Best Interviews on WGR: Sep. 28-Oct. 2

0:00Sometimes 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. I'm going to get to Vic Carucci here in a moment and just saw something I kind of can't believe. To NFL stat, we'll bring Vic in for it because is it not that the Titans had eight first downs? No. Vic and Morty Jeremy and Joe, Vic, it's this. The Browns have won eight consecutive Thursday night games. What? Yeah, yeah. They're on fire on Thursday night. Why don't they just make the whole schedule out of Thursday night for the Browns?

1:00It's all their problems. I think they resorted to that. Given their history, of course. Isn't there a Steelers? There is. The Steelers are 0 and 9 all time against their division on Thursday night. And I think there's another streak of how many they've lost in a row. I guess we should have known last but it was the lock of locks that the Browns were going to get the job done. They're three in one. They've lost nine of their last 10. Nine of the last 10 on Thursday night is Pittsburgh. Vic, good morning. Happy football Friday. Thanks for being with us. One of the actually start off with something about the bills here with Greg Russo, who's named the AFC defensive player of the month. It's the first bills defensive player of the month in the Josh Allen era. Well, I think it's noteworthy that it comes in Jim Leonard's first month running a new defense that he has gotten more out of at least one player and arguably more. Then the bills have gotten out of anyone player in the Josh Allen era undefense. No, I think it's really significant that Greg Russo is having this breakout

2:04and having it under the conditions with a new defensive coordinator with a new scheme and a new role. And all of the, if we had a list of all those questions, we always have them going into a season of what about this? What's going to cause the anxiety? You guys know a big part of that was Greg Russo standing up. This isn't going to work. I mean, how could it? He's a big defensive, long defensive man, hand in the ground. Well, I think it's giving him a lot of freedom. I know he's answered questions. He hasn't loved the questions, right? About, hey, Greg, you're standing up now. How much better this is for you? Look at the production. And he wants to say, hey, I've always been good or producing at a high level. And it's not about this. But I think this is a big factor. And I think he's also grown and come into his owners of player. That's another part of this. Do you feel like it's helping too that their interior line is also doing so well

3:06through a couple of games, making it easier on the edge guys? Absolutely. Absolutely. Joe, I think we, maybe it's, I don't think it's underappreciated by people who watch the bills closely, but again, what Dion Walker is doing, what others are doing on the interior are definitely opening things up. And I think there's a little bit of a Bradley Chubb factor here. Not the great production from him, which I didn't think I certainly didn't expect. But a steady presence. And in two ways, on the field is one, draw some attention. Maybe the biggest one though is in the meeting room. Is it on the practice field? I think he is having a tremendous impact influence on Greg Russo and teaching him those finer points of playing edge rusher. Big Rucho joining us on the Western Hotline Bills and Patriots this week. It's the second consecutive week, Vic, that we've got, you know, the, if I may wounded animal,

4:09kind of theme, the chargers, what's wrong with the chargers. The Patriots one to me is different. The Patriots were a good team. They returned a lot of people and everything is going wrong from Drake May's shoulder injury to no AJ Brown and looks like they made a big mistake. And the weapons for Drake May, the label kind of seems like he's under the microscope. The offseason, of course, lending part to that. How bad do you think it could get for New England if in fact they lose Sunday? I think it can get extremely bad for them. I don't think they're in a good place at all right now. I hear what you're saying about wounded animal. We had that discussion last week about the chargers, about desperation. I don't think desperation was what fueled that game being closer and more competitive than we thought it would be. It was the bills just basically playing bad football until they decided to wake up a little bit toward the end of the game. But relative to where the Patriots are, this is problems compounding problems.

5:10Adding, of course, the entry list. When you see Christian Gonzales, Christian Barmar, they're two best defensive players, either not going to be in full health or out or whatever they might be when this game comes. Just add that to the list and they are a troubled football team. But what I don't like is what Drake May is doing in terms of the turnovers. And I also find great concern for the Petsake. When I hear, and we had a conversation with Mike Reese, John Scott on our show, I had with him, but we heard it with John Scott on Sports Talk Live Buffalo Plus on Channel 2. One of the things Mike said was, Vrable's message to, basically, to Drake May is, don't get bored doing the right thing. I'm thinking to myself, that's those are heavy words. That's the head coach saying, you're not doing the right thing. And apparently, you're not focused enough on doing it.

6:13If you have those kinds of questions and concerns now, that's a big deal. And this guy may, in his second year in the Josh McDaniel system, so there shouldn't be issues there. He was playing well in the regular season last year. That wasn't a mirage. There's their weak schedule and notwithstanding. But from the postseason on, we have seen this trend of, his inability to handle good defenses and his inability to take, put the team on his shoulders, just what, franchise quarterbacks have to do occasionally, at least. And yeah, you mentioned age, you're brown. And this offensive line, let's say that to the list, they got problems. There is nothing to like about where the Patriots are or where they're going. Yeah. Right. They really tried, like comparing this match up to when the bills faced New England last year. Their offseason was about upgrading the things around him, both at receiver and like,

7:13they had Elijah Vera Tucker on the line. And I think it's pretty easy to look at what the group is around him now and feel like it's worse than when they played the bills last season. Yeah, John, I think so. Absolutely. It feels like it's been downgraded and it feels like, I mean, they made the conscious decision to move on from Stefan Dicks, who was their most impactful receiver. Obviously, the thought was AJ Brown will replace that and maybe even be better and then he gets hurt. So that blows up on them. But when you really see how thin, how vulnerable they were in the event that AJ Brown would get hurt, what kind of planning and what kind of anticipation is that because that's most of this game when it comes to personnel. Looking around the corner, just thinking about like Jim Leonard with the iffy situation with the bills cornerback position.

8:13Right. And Christian Benford, the possibility that he doesn't play. But what is Jim Leonard been doing through these three games, giving reps to his to Davis and Eggman Olsen, right? Getting him on the field and at least some level of experience to where when he gets if and when I'm guessing he's pushed out there as a starter Sunday, he's comfortable. Vick are we all just spiraling towards bills chiefs AFC champion? Jim. I mean, the chiefs, I think so. The chiefs kind of look back and I've seen some numbers on my homes within without BNME and all the sudden, like that's all I needed to see was that. And I just, okay, I'm going to go ahead and book that for January. Yeah, I would do that. Kenneth Walker is as much a part of that to that discussion as me enemy. But I think the Eric me enemy presence is a thing. And Walker's being on the team allows BNME to do that physical more physical tough thing that was a part of

9:16that chiefs beginning of dynasty. Even with all the the speed, Tyree kill all that, you had that physical presence. And Andy Reed is brilliant offensive play caller and mind as there is. I mean, I don't know how is it appreciated how smart that guy is and how incredible he is when it comes to seeing big picture, small picture with his offense and with his team in general. And they're back in that on that track. Obviously, his mom's his health, but it is really about what Kenneth Walker has done to elevate that that put them back to where they were. They're Kuru Chi on the West outlining. Big thanks. We'll talk next week. Enjoy the game. All right guys. Three straight home games. Doesn't happen often. Three in a row. Three straight home games. Yeah. I'm looking real quick. I know everyone thinks the chiefs are back because we all watched their first two games. Is anyone want to point out that nobody has mentioned a thing about

10:17their dolphins game last week? Yeah. They went into the fourth quarter up four points. The dolphins had a drive with five minutes to go to tie the football game. That's the worst roster. The league has seen in 20 years. And they had a drive to tie the game of five minutes left. They didn't look. I don't I don't I don't watch every snap of that game. I don't think the reports where they look good against Miami. They look very good in the first two games, but maybe they were bored. Maybe they took it easy to just see the bills against the chargers. But that's what I mean. Like the bills. We think they looked. It was an ugly win for them against a charger's team that had more expectations than that Miami team. The chiefs basically did the same thing against we think a worse Miami roster to what the bills just did against the chargers. Vic Crew. She's appearance on WGR brought you by Northtown Volkswagen Northtown VW West New York's number one VW dealer. It's a pizza Friday on WGR brought you by Joey's pizza. Make your Friday even better with 25% of any small one-topping pizza. Just order online at Joey's pizza Buffalo.com and click code WGR 25 at checkout last week.

11:18We got the big Mac pizza. That was that's my favorite one. So it was awesome. Yeah. Excited to find out what we get later today. We're getting pizza. We should also talk about the Goldie Gold last night, right? She's Turkins. Gorsar Goldie Gold. Yeah. We've got the super-grid American football Friday friends here, which will include a draft. Very exciting draft. All right. We'll get your calls in and fly over radio at 930. All the elements that you expect from a football Friday on WGR. You must remember this presents The Bisexuals. Libby Holman was a sexually fluid blue singer he became famous in the 1920s and then infamous when she was indicted for her husband's murder. Later, Libby began an affair with movie star Montgomery Clifft, who had to keep his own bisexuality secret in Hollywood in the 1950s, also featuring Elizabeth Taylor, Josephine Baker, Drugs or G's and of course movies. Follow and listen to you must remember this wherever you get your podcasts. Bulldog just was right now heady to bring up as we sat down to get ready to talk to

12:28Ross. Is he coming back this week? And I believe the answer is yes. Patriots Bill Sunday for CBS, that's my information. Now with us on the Western hotline, it was someone who might know better. Ross Tucker himself joining us and Ross is this the case. Are you headed back up here this weekend? I am coming back up there to do my third build game in four weeks, second one on TV and first TV game in the new stadium. So very much looking forward to it. I know a lot about that rivalry. They were the Patriots were very, very, very, very, very good when I played in Buffalo. So really, really looking forward to it. Now we saw the tweet about the food. I missed last week. So apologies if this has already been covered. I feel like sometimes with the tuck spreads, you are whether you're going to say it or not, I think you'll probably say it. Like, all right, this is really good. This is a great looking tuck spread. And sometimes you might just sort of like, all right, these are the eggs.

