog. Put not enough effort in it. I think overall his flow was good, but I don't like that mobile wrapping. That was my review of Mike Shope and the Bulldog. The neat spritzer wasn't fire enough, no spritzer, P.U. No spritzer.

1:07All right, good afternoon. Welcome to football Friday with Shope and the Bulldog. Sans Shope, Mike is a late scratch from the lineup today, so you've got just me, but I've got lots of guests and even have company here for the first segment. It is football Friday, which is also pizza Friday, by the way, on WGR 550, which is brought to you by Joey's Pizza, make your Friday even better with 25% off any small one topping pizza, just order online at Joey'sPizzaBuffalo.com and click code WGR25 at checkout. I was excited when I walked through the doors and saw two, not one, but two pizza boxes on the table in the kitchen area. They're like, okay, for the first time in four weeks, pizza Friday is going to mean pizza Friday for radios the Bulldog. They were empty. They're gone. What is the right move with the egg? I'm not sure how to clean up. Oh, it's bread. Bread's still here. Yeah, he's hanging around. He found out Mike was out and he just didn't leave, which is great at my encouragement.

2:10Let's stick around for a little bit. There's not like a dumpster to take things to, but leaving a empty pizza box or donut box or... There's also one of those on the table. There's got to be a move here. Even if I didn't take it, I'll open it up, see that it's empty, and then try to find a place to put it just because the anticipation, like the drool that's formed in the back of people's mouths, as they're walking up there. I even, they were stacked on top of one another. So I looked at the one on top empty. It's bottom one must be full. I thought there's no chances any pizza in the bottom one, because somebody already did this. Somebody already ate all, somebody like a lot of people probably participated. I highly doubt that Tom Puckett was just out there eating a whole large pizza by himself. Somebody already finished that one on top and then switched them is what happened. Last Friday, someone did do what you said. Just now they moved the boxes to the sink side. Where a garbage can should be. So if they're over there, okay, that's garbage.

3:17Nobody's thinking that. There's no T's here, but when they're on the table, it's a tough one. That's a bad way to go about life. All right, so we got a full slate here and a lot to get to today. Sam Pantayata-Vitch from Chicago. Be with us at 230. Yes, we do a weekly thing with a guy from Chicago. He's our, he's our, he's our, I'm familiar. I listen to the same. He's our gambling advisor. My only beef there is I would always want, I always wanted to be called Sammy Pants. Like Joey Pants and he's Sammy P. Sammy P. Try Sammy Pants. It's 135. I'll, I'll run it by him. Maybe he's, maybe he's pre-listening. Paul at three on last night, Sabre's opener, Aaron Williams, former Bill's DB does a weekly thing with us on Fridays. That'll be at four and then Sal will be at five and then picks at five 30. And I don't know if Mike will be well enough to send me picks, but we'll see. He's killing me and picks already this year. I'm so far behind. I lost again last night because I got a dozen send picks. How does it work? Well, you just have like it'll be winning percentage. He doesn't get the no, he'll, he'll send me over the weekend before

4:18whatever. Well, actually, he needs a college game to anyway. We'll get it all started out. But anyway, so you're still here. Hockey started last night. There's a lot to say about the bills too. And we'll get to all of it. No bar more, no Gonzalez, Drake May looks like a disaster. Like you have to beat this team. Brable looks like a disaster. You have to beat this team. Brable's acting. Yeah. So we'll, we'll unload on all that. The hockey last night. I don't, I recognize that everybody paraded to the penalty box to like give Zach Mets a high fives because he didn't die when the toughest guy, the toughest guy in the league decided that he needed to beat up or try to beat it. He didn't really beat him up. He just be punched his helmet a bunch of times. I guess he caught him once because Metsa was bleeding. And I doubt he just like bit his lip. No, he was fist bumping with one hand and trying to get a massive blood on the other. So like everybody's over there appreciating what he did. And I heard a little of you and Owen talking about this. And you were right. It was Owen Power

5:21who was, he was very aggressively at the start trying to intervene. But he got not happened. But he got, but he got pulled out, you know, and Olivier smartly got away from the pot. Like all the stuff that happens when a little guy is about to almost die when the toughest guy in the league. Olivier is, I think the pound for pound heavyweight champion the league right now. Like it was absurd to me that he even threw his gloves off in one of the fight, Zach Metsa. I mean, I get it over a while didn't and wanted to fight him with his gloves on. Yeah, right. Just kind of annoying. I get it. Like Zach Metsa's, he's, he's asking for it, right? He's poking the bear. But the bear was begging to be poked. And I just, I'd like to think that the bear would go, yeah, that's not a meal I need right now. I just, I just found some campers and I ate them and I'm good. I don't need to judge. You're right. You're trying to, you're running, you're little, you're in shape. I don't need to eat you. Go be healthy. These people that were just sitting around a campfire drinking. I ate them. I'm full. That's what the bear should have done

6:22there. Like I don't need to, what am I proving when he gets a crowd going? I suppose crowds are dumb. You just beat up a five foot six inch man on what are we doing here? So that was absurd. I can't believe nobody got in there or died trying to get in there while that was happening. I know this is a very old, I've not heard the station. I heard you and Owen for 10 minutes. I've not heard anything all day. So I don't know if this is like I'm a dinosaur now for feeling this way, but I cannot believe somebody didn't intervene. Well, Rob Ray on the broadcast. Like somebody's got to get in there. Okay. All right. I did not notice that. I was too, I was probably too busy yelling. Somebody's got to get in there in my living room. I don't own with, I probably wasn't yelling. But I was thinking it on the other broadcast. I'm scared. I thought Zach Metsis is going to die here on what I assume was the Blue Jackets broadcast because I don't think there was a national broadcast. So we had audio from the Blue Jackets broadcast where their color guy said, line's been got to get in there. Yeah. That's kind of where I was.

7:26Was the line's got to get in there. But somebody make that not happen. They should write the line. Yeah. Okay. That little kid got into the cage with the bear. That's good. Nobody stopped it. You don't have to stand back and let this go. Right. I mean, unless, I don't know if they're assessment, I suppose the line's been like, okay, this is happening. Let's just make sure the guy's not getting hurt. And at no point did Metsis actually look like he had been hurt. Right. If he'd gotten tagged clean once and Olivier was still like holding him up and still punching him, then I think the line's probably would intervene. And I don't know. Maybe is that a defense for the rest of the guys on the ice that like, this is okay. He's not going to die. But I don't know how you can know that as it's happening. Right. I just thought somebody, I power tried at the beginning. And then Phantilly, I think grabbed him. And I think I maybe need power to like, I don't know, need Phantilly in the balls and get away from him and get in there. Somebody should have gotten

8:26in there. Well, also keep in mind it's a six on five situation at that point. I mean, the reason this all happened is because the net is delayed penalty. Yeah, that's right. The net's empty. So the sabers have six skaters. I haven't got Maxi who the six are. But the power thing happened. And it's just kind of, I don't know. To me, the reward was a five on three power play. I wanted the line's been to get in there sooner. But the reward was the power play. The reward was great. And then you don't do anything with this. And then we have to look back on all of it and say, well, if you're working to score anyway, might as well even it up and two of you get in there. Somebody's getting tossed in the game. Somebody should have come off the bench. I'm like, who cares? I don't know. Beck Mellon sign is suspended. So it's only 800 more games. So like, I don't know. I love the five on three. And if they scored, I'd like to think I'd still want to be saying this because it's game one of 84. Well, that was the moment of the game. But whatever that little sequence from the from the tap into the net to Metz's reaction to all of it happening to the sabers kind

9:29of getting out of the way to the official to the power play to the fist bump to the not scoring to the energy they come out of when they kill off the five on three. Like that to me was the story of the game was that that chunk. I don't know that I'm mad at anybody for doing anything wrong. Aside from make them pay on the power play. Start the season one and oh, let's have some fun here. Yeah, I definitely would not be as mad. But I still think in a in a singular. I don't think that's all happening and you're paired off with whoever you're paired off with you're thinking, well, we're about to get a five on three. We could really capitalize and take control of this game. I think you should be thinking I don't want one of the smallest guys in the entire NHL to die right now. He seems like a nice guy. He's got a family. Let's make sure he doesn't die. And of Zelliger series diving in the game. Right. Right. Poor dude. Right. Yeah. He probably I'm guessing he won't play Saturday. All right. Like after, you know, after all this. Well, and Zelliger's back at practice today. Right. Right. He's clear. Yeah. So he'll I would think he'll play. What? Going back to it.

10:31So we get to the puck being tapped in. If you are a Metsa or if you're just you, you're a fan. What are you thinking when you see that puck get tapped into the net? Because my reaction was, hey, man, but that was it. It wasn't like, I hate you or now we have to fight. It was I feel like Metsa's reaction mirrored mine, which was, hey, yeah, no, that was it. Yeah. I think he even said after the game. Like I, I knew who it was. And but you know, it's not cool. I'm the first one there. By a little bit. Owen Power was also right behind him. But the way I don't fault power for not getting there first. Metsa was closer. He hacked him and said, hey, man, WTF or whatever he said to him. And I mean, maybe the most fault I have. I mean, I do think somebody should have intervened or at least tried harder, like looked like they were dying trying to intervene. My biggest problem with the whole thing I'm bearing the lead is Olivier. It's just such a bitchy punk move.

11:33Put the puck in the net. Okay, you're a tough guy. You're like, okay, you can do whatever you want. Okay, you turn around and the guy that slashed you in the back of the leg is like up to the crest on your jersey. You're like, okay, you're going to get some now. Let's go pretty boy. I know I would like to talk to Rob. I mean, I've known Rob a long time. I feel like that's a violation of the code in and of itself. Like you are, you are the, you're the raining champ. Don't punch down. You're literally punching down. That's just figuratively punching down. It's just like you should pass on that. Like I don't know a scrum, some glove washes, even a glove punch or two. Okay. As I say, a punch is not the same as we're at hold nine and we're seeing off your right speed bag. You just dying to get at him and I just, I don't know. I just don't think I just don't think that Olivier should have done that at all. Like I, it's just wrong. Well, I think it's against the code that a guy of that fighting ability reputation would even engage with someone like

12:34Zach Matsus. Well, and also a guy like that, a big part of what he does is brings energy pumps up his team. They're proud of him for what he's doing. Who on earth could be proud of their teammates for doing that to Metsa? That's just it. I mean, I've never seen a whole team line up and go into the box to bump fist with somebody who just got into a fight. But the sabers were energized from him going, yeah, whatever. It's fine. Yeah, I'm bleeding. It's cool. Yeah. Give me the penalties. What do you say you're a teammate? He gets back from sitting over there. He comes back. Great job. I crushed him. Didn't I? Yeah. Do you think they think that was on TV? You want to watch? Can we watch it? I feel like it's the kind of my iPad. It's kind of thing where you play with a guy who's a dirt ball and you see him do dirt bally things. And it really is sort of it offends you as a player, but he's on your team and you recognize the value of it. So you don't you're not going to say anything publicly or even to him, but in your head, you're just like,

13:37man, this guy sucks. This crap. Because now somebody's going to shoot my knee or whatever. You're just you're exposing me now by your garbage. And not that that would have happened last night. But yeah, no, if I'm the third line winger on the Columbus Blue Jackets, and maybe that's exactly what Olivia is actually anyway, whatever. I'm like looking at that going, oh, dude. I did not need to do that picture you and I playing on that team together. And I do that to a little kid. Right? And then they lock me up for a while as I should be. And then I come back to the bench and I turn to you. What are you saying to me? Like, what are you doing, dude? What was that for? Are you proud of yourself? Right. Congratulations. You just swatted the ball as the six-year-old trying to put it in the lab, put it in the street. Congratulations. I mean, I mean, Zach

14:37metz is an NHL player. So I don't want to go too far. But it had like the mascot's beating the kids on the football field vibes. Right. Just like that cold mascot. I just see just just it just it just didn't sit right. They probably would have deserved it more than that's a did. I mean, what is Olivia doing other than, and I said this earlier, but like, I'm not touching you. I'm not touching you. It's not you can just turn away from it and we never think about it again. But in the moment, watching it on TV, I thought that's not exactly okay. It's not a big deal. But there's something not cool about that. It's you flipping off my team. So metz is the closest guy. He's like, you don't get to flip off my team. Well, now I'm going to punch your team. He did, to me, metz did any player in the league should do what metz did there. To me, like, I just, you know, and if maybe if you're bigger, you should, you would go in there with your own gloves off going like, okay, we're going to fight now because you just threw the puck into my

15:41open net on the delayed penalty. You jag off. But so that metz did a need in doing wrong. I think Olivia, mostly the number one idiot in the whole scenario. And then the sabers that were on the ice, I just could have used more, more, I got to get over there. I need to see a blue jacket player struggling to hold someone back. Let me add them because they're trying to get in there. And like, even if you can do that just by just putting on a show and you're not just, just, just give me the effort. I just need something. Maybe the move is not to distract the officials in any way because it might take three of them to get this dude off of my dude. So that's not causing the other problems. I don't want anybody to turn around because the one punch that lands is going to be a real problem. So, you know, I don't really think it's that. But, um, yeah, I don't think anybody, you're right. It's what, what are you doing, man? Yeah. And like, all right. Yeah, you, wow, you're some strong. Yeah. Josh Allen, you're so tough. You're so tough. Like, that's what it felt like. Yeah. And the rest of the game, if I'm the sabers, that's what I'm saying. Like I do. And that's

16:44going to be the crap. I do think the five on three from there was a struggle. And like, look, I am not telling you that this is not the New Jersey game from season before last when Thompson got nailed and nobody addressed it. And it was a crisis. And then Dennis Gilbert had to have a stage fight the next game with Matthew Olivier, who had nothing to do with it, of course, because it was a different opponent, but whatever. Um, I'm almost sure that's what happened. I think the next game was Columbus and Gilbert code awesome. Yeah. Gilbert was called up. I'm going to fight their tough guy now. Okay. You know, no shame on you, Gilbert. But Jesus is ridiculous. I don't think there's a crisis here or anything. I just thought the optics were bad for a team that I think displayed a great deal of unity and chemistry and winning and all the stuff. Like last year, put the bet a lot of questions about them. And I don't know. Last night, just that moment didn't look great to me. But that said, I don't want to do my own show. Like have like what people would

