Latest / The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon / David Kaplan from the Pool on Chicago Sports, Vinnie Iyer previews Super Bowl 60 & Trent's Picks presented by Circa Sports

Transcript

David Kaplan from the Pool on Chicago Sports, Vinnie Iyer previews Super Bowl 60 & Trent's Picks presented by Circa Sports · The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon

• 0:00
  Hour number two, Millery Condon, welcome back, Iowa Sports Radio
• 0:03
  Network with you here until 2O clock still to come.
• 0:07
  This hour, bottom of the hour, Vinnie Ayer covers the NFL for
• 0:10
  the Sporting News. He will join Trent tonight, but
• 0:12
  in his normal spot on a Wednesday.
• 0:14
  To kick off our second hour. He's David Kaplan and he joins
• 0:18
  us Centurion Stone of Iowa sponsors KAPI on a weekly basis.
• 0:21
  KAPI, where are you? First and foremost, good to talk
• 0:24
  to you. I'm standing in a swimming pool
• 0:27
  with a Jack and Diet Coke in my hand.
• 0:30
  That's why I'm at. Better boy.
• 0:31
  Palm surrounded by palm trees. The sun is shiny.
• 0:34
  Temperatures. What, 80s?
• 0:36
  8084. Yeah, I can't beat that. 84 Real
• 0:40
  Feel 89. And how long you there for?
• 0:45
  Come home late Friday night. Back to reality.
• 0:49
  Good stuff, all right. I'm in Puerto Vallarta.
• 0:52
  Puerto Vallarta. Worse places to be capper that's
• 0:54
  that's for certain A lot of ground to cover boy, the NBA,
• 0:57
  when they make trades, they make trades.
• 0:59
  Anthony Davis is now headed to Washington part of an 8 player
• 1:02
  trade. The Bulls have been active cap.
• 1:04
  Are you happy? I know you're paying attention
• 1:06
  where you're at on vacation in Puerto Vallarta.
• 1:09
  Have the Bulls done themselves well?
• 1:11
  Are they better today than they were prior to getting the
• 1:14
  traders? This all about the future.
• 1:17
  It's all about the future. They finally woke up and went,
• 1:20
  we suck and it's time to tear it down and start over.
• 1:25
  I don't know what took them so long, but, you know, moving on
• 1:29
  from Vouch, it is an expiring deal.
• 1:31
  You had to do that. You got a, you know, solid young
• 1:34
  athlete who's probably a young version of Zach Levine.
• 1:38
  He hasn't won anything in his career, but he's talented.
• 1:41
  And then you took a shot on Jaden Ivy, who's coming back
• 1:44
  from a serious leg injury, but he's only 25 years old.
• 1:47
  He was the 5th overall pick. So let's see if he can recover
• 1:51
  from set injury and get his unique and outstanding
• 1:55
  athleticism and quickness back. If he doesn't, you cut ties and
• 1:59
  you move on. You picked up some extra second
• 2:01
  round draft picks. Those are lottery tickets.
• 2:04
  And you know, for every Nicola boot, I assume with every Nicola
• 2:09
  Yokich that you find in the second round, there's the guys
• 2:12
  that don't make the league. So that's all it is, is buying a
• 2:15
  Lotto ticket. I don't like it in Ivy.
• 2:17
  I mean, we saw a lot of things, certainly in his collegiate
• 2:19
  career. That was eye opening during a
• 2:21
  sophomore campaign at Purdue. Incredible run that he had
• 2:24
  during that one. This Bulls team, how do you look
• 2:28
  at it as a fan base? I mean you talk about
• 2:30
  disappointments and what it's been and outside of those
• 2:33
  Derrick Rose years before the injuries, this organization over
• 2:36
  the past quarter century plus now has just been downright bad.
• 2:40
  Where is the fan base? I know as people still go to the
• 2:42
  United Center, people still show up, but as a whole this fan base
• 2:46
  does at times it just feel like a lost cause it.
• 2:49
  Does absolutely feel like a lost cause.
• 2:52
  I've nicknamed that front office for a long time.
• 2:55
  This isn't today. I'm doing this for four years.
• 2:59
  I call them the settlers because they settle for getting into the
• 3:02
  play in. Maybe we get one or two extra
• 3:05
  home games, make a couple 1,000,000 bucks to put in the
• 3:08
  bill, or we sell a second round pick for some money to Golden
• 3:12
  State. And that's just who they are.
• 3:15
  They do not prioritize winning and there is nobody over there
• 3:20
  that can tell me they do. They've got an elite coach who's
• 3:23
  in the Hall of Fame who if you gave him a good team, Billy will
• 3:27
  win. But he's not a miracle worker.
• 3:29
  He's not going to win with that garbage roster they've been
• 3:32
  trotting out for years. He hasn't had a chance to win
• 3:36
  when he's had a decent team. The first couple years you had
• 3:39
  DeRozan and Levine, you went and got vouch.
• 3:42
  They were fine. They were competitive.
• 3:44
  They were never ever going to win a championship or even get
• 3:47
  close. So I just think it's a great
• 3:51
  business model that makes money and it is a garbage organization
• 3:56
  when it comes to wanting to prioritize what I think you
• 3:59
  should be in it for winning. Captain, they have an
• 4:02
  untouchable on the roster and when teams don't, that tells me
• 4:05
  they got a lot of work to do. I mean, everybody, every team
• 4:08
  seemingly has something I'm doing.
• 4:10
  I won't even listen on on player X.
• 4:13
  Do the Bulls have an untouchable?
• 4:15
  No, but you're talking to a guy who does not believe.
• 4:19
  Short of Michael Jordan, I can't think of any athlete in the
• 4:24
  history of my career, 30 plus years in Chicago that is
• 4:28
  untouchable. Like if I was running a team and
• 4:32
  the phone rang and they said, hey, we'd like to talk to you
• 4:35
  about X player, OK, I'm listening.
