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The Eagles Are A Complete Team Heading Into The Playoffs (PST Episode 598) · The Philadelphia Sports Table | Philly Sports News & Views

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Hey there, what's up. Wanted to let you know that
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: we recorded this podcast episode on two separate days this week.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: The first part of our show was recorded on Tuesday night,
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: January seventh, twenty twenty five. The interview was recorded on Wednesday,
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: January eighth, twenty twenty five. So by the time you
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: hear this, some things may have changed here there, but
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: we hope you enjoy the show. Welcome to the Philadelphia
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: Sports Table podcast show, the longest running weekly Philly sports
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: podcast show in the world, over eleven and a half
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: year strong. We got a great show coming your way.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: Happy twenty twenty five. But you enjoyed some of those
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: PSD special podcasts that we put out during the end
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: of twenty twenty four. This week on the show, we're
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: going to get into some Phillies talk, some Sixers talk,
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: we got some Union talk, some Flyers talk, and of
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: course some Philadelphia Eagles talk because this team is going
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: to be heading to the playoffs. I'm Jeff Warren, I'm here,
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: my good buddy, Len Hunsicker leent Man. Howy you doing.
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: How was your holiday?
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: It was good, you know, got to catch up with
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: family and just kind of just really mill around here
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: and just kind of just do stuff around here.
• 1:32
  Speaker 3: So yeah, it was good. Yeah, I can't complaint. I am.
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: I am happy. Twenty twenty four is over decent, decent
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: year for me. Twenty twenty five, I think we're gonna
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: be doing some good stuff, not only on this show,
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: but you know, hopefully they'll be uh hopefully they'll be
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: you know, greener pastures for all of us in the future.
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: I know you just had a had a job interview, Len.
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: Good luck.
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: Yeah, we'll see what happens.
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: We got to get you out of that place that
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: you've been after years.
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: We'll see what happens.
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: I mean, they're trying not to get too high or
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: too low at this point, so you know, it is
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: what it is.
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: At this point, we'll say.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: Folks, send good energy to Len with this possible job opportunity.
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: Please just send the energy you need it, right buddy,
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: Yeah I did use a change, yes, absolutely. All right,
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: Well let's get into this episode here. We're going to
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: talk about this Phillies team the off season. We're going
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: to get some quick thoughts on some of the acquisitions
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: this offseason as we really kick off twenty twenty five
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: here at the PSD podcast show, and if we really
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: like what the organization has done so far. Not the
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: biggest acquisition in the world, not the biggest trade in
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: the world, Len, but the Phillies just recently a traded
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: Tyler Gilbert, left hand pitcher to the Chicago White Sox
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: in exchange for minor leaguer a right hand pitcher in
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: Aaron Combs. Again, not the biggest trade in the entire world,
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: but it's something that the Phillies have done. We know,
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: and it's been talked about. We've read some articles here
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: and there that starting pitcher j Zeus Lozardo has been
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: acquired by the team from the Marlins and then relief pitcher.
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: We kind of got into this a little bit, I
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: think Eric, Eric and I got into it a little bit.
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: Jordan Romano free agent pickup in this offseason as well.
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: He's gonna be He's gonna be a key to the bullpen.
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: So we wanted to talk about if we like what
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: the organization is done thus far. Here, Lynn, hey, Zeu's Lozardo.
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: If he can stay healthy, dude, this could be one
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: of the best rotations in Major League Baseball heading into
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: this season, especially for a team that hasn't done too
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: too much in terms of the outfield, in terms of
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: getting some talent out there, really putting everything into the
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: pitching here during this offseason. I don't know, what have
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: you been thinking about this Phillies offseason.
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been interesting and I don't know if I'm
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: concerded during that euphemism for it or not. Okay, but
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: you have two guys in Lizardo and Romano who basically
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: you're just counting on. Okay, these guys were hurt or
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: whatever happened, and they caused them to be ineffective in
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: twenty twenty four.
• 4:15
  Speaker 3: You are looking for bouncebacks.
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: You're looking for Lazardo to come back to twenty two
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: and twenty three what he was able to do there,
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: And for Romano, same thing. I mean, he had a
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: nice stretch for a couple of years before he got hurt.
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: He was an All Star for a couple of years
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: in Toronto in twenty two and twenty three, was also
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: really good in twenty one as well. So you're basically
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: looking for a return to health and a return to
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: form with those two guys.
• 4:41
  Speaker 3: And if they get that, it's going to go a
• 4:42
  Speaker 3: long way.
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: Honestly, it is going to make that pitching staff really
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: formidable on both ends. The Combs deal, I think is
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: more of just like here's an arm that we liked.
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: That is kind of like a lottery ticket. I don't know,
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: you know, I don't know. I'm not really putting much
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: stop in that for now. That's like a down the
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: line guy that you know, maybe he'll help, maybe he won't.
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: But I am you know, I do have to admit,
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: you know, we all watched this past season in the
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: playoffs and we all like, Okay, the problem with this
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: team is they can't you know, they can't work account
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: and when the playoffs come, they just swing it whatever.
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: They don't have an approach at the plate. We need
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: to get some guys that can get on base and
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: you know, find a way to manufacture runs and stop
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: sitting around waiting for a three run home run. All
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: these other teams, like the Mets, you know, it was
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: a death by a million cuts. You know, they they're
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: able to manufacture runs, They're able to get guys over
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: the phillies. For the past couple of years now have
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: gotten to a point where they've run into teams and
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: just have not been able to do that for whatever
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: the reason. So you know, I thought, you know, I
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: wasn't expecting huge names. I wasn't expecting huge upgrades. But
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: that's a weakness that I feel needed to be attacked
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: and they haven't done anything. Me Well, meanwhile, you're gonna
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: have the Braves, who everybody's coming back. You know, they
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: had a lot of health issues last year. Everybody's coming
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: back there. And then you have the Mets just you know,
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: sign Juan Soto and they're you know, probably not done
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: by a long stretch. So all of a sudden, you know,
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: you look at what they haven't done, and you're thinking
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: third in the NL East.
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: I mean, you know, at this point, you know.
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: It's hard to get you know, overly optimistic, and I
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: know that, you know, the thinking is, we're paying these
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: guys big money based on what we expect them to do.
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: Guys like Harper, guys like Trey Turner specifically, you know,
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: guys like that, Like, yes, these guys are getting paid
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: a ton of money and it's time and it's you know,
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: it's time to perform.
• 6:52
  Speaker 3: And I know that is kind of their.
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: Version of, you know, this is the acquisition because you know,
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: these guys are supposed to be good for years and years,
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: so I get that, But at the same time, it
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: just seems like you're running it back and nobody in
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: Philadelphia's going to get excited over that.
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: I think with Lozardo, though, I think I think the
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: strategy is if we can, if we can have a
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: starting rotation that is extremely dominant, then have a bullpen
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: and specifically, you know, a closer type of guy like
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: Romano than you know what when we when the team
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: is in those close games, you know where they're either
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: leading by a run or maybe they're down a run,
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: where the pitching really is going to matter so much.
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: It seems like Dave Dombrowski in the front office, John Middleton,
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: they are banking on the pitching, putting them over the top.
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: I still don't know what to think about it at
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: this point, I will say with regard to Lozardo, I
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: love it, I really do. I look at pitchers and
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: even even pitchers who have had really dominant seasons but
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: they've had some injury bugs here and there, pitchers usually
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: come back from them. I mean, I remember Zach Wheeler.
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: I think when was it it was back in when
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: he underwent Tommy John surgery. And I know it was
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: a while ago. I know it's ten years ago, but
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: it was back when he was with the Mets where
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: he tore his UCL and he was able to come
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: back and he's doing what he's doing today because of
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: all the work that he has put in. And look,
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: and I know I'm not saying Lizardo is Zach Wheeler
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: by any stretch. I'm not saying that. But what I'm
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: saying is there are a lot of pitchers in Major
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: League Baseball len that get injured and the next season
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: they come back and they have really good years. We've
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: seen it time and time again, and I think that
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: really is a possibility for Lizardo. And I still I'm
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: just very hesitant on how to really assess this offseason
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: thus far. First off, it's not over yet. The Phillies
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: still could make another move. It's not going to be
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: the biggest move in the world based on the free
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: agents that are out there still. But I really like
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: the Lozardo the Lazardo trade with the Marlins, and think
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: that it could be extremely It could be fun again
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: like I had. This Phillies team was so fun like
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: at least the first half of the season in twenty
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: twenty four, it could be really fun to have one
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: of the most dominating starting rotations in all of baseball.
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: That could be that could be a really fun season.
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: No, absolutely, And Lozardo is a guy that's got all
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: the potential in the world. I mean, he was part
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: of a Miami staff when when al Contra won the
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: Cy Young that one.
• 9:37
  Speaker 3: Year, Yeah, where it was like you looked at those guys.
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: You're like, oh my god, if these guys click, they're
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: going to be just killer one through five.
• 9:46
  Speaker 3: And Lozardo was part of that.
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: And you know he could still very we well be
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: part of that. I wouldn't say he's going to be
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: a Zach Wheeler because Zach Wheeler is one of the
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: best pitchers of his generation, right, But you know, but yeah, no,
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: he's he has all the potential in the world too,
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: to be a really, really, really good starting pitcher for
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: the Phills. But you know, he's not taken a bat
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: to the plate, you know, in the uh you know,
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: in the eighth inning when the Phillies have not you know,
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: generated a run and you know seven innings, right, not
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: in anybody past second base in seven innings, you know.
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: I mean, yes, you can.
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: You can fortify your rotation and all that stuff, you know,
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: and hold people at bay for a while, but eventually
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: the damn is gonna break and your offense needs to
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: match that.
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: I thought the Aaron Coombs trade was pretty interesting too. Look,
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: the kid's twenty three years old. He has he has
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: got a disgusting curve ball. According to Craig Smith from
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: A to Z Sports, who you know, we've got to
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: have some reporters and contributors datazy sports on the pot
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: every now and again. Uh, it just just nasty. He's
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: got some nasty pitches in his arsenal and it'll be
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: interesting to see how he develops. He threw seven to
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: two thirds scoreless innings at the end of the twenty
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: twenty four Minor League season for the White Sox single
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: A team two point three five e er, thirteen strikeouts,
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: four walks. I mean, you got you gotta love I
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: like that a lot.