17:44say to me if they were calling about this. They did sort of take off from there. Like their best pocket of the game was right after the five on three. I thought the sabers like that. That was the match that I brought that up earlier that the it's traditional. We know this. You kill off a five on three. You come out with this extra energy. But I thought and especially with the way it ended because the puck went into the zone with, you know, eight seconds. Like they're about to have two dudes coming out. You might want to worry about it. Almost. Yeah. Yeah. Dalyne made a great play to break that up. That's right. It did almost get them. But they came out flying in the way you would expect. And I thought the sabers matched their energy and speed and were the better team in those moments after that too. Yeah. After Columbus was the one the one that cranked up the speed. I like, all right. Yeah. We'll play with you. It was fine. So, you know, they both seemingly got energy out of it. And that's kind of where we are. Can I ask you a question about five on three? Did you watch the MSG broadcast? Yes. Have they been doing that? They've done that before where they had the triangle on the ice between the three defense or the three defenders as they were moving

18:46around because oh my god. Get that off my screen. I don't usually care about little broadcasting quirks like that. But it looked like sticks. So I'm trying to figure out what the sabers are doing. They're trying to find open lanes and the way they had fake lines drawn and it was shifting with the defender. The yeah. It was horrible. And I would like them to never do that again. I've never seen it before. I don't know if I've just missed it. You don't see a lot of full two minute five on three. I mean, they only save it for that. But it was crap. I'm not even sure I saw it last night. But I believe you like what I'm thinking now is it's so such a regular thing that I don't even notice it anymore. Is that a lot? I don't know. I don't know. I never seen it before. I did not notice it last night. It was like Fox Glopok back in the day and the streak. But it was a lie. It was this as if there was a string tied from you know each of the three players. I can see what you're talking about. The way that you would draw up a play. You could see it. I get what they're going for. Do that during the intermission or do that on a replay. But not do that. Live my

19:48God. It was horrible. The lines were moving with the play. Yeah. Yeah. That's maybe new technology that they just got in time. Dump it. It was awful. Yeah. It was off. Well, what were the what were the what were the right again? I haven't heard of it all day. I saw one clip of the morning show. So I heard a little of him and those guys. The reviews are what? Like we we we got a trade for Hall of Buck now because Luke and gave up five. Even though four of them were tips my take away. My takeaway from Owen who I defer to on all things gold tender rightfully so. Oh, don't do that. No no no I do. He said it's not a tip is not a free pass. The deflection is not a free pass. If a puck goes through you that's on you regardless of how it got there. And he said you know especially as a big gold tender owns a big gold tender. Luke and into big gold tender. Um get a puck getting between your chest and your arm is your fault regardless. So I'm not here to blast him because I'm with you that I don't I like high scoring hockey games. It just it bugged me when it was four to three and the shots are 13 to 14 in favor. Same as that four doesn't matter. It's got to be your bowl either way.

20:52I hated the numbers. I started thinking about save percentage. I like this sucks. But I also thought I like when a bunch of goals are scored in hockey games. So I didn't get that mad at him. But he said no screw that. Uh he needs to deflection does not give you a free pass on a goal. We can't we don't just write that out. I I appreciate that he has told me that before like the the body the between the arm and the body. And I haven't gone back and looked closely enough. My my analysis is just that four of those were tip ins and what are you gonna under three of them were tip ins. Nies is all alone in the slot on the power play. The one that I would say was maybe the worst and you know I believe me I'm used to making excuses for goalies. Uh made a living out of it with my kid was playing like well it wasn't his ball. Come on. Um so hard to do. Yeah. Uh the first goal cylinder like that that that that that should maybe be a save. It's a lousy play in front of like crevier just butchered that and like turned it into an odd man rushing it to scramble thing and it's all messed up. But that's not that's not a sniper in front of you. It's a scoring position

21:56but it's not like maybe make that save. The other ones. I don't know man like I didn't have any real issue with it. I didn't look at any of them and go oh that can't go in like I didn't want them to go in. I'm mad that they went in but am I blaming you? I don't know like the dude was three feet in front of you and he tipped it. Well tough. Yeah that's uh that's uh that's kind of where I wound up. If you thought about the day crevier had what uh what a what a great morning. You know what a great movie crevier and then the night time wasn't as much. No um that was it was a bad start. I don't know a lot about him aside from you know big defenseman that yeah this all makes sense and then it's just a name and then it's hey they just signed him to a deal for four million a year. I was like well then he's gonna be better than I thought he was. Yeah and then he wasn't better than I thought he was. You had a tough night. Yeah and you know it's one game no big deal but I was hoping hey new guy let's see what I think of him. I don't think that much of him right now but you know there's a game tomorrow and 82 more after that so it'll it'll be okay but that's uh what a roller coaster

22:57day. My thought was maybe he was slowed down by all the extra money and his wallet that he's carrying in the back pocket of his hockey pants but that seemed unlikely too. Probably was unlikely. All right well thank you for getting me up in the air uh here today. You got this man. I do got this. I'm pretty comfortable talking to sports. Yeah I just you know whatever. Just wanted to get a little lay of the land. Normally I have an idea what has been said and what like you're talking like I don't know how I don't know how Paul feels about any of this. You mentioned Rob Ray. I didn't I didn't I didn't notice him on the broadcast because again I think I was yelling. I was too like. Don't uh come on. Well I'm and I again I I was watching by myself and I think that's what I heard and if I it's not what I heard so be it but story fans that's Rob Ray. You you Paul Rob all on the same page about that. I'm on the give me the five on three. Nobody did anything wrong thing. I don't know who's right but yeah it was that was the moment of like

24:02that whole chunk was the thing to talk about. I came in to get ready for the show with Tim and that's the first thing I brought up and he looked he's like oh Matthew Fairburn wrote his entire article about that game about that sequence. Like that was the story of the game. There are other things to discuss of course. Yeah but a lot happened there and it would be different if that was later in the season against a team that's really arrival and there's a backstory on it. No but they just I don't know it all happened. I don't think it's an indication of anything to come. They were proud of Mets have for standing up for himself. They wanted the power play. That was a place to win the game. Didn't work out. Go get Chicago tomorrow night. We'll call it a day. I can't wait to see who they either call up or sign before they play Columbus the next time. Because that's going to happen. Really? Yes. That is going to happen. I'd be stunned if it didn't. I think it'll be relatively that that is usually pretty embarrassing or really embarrassing. It's one of the two. Yeah. Yeah. So I'm not rooting for it but I'm someone is going to try to fight him.

25:09Someone will remember. Yeah. It will be remembered. It's a moment. It's game one of the season. That is the moment of the season. What do you got going on? What do I got going on? Yeah. What do you got going on now? I've got I'm going to go home. I'm actually thinking of attending. I don't have a sporting event tonight but I am thinking of attending McKinley. Is that Will South? All right. My son plays modified and he said the other day I kind of want to go. It's a big game between Will South and Mod and I was like or Will South and McKinley and I was like oh yeah I'd be into that and about halfway into that is when I realized he didn't mean with me anymore. Are you means with his football friends? So now I'm like well maybe I'll go by myself to the high school game and I'll sit I'll sit on the other side if I have to but I I thought that was what we were doing is like let can't dad can we go to the football game? You can get me getting your phone out and like expanding the screen trying to like try to find me. Where is he going to with this friend? Is there a girl over there? All right. So I got that and then tomorrow I've got UB football at noon against Western Michigan pregame at 11 o'clock hosted by me.

26:12On our sister station the bet 1520 and then when I get back from that I'm going to grab my youngest put him in the car and head downtown go to the hockey games. I got to all that and then I'll watch a bunch of football on TV and I'll talk to everybody on Monday morning. Get that big win. Thanks for hanging around for a few minutes. Thank you. That's Brad writer. We go way back. Mike is out today. Sammy P coming up after the break. Paul at three. Lots of football of course as well Aaron Williams at four. Selkopatio at five. I am the bulldog. Thanks for tuning in on this football Friday on WGR. Sometimes it feels like the news is full of things that have never happened before and that is not exactly true. In fact it may have happened this very week hundreds or thousands of years ago. I'm Sally Helm host of the podcast history this week from the history channel. Trade embargoes Thomas Jefferson tried them. Rent too high. We've been arguing about that for a while. Each episode is proof. The past isn't that far away. Listen to history this week available now on Apple Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

27:19All right. We've gotten off the ground here on a Friday. Football Friday at that. We'll see if we can get to and maintain a nice cruising altitude on this Friday afternoon. Mike is away today. I am the bulldog and joining us right now on the west. Her hotline for his regular Friday appearance is our man from Chicago. Sam panty out of it. Sammy P. What is cracking? How how's life? How you feeling about how you feeling about your socks? My socks are gone and I'm glad because I just didn't yeah I got too much going on. I didn't need to live with the red socks for another week. So that's over. Put me out of my misery. You're still going. How's everything how's everything going for you? It's been great man to see them win a playoff series for the first time since old five. I couldn't believe that when I saw that's that on the broadcast. I'm like, wait a minute that can't be true. And then I went back and I confirmed that they hadn't won a series in the playoff since they won the World Series in 2005. But you'd be surprised honestly how many

28:23WGR listeners have adopted the white socks this year because I mean we've we've been talking about them since I feel like February or March when we talked about them to go over the win total 66 and a half and make the playoffs and win the division. I did not unfortunately I could not will the white socks to win the division title bulldog. So we didn't cast those 40 to more tickets but they got every shot to be Cleveland here and go to the LCS. All right well live in live in large is the city wounded about the Cubs getting knocked out though. I know you don't really care right. Oh for me the socks won and then the Cubs lost that same night. I was on cloud nine man. You know we were we were banged up at this bar right outside the stadium. We were watching the game and with a bunch of die hard socks fans because you know in Chicago it's funny the socks fans for the most part were raised to hate the Cubs. But Cubs fans were raised to hate the Cardinals. So the socks like are an afterthought. Yeah yeah. They don't really they don't really hate us but we hate them. The the faction of Chicago white socks fans though in this city like if you want to me to make a

29:28pie chart it's probably 65 35 Cubs fans would be my guess. Yeah yeah. Well how do you you think they do you think they take Cleveland or they look like how much of a good better they because this whole thing has looked pretty tilted towards the A.L. East right I mean the way the playoff bracket fell like the three best teams I think in the American League were on that side and the other three are over there and you know nothing against your beloved team but like they got a good look at the A.L.C.S. then I would think is Cleveland's pretty much on par with them right. I mean the season series was decided by I think one run I think the 57 56 was like the total run scored in the series and seven of the 13 games were decided by one run. So these games are going to be tight these two teams know each other obviously very well being in the central. I don't love the white socks starting pitching I don't know how much of the series you watched but I mean hey again Smith in the in the first game went like three innings and then Sean Burke and game two went four innings

30:32so Will Venable the manager is like Hodg Pogging this bullpen roulette perfectly so far but they don't have an ace it's going to go seven innings right they don't have a a cam slitler or a Garrett crochet and they they piecemeal it together their plan on a day to day basis so I don't love that and obviously when the series gets longer you know this is not a three game series any more it's a five game series and eventually you play seven game series they don't have the starting pitching to do that so I think they can beat Cleveland for sure there are small dog like plus one twenty five in the series but full disclosure before the post season I picked Yankees Padres in my world series so that's what that Padre team man if it ain't this year it ain't ever going to happen man all right I was just going to ask you if there's like a bad other than the Dodgers that you like that Padre's bullpen is the best in the league seven eight nine if you don't have a lead you're in trouble I mean and then you got Mason Miller obviously in the ninth the cubs offense which was pretty good this year in two games had one run and eight hits San Diego completely

31:37shut off their water that pitching staff is good enough to beat the Dodgers no doubt sounds pretty much like what the Yankees did to the Red Sox in a two game sweep of their wild card series San Pani out of it from Fox TV in Chicago and our our resident what are we calling you betting analyst advisor advisor sounds too strong I don't think we want that what are you comfortable it's better it's better than expert I hate people say betting expert because there's no such thing you know I was thinking about you um watching the bills cover last Sunday like really how to go there how no I just no not not I don't even remember what you picked I really I that's not why I bring it up just that it's a game that all day doesn't look like their game they're like trying as hard as they can to give it away and then they win by eight well I don't I don't honestly I'm not poking you because I don't I really I the way you reacted tells me you were on San Diego or excuse me LA uh in the game but that's not why I brought it up just that it's hard that's the point

32:41like you get a game like that and suddenly like oh well that's a cover like all day you would have been thinking oh I'm great plus seven and a half I'm in great shape here I was obviously just resin yeah I mean we we all talked Mac it's fine I but like that's a game that I covered 99 percent of the time I mean there's there's no reason the chargers should not have covered Buffalo turned the ball over five times and like the crazy part and like I deal with this all the time like I get in my I get in my mentions for some reason after the game and it's nice thick nerd and I'm like what do you want for me the chargers were winning the game with eight minutes to go you know and then like there were two things that had me ready to rip my TV off the wall but it was fourth and ten for the chargers at their own 45 they had all three time outs they're down by four you punted but what are we doing they go for it they don't get it and then Buffalo goes right down the field to make it an eleven point game I'm getting seven and a half and then

33:41hardball kicks the field goal down eleven to lose by eight I you should I wish there was a camera on me I was I was ready to go postal I believe I believe it I believe it so what what about this weekend what do you I saw your tweet about the room I'm on Georgia again for my college pick and I see that that that is the room that sort of scares me but I'm going to stay there um what are they minus 24 and a half or something or 25 I think is what you had on Twitter I had 24 and a half when looked at it earlier they're hosting Vanderbilt and are the bills not in the room this week as well oh the bills are the number one play in the room um and for those that don't know the room is the public um it's basically where all the bets are I saw 83% of the bets on Buffalo in that game now everybody had Buffalo last week and they won so it doesn't mean that it's the it's a lock to lose but yeah Buffalo is very popular this week I guess the Patriots but like