13:35This is the sausage. I feel like you're this is the bread. We know you well enough. If you're there's not a comment, then it's maybe not great. Yeah. There's going to be a range here, right? Ross, I mean, there's got to be ones that are better than others. There's definitely ones that are better than others. And you guys have known me long enough now and people that hear me call game, though, I really, I'm not good at hiding stuff. Like, if I really like something, I'm pretty adamant about it. Like, whether it's delicious wings or Dion Walker or Josh Allen or whatever, right? I get excited. I'm excited. So I'm also never going to be negative or criticize free food. Okay. I'm from I'm from Reading Pennsylvania. That goes against everything I believe in. So I'm you're never going to hear me criticize it. But I think it is probably fair to say

14:39that you will not hear the same amount of Vim and Vigor in my voice for some of the press box spreads or spreads period. So that would be actually, I mean, nobody cares this much or has this much time. But you could probably give my give the press box to a grade just based on the zest in my voice as I'm describing it. And you can kind of tell, okay, here's a little sneak preview. You can kind of tell by the bang at the end. So like, if I'm like bang, then I really like this is legit. If I'm like bang, that's like, and it's probably not that great. It's free. The best thing about it is that it's free. If, by the way, the most important part of the story here is a lot of people have no idea what we're talking about. Follow me on social media at Ross Tucker NFL. I always post it

15:44to Twitter, X and Instagram. I don't always get to do it to Facebook. And I definitely don't do it for TikTok, but at Ross Tucker NFL, although what's interesting is that allow these places and the bills are the same. The radio and print writers or digital writers or media people, they are in a different location as the TV network booths. So that didn't used to be the case as much, but that's a growing trend where the TV booth is like the second or third level, midfield, where the luxury suites are or whatever, the luxury boxes. And then the radio and the print folks are way up high or in the corner or whatever. So like for the bills, Lions game on the

16:45radio, I was kind of way up high and with the rest of the media folks still a great location, blah, blah, blah. But for the TV, I think I'll be I haven't been there yet. But I think I'll be several several stories lower. Yeah. A little bit of a better vantage point. They showed Kevin Burkhardt and Brady a few times on Sunday. And that looks like yeah, lower and like midfieldish. So does that mean, well, you don't know this yet about the, I'm wondering if that means you get, like do you get maybe a spread from like the sweets or something when you're in that booth as opposed to the yeah festival when I get there, right. I will usually eat the CBS crew meal, which is for the crew, it's for the camera guys and the production people because they don't really have, they don't have access or a chance to go up to the press box. Right. So then what's happening, like even Texans week one, I think the Texans have the best press box in the league, but it was also week one, it was a new crew. So I never got up there. I never got it to go to the press box because that's

17:51not where our booth location was. So I end up having CBS crew meal, which is solid, typically. Actually in Pittsburgh, they had a nice ham and cheese omelette for me. That was good. And then they do have some stuff in the booth that I can, that I can eat to if I need. I was listening to Ross before the bills Lions game, leaving our location from pregame to go home. And they asked him about the food. And he said, listen, all I've had a chance at so far is ice cream. So I'm eating my ice cream now. And then I'll get to the rest of it. That was the fact actually, I wasn't hungry yet. I wasn't overly hungry yet. I was saving my meal for between seven to seven thirty. So before I did that radio interview, I did partake. So here's what I did because up in the bill of chest box, they have really, really good cookies. So I went soft cookie on the bottom of a Tim Horton's coffee cup. Then I went mixed vanilla chocolate ice cream. Then I put another

18:58cookie on top. So I was essentially like my own Gary Queen blizzard or whatever you want to call with a concrete or whatever insert your term there. That's what I did. Smart. You mean you've been around. You know, you know the, you know the game. And we've, this isn't my first rodeo. This not your first rodeo. And I think we've told you this once before, but I want to bring it up here quickly again, is that I think maybe I or we were ahead, we were sort of ahead of our time. Because when we were going to the stadium every week, there were like five of us who would guess the menu. So you like the food element and you like betting. And you would have been just perfect in our group because we were like naming not only betting the food, but naming what it was going to be called, you know, like there are certain nuances to the food to make it sound maybe better than it is. And so we would like write down. And there was always one food item that was sort of themed for the opposing team. Right. So we would have that. And you know, never, I never

20:01wanted to tweet about it because it seemed like it would be the thing you just said you want to do is a critical free meal. And you know, free food. I'm from Grand Island, New York. I would be the same way as someone from Reading Pennsylvania. Well, what I like, by the way, is the bills to my knowledge still might be the only team in the league where the Davy floor or two days before they email you what the menu is. And so this is critical. This is super important because with them emailing you what the menu is, like I'm going to get the Buffalo Friday morning. So that's well, lunch will be at the team cafeteria and we have a dinner plan. But Saturday breakfast, Saturday lunch, maybe even Saturday dinner, you know, maybe maybe on Sunday they'll have beef on wet. So maybe because of that, I won't go somewhere for beef on wet or you know, like you gotta understand the separation and life is in the preparation in all forms, including eating. Yes. With Ross Tucker, we're halfway through. Ross joining us on the West her hotline. So how do you

21:04look at Sunday for the bills? They were kind of a sloppy mess. Penelope's five turnovers, but yet a stinky performance like that's still good enough to win by eight. Is that a glass half full or half empty for you? Yeah, it's a glass half full. I mean, on a couple of different levels, one is anytime you win in the NFL when you don't play well or you don't play your best, like I always say not all wins are the same, like not all first down, you know, third down conversions are the same, not all wins are the same. You know, like the Seahawks coming from behind against the Patriots, down double digits with a backup quarterback to win the opener. That's a huge win. Like that, that's a huge win. That's not the same as if don't play the whole game or whatever. Same thing for the bills. Five turnovers. Your minus four and turn over margin and you win the game. That is like massive. That's a look at the stats. I'm sure you guys have talked about it.

22:06You should lose that game pretty much every time. You should lose if your minus four turn over margin. So that is, I mean, they get the lessons. We already better. Can't do this guys. Protect the ball. It's a lot nicer to get the lessons in a win than it is in a loss. Ross Tucker with us insider calls presented by Nationwide so much more than a great insurance company. Nationwide is one of America's largest financial services companies too. Nationwide is on your side. Ross, things have, it's kind of a preface by saying it's been like this all their times, but so far through three weeks, things are really breaking their way. You have Houston at 0 and 3, the Chargers at 0 and 3, for whatever it's worth. I mean, these are teams that were in the conversation at the top of the conference. The bills have three games on them and they've beaten them both. I mean, it's the chiefs and the raiders, whatever the raiders are, but the AFC North teams all have losses. Jacksonville even has a loss Denver. So so far so good. I mean,

23:07the one seed is got to, it's got to be the goal again for this bills team. It's been so close so many times what has never gotten to that one. And you know, through three weeks, you can really think about it. Well, the dolphins are not good. The jets are going to be the jets. Whatever that ends up being. And the Patriots are really struggling. This is a super important game for both those teams, super important. I mean, the bills can put the Patriots in a world of hurt if they can get the 4-0, knock the Patriots down to 1 and 3 and, you know, have that three game lead. Conversely, obviously, for the Patriots to be 1 and 3. I mean, it's, you know, I just, I always felt like when I was playing, if you were 500 or better, you were in the mix. Yeah. Well, if the Patriots win, then they're two and two there in the mix. If they lose and they're 1 and 3, they got to win two games just to get back to the in the mix category. So makes a, makes a significant difference in my mind. And I think it's a massive game. You know,

24:10I'm expecting the Patriots to bounce back. Too many good players, too good of a coach. After that performance, they put forth on Sunday in Jacksonville. That was sort of a stunner. If you actually watch every snap of that game, I'm expecting the Patriots to play their best. Or certainly a lot better than they did last week. And then for the bills, you know, you would not expect them to have five turnovers again and play sloppy like that. But certainly, they've got some issues. And the Patriots are going to do whatever they can to try to attack the dish. I don't know if you guys haven't been updated on benefit yet or whatever, but there are certainly some things that you know, the Patriots are going to try to give an edge of that they see. Now the bill, the bills under Brady, McDermott was what NFL coach is forthcoming. But I felt like on Mondays after games, you would get here's what the injury is. And this is some rough timeline, right? It was vague, but at least I think you got that. This not even had, we got to wait till Wednesday now.

25:14And even Wednesday, late Wednesday, like 5 p.m. when the injury report comes out to get any clarity on that. So nothing yet, obviously, it's only Tuesday. How, how much, how close do you think Drake May can get to being their best? I said earlier, right now, Ross, I mean, he just doesn't look like he can throw the ball like he could earlier in the year. And when they beat Buffalo in week five here last season, he needed to be great. I mean, he made some big time throws in that game. And right now, I don't know the questions about his shoulder are making it to Mike Raible's news conferences now. And I just wonder what you see there if you, you know, whether you can actually throw the ball like he needs to. You know, it's funny watching the TV copy, which is the first one I watch. I didn't notice the velocity as much as I just noticed the decision making. You know,

26:14I mean, the interceptions were bad. I really, really bad. And it started with the one in Seattle at the end of the game. It's hard to believe he's a really, really bright young man by all accounts, incredibly diligent. You know, he actually, he got a lot of similar character. It's exactly the Josh in terms of he's a big kid, not as big as a big arm, not as big of an arm. He's a good runner, maybe not as good of a runner as yeah. He's kind of like a Josh light, you know. But he's making some decisions that are just hard, hard to wrap your head around. The one reception to Travis Hunter, it's kind of like what is he doing? I mean, it's, I don't know, only he can answer. I mean, I'm asking Saturday, but only he can answer that. Ross, how about Eagles after last night? How bad a shape are they in? I think they're okay. I mean, you know, case Keenam played the game of his life.