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: I mean, you look at that, you look at what
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: he did when he was at the University of Tennessee,
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: and then there's there's definitely something there to dream on
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: it absolutely, but you know it's also again it's one
• 11:33
  Speaker 2: of those things where this isn't a guy I'm looking
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: at this year or maybe even next year, right so
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: we'll see. I mean, maybe it's something that down the
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: road we're like, man, they completely fleeced the White Sox
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: to get this guy.
• 11:47
  Speaker 3: But it's just hard to see right now it is.
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: And let's folks, we got to keep in mind too,
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: you know, for those Phillies fans out there, it's gonna
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: be interesting to see if any of the prospects, the
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: Phillies top prospects, actually make it onto the field for
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: the Phillies this year. I mean, I'm gonna be really
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: interested to continue following Justin Crawford outfielder in the minors,
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: see what he's going to be doing. And if he's
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: going to be starting out in Double A like he
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: was last year, maybe he's gonna be up at the
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: Iron Pigs in Triple A. Of course, Andrew Paynter, you know,
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: when may we potentially see him on the mound in Philly.
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: Who knows, uh, we still have you know, Aiden Miller,
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: who is shortstopp Eduardo Tate, who's a catcher as well.
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: I don't expect Eduardo to be up with the Phills
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: anytime soon. But he is a top prospect for this team.
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: Let's not forget about the prospects. Yeah, you know, I
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: think it's gonna be interesting, especially justin Crawford. I'm really
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: looking forward to seeing him well.
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: And Crawford and Tate were two names that I had
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: heard that like people were trying to get from the
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: Phillies in trade rumors, and you know, to.
• 12:53
  Speaker 3: Their credit, they they held on to both of those guys.
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: And that'll be part of the fun of you know,
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: when when the Phills break for training here, because you know,
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: you do tend to you know, see lineups with some
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: of those guys in there, you know, mixed in with
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: some of the major league regulars. So it'll be it'll
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: be fun to see, you know, a guy like Aiden
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: Miller in there and a guy like Crawford and stuff
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: like that, just kind of seeing them get at bats,
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: you know, along with some of the major leaguers and
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: maybe they can pick up something there. So you will
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: get a chance to see them. And wow, at this
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: point it's you know, maybe a little over a month
• 13:28
  Speaker 2: or so. Oh yeah, they had down there. So yeah,
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: I mean, soon enough you'll be able to see those
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: guys and you know, yeah, it'll be interesting to see
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: in each of those cases where what level they land at,
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: and then you know you can follow them from there.
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: Yep, absolutely, it's gonna be interesting. Man. I can't believe
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: Spring training is going to be here before we know it,
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: before we know it.
• 13:47
  Speaker 3: Len, Yes, yeah, well I'm ready.
• 13:51
  Speaker 2: You know, you go outside right now and just it's
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: twenty degrees out in a twenty five mile an hour
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: wind is hitting you in the face, and you're like, yeah,
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: I'm I'm I'm ready. I'm ready for this to be over.
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: The wind is the worst weather condition ever it could be.
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: You could be in the sun, you could be in
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: a nice little snowfall happening, and the wind just comes
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: in and ruins everything. I hate it. Hate it.
• 14:15
  Speaker 3: Yeah. No.
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: I was out with my dog the other night and
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: it was snowing, but it was it was fine out.
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: It was cold, but there was no wind at all,
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: and it was just like one of the things where
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: like we got done with our walk and we just
• 14:25
  Speaker 2: sat on the front porch and I just watched the
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: snow for a little bit and I was like, I
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: feel fine out here.
• 14:29
  Speaker 3: This is not an issue. But yeah. Once once that
• 14:32
  Speaker 3: wind starts it just like I don't want to leave it.
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: How exactly exactly exactly. You know, he's got a lot
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: of wind at this point in time. When who's that
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: the Philadelphia seventy six Ers, there's a lot of wind.
• 14:46
  Speaker 3: Well, I mean they have been they have been winning
• 14:50
  Speaker 3: some games.
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: They have been winning something. I mean as yes, as
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: of us recording this, the Sixers are eleventh in the East.
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: But man, they have got a rough stretch ahead here
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: in January, and really just kind of wanted to talk
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: about the fact that can this team through January maybe
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: generate enough wins and even tough wins this month here
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: to let that two and twelve start of the season
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: really hopefully become a footnote this season. Joel Embiid as
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: of us recording this, I know The Wizard's Game is
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: going to be concluded when folks start hearing this, But
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: we know Joel Embiid is not going to be playing
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: tomorrow night in the Wizard's Game, and it's like, God,
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: a couple other guys are going to be out as well,
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: and it's just it's just so frustrating at times to.
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: See who's going to be out because the Wizards are
• 15:39
  Speaker 2: a team that you should be able to beat them
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: without embid. Like, there aren't many teams that I'll say
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: that with because it is the NBA and you know
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: every team has sound, but the Wizards are one of
• 15:49
  Speaker 2: those teams that you should be able to beat even
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: without you al Embiid.
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure Paul George is going to be out
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: as well, and I thought there was one other guy
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: why I'm why, I'm forgetting, but being in Georgia are
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: not going to be on the court for the Wizards.
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: So again, folks that are listening to this, the game
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: is already going to be done with. But still, I
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: wonder if this January is gonna be really rough for
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: this team. They got a rough schedule ahead. And if
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: you can't have if you can't have him be George
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: and Maxie out there together, if the health of some
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: of these guys aren't aren't aren't manifesting itself into you know,
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: them all being on the court together, Lenn, it's gonna
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: be a real tough month. And it's just I don't know,
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: I'm feeling like this could be a throwaway. See, I
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: feel like they're like giving us that little tiny bit
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: of hope, and then we see some garbage from now
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: and then, and then we see some really good stuff,
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: and then we see Joel playing lights out at times
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: and then Okay, now he's not going to be playing.
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: And it's just I hate the day to day stuff
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: and it's just a it's way too up and down
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: from an emotional standpoint for me with this season so far.
• 16:55
  Speaker 2: I just that's why, like when they start out two
• 16:59
  Speaker 2: and twelve, I honestly I was like, just sit them,
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: just set them the whole year, just just do whatever testing,
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: just figure it out. Because that pick, if it's top six,
• 17:11
  Speaker 2: they keep it. Anything beyond that it goes to Oklahoma City.
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: So just just like at that point, I was like that,
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: and I still like, you know, you look, okay and
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: beat it's gonna be out versus Washington and they play
• 17:23
  Speaker 2: New Orleans. Those are two teams they should be. Then
• 17:25
  Speaker 2: your go to Orlando. Who's you know a good team
• 17:28
  Speaker 2: this year? Yeah, you got Oklahoma City, then you got
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: New York. Then you go to Indiana, then you go
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: to Milwaukee, go to Denver, and then you have Cleveland.
• 17:39
  Speaker 2: That is a tough one. Let's see here. Three four, five, six, seven,
• 17:42
  Speaker 2: eight game stretch there that I mean, those are tough games,
• 17:47
  Speaker 2: really tough games. So I mean, yeah, it's it's really hard.
• 17:52
  Speaker 2: This This might be one of the tougher stretches they
• 17:54
  Speaker 2: have coming up this season.
• 17:56
  Speaker 3: And it's just like, I don't know.
• 18:01
  Speaker 2: I mean, I know people want to see the team win,
• 18:03
  Speaker 2: and you know, I get it, I do. Nobody wants
• 18:07
  Speaker 2: to see their team get their brains beat in every night.
• 18:09
  Speaker 2: But man, they you know, you're you're you're depending on
• 18:14
  Speaker 2: guys that are on the wrong side of thirty. Now, yeah,
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: that have a proven track record of playing in minimal
• 18:21
  Speaker 2: games in George and MBI.
• 18:24
  Speaker 3: That's just the reality.
• 18:25
  Speaker 2: That's That's what when you look at their basketball reference page,
• 18:29
  Speaker 2: that's what it tells you in terms of what you
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: can expect from them, and.
• 18:33
  Speaker 3: You're paying these guys big money.
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: Like I just think you need to like get okay,
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: what what is the next wave here?
• 18:41
  Speaker 3: Who are the next Who's the next Core? Yeah?
• 18:45
  Speaker 2: And I think you need to start seeing it because
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: it's I'm sorry, man, it's it's not going to happen
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: with this Core. It's I just I don't believe in
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: it anymore.
• 18:54
  Speaker 3: I just don't.
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: Well, I think it's important for us to look at
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: how the team actually plays, especially from an offensive standpoint. Okay,
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: I think when you look at the Sixers offense, they
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: don't share the ball with intention. They're last in the
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: NBA in assists and assists to pass percentage, second to
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: last in potential assists and points created off assists len
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: and third to last and assists adjusted. So they prefer
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: simply dribbling over basically creating scoring opportunities from passing the ball.
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: Like that, that's what has been happening. That's what the
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: offense is at this point. And it may be guys
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: just trying to put way too much on their shoulders
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: instead of just playing the freaking game, trying to create
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: scoring opportunities from themselves from passing the ball. I mean,
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: I know it sounds simplistic, but they're not doing it well.
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: And it's like, I mean, and I'm not going to
• 19:53
  Speaker 2: put all on one guy, but like MAXI you know,
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: when I see him, I think he's a really good player.
• 19:58
  Speaker 3: But is he what you would consider a true point guard?
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: Probably not.
• 20:03
  Speaker 2: No, I mean to me, he's like a combo like
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: scoring guard. Yeah, you know, so a true actual floor
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: general is something that I don't think the Sixers have.
• 20:13
  Speaker 2: I just don't see it.
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it's this is gonna be a rough stretch here.
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: But seriously, if they could, if they could win for
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: these games coming up here, you just went through it.
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: You just went through these games and and and I'm
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: not so sure. Look, Cleveland, their record is fantastic. I'm
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: not one hundred percent sure that we have. I don't know.
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: There could be some chips in that armor.
• 20:40
  Speaker 3: But you think they're they're they're maybe a bit of
• 20:43
  Speaker 3: a fraud.
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: Maybe maybe you know, I'm kind of seeing that. Can
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: I see see the Sixers team, say if all three
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: got if if Maxi, Embiid and Georgia on the on
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: the court, possibly beating Cleveland, I do, But I want
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: to see them against the Knicks. I want to see
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: them against the Box, Denver and even okay Oka. See
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: which is January fourteenth next week. I want to see
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: how they perform against those teams. But from now until
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: the end of January, if they can win like four
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: of these what eight games that we were just talking about,
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: then I think it's a pretty decent run and it's
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: going to give me hope, and I'm going to hate that.