• 4:38
  What are you offering? Michael was the one guy I would
• 4:42
  tell you there was no possible deal anyone could offer you
• 4:46
  because he wasn't just a great player.
• 4:48
  He was the city. He was worldwide appeal like he
• 4:53
  was Michael. He's the greatest player of all
• 4:55
  time. But short of Michael, name me
• 4:58
  one guy that you would say that dude was untouchable.
• 5:01
  Because if I had said to you in 2016, you would have said Chris
• 5:05
  Bryant untouchable. And guess what?
• 5:07
  How'd that work out for you? So I there's, I don't believe in
• 5:11
  the word untouchable because if somebody calls you and makes you
• 5:15
  a stupid offer, you have to listen.
• 5:17
  Well, Gretzky got traded, so maybe that he had.
• 5:20
  Traded like 3. Times, I know, but he got traded
• 5:22
  from not only was the face of the city, he was the face of a
• 5:25
  sport in a country and he got traded.
• 5:27
  So maybe that is the answer to my question.
• 5:29
  Very bad question. Apparently, yeah.
• 5:31
  Ruth got traded. Yeah, you're right.
• 5:33
  Yeah, that's good. Another one.
• 5:35
  Let's go to the other tenant of the United Center here as we
• 5:38
  shift into some winter sports. The Blackhawks not going to be a
• 5:41
  playoff team this year. They're what, eight points back
• 5:44
  of even being a wild card team? Highly unlikely they're going to
• 5:47
  get there. It's a slow build, I certainly
• 5:49
  get that. But would you consider at this
• 5:51
  point this year a disappointment on the right track?
• 5:55
  How do you look at the Blackhawks?
• 5:57
  I think it's disappointing that Counter Bedard got hurt.
• 6:00
  That's also, you know, a common occurrence in a violent, tough
• 6:04
  game like that. He is a superstar, and I think
• 6:06
  he's taking another step in his career.
• 6:09
  I don't think it's a disappointment.
• 6:12
  I think it's obvious that there's more talent on that team
• 6:15
  and I think Kyle Davidson's done an actually pretty solid job
• 6:20
  collecting assets. But I would think next year you
• 6:23
  have to make the playoffs or what are you doing?
• 6:27
  That's where I'm at on it. Cap, let's bounce around.
• 6:31
  Let's let's go to the Cubs. Framber Valdez is still on the
• 6:35
  still out there. Nobody sign him.
• 6:37
  I know the Orioles are kicking the tires.
• 6:39
  Apparently, the Blue Jays Cubs come up at least on the list.
• 6:42
  Are the Cubs a factor in Framber Valdez?
• 6:45
  And what is scaring teams off is that, you know, is he a head
• 6:47
  case? Obviously we saw him, you know,
• 6:49
  cross his catcher up on purpose, which doesn't bode well as being
• 6:54
  much of A teammate. But would Framber Valdez fit in
• 6:56
  that rotation? Yeah, he's a really good
• 7:00
  pitcher. I think he'd fit in anyone's
• 7:02
  rotation. I have not heard the Chicago
• 7:05
  Cubs involved on Framber. That doesn't mean they're not.
• 7:11
  I have heard them all over Zach Gallon and I do think that they
• 7:15
  are absolutely in on Zach Gallon.
• 7:18
  But do they get him at their price or does he get somebody to
• 7:22
  step up and hand him a bigger bag than I think the Cubs are
• 7:27
  prepared to do? If you tell me he gets a
• 7:29
  three-year deal at 60 some million with an opt out after
• 7:34
  year one, I think the Cubs are in the discussion.
• 7:38
  But there's also draft pick compensation for people that
• 7:41
  don't know how that works. He was given a qualifying offer
• 7:44
  by Arizona, which he rejected, which means if anyone signs
• 7:48
  them, they give up a draft pick. And the Cubs would give up their
• 7:51
  second best draft pick in this year's draft.
• 7:54
  And that's how they like to build their team.
• 7:56
  They don't like to give up draft picks, but they got a team that
• 8:00
  can win the World Series that I'm not telling you they will.
• 8:03
  I'm telling you that they are in it to win the World Series.
• 8:05
  Bleacher Report just came out and obviously they had the
• 8:08
  Dodgers, the number one team in baseball.
• 8:11
  You know who was #2 the Chicago freaking Cub.
• 8:14
  In baseball. Two team in baseball.
• 8:17
  Wow. Not the American, not the
• 8:19
  baseball overall. In all of baseball.
• 8:22
  So you've got the best defensive team in the game.
• 8:25
  You've added Alex Bregman to Swanson, Horner, Bush.
• 8:30
  That's as good a defense and infield as there is in Major
• 8:33
  League Baseball. And then you go three time Gold
• 8:35
  Glover in left, Gold Glover in center.
• 8:38
  And then you're going to have to deal with Suzuki over there
• 8:41
  who's not a great defender, but he hit 30 plus home runs.
• 8:44
  He got pretty solid outfield. You got 2 solid catchers.
• 8:48
  And if you do get Zach Gallon, Oh my God, now you've got Zach
• 8:52
  Gallon and Edward Cabrera and Kate Horton and Jamison Tyone
• 8:59
  and Matthew Boyd, who was an All Star, and you've got like 10
• 9:03
  guys that could start a game for you.
• 9:05
  So I do think they have a legitimate chance to win 90 + 95
• 9:12
  and make a run. I do believe that.
• 9:14
  When we break camp and we make our way up to Wrigley March
• 9:18
  26th, I'm going to make a prediction.
• 9:19
  It's going to be cold. Yeah, on March 26th in Chicago
• 9:23
  for that. One it won't.
• 9:23
  Be like the pool I'm standing. That is true.
• 9:27
  Who gets the ball on opening Day?
• 9:30
  Oh, good one. I'm gonna say they give the ball
• 9:34
  on opening day to Matthew Boyd. Kind of a reward for, if that's
• 9:39
  it, he's healthy for making the All Star team last year and then
• 9:43
  it'll be Edward Cabrera, Cade Horton 1221 after that.