27:18I just don't know how often that's going to happen. How about that? Where he plays that well. Now, some of that is the Eagle defense, but I mean, a lot of those guys, he had pressure on him. There was pretty good coverage. I don't think he missed a throw all night. I mean, I don't know what is, I know he was over 70%. Yeah, but I, I felt like every, I mean, even like the one a Dundae dropped the touchdown for him in the end zone. That was an unbelievable throw. He, it was, I was really proud of him. You know, you don't play for that long. You're that age. You know, he probably thought a number of times he's never going to start another NFL game. He's third string. You know, he shouldn't start another NFL game. Then he gets out there on a Monday night against one of the best teams in the NFL and plays that well. It was incredible. It was great. He, but he ran one in like I bet they don't think I'm going to do it. So I'm just going to do it. I'm just going to, but you're right. He didn't miss. I mean, there were, there were some plays, a couple of where he moved in the pocket so deftly like, wow, like this guy hasn't been, he hasn't had work in two years. He wanted to play. I mean, just really cool to see it. I didn't

28:21have you thinking I might be ready for a comeback just for one one given Sunday Ross. No, although the Ravens are down their top three centers. Yep. And so Greenback did occur to me to maybe just go on practice squad for a couple of weeks to account to the year so I can reset my health insurance for five years. That would be nice. That would be really nice. All right, Ross. Well, hopefully one of these weeks when you're up, we can cross-paths. I'm not sure if it'll be possible this week. I'd love for it to be though. Great time of year up here as you know, fall early fall is the best. So hope you enjoy your visit. I absolutely will. Hopefully we can connect. Thanks so much guys. All right. All right. There you go. Ross Tucker. His insider calls brought to you by nationwide for your insurance and financial needs nationwide is on your side and also by Northtown Volkswagen, Northtown VW West New York's number one VW dealer. We haven't talked about Keenam yet today, but it was really cool last night.

29:27It was really cool. Yeah, it was. I agree. It really was. We had, we had, you know, Ross had a go, but he's got two girls and he's a father of two girls. And Keenam, I don't know if it was after the game play like his kids won one, a daughter. Maybe they're both girls or I just know he was talking about how his kids are at an age where they, you know, they were around, but they never saw him play. And so he's like, this was the first chance for them to like see daddy play and like know what they're really watching, which is really, really super cool. And on the heels of the Verlander thing. Yeah. From Sunday, I mean, just girl dads are having a couple of days here, I think. That Verlander thing was incredible. I haven't seen it yet. Oh, like his daughter came to the mound. Yeah. Yeah, he was a couple of teammates. Like he was, you know, he's waiting the mountain, being taken out of the game and she ran out of the dugout. And I mean, he just melted. Did he know? I don't know if that was

30:34a surprise or not. But I mean, he was one of the things he watched. Like you, I'm sort of ready for it because like I'd seen it referenced. And like, oh, this is going to kill you when you see it. And like, okay, all right. All right. So what's going to oh my god. I'm broken. Yeah. I just want to know what those like just really, really, really powerful and Kate, up to his mom and nice. Yeah. I did not know that. I, well, they got married. I'm assuming that that's the case. I saw footage of him very early in his career tossing her a ball about she was like sitting above the dugout. And I think maybe that's, I don't know if they met. If that was how they met or maybe it helped things along or what I don't know, I was at the game. I was at maybe was she sitting behind me at the game. I was good. I've been well, I don't I have jumped up. I don't think she was not only she was behind anybody. I wrestled

31:36the ball. I saw her right up right at the edge of the dugout there is where she was. So she was in front of you. It's the same game. The only foul ball I ever quote caught at a major league game. I kind of wrestled away from an old man. But if it were a kid. Okay. Well, I'm not going to fight this fight. I mean, really wasn't a fight. It was like a sort of in an instant. We both had our hands out of it. I just sort of yeah. If it's a kid, you know, you give the kid the ball. Sure. That much I know. Yeah. But I was the kid in this situation. Okay. I mean, I was probably 25. But I didn't feel like I had any sort of obligation. No, I don't give the ball away. No. And a lot of a lot of the situation. How do you feel that I certainly do? How old kids, how old women, sometimes any family member? Old was this man. I don't know. I don't know. Not old. They're that old old. Okay. Because there's an old, old point where I think it reverts to like the kid. What am I supposed to do? I think what am I supposed to do? Ask him. Sir, I just have one quick.

32:40How much older are you than I? And if it read, if it's a certain number higher than he gets the ball, did it seem like it took everything he had to be battling for the ball? No, it was really quick. Okay. I just know that like we both kind of had a claim to it and I just sort of you won. Do you know where this was? You know the story? No, I don't. County Stadium, Milwaukee. Okay. Third old county stadium. County Stadium. Third Bay side, Darrell Hamilton. I think his deceased was the batter, brewers, white socks. It was just a foul pop up behind the dugout. I could have given it to my girlfriend. Maybe I even did. I don't know where this ball is. It could be one that we've played within the yard. I don't even know. It's not in my like sort of special area. Right. Yeah. This ball. No, that the brewers ball. Yeah. We got we didn't get. We had a nice gentleman sitting near us. We were very close to the first base. We were on the first baseline. Two second row. This guy

33:44was sitting in the first row and he knew everybody was in Pittsburgh when the kids were little and he he got like pool holes to give us a ball. But it wasn't like you know we didn't get we you know wasn't a foul ball. Yeah. No. Like it was. It happens. You know. But even though it's like that was that was a special memory to for me, for my boys. I know that that ball is in a bucket with other balls. Positive. I'll tell you another ball where I don't know what's whereabouts is the one that I dropped that Adam Dunn hit into the third deck. I chased stadium that bounced off my two hands. That was batting practice. And I was you know if you know me this would come as no surprise. In this moment, I was filling out my scorecard. I was writing in the lineup with pencil. I'm you know, you buy from the player match. And so I'm filling out the scorecard. Here comes a ball. I'm in my seat and I see the whole thing like I'm not surprised. You're not surprised. I'm watching

34:44the whole thing. And there were lots of people up there like there was going to be competition for this ball. And it just came right to me in my seat. And nobody else got in my way. But I just had my hands like this and cupped and bounced off the palm of my hand and somebody else picked it up. So I don't know where that ball is either. Yeah. I know you should never saw it again. Yeah. That would have been like 98th at Shay. But Adam Dunn, that guy, remember I would go to games randomly and Adam Dunn would always hit a home run. A walkoff grand slam and Cincinnati, a grand slam in Washington. Like every time I go to a game, it's Adam Dunn was in the lineup and he would hit a home run. And this one was the first of that. This was batting practice. But he still hit one. I mean, third deck at Shay Stadium was no joke. Right. And like I certainly was not expecting a ball to come up there. Right. But I did see it. Oh, well. All right, Ross Tucker, Tuesdays at four. Paul Hamilton at five hockey starts in about 40 minutes with Florida and Carolina.

35:46We'll look for your calls after the break 803 05 50 Mike Schopen the Bulldog WGR. Every week on the Moth podcast, you'll hear true stories that will intrigue you, inspire you, and make you laugh. He said, is there anything in 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. When it looks right with Greg, it's pretty. And I mean, the ability to win consistently with his power, with his length, and just continually pushing and affecting the pocket, the consistency that he can do that with. It's a lot of fun right now. And he feels it's he's on a heater. You never know when those are going to end and he's playing with a ton of confidence. The run game is just as

36:47impressive. You know, when you put up some of the things that he's doing in the run game for us. So playing at a high level, he trusts what we're asking him to do. And he's going out there every game right now and being a warrior for us. So a lot of fun to watch. All right, that is Bill's defensive coordinator, Jim Leonard. We are going to talk some defense here. We have got Channel 4, WIVB's Carl Jones on the line here on the West Terrahot line. You want to hit that for me there, Brad? I can't only have the mouse over here. Thank you. How are we doing, Carl? I'm good. Go ahead. Be with you guys on this gloomy Tuesday afternoon. It's good to hear from you too. We're happy to have you on our this is our first official run here on our WGR mid days driven by North Town automotive. We're happy to have you on. We wanted to bring on to talk some defense here. Well, let's just start with with Christian Benford and the possible, you know, not possible. He's injured. The injury, how big of a loss is that going to be for this Bill's defense, Carl? I mean, it'll be a big loss in the fact that he has handled the biggest matchups

37:52for the Bill's defense so far. And week one, he basically shadowed Nico Collins and then the same thing with Amarost saying Browning. I know people are like, well, listen, those matchups didn't go so well. How much worse could it get without him? I promise you things could all he's got much worse. So and listen, it's never encouraging when the defensive back has lower body injuries, you know, when we're called as of what it is. So hopefully whatever it is, there's nothing too severe. You can come back to the field relatively soon. It does help out that the schedule doesn't appear too daunting in terms of why we see the ones at least for this upcoming week with the Patriots. No AJ Brown. So you shouldn't be too concerned with that. But it's cool. Can the cool is healthy. I mean, heck, we got we're seeing what the violence is still doing at age of 33. You would need him for that matchup because without him, it would be pretty tough. For sure. And that was the next thing I wanted to ask about Carlos. It feels like to me at least that we're hearing a lot about Benford getting picked on through three weeks in this this Bill season. And I'm curious to get your take on whether that's you think Benford struggling or if there are

38:56just some really elite wide receivers that are really good at what they do. So they're going to get theirs. I'm curious whether you think Benford's off to a rough starter if he's just had a couple of tough matchups. Nico Collins. I'm on Ross St. Brown as you mentioned. It's funny. Exactly. I actually watched all of his targets and even just like deep passing routes this morning. And I came to the conclusion that he's asked them bad matchups from some matchups and to be expected. Also think that Jim learned is learning his personnel. He is learning what he had out there. And he wants to see what he can and can't get away with. Let's not forget he just came from Denver where he had the best cornerback football as his pose a passer-tang. So obviously no one is going to think that CB is him. But you just want to see what's the personnel is like. So he's going to be in situations and circumstances where he's going to be a little bit more mancovers and siloed up with the opposing teams best wide receivers. There's going to be can give and take with it. Remember he didn't do a lot of that under Sean McDermott. He always had like a needy to help right over the top. I mean now Jim literally has one islands with certain extent. So I think it's new for CB and we'll see