• 21:23
  Speaker 2: At that point, you do kind of have, you know,
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: at least something to look at in terms of, you know,
• 21:29
  Speaker 2: them climbing the standings. You know, they are two games
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: out of the playing tournament. You know where the season
• 21:35
  Speaker 2: end of to day, which obviously it's a long way
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: off from that. Yeah, I don't know. I just think
• 21:43
  Speaker 2: you're going to find yourself in a middling position. And
• 21:46
  Speaker 2: if you said, if you ask me, how do you
• 21:49
  Speaker 2: what word would you use to describe the Sixers by
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: the end of the year.
• 21:53
  Speaker 3: Middling is the word I would use. And that's not
• 21:55
  Speaker 3: where you want to be.
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: Now, definitely not Well, folks, we're gonna we're at that point.
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: We're gonna take a break here and pay some bills.
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: But beforehand, if you are listening to this for the
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: first time, or you're just getting your palette wet with
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: the Philadelphia Sports Table podcast show, subscribe on whatever podcast
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: platform you're on. You can always head on over to
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: Philadelphia Sports Table dot com. We've got all of our
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: podcast shows uploaded over there as well. Search us out
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: on social media sites. We are on the Twitter, slash x,
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: we are on Instagram. I'm over on Blue Sky Jeff Warren,
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: and again just search out the show and we'd appreciate that.
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: Follow rates and reviews. We appreciate those two. And if
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: you'd like to get in touch with us Philadelphia Sports
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: Table at gmail dot com, love to read your email
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: here on the show. I know we got some correspondence
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: over the holiday, but we had a bunch of PST
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: special shows, so I'm not sure if we're really gonna
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: be able to get into it. Aldo out there, longtime listener,
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: we got it. We got your email, but I'm not sure, buddy,
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: if we're gonna be able to get to it, just
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: based on what the subject matter was for that particular
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: time after that Eagles game. So anyway, I'm gonna take
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: a quick break to pay some bills. We'll be back
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: in just a bit. All right, we are back, and
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: let's now get into some Philadelphia Union talk. Now that
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: we got you on Len here, we can actually talk
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: somewhat intelligently, I think about the Union because we need
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: to talk about the fact that they have got a
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: brand new coach. Bradley Carnell has joined the Philadelphia Union
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: as the fourth head coach in club history. He comes
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: to the club from Saint Louis City SC, where he
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: led the expansion team to a twenty twenty three Western
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: Conference championship that year with a record of seventeen twelve
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: and three. I don't know much about them quite frankly,
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: but what I do know is that it's gonna be
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: it's gonna be different. It's gonna We're gonna see a
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: different type of approach and approach. I think that emphasizes
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: a high press style of play while organizing a structured defense,
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: so he develops players. It's something that I think he
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: shares the Union's vision for doing. But it's going to
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: be a clear contrast that Jim Curtin for sure.
• 24:14
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I definitely think it's I mean, I definitely think
• 24:18
  Speaker 2: it's going to be a bit of a contrast. I
• 24:21
  Speaker 2: was still one of those people that was in the
• 24:24
  Speaker 2: pro curtain camp. I just feel like he was failed
• 24:29
  Speaker 2: by an organization that you know, doesn't want to pay people.
• 24:33
  Speaker 2: So yeah, I mean that that's that's where I'm kind
• 24:36
  Speaker 2: of at. There's a small part of me that wouldn't
• 24:39
  Speaker 2: mind seeing Cartin go on to another organization, particularly in MLS,
• 24:43
  Speaker 2: that you know, actually does invest in the on field
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: product and see what he can do with that and
• 24:50
  Speaker 2: you know, perhaps maybe show the union problem wasn't me.
• 24:55
  Speaker 2: So I'm kind of in that in that mode where
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: I have that little bit of a negative taste in
• 25:01
  Speaker 2: my mouth. But you know, listen, you know this guy
• 25:05
  Speaker 2: had the one year in Saint Louis was a good year.
• 25:09
  Speaker 2: Things kind of fell apart there, but you know that,
• 25:12
  Speaker 2: unfortunately tends to happen sometimes. So we'll see, we'll see
• 25:16
  Speaker 2: what kind of I will be interested in terms of
• 25:19
  Speaker 2: like the different style of play, what it looks like,
• 25:22
  Speaker 2: you know, how things work out there. You know, there
• 25:26
  Speaker 2: have been some you know changes within the organization. There
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: was one signing that I you know, we do tend
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: to kill the union on the show, particularly about them
• 25:36
  Speaker 2: not signing people. There is one guy that they signed
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: that I am interested in. That is Argentine center back
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: I Glevinovich. Yeah, has joined and he's I guess gonna be,
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: you know, taking the place of Jack Elliott. But yeah,
• 25:50
  Speaker 2: I mean he's a guy that you know, comes from,
• 25:52
  Speaker 2: you know, a top tier organization. Newell's Old Boys is
• 25:57
  Speaker 2: one of the you know, the prime most storied clubs
• 26:00
  Speaker 2: in Argentinian club soccer. So I mean, if he's you know,
• 26:05
  Speaker 2: if he's starting as a center back there and he's
• 26:08
  Speaker 2: you know, made some he made a name for himself
• 26:10
  Speaker 2: down there, then I am very interested, you know, to
• 26:14
  Speaker 2: see what he can bring to the Union. You know,
• 26:17
  Speaker 2: he's only twenty three years old. He's here for a
• 26:20
  Speaker 2: year with the club option to sign for a longer,
• 26:23
  Speaker 2: a longer deal, and if he it was anything like
• 26:26
  Speaker 2: he's built, I'm sure that they will want to, you know,
• 26:29
  Speaker 2: keep him on board. So I am interested to see
• 26:32
  Speaker 2: what he brings to the you know, to the back
• 26:34
  Speaker 2: end there.
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: You watch, you'll have a great you watch, You'll have
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: like a great season, and then some team in Europe
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: will be like, okay, we'll take them, thank you.
• 26:41
  Speaker 3: I mean, but well, I don't know, I don't know
• 26:43
  Speaker 3: how it works.
• 26:44
  Speaker 2: If he has the if they have the club option
• 26:47
  Speaker 2: on them, yeah, you know, maybe you know, hell me,
• 26:51
  Speaker 2: maybe freaking I don't care. If Manchester United to want them,
• 26:53
  Speaker 2: maybe if you didn't have the club option, they could say, well, yeah,
• 26:57
  Speaker 2: that's great and all, but you know, you better pony
• 26:58
  Speaker 2: up a lot of money because we want him here.
• 27:01
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 27:01
  Speaker 2: So maybe that's how that shakes out, and yeah, like
• 27:05
  Speaker 2: I said, hopefully he's good enough that that happens. But
• 27:08
  Speaker 2: that was like the one thing where I was like, oh, okay,
• 27:11
  Speaker 2: all right, we're not just gonna not sign anybody all
• 27:14
  Speaker 2: all winter long.
• 27:15
  Speaker 3: That's that's a nice thing to say.
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: That absolutely is. And I think, you know, we got
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: to talk about It's like it feels like that elephant
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: in the room. It certainly was, you know, before the
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: start of last season. But Aleandro Badoya, he's going to
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: be returning not only to the team on the field,
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: but he's going to be returning to the front office
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: as well. And I don't know, it's I guess it.
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: I guess it kind of worked last year, but but
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: not really. I mean, look, if you want to be
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: in the front office, be in the front office here,
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: you know, And if you want to play the game,
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: play the game. I mean, he's getting up there in age.
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: I'm not sure from I mean, he's still certainly an athlete,
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: and I certainly am not gonna, you know, you know,
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: kick the crap out of him necessarily for wanting to
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: get back on the field, because it's tough for players
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: at times when they are on the downslide. To one
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: realize it too, maybe make changes to their game. You know,
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: we see certain athletes do that in different sports. But
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: you know, I don't know. Maybe he's getting to the
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: point in his career where either got to decide on
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: the front office or if you want to just kind
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: of stay on the field. And where does a possible
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: conundrum come in come into effect having both of these positions.
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: I don't know. I look, I love Badoya, you know,
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: the Philadelphia Union fans in general love him too. But
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: I think he's getting to that stage in his career
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: where it's like, buddy, you may want to pick one
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: or the other at this point, really concentrate on on
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: one or the other.
• 28:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I just don't feel that that's a situation where
• 28:49
  Speaker 2: you know, you can you can fully give yourself to
• 28:53
  Speaker 2: to a role.
• 28:54
  Speaker 3: Yeah, when you're trying to do too.
• 28:56
  Speaker 2: And this isn't like coaching GM where you're buying your
• 28:59
  Speaker 2: own ingredients. I mean, this is like two different things here.
• 29:02
  Speaker 2: And I get the idea of bringing him back in
• 29:05
  Speaker 2: a mentorship role for you know, the younger players. I'm
• 29:08
  Speaker 2: guessing where that's the majority of his value as a
• 29:12
  Speaker 2: player comes from nowadays, because he's not playing huge minutes anymore.
• 29:16
  Speaker 2: You know, he comes on in spurts. He's not a
• 29:18
  Speaker 2: guy that's going to go run out there for seventy
• 29:20
  Speaker 2: eighty minutes. You're not looking to him for that. Yeah,
• 29:25
  Speaker 2: but you know, yeah, I mean, I if the goal
• 29:28
  Speaker 2: is to make him a front office guy down the road,
• 29:30
  Speaker 2: then just do that and give give his spot to
• 29:33
  Speaker 2: a younger player.
• 29:35
  Speaker 3: You know.
• 29:35
  Speaker 2: I just I feel like you're spreading yourself thin in
• 29:38
  Speaker 2: that regard, and it does seem kind of flyers. He right, Like,
• 29:43
  Speaker 2: here's a guy that's been, you know, a stalwart for
• 29:45
  Speaker 2: the organization. Let's make sure we give him a job
• 29:47
  Speaker 2: within the organization. Yeah, that's got Flyers written all over it.
• 29:53
  Speaker 3: But yeah, apparently that's what they're doing here.