34:44Drake may has been horrendous yeah um I saw something like they had 29 points on 30 drives or something like that like that's that's Zach Wilson Jets bad so you know look these teams man and you know we've been having these conversations for a couple years now maybe two or three years these teams that lose the Super Bowl for some reason they just fall apart the next year and I I think there's a lot to be said I don't have a bet in the game I you know Buffalo just burned my ass last week so I'm off it but like these these Patriot games last year do you realize they played a leaven backup quarterbacks last season uh-huh and then they just got hot and like the thing about a young team that hasn't done it before they don't know any better so they ride that don't go mo the momentum and then you you play a bunch of I mean they played CJ Stroud in the playoffs and then they they bowl nicks was hurt so they got Jared Stidham and the AFC championship like everything went their way they had the chargers too like yeah it was the easiest Super Bowl path ever

35:48yeah and they're they were not that good I remember reading the story on Fox that you know they were power rating all the teams coming into the season and somebody wrote one of my colleagues wrote that they were the six best team in the league and I was like I want some of those drugs man because like that's not they're not the six best team in the league I looked up the books are going to need the Patriots to cover uh it's a big number but Buffalo also like you know Buffalo season kind of went off the rails last year when they lost to the Patriots so you know they've been waiting for this one yeah for sure like I've been saying all week Sam they just you know and I know it's football so I know how ridiculous stuff like this is to really say and and mean it but you can't lose to this team in this spot they are wounded the quarterback and and the coach there's all kinds of stuff swirling about that they're down they're two but maybe they're two best defensive players Barmore and Gonzalez are going to miss this game and May here's here are the numbers on May going back to those playoffs last year so it's seven games now three this year in the four

36:49playoff games he's got seven touchdowns and 10 picks he's been sacked 30 times and he's fumbled nine times he lost five of those fumbles so we're talking about 15 turnovers in seven games against you know good teams which of course the bills I think objectively classify as at least a good team so you gotta you just gotta this team cannot get well against you on Sunday just can't no no and those stats as you're reading them off I'm closing my eyes and just picturing James Winston like those are James Winston love that remember remember that year that was the year James through 30 touchdowns and 30 picks and then he got lacy in the offseason like he couldn't see or something like that um there's just a hilarious story like he was so bad and then they were like we should check his eyes and his eyes were so bad he needed surgery um all right who who ruins this parlay bills the win chiefs to win it's minus 105

37:52I I love both of them this week yeah I mean I don't think the Raiders are beating the chiefs and I don't think the Patriots are beating the bills that's we just got there together I think a bill's chiefs money line parlay at minus 108 is a really good bet all right I'm gonna have to keep that in mind what else what else this weekend and really we should make sure we mentioned Saturday too or tonight whatever like college but Saturday Saturday was fun man we had old miss and we sorry we had Florida against Ole Miss and I got a lot of a lot of WGR love when Wisconsin knocked out Penn State is a ten point dog that was fun I I also I on Friday I had that cow thing though but you were sleeping you didn't bet cows so I don't feel bad um NFL man I got some I got some stink bombs I I took 11 with the dolphins against Minnesota Minnesota covered last week they didn't even take a snap in the red zone they just keep returning puns and interceptions for touchdowns and I just I don't know so I'm

38:52gonna be taking the Malik Willis roller coaster against Brian Flores what could go wrong there but I did just see the Justin Jefferson got rolled out from Minnesota so that numbers come down a little bit so I got I got 11 the markets like 10 and a half 10 though and then this this is so NFL obviously the Eagles just came to Chicago and lost on Monday night now they're back home against the Rams and the Rams are only a three and a half points favorite if it's the NFL that I know the Eagles are gonna win that game out right they've beaten the Rams I think two times in a row if it's not more than that I think I saw earlier today the whole world is gonna be on the Rams you know I also have them written down for my own picks so I've got just so just so we're clear I've got the bills room Rams room Georgia room I don't know Sam I'm really I'm really taking my chances with your room the room wins sometimes it's okay um and then in college I uh I like this Arizona side

39:55against Cincinnati so Cincinnati's 4-0 they they've played a bunch of cupcakes and and they run the ball very well but Arizona's got a good run defense and Arizona is a high octane offense so the way that I see this one going and and this is my buddy Ed and Vegas who's a former bookmaker he passes a lot of bets along to me and he says we'll see if Arizona jumps ahead if Cincinnati can throw the ball and I said well that's interesting he goes they they can't he goes they can't throw so okay if Arizona's gonna jump ahead 14 nothing or something like that and Cincinnati who wants to run has to not change its entire game plan that's not great so you also got to deal with the Tucson you know we're in Tucson and it isn't Cincinnati so all these things play in the factor but we laid six and a half with Arizona against undefeated Cincinnati that'll be Saturday night all right very good Sam I hope next Friday we are talking about uh your white socks in the ALCS

40:56if it'll be it'll be well it could be over by then or does it have to be over what's the schedule like when does this all fire up uh Saturday Monday that's game one and two and then game three in Chicago is Wednesday I think game four is Thursday so yeah I think game five would be next Saturday okay I hope it's wrapped up by then for you but either way we'll be talking to you next Friday thanks for this Sam and have a great weekend you got it yep that's our dude Sam patty on it Sammy P on the Twitter machine with his weekly picks and conversation around said picks 803 05 50 is the number um some football for you you want to count you know talk about that hockey I started with Brad who stayed for a segment with me um on last night's season debut for the Sabers a loss in Columbus we can get into that too and we will with Paul at the top of the hour but first up a timeout I am the bulldog Mike is away today thanks for listening to WGR it's Sophia with enough Franklin with the Y and if you're looking for some bubble gum dumb dumb

42:02podcast then you are in the wrong place baby whether I'm reminiscing on the trials and tribulations of working in the corporate world to recapping today's latest reality TV show you're going to want to pull up a chair and stick around it's a good time and always 100 percent unfiltered follow on list in is Sophia with an F wherever you got your podcasts yeah glad to have you love the ride with us here on football Friday we are waiting for Aaron Williams to contact us here which we expect to be momentarily so we will bring you that we expect here in just a minute for his regular Friday appearance want to mention once more here that on football Friday that it is pizza Friday as well on WGR 550 and that is brought to you by Joey's pizza make your Friday even better with 25 percent off any small one topping pizza just

43:07order online at joys pizza buffalo dot com and click code WGR 25 at checkout bills and patriots coming your way on a Sunday at one o'clock you heard Zach mention it there we've got the game cast which seems to be going really well uh Derek Kramer Zach Jones is Nate going to be along for the ride again this week he has been the first three is a game time decision game time decision for this week okay um but regardless whether Nate's here or not um it's really cool concept it's it's it feels to me like very much like the kind of thing that me and my pizza place friends used to talk about after we'd close up Santoras at midnight and go down to heroes on Main Street and Williamsville and sit there until the 2 a.m. sports center came on and we did that regularly the lifetime ago but we would talk about yo it would be cool is if there was a way to have the game on but it's just like

44:11guys sitting around talking and drinking beers and what I'm now these guys are on the radio they're not drinking beers that's against the law so we don't need a raid okay um but really cool idea I I'm not in any way claiming the idea from oh my god 40 years ago geez uh I'm not uh I'm sure I'm sure hundreds of you thousands of you uh have had the same conversation with your friends like hey we're it's like it stands on side felt like I I I I have I make good comments during the game like I'm yeah anybody that watches sports with your friends has probably one time another thought like this would be fun to do like people would watch this you're funny like you know you know the game you understand blitz packages we could use you you're funny you you're not even funny you're just you're just excitable good it's all gonna work anyway I don't know who fits into all these roles on our gamecast but really cool idea dig it anyway I'm getting lost the point I was about

45:16to make um is that we're gonna be out again we really enjoyed it last week 1812 tavern on Abbott just like two miles from the stadium up up like at the end of Abbott where Abbott meets armor duels and souls I think it is are the are the roads that like three roads can converge there anyway 1812 tavern uh Mike and I were there we'll be there again on Sunday to watch the game because obviously we're hosting post game from there we need to be there you know when the game ends and we're gonna be there when the game ends it means we're gonna be there to watch the games anyway we're there and then uh post game and then we hung out after we had really good time so invite you to come on out and check that scene out this is a really nice patio uh there and like little like fire pits and warmers and stuff if you want to be out there so like that's there for you uh and then you know all the the games and whatever like really good scene great food good beers main lunch on tap if you're a IPA fan like I am uh that could be really good as well and so um invite you to come on out

46:23and enjoy the uh the scene at 1812 tavern uh Aaron Williams is not going to be able to join us so we'll just move on without Aaron Williams uh and continue here I want I want to get into the bills this is supposed to be a bill segment uh but if you want to talk about the Sabers game two that's totally fine 803 05 50 um but full disclosure it's something at the last moment came up for Aaron and he had to be pulled away and then he thought he was going to make it and now he can't so we're uh you know we're not gonna we're not gonna do it we'll uh get Aaron back next week um hopefully everything's good with him so his appearance was supposed to be brought to you by treasure cave the official cheese of the Buffalo bills and by north town automotive whatever you're looking for you'll find it at north town but not gonna happen today so we keep going uh where was I 1812 tavern right come on out bills game they can't lose this game okay they just can't they can't lose to this team right now the the the Patriots I don't know if reeling is too strong but they're not in good shape

47:30um I might even say no they're not worse off than the chargers uh we're coming in um and look I don't tell you they got to they got to kill this team they got to make sure they cover the spread or whatever you just can't lose to this team right now the the quarterback is lost at sea right now I mean really he his decision making is being called into question constantly by everyone including his head coach and I it it really feels to me like there's a crisis of confidence happening there and I know anybody who's really good and has been good for a long time can just snap out of it but I do I do not see a team right now that should be able to handle the bills the the injuries on defense bar more defensive tackle outstanding player he's out Gonzalez one of the top corners in the whole league he's out you can't you just cannot lose you cannot lose to this team right now

48:32no a j brown the quarterback is throwing theirceptions all over the place it just cannot it's just cannot be a loss so and I don't I know ridiculous that that maybe sound like I don't usually talk in absolutes like that but you just can't you just can't it will feel gross if they lose this game to that team right now um considering how last year went to like I would hope and you know it's funny this is something I had on the list to bring up to Aaron Williams like week to week how much do your emotions vary if at all right opponent to opponent this team last year came in here also behind the bills in the standings and beat them and then a week later they passed them and they never look back they barely ever lost again new England from there and so they ended your five year reign atop the division and did it in your house with your former star receiver playing the pivotal role may was excellent

49:39digs was excellent and they and they got you you got to remember that and it's got to be payback time I mean I know the bills got him back later in the year but new England went farther than you their fancy MVP candidate quarterback has been to a cerebral already they're wounded their week do not let them up you just cannot let them up in this game so that that's some there's a little football he football for you 803 05 50 is the number again so like both things no Aaron Williams so football on the table hockey certainly on the table as well spent really most of the first two hours I see I gotta say two hours now just we've started it too most of the first two hours talking about hockey so that certainly is available to you if that's the direction you want to go Mike is first up this segment I might thank you for calling you're on WGR hey well dog how you doing great hey for the game this week and I'm with you I think even without the injuries on

50:44new England defense I think Buffalo is just a far superior team this year it would take a colossal failure multiple turnovers just a just a terrible game I think for the bills to lose that up and I just feel like wingland is gonna try to muddy the waters in this game I'm looking at like they're gonna try to slow it down run the ball play defense and just try to kill the clock and keep it close I don't I don't think they can hang with Buffalo especially offensively I think Buffalo is just the dominant team over them this year yeah Mike I think that's actually what New England wants to do even when they're not in a dilapidated broken down state that was redundant but you know whatever that's how that's how they want to play right I mean that's their game that's a variable style yeah I think he's got a quarterback that's capable of more than that it normally when he's right but is it shoulder okay I think his head is completely scrambled right now and I'm not trying to be cute about a head injury or anything but I just don't think he knows

51:49whether the poop or go sailing right now Drake may he's just he's lost so but but even when they're right I think that's their game is sort of you know muddy it up and you get you at the end I don't think there are a team that's ever really looking to track meet you I mean it's relatively new like they they arrived on the scene as a contending level team last year oh look I had a schedule at least them contending to the level that they did winning the AFC East and winning the conference ultimately in the playoffs and getting into the sewer wall I did not I thought they'd be good I thought they'd be a playoff contending type team I did not see them passing the bills last year and I think maybe a lot of that was fluky schedule based and go figure playing four playoff games and now three games this year all against teams that were in the playoffs last year

52:49Drake may does not look anything like an MVP candidate he looks he looks lost but I I think generally they want to they they want to they want to get down in the mud doing one Brian is next up hi Brian thanks for calling you're on WGR hi Chris how you doing good good good real good good so first off about the savers game last night it sure my neighbors really appreciated the doors being open the screaming the allying the swearing and it was all drask drask it at the the gold tender last night that guy couldn't even start for a JV team how bad of a performance he put in last night it was pathetic five goals on 23 shots I mean at least he wasn't Devin Levi out out in Evanton but why why the hell didn't they put in Colton Ellis last night at the end of the first period or at least at the end of the second period I've seen enough at UPL that at this point I've traded him for a cagabere and a beef on whack at the arena he stinks he's garbage we've know what he can do he's had some bright moments