40:01if this is a role that's great for him. The matchups have been tough and I think that at the end of the day you have to win at some point right. You can be a man all you want but it's not winning what's the point of being out there playing mancovers. So I wouldn't say he's off to a bad start but it's not been great either. Well he's been noticeable and that's not typically what he is. That's kind of he's a quiet sort of solid defensive back for the bills and people notice when Nico Collins is running by and notice when things aren't necessarily going so well. Is it possible Carol to be really really good and be the top guy in that room and then the plan changes a little bit and you drop way down. That seems crazy to me. I think it depends on how you you play the position because I think one thing that's unique about cornerbacks there are mancovers and there are zone corners. I think there are various you that are elite at both. I mean the guy in Denver is one of those guys who is definitely superb A plus

41:03at both. And the bills did a lot of zone principal stuff where even if the cornerback was a man cover he had a lot of immediate help so he was never on island. It was very cornerback friendly under shot McDermott. And I think now there's a little bit more island stuff where cornerbacks are going to get more attention right longer and different. I mean you go watch the Denver Bronco is game. I think Riley Moss is a good cornerback but he's going to get peppered just based off the way that they play. So he's getting the brunt of the targets because he's getting all of I know a lot of people are saying well Max and I GB are playing better. I don't think anyone can name anyone who maxed YGB have guarded the first three weeks just because they aren't guarding players are really draw attention right. I don't know. I GB did have a good game. I thought on Sunday. So it comes with a territory man. If when you are that CB one you are going to get peppered until you can prove you can stop it. And if you can't stop it I think they'll have to change how they maneuver things on the back end. Speaking of those two young guys I GB and Maxwell Harrison. I was interested in Harrison because I thought to your point there that because of the

42:09competition because of the nature of the matchups on Christian Benford that the first few opponents represented and it felt like quarterbacks were just let's just we're going to throw to our number one receiver and we're going to target over there. I think Harrison it felt to me like he got away with a few things. It looked like there were some guys with some space. Jameson Williams against Detroit. I thought got it looked like pretty open on him a few times. What have you seen from the young couple of guys I heard you mentioned a IGB there had a good game on Sunday I agree. But what have you seen from those young developing corners. Yeah it's tough because they aren't really getting the I don't want to get to X and O in here but like the bills do a lot of stuff with called combo covers. On one side they'll play man covers on the other side is Don. Christian Benford has gotten a lot of the man coverage reps. So there haven't been a lot of opportunities where the bills corners have been in man locking guys like the CB2 excusing so that will be Max or IGB. The one rep that comes to mind is the day to day Beno some pass break up the second play

43:12when he came in for Christian Benford right on Sunday. They just haven't been given a lot of opportunities. Obviously Max dropped the interception on Sunday it was a good play by him falling off the post so we can't drop the money we got to make that play. I thought they've been solid to this point. I don't think it's been anything great because they just haven't gotten a lot of opportunities to make anything shake to be quite frank with you. I don't know how that's going to change because New England's offense is a dumpster fire at this point but listen if CB isn't right for the LA game we'll learn real quick about because they got two number ones out there. Devon Adams, Andrew, good to call you if you're so happy. I don't know if it was last week or over the weekend when I sent a text to Owen and said can you please get Karla on the show because I read what he was writing and saying about Dion Walker and I just wanted to kind of dwell in the in the birth of Dion Walker as a monster in this league it seems to be it seems to me that you've picked up on it just as well as anybody. I mean how can you miss it he's literally a mountain of a man like

44:15he's one of those like you know a lot of times defensive tackles don't get the love they deserve but because we're not racking up facts right they're not getting the loud sacks so not giving the loud sls oh that good brother has been very loud with his play for the first three weeks I mean he's getting a lot of sacks is basically forcing the quarterback to move off of his spot and then rally chub or grew or someone else cleaned it up he's been stout in the run game like no hyperbole I haven't watched every single defensive tackle this year he can't be too far off of the off-road line like that's the level of play that we're talking about right now he's I don't know how you block him because he three thirty so good luck any opposing centers out there trying to move him but he's also quicker than most guards and centers is I mean this is the dream of what you think of when you take a prospect in the fourth round who has some back issues but it's sophomore year he was he was he was amazing top ten type of potential is coming together in his sophomore campaign and super encouraging the watch I have fun as someone who loves defensive back play I'm I will be lying to y'all I didn't

45:16say every Monday morning I'm not watching ninety six every single time your DB's get a better chance when he just makes life hell for everything right up the middle right in the quarterbacks phase I mean that there's been so much talk about Russo and now two sacks per game times three is impressive but I keep walking away from the game thinking about Dion Walker no knock on Russo he I love I love how he looks particularly without putting his hand on the ground like there's just a different physicality to him when you can see all of them being ready for the snap so my eyes are drawn to that but I can't look away from what's happening in the middle and you know I like many people can fall into a just watch the ball pattern but I can't take my eyes off a ninety six not just on film but live in the game I wonder what's going to happen on this play with this guy and that doesn't happen a lot with defensive tackles there were so many plays Detroit and then this past weekend against L.A. Chargers where if ninety six doesn't force the quarterback move off of his spot

46:20Dion Walker I'm talking about it's a chunk play you mentioned the Jamison Williams play earlier I think that was Greg was so sacks but there was a route where Quinn Johnson's running Scott free off of the edge if they don't get pressure up front that's another explosive play for all of the I don't expect concerns on the back end but the struggles that they have to this point the past rush into totality has cleaned up a lot of messes on out three because they have been superb through the first three weeks I'm curious Carl if if you've ever been in or even if you could just share some insight into how that might go in a meeting room that that what you're describing there of listen this line you guys back there DB's you guys got to get it together these guys are helping you out the is that the kind of conversation that Jim Leonard is is having in the bills meeting defensive meeting rooms right now about listen we're getting we're getting the results we need but there is stuff back here that we really need to get right because it is not look in the way we needed to and there there are there are mistakes being made that are being covered up because you're

47:24getting as you mentioned all pro level play from really two of your defensive lineman yeah I've been in the couple rooms like that and it wasn't the entire season at some point you picked things up but it's one of those things was understood doesn't need to be explained too much like on the back end we know that guys are on a scot free I don't need someone to be yelling in my face all day and keep reminding me like hey you guys are getting helped out a little bit because up front winning yet no crafts I mean I got eyes to coach I see big boys six seven three thirty taking down quarterback and Greg so um but you definitely to go off of that point you definitely have a sense of prize where you're like a whole lot I don't want to be carried I also want to bring some weight to this conversation as well and also be important I don't want to be the anchor of this defense right so this is a private you taking saying you know what I didn't expect my level of play out so these guys aren't you know having to put the whole game on their backs because now if it gets to a point I'm not saying this will happen with the bills but if it gets to a point where you are so reliant

48:24on everything up front it changes how you have to call a defense because you have no space in your guys on the back end so at some point your pride case standing you definitely want to uh mass energy of the guys gonna have a quarterback and it gives you the opportunity to to have the announcer say coverage sack right I mean these guys are gonna get there eventually so the more you hold up to do it you're just helping them I it's I mean it's a team game it's ultimate team game there's there's a synergy that needs to exist uh uh with all of it uh let's flip over to the offensive side of the ball and we bring you on specifically to talk about defense because of your background but I have a feeling you watch the rest of the game too what are you seeing so far out of the bills on offense this year that you would differentiate it from last year or any of the previous years with Josh Allen here is a QB uh two things to ask me one the verticality of the offense is much improved this year obviously you have a healthy Dawson in case that helps out with that they're hitting him and peppering him over the middle of the field um down the sidelines where

49:26the case may be he is stretching the defense but then most importantly DJ Moore and his gravity his presence out there is forcing defenses to cover every blade of grads down the field I know it was picked off on Sunday it wasn't a good decision I'm not a quarterback but I think we've done a triple coverage not a good idea but that still puts something on tape for defenses to be like you know what they are willing to stretch the field here we've seen it time and time again where Josh Allen is willing to throw it down the field to number two and that forces defense defenses to cover every blade of grads that's first and foremost and then secondly it's something that they've done over the last two years but then it's been a ratchet it up this year they're doing a lot of under center play action uh passing which is if you're a linebacker you are in a bind every single snap because if they're under center as you best believe you need to get down hill and James cook at the line of scrimmage because if you let him get a full head of steam he's going to juke you and now he's going to fix them in your game but then if you come up too much and then the play action that's going right behind it so you know who Dawson UK and the guys right behind them so

50:30they have ratcheted up those numbers and it's so noticeable and why Josh is so efficient early on this campaign I think the verticality of the offense down the field and also under center play action are two things that I'm noticing that's different so far yeah I've been loving the play action stuff that's something they were so good at last year and it felt like they just didn't they didn't want to do it and it's it's good to see them getting into it now I opened up the 12 o'clock hour here talking about this new philosophy that the bills have and I think to your point in the in how you're talking about the offense it's a high event football it's it's I think it at least in my mind it's letting your players go out there and make plays and one of the one of the points I really was starting to consider really listening to Deon Dawkins yesterday with with our afternoon show he he talked about how refreshing it is to sort of play that way and and to feel not on shackled but free to do what they feel is right in the moment and free to sort of

51:32follow their instincts as football players and maybe not have the sort of do your job you know ghost on the shoulder if you will and I'm curious if you if you could tell me what that would be like as a football player if for a long time and we know McDermott was very it was very effective it was great at what he did but I think it was a very rigid sort of these are this is your job this is what I need you to do this is how you're going to do it and it feels to me like it's it's we're branching out of that now with the bills we're seeing them do some different things we're seeing Shakira get down the field more red russo is far more effective as a pass rusher do you think that psychologically has a has an effect on these players oh for sure when you when you're giving more ownership you get a little bit more confidence in who you are as a person and listen just because you get ownership doesn't mean it's inherently a good thing there are a bunch of players who don't I don't want to say deserve but you give them the leeway to do where they want they're not good enough to do anything with it but when you are a Greg russo and you are giving a little more ownership off the edge to stand up and do things