• 29:55
  Speaker 2: And I don't know what exactly he's going to be
• 29:57
  Speaker 2: doing in the front office, because you know, you still
• 29:59
  Speaker 2: have Ernst Tanner there as you as your sporting director.
• 30:03
  Speaker 2: But you know, I don't know, Maybe I don't know
• 30:06
  Speaker 2: if maybe this is an understudy type thing, if it's
• 30:08
  Speaker 2: like kind of where like again to use the Flyers comparison,
• 30:12
  Speaker 2: like Briere had some front office roles, maybe not even
• 30:16
  Speaker 2: necessarily with the Flyers because he was with some affiliate
• 30:19
  Speaker 2: organizations for a while, but you know, kind of just
• 30:22
  Speaker 2: learning roles there and then maybe their long term thing
• 30:26
  Speaker 2: is thinking he takes over for Tanner.
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: I don't know, Well, he's got he's gonna he has
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: a play it's called like the player professional development role
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: or something like that. Like that's basically what it is.
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: And I think that's where they possibly want him to
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: go with the organization when he's not uh uh you
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: know it played in midfield, you know what I mean,
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: Like I I guess that's what they want him to do,
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: is to do some professional development and player development here.
• 30:54
  Speaker 3: And I think that would be you know, that would
• 30:57
  Speaker 3: be good because I because he has played at some
• 31:00
  Speaker 3: of the highest levels I mean prior to his you
• 31:02
  Speaker 3: know career in MLS. I mean, he played in some
• 31:06
  Speaker 3: high level leagues. I mean there's there's no question about it.
• 31:09
  Speaker 2: So I mean he he has that experience that you
• 31:13
  Speaker 2: know is not very prevalent in MLS at all, so
• 31:15
  Speaker 2: he can kind of lean on that.
• 31:18
  Speaker 3: But you know again pick one.
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, And look, we want to get to some
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: flyers talk and certainly some Eagles talk here in a bit,
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: but really quick too, just with regard to the Union.
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: They they basically traded three years worth of super draft
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: picks to Colorado. And look, it's no secret that sporting
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: director Ernst Tanner he values allocation money more than the
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: MLS Super Draft. So the Union have a natural top
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: ten pick, and the Union are reportedly receiving three hundred
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: and fifty thousand dollars in general allocation money plus up
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: to an additional two hundred and fifty thousand attached to
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: performance incentives. So the number seven, number nine picks in
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: the twenty twenty three super Draft, they both that back
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: then that was one hundred and seventy five thousand in
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: allocation money. So Ernst Tanner he likes to do this.
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: He does since his arrival, his decision to trade the
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: Union's five picks in twenty nineteen to Cincinnati, that narrative
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: has really centered on the Union's emphasis on its academy
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: utilizing young players as depth thees, even even as the
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: team stars came via the draft like number one overall
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: pick Andre Blake and some others too. But yeah, just
• 32:38
  Speaker 1: wanted to throw that out there, three years worth of
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: super draft picks to Colorado for some cash. So we'll
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: see what they do with that cash.
• 32:46
  Speaker 2: Len Yeah, and that's the big thing because you know,
• 32:50
  Speaker 2: you have an organization in the union that you know,
• 32:53
  Speaker 2: you know has shown, you know, especially like you look
• 32:55
  Speaker 2: at last year, you know they were out of don't
• 32:59
  Speaker 2: know twenty nine teams or there like twenty six then
• 33:02
  Speaker 2: spending something along along those lines on players. So it's
• 33:05
  Speaker 2: just like, Okay, you're you're you're getting this allocation money,
• 33:09
  Speaker 2: what are you doing with it? And that to me
• 33:12
  Speaker 2: is you know, you have to be able to show
• 33:14
  Speaker 2: the work there. Otherwise you you're already suspect and you're
• 33:18
  Speaker 2: only gonna you know, you know, engender more suspicion, you know,
• 33:22
  Speaker 2: by getting all this money and then if you're not
• 33:24
  Speaker 2: spending it all players, people are gonna ask questions. That's
• 33:27
  Speaker 2: only natural. So you know, I I on the surface
• 33:30
  Speaker 2: that that thing with the with the super draft looks
• 33:33
  Speaker 2: bad because like, oh, we don't believe in the draft.
• 33:36
  Speaker 2: We're selling all our all our you know, picks. But
• 33:39
  Speaker 2: you know, they they very clearly have a way that
• 33:41
  Speaker 2: they like to look at this and you know, like
• 33:43
  Speaker 2: you mentioned, they they are big on the academy.
• 33:46
  Speaker 3: They're they're not worried about you know, I.
• 33:49
  Speaker 2: Guess players that have that have come up through college
• 33:51
  Speaker 2: programs and you know, trying to remold them in the
• 33:54
  Speaker 2: image I mean, they want to mold these kids from
• 33:57
  Speaker 2: a young age to to the Union style, whatever that
• 34:00
  Speaker 2: may be, rather than have to retrain kids that have
• 34:03
  Speaker 2: come out of college. So, you know, Tooiser, if that's
• 34:06
  Speaker 2: the way that they run things, then I don't necessarily
• 34:10
  Speaker 2: have a problem with that.
• 34:11
  Speaker 3: But again, you got to share the work with.
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: That money, exactly. Let's get some talent going here. Let's
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: get that talent going. So all right, well, then let's
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: move on to the Philadelphia Flyers and just what we've
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: kind of I mean, specifically with regard to the goalie situation.
• 34:25
  Speaker 1: It's really what I wanted to talk about on this
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: show with you because while Ivan Fidotov, you know, a
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: decent game against Las Vegas this past week after being
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: out for over a month, the goalie situation for the
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: Philadelphia Flyers is huge for this team moving forward. I
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: just had no idea it was going to get to
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: the point where it's at right now. The inconsistencies, I
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: think when you take all three goalies and you average
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: them out, it's something like their goal save percentage is
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: like eight, maybe eight eighty something like that. It's not good.
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: It is not wait what is it? And that's the
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: average for all three christ It's just it's it's I
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: didn't realize it was going to get this bad. And
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: and and the Flyers are in a situation here, they
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: are in a huge situation of oh my god, we
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: really did lose the goalie of the future in Carter
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: Heart and now this is what this is? What? What
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: what's happening here? I mean with ers and constantly on
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: the shelf. I think this team may just be faced
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: with a Kolosov and Ivan Fodotov tandem for most of
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: this season and maybe look, maybe that's best for this team,
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: you know, in terms of in terms of this rebuild,
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: we're seeing some good stuff still from Matt VeVe Mitchkoff.
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: He's continuing to develop, been a little slower over these
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: past few games just in terms of what we've seen
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: from him. But the goalie situation here, Lend is really concerning.
• 35:58
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean yeah, Like.
• 36:00
  Speaker 2: We we had talked about the same percentage as eight
• 36:03
  Speaker 2: seventy eight goals against Savage per game is three point
• 36:06
  Speaker 2: twenty six, which is also not not really good. So
• 36:11
  Speaker 2: you know, I I thought maybe at one point last
• 36:15
  Speaker 2: year Ersan was going to be the guy going forward
• 36:18
  Speaker 2: in the future. But you know, like you said, there
• 36:21
  Speaker 2: there have been a lot of injuries there so maybe,
• 36:25
  Speaker 2: you know, the performance he's had has been a function
• 36:27
  Speaker 2: of trying to play through injury. And maybe maybe he's
• 36:30
  Speaker 2: not this guy that we've seen so far this year.
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: Maybe he's not a game type of guy, you.
• 36:36
  Speaker 2: Know, which is fine because that's not really I mean
• 36:39
  Speaker 2: the way I mean, you do have some cases like
• 36:42
  Speaker 2: like you know, Shastarkin in New York and.
• 36:46
  Speaker 3: Oh god, he's just keeping me down in Tampa Bay.
• 36:49
  Speaker 2: But yeah, like like a true this is your guy,
• 36:53
  Speaker 2: this is your horse that you're going to Vassilevski in
• 36:56
  Speaker 2: Tampa Bay. Yeah, you know, so not all not all
• 36:59
  Speaker 2: teams operate like that anymore. You do have a lot
• 37:02
  Speaker 2: of times a one A and a one B rather
• 37:04
  Speaker 2: than you know, this is clearly the number one guy
• 37:07
  Speaker 2: and that other guy is the number two guy. So
• 37:09
  Speaker 2: that's fine if that's what the Flyers end up doing,
• 37:11
  Speaker 2: but you have to identify who those guys are. Kolosov,
• 37:16
  Speaker 2: I mean, he's twenty three, so the he's a guy
• 37:19
  Speaker 2: you can at least dream on a little bit. I think,
• 37:22
  Speaker 2: you know, he's just here's a guy that last year
• 37:26
  Speaker 2: was in Lehigh Valley and there was talking.
• 37:27
  Speaker 3: About how he wanted to go back to Russia. Yeah,
• 37:30
  Speaker 3: so you know, there's a lot coming to him right now.
• 37:34
  Speaker 2: There's I would think, a pretty steep learning curve, and
• 37:36
  Speaker 2: there's just a lot happening. So if he's getting overwhelmed,
• 37:40
  Speaker 2: I can't say I'm surprised, and I certainly understand it.
• 37:45
  Speaker 2: You know, you don't like to see it, but at
• 37:46
  Speaker 2: the same time I get it. I mean, if he's
• 37:49
  Speaker 2: having a rough year for that, for those reasons.
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: And I guess this year is a good enough time
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: to have a rough year, you.
• 37:55
  Speaker 2: Know, yeah, I mean yeah, I mean you know, overall
• 37:59
  Speaker 2: pictures or Flyers are kind of in the same pool where, yes,
• 38:03
  Speaker 2: they they have you know, they have some talent, and
• 38:06
  Speaker 2: they have Mitchkoff, who I think is you know, he's
• 38:09
  Speaker 2: definitely fallen off a little bit in terms of the performance.
• 38:12
  Speaker 2: There was a there was a point at which he
• 38:13
  Speaker 2: was just barely underneath a point per game average, and
• 38:17
  Speaker 2: he's definitely the production is has you know, tailed off.
• 38:21
  Speaker 3: You know, quite a bit since then.
• 38:24
  Speaker 2: But you know, again, you know, I just don't think that,
• 38:26
  Speaker 2: you know, an elite contending Stanley Cup club, they don't
• 38:32
  Speaker 2: have those pieces. So you know, I would love to
• 38:36
  Speaker 2: see them have a very high pick in this coming draft.