53:52but then in the playoffs last year that garbage goal that is going to live in every savers fans mine for the rest of our lives and go find a goalie how did these other teams do it they go get guys off the street does the ambony driver the emergency driver we don't know what you have with Ellis the blues were so upset that we picked them off waivers why aren't we playing the guy all right and then rolling the back to the bills Drake made his trash he was a byproduct of that schedule last year he's garbage the bills rolled 49 that nothing this weekend I can't wait to see Braille's arrogant face beat red on the screen off Sunday I'm here for that I'm here for that I think your goal tending take is preposterously ridiculous I don't know man why we know what he is did you watch him last year oh but he gave up a goal from the red line I know I know he's not great he's not counter hello bugs one of the reasons why we want counter hello bug but this

54:55I don't know how hard I want to go here because I don't love uco pack aloochan in either and I want them to make a trade for counter hello bug but this trade him for like I don't know it's all a bit probably so you know I'm I'm the fool if I'm gonna get all worked up over it generally speaking the sentiment that I'm seeing on social media today that's here we go again oh of course upl he had an outstanding season for this team last year outstanding year why do you not pull him well because I'm gonna guess that the coaching staff has eyeballs they're watching the game and they see a tip shot and a one-timer from the slot on a power play on a bang bang play and you know okay and another tip shot and it's three to one and is my goalie

56:04a problem right now I know what the sapers and edges are endless there weren't tell me all about the high danger chances and the expected goals but when a guy deflects a puck three feet in front of you I don't know what you want the guy to do so I don't know maybe else linda being their best guy but starting him in the opener off of the year lukeman had for them last year would have been ass and I there's no way you should have done that so I don't know what they'll do tomorrow but this here we go again with lukeman is it's not even a broken record it I don't know what it is it's absurd he had a very good year last year it's game one of 84 you're talking like he's a he's a complete joke and you know what he is I'm going at this on Twitter with with people too like yeah

57:04oh the save percentage and oh he's he's he's capable of good stretches but you can't rely on you know what you're describing you're describing 98% of the goalies in the NHL when you talk that way that's what you're doing you think Colt Nellis is suddenly going to turn into carry price he's probably like he's sealing is probably as good as what you're getting from lukeman I mean really like that's the most likely outcome here and even that might be a long shot I just it's incredible to me that that that we're really is after all these years that were at the the guy is garbage get him out of here he had he was a he was an integral part of what they did last year and I I know that last goal goes in and it's over and I feel terrible and we all feel terrible and I don't know my kid was a goalie so I'm an excuse maker for goalies I don't know my

58:06kid is being hard on harder on looking in than I want to be I don't I'm not sure I get it do you watch the sport do you know what goal tending in the NHL is there are very few guys one was one of the reasons why oh I don't want he's 34 he's making eight and a half million you know he's making eight and a million dollars because he's year over year over year over year over year been one of the best guys in the league but uh no that's no good I don't want that I put cold malice in somebody any team in the league could have had last year oh yeah I know say Lewis they're they they're they're they're they're they're so mad what are we talking about it's one hockey game I I'm mad now I'm mad that I'm mad boy does that suck when you when you get you I'm sweating I want to go out afterwards I gotta change my shirt I don't know trade him for a kega beer oh good take you're hilarious

59:16what are we doing do we understand the sport do we understand the position at all again I am not telling you he was good last night but it was not like four of the five goals were not his fault is how I see it so I don't know what to do man I got a bigger problem with an old for five on the power play and a one for three on the penalty kill and a team parading to the penalty box to high five a guy that no one had a mind to defend like they're all ready to go to cone king like I got issues from last night but man I just don't I don't know man I don't I don't I don't I don't get it Tom is next up Tom I don't give me back on the rails yeah I think I will boy this will be a good call that hey man I hear you and you know everyone tends to be like super hyperbolic like the beginning of any season railing especially yeah I mean what you

1:00:18got a six six six seven whatever say percent I mean I would say it's not going to say the same can we come out let's get real here and like you said four of the five goals were tet or whatever and you never chance but I want to say that I wanted to start doing a little bit of an analogy or you know akin to a what happened last night with um oh my god I just lost the name metzna liviate yes with metzna liviate and uh I go back full dog I swear to god I'm pretty sure you and I talked about this on your other station back in the day we played a Tampa Bay Buccaneers okay and it was like Sam Coward's like last game he he was playing like all-prawl yeah yeah she got frank middleton frank middleton thank you that was happy yeah yeah and freaking warnsap walked over to war sidelines and cleared out all the gerrying glasses just wiped them out like come on you're

1:01:25gonna do something like that type of attitude like let's go I just like wiped out all your freaking drinks what do you do about it and I don't know if you recall that but we talked about it and it's like we had to a damn thing all right it was like this this is like embarrassing he just like think of school we had big guys on that team just couldn't get a body slam my god who's something and I don't agree with what metzna did I mean you're I mean you're talking near death experience last night right and uh that's talking about it but my god right yeah yeah didn't remind me of that and um not go back to the Miller thing with Luke's teach but it's just like I agree with you and the players went over you know this pump thanks for getting your ass kicked but yeah here you go buddy you know yeah no that doesn't sit well with me either bulldogs yeah yes I'll help you buddy and uh let's just uh I appreciate you Tom yeah no I appreciate you being

1:02:28there for me I uh you know and just like but just uh wink wink it's a show you know I'm you know I'm I'm you know you know you know what I'm doing in here uh eight oh three oh five fifty is the number Mike next up high Mike thanks for calling you're on the new g. R right behind you there bulldog you know if the defenseman don't clear out the guys and they get a tip in what are you gonna do as a gold tender you know come on and they got lucky couple times we hit the post about four times taged Thompson with what 15 16 seconds in the game he hits the post we hit more post than anybody else but I don't blame luke and then none of them none of them just had one of those days and that was it yeah I would put him back in tomorrow I really would I really would and I you know I I'll be I'll be here to answer for that on Monday I remember the bills play Sunday we're gonna remember the Chicago game I'll be another savers game by the time we talk about the sabers again probably uh but anyway uh yeah I mean look it it was not a good night but it

1:03:35also it was not there's nights where you give up three that are way worse than what last night was is is all I is all I'm really trying to say here I just don't I just the overreaction to game one of 84 on a goalie that was a huge part of your success last year I just think is patently absurd I just do I think really I don't know how else to say it Mike is next up hi Mike thanks for calling you're on WGR yes good afternoon uh I gotta agree with you on your on your argument uh for the sabers uh wanting to do something there when that when that guy put the puck on the net there you know I'm I'm 63 I watched my former producers of hockey were were in the 70s and if anybody remembers 70s hockey that was that was a whole different uh I'm sure you know you had the

1:04:35broad street believe and you know every team uh fought back then and I agree that you know I I I got a I got a light hockey that still has a code when everything becomes so soft anymore in the last 20 25 years you know I'm glad that hockey has a code and I'm glad that you know people are willing to do stuff like that because I mean the sabers when you like it and I feel like the last work the last 15 years or so have had a reputation of being softer and you know you could go back to you know obviously the Ryan Miller thing there and then just a composition of the team I mean they've had a lot of right players they really haven't invested any so-called power foods and you know they're you know I I just like the fact whether we lost the fighter or the fight just just to say hey this team has got the show that they have a little bit of backbone so yeah

1:05:36I'm I'm agreeing with you on your take right Mike appreciate it yeah like yeah just so anyone uh because like this is just yelling and sometimes I don't make sense and there's almost swearing or maybe even swearing um I don't like Mesa did anything wrong he did the right thing I mean it you know you you don't just let that go by so he did the right thing it's just nobody else on the ice did the right thing um in the aftermath uh because to me you know you want to carry the code all the way out the the littlest guy on your team is squared up here not really his choice but like here we are this guy is dropping his gloves he's one of the baddest dudes in the league you gotta get in there power knew it and he just he couldn't get there and then I don't know maybe just stop trying I just wish somebody would have intervened um and I know it would have messed up the power play and all that and whatever it's game one of 84 is you don't let that guy

1:06:43get be put at risk like that um just this was not a good look in the parade that the penalty box after to high five him um really really bugged me it really did I don't know um it just did just did not sit right with me at all uh thanks for the calls we'll keep going here 803 05 50 is the number sale at five we really will get into the bills at five I promise but I don't know I'm yelling about Luke in and now you want to yell about Luke in and Metsa and everybody else so we'll just keep going I am the bulldog Mike is away today this is WGR hey guys fly on the walls back for another season that's right on audio and video every Monday and Thursday follow and listen to fly in the wall everywhere you get your podcasts why do the vacated net is Luke and it had left and there's the touch maybe he's gonna put in the open net and the sabers take exception that's why he did it oh he is swinging a wage in there on Metsa that was Metsa I can hop wise one's got to get in there

1:07:46this is not the matchup sack Metsa wants at all through a punch first squad of the season for Matthew Olivier that's a just trying to hang on for dear life linemen's got to get in there yeah or one of the five other sabers on the ice like I don't know somebody's got to get in there I had the same thought about the linemen I think the linemen you know the linemen are doing there I think like okay well you you've chosen your combatant uh you haven't chosen wisely but you've chosen okay little guy you're in there they're there they're watching I think the minute Olivier hits him square and Metsa's in any kind of trouble I think they they get in there I think that's what but it really was you know Metsa just kept us I'm sorry I'm on the radio but like we are on the twitch and the YouTube so I'm Metsa's got his head he's just like this he's just head down he's hanging on and trying to just avoid you know getting hit flush

1:08:50and he must have hit enough I mean there there was blood there but it didn't look like I made I didn't see him in the dressing room today at practice but it didn't look like he got like really tagged um so you know good job I think the reason the linemen didn't get in there is because Metsa was sort of defending himself well enough there was no real offense from him in the altercation but I think he hung on effectively and avoided any real damage but like still all that said I still think another Sabre should have should have intervened um but you know they didn't and um here we are so we've got we've got that it's funny like we get one hockey game into the year and we've got like a because of thing already right there's a thing there's that and then there's the goalie and people are extremely opinionated about the goalie I I've learned today I didn't just learn this I've known this or they're always opinionated about the goalie that's just how it

1:09:53goes I don't know Zach am I am I am I completely nuts here I'm looking in I mean it was not a good night right it was it was not a good night but I think the problem with you PL that he's maybe always going to have is that the entire fan base or a good portion of the fan base already had opinions about him last year and a year before that like he's always kind of been this uncomfortable figure I mean you mentioned it though like 98% of the goalies in the league are going to be super up and down and Mike says all the time goalies are weird but he's our goalie and he is weird and we can't get a consistent I mean it's it's year after year like he'll have one good year one bad year one good year we're supposed to be on the bad year it's just I I will see it's yeah one game I just get 83 more of these babies yes yes there's going to be opportunity I think for him to get right Dan is first up this segment hi Dan thanks for calling you're on WGR yeah thanks for taking my call um just as a quick point about the bill

1:10:55um there was an incident between Raeble and Brady in the office and I think it was like a coaches meeting yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah I wonder if the bills are just going to keep your foot on the gas the full game you know that little that little uh little incentive there on the sabre side I I don't know if you talked about this but I was curious to see if you kind of thinking about um we're watching Peyton crab yesterday I'm kind of waiting for Coolie to move up to that third center spot with the cloud moving to the left wing um one last point about Matthew Nies I I don't watch him with many Toronto games I know you like them as a yeah yeah the potential replacement um man I he just he just with his size his his body his net front presence uh seems to be what have been a great replacement for that price now looking back especially the cap's going that would have been a great uh that would have been a great addition

1:11:57yeah yeah one game so I'm overreacting to but no I know but no I look I you're right I love this player look at I I know I would have been overpaying I would have given I would have given Toronto the fourth pick in the dry from Matthew Nies I don't know if that's what that I would assume that would have gotten it done I think that would be absurd because I think it's a it's a pretty gross overpay but I would have done it I think it's a it would have been a perfect plug-in play tuck replacement at a salary that you could really live with um it he's 24 years old now seven points something million a year three or four maybe four or five more years I don't remember all the details now because you know the idea came and went they didn't do it the only caveat I would now add to that I still wish they had because I don't know what what sort of um issues there may or may not be with Matthew Nies but I I'd mention this um when the trade with Toronto and Columbus went

1:13:04down and um Nies went to went to Columbus you know the the previous regime last year as the year was unfolding and and really unraveling for Toronto there was there was a lot of talk about Nies being traded maybe even in the division of Montreal and you know at the time like okay it's not working here this year but this is a guy that's I think a 30 gold score type player I don't think maybe he's not gotten there yet but he had 29 maybe the one year like he's he's close to that he's young and he's cost-controlled why does Toronto want to divest themselves with him that was weird I thought at if a trade deadline and then we get to the summer and there's more smoke about him and I'm I'm over here going I've got the fourth pick I'll do that I maybe 20 gets it done I'll do that I'll throw in something else for whatever you need Toronto I'm over here I'm ready to do it um I don't know maybe Toronto would never trade them to Buffalo I don't know but I love that idea

1:14:10but the fact that two different Toronto regimes right the the old one trelliving uh who got fired in the summer and now Chekos taken over wanted to unload a young productive big physical cost-controlled player and I would I have to admit that that gives me some pause to to consider is there something about him that would would would make it a bad idea to bring him onto your team I don't know if that's the case but it's very strange to me that any team that has that guy on it wants to get him off it um I get that Marchenko was an upgrade um talent wise he's more of a impactful game-changing player uh so I guess from that standpoint maybe I can understand it but is it worth five million dollars more

1:15:14on the cap which is what it's costing them well I don't know about that like that's that's that's that's tough that's tough so maybe there's some you know buyer beware tag on knives that I wasn't aware of but boy I would have loved I would have loved that idea for the sabers uh Chris is next up hi Chris thanks for calling you're on WGR hi thanks for taking my call you always going to talk about um you peel all year he's gonna have a target eyes back yeah regardless what happened because what Ellie Freeman went outside the song with a limited tray clause mixed the deal for oh fuck every person's gonna be like regardless of it was tipped by 15 other people and it goes in yeah they're gonna say oh my god if hella book was there we were he would have saved that we got this bum who lit in the softball last year against Montreal and blah blah blah it's gonna be him all year but the one other thing to I want to talk about is no one really has brought it up too much as how does stuff happen so have a job with that powerfully had all last year and the start of