• 9:48
  That's how I think they do. It and then do you put Shota in
• 9:50
  the fourth spot just so you don't have back-to-back lefties
• 9:53
  with your 5th starter and Ty owns your 5th?
• 9:55
  Is that maybe the most likely kind of way that we look at it?
• 10:00
  Let's see if you went Matthew Boyd lefty, you went Cade Horton
• 10:04
  righty, Edward Cabrera righty and go lefty again.
• 10:11
  Maybe in that, yeah, you could do it.
• 10:13
  Anyway. I don't think it really matters.
• 10:15
  I don't. Yeah.
• 10:16
  And who comes out if they get gallon?
• 10:17
  Is it tie on? If they get gallon, yeah, that's
• 10:23
  a great question. I guess we have to just let
• 10:26
  spring training play out because Damon said towns in the last
• 10:29
  year of his deal and I thought he had a really I.
• 10:30
  Did too. I did too.
• 10:33
  Fascinating stuff, Cap. Let's go to the South Side where
• 10:35
  the Cubs, I mean the White Sox Black History Month, they're
• 10:40
  acknowledging some of the the greats, the the great African
• 10:43
  American ball players that have worn those colors, worn that
• 10:45
  uniform and and somehow on the on the media that they put out
• 10:50
  the forgot Frank Thomas. How does that happen?
• 10:54
  And how do you say face? I guess you start putting out a
• 10:58
  whole bunch of social media posts touting how great Frank
• 11:02
  was. I don't know how that happened.
• 11:04
  Now they were saying, you know, the first to do this and the
• 11:07
  first to do that. I don't care what the category
• 11:11
  is. You create a category.
• 11:14
  He's the greatest player in the history of your franchise.
• 11:17
  He's a first valid Hall of Famer.
• 11:19
  And if you're doing a post on African American players in your
• 11:23
  history? You forget.
• 11:24
  Him, there's no scenario. He's not the first name that you
• 11:29
  put. I don't understand it.
• 11:31
  And how do you not have Jermaine Dye the world?
• 11:33
  Here you go. MVP listed on there either.
• 11:36
  So yeah, whoever did that list, that's not good.
• 11:40
  So where was is Frank good with the team?
• 11:42
  I mean, was there any animosity there?
• 11:44
  Did it not end well? I know he didn't end as a as a
• 11:47
  member of the White Sox, but but they're they were cordial,
• 11:50
  right? I mean, he's proud to be worn
• 11:51
  that uniform. There was nothing there, is
• 11:53
  there? They're not in a great place.
• 11:57
  They're not they. Haven't been.
• 11:59
  They haven't been for a bit. You know, it's OK.
• 12:02
  It's not horrible. I think it is more horrible
• 12:06
  today than it was the day before that post.
• 12:09
  Frank was ticked, really ticked, and he posted about it.
• 12:13
  And, yeah, I just don't understand how that happened.
• 12:16
  Like, how do you not have three different people?
• 12:18
  OK, Take a look at this and tell me if I am I missing anybody
• 12:21
  here. We're good.
• 12:26
  Wait a minute. Where's big Frank?
• 12:28
  Oh God, we got to redo that. I don't know how you hit send on
• 12:33
  that and don't have Frank Thomas.
• 12:35
  That's embarrassing. Back-to-back to back 100 lost
• 12:38
  seasons, but on the heels of 121 losses, one O 2 considered
• 12:42
  improvement. How far away is this
• 12:45
  organization from even competing in the crappy America League
• 12:48
  Central? I think that there are 7172 win
• 12:55
  team this year if they get, you know, decent health.
• 12:58
  I think the over under in Vegas is 63 1/2.
• 13:00
  I would play the over if I was going to gamble on that.
• 13:04
  I don't think they're going to the playoffs.
• 13:06
  I don't think they're an 85 win team to win a wild card.
• 13:09
  I don't believe that, but they're better.
• 13:12
  You know, let's see how kid from Japan does over at third base.
• 13:16
  Big power, but he strikes out a lot.
• 13:18
  He's not an elite defender, but again, he's got big power.
• 13:22
  Like he's a 40 home run guy, so I would think he'll be a pretty
• 13:25
  popular guy on the South Side. By the way, they just announced
• 13:29
  that they're putting a bidet into the White Sox clubhouse
• 13:33
  because he requested 1. So we now have a bidet in the
• 13:36
  White Sox clubhouse because Murakami asked for one.
• 13:41
  So I guess that's the big thing in Japan.
• 13:44
  They do have a depth problem in the outfield.
• 13:49
  I know they picked up Austin Hayes, but that outfield might
• 13:52
  be the single worst in baseball right now if you stack up who
• 13:56
  they've got out there. But they do have good young
• 13:59
  players. Kyle Peel and Edgar Carroll and
• 14:02
  Brayden Montgomery will be up some point this season.
• 14:05
  They don't have a ton of pitching depth, but I do think
• 14:09
  they're an improved team. They went up 19 games from the
• 14:12
  41 loss team to last year and now if they can pick up, they're
• 14:16
  not going to go up another 19, but they can go up another 10.
• 14:20
  That showing you progress. I think Chris, Chris Goetz has
• 14:23
  done a good job. I do.
• 14:25
  Yeah, DraftKings has them. It's 66 1/2 for their for their
• 14:29
  winter. That's a that podet's a new one.
• 14:31
  I mean most guys they want, they want private jet, they want a
• 14:35
  they want a suite when the team. Is on the road, that's something
• 14:38
  to clean their ass. It's not a new one to me.
• 14:40
  Good stuff. Capra will let you get back to
• 14:42
  the sun and sand and whatever else you're doing down there,
• 14:46
  you deserve it. Have fun.
• 14:47
  Cap, by the way, before he would let you go.
• 14:49
  Who wins the Super Bowl? And if if you do like Seattle,
• 14:52
  do they cover Seattle? Covers and wins the game.