• 38:40
  Speaker 3: I just think it would really behoove them.
• 38:43
  Speaker 2: To get a guy that's a top line center and
• 38:45
  Speaker 2: then you've got that guy and then Luchenko as you're
• 38:49
  Speaker 2: one and two, you know, going forward in the future.
• 38:51
  Speaker 3: And then you know, if you go on Tankathon, which
• 38:56
  Speaker 3: you know I love. I sound like I want all my.
• 38:58
  Speaker 2: Teams to stake, but but yeah, I do go on
• 39:01
  Speaker 2: those sites and just kind of like like to play
• 39:03
  Speaker 2: around with it a little bit. But if you look,
• 39:05
  Speaker 2: the Flyers have three first round picks this year, yep,
• 39:08
  Speaker 2: and three second round picks. So I mean, if you
• 39:11
  Speaker 2: make some smart moves, you know there are guys out there,
• 39:13
  Speaker 2: like you know, like Tampa Bay did a great job
• 39:16
  Speaker 2: with getting Koutrov and Braden Point. You know, those guys
• 39:20
  Speaker 2: were not top ten picks. Those guys were picked later on.
• 39:23
  Speaker 2: You can find those guys and and that's the one
• 39:26
  Speaker 2: thing that excites me about the Flyers is I do
• 39:29
  Speaker 2: think that in Brierre and his staff. I think they
• 39:33
  Speaker 2: have a group that is pretty decent and identifying talent.
• 39:38
  Speaker 2: I mean, we all, you know, we're like, oh, who's
• 39:41
  Speaker 2: gentle Chanko? When he was drafted, you know, and he
• 39:44
  Speaker 2: turned out to be, you know, pretty he acquitted himself
• 39:48
  Speaker 2: nicely in his showing, and I think he's going to
• 39:51
  Speaker 2: be a guy that develops into a nice player for
• 39:53
  Speaker 2: the Flyers. So if they're scouting, is that good? And
• 39:56
  Speaker 2: you know, maybe they can hit on a couple guys
• 39:58
  Speaker 2: with these, you know, six picks in the first two rounds.
• 40:01
  Speaker 2: You know, you could have a nice nucleus. But man,
• 40:05
  Speaker 2: if that first pick could be high up, why wouldn't
• 40:07
  Speaker 2: you want.
• 40:07
  Speaker 1: It to be absolutely? Absolutely, Look, this is what a
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: rebuild is, folks. It's what a rebuild is. Yes, there
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: was talk earlier before the season started, well maybe they
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: could maybe they can actually get into the playoffs, and
• 40:20
  Speaker 1: maybe they should get into the playoffs. Folks, let's just
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: temper all of this right now with this team. And
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: I know we're not we're all not getting any younger
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: at this point, but this is what a rebuild is.
• 40:32
  Speaker 1: Len just outlined a ton of great stuff there, So Len.
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: Before I let you go, though, Buddy, we got to
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: talk about the Philadelphia Eagles. Here. They are in the play.
• 40:40
  Speaker 1: They're the one saving Grace.
• 40:44
  Speaker 3: There's the team. They're the only team that I think
• 40:47
  Speaker 3: legitimately has a chance to win a championship. Yes, City
• 40:50
  Speaker 3: anytime soon.
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: Bite your tongue, Bite your tongue.
• 40:53
  Speaker 2: Maybe the Phillies I don't know, but in the past
• 40:56
  Speaker 2: couple of years have really taken a lot of wind
• 40:58
  Speaker 2: out of my sales.
• 40:59
  Speaker 3: There.
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Look, we're gonna be talking to our good friend
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: Lou Debassi from the Lockdown Eagles podcast in just a bit,
• 41:05
  Speaker 1: but we just wanted to give some quick thoughts here
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: on what we're thinking about this upcoming Packers game and
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: just where the Birds can go in this postseason. Quite frankly, line,
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: I do think that they could go to the NFC
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: Championship Game. I actually do. It's not a homer thing
• 41:22
  Speaker 1: to say. The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the most
• 41:24
  Speaker 1: complete looking teams in the NFL at this point. The
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: Packers are banged up. The Eagles faced the Packers this
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: year during the first week of the PLA, the first
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: week of the season, I should say, down in Brazil, yes,
• 41:38
  Speaker 1: Jalen Hurts turned the ball over three times. The first
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: four games of the season were very much a mess.
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: They needed that buy to get things right. They did.
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: One of the best teams in football right now at
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: this point. I do think the Eagles are gonna beat
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: the Packers this week, and I think they're gonna have
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: another home game, probably in the divisional round. So with
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: that being said, I think that this team could go
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: to the NFC Championship game. I think I think they could.
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: I'm not putting the car before the wars. I think
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: they can do it.
• 42:07
  Speaker 3: Lynn, I will.
• 42:09
  Speaker 2: I'll go one step further, and the caveat here is
• 42:12
  Speaker 2: it Hurts is healthy. I mean, I know that he's
• 42:14
  Speaker 2: a concussion protocol. I haven't heard anything one way or
• 42:19
  Speaker 2: the other, but I expect him to play against the
• 42:22
  Speaker 2: Packers something. I figured that's why he was. You know,
• 42:25
  Speaker 2: he hasn't played in a couple of weeks, so hopefully
• 42:27
  Speaker 2: he's had the time to recover. But so obviously a
• 42:30
  Speaker 2: lot depends on that. But you're saying you think this
• 42:33
  Speaker 2: team could go to the NFC Championship game. I'm saying
• 42:36
  Speaker 2: anything less than that is a disappointment.
• 42:39
  Speaker 1: Yes, I get you.
• 42:40
  Speaker 3: Yea, there is there is. You said it. They are.
• 42:43
  Speaker 2: They're talented all the way through on this roster. There
• 42:47
  Speaker 2: is zero reason why this team can't go to the
• 42:52
  Speaker 2: NFC Championship game. And listen, I know the Lions are
• 42:55
  Speaker 2: are a real tough team and that game is going
• 42:57
  Speaker 2: to be in Detroit. That's that's a game they can
• 43:00
  Speaker 2: win too. I mean, I'm not saying it's going to
• 43:02
  Speaker 2: be easy. The Lions will probably be favored, and maybe
• 43:05
  Speaker 2: they should be. But if they don't at least make
• 43:08
  Speaker 2: it there, then yeah, sorry, I think it's a disappointing season.
• 43:13
  Speaker 1: Yeah, because of where the expectations got to in the
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: weeks after the bye week, where we were looking at
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: this team saying, wow, this is amazing, this is incredible
• 43:23
  Speaker 1: what this team is doing. So yeah, I would agree
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: with you, Lynn, I would agree with you.
• 43:27
  Speaker 2: Where is where's you know, look at it position group
• 43:31
  Speaker 2: by a position group. Where is the soft underbelly on
• 43:34
  Speaker 2: this team?
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: No, it's incredible how they're playing.
• 43:36
  Speaker 2: If you look at the roster, it is it. They
• 43:39
  Speaker 2: are supremely talented. Am I saying they're the best roster
• 43:43
  Speaker 2: in the NFL?
• 43:43
  Speaker 3: No?
• 43:44
  Speaker 2: I mean maybe not, but you know again there is
• 43:48
  Speaker 2: no reason, what that talent they have on this team
• 43:51
  Speaker 2: why they're not in the NFC Championship game.
• 43:53
  Speaker 1: There you go. All right, buddy, I'm gonna let you
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: head out here and do you have any final words
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: here before we get our first break and then we'll
• 44:01
  Speaker 1: get to our interview. Any final thoughts, go, birds, you're
• 44:05
  Speaker 1: all we got here, all we got yep. Absolutely all right, folks,
• 44:09
  Speaker 1: We're gonna take our break right now, and when we
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: come back, we got more Eagles talk. We're gonna be
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: talking to Lou Debasse from the Locked On Eagles Podcast.
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: Stick with us, we'll be right back. All right, now,
• 44:20
  Speaker 1: let's get to some more Eagles talk now that we
• 44:23
  Speaker 1: are back after that break. It's what we're throwing down
• 44:26
  Speaker 1: on the table and now on the table. Joining us
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: now from the Locked On Eagles Podcast. I subscribe on
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts and you can subscribe to them if you're
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: not already on winever podcast platform. You're listening to us
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: on We've got the one and only Lou Debase. Lou,
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: Buddy Man, thanks for jumping on.
• 44:45
  Speaker 3: Man.
• 44:45
  Speaker 1: It's an exciting time here.
• 44:47
  Speaker 4: It's a super exciting time. I don't think i've had
• 44:50
  Speaker 4: as much fun in a regular season as twenty twenty four,
• 44:52
  Speaker 4: and yeah, quite some time. Twenty seventeen was awesome. Twenty
• 44:55
  Speaker 4: twenty two, but there's something about this twenty twenty four
• 44:58
  Speaker 4: Eagles team that's special, Yeah, special to me with how
• 45:01
  Speaker 4: I like roster construction, and I really hope they can
• 45:03
  Speaker 4: keep this magical run going on Sunday.
• 45:05
  Speaker 1: I really think they can.
• 45:06
  Speaker 3: You know.
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: On our Table Talk Interview podcast this past week, we
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: were talking about how Howie Roseman really seems to have created,
• 45:13
  Speaker 1: in a sense, that special sauce that gms in the
• 45:16
  Speaker 1: NFL probably wish they had. And I think we need
• 45:19
  Speaker 1: to give more accolades to Howie Roseman, quite frankly, for
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: what he's done with this roster and with the coaching
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: staff as well. I mean, I know we're going to
• 45:27
  Speaker 1: get into that in a bit, but I think how
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: He Roseman deserves a lot more credit actually than he's
• 45:31
  Speaker 1: really been getting.
• 45:33
  Speaker 4: I completely agree, and look what he did after the
• 45:36
  Speaker 4: Chip Kelly era in twenty sixteen twenty seventeen. Took those
• 45:38
  Speaker 4: two years to build a Super Bowl champion, then to
• 45:41
  Speaker 4: rebuild that dead in the water twenty twenty Eagles team
• 45:44
  Speaker 4: two years later, again they get to a Super Bowl.
• 45:47
  Speaker 4: What he did with those roster constructions was extremely impressive.