1:16:15this year has been horrible yeah um good questions where I'll defer to Paul and Paul tell you it's Lindy ruff power play and average just the the guy that is the face of it I don't know um very bad start for that unit in game one um very interested to see where it goes from here heading into the home opener tomorrow I'm relatively stunned to hear from Paul that the players thought it was good last night um so that's certainly bears watching um I think you're bang nuts on the money on what you said about lucanon uh weather fans whether we know it or not the no trade thing the timing of everything like July one even I mean we're on the air on July 1st and an hour into our show

1:17:16here comes the armor cacolinen like I'm going to the cottage so we're done like I think what happened there is Winnipeg came back too late to say hey you know we've very considered and we'll do this and at that point lucanon's got the right to say no and circumstantially that's I don't I've not been told this directly um I feel like it just stands to reason that that that killed the deal I think the sabers were definitely in on it I think they were arranging other things to bring to their team namely Vincent Trocheck to replace all player or players who were going to be moved in the hell about trade and Winnipeg was too late and they blew it and cacolinen was pissed and he closed up shop and said I'm going we're going I know he didn't say any of that but like that's the appearance was we're done and I thought that's all seemed to I don't know it just seemed too

1:18:18connected to me uh so I do think that's right I think fans will either subconsciously or by choosing to do so are going to hold that against lucanon and I think we're already hearing it today because I I know it's five goals and I know it wasn't good and it's hard to win him this league when you give up five goals well we're talking about four tippens and I just I just I'm I'm having a very hard time with the here we go again when the guy was a huge part of the success you had last year it's not you just don't revert to oh he's terrible like was it a good night no but and like is it all his fault with like should he stopped all of those goals I don't know man they were all tough they're all easy to explain why don't look at any one of them any one of those goals right when you look at them all in a row like oh my god I'm losing I'm losing five I

1:19:20have five goals on 23 shots watch each one independent and go that's tough that's the tip is right oh that's that's where I'm at so I don't know I'm I'm not I'll be here all year I hope anyway I'm I'm gonna say swear again um so I'm gonna I'm gonna stick up for him as much as I can when he's bad I'll say he's bad I don't I don't think last night's game lands at his doorstep you got open guys tipping pucks over his shoulder from the goal crease what are we talking about here so by the caller nailed it I think it's it all just runs back you're you're mad about the goal in game seven which was a knuckleball shot which probably beats I don't know 98% of the goal he's the league but you know it ended our season and he's this guy and he's always me uh I don't know I don't

1:20:21think it's right and I want to try to be right I mean I want to try to entertain you I'm use you make you think maybe sometimes like I have goals uh but ultimately I want to be right and I don't think it's right to like be piling on him today after that game I just don't I don't think it's warranted there were other things in that game that were more problematic namely their special teams on both sides kill and uh power play 80 305 50 solid five I'm the bulldogs WG arc what if the thing you're listening to right now never got interrupted what if it could play uninterrupted from room to room on sonos what if you start with two sonos speakers just to see how it feels what if you really like how it feels and you become a sonos person who can't stop saying to their friends what if you start with two sonos speakers just to see how it feels because it's not magic but it's not not magic

1:21:29it's Paul Hamilton that's what they called me a college he has the facts to back up his opinions people ask me well how the saber skirm are they going to win tonight oh cool now WGR sports radio 550 all right right back to it our Paul Hamilton joins now on the west her hotline I am the bulldog thank you for tuning in today my show is out sick today Paul how was your uh how was your split drive home from Columbus you I think you said to us yesterday you were in a drive a couple of hours north and then hit a pit stop and then make the rest in the morning yeah I think it worked out real well as it turned out I probably didn't even after two and a half hours I was at the other side of Cleveland and Willoughby Hills and that's where I reserved a hotel and I thought I was kind of sorry I reserved it because I had more to give I could have gone further I wasn't yawning or anything yet so you know I could I don't think I would have made it all with a buffalo but I could have gone further but you know I stopped there and finished it up today I was actually on with Tim and Brad as I was pulling up to

1:22:36the arena for practice so I made it here for practice and I talked to some folks and I had a matter of fact I just finished the article put it up and started talking to you I just saw that you posted in the the title that showing up on Twitter anyway says Sabers didn't think their power play was that bad in Columbus so let's start there Paul um because you know they were an Ulfer they had the full two-minute five on three after the the the Metza Olivier thing which will also talk about um why do they think their power play was that they like how they move the puck or something yeah um I didn't see what analytics says um as taged Thompson said if you look at the analytics we meaning them had 12 great-aid chances on their power play more than Columbus had but they just capitalized on theirs so they're going away with they had all lots of chances

1:23:36and they didn't convert and that's really what Thompson said he goes the difference was we need to convert because when you get that many chances you have to convert on some of them and he goes we didn't um I don't know I'm not seeing what the analytics are telling them yeah I did I did not see how to power play as I can remember yeah I definitely don't think there were 12 great chances there they they barely mustered shots on the five on three although you know a chance can be something that ends up not being a shot I recognize too right um but if I could interrupt you I'll just give you the quote he had on that five on three I thought we had a lot of good looks anytime you have a five on three it's just quick puck movement in shoot which I thought we did pretty decent job of yeah I'm a hard disagree on that I think I really I'm not sure I really get it and I um um listen I this is not it's probably going to come off as harsh on Benson I I thought he forced a

1:24:38lot of stuff last night like into traffic on the power play like I and I think you know on one hand I want to give him some leeway because I feel like we know why he's there right I mean didn't Seth Abbott tell you during the summer that you know down low that's why Benson and don't are here and go down low to high to Thompson yeah I thought they did in the preseason I saw some five guys where they had some he he created some pretty good scoring chances for Thompson who was flying down the slot going low to high so I thought we were seeing some of that in the preseason yeah I just thought Benson forced a few things um that that cost them some possession and you know maybe could have cost them and he felt the same way last night on the post game show that it went well Benson did yeah yeah all right well I mean it's game one so I you know I can understand not wanting to beat yourself up too hard but boy I just didn't see it I thought the power play it was that close of last year I think a lot of it and that five on three was the swing in the game I think

1:25:45you know the sabers were you know behind they're behind most of the night after taking the early lead but that was an opportunity where they could have really responded and I thought they kind of did after even after that power play fizzled I thought maybe that was the best pocket of the game for them after that I thought the sabers seemed to really get on Columbus and I thought their skating was really showing through and they looked like the faster better team but then you know the third period game and you know the fifth goal and that was the end of that they just could not get it tied but so I don't know what is where's your mind dad on on guy saying they liked the power player you how hard are you you want to be on them about that I just disagree with them I think they believe that I don't think you know Tate Thompson would quote the analytics on it at the you know yeah that's you know and they they are into the analytics and they're close to their analytics department and you know with the deep dive and everything and you know they're looking at the numbers and the numbers are telling them that they were just fine other than the fact that they

1:26:49didn't capitalize on the numerous opportunities that analytics felt that they had so you know they feel like you know if they keep doing that that it's going to be any city also felt this game this power play in game one was so much better than it was in game one last year and he says the more work together as a group the you know the better it's going to get so now the second unit different story they hardly played on the power play but you know they scored six seconds after a penalty had expired so Columbus was not in structure and didn't have a guy there and it was a good play by power up at the blue line getting over to McLeod who sees Helen who's over on the far side he gives him a passing lane gets it there up under the crossbar and there's a goal it's you know it's it's not a five on four goal but as far as the play that was happening at the time it was five on four because the the guy from the only box wasn't in it yet and then they got the in the next power

1:27:56play they were out first I thought it was because they they had performed pretty well and let me go know is because we had guys from our first power play they're just on the ice and they produced some good chances there they got the puck to the crease three guys crashed the crease and they had two good scoring opportunities out of that and okay well the number two unit actually looks pretty good even though they're not getting on the ice all that much to me looked quite a bit better than the number one unit but it was a very short time that they were on Paul Hamilton on the west her hotline with me here on WGR the sabers lose six three on opening night in Columbus last night they will have their home opener tomorrow night at Keybang Center against the Chicago Black Hawks where do we want to go next the penalty roll our own special teams the penalty killing I mean Jack Quinn by the way like he used to kill penalties on this team okay on a regular basis

1:28:56yeah okay on in this career hmm so it's not foreign to him as Lindy Russ said in the postgame it's a work in progress did need to be if you had a certain person still here but he's not here so you got to figure it out and you know you the one of the best premier penalty killers in the NHL is no longer with you and you got to find some folks that can do it the thing is how long is the penalty kill going to kill you before you know the work in progress turns into something all right cool we got this down now you can't keep losing games because of it I mean they lost games because of their special teams I mean the penalty killed one of three penalties in your power play went over five and you know they and when you mentioned in the second period where they were much much better much more tenacious much better on the puck just doing you know they got to their game basically

1:29:57yeah that's their game the way and they played their game but they were too far behind and they couldn't get enough goals that they'd pull within one and then they got two behind and they pulled within one again looking in makes a good save on a breakaway by nice to keep it at one but they finally push it back up to two you know so they just couldn't get the puck into the net to get that tying goal but the goal the game was there for them to make a comeback and get back into it and at least tie the game and see what you can do see if you can you know get some points out of a game that at the end of the first period didn't look like yet any chance to get any points out of the way that period ended and that was a little strange too because they scored first Thompson rang a post where he beat the goal tender for shift and and yeah it was my what but for 10 15 seconds I think and but then it turned around and you know I got up to go down to do my first period interview and

1:30:58I looked down are they scored and they get one up one one and then by the time I got down there was three to one yeah okay what's going on you know I missed two goals and you know and and Lindy was pretty teed off I think about the third goal he said lose in the face off and giving up the goal the way they did he really thought that was a killer as far as that went so now you're chasing now you're chasing the game you only found your game for maybe the first three to five minutes and then you lost your game badly for the rest of the first period and then you know you had you had to play catch up and they couldn't quite catch up right over all Paul I know it's five goals I myself would say I didn't like the first I mean like any of them I mean who likes goals that going against your guys right but I I feel like I can defend four of them and the first one is not easy but I feel like that's it's clean and it's not like some witch doctor huge goal score it's

1:32:03you know just it's a guy and he's alone okay there's a busted play crevier kind of made a mess of that whole thing but I think that's the one I would look at and say like you know I might like a save from Luke and in the other ones would I like a save sure but we're talking about deflections and one timers from the slot on the power play for Nises first goal and like I don't know I can I can look the other way I feel like I'm the other four goals for Luke and in but that first one I I think I would like him to stop yeah I can't say that's a bad goal against him but yeah you would hope maybe you get a big save there you know right I can listen to that I mean it was a bang bang I mean crevier went over and basically took everybody out the puck carrier power himself and except cylinder and the puck the puck carrier was able to get the puck to cylinder before he got got went down and cylinder got it got rid of it right away coming flying down the slot and just got rid of it right away and yeah you won't maybe your gold tender makes a big save there I'm

1:33:08not gonna say who we'd want that back you know either but yeah the other ones are tips and and you know just horrendous defensive coverage by the Sabers you know we have guys in position where they can make tips and there's not a saber anywhere near them so you know they got to tighten up those coverages again and that's that was a bugaboo they had for a you know last year beginning of the year and the whole year the year before almost every game I was talking to Brian about their defensive coverages were absolutely horrendous they'd be standing next to the guy but they wouldn't actually cover him that wasn't yeah last night they weren't even standing next to him they weren't they weren't anywhere to be found and you just leave guys there to tip pucks and and everything and it was just bad news yeah nice is a nice is a loan on his tip he's a loan on the one-timer his first one there's not anyone really on fan tilley that's a little farther out maybe you could criticize looking for that because it's a tip from you know still you know 10 feet away

1:34:11not right in the goal crease but still yeah right it's a quick redirect so their coverage was tough crevier overall I thought had a pretty top debut ball that that that play I mean he made it made a mess in front of the goal on the goal there that we're talking about but the play in the neutral zone where he just bats it I don't know if you was trying to bat that down to himself or what he was doing but it was just a unnecessary giveaway that led to that rush and the whole thing was just just a mess no it was and you know I'm sure there were some nerves you know playing in your first game with your new team I'm really not worried about him I think he'll be fine you know in the preseason I saw some good things from him in Chicago I saw some good things from him yep so yeah I'm yeah it wasn't great but I'm also not worried I don't know where it goes tomorrow tomorrow it seemed like Grizzlic was playing left every shift and it was alternating between

1:35:11Mezza and crevier on the right side on that pair and Mezza got the first go at it so I don't know if that means anything or not we'll wait and see you know how what Lindy Ruff does with that third pair but Zellwiger he said he's felt good for a bit but of course he had to pass that baseline so he said he's ready to go I mean he's excited about it then Ruff basically said he's gonna go and he practiced all practice with power so it seems like that's where he's gonna go and it's just a question of who are the two of the three that are gonna take the third pair right yeah I wonder like because you know Grizzlic's a veteran but Mezza I feel like Mezza I'm not a year to pull him out of the lineup after what he went through last night boy I gotta say I know it shouldn't really be a part of it but I had a lot of admiration for him for staying and in there like he did I think that Olivier is the if he's not the toughest guy in the league it's a short list of guys ahead of him right what time Wilson oh time Wilson okay sure okay but

1:36:14like Olivier he's a he's a he's a he's a tough dude and I kind of can't believe nobody got over there I just the whole time I'm watching it I'm like someone's gotta get in there and you know it's not that Mezza he got tagged enough to be bleeding I you know we could see that on TV but he did a good job of just sort of keeping his head down and letting Olivier punch him in the helmet I just I saw somebody should have made more of a show of trying to get over there to intervene because there was no way Olivier should be fighting that guy in the first place I think and but once it's happening I think somebody's gotta try to rescue him why are we doing this again right I mean I thought last year this was solved because it was all for one and one for all whether you got beat up you didn't you were all there and here it is again it's like and let's let's do the math I was doing this with Brad earlier and Tim the sabers had pulled their gold tender so there's