• 14:56
  I believe they win something like 27 to 14, something like
• 15:03
  that. Comfortable win under the total,
• 15:06
  but comfortably covering the spread capper.
• 15:08
  Have fun buddy. Thank you.
• 15:09
  Appreciate it. You too?
• 15:11
  I'll hoist one for you, yeah. Thank you buddy.
• 15:13
  Appreciate that. Thank you.
• 15:15
  Put a put an umbrella in it preferably.
• 15:18
  Good stuff out of cap man. Puerto Vallarta is where he
• 15:21
  joins US. 84° is. That what he said.
• 15:24
  Pretty nice, I'll. Say, good for Kathy.
• 15:26
  Let's talk about Centurion Stone before you get back in the days.
• 15:29
  Centurion. That's weird.
• 15:32
  It's customs, right? There it is.
• 15:33
  Customs. Yeah.
• 15:34
  My wife lived in Japan for a couple of years.
• 15:36
  Yeah. They're great.
• 15:37
  Where are they? Yeah.
• 15:44
  I don't know how to segue. You can't.
• 15:46
  You can't. But let's tell you who Cappy is
• 15:48
  sponsored by. He's sponsored by Centurion
• 15:50
  Stone. We're certainly grateful to them
• 15:52
  for doing that, as they've done for many, many years.
• 15:55
  Centurion Stone of Iowa they manufacture natural stone which
• 16:00
  is their manufacturer or natural stone wax interrupt they and
• 16:05
  project inside the house or outside the house.
• 16:08
  They've got over 200 color and pattern combinations.
• 16:11
  Centurion stone of Ivy of a project may be coming up this
• 16:14
  spring starting to do a little groundwork, a little legwork in
• 16:18
  anticipation of that project. Check out centurionstone.com
• 16:21
  Centurion stone of iowa.com. The showroom is at 5525 NE 22nd
• 16:27
  St. in Des Moines, 5525 NE 22nd St. in Des Moines.
• 16:31
  So the win total for the White Sox, 66 1/2.
• 16:38
  Did you look? Have you seen what the any of
• 16:41
  the others? I just clicked out of it.
• 16:43
  What are your Twins in that division?
• 16:45
  I wonder, Oh, they got to be down there.
• 16:47
  But more than that, right? Yeah, probably like 72.
• 16:51
  Low 70s. Let me see if I can find it real
• 16:54
  quick. I bet you can find it faster
• 16:56
  than I can go through, but we're going to try.
• 16:58
  Here. All right, let's see who wins in
• 16:59
  the baseball race here. Uh huh.
• 17:01
  And see, let's do us all the regional teams if you come
• 17:04
  across. All right, here's the Cubs.
• 17:05
  The Cubs are 88 1/2. Over.
• 17:09
  You think over. First blush.
• 17:10
  The Royals are 81 1/2. Over.
• 17:14
  The Royals a big year? OK, The Twins.
• 17:19
  Under. Yeah, I didn't even tell you
• 17:21
  yet. Don't care. 73 1/2.
• 17:23
  Gotta hate them. The Brewers 84 1/2.
• 17:27
  Well, probably over. Over.
• 17:29
  It's an annuity. Whatever they post take the over
• 17:32
  and your Saint Louis Cardinals 69 1/2 is their number beside
• 17:38
  their in Las Vegas, where the Dodgers, what were they last
• 17:41
  year? Do you remember 100?
• 17:42
  And how many? 101 and a half hundred.
• 17:44
  And 1 1/2 and they what? What?
• 17:45
  90 something. Yes, they were under. 102 1/2
• 17:48
  this year Buck $2.00 Two 102 1/2 take the under.
• 17:52
  I would take the under. They'll put on cruise control.
• 17:53
  You'll be freaking out about it in April and May and June and
• 17:57
  July and August and September, and then October will come in
• 18:00
  the win in the win. The World Series.
• 18:03
  Cleveland Guardians Speaking of teams that usually overachieve?
• 18:09
  Yes, 80 1/2. 80 1/2. I think they have.
• 18:14
  They go 500 and go over. Probably.
• 18:17
  Probably. You know, three guys on the on
• 18:19
  the roster, every single. Year, that's exactly.
• 18:21
  Doesn't matter. Kind of like the Brewers.
• 18:23
  Yep. I mean, we've got it if we've
• 18:25
  got similar teams in the AL and the NL Central divisions.
• 18:28
  The updated projections from fan graphs and the old stat head
• 18:33
  over there. The Zips projection that is put
• 18:35
  together by Dan Zembrowski. He just updated it so this is
• 18:39
  how he projects the season to go.
• 18:41
  For for the whole. For all the teams, all the
• 18:43
  divisions broken down, you're tied for the American League
• 18:49
  East. The Yankees and the Jays.
• 18:51
  The Jays and the Red Sox, what, 90 wins?
• 18:55
  In fact, his projections have the Yankees finishing.
• 18:59
  Fourth, wow, that's wild. Still with 87 wins.
• 19:02
  Orioles with a jump forward at 88.
• 19:05
  And DraftKings numbers 91 1/2 for the Yankees.
• 19:09
  All right, put that one in your back pocket.
• 19:11
  Tampa Bay Rays 75. They'll go over that.
• 19:13
  Go to the Central. There is also a projected tie at
• 19:17
  the top of the awful Big 10 WI Mean American League Central.
• 19:22
  Well, it's Detroit. And who?
• 19:25
  The Kansas City Royals. How about that?
• 19:27
  The Royals are going to be good this year.
• 19:29
  KC Guardians at 79. But these projections never
• 19:33
  figure out the Guardians year after year after year.
• 19:36
  They're always off on them. He's got the Twins at 77 and the
• 19:40
  White Sox 69 and 93. Improving 93 losses Out West it
• 19:47
  is Mariners with 88 wins, Astros 87, Rangers at 80, he's at 74
• 19:54
  and the LA Angels at 68. Nationally.
• 19:59
  E Philly. Phillies at 91, Mets at 89.
• 20:04
  The Braves. Can't they be healthy for once?