52:37and make things shake in that regard that's definitely a little more freeing if you're back there with your job if you're job failing and now you have a good wire receiver on the outside and DJ more a healthy daughter of the K you get a little more ownership to push the ball down the field and use all your God given traits that's refreshing to feel and see and I think that goes for everyone across the board um I mean you can be a rigid coach and still you know have a lot of success I think of Andy re being very rigid and they've had a lot of success count shenanigans are very rigid coach and how they call the night as offense is very successful but like to your point though it's been one way for so long I'm not surprised that there's some players that are like listen they did one thing for a long time we got something brand new is refreshing is good see um and I mean if they're cool with it who might have told them that they shouldn't like you right so that's what I'm saying play on on Sundays for sure all right the bills are at three and oh they've got an opportunity to go up three and a half games in the division by beating the patriots in week four what are you seeing as you look around the aFC um not specifically the the division but the conference

53:42because I'm looking at hey look it's the bills and it's the chiefs and they're undefeated and we've seen this a bunch before and the Raiders have joined the party for now and we'll see if that actually matters but uh big picture when you're looking at the aFC uh what do you see it the more things change the more they say it's the same I mean the same the old guard is back on top patron home with Kelsey I mean I still can't believe it he's out here running around also the torn LC on an eight years nine ten months ago um Lamar Jackson looking good as ever I mean that came down in Brazil with box losses um Joe Burrell I know they lost to the Steelers but the offense clicking on off the letters you look amazing um I think there are some teams that are surprising a little bit that charges offense uh was very we respect we're here on WGR wasn't pleading on the eyes right I don't know how they turn you way to put it yeah uh the patriot's annual spending you can make the argument argument the patriot's offense is even less appealing like I I'm watching them so far is rough um I mean I'm sure there's a couple dark horses that are going to emerge as the NFL is

54:44a 50% turnover rate and the playoffs for a reason maybe it is the raiders I mean clik kubiak was a sought after head coaching head coaching higher for a reason right um I'm intrigued I'm I'm super intrigued I think that jack is still off into so real like they look good like really really good um but I can't wait to see how things shake out I'm a big believer in that I don't have too much stocking things so Halloween you know when teams get a little a little bit of film on you they get to watch stuff um but the more things change more that say the same the big four quarterback is still ranked supreme in a sc all right well yeah I think it's a super interesting season because all that like it's it's really jarring to see all those teams back in and it feels like on top which one if you if you're selecting one of those teams Carl who who were you keeping your eye on every Sunday or Monday whatever day they play what's your who's holding that sort of top spot in your brain for me is the bangles because with the ravens and chiefs I'm like you know what like there is proof of concept of this team can make it like we we know that they're good it's usually been health the reason why those teams have been falling off with the bangles is more so

55:49they've had a side of the ball that's been awful the past couple years so if that defense gets to I don't know let's say 18s best in the NFL then that peaks my interest and now when I just talk about a frisky playoff team that's a team that can do damage in January and beyond so every Sunday I just want to see is this bangles defense for real like this is this you know fake that's the thing I got I'm gonna go my own every Sunday for sure all right the one thing I knew going into this we're talking about potential bets you could make the one thing I knew going into the season is that the bills would finish in first place in the AFC East the Patriots would finish in second the jets would be third the dolphins would be fourth let's compare and contrast as a group here the Patriots and what we've seen of them with the jets and what we've seen of them obviously still six or whatever seven fourteen games life in the regular season a lot can change but man oh man does it look like the part that can screw that up is the jets might be pushing the Patriots to be team number two in the AFC East your thoughts I love the jets especially what they got on offense I mean

56:54I'm not saying like in terms of all this is a you know a smooth open center no but if you are a jet fan you should be excited I like their young pieces I think that genos Smith has turned back the clock one more time and giving them a little bit more juice he's probably in their best quarterback they've had whoo well I'm emerging on the last time they've got a quarter back that at least competent like he's playing right now and then with the Patriots man I know I said the rule about October that's when I started making my real declaration but this is a thing going back to that bill second half last December like they look broken on offense I mean outside of the Texans playoff game where CJ shroud exploded the offense has looked bad every single game since that second half and I mean once you know twice whatever a couple three now this is dating back the last season the offense looks broken AJ Brown's not healthy if you're a Patriots fan I think the concern level should be at a 10 like this it's tough to watch as a football fan but then you just see it transpire

57:56you're like I don't know how this is better yeah I'm totally with your car I think I think the Patriots are in trouble the jets they've got a passing game like they can they can chuck it around saying that imagine saying the jet of a past game I know it's it's a mind blowing but it's true I really I really like them they genome looks good I mean if he's got pieces around him you saw it in Seattle before he left there like they he can he can still do it so I'm with you I'm I'm I'm thinking the jets might might hop those Patriots and I'm worried about the Patriots when when Brown comes back if Mastel's struggling does that get ugly does he get loud and messy like he did in Philly I think there's volatility there so a lot of people made a lot of assumptions about this season based off of one year of the real quality play out of the Pats and it's become I don't know the thing to do to laugh at the Patriots and Drake May I I'm glad you're all joining the party on noticing that that was just kind of a fraudulent season last year and I still think I still

58:58have pretty high hopes for him as a quarterback in the NFL but this ain't it this this is not the version of a team that knocks down the team that's one five consecutive divisions beforehand and just steps in and takes over like I'm the king of the hill now that nothing ever looked like that last year and to pretend pretend all offseason just because they reached the Super Bowl meant that they were the hunted and the team to beat in the conference and yes I am hung up on one article I read two months ago or was like what's it like to be the hunted Patriots like it's not gonna be the hunted for very long when you look like this the bills can make them dead this weekend they're done if the bills pull ahead here um so I don't know I'm happy to have people on board and I'm also now starting to worry because it seems so obvious that this becomes the trap game as as easy as it is to get up for a game against the Patriots other guys on this team who don't know anything other than beating this team I know they got them last year so I don't know there's

59:58a little bit of that I'm a little fearful of of trap game but this also seems like they get right game I want Brady Brady's been around Brady knows what you're supposed to do to this team and I want them to do to this team what they do to teams when they're in the mood that's kind of what I'm looking for this weekend you are here preaching I love that I'll say this last week I said going up to the game with Chargers offense was broken and even if you are a competent defense which I think the bills are at this point makes them look bad they made the Chargers offense look like what they are the Patriots offense is actively broken right now you need to make them look like that once again on Sunday yep all right thank you very much Carl that is our our friend Carl Jones sports anchor and reporter for channel four w IVB always valuable to hear from Carl I like Carl always the best Carl's fun he's great I liked and I said this last time we had him I liked him just from watching him on TV like this guy seems no one is talking about yeah and then I heard him I think I heard him on with you maybe before we had him on sure and I thought I like this guy

1:00:58and then we've had him on a couple times but yeah that's a regular let's keep him around that's cool let's take a break we'll be back it is WGR mid days driven by north town you know I just said to you in the break I like when I don't say WGR at the start of it I need to cross it off on my sheet because I don't want to start and end with WGR in the phrase it's mid days driven by north town automotive with Brad Tim and Owen on WGR I'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 it's Mike Shope and the Bulldog they have this Panther sound effect that is just the cheesiest stupidest sounding video big voice guy going after goal scored by Sam right in heart where'd you get that thing I trapped it been keeping it in my bathroom at the hotel feeding

1:02:01it old pizza it's Mike Shope if you're calm that wondrous big cat would be calm too but if you're scared that beautiful death machine will do what God made it to do namely each you with a smile on and the Bulldog WGR sports radio 550 well I'd like to think this is just what you would expect the show behind the show what do we talk about during commercials in this last case kickers from the 70s who were not born in the United States we're just trying to name as many as we can how many did we get to seven six or seven kickers that were there were a few not born in the United States you know oh yeah right Greg Wishing you should be in here Greg you have no idea what it was like it's to be in here breathtaking I think you would just be fit right in here is Greg Wishing ski from ESPN as the hockey season get started how have you been Greg how was your

1:03:03summer I'm good you know you made me look up Ali Hodji chic but Ali Hodji chic was born was what will hold on he was born in Ann Arbor so there you go yeah that was the first that was the first one they would but more more in Anderson I obviously Denmark would be Denmark Denmark he's been on our show one time we have sort of this fun list of guests that have only been on one time yeah some have died yeah they're on just like talk about like like hard attack medication or something they're voting something we're not proud Greg Morton Anderson is on that list and he was the Falcons kicker when they beat Minnesota in that NFC championship game all right Gary Anderson I think was born in South Africa by the way the Vikings kicker was drafted by the bills he misses he didn't miss one all year or something and he misses at the buzzer or at the gun and then Atlanta wins the game and I asked Morton Anderson something like I think you were off bulldo I don't know if you were here for this one I asked him something like you know in the fraternity of elite kickers

1:04:09do you feel like mixed emotions maybe when they miss one he's like what the why are you talking about he like I was thrilled that he missed that kick we won I mean they would have gone to the Super Bowl if you mean what kind of question is that it was he was friendly about it but yeah like I got served Morton Anderson spent isn't unlike what his entire career kicking for the Saints and the Falcons inside of two domes you know if that makes them a coward and he wore shoes I mean to your point he even he didn't have the courage to go out there barefoot like some of those other guys how about that exactly exactly all right I want to ask Greg something and have him be like what are you talking what do you ask me that question right there something like maybe later on in the conversation you'll just rip into me or something all right well I enjoyed your season preview yesterday with the sabers you know in the playoffs it's not why I enjoyed it but I was happy to see the bold type face on Buffalo like just just getting in how how hard is it going to be for them to do that on the

1:05:12heels of last year with as good as this division seems to be again I also noted that the Sabers making the playoffs into consecutive seasons was previously known as a sign of the apocalypse yes which is an important caveat to add look it is going to be a competitive division I have five teams from the Atlantic making the playoff cut which might be my detriment because I you know I hate I hate picking the unbalanced playoff field but I just kind of feel like that's kind of how it's going to shake out in that division with with how many good teams there are I think obviously health is the biggest thing for this team I mean you we all know the fragility of Josh Norris and we know that if there's you know too many banged up players in the blue line that could that could be a bad a bad deal for this team but you know I just I just love this youth movement that they've got on the roster and the energy that comes with it and more than anything else the fact