1:37:16six sabers and five Columbus players now you got the two people in the altercation so now it's four and three yeah yeah so no there's there were five five five four you got four you know five and four so all right four Columbus players grabbed four of your guys my math tells me there's a free sabre where was he was the ref holding him now I'll admit I was watching the the fight more than I was who was what was happening around it wasn't occurring to me because I'm thinking wow this is crazy and and so I don't know where the extra guy was but there's an extra guy out there yeah I don't care who he is I don't care if he is somebody's 12 year old kid get in there and and jump him and and how get your third man in or whatever it may be I mean Metzik would have gotten seriously hurt here I mean he did throw a few punches but I mean he what could he do yeah and and the whole

1:38:22thing never should have had this code garbage so what and I'm not blaming him that's at all he followed the code this is the code of hockey he followed the code that he and all his teammates would follow why so it's a delayed penalty so and within touching the puck he puts in the net who cares and to to have that come out of what happened this code garbage is just stop it it doesn't matter that he tapped the puck into an end of the net stop yeah I mean and again I don't want Metzik did what he's supposed to do that's what people do now same thing with clean hits you've got to answer for it you got to go get the guy you got to go fight him or you could do well Malenstein fought Suzy first and then he almost put him through the boards later and Suzy and Suzy was hurt that's how you get him back that's how you get somebody back or how you used to get somebody back who did a

1:39:26clean hard hit on one of your players and hurt him yeah you go do the same thing to him hit him with a good clean hit like Malenstein did after he fought him you should never should have had to fight him and that's how it was taken care of just some of the code in hockey just drives me insane yeah I mean it never should have come to that who cares if he tapped a puck into the empty net my gosh I appreciate you having strong feelings on that I I think something needs to be said when a guy does that it's it's it's basically like given the middle finger to your whole bench so what does it matter I I know Paul it's but it's competitive and you don't want to be shown up and so not being shown up he touched the puck into one the net who cares all right I'm saying I care Paul I do and I think a lot of people do and Mexican is why because you're being shown up you don't you're being challenged you're you know but I can do this you're not going to do anything because you're a bunch of pussies that's what that is so you got you got you got to do well I don't know we

1:40:31I don't want to spend the whole rest of the five minutes we have here arguing about this because we agree that somebody should have done something and in to be thorough here power at the outset of it was very aggressive trying to intervene but he got he got neutralized by I think phantilly and then just kind of stop trying which is bothersome and I don't know why somebody didn't get in there but I'm 100% with you there there's that's it could have gotten seriously hurt good that he didn't good on him the parade to the penalty box to give him high fives I thought given that nobody intervened really pissed me off because to me it was like hey good job not dying while we all watched yeah and I mean I don't know what are we doing here yeah yeah last year we they were done with it everybody was there you didn't have to worry about it and whether they got beat up or not it didn't matter they were there and it's like yeah now they're there for each other and

1:41:31I said yeah I might be saying to you a couple times I hate to say it but the thing was Samuels and Thompson probably the best thing that ever happened to this team because they they they had some harsh words for each other in a locker room and decided that this doesn't happen again and they did forgive Samuels and you know he's now a big part of the team I wondered if he could recover from this and he did yep and I've seen him show up for scrums now too and then last night it's like why why what are you guys doing why does nobody why there's an extra man out there somewhere out through the referees tackle him yeah where where where did somebody not get there to help this poor guy was this talked about in the room at all yesterday or today um they're just you know was singing Metzas praises for yeah yeah showing up and doing it and Thompson especially was like you know it was a very brave thing to do and he said he really you know the bench lit up you know that that he did something like that he goes it took a lot of courage for him to do that

1:42:36and you know so they they it was a lot of praise being heaped on Metzas yeah well I mean I certainly don't I don't disagree with that I mean he deserves a lot of credit for standing in there and even you know maybe self preservation wise would anyone have thought it was embarrassing if he had just turdled but he didn't he he hung in there and grabbed on and even tried to throw a couple um you know again I don't know how smart that was but he you know he lived to tell so no harm no foul that's the way he is yeah he just it's the way he makes hockey teams he's always counted out he makes teams and it's the way he plays and you know he's going you know he was the captain of the Yammer she was the captain of Quinnipiac that won the NCAA title so he knows how to lead he knows how to be a teammate and he showed it again last night well I I sure hope this isn't like a crack in the foundation Paul because it was it really it bothered me it sounds like it bothered you too um so you know we'll we'll see where where that ends us up here um in the end so all right

1:43:42Zellweger back um I looking in again tomorrow I couldn't tell I can tell you this Alice had his own net yeah for the get for the the bug was with Luke and in but he wasn't in the starters net he was down at the other other end so I'm not willing to say he's going to start I did ask Lindy I said I ask you before Lion got hurt if you're going to alternate you thought you probably would I said is that still your plan and he wouldn't commit to it hmm one way or the other so if they go with whoever has his own net and practice the day before it's Alice tomorrow and maybe they're going to alternate um but I'm not willing to say that to be this because there were some other things that made me think maybe that's not going to happen but there are also some things that make me think maybe it will okay got your Paul we'll we'll keep an ear out make me the morning skate may will be more of a clue because that's right and that traditionally where the guy that's got the net the star was ending all that so yeah we'll see where he winds up for the morning skate if they

1:44:42have a regular one he might he might have a optional we'll see all right Paul thanks a lot for this and have yourself a good weekend and we'll connect I'm sure next week sounds good talk to you that is our Paul Hamilton on the west her hotline his appearances on WGR brought to you by Raylax Honda Raylax we got this yeah I you know I should have probably when I was talking to Brad the that first segment led with the parade to the penalty box because in the in in lieu of no one intervening that did not sit well with me at all really I just said how did I just say at the Paul the parade to high five Zach met so like congrats on not dying while we all watched that was not a good look it's not a good look I do not want to make it into like there's like crisis but it's game one of 84 and it was just not it just was not handled properly in my opinion I just I just need someone to get there and try try to protect the kid because it was just a

1:45:48way wrong matchup and you know Paul and I are arguing about the code and to me a part of the code should be Matthew Olivier recognizing who that is and just going like yeah this is ridiculous and and he didn't he he he went for every pound of flesh he could get I mean I don't know if that's our guy I think I think I feel the same way like what what are we doing here like that's it didn't cheap shot anybody he he he he smacked you on the back of the lake and said hey you know idiot you through the puck into our open net you don't do that and I don't know just none of it had to happen but it did and I did not like the Sabers reaction and that includes the parade to the penalty box to high five him excuse me I gotta take a break um I'm fine I just gotta cough and I don't want to 803 0550 is the number Aaron Williams former Bill's DB at four on WGR every week on the moth podcast you'll hear true stories that

1:46:53will intrigue you inspire you and make you laugh he said is there anything and your diet that might be spiking your blood sugar I said sometimes I eat pizza until I'm unconscious he said I think that might be it for real stories live on stage from comedians astronauts accountants farmers and people just like you follow and listen to the moth wherever you get your podcasts I mean we had our opportunities just after the one expired obviously a lenient score but a big opportunity with the five on three that we missed an opportunity yeah you know we had some new personnel the last one you know just our deep position on that play you know hurt us we almost had the other one killed and just made a simple error on that one too so it was a nightwear special teams was was a difference maker for sure there is Sabers head coach Lindy Ruff after last night's game six three loss in which Sabers go old for five on the power play and one

1:48:00for three on the penalty kill so bad equation they have full two minute five on three after this fracas that involved the Zach Mezza and Matthew Olivier and like that you know I don't know how different I'd feel about all of it if they'd scored there or we know even scored twice you know five on three that a chance to really kind of change the game there and they didn't they didn't come through I don't love hearing that the guys believe that they were good on the power play it wasn't I just this was it was not a good night anything they generated a ton I'm stunned really to hear that they they're saying analytics so they had 12 high danger chances on the man advantage I just I don't know about that so I mean there were a couple there's no question about that but 12 sounds like a lot so Sabers drop the opener their home for Chicago tomorrow evening

1:49:04seven o'clock key bank center 803 05 50 is the number Mike is away today David is first up this segment hi David thank you for calling you're on the air here on WGR Hey Chris first time caller I'm much nervous welcome thank you thank you I'm gonna make the super shortens wait I was one of the ones affected by aqua's signing in the way that that I alluded into nothing that's towards the end so when it came to mr. talk I was at the final line in terms of yeah you know if it kind of screws there the quarters got that the new view list is all together let's let it rip one walk the guy should pick up where we left it off and what did the ground run and now I will say I'm gonna wait a quarter of the year before I actually have my full opinion but what I saw last night in terms of when with talk the four-check the physical to just manliness right donor and benson they're there but you can feel them as much I know donor get a really good back that come in one goal but what I'm worried about is that with

1:50:07planius and us when all the young guns coming in I'm really terrified that boys in the nucleus that it actually wasn't that you would think Wendy would pick this up since if there was confusion but what's talked on I'm worried that the guys that are like in the middle of the road they're gonna conform to the new guys because what I watched last night there was a lot of dump and chase not a lot of physicality that's why the whole fight was like the cherry on top so it was like a perspective you'd take a snapshot of the game that's what it felt like it felt like we weren't getting in deep we weren't being so difficult and I'm just worried that the boys aren't gonna like you could feel talk and I really miss them you know I'll shut up and listen all right David appreciate the call the definitely miss them on the pk uh no there's no no question about that um the um I think the knives the first nice goal is the power play goal he's in the slot and Norris I think it is is out high and he's just slow to recognize that he needs to get down

1:51:10there he's just he's just a tick late and that whole play um I think you know sticks in lanes that kind of thing like you got to know what what a team is trying to do to you and so it's just a just a tough tough kill uh you heard Lindy they're talking about it I think the last one is kind of the same thing um that they didn't that allowed fan tillie to be available for that tip and you just need to you need to be you know you need to be aware of that you know where they are and be moving your sticks around and just try to uh make that a lot harder it looked a little just too easy um so yeah I mean for sure it's one game but the penalty kill was bad and talk was their best penalty killer he and McLeod were their number one pair killing penalties I think it is really notable that don't isn't involved yet um I don't know if they're just trying to keep his plate a little clearer or what I mean he's got power play one time now with Benson and that whole reformatted first power play unit so maybe they're just trying to not put too much on his plate

1:52:15um but and it's not say like he'd be great at it anyway like I don't know how that's gonna go um they definitely missed talk last night um at least I would say for sure on the power play stuff I didn't I didn't come out of the game feeling like um you know oh where where's the four check where's the where's this where's that I thought special teams killed them um and talk was a big part of that especially uh especially on the kill Thomas is next up hi Thomas thanks for calling you're on WGI hey ballpark how you doing man happy friday good happy friday you did uh yeah just calling I I think you're on point about last night's game uh on a percent I think with the point that Paul brought up about the puck in the net not doing anything I just think you go to what's the line Paul the puck in the net we don't do anything a guy scums a guy in the corner we don't do anything a guy hits a guy in the back of the head we don't do anything like what is the you got to draw a line in the sand and say yep we're a team that's not gonna allow this

1:53:19nonsense and we're tough guys and you know what I'm with you if you're not gonna back up a guy wise key to over there and then say hey buddy thanks for taking a bunch of punches yeah that yeah but I'm telling you I wish at like 302 today that would have been the first thing I said because that that is really that's the it's the biggest problem of the whole thing it's the parade to the penalty box to congratulate him while they are the on nobody did anything yeah she felt it felt a little league like like a rubber guy on a shoulder and making you know thanks for coming out tonight kind of deal uh yeah so I I'm with you and you know what it really bothers me too that they when you go over five you don't say hey we we didn't have a good night you know that's like you know you just an accountability thing I'm like hey yeah we might have had some chances analytics-wise but we didn't score so to me we didn't get the job done it's simply put um yeah that's that's kind of why I got your own point tonight and then uh you know go bills and and I think the the bills D has a good chance to really put together a nice game against this guy

1:54:22who's struggling a quarterback I think it'll be a good opportunity for them to really get some confidence in this defense of unit that's been up and down at points and in flashes of goodness and flashes of bad so have a good weekend all right Thomas you two appreciate it yeah I mean now we'll we'll get to some football for sure uh quickly I mean I just saying I'll week you just can't lose to this team this week and that's even more pronounced today with the news that bar more defensive tackle and Christian Gonzalez outstanding one of the top corners in the league uh are gonna miss so you just cannot don't let this team get well against you um you know that the weapons aren't there may looks lost right now it's a it I think it's a big day for Jim Leonard and his defense um because this is not a team that should be able to really hurt you and right now the state that they're in uh on offense um so I don't I'm gonna have a very hard time if the bills can't just take care of this game um because they have an opportunity to not

1:55:26you know you're gonna kill them it's still early enough that one in three it I would not consider one in three like permanently buried um but man I mean you got you got a chance to put some distance between you and them and make them have to chase you all year whereas if you drop this game they're right there you stub your toe once and they're right on you and I just I I think the bills you know I'm sure they are aware of that um you know the standings and what's at stake and and all that it just is not it's not a spot you can afford any kind of a letdown um especially after last week there was so sloppy last week like make sure you get your stuff buttoned up here and just handle your business because you you tried as hard as you could to blow the game last Sunday and the chargers just were not good enough to do it and I would have thought before the year that the patriots were a better team than the chargers it really maybe it's a push right now with

1:56:31the way Drake may is playing um you know the records are different chargers and I will in three after losing here patriots did at least win week two but they were completely overmatched against Jacksonville last week and may is lost so just handle your business play a clean game and just put them put them down um they're they're in they're in a bad place and they do not need to get well in your stadium so um and I think that that should be what happens this this this team should not be able to handle you right now provided you're like reasonably on your game so um that's where I'm at I mean that if there was one concern I had coming into it um I don't know we're not there yet but like all week long it's like well you know the defense is pretty you know they got some talent there it's a respectable unit the advanced stats on their D it's it's better you know they