• 20:05
  I would hope so. It's been back-to-back years of
• 20:07
  just awful health. 86 for them. Marlins and Nationals.
• 20:10
  Wrap that up and then a look at the NL Central.
• 20:14
  It's the Cubs. 87 wins, one game behind, though the Brewers with
• 20:19
  86. Brewers, Reds with 78, Cardinals
• 20:23
  with 77, higher than certainly the total there, and the Pirates
• 20:26
  with 74. Finally, Dodgers.
• 20:28
  His projections happen at 96. So comfortably under.
• 20:32
  Giants at 84, Padres 83, Diamondbacks 81.
• 20:36
  And your Colorado Rockies. This projection system, the Zips
• 20:42
  projection on average hits the over under win total about 19 *
• 20:47
  a year. Pretty good.
• 20:49
  Yeah. I think it's 19.1 has been the
• 20:52
  average over like the last five years out of 30.
• 20:54
  Yeah, it's pretty good. So that's the simplest way.
• 20:57
  Just look at the Zips projections, play it that way
• 20:59
  and, you know, make all kinds of money come October.
• 21:01
  And probably not. That's probably not.
• 21:02
  That's not the way that it normally works.
• 21:04
  One other thing I mentioned the stupid start date for baseball
• 21:07
  this year on the 20. 5th, 26th right?
• 21:09
  Well, and actually the 25th, because we got the standalone
• 21:11
  game with the Yankees at the Giants on Netflix to open up the
• 21:15
  year on that Wednesday. So you got the Cubs at home, you
• 21:20
  got the Orioles at home, you got the Mets at home, you got the
• 21:23
  Reds at home. You have teams, cold weather
• 21:26
  cities. Without a roof on their head.
• 21:28
  That are hosting while teams that are on the road include the
• 21:33
  Arizona Diamondbacks, good God, the Texas Rangers, the Tampa Bay
• 21:38
  Rays, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, all these teams are on
• 21:45
  the road. What the hell are they doing?
• 21:47
  I don't get it. I don't get.
• 21:48
  It it's year after year after year, some of the most head
• 21:53
  scratching decisions come out of that Major League Baseball
• 21:56
  office. I don't get it.
• 21:59
  Let's give you a chance to win $1000.
• 22:01
  You can head to kxno.com. The keyword this hour is happy.
• 22:05
  No, it's not today's Wednesday. The keyword this hour is bank.
• 22:09
  Bank at KX and o.com. Your chance to win $1000 is bank
• 22:14
  at KX and o.com. Bank KX and o.com.
• 22:18
  We'll be joined by Vinny I recovers the NFL for the
• 22:21
  Sporting News. He's scheduled to join us next
• 22:24
  Miller and Condon on Des Moines Sports Station One O 6.3 KX&O.
• 22:38
  I'm Miller Condon, welcome back, Iowa Sports Radio Network.
• 22:41
  Trenton Ken with you until the top of the hour off the bench.
• 22:44
  Coming up at that time, Trent's plays of the day, they are still
• 22:48
  to come. Circus sports sponsors that that
• 22:51
  coming up here at about 10 minutes or so before 2O clock.
• 22:54
  Our friend Vinny Iyer, he is a Northwestern grad, a three time
• 22:58
  Jeopardy champion. He covers the NFL for the
• 23:01
  Sporting News, part of the Lockdown Network as well.
• 23:03
  Recovers fantasy of football over there.
• 23:05
  Vinny Trenton, Ken, thank you for coming on.
• 23:07
  Vinny, how are you? Doing well, thanks for having
• 23:11
  me. No, appreciate you coming on.
• 23:12
  So Super Bowl 60 is set. We've had what I think we're the
• 23:16
  day 10 now of talking about this game.
• 23:19
  Where is it? Where does this game rank Vinny
• 23:22
  as far as the match up goes? We've saw, we saw it not too
• 23:24
  many years ago. Would if NBC was given truth
• 23:29
  serum serum, would they rather have maybe the Rams as opposed
• 23:33
  to the Seahawks? Maybe the Broncos opposed to the
• 23:35
  Patriots? Where do you think NBC falls
• 23:38
  with this game? Are they happy with it?
• 23:41
  Well, I don't think they have a choice.
• 23:43
  First of all, I think it's OK to have some new teams in there,
• 23:47
  right? I don't think it's the worst
• 23:48
  thing. And when I say new, these are
• 23:50
  new. I know everyone's looking at it.
• 23:52
  It's the Patriots and Seahawks, but these teams have nothing
• 23:56
  could do with those teams from previous Super Bowls. 11 years
• 24:00
  ago was a long time in the NFL. I mean, there's only 60 Super
• 24:03
  Bowls and that's a, a good 17% of them right there.
• 24:08
  So a lot of things can change really quickly.
• 24:11
  And that's what you're saying is that you have two brand new
• 24:14
  teams in here and everyone was asking for that.
• 24:17
  They were looking at the Chiefs, 49ers, Chiefs, Eagles.
• 24:20
  They were looking for a little bit of fresh blood in this game.
• 24:23
  And I, I think some of the stuff, the drama with the
• 24:26
  Patriots Hall of Fame and questions about how they got
• 24:30
  here and then the Seahawks just not getting too excited about
• 24:35
  what Sam Darnold brings to the Super Bowl.
• 24:38
  Like I think it takes away from a pretty good Super Bowl.
• 24:40
  Both of these teams are pretty evenly matched.
• 24:42
  They're both top 10 offenses, top 10 defenses.
• 24:45
  They're complete teams. That's what you want.
• 24:48
  You want the best teams. And you can really feel
• 24:51
  confident that when you look at offense, defense, special teams,
• 24:55
  everything that these teams do, that they're the most complete
• 24:58
  teams in the league. And that's why they're here.
• 25:00
  And that doesn't always happen where you do have some teams
• 25:04
  with weaknesses on one side of the ball or the other.
• 25:07
  But these are complete teams. They're well coached teams.