1:06:14that I feel like whether it's Noah Osland or you know Holanias or any of these guys I just feel like they're all ready for the moment to stake their claim to to these roles that they're going to be playing for this team you know and moving up through in the apps and civ Alex talking players like that so I don't know I just really like to mix I like the vibes I think that while there are some other surprise playoff teams from last year that I think might regress the flyers being one of of the ducks being another I just feel like the sabers are on pretty solid footing you know obviously the caveat being that you never know what's going to happen injury was yeah how much I know we talked during the summer Greg but you know here we are it's you know opening night was last night the sabers played tomorrow in Columbus to open their season how surprising if at all was it to you that they didn't do something other than pretty much count on Helen use in Osland to like they they acquired Zellweger to an extent to replace Byram which I kind of

1:07:19that's a bet I like I would make that bet not that he's going to entirely replace Byram but offset his his departure but nothing else and you know they were so close that's such a great year it felt like maybe a moment to make a move you know and I guess hellabuck could still happen at some point or another but I'll just status quo or really letting prove invested productive vets walk out the door and not really bringing in guys who can grow beards to replace them how did you feel about that well I mean there's two ways to answer that the first is obviously it's not for a lack of trying you mentioned the hellabuck situation and and that's unsettled I mean you have you have the best goalie in the world right now sitting on on his hands losing money every every a few weeks suspended by the Winnipeg Jets I was speaking with some people today about that situation and they wonder you know how long hellabuck will want to take the financial hit of being out of the lineup their GM

1:08:22left the door open for him to return the team and I mean he's close with all of his teammates it's not as if he couldn't come back but ultimately I think a lot of us feel that situation is going to end with a trade and and the fact is is that the the sabers are pretty well positioned to give the Jets some assets from this NHL roster to get this guy to you know ultimately solve any golden questions that they'd ever have but the other answer to your question is that you they do have this collection of young players and I think that as we saw with them not you know re-upping with Alex Tuck for example like they're thinking about the long game they're thinking about if we go out and get ourselves a blockbuster trade for a veteran player A what is the cost of acquisition visa be these young players and B is it more advantageous to see what we have in these guys than to try to go and import something to improve the team with Greg Wyshinski do you have any more on hellabuck and just sort of where you think that might be headed like who are the other

1:09:24suitors at this point it was interesting to me that that Toronto Columbus trade happened so close to the start of the season I'm always kind of taking a back when that happens because you know it's when everybody is kind of situated and you've got your line combinations and everything everybody signed here we go and then you have this move right on the cusp of the season do you feel like with hellabuck I guess this is a separate question but do you feel like something is imminent well the move it the move the Columbus and Toronto made that trade was was with a ticking clock down to the roster cap compliance deadline the day of the trade right so like there was a reason for that trade to be made and there was also another reason which is I'm pretty sure that Rick bonus the head coach of the bluejack it's absolutely hated krill marchenko I think what they go I had to go at that point they didn't want him around yeah obviously didn't want to be there anymore and luckily Toronto came in and made them an amazing offer in in Matthew and taking some problem contracts off their hands so it all came together at the right time like I

1:10:26said you know that let me put the hellabuck situation in Winnipeg aside for a second to say that the the entire NHL echo chamber is all talking about him ending up in Carolina you know the Carolina is going into war this year with Peter Kacheckoff and and with Brad and Bussey they're you know Stanley Cup hero the idea that they could throw hellabuck behind that Rod Brindamore system and behind that blue line that's been you know so accomplished and obviously won a championship last year I think people are just like my god like how good is that team going to be defensively then they have Alexander Nikkeeson who doesn't want to you know play there anymore and the idea that there's going to be a three-way trade where he goes someplace and then some team sends the assets Winnipeg's looking for then hellabuck ends up in Carolina is sort of that's the that's the big theory right now in NHL circles but again ultimately I you know Winnipeg can't get this wrong I mean that's the real issue like they don't want to trade hellabuck for futures because you know like

1:11:29you have to remember it from Winnipeg's perspective this is a this is a team that has to hold the line a little bit against the guy asking out like guys ask out a Winnipeg every year we just don't hear about it and and those those requests aren't granted because the last thing that franchise needs is a mass exodus every year of players and so there's a certain amount of pride that they have in holding the line against hellabuck because if he goes who who's next next to ask out and so it's it's a pretty it's a complicated situation and you're needs to be a hockey trade that helps them now hockey trade that's a blockbuster to to you know support the asset that they're trading but also a little bit of you know politics inherent in trying to show a good PR face to the rest of your roster we we can relate yeah definitely we've you know that we've lived we've lived through a lot of that here maybe the most recent example of that would be Jack Eichel although there was a medical situation that really complicated that too let me let me ask you this about the hellabuck

1:12:29can I can I pause a Michael because like I came up the other day on a podcast that I was doing like he definitely asked out before the medical thing right like there was definitely a tree I think people lose sight of that that it was simply just the the surgery as the reason for him leading Buffalo but people kind of sleep on the fact that he had already asked out and that's why you know the conspiracy theories among us are like well the this is a convenient reason for him to ask out the shoulders and the next thing rather but like yeah here here he asked here he asked out before that I think okay solid clarification and helpful on hellabuck I thought it was notable that Kevin Shulliday off when talking to the media at the opening of Jets Camp mentioned that in addition to Winnipeg Jets security that police had to be called at one point or another or maybe multiple times because of harassment that hellabuck in his family were enduring from Canadian fans after the Olympic gold and I wonder how much you know with anything about just how

1:13:35rough that got because I feel like for a few days at the beginning of of training camps there was this thread going around on Twitter they're like okay a guy can ask for a trade but it can't everything can't be on the players term you know like you've too much power the pendulum is swung too severely in favor of the player being able to dictate terms and I feel like the off the ice part of the hellabuck story I understand why it's not widely discussed and reported because I think it's really ugly and I wonder how much of a factor that is or do you know in hellabuck wanting out of there so it's a good question because I mean we could talk about it because the GM talked about it right and I think you know it was hellabuck's a wipe that was being harassed on social media that I mean obviously the the mentioned team security got involved as well yeah after remember it's not simply just the function of counter hellabuck being the reason the US one gold all to respect to my boy Jack Hughes I mean if it's not hellabuck stop and every puck that was sent his way they

1:14:36don't win the gold medal game it's what happened afterwards it's cash patella in the locker room it's a joke about the women's hockey team it's going to the state of the union address like that's all the stuff that doesn't play in Canada and Brady Brady could chuck had to go through the same thing in Ottawa ultimately he leaves to go play with his brother but he was also dealing with all that stuff off the ice and and perceptions of him dramatically changed after all that stuff went down to so it's real man and I'm sure that it doesn't help you know if you're counter hellabuck and you're kind of looking at this team and you're saying to yourself well I signed a contract to contend and I don't think this team can contend as well as it did because of sort of the you know the slow leak of talent whether it be a guy like Nicky-Lers or others you know if all this stuff is happening off the ice simply because you're an American playing in Canada I'm sure that's helping you hell would push you out the door. Tage Thompson of course a big part of that US team and he was you know pretty visible himself in that that sort of political way noted USA router Greg Wysinski

1:15:38with us on the western hotline I loved how much you loved seeing them win that was really cool so oh god it was it was great it was great it was my entire life to see that like I was a young up when when we won them in the in the Miracle on Ice and and I'd spent my entire life then waiting for the US to prove that you know if the talent pool was deep enough and the player quality was high enough we would begin to dominate the sport and that's the beauty of it it's not it's not a fluke like we've been winning world juniors we've been winning world championships yada yada yada so now now we own we own the sport and that's just great my VHS copy of the World Cup win in the Montreal forum with Tony Amante is getting worn out by the way I need to figure out something else to watch from 96 was it yes 96 is right September of 96 yeah Greg we you know we can cover the sabers and we've talked about how about how about the division

1:16:42I mean Toronto played last night and I don't I don't think they have to necessarily have past the sabers I'm just curious what you think their offseason has generated and you think they're I did not see whether they're a playoff team in your eyes are they one of the five they are yeah um I see I think what's interesting about the Leafs is if you if you want to follow the logic of the Matthew and I's trade it's it's their new GM John Chica coming in there and being like we're going to finally lean into the skill that we have on this team there's been far too long the Leafs trying to build a roster that's going to like try to beat up the Panthers which no one can and and ignoring the fact that they've got Matthews and Nieland or Antiverus and some real high skill guys so now they add first overall pick Gavin McKenna to the mix they bring in Marchenko I feel like they're leading into more offensive skill and that's that's the sort of the direction their new coach Jim Hiller is going to try to take him I had them in the playoffs and and I think

1:17:43ultimately it's because they've thrown all this stuff at the wall to see what's sick as far as the rest of the roster and I think enough of it will stick where they're going to be able to get in um the health of Austin Matthews is Paramount and the play of Strykey Barbrowski and Goals Paramount but I do think that there's enough where they're going to be able to get in. Is there I hope the answers no please don't laugh this could be the time reason what are you asking me this for is there something to take from the fact that I watched five NHL periods on ESPN last night and did not see a single goal is is there going to be something different about this season that I'm not prepared for well it's you know let me let me get to that in a second I'll say this like we put Carolina in Florida at five o'clock yesterday to kick off the season yeah the least those guys could do is beat each other up a little bit more like we're thinking you know Brady could Chuck's gonna fight the Jordan stall like they did in the playoffs or like it's gonna be like four nations these are two the two big rivals right now on the conference the the panthers are basically thinking okay Carolina only one because we allowed them to because they weren't in the playoffs

1:18:47like I thought there was going to be a lot more animosity now the scoring part of it's really interesting because I wrote a story a couple weeks ago at the NHL player media tour in Vegas and I asked all the boys like what's going to like how does life change for you with an 84 game season because we're adding two games to the schedule this year and and that and that meant a shorter preseason and a lot of them said hey you know shorter preseason less time to practice less time to refine our skills and our systems I've got the beginning of this season it's going to be firework offensively and you watch last night it's like like watching soccer so I don't know what's going on because I really thought we were going to see a lot of high scoring games off the hop in this league but it maybe you know last night was an indication that might not be the case that's kind of what happened in the NFL we did get Vancouver Edmonton though at least that that but yeah okay you know what's going to have the exception of the rule is Edmonton's goal-tending right and get Edmonton's goal-tending in every one of these games and we'll have a high scoring 11 goal games my wife and I