• 45:50
  Speaker 4: It was innovative, creative, He learned from his mistakes. But
• 45:54
  Speaker 4: I think what he did in twenty twenty four truly
• 45:57
  Speaker 4: was his best work. And I think this will be
• 45:59
  Speaker 4: the most sustained core that he's ever built because of
• 46:03
  Speaker 4: the youth on both sides of the ball. He's finally
• 46:05
  Speaker 4: taken the time to invest in young players at pretty
• 46:08
  Speaker 4: much every spot. There's no more band aids at linebackers, safety, cornerback.
• 46:13
  Speaker 4: And I really think he has learned from those mistakes
• 46:16
  Speaker 4: of the pass letting, Chauncey Garner, Johnson, go TG Edwards,
• 46:19
  Speaker 4: not taking corners or any defensive backs in the first
• 46:22
  Speaker 4: two rounds outside of Sidney Jones once back in twenty seventeen.
• 46:27
  Speaker 4: So Howie Roseman, he was creative again this year. I
• 46:30
  Speaker 4: think at the same time, he's also learned from his
• 46:32
  Speaker 4: mistakes and he does what he does best. So it
• 46:35
  Speaker 4: was a combination of three different factors that created, I think,
• 46:38
  Speaker 4: again the best and most sustained roster that he's put
• 46:42
  Speaker 4: together since he came back in twenty sixteen.
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: No, well, you just said it.
• 46:45
  Speaker 3: Low.
• 46:45
  Speaker 1: I mean, this is probably the best and most well
• 46:47
  Speaker 1: rounded Eagles team I know that I've seen in my lifetime.
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: I'm forty seven years old. That's saying something. This team
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: has an offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore who has brought
• 46:56
  Speaker 1: a high level of seriousness to the offensive coaching position.
• 47:00
  Speaker 3: Here.
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: Vic Fangio has brought that veteran stability to the defensive
• 47:03
  Speaker 1: side of the ball, and all of this collectively really
• 47:07
  Speaker 1: seems to be the foundation for why Nick Sirianni has
• 47:11
  Speaker 1: grown so much as a head coach this season in particular,
• 47:14
  Speaker 1: So when you look at this Eagles team, lou when
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: you know where they were last year and where they
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: are at now, both playoff teams, how do you characterize
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: this team as we look towards what we can hope
• 47:26
  Speaker 1: to be a successful playoff run.
• 47:28
  Speaker 4: Now, you kind of nailed it with how you were
• 47:29
  Speaker 4: describing Kellen Moore's role in Vic Fangio and how it's
• 47:32
  Speaker 4: created this Kumbai is like in sync football team. Yeah,
• 47:37
  Speaker 4: it feels like there's a method to the madness, and
• 47:38
  Speaker 4: it's not Nick Sirianni having his own strategy and the
• 47:41
  Speaker 4: defensive coordinator doing his own thing. The offensive coordinator Brian
• 47:44
  Speaker 4: Johnson last year doing his own thing, Howie Roseman having
• 47:47
  Speaker 4: a vision. This feels like the difference between this year
• 47:49
  Speaker 4: and last year is it sounds cliche, but they're actually
• 47:52
  Speaker 4: a team. Yeah, it feels like they have one vision
• 47:55
  Speaker 4: and what Kellen Moore is doing is in sync with
• 47:57
  Speaker 4: Nick Sirianni and same with Vic Fangio, And what Vic
• 47:59
  Speaker 4: Fangio wants personnel wise is exactly what Howi Roseman is
• 48:02
  Speaker 4: bringing into the building. So it just feels like everything
• 48:05
  Speaker 4: makes so much more sense where last year you're saying,
• 48:08
  Speaker 4: what's the logic behind so many of these decisions you
• 48:11
  Speaker 4: look at like firing Sean de Sie halfway through the
• 48:14
  Speaker 4: year and bringing in Matt Patricia. It felt like at
• 48:16
  Speaker 4: times Howie Roseman wanted this coach, but the head coach didn't.
• 48:19
  Speaker 4: And this year it just feels like they're just wiser
• 48:22
  Speaker 4: and again, like Howie Roseman, Nick Sirianni has learned from
• 48:26
  Speaker 4: the past, so has Jalen Hurts and all those players
• 48:29
  Speaker 4: from the collapse last year. They learned from that. It's
• 48:31
  Speaker 4: why after the Tampa loss they went on a historic
• 48:35
  Speaker 4: run instead of collapsing yet again. So this team, even
• 48:38
  Speaker 4: though they're younger than they've ever been. They do seem
• 48:41
  Speaker 4: just more mature and more unified, and that's what I
• 48:44
  Speaker 4: think makes this team so enjoyable compared to like even
• 48:47
  Speaker 4: twenty seventeen and twenty twenty two. Those were special runs,
• 48:50
  Speaker 4: but he kind of knew it could end after a
• 48:52
  Speaker 4: year or two. Like the Windows felt a little bit
• 48:54
  Speaker 4: smaller where this one.
• 48:56
  Speaker 3: I don't know.
• 48:56
  Speaker 4: I know the NFL things changed really quick, but it
• 48:58
  Speaker 4: feels blown wide open.
• 49:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, Lou. Before we get into any matchup talk,
• 49:03
  Speaker 1: you know, you've been doing such a great job you
• 49:06
  Speaker 1: and your co hosts Gino Camillari over at Locked on
• 49:09
  Speaker 1: Eagles for quite some time, many years. Let folks know
• 49:12
  Speaker 1: where they can find Locked On Eagles podcast and where
• 49:15
  Speaker 1: they can find you on some social sites out there
• 49:17
  Speaker 1: if they want to, you know, dive into some more
• 49:19
  Speaker 1: Eagles content with you.
• 49:20
  Speaker 4: I appreciate it. Yeah, we've actually been doing this now
• 49:22
  Speaker 4: since the end of the Super Bowl run, so twenty
• 49:24
  Speaker 4: eighteen we started the show together. We do a podcast
• 49:27
  Speaker 4: Monday through Friday. You can find it on all podcast platforms,
• 49:30
  Speaker 4: and we've been doing video since twenty twenty one on YouTube.
• 49:33
  Speaker 4: So I'm hosting shorts every day and all of our
• 49:35
  Speaker 4: shows are uploaded on our Lockdown Eagles YouTube page, so
• 49:37
  Speaker 4: you can check those out. But it's been a fun run.
• 49:39
  Speaker 4: I mean, that's the crazy thing, Jeff about the Eagles
• 49:41
  Speaker 4: is they've made the playoffs in seven of eight years,
• 49:43
  Speaker 4: but it feels like it's been the most chaotic, consistent run, right,
• 49:47
  Speaker 4: I mean, it's yep, completely different cores and it's been
• 49:50
  Speaker 4: quite the ride since then.
• 49:51
  Speaker 1: Absolutely. Well, let's dive into this matchup with the Packers,
• 49:54
  Speaker 1: lou first, I want to get into the trenches here
• 49:57
  Speaker 1: with you. The trenches. When we look at this Eagles
• 50:00
  Speaker 1: offensive line against the Packers defensive front, I think this
• 50:04
  Speaker 1: I think the Eagles win this matchup in particular as
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: they have one of the strongest, if not the strongest
• 50:10
  Speaker 1: offensive line in the NFL. What are your thoughts on
• 50:12
  Speaker 1: this matchup, specifically in the trenches as we're looking to
• 50:15
  Speaker 1: this wildcard matchup.
• 50:16
  Speaker 4: Yeah, and Green Bay has some pieces. Statistically, they've been
• 50:19
  Speaker 4: a pretty good pass rush this year from a sack perspective.
• 50:21
  Speaker 4: Orshan Gary is a good player on the edge, But overall,
• 50:24
  Speaker 4: I think the Eagles do have a pretty substantial advantage
• 50:27
  Speaker 4: in the trenches, I think on both sides of the ball,
• 50:29
  Speaker 4: and we'll get into the defense, but I think for
• 50:30
  Speaker 4: the offensive line, it's such an advantage when you know
• 50:34
  Speaker 4: you don't need to chip or do anything with your tackles.
• 50:37
  Speaker 4: Jordan maia Alat and Lane Johnson, statistically this year were
• 50:40
  Speaker 4: the two best tackles in the league when they were
• 50:42
  Speaker 4: put on an island. Yes, So when you have that
• 50:45
  Speaker 4: and they can just win one on one matchups all
• 50:47
  Speaker 4: of the time, you can focus on so many other
• 50:50
  Speaker 4: areas of the Green Bay defense. So I think it's
• 50:53
  Speaker 4: a huge advantage, and that's why I want to see
• 50:56
  Speaker 4: a balance attack, kind of like Week one in Brazil
• 50:58
  Speaker 4: where yeh, Saquon Barkley has twenty four carries, but Jalen
• 51:01
  Speaker 4: Hurts also throws the football thirty times. I want to
• 51:03
  Speaker 4: see that balance with the passing game. But don't get
• 51:06
  Speaker 4: away from your identity. What has gotten you to this point,
• 51:09
  Speaker 4: why you won a franchise setting record of ten straight wins.
• 51:14
  Speaker 4: Lean on your offensive line, Lean on Saquon Barkley. I
• 51:17
  Speaker 4: do think that Jalen Hurts will have some rush to
• 51:19
  Speaker 4: knock off, but the offensive line is gonna make it
• 51:21
  Speaker 4: easy on him. I really do think that's a big
• 51:23
  Speaker 4: advantage in this one.
• 51:23
  Speaker 1: Absolutely.
• 51:24
  Speaker 3: Well.
• 51:24
  Speaker 1: On the flip side, let's look at the Packers offensive
• 51:27
  Speaker 1: line going up against this Eagles defensive front. As you
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: mentioned again, I think the Eagles do have the edge
• 51:32
  Speaker 1: in terms of this matchup in the trenches. Of course,
• 51:35
  Speaker 1: the Packers do have strong right tackle on offense. But
• 51:39
  Speaker 1: even though the Eagles don't have like the greatest sack
• 51:42
  Speaker 1: numbers in the world this season, the amount of pressure
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: that they've been able to put on opposing quarterbacks and
• 51:46
  Speaker 1: offenses in general has been absolutely fantastic to watch. Yeah,
• 51:50
  Speaker 1: I mean since the bye week, you know, since Week six.
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: What are your thoughts on this particular matchup in the trenches,
• 51:56
  Speaker 1: Packers offensive line going up the Eagles going up against
• 51:59
  Speaker 1: the Eagles defensive front.