• 25:10
  They're going to tackle well. They're going to get down the
• 25:13
  fundamentals well. So I just look at this as being
• 25:16
  a solid Super Bowl. And look, it may not have the
• 25:19
  juice in terms of the big names, but it's definitely going to be
• 25:23
  entertaining here on Sunday. Who do you give the edge at the
• 25:25
  quarterback spot to? We have a lot of scar tissue
• 25:28
  with Sam Darnold, though he is pracked away.
• 25:30
  Had a lot of that certainly this season.
• 25:32
  And then Drake May, who was so tremendous during the year, very
• 25:35
  well could be the MVP, went 10 to 21 though with a snowstorm
• 25:38
  against Denver. Who has the advantage?
• 25:40
  It take away all the other factors who the receivers are,
• 25:44
  their offense line, the running game.
• 25:45
  Who's the better quarterback right now, Sam Darnold or Drake
• 25:47
  May? I think it's Drake May.
• 25:50
  I mean, let's just not forget this guy is right there up with
• 25:54
  Matthew Stafford running for MVP.
• 25:56
  We'll find out who wins. I would still think it's
• 25:59
  Stafford, but he going all the way.
• 26:01
  I mean, this dude is played at an extremely high level.
• 26:04
  Look at his completion percentage, look at his rushing.
• 26:08
  I mean, this guy is averaging more than 13 yards per carry
• 26:12
  when he takes off and runs. I mean, this is a dynamic player
• 26:15
  overall. He makes a lot of big plays with
• 26:18
  his arm. He's pretty accurate.
• 26:19
  Like I don't get the kind of knock on Drake May going into
• 26:25
  this game because look the three defenses he faced in the
• 26:29
  playoffs were extremely difficult, right.
• 26:31
  I mean you look at the chargers very good against the past Texan
• 26:34
  just lights out right and he survived.
• 26:37
  He hung in there made the plays at the end.
• 26:39
  Let's see factor. I think that will come into play
• 26:42
  two of the three games his legs were a massive factor in the
• 26:46
  first one he kind of put the game away.
• 26:48
  The last one we saw against the Broncos, his legs got the first
• 26:51
  down. This guy is not just a I'm a
• 26:55
  scramble to get some key yards. He's scrambler with purpose and
• 26:59
  really a really. Hard guy to bring down.
• 27:02
  Because he's big and strong also.
• 27:04
  So when you look at Drink Me, I think that's going to be an X
• 27:07
  Factor of this game. If you look at the Seahawks all
• 27:09
  throughout the season, they struggle with the three things.
• 27:12
  Running quarterbacks. You can make things happen with
• 27:15
  their legs and really extend the place because their pass rush is
• 27:18
  good, but it's not dominant by any means.
• 27:21
  So you have that ability to stretch plays by Drake Mate and
• 27:24
  then throw to the tight end and backs.
• 27:27
  Those are some hard things with Seahawks.
• 27:28
  They're very good in coverage. They also have some lapses
• 27:32
  downfield, as we saw against the Lams.
• 27:33
  They can break down and coverage at one point and when those
• 27:36
  things happen, the Patriots are going to take advantage of that.
• 27:39
  So I do like the Patriots match pretty well against the Seahawks
• 27:43
  defence. If regardless of who wins, if
• 27:45
  there's a non quarterback, that's the that's named the MVP
• 27:50
  of the game and that's rare in and of itself.
• 27:52
  I think Cooper Cup was the last one was it was with the Rams.
• 27:55
  Is there is there somebody you're watching in that market?
• 27:57
  Vinny? That's, you know, not Darnold,
• 27:59
  not Drake May. If it's not a quarterback, who
• 28:01
  might it be? Yeah, I mean, Jackson's been the
• 28:06
  jig. What comes to mind?
• 28:07
  I mean, you've had receivers win MVP of late.
• 28:09
  I mean, Cooper Cup, by the way, his teammate is the last person
• 28:13
  to leave the league in receiving yards and win the Super Bowl.
• 28:16
  And he did as the MVP just four games ago in Super Bowl 56.
• 28:20
  So only a short list of people have done that.
• 28:23
  You have a Jerry Rice did it twice and he had the Drew
• 28:26
  Pearson do it once. So those are the only three guys
• 28:29
  before that led the league and receiving yards, but also in the
• 28:32
  Super Bowl. So that's going to be a thing
• 28:35
  that JSM is going after. He's very driven.
• 28:38
  He is the big playmaker for the Seahawks and really drops off
• 28:41
  the receiving game after him. the Super Cup is more of a
• 28:45
  limited receiver at this point compared to what he was just
• 28:48
  four years ago. So when I look at that, I look
• 28:51
  at the Patriots side. If he they have a bigger chance
• 28:54
  to have a bit of a wild card here.
• 28:55
  Mack Hollins has made some sneaky catches in the playoffs.
• 28:59
  You have Stefan Diggs, who's a savvy guy that can make some
• 29:02
  plays in the slot. And then Hunter Henry.
• 29:04
  He's been around a long time as a tight end who can get open,
• 29:09
  use his body and do that. And again, the Seahawks have had
• 29:11
  trouble from time to time covering the tight end, really
• 29:15
  show through against the Rams a few times, right?
• 29:18
  They could not cover the Rams tight ends all that well.
• 29:21
  So I think that's what you look at and that's where I think I
• 29:24
  would attack. The key for direct May is being
• 29:26
  patient and getting the rid of getting rid of the ball quickly,
• 29:29
  not waiting for big place to develop down field.
• 29:32
  I think they will happen a few times when there's coverage
• 29:34
  breakdowns. But I think the other thing is
• 29:37
  to make and lie on his legs. I think the Patriots will kind
• 29:40
  of encourage him to do that when he sees room to run.
• 29:45
  All that being said, Vinny, who do you got?
• 29:47
  What's your prediction for the Super Bowl?