1:19:48sat together to watch the end of Florida Carolina and I don't know exactly when in the game this happened but one of the kachak's came into kianjury Miller and I kind of we couldn't kind of see what happened but they called a penalty on Miller and she said something like what did he do like he probably speared him and then we watched the replay no he flipped the puck over the glass so that was the extent of the animosity on that example there was there was a staged tough guy fighting that game right I think yeah that was that that that bitch took yeah but it was no no none of the principles right right and it wasn't it wasn't like in the heat of battle it was just like okay I'm dressed your dress okay let's do this it was our job yeah it was like a like a bond villain setting something out there henchmen you know like to do the job Greg before you leave us how many games do the New York Jets win this year I mean I can they still win all of them I'm not sure 15 I listen they stay actually if I'm being serious like they should have won all of them I mean they

1:20:53had the Packers dead to rights they had a chance net Lions game um it's I don't know man like it's it's a transition year they've got some players in the roster listen let me phrase this I'm not going to be this guy that's gonna you know hang the banner for the promising signs bowl like Mike Greenberg does whenever the Jets do something good on the Sunday and he's he's he's pumping sunshine on the Twitter about how you know things are looking up they should still be winning football games even in a transition year and the fact that they aren't as embarrassing but um but you know they they they're good enough to win what six the him and phrase they're good to win enough to not get a quarterback in the draft there's my two yet man they're gonna win enough yeah to not get a quarter back perfect Jets fan answer will they intercept the pass this year they will they will they will intercept the pass this year uh they'll they'll break that streak and then and I'll have I'll add a second part of my prediction right they will win win enough games to uh not get a quarterback

1:21:57in the draft but win enough games to draft their 51st tight end in the last three years in the draft I do like the new guy yeah so dig oh I love the new guy no they they got some pieces I mean we're not listen the bill shouldn't hear the footsteps quite yet but but you know it's better it's better it's looking better than it did last year Greg before we part ways I I want to I want to thank you for um tweeting out the excerpt of Mark Messier's appearance with the last year media day because I don't know if you hadn't retweeted that if I would have come across it and I was just so impressed to see your ESPN colleague not just criticizing a team in the league but the team that he is was a ledger I mean I know we want to come in New York too but come on Edmonton is like I was just really impressed that Messier went that hard about Babcock and I don't know that I would have come across it without you so thank you no no worries and and it's I haven't talked to Mess since he did that interview and I don't know how much he's talking about it but like the thing that came

1:23:01out afterwards because he he criticized the Euler's leadership piring Babcock won because Babcock should be coached in the league anymore and he's right on that but too because now if you're a player that's being bullied by the coach you cannot feel like you can go to the leadership on the team because of the ones who hired the coach and and a lot of people were like okay well hypocrite when you went to Vancouver in the 1990s you made them hire Mike Keenan who's even more remonstrate than Mike Babcock and I wanted to talk to Mess about it because like maybe he learned from that maybe his full take on this is you can't be a player that hires the coach because Daniel you're going to split the locker room and maybe that's his own education from his own experiences but I think you're completely right one Babcock is woefully overrated and and to you know I think if you're a fourth liner on that team you're going to go to Conor McDavid with your gripe if you think you're being bullied by the coach he's the guy who wants you to be bullied by hiring Mike Babcock because I don't know I think I think that's at a good point. Yeah I do too and I just you

1:24:01know you know how it is I mean it's just so I think it's hard for a guy in that position to go out there like that and I just was was really impressed. Yeah I agree. Today we learned that Ali Hajishik was born in Michigan and I'm here to because I had to start looking up names too I'm so flattered that you bothered to do that when we were introducing you. Ralph Binerska Boston. Ali Ali Hajishik was the first 1980s kicker that popped into my head. It's great. That's why I love it's a great name. It's great in every way. Ralph Binerska formed a host of Wheel of Fortune by the way Greg you should hang up. Yeah he was. I don't know if it's between Willary and Sejak. It's in there somewhere he was the chargers kicker and then he was the host of Wheel of Fortune I mean the natural progression. I'm serious. That's incredible. I mean he's no Ryan Seacrest but I but it's pretty good. Ralph Binerska. I mean I gave you wrong here can I get Greg can't hang up before we double check that. I'm pretty sure. I'm not I'm not clicking my mouth. If I'm wrong you'll

1:25:04never come back on. Thank you for today and all your time you've given us Greg enjoy the season. Anytime we'll talk to you guys soon. All right. Greg Wysinski ESPN tonight's a HBO TNT. TNT 9. Yeah okay. It's for Philadelphia. Not until 7.30 probably men. All right whatever. Yeah good. I'm just gonna watch the red socks get eliminated because sunny gray blows apparently. That's what I said. Yep. Binerska hosted the daytime version of the TV game show Wheel of Fortune in 1989. After Pat Seagack left to host the Pat Seagack show. Oh. Then he was on the night. Wow. The Pat Seagack show. When late night was late night. There was a Pat Seagack show. Can we get him? That's incredible. Can we get him? There was a show. One time. It's incredible to get Pat Seagack. Yeah. Oh that's incredible. We should get Tarquanton. Oh there you go. Yeah. I mean he's up there but wouldn't that

1:26:06probably be a really interesting conversation? This is really an appropriate book end to the beginning of this conversation. We're joking about these one-timers we had because they're selling heart medication. We could do this for a living. Paul Hamilton in an hour or just over. Sabers and Blue Jackets in the opener tomorrow night. Mike Schopen the Bulldog here 803-050. This is WGR. Hey this is Richard Ditch the host of the Sports Media Podcast. If you're interested in what's happening with all the places where you consume sports, the Sports Media Podcast has you covered. I've been turning down interviews all week. A coat of coffee, reached out, Oprah, George Stephanopolis. So I said no. I was booked on the Ditch Podcast before the Taylor Swift phenomenon. I must live up to my responsibility. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Hellenous with a steal. Couldn't get a pass Matejak. Now power drives the group before and

1:27:13over the line with the shots. Goars. Matejath Samuelsen in the lineup and parks it in the back of the net and the first goal of the Sabers season to number 23. It's one nothing. Moments of the game brought to you by first jewelers for all the moments in your life. Go forth to Firth. Matejath Samuelsen opens the scoring. The Blue Jackets would take the lead before the periods out and never give it back to us by the Sabers. Best efforts. They fall in Columbus and open the home schedule tomorrow against the Black Hawks who also got hammered in their opener. Yep. Real back. So Sabers Black Hawks. That'll be tomorrow night at Keybank Center. We're going to talk about it with Rob Ray who joins us on the West or hotline. Rob, good morning. Good morning, gentlemen. How are we doing? We're good. Rob happy hockey season. Yeah. I mean, beautiful to a point. There are a lot of people listening. It's football season. You know, we got the bills. We're all focused on the bills to bills. Patriots this week. So yeah, it's a great time of year when the bills and the Sabers are both playing in, you know, your calendar is full. It's always been like that though. It's been like that since I got here.

1:28:17The Sabers are non-existent until January and when everything's done and then all the attention turns. And it was always a talk sometimes. It would be, hey, we got some time here. We got to get ourselves ready. We got to be ready when the tide turns here and all the attention comes back to us. And it was a known fact forever. So nobody hides from it. Yeah. Well, hopefully, if for a lot of those years, people would maybe like the bill season ends. You look over the Sabers like, oh, they're already out of it. The season's actually over for began. We're hoping that's not the case this year. Of course, they come off the division winning campaign last year, winning the Atlantic. Last night's opener in Columbus did not exactly go the way they would hope they're home tomorrow against the Blue Jackets. Rob, we could make it about like the game last night or about the larger picture. I think what we have seen through one game is how hyper focused the Sabers fans are about to be on goalie because so much of the offseason was about the hellabuck rumor and all that comes with it. And here's UPL playing game one. And already, I feel like a conversation is, you know,

1:29:18often running. Yeah, it is. And it's still it's still live. Yes, because nothing that's happened with the hellbick situation. And you know, just speaking with some people last night, I'm not really sure it's going to happen in the near future because the interest is out there is there's interest, yes, but is it interest that is taking it over the top make a final deal? No. So as a good drag on for a long time. But you know what? Yeah. Did he did he at times last night fight it a little bit? Yes, but I don't think he got much help in front of my times either. Yeah. And you know, that's the thing when a cool tenor could be doing very well. But the guys in front of them are there's one that will even expose sometimes and he's the one that it that it hangs on. You know, and I don't think I think it's easy for people to look at a goal and go, oh, you let him six clothes, he must have been horrible. But they're not watching and seeing what's happening in the breakdowns in front of them that he might not have got to help. Yeah, there might be the odd one that, you know, you'd like that back that is that might have shouldn't have went in. But for the most part, it's it's breakdowns

1:30:21in front. And you know, it's the five guys together trying to defend the zone. Right. There also is Rob like the fact that there are three guys here and obviously two of them played the majority last season. And do I even need all of them to play as well as they did last year or if like two of the three played well, would that be fine? Like as long as they have a rotation of a couple guys then, you know, it feels like you could maintain and that what you were doing last season leading up to the playoffs. Absolutely. Look at the bulk of, you know, last season when they get out of that big roll out flying, you know, he was a guy. He kind of he went on a roll and he was incredible. So, you know, I would imagine if he finds get somebody going, you just ride him and then when that's over, you get the next guy, hopefully, you know, ready to go. But yeah, I think I think in a situation like this, even this year, how tight it's going to be and how much you're going to have to get points that when you've got a hot one, I think he would just let it go instead of maybe that, you know, oh, well, you played last night. We'll play this guy tomorrow night. No, it's going

1:31:25to be so demanding to get these points. I think you got to go with what's hot. But, you know, you're starting to see more teams out there. Carry the three guys, whether, you know, one's going up and down and playing all the time, but they're still right there. You know, being a part of the rotation. So it's kind of a trend. It's leaning towards a little bit and it's not so foreign anymore the way it was for a few years, but now, now teams are starting to think about it. So it last year was great because you played so many games and so few days and it was every other night or back to back nights, it was good to have those guys. You know, this year it's spread out a little bit more. It's just a little more difficult to get these guys to playing time. So that's, that's going to be an issue. I think how management and organizations handle three gold tenders with keeping them all active and playing enough. Rob, Rob, Ray on the Western hotline. Doing Rob about this season that's obviously being talked about a lot, talking by room out the door, talk especially because all the young guys now coming in, Helen, use, Oslin and Kool-Eak especially.