• 52:00
  Speaker 4: Right, Yeah, Zach Tom's a good right tackle for the
• 52:02
  Speaker 4: Green Bay Packer is one of the best in the league.
• 52:04
  Speaker 4: So that's definitely gonna be a tough matchup for Nolan Smith,
• 52:07
  Speaker 4: who normally lines up on that side of the football.
• 52:09
  Speaker 4: But this Eagles defensive line, You're right, it's kind of
• 52:12
  Speaker 4: underrated almost in a way. It kind of reminds me
• 52:14
  Speaker 4: of the not twenty twenty two where that was historic.
• 52:16
  Speaker 4: I mean, they almost broke the eighties Bears all time
• 52:19
  Speaker 4: single season sack record. So I'm not saying that that's
• 52:21
  Speaker 4: who they are, but they're kind of like the twenty
• 52:24
  Speaker 4: seventeen team where yeah, do you have a fifteen sack guy. No,
• 52:28
  Speaker 4: but you've got a bunch of guys that consistently get
• 52:30
  Speaker 4: to the quarterback. And the way Nolan Smith finished the
• 52:33
  Speaker 4: season was unbelievable. I mean, he really looks like he's
• 52:36
  Speaker 4: a star in the making. And Josh Sweat, I thought,
• 52:38
  Speaker 4: had one of the quietest good bounce back years that
• 52:42
  Speaker 4: we've seen in quite some time. So I actually do
• 52:45
  Speaker 4: think this is kind of a strength on strength matchup.
• 52:47
  Speaker 4: Green Bay has a good offensive line. What I want
• 52:50
  Speaker 4: to see in this game, though, is Jalen Carter be special.
• 52:53
  Speaker 4: The playoffs call for great players to be great, and
• 52:56
  Speaker 4: Carter has been great the majority of this year, but
• 52:59
  Speaker 4: there's still times where I don't want to say he disappears,
• 53:02
  Speaker 4: but there's some games like he's always good, but then
• 53:04
  Speaker 4: there's some games where you're like, oh, this is a
• 53:07
  Speaker 4: first ballot Hall of Fame talent, right, I want to
• 53:09
  Speaker 4: see him have that kind of game where he's just
• 53:12
  Speaker 4: dictating terms on the interior. So yeah, like Josh Sweat's
• 53:15
  Speaker 4: got to get there. Same with Nolan Smith. I want
• 53:18
  Speaker 4: to see Jordan Davis really help contain Josh Jacobs. But
• 53:20
  Speaker 4: I'm looking at Jalen Carter because he's the alpha on
• 53:23
  Speaker 4: this defensive line and saying, you're the one that's got
• 53:25
  Speaker 4: to go win this football game. So j number ninety eight,
• 53:28
  Speaker 4: it's got to have a special game. That's what the
• 53:30
  Speaker 4: playoffs call for. And I'm gonna be watching him closely
• 53:32
  Speaker 4: for sure.
• 53:33
  Speaker 1: Absolutely. It really is amazing that this Eagles defensive front,
• 53:37
  Speaker 1: this defensive line are as underrated as they are given
• 53:40
  Speaker 1: what they have done this season, being one of the
• 53:42
  Speaker 1: top defensive fronts in the NFL. But you know it
• 53:45
  Speaker 1: was we're talking about possible mismatches coming into this game.
• 53:50
  Speaker 1: I think we all need to really look at AJ
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: Brown against the Packers' secondary and specifically the cornerback position.
• 53:58
  Speaker 1: My gosh, I mean Jaira Alexander of course, out the
• 54:01
  Speaker 1: rest of the season, he's on ir So anytime AJ
• 54:04
  Speaker 1: Brown and Devonte Smith can get one on one with
• 54:07
  Speaker 1: any of these Packers cornerbacks, I think there's gonna be
• 54:10
  Speaker 1: some problems for this Packers defense for sure, if they're
• 54:13
  Speaker 1: able to take Xavier McKinney out of the picture in
• 54:16
  Speaker 1: some way, shape or form. Again, getting those one on
• 54:18
  Speaker 1: ones with Aj Brown with Devonte Smith. I mean, this
• 54:21
  Speaker 1: game could absolutely be a receiver type of game. Well,
• 54:25
  Speaker 1: I don't know what are your thoughts on this and
• 54:27
  Speaker 1: this potentially being one of the best matchups that the
• 54:29
  Speaker 1: Eagles have coming into this game.
• 54:31
  Speaker 4: Yeah, there are a lot of things from that first
• 54:33
  Speaker 4: game that I think the Eagles like, you don't want
• 54:34
  Speaker 4: to see again, especially on defense, the lack of tackling
• 54:37
  Speaker 4: Jayden Reid and Josh Shacops's success. The coverage in the
• 54:40
  Speaker 4: slot was not good. On offense, you are turning the
• 54:42
  Speaker 4: football over in your own zone in the red zone.
• 54:45
  Speaker 4: But overall, one thing I did like about that game
• 54:48
  Speaker 4: script was the balance. Again, Yes, you want Saquon Barkley
• 54:51
  Speaker 4: to be the batman of this offense on Sunday, you
• 54:53
  Speaker 4: want to lean on the offensive line in number twenty six,
• 54:56
  Speaker 4: do what got you here, But at the same time,
• 54:58
  Speaker 4: don't abandon the passing game. Want them to be balanced,
• 55:01
  Speaker 4: because I really do think, like you said, Aj Brown
• 55:03
  Speaker 4: and DeVante Smith, they have a mismatch. They had success
• 55:06
  Speaker 4: Week one when Jyry Alexander was playing. They combined for
• 55:09
  Speaker 4: twelve catches for over two hundred yards and a touchdown.
• 55:12
  Speaker 4: They were both clutch in the fourth quarter as well,
• 55:14
  Speaker 4: made some big time plays on third down, especially Devonte
• 55:17
  Speaker 4: Smith in the slot. So I want them to, yes,
• 55:21
  Speaker 4: again run the ball majority of the time, but I
• 55:23
  Speaker 4: like that initial game script from Green Bay and the
• 55:26
  Speaker 4: first quarter against Pittsburgh. I want them to kind of
• 55:28
  Speaker 4: start aggressive again, target number eleven and number six early,
• 55:32
  Speaker 4: get them involved, and then get a lead, pin your
• 55:35
  Speaker 4: ears back, and then just start running the football and
• 55:38
  Speaker 4: shoving it down their throats. That's what I think should
• 55:40
  Speaker 4: be the game plan because when you throw it to
• 55:42
  Speaker 4: number eleven and number six, like good things happen. Some
• 55:45
  Speaker 4: people at times were like, don't force feed the football
• 55:48
  Speaker 4: to anybody. I think it's a good idea to make
• 55:50
  Speaker 4: sure you're having an emphasis on getting those guys the
• 55:53
  Speaker 4: ball when you think about it, because of the game
• 55:55
  Speaker 4: was so sloppy Week one, DeVante Smith, A J. Brown,
• 55:58
  Speaker 4: and Saquon Barkley, they were kind of the reason you
• 56:00
  Speaker 4: won that game. So I think that that big three
• 56:03
  Speaker 4: it sounds obvious, but you really need to make sure
• 56:05
  Speaker 4: they're involved, especially from the jump because Green Bay does
• 56:08
  Speaker 4: start games faster than you're used to.
• 56:10
  Speaker 1: If there is any adversity in this game, and it
• 56:13
  Speaker 1: could be from turnovers, who knows. I mean Jalen Hurts,
• 56:16
  Speaker 1: he committed three turnovers in that first game against the
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: Packers down in Brazil. But they were able to get
• 56:21
  Speaker 1: out of that hole that they had dug for themselves.
• 56:23
  Speaker 1: They were able to end up, of course, winning that game.
• 56:27
  Speaker 1: But as much as we love this Eagles team, and
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: we talked about before how they're probably the most well
• 56:31
  Speaker 1: rounded Eagles team that we have ever seen, they are
• 56:33
  Speaker 1: certainly not perfect low. So as we go into this game,
• 56:38
  Speaker 1: what is the biggest vulnerability for this Eagles team heading
• 56:40
  Speaker 1: into this wild card game here? And it seems like
• 56:44
  Speaker 1: we may be just grasping a straws here, but I
• 56:47
  Speaker 1: don't know that. What are your thoughts on what that
• 56:49
  Speaker 1: biggest vulnerability is for this team?
• 56:51
  Speaker 4: I don't know. If there's a personnel vulnerability, I don't know.
• 56:54
  Speaker 4: Like green Bay has a good roster and I don't
• 56:56
  Speaker 4: want to say though there is an area where they
• 56:58
  Speaker 4: have an advantage over the Eagles, but what I would
• 57:01
  Speaker 4: say is they can be vulnerable when it comes to
• 57:03
  Speaker 4: their slow starts in the first quarter. Ye Green Bay,
• 57:06
  Speaker 4: like I said last year, they jumped on Dallas Quick
• 57:09
  Speaker 4: in that first playoff game. They actually jumped on San
• 57:11
  Speaker 4: Francisco Quick as well in the divisional round. People forget
• 57:14
  Speaker 4: the Packers almost made it to the NFC Championship game
• 57:16
  Speaker 4: last year. So I think now the Packers right now
• 57:18
  Speaker 4: are limping into the playoffs more than last year when
• 57:20
  Speaker 4: they were red hot. They've lost the last two games.
• 57:23
  Speaker 4: Jordan Love has been inconsistent. But I think that's a
• 57:25
  Speaker 4: big area where the Eagles need to make sure they're
• 57:27
  Speaker 4: starting faster in the first quarter like they did as
• 57:30
  Speaker 4: I said in that Pittsburgh game. I want them to
• 57:32
  Speaker 4: use tempo and be aggressive throwing the football early to
• 57:35
  Speaker 4: kind of get the blood flowing. So that's an area
• 57:37
  Speaker 4: where they can be vulnerable. And turnovers, like you said,
• 57:40
  Speaker 4: I mean, Jalen Hurts been so good since the bye
• 57:42
  Speaker 4: week at not flipping the field for the other team.