• 29:50
  Yeah, I do like the Patriots. I think the one thing that we
• 29:52
  forget is I know you look at the defenses on paper, but Milton
• 29:56
  Williams is a big factor. I mean, this guy is is the maybe
• 30:01
  the signing of the year in terms of how he changed the defense
• 30:04
  and looked at all those other guys of the Eagles, Josh Webb
• 30:07
  and these bigger names that were on their equal names on their
• 30:11
  defense. But he's the guy that got away.
• 30:13
  They couldn't afford to pay him. He had a big Super Bowl, by the
• 30:16
  way, last year against the Chiefs.
• 30:17
  So he's a guy that just can control the line of scrimmage.
• 30:21
  I think the Seahawks are pretty good in the interior with Grey
• 30:24
  Sable, the rookie there that you guys are familiar with from
• 30:28
  North Dakota State. But when you look at the overall
• 30:31
  offensive line, I think there's some things the Patriots can
• 30:33
  like with their match ups up front.
• 30:35
  So look, it's going to come down to a lot of things here, but the
• 30:40
  line play is usual, as we know usually dictates the action.
• 30:45
  Can we come down to which defensive line can have more
• 30:47
  impact? I think it might be the Patriots
• 30:49
  on this one. Look, I know the Patriots
• 30:51
  offensive line has had some issues, but I think they'll
• 30:55
  short things up a little bit. Again, the Seahawks don't have
• 30:57
  that one dominant guy, that DeMarcus Lawrence, Leonard
• 31:00
  Williams, some different guys who can get to the quarterback,
• 31:03
  but they don't have that one super feared guy that's just
• 31:06
  going to well, the game plan the way we had with Denver, with
• 31:10
  Nick Benito and some of the other teams.
• 31:11
  They've seen the playoffs. When the when your game story is
• 31:15
  posted, etcetera, how quickly do you switch to the combine and
• 31:19
  the mock drafts and the lead up to the draft?
• 31:21
  I know you're already doing some stuff.
• 31:22
  You did some with the Senior Bowl, but just like the next
• 31:26
  day, does it? It never stops, does it, Vinny?
• 31:30
  No, it's kind of a Venn diagram. You can call it a Venn diagram.
• 31:33
  I guess doing I'm work, I'm working on everything at the
• 31:36
  same time. So yeah, you can actually go
• 31:38
  check out the top 100 free agents, who's already up
• 31:41
  unrestricted free agents at Sporting News.
• 31:43
  You can also check out the top 120 players on the big board.
• 31:46
  So I'm doing that at the same time so there's no break,
• 31:50
  there's no rest for the weary. So that's how we go.
• 31:53
  Vinny, really enjoyed your article ranking the 10 new hires
• 31:56
  in the NFL before we got to get to the article that you can find
• 32:00
  at the sportingnews.com. Thoughts on this hiring process?
• 32:03
  I know Goodell took a lot of questions about the Rooney Rule
• 32:06
  and the way that plays out and another hiring cycle without a
• 32:11
  anybody of color getting a head coaching job.
• 32:15
  Yeah, I think it was the real half seems to be very popular is
• 32:20
  hiring young offense coordinators.
• 32:22
  So I think the biggest thing that needs to happen is on the
• 32:25
  assistant level, giving them opportunities to be able to be
• 32:30
  offensive coordinators. I think we've fallen into a bit
• 32:32
  of a trap where like, oh, the former linebackers and corners
• 32:36
  and the defensive coordinators tend to be people of color just
• 32:40
  because that's who play those positions where offense tends to
• 32:44
  be a lot of backup quarterbacks like a Davis Webb, where Shawn
• 32:47
  Manion, somebody like that, right?
• 32:49
  They're always getting an opportunity that I think another
• 32:53
  guy that came up in some discussions with Scott Tolzien.
• 32:57
  These are all backup quarterbacks that we know
• 32:59
  usually from the Big 10 like passed around by these teams and
• 33:05
  they're like like where are the opportunities going to come?
• 33:09
  So I think it comes down to can you get some of these cerebral
• 33:13
  quarterbacks that you have now, like if you go be percent or
• 33:17
  Josh Dobbs, are they going to get the opportunities there to
• 33:20
  call play and do some things right?
• 33:22
  And if you get to that point, then you're going to have this
• 33:27
  turnover, I think. So again, the league is very hot
• 33:30
  after offensive coaches and coordinators and assistants.
• 33:34
  But again, until that change about level and the most
• 33:38
  appealing, exciting candidates come from that side of the ball,
• 33:42
  then you're not going to have change.
• 33:43
  And look, let's hope another Big 10 quarterback neat.
• 33:47
  Sheilhas can change that a little bit.
• 33:49
  He's really done a great job for the Rams.
• 33:52
  I thought he might get one of the coaching jobs, but he's a
• 33:55
  guy to watch in next year's cycle.
• 33:57
  Definitely land somewhere, but hopefully there'll be more
• 34:00
  people like Sheilhas, guys of color that got that opportunity
• 34:03
  as X quarterbacks on the offensive side.
• 34:06
  Yeah, I think this turn is coming.
• 34:07
  Good stuff, Vinny Ayer. Thank you, Vinny, as always, for
• 34:09
  what you've done for us all season long.
• 34:11
  Talk to you periodically throughout the offseason.
• 34:13
  Thank you, Vinny. I appreciate it.
• 34:16
  Yeah. Thanks guys.
• 34:16
  Good. To talk to you Vinny Ayer as we
• 34:18
  check in on the on the NFL. So another patriot.
• 34:22
  I mean, it's. They're stacking up.
• 34:25
  They're stacking up. Boy oh boy, am I going to be
• 34:27
  wrong. Maybe.
• 34:29
  You don't have a good feeling I. Don't.
• 34:31
  I thought this was a cinch. I did.
• 34:33
  When we came in Monday, that Monday, right after the AFC and
• 34:36
  NFC Championship games, I was right there with you.
• 34:38
  But. I'm going back to November where
• 34:41
  I thought it was a two team race, Rams or Seahawks.
• 34:44
  You had the two right, the NFC Championship.