1:57:32got scored on like crazy by Jacksonville but it's a good unit and like they could do a job on you but they're down there two best guys and really if you if you extended out to AJ Brown that's not news we knew he was gonna miss this game when he went on IR after week one after May I think they might be down there three best guys I mean everybody gets hurt but like these are like Barmore is an anchor in the middle of that line and and can be a real problem Gonzalez is elite and so is AJ Brown and you're not gonna deal with any of them so you got to take advantage of that you just have to take advantage of that uh 803 05 50 is the number more football on the way all afternoon Aaron Williams former Bill's DB for his weekly visit coming up in about 20 minutes and then Sal Capaccio at five as well again lines are open Mike is away today I'm the Bulldog and this is WGR hey y'all I'm Maddie and I'm Poodle and together we host the podcast reality

1:58:33Gaze we are two ridiculous homosexuals who love nothing more than talking about reality television and tearing in a new one so whether it's 90 day fiance love is blind love after lock up or any other trash TV show about lonely hearts looking for love your gay besties got you covered Joe new shows every week following listen to reality gaze wherever you get your podcast it's Sal Capaccio Sal Capaccio Sal Capaccio Sal Capaccio Sal Capaccio Sal Capaccio Sal Capaccio Non WGR Alright into the five o'clock hour we do go I am the Bulldog glad to have you along for the ride on this uh you know we call it football Friday but uh it's been uh it's been a pretty hot and heavy sabers day they lose the opener the goal he gave up five there's uh

1:59:36There's a fight that was questionable we We uh we've hit for the cycle the sabre cycle we've not everything everything you need Uh to have a lot of conversation about that one of the 84 by the way we got to pace ourselves talking to myself here too Uh because I've been running pretty hot at times today Anyway, Sal Capaccio joins us now on the west her hotline the bills of course have a game on Sunday Uh they're at home hosting the I don't know how do we want to refer to the patriots right now the the taking on water patriots the lost at sea patriots. I don't know I'm overstating it Sal good afternoon. How do how bright smith go last night for you? I was great. It was great good crowd came by and um it was uh obviously a great start and you know we had we had a bunch of giveaways going on and people are cheering None of the the goal we're giving stuff away and then uh okay they get one Okay, they're down to oh my god they're down three goals I heard that they give up three goals and then you know they give up four

2:00:36I should say midway through the first the the game through the second period It was great though overall and we're gonna do more of those and I hope to see more people out there But it was really fun great way to kick off the season unfortunately with a loss But as you said plenty of times today and I'm glad you've kind of put me back in my safe happy space Which is it's one game one game and uh uh you know because it it's not the way you want to start But it's one game right and unlike the NFL there's there's a lot more than 17 of them So you know plenty plenty of time here Um and I don't think it was like a disaster by any means anyway Um what's the news injury wise? I don't if we got the the injury report for the weekend yet I've not seen it. I've been too busy defending UPL uh Yeah, we do we do have an injury report for the Buffalo Bills We also have one for the New England Patriots which is quite interesting actually for the bills are our two players questionable Christian Benford and Ray Davis Ray Davis is a hamstring and He actually was a full participant on Thursday, but limited on Friday So you wonder something happened there uh between Thursday and Friday it feels like that might be the case

2:01:41So he's limited so now you start to think about okay If that's the case like we'll get into the roster management in a second because The Benford injury impacts this yes, because Christian Benford has not practiced all week Christian Benford to me like you don't practice all week. You're trending towards not playing But you know jubrati Didn't rule him out, you know, he's he could play. We'll see what happens there Obviously hurt his toe last week. He was taken off the field and didn't return He hasn't practiced all week. He is questionable to play not even doubtful. That is TJ Sanders though TJ Sanders is doubtful as a returning from the appendectomy So that's understandable. Otherwise everybody even key on Coleman DJ more all good to go Um off the injury report. No, you know game designation now the reason I bring up Christian Benford related to Ray Davis is If Christian Benford can't play You have only two true boundary corners on your active roster. Obviously, that's not ideal So what do you do? Well, you have two options You can elevate to Corey couch because he can play the slot

2:02:41He can play the boundary If something were to happen one of those guys DeAlford would slide outside Into Corey couch could play the slot. Let's remember Jordan Hancock is not available. He is on IR Jalen Kilgore is also an option But he's more of a box safety. He's really a safety than he is a nickel-corner to be honest with you, okay Something Matt Bolvay brought up and I told him game day in Buffalo Which I said that's a really good idea. We were debating if you do that or if you elevate can I walker? A guy we really liked and you say okay put him in what about both? How about you? Elvitt? Can I walker? And you elevate to Corey couch. Well, that's a great idea until today when great Davis becomes questionable because what if you have to use one of those for You know Frank or junior so I think that they're in a bit of a bind if that's the case Yeah, I wonder I wonder what they would do then. I mean is there there's always a move you can make there's you know Do they want to sign Frank or junior to the roster then or something like he's right? Yeah, it gets really tricky He's he's the only have one more elevation Frank or correct the only one more so you could you could elevate him one more time

2:03:47Have them go back to the practice squad then in case of another issue you could sign him that would be the move right You'd have to do that in that case, but you know If they want to bring Frank or junior up, maybe that's what they do they elevate him and then you say okay Well cross the next bridge when we come to it if that's the case You only get two of them. I'm just wondering you can't go into the game with two true boundary corners You just can right or I should say two guys Well, I mean, you know, you do have D. Alfred can play I just don't think you can do that I think I have to have somebody else where that's can I walk or it's a Corey couch who's more of a slot but he can play outside yeah Excuse me. Yeah, but you're suggesting that they maybe they both would make sense like Matt said I agree I think that's what I would want to do Without the running back issue complicating it, but it may Obviously this is all get fleshed out here. We'll see the The call-ups by four o'clock tomorrow and then you know Maybe they can figure something out if they have to on game day. I mean, I don't know I don't want to get all all the way to Ray Davis on I R To open up room for Frank or junior, but like that maybe that's an option

2:04:53Yeah, you're right and I mean they do have Anthony Kendall also still on the practice squad. I'm because I bring up can I walk her but it doesn't have to be him You know there are other guys on the practice squad and if it's somebody else and somebody else I just think you've got to you got to protect yourself on the outside there now that said The other part of this is if Christian Benford can't play then you're starting Davis enigman ocean for the first time in his NFL career opposite Max well-Harrison if you combine those two together That's not a lot of experience playing against the New England Patriots right? So look he he has acclimated himself pretty well when he's had to play I think Max Harrison's actually played pretty well over the first you know three weeks But you you are using inexperienced outside corners in this big game if Christian Benford can't play and that's always something You just have to think about a little bit. It certainly is a big game It feels I'm sort of thinking as you're talking about igmanose and maybe having to start and Harrison and the inexperience As much as this game, you know is meaningful and New England is in your crosshairs because they got you last year

2:05:57I feel like this opponent right now without AJ Brown and with the state that Drake may as in Maybe it's not the worst week to have to play without Benford No, I agree with you and we all you know said After Nico Collins and I'm on Rossane Brown like you're not gonna face that level wide receiver For a couple of weeks the chargers didn't have one they had you know lad McConkey's more of a slot guy And he's not that true number one outside X and then this week you don't have AJ Brown to go again So who do they have well Mac Collins has become their number one target and receiver and he's not AJ Brown He's the guy that he can make big plays for you. He's tall He's not the same kind of receiver So you're right about that you can get away with that a little bit more against this sort of team I also think that how much other Patriots gonna want to have Drake May in his current state if you will Drop back with a very banged up offensive line and want to start throwing the ball around the place I don't think that's the kind of game they want to play anyway So now they're a team that really loves to throw to their running backs and their tight ends

2:06:58That's that's more of what's in play here I think when it comes to defending the passing game you know You had a caller earlier which is right that you said they always want to play a game where they kind of muck it up And that's what they get last year and that's how they won here They're not gonna want to get an attract me as you noted like that That's not the kind of game they want to play against the Buffalo Bills That's kind of game that like variable wants to play I think philosophically as a head coach So you're right. I think if you're gonna miss Christian Benford You know, you don't want to do that But this is the kind of game where maybe it doesn't hurt you quite as much as in other matchups right? I feel like if I if I I pulled A hundred bills fans I feel like a hundred bills fans would say Of course you'd you'd like to have Benford, you know always have Benford But if I have to choose Slow playing him and missing this game as opposed to Playing him and maybe compromising him for next Monday night against the Rams with Pukin a cool who's back this week It for their game against the Eagles. I'm I'm sitting on Benford this week and making sure

2:07:59He you know assuming it's if he's close enough to be considered just questionable for this game I feel like if he doesn't play I'll be good next Monday and that's a way tougher matchup 100% so we'll see how they decide to play it here between now and as you note, you know Tomorrow at four o'clock is when the you know elevations Have to be it out and so we'll get an idea if you see that Frank or has been elevated You know that means Ray Davis is not playing because I don't think there's any way that you're going to elevate Frank or and use that elevation If if Ray Davis is going to be available. We'll find out about that We'll find out about the secondary situation and then on the other side. I mean they are in a bad way right now I was surprised when it got through the week and today we found out that both Christian Gonzalez and Christian Barmore are not going to play for the Patriots against the bills on Sunday I really believed that you know at least one of those guys especially Gonzalez would be back He would play but apparently that shoulder injury he suffered last week is much more serious than

2:08:59People originally thought even in New England reporting on the team because he's out So it's Christian Barmore and when you have DJ Moore who is going to play who that would be probably the guy matching up on him I think that obviously changes a little bit of your game playing offensively for the bills as well It definitely should in my opinion too the Barnes firm injury report is brought to you by the Barnes firm If you've been injured in a crash call the Barnes firm 1 800 8 million So Is this game is creeping closer? I mean we know how the week is gone. We've been over How variable is talking about his quarterback? How is quarterback is talking about himself? Whether his shoulder is hurt and everything that's going on Um like I know that sometimes the league can set you up To to to to be tricked to think like you know, oh you think this team is and look I don't think it's gonna be a walkover But I just do not see how Considering everything we just talked about bar more Gonzalez Drake may the way the years been going his decision making whether his shoulder is at now now he does have a shoulder injury

2:10:04By the way that that happened in the Jacksonville game um So we've got a lot of stuff going on and I just do not See this new England team getting right against the bills unless the bills are just completely off again like they were last week They'd have to have the kind of game they had last week offensively to just keep giving the ball To the new England Patriots I don't think now look the the Patriots defense might be able to make a few stops here or there I just I really question the Patriots ability to drive down the field and score against the bills They're gonna want to do a you know have some time consuming drives They're gonna want to make sure they don't make mistakes themselves Play a little closer to the vestlo scoring game no doubt about it But I think that the bills giving them the ball and like they did last year a couple of times Which led to the Patriots wine winning the game here in Buffalo the way the bills did it last week against the chargers You're right. I just think that's the way if the Patriots walk out of here with a victory That's the story of the game and how it happened

2:11:05I don't know how I could see it happening any other way to be quite honest with you With the way that the Patriots are right now in their current state and the fact I mean they're on their third right guard By the way too right? I mean like and and on top of it They have seven other players questionable for this game besides the guys that we just talked about I mean like they're banged up all over the place their offensive line is banged up We know Dre met Drake may as a bit of a mess Kind of right now what they're going through and then might g-arty who you had on earlier this week I thought it was funny so mcdaniel's said May's shoulder injury why he popped up in the injury report happened on Sunday now as you know I said that's the only explanation we're putting around the report because if you've been telling everybody He's been fine and then suddenly he's on the report. He hasn't been fine. You can't do that He had something had to happen. Well, so they say that that's when it happened and then today Mike Vrayble Said it but the way g-arty wrote it. I thought was interesting. He wrote Vrayble confirms that mcdaniel said that the and he put in quotes injury Mm-hmm happened on Sunday

2:12:05I thought that was very interesting to do that. Yeah. Yeah, there there's I really think I mean as much as we can all get lost in narratives I mean, you know, we don't know the relationship really behind closed doors between May and Vrayble But the way that this is all gone so far this year and really even this week Really makes you wonder and let unless Vrayble is playing some kind of Jedi mind trick Like thing that's just you know like the balochic 4d chast or whatever It just seems like No one's on the same page Over there is how it sounds today And you know that that doesn't have to mean they can't come in here and seal a game or you know win a game play well win a game but you add that into all these injuries that we're talking about to key guys too. It's not just depth pieces Like you know even you had to remind me that the third string guard is playing because you know barmore and Gonzalez like sort of those are the have oh my god

2:13:08They're without two I mean those are two excellent players For them I just cannot see this team getting off the mat against the bills on Sunday It's can't no and and and do the math for a second right so Let's call it three and a half games at the bills win if the bills win they would be four no the Patriots would be One and three so three back in the lost column plus I had to head to me as three and a half So from there we are in week four Well, you would have to get until let's do you'd have they'd have to have four games four games to make that up You'd have week five week six week seven week eight. I'm not even counting by weeks I might go longer than that because of that Bulldog that's at least week eight And that's only if the Patriots win every game in the bills lose every game to week eight I mean you want to talk about like how this could really put them in your rear-view mirror and how you can just start pulling away From the from the garage here. I mean it really is massive difference between that and four and one

2:14:10Versus I'm sorry three and one three and one versus two and three but them having the head to head Yeah, no that's all two and two is what it would be after doing that. I keep them out last year I'm sorry last year was week five this week I apologize. It's fine. You're right. You're right. That's right I'm here for you. I'm here for you. I got you so it'd be only really it'd be only a half a game really if that were the case. Yeah exactly and that and that would be Exactly what happened last year because it got the bills were ahead by two But they lost the head to head and then they lost another game in the Patriots past them and that was it. Yep And they never caught up so yeah, I mean You know, it's the division and it's also the one seed which of course is a you know winning the division You got to win the division going to be the one seed So getting that like out in a headlock at least. I mean, it's not You know, it's not the Patriots can't overcome that But it would just be such a big leg up and that's why the urgency to me is there I keep saying you can't lose this team now. I'm thinking about the division and I'm thinking about the one seed