• 57:46
  Speaker 4: But Green Bay their top four in the league in
• 57:49
  Speaker 4: turnovers this year. They have the interception leader in Xavier McKinney,
• 57:53
  Speaker 4: who had eight picks this year. Back at safety for
• 57:56
  Speaker 4: the Packers. So it's just again it's kind of a
• 57:59
  Speaker 4: cop out to say, don't shoot yourself on the foot
• 58:01
  Speaker 4: and don't beat yourself, But yeah, I really think that's
• 58:04
  Speaker 4: I mean, green Bay's a good team, and I think
• 58:05
  Speaker 4: the game is going to be close. But the only
• 58:07
  Speaker 4: way the Eagles lose this game, I would say, is, yeah,
• 58:10
  Speaker 4: here's a play where Jalen Hurts was forcing the issue,
• 58:13
  Speaker 4: or here they just had a bad penalty that took
• 58:15
  Speaker 4: them out of field goal range. It's really those things
• 58:17
  Speaker 4: that have been the only thing that has held the
• 58:20
  Speaker 4: Eagles at back at times this year of just being
• 58:22
  Speaker 4: a complete juggernaut.
• 58:23
  Speaker 1: Yeah, for me from a vulnerability standpoint, again, I think
• 58:27
  Speaker 1: I may be even grasping its straws here. You take
• 58:30
  Speaker 1: a look at where the Eagles throw the ball, where
• 58:32
  Speaker 1: Jalen Hurts usually throws the ball the perimeter of the field.
• 58:36
  Speaker 1: The green Bay Packers secondary is going to know that's
• 58:38
  Speaker 1: probably going to happen, so they are they are going
• 58:41
  Speaker 1: to have I would say, some more manned man coverage,
• 58:44
  Speaker 1: believe it or not, than we may expect, perhaps knowing
• 58:48
  Speaker 1: that Jalen Hurts just doesn't throw those intermediate routes really
• 58:52
  Speaker 1: over the middle of the field that could potentially be
• 58:54
  Speaker 1: a vulnerability. Might there be an interception here or there perhaps,
• 58:57
  Speaker 1: And I think that could potentially be one of the
• 58:59
  Speaker 1: biggest vulnerabilities end of this game.
• 59:01
  Speaker 4: I think it could also be an advantage though, too, Jeff,
• 59:03
  Speaker 4: because man coverage at times against mobile quarterback can really
• 59:05
  Speaker 4: bite you.
• 59:06
  Speaker 1: So that's one earlier.
• 59:07
  Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, I do want to see Jalen. I know
• 59:09
  Speaker 4: he got hurt running the ball a couple of weeks ago,
• 59:11
  Speaker 4: but I do want to see if they're playing man coverage.
• 59:14
  Speaker 4: Just this is one of those games where you don't
• 59:16
  Speaker 4: hesitate to run the ball, Like if you see a
• 59:18
  Speaker 4: ten yard window, go take it. Like I want to
• 59:21
  Speaker 4: see Jalen hurts on the move in this football game.
• 59:24
  Speaker 4: Just don't hold back. There's times this year, yeah, you
• 59:26
  Speaker 4: got to protect yourself as a mobile quarterback to stay healthy.
• 59:28
  Speaker 4: But for the playoffs, like if you see it, go,
• 59:31
  Speaker 4: But if you see a bigger play on the run,
• 59:32
  Speaker 4: like throw the ball. Jalen's been really good this year,
• 59:35
  Speaker 4: much improved throwing the football on the run, especially across
• 59:38
  Speaker 4: his body going to the left side of the football field.
• 59:40
  Speaker 4: So I think overall, Jalen. I want to see him
• 59:43
  Speaker 4: on the move as well, both structured like let's get
• 59:45
  Speaker 4: him some play action rollouts under center. But at the
• 59:47
  Speaker 4: same time, I want him moving his feet and getting
• 59:50
  Speaker 4: outside the pocket and just doing what he does best.
• 59:52
  Speaker 4: So this is going to be a really good chess
• 59:54
  Speaker 4: match and I can't wait for it on Sunday.
• 59:55
  Speaker 1: It's gonna be great. Well, Lou before I let you go, buddy. Overall,
• 59:59
  Speaker 1: the the Eagles here, they are rested, They're gonna be
• 1:00:03
  Speaker 1: playing in front of their home crowd at the Link,
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 1: and they're just not as banged up as this Green
• 1:00:07
  Speaker 1: Bay Packers team is. The Birds beat Packers, as we
• 1:00:10
  Speaker 1: mentioned in the opening game of the season down in
• 1:00:12
  Speaker 1: Brazil by a score thirty four to twenty nine, and
• 1:00:14
  Speaker 1: that again, it was with Jalen Hurts turned the ball
• 1:00:16
  Speaker 1: over three times. How do you actually see this game
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 1: playing out? From an overall standpoint, Who do you think
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 1: heads to the divisional round at the end of the day.
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean the Eagles won that game and they're
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 4: not even close to the same football team as they
• 1:00:29
  Speaker 4: were back in September. So I think the Eagles are
• 1:00:32
  Speaker 4: gonna win. This game, is gonna blowout. No, I think
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 4: it'll be close in the second half. But another thing
• 1:00:36
  Speaker 4: this Eagles football team has shown this year, they're ready
• 1:00:39
  Speaker 4: for the big moment, Like this is a clutch football
• 1:00:41
  Speaker 4: team in the fourth quarter. You look at the big
• 1:00:43
  Speaker 4: plays against Washington in the fourth quarter, against the Jaguars,
• 1:00:47
  Speaker 4: against the Rams, against the Baltimore Ravens, as well in
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 4: close matchups against good teams. I do think Jalen Hurts,
• 1:00:54
  Speaker 4: Devonte Smith, AJ Brown, Saquon Barkley, like those guys step
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 4: up when it matters most. And that's one thing about
• 1:00:59
  Speaker 4: this football They're young on both sides of the ball,
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 4: but they are no stranger to the bright light in
• 1:01:04
  Speaker 4: the NFL or in college, Like look at all the
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 4: Georgia prospects that were back to back national champions. So
• 1:01:09
  Speaker 4: I think the Eagles will win a close game. But
• 1:01:12
  Speaker 4: especially this defense, it's night and day compared to who
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 4: they were in September. So Green Bay's a good football team.
• 1:01:17
  Speaker 4: It's not an easy first round, but I do think
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 4: the Eagles will go to the second round and then
• 1:01:21
  Speaker 4: we'll see. Is it the Rams the Buccaneers. I'm not
• 1:01:24
  Speaker 4: so sure. But this NFC conference is definitely a lot
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 4: better than it's been in years past. When it comes
• 1:01:28
  Speaker 4: to like a potential playoff path to New.
• 1:01:30
  Speaker 1: Orleans, it absolutely has. You mentioned the phrase big moment
• 1:01:33
  Speaker 1: before you jumped on. Len and I were talking about
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 1: the fact that there is an expectation that this team
• 1:01:38
  Speaker 1: does get not only to the NFC Championship Game, but
• 1:01:41
  Speaker 1: could actually win that NFC Championship game too. Big moments
• 1:01:45
  Speaker 1: for sure. Again, folks, Lou Debassi from the Lucked On
• 1:01:48
  Speaker 1: Eagles podcast, subscribe on whatever podcast platform you're listening to
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 1: us on. Also check out everything they're doing over on
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 1: YouTube as well. Subscribe there, buddy. It was great talking
• 1:01:57
  Speaker 1: to you. Love talking birds in NFL with you. Come
• 1:02:00
  Speaker 1: back join us down the road. I'd love to have
• 1:02:01
  Speaker 1: you back on my friend.
• 1:02:02
  Speaker 4: Yes, sir, anytime, Jeff, thanks for having me.
• 1:02:04
  Speaker 1: On A big moment, a big moment for this Philadelphia
• 1:02:08
  Speaker 1: Eagles team. And yes, expectations are very high as to
• 1:02:11
  Speaker 1: where this team is going to go. But Lu just
• 1:02:13
  Speaker 1: said it toward the end of our discussion right there,
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 1: this is not the same Eagles football team that we
• 1:02:18
  Speaker 1: saw back in Week one. They're not the same type
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 1: of roster, it's not the same mentality that they have.
• 1:02:24
  Speaker 1: If you remember, back in Week one, a lot of
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 1: us were saying, these guys, the starters have not even
• 1:02:30
  Speaker 1: played during the preseason. We have no idea what we're
• 1:02:33
  Speaker 1: going to see. It took a few weeks to get
• 1:02:35
  Speaker 1: that rust off. Thank goodness for that early bye week.
• 1:02:38
  Speaker 1: A lot of us were saying, how boy, that early
• 1:02:40
  Speaker 1: bye week in Week five was really going to be
• 1:02:42
  Speaker 1: a detriment to the rest of the season. At the
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 1: end of the day, it really wasn't. The Philadelphia Eagles,
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 1: through their perseverance, whether it was because of the coaching,
• 1:02:50
  Speaker 1: whether it was the chemistry between the players just coming together,
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 1: we're able to get it done and it's been one
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 1: of the most successful teams in professional football. The NFL
• 1:02:59
  Speaker 1: is scene a lot of good teams over the years.
• 1:03:01
  Speaker 1: This Eagles team is right at the top. And yes, again,
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 1: expectations are very high as to where this team can
• 1:03:07
  Speaker 1: go during the playoffs and it's gonna be fun watching
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 1: it for sure. So with that being said, we're gonna
• 1:03:14
  Speaker 1: end this podcast show, our very first one here of
• 1:03:17
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty five. If you are new to listening to us,
• 1:03:20
  Speaker 1: subscribe on whatever podcast platform you're on. If you know
• 1:03:23
  Speaker 1: any friends, or family members who are into Philly sports
• 1:03:26
  Speaker 1: and you know, if they want something to listen to
• 1:03:28
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• 1:03:30
  Speaker 1: they're out taking a run, let them know about the
• 1:03:33
  Speaker 1: Philadelphia Sports Table podcast show. My co host and I've
• 1:03:35
  Speaker 1: been doing this for eleven and a half years, well
• 1:03:37
  Speaker 1: over eleven and a half years. Actually, this April is
• 1:03:40
  Speaker 1: gonna be twelve years. We've been the longest running Philly
• 1:03:43
  Speaker 1: sports podcast show in the world. Great guests every single week.
• 1:03:47
  Speaker 1: Search us out online, follow us on various social media sites.
• 1:03:51
  Speaker 1: That's gonna do it for us, folks. Take care, we'll
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 1: catch you next time.