• 34:47
  Game. My gosh.
• 34:48
  Miller, Condon, Trent's plays of the day.
• 34:50
  They're next. It's the Iowa Sports Radio
• 34:52
  Network. I'm Hilary Collins.
• 34:54
  The final couple of minutes of our show coming up next off THE
• 34:57
  bench, take you until 5:00. Nice game in the Big 12 tonight,
• 35:02
  Central Florida, Houston. That game in Houston?
• 35:05
  It is. So that's probably not going to
• 35:07
  bode well for Central Florida, but they're a nice team.
• 35:10
  Best game in the Big 10 is what? Iowa, Washington, Minnesota host
• 35:14
  Michigan State? Northwestern Illinois couple of
• 35:18
  routes and maybe a closer one with you.
• 35:19
  You think Washington died was going to be a tight.
• 35:21
  Game I think Washington's going to win.
• 35:22
  You think they win? I have them on the money line.
• 35:24
  Do you my picks of the? They're sponsored by circus
• 35:27
  sports, by the way, so you got a bunch of them to get.
• 35:30
  To we got 4 after a El perfecto yesterday.
• 35:33
  You were perfect. 5 at all you're.
• 35:35
  Seeing it well, kid. Well, over the last 30 days, I'm
• 35:37
  still down 10 units, but I suck. All right, here we go. 4 plays.
• 35:42
  Yes, Iowa on Washington. Excuse me on the money line.
• 35:45
  Plus 123 is the best price out there.
• 35:48
  I'm playing the Gophers at the barn.
• 35:51
  Get the 8 1/2. Give me the golf in that one.
• 35:54
  Beats party. Houston, I'm laying the lumber.
• 35:58
  Guess what that number is? Well, if you if you're laying
• 36:01
  the lumber, you're lavering more than 10 point what, 12?
• 36:04
  16. Central Florida's good.
• 36:08
  They weren't very good in in Hilton.
• 36:10
  No true. Speaking of in Hilton, Eric
• 36:13
  Heffs gonna join. Just text me.
• 36:14
  Perfect. Tomorrow.
• 36:15
  Yeah, 1:00. And one more late night to go
• 36:17
  along as we'll have a second TV set for CBS Sports Network
• 36:21
  tonight. Utah State goes on the road for
• 36:24
  New Mexico. I watched a lot of that Utah
• 36:26
  State game on CBS on Saturday. Did you?
• 36:29
  I think it was, yeah, really entertaining game against the
• 36:32
  Indian we have. Different hours.
• 36:33
  Yes, we do. But I'm going to play New Mexico
• 36:37
  in the pit. It's a building kind of night
• 36:39
  tonight. The building is going to be the
• 36:42
  winner. OK.
• 36:42
  The pit? Yeah.
• 36:43
  The barn? Yes.
• 36:45
  The airline center, whatever they call the thing up in
• 36:48
  Washington. What's Houston called?
• 36:50
  Don't they? The the it's named after.
• 36:53
  Fertitta, Fertitta Center. Yeah, Fertitta Center.
• 36:55
  OK, very simple, I guess on that one.
• 36:57
  For whatever reason, I thought there was something else
• 36:59
  connected to. I think he owns.
• 37:00
  Stations, casinos or the Fertittas did.
• 37:02
  Yeah, I think so. The Rockets, he's invested a lot
• 37:05
  of money. Yeah.
• 37:06
  A. Bunch of car dealerships in
• 37:09
  Vegas. Speaking of people, down there
• 37:11
  in Houston, you see Mattress Mack.
• 37:13
  Bet. Who did he bet?
• 37:14
  He bet I don't remember who it was.
• 37:17
  How much did he bet I? Think it was 2 million that he
• 37:19
  put down. Mm hmm, what a way to hedge on
• 37:22
  your company. I know it's wild.
• 37:24
  It's a it's a heck of a marketing ploy, though.
• 37:25
  It does it. Brings people in the door.
• 37:28
  We've heard stories before from our friends at Circa about
• 37:31
  different opportunities that they've had.
• 37:33
  I don't know if they've ever taken a They have not.
• 37:35
  They have not. I don't.
• 37:36
  Think, I don't think they met his price, yes as he he asked
• 37:39
  for special price and they take big bets from a lot of people.
• 37:42
  So can I do that? Can I call up and say hey and I
• 37:44
  really need to get $22.00 down? I don't think.
• 37:47
  So no, no, that's not how it works.
• 37:49
  They would laugh. You know, you imagine we called
• 37:52
  up Benson. Yeah, I'm looking for the best
• 37:54
  price. I'm going crazy here.
• 37:56
  I'm putting 50 bucks down. Yeah.
• 37:59
  Stop wasting my time. They're going crazy out there.
• 38:02
  It's going to be so it's such a great place to watch the Super
• 38:05
  Bowl. Just just get the whole just
• 38:07
  soak it all in, right, Just the people watching everything
• 38:10
  during that game. It's a fun time.
• 38:12
  All right, tomorrow, Wade lookingbill going to recap the
• 38:15
  Iowa game with us. Eric Heft is going to be here in
• 38:18
  a couple of our I of our NFL voices.
• 38:20
  We'll get there thoughts on their team's offseason, the
• 38:23
  Packers and the Chiefs and who they think will win the Super
• 38:26
  Bowl. If they post the post.
• 38:29
  Both pick the Patriots. Maybe it's a good thing you're a
• 38:32
  load on an island. Maybe I like it.
• 38:34
  Everybody's going one way, I'm going the other.
• 38:36
  Thank you. Trench talk, some sense of me.
• 38:39
  Positivity is absolutely. Mr. Sunshine over here.
• 38:41
  That's going to do it for us. Off the Bench comes up next.
• 38:45
  Miller and Condon, though, we'll be back tomorrow.
• 38:47
  We talk sports. We do every Monday through
• 38:49
  Friday from noon until on Des Moines Sports station 106.3 KX&O
• 38:54
  in the Iowa.