1:32:28How, I think is it feel different that counting on them feels a little better that we've seen them already? Like they're not coming in totally fresh. Like, Oslin and Kool-Eak have played like a whole season basically and we got the couple games from Helen, use and the playoff. So I don't know, how do you feel about counting on those guys to really elevate this year? Again, really only one of them is a true rookie. Yeah, it's a lot of pressure. You know, there's a difference coming in part way through or you know, having spurred to the season last year that you've played really well or good playoff or whatever it may be. You know, now you're looking at an 80s four game schedule and you've got to have your game going for 99% of those nights that to fill in those holes. And it's a part and then some young guys can handle that, some can't and some to take a little bit longer than others. So, you know, you just sit there sometimes and you just probably just cross your fingers hoping that they're all just going to pick up what they left off but you have to

1:33:31realistically think, hey, maybe one or two of them may take a little bit more time, you know, to get back to that groove and it wasn't just a, you know, coming into the NHL in first year and everything, writing on emotions and adrenaline and okay, now reality sets in. You've got just an 84 game year and you've got to put the slide on the line every night and it's I think it's a good test and what kind of a person the player is but also it sometimes they're questioning and testing themselves. Can they do it because it is such a long season? Rob Ray joining us. Rob the power play something else we're going to focus on quite a bit. I mean, it's, uh, that I gotta get on that thing. It's going to say like, I got a power play goal in my career and I'm like, I think I can do it. I just, I honestly think just we're open to any ideas at this point. The Sabers made a point of, you know, what's going to be different about it this year and listen, of things that are, you know, variables for the year goal tending power play. Those are two that can swing lots of different directions and I, I guess I would wonder if they, you know, we

1:34:34heard about them talk about it in the off season if they're going to go into the year already worried about it already squeezing their sticks. You know, you got, you want to let it all happen. But here we are one game in and you got a full five on three and you really could have used the power play goal and didn't get one and like we're right back to where we were mid season when the struggles started to hit. Rob Ray Well for five in that game last night and, you know, it could have been the difference for the game as you said because if you had to get one early, you know, it changes things and not able to do that the five on three. You know, it was, at times, it was like the hesitant to shoot too much thinking instead of just reacting. I think, I think the power play has got to be a reaction. I think see what you got. Bang and know what your options are all the time. You got to be kind of predictable to the other, you know, four guys that are on the AISU's. Everybody's got the puck and I just don't think they're there. Yeah, I think they, you know, when he wants to put two groups of five together that he can leave together all season long. Well, are those guys even in the lineup yet? You know, it is Zucker was your kind of your guy that

1:35:36in the last couple of years got the power play going a little bit at times, you know, not in there yet as this group. So I think there's a lot of questions, but I think they feel the pressure of that and then they try to do a little too much at times and over pass instead of just calming it down. You're always kind of taught when you're on a power play, gain the blue line, get it in the zone, get it set up and then go to work. And I think sometimes we just try to rush things a little too much, try to do it. A scoring chance off the rush or instead of just making that a couple extra passes to get the penalty killers kind of out of position or wore down a little bit more, just try to force things a little too much. So I think we did decent job of coming up with loose pucks after taking shots last night, you know, maybe winning those battles on the power play to get the puck back to continue to have puck possession, but you know, it's a lot of it is getting to the front of the net that willing that's getting, you know, finding that soft ice and just, but just showing that extra

1:36:36second or two of patience, just still something opens up and sort of forcing it. You force, try force on a pass side decide or to the slot and it's not going to happen. Bang it's down the ice, there's 15 seconds gone that you could have been working with if you had it just taking the deep breaths and okay, let's roll this down. And it's something they can work on. Yeah, it looks like, you know, I'm not sitting there saying exactly what they're doing, but it's totally different than what they were doing last year. And they've got you see two to three different setups they're trying to perform while they're out there. So yeah, they've got different things they're trying to put in their toolbox. So hopefully they find one that works. Rob one other big moment from last night Matthew Olivier and Zach Metsa. Yeah, like I see like watching the game listen to you, you obviously and the Sabers to a man went over to talk to Metsa afterwards and like, you know, give him a fist bump. So take a stir what you felt during that moment. There's a delayed penalty if anyone wasn't watching and Olivier taps into the Sabers empty net. Right. And Metsa kind of grabs him and then it's

1:37:40and this is like their tough like their toughest guy. One of the toughest guys in the league gets a hold of Metsa and Metsa stood in there and Rob, did you feel like that was lame on Olivier's part because like come on, you got you got the smallest guy you're gonna hold out. He held them for a while. Yeah, he's he could have just kind of moved on. And I thought he he he recognized he got a small guy and he was gonna get his moment. Yeah, but he was already in that position. So he was kind of, you know, he had to do something. And I think more when we he taps that in the net and that's what I think he got the initial penalty for. But he's just looking for a reaction. He knows they're getting a penalty called on him. So he's looking for a reaction. He does that and then maybe he could draw somebody else into, you know, a penalty to kind of even things out. I can understand what he was doing to tap it into the empty net. That's it's certain guys can do that and certain guys can't. And I think he may be one that can and get away with it. But I think it was that did was off the

1:38:41charts. Great because he knew going into that. He had absolutely zero chance and coming out on top on this unless he falls down and you fall and top them. But the good thing is yes, you watched every one of those guys go over the box and give him, you know, this pump or whatever to let him know good job because they know that everybody knew that he could be in a huge pile of crap right there because of Olivier. And I think Olivier could be the toughest guy in the league now. And he, you know, he did he held on hold back a little bit. He could have maybe did a little bit more. But I think he did what he had to do and then move on. But that's that's a ball. He move right there. And knowing that there's a good chance that he's going to turn around and give you one. And I tell you, me as a person that maybe played that way, I would, I, when you go against a guy like Olivier, you're, you're second thinking at times too and you're really kind of a lot of things going through your head. How am I going to handle it? How am I going to do it? And I would bet

1:39:42that was just kind of going in. How am I going to get through this instead of just, you know, what can I do to try to get myself in a good spot? But I thought he did really well. I think he did. I think he did really well. But like you look at Olivier in that situation, he went out and had a couple big shifts in that second period and really kind of got things going for them. And I think he just kind of ignited their team and got him rolling a little bit. So, you know, guys like that, they have their roles and they have their things they know they have to do. And I think he, you can give him a lot of credit for, you know, waking their team up, you know, early in that hockey game and, you know, and I think fortunately for exact that he was, you know, through a few and let it go. Yeah. He said, I think I get that helmet back. I want to cover that bald head. He had it. Amazing hair. Is that, is that by the way, one of the things that might be a little different now? Like, like when you were playing, if one of their tough guys was going at it with one of your smallest players, like, would that have been a different reaction? Yeah. Yeah. You would have been

1:40:44in there in a second. Didn't ever would have let it get to that escalate to that part. Yeah. When you realized that he was grabbing onto him and he was, he was, the gloves are down and it was a chance to be thrown. Yeah. You, you never even considered, you know, getting thrown over the game or whatever third man in. Right. He just automatically went because I'll tell you, if you, if that had have been, I don't know, you could have, it could have been anybody, but have up on pain or somebody like that and, and Olivia's key and off on him like that. And you're on the ice and you didn't jump into help. Right. You would have got destroyed when you got to the rest, not only by the coaches, but the other guys that might not have been on the ice too. It would not, it would not have been a real fun place to be for a few days, probably. Yeah. Rob, right, joining us on the West Rail hotline. Rob, thanks. We'll be listening. Well, thank you guys. Thanks for getting me up and get me going. Yeah. Happy. Is this early? Is this early for you? 745. No, no, guys, I'm old. I only need, you know, three or four hours

1:41:45a night and get up and keep going. Yeah. Thanks Rob. No, thank you guys. Good luck to you. Yeah. Rob, right. Thanks for joining us on the West Rail hotline. He'll be on the call tomorrow night, Sabers and Black Hawks from Keybank Center. It's Atlantic Division, Banner Night. Everyone gets a banner. Yeah. That's a good thing to get. I hope that the same size as the ones they've given away for retired numbers because I kind of have them like hanging in my basement. Like, I guess I could put the division one in the middle if it's a little bit bigger, but I hope it's full on Raptor's size. He's like a real Raptor. Yeah. The size of it's like 10 feet tall. How about this? Where am I gonna put that? Tell me something? I could put it out from my house. I guess like a fly. Tell me it's a bad idea. Why shouldn't it be a blanket? A blanket? Yeah. A banner that's a blanket. That's a good idea. That's a good idea. That's a good idea. It's a good idea. Banner blankets.com retired numbers, championship banners, full size blankets. Somebody go make a million. You okay. Stanley Calks. Champions and it's a blanket. Shape like the banner. Come on.

1:42:49That's a good idea. Yeah. It's not it's not a it's warming up to me a little bit. I think I'd rather have the banner, but Pat Hammer on the other side will talk about the forecast for Sunday's game. He's going to join us next. I'm Jennifer. And I'm Angela Kinsey and we're the office ladies. We're still talking about all the hilarious behind the scenes details from the office with icons from the show like Rain Wilson, Greg Daniels, Malora Harden and so many more. And we can't forget our two conversations with office ladies, superfan Billy Eilish. Hello. So join us for brand new episodes every Wednesday and revisit the office. Rewatch every Monday. Follow and listen to office ladies wherever you get your podcasts.