2:15:14You know, I get I get some pushback You know on social media like the only games that matter are in January I'm like well you want to be in the best shape you can be in in January Get to take week 18 off because you clenched and then sit at home for the wildcard round That that's a great way to make sure you can win in January and the bills have never availed themselves of that So like that absolutely it's funny sales only taken three games But with the way things that fall and with new England stumbling to the start they have um, you know, I know the bills aren't the only three in O team Kansas cities out there too But yeah, I'm I'm back to thinking about the one seed and when when September hit and the no games have been played yet I really wasn't that focused on it because I thought it would be a Too heavy a lift, but maybe you know, they're already in a great spot And as you should be focused on it. I mean, I'll go back to when the bills made the AFC championship in the covid year The first time they kind of arrived they go to the AFC championship They lose to a better Kansas City team no doubt

2:16:14And if you remember in the in the post season interviews with Brandon being and Sean McDermott Brandon being came out and said He told his team next year we want this game at home. How do you do that? You have to finish with a better record you got to get home field you got to get You win the division and then you know a one seed That's something that's alluded this team, but they're they're aware of it right like they know now They're not going to come out here and go we're playing today for the one seed. That's right Good and Joe Brady goes well, I don't give a damn about that meaning three games up What I don't want to do is go one and oh, it's the next game Yeah, I get it and we all know that because it's the next game you because the reason he's not gonna say we win this game We're the one seed. No, that's not what's happening. They're not gonna be pouring champagne But with the goggles on like Aaron judge and everybody in the locker room the other night Sorry, I had to throw that in but they're not doing that right, but that's right But you're not wrong to bring it up because it matters every game matters as people have brought up over the last You know weaker so how many times did the bills trip up and it costs on the one seed I think it's going a little too far because the bills have been you know There's still been a very good team and other teams have tripped up and it's not like they're the only team that loses games

2:17:19They're not supposed to but certainly you can look back on every season and go man that one game they played might have Cost them the one seed and then why is that important? It's not just to have the home field and have the crowd on your side That all matters let's take a What happened let's take a look at what happened against the Steelers the one year they're at home The game they got moved because of the snow And they lose in that game they lose to Robert and I heard they lose Who is the pale inspector and that's why they have to call AJ Klein the next week to come off the couch Because they'd a play an extra game and didn't have enough bodies because they got hurt and we gave team They lost gave Davis and someone else I don't remember well like they Taylor rap maybe whatever they yeah That you you you have to go hard to the wire every year You are increasing the chances you're not gonna have you know You're fully formed roster for the games that really matter and so yeah, that's that it's all baked into the don't Don't stumble here like

2:18:19Do I do I think they're gonna go 17 and all of course not like there's gonna be a good team a great team that beats you Or maybe a lousy team that gets you on a day where you're not at your best This can just can't be that weak. I just think you got a chance It's too valuable and I'm sure they know that and I like I don't know how much Like they're out to write the wrong of the division slipping through their fingers Last year in New England taking it from them, but you know Josh Allen's into his own streak for for starts I'll bet they all the guys that have been here for the whole thing like Alan um Really like the fact that they'd won the division five years in a row and dearly wish it had been six So yeah, you know, I know they got him back later in the year But still New England end up having the better year than you record wise they went farther in the playoffs I think it's time to sort of make that right I'm quite sure that they're You know ticked off I guess internally people are that they didn't win the division last year

2:19:20This other team did and hey they knocked us off our pedestal We got to go and chase them down now and you know that that's something of when you are winning every year And you're the top dog and all of a sudden someone comes after you and takes your crown from you Yeah, you're gonna be mad about it right and maybe if everything falls differently last year in the bills When the division maybe they're the team that's hosting the Denver Broncos and Jared Stidham in the final right in the championship To your point about what we're talking about before right you just don't know How these things are gonna go you got to put yourself in the best position possible and then you know not to get Off my way from this game, but if you look around the league like You can't you don't play the Jags this year you don't play the Bengals if you're the bills like they're playing each other right one of those teams is gonna lose One of those teams and go to two and two one of those teams gonna be three and one there are teams around the conference other than The chiefs or the Ravens or the Bengals in your own division who at the end of the year Those teams you have to keep monitoring to and making sure that you're staying one step ahead of that speaking of that I mean the chiefs and the Raiders they're meeting there the other two three and oh teams So obviously like somebody's gonna gonna get tagged with a loss unless there's a tie but whatever um

2:20:26You're I suppose There's a scenario where the Raiders win this game does that make you really think like okay I think it would mostly I've been dismissing the Raiders like I just come on. I don't I don't buy it three and oh They're not gonna be there at the end. They beat the chiefs on Sunday. I think I'll have to reconsider that I don't think that's wrong. I still want to see how they do it the Raiders are three and oh They've been outgained in two of the three games yardage-wise And the third game was against Miami. It was close. They were they only mind me like 30 or 40 yards more than them. I mean So it they they they are winning because they're getting turnovers They have the best average starting field position in the league because of that and give them credit They should deserve that that that's credit to them. I mean they went to New Orleans. They won the game I just want to see like if they were to beat Kansas City I want to see how they do that is that because they're Beating Kansas City or is Kansas City giving them the game like we talk about here in Buffalo Like if that's how the bills win the game but for for sure

2:21:26They they deserve all the credit for being there and I think certainly if you're a Buffalo bills fan You want them to win that game, but now you start to look and go oh that game Was a little different than what we thought it was when it came out when the bills play them on October 18th Our dash around the league brought to you by dashes market serving western New York for over 100 years shop the family of finer foods at dashes market sale Excellent work as always have yourself a fantastic weekend and Enjoyed it. We'll talk to you. I'm sure something well some we've been you've been joining us on postgame So probably Sunday afternoon at some point And Saber's home opener tomorrow night can't wait to be there as well So he's a rocket so for that absolutely buddy. Thanks a lot. Have a great weekend. All right There you go there's Selkopatio on the westward hotline his appearances are always brought to you by new york's only outlet liquor When you need to stack up. It's the place to buy a case. What's your outlet All right, we will hit up a time out here. I have heard from

2:22:26My co-host who's out sick today. I've got I've got his picks. I've not yet scanned them to see How they line up with the picks I have made for myself But we will have some version of picks. I don't know if I'm going to try to do a Mike impression Or I'm just gonna read his picks or I We're gonna have a pick segment is really the point here That said you got anything you want to get in here We finish we finish early now two to six so Because he's not here picks can be shorter. I don't I don't have to take up a ton of time explaining my picks They're just they're just stupid picks 803 05 50's the number if you want to get in on the football conversation Sal and I were just having or revisit the hockey conversation with the sabers open or last night going the way it did Which is mostly dominated our afternoon Please do feel free 803 05 50 is the number I am the bulldog and this is WGR

2:23:28Yeah, I mean there are very well coached team defensively. They got a lot of studs over there They make life extremely hard for you especially run in the ball give a lot of different blitz looks and you're passing down Especially on third down third and medium third and long so yeah, we have to try to find everything we can find in the film Go out and practice it and try to rep it as much as we can Bill's quarterback Josh Allen in In advance of Sundays showdown Between the bills and the Patriots at high mark stadium 1 o'clock kickoff We get going bright nearly 7 a.m Right through and now nowadays that means right through like I know we don't we don't have the we don't carry the The play by play anymore. We've got the gamecast with Derek and Zach and We'll see maybe Nate he's been a part of it the first three weeks. I don't know if he's gonna be in for Sunday Anyway, cool idea. I think folks seem to be enjoying it the reviews Have been have been fantastic

2:24:30I've not seen any of the reviews, but I I like it I'm just telling you I like it Then after Mike and I will be on from 1812 tavern in Hamburg Abbott road a couple of miles from the stadium right at the where at the corner of Abbott and Armour duels and souls there three three roads come together there And we were there last week at a great time and Invite you to come on out foods great lots good draft beer main lunch on tab if you're an IP guy like I am That's one of my favorites and they have that Got chance to talk to the owner or one of the owners and he loves that beer too Which is one of the reasons why it's there so like I'm a fan anyway come on down What whether you're going to the game or not? I mean come hang out watch the game there Was a really good scene last week and I'm sure it will be again This week so making note of that 803 05 50 is the number. I've got two calls on hold

2:25:32One's a Johnny the other ones a John What should I do? Who's flippet coin? No, Johnny's been waiting longer than John so I'll go to Johnny first Johnny Hi, thanks for calling you're on WGR. What's up Hey Nate. How you doing? Thanks for taking my phone call. I'm I'm Chris, but yeah, happy to be here. Oh Bulldog question For the Italian sauce and stock just Really really really I got I I just clicked you but I want you to just hold on one second I got you that that guy was on hold For 40 minutes to call me a Italian sausage dog. I just I just I just want to make clear like just very But if you didn't hear that that was what happened and For for future reference like if you can get through the first part of whatever your call is going to be Before you make your lame joke without sounding like it's a prank

2:26:33You have a much greater chance of getting through the whole thing without getting hung up on just for future reference I didn't want to give you the cheat code on how to actually prank us, but like that that guy Johnny Was exactly how not to do it is what that was anyway John. Thanks for calling. I'm trusting your this is gonna be real It's gonna be real. All right good So earlier you mentioned Santora's to a clock last ESPN show of heroes. I worked there was I your buyer tender You you'd have to tell me John. I mean I I well, I don't know. I don't want to judge. I was the one drinking I don't I don't know Here I can give you the era. I can give you the era. Um, this is early 90s Um, I was there from 86 to 92. Okay. I'm I'm guessing then for sure we would across paths I would think so back of the day

2:27:33Lou was the buyer tender and then Lou left there in slumbester you board of a told guy I came from slambas to work in heroes because it was different ownership and whatever And um mark mark was also there, but I know that it was a huge sports bar Sabers were coming after all after road trips to um from from um. What was that airport called prior aviation? Yeah, prior yet. Yeah, and uh, you must have been in there So anyway, I heard it earlier. I'm like I got to call this dude just because it's 35 40 years ago And it was it was a great little dive hole It was that was the best We we we had some great great times there, right? And I'm not kidding like we would well, you know you were there Uh, we we would and and I don't know like how other people would have been hanging out there But we'd we'd come in like you know mid 1230 whatever we close up the shop And be like okay, pitcher pitcher

2:28:35Uh, it's getting late. Are we gonna make it to the two a oh okay? Here we go. Here's Craig killborn and whoever here's the two a.m. Sports center. We're still here. Okay another pitcher That was always how it went So where did you sit middle bar left end of bar by the door board is we sat at a we we had a spot We had take the tables near that old ridiculous big screen TV with the projector thing on it That was where we sat we I don't think I ever sat at the bar at heroes I you know we'd come in an order and we'd always sit at that table because there was always like six or six or eight of us Okay, cool also the chick wings there back the day Tencent wings every night. They were epic epic. I agree. I I loved everything about it John do you happen to know because you've brought this up there is I've been driving been going out to play golf out in In in Akron at dandy farms a lot Uh this summer with this golf show that my son and I and our friend Dan have been working on and so I drive out

2:29:40Genesee straight out Genesee and there's a place the sign is WCB heroes Which I think is what the sign was at the heroes on Main Street Is that exactly is that the same people? It's not the same people, but they it's the same sign actually WCB I'm gonna put it to you now if you know what that means. I'll email you when I go out to you Okay, I okay. Yeah, thank you for your discretion I appreciate that Thank you. Good. Okay, so same place. All right, John. Yeah, then then then yeah, you're right we were Yeah, we we uh we broke bread I mean, I don't know that you ever sat at our table with us, but yeah, that was a lot That was a lot of good times there. We in fact The 93 Sabers playoffs Uh, we were in there for the Sabers sweep the Bruins to end Not a playoff drought, but a first getting getting out of the first round drought the Sabers

2:30:43I think it had been 10 years since they had gotten out you know, one of playoffs years they were in I think every year, but they just never won around and of course in 93 they sweep the Bruins in four straight mayday and You know that that streak ends we were there for game one of that series Uh, I believe that's is that Bob Sweeney. I think in overtime um Anyway, we watched the first three games of that series there and Game four we it was a Saturday night. We all had stuff going on and there's no cell phone So we're not texting you know But I remember the phone is still the my parents house Phone rings it's like you know the game is it's the Sabers are losing they came back to win game four and sweep and so at some point the Sabers are behind I could look at the box to get it exactly, but just trust me

2:31:43uh risky, but They're losing and one of the guys probably like do you think we should go to heroes? And as I as it was like a family function Maybe my my sisters birthdays and my grandmother's birthdays. It's our playoffs around Easter probably that that that probably rings a bell like I don't know man. I'm I'm i'm i'm in tough over here like I don't think I don't think I can extricate myself comfortably from uh this family thing so I know I but it was suggested Like we we're losing we need to get we need to get heroes so we had Not only did we sit in the same spot we had assigned seats and if Game one it's me mic joe and rob say i'm just these are these are the names of my friends I don't know that they all would have been there for game one, but just hypothetically right there's the four of us and game two

2:32:44Rob's not there But maybe joe's brother Steve is or somebody else and We would make there would be an announcement at the table like sitting in the seat Occupied by rob for game one is Steve and it was very formal and very serious So that phone call was not a weird thing at all like we got to get the heroes and I can't I can't do it I don't I don't remember now if any of them went without me and someone played the part of Chris Parker That night at heroes, but they came back in one and it was great um good times man really cool place all right i gotta take a break we'll get you picks After this thank you for the call john Johnny you can Here uh picks after this on wgr What you're listening to presumably doesn't suck so neither should your sound system Sonos lets you listen seamlessly from room to room same great sound expertly tuned astonishingly clear

2:33:46It's not magic, but it's not not magic