Latest / The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon / Miller and Condon 7-28-25 Hr 1

Transcript

Miller and Condon 7-28-25 Hr 1 · The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon

0:02
Hi, good afternoon. Welcome to the Iowa Sports Radio
0:05
Network. Ken Miller flying solo for the
0:07
week. Trends, final vacation of the
0:10
year. As far as I know, he will take
0:13
the week off but be back a week from today.
0:15
So I'll handle it for the week and plenty to talk about
0:18
certainly. Here's what's coming up on our
0:19
program in about 15 minutes. Scott Dockerman from The
0:23
Athletic, he's back from Las Vegas where he covered Big 10
0:26
Media days. Doc is, as you know, if you read
0:29
The Athletic, if you're listening to him on this
0:30
program, he's no longer like exclusively like when it comes
0:34
to Iowa. He is one of their quote college
0:37
football guys. So Trent and I are going to fill
0:40
that void. I know a lot of you have reached
0:42
out and asked us to have a, you know, an Iowa centric guest on
0:47
on Mondays during football and basketball season.
0:49
So we've heard you and we will. But Docs going to still join the
0:52
show. We'll just be different
0:54
conversations with Doc more college football on a broader
0:57
scale. So Doc will join me here, coming
0:59
up here in about 15 minutes. Pick his brain on what he heard,
1:02
what he saw at Big 10. Meaty days got a really good
1:05
piece out in today's athletic how the Big 10 rallied around
1:09
college football plan that the rest of college football is not
1:12
sold on. So the Big 10 sees it one way.
1:15
Obviously, the only other opinion really that matters is
1:18
what Greg Sankey and the SEC have to say.
1:21
And they are butting heads on this issue as to how the
1:24
playoffs should be constructed, if indeed there is going to be a
1:28
change. And that change has to be
1:29
enacted by December of this year to take place next year or we
1:33
will stay at 12 teams. So we'll talk to Doc about a
1:35
number of college football related issues and get to him
1:39
here. Coming up in about 12:15 for the
1:42
first of, well, a whole bunch of segments this next 5 weeks or
1:48
so. Mitch Holtis will join me this
1:51
week and Trent when he's comes back for the Chiefs training
1:55
camp reports. I think this is your number.
1:57
See the four or five. Doing them every single day.
1:59
I know that non cheese fans get fed up with it.
2:02
I kind of understand. I don't and I'm not cheese fan
2:05
certainly, but I think it's good Intel, good information and I
2:08
like Mitch and I'm grateful that he does that because I think
2:12
it's a boost to the program. So 1245 he'll join us for the
2:15
first of Chiefs training camp reports that go to about the
2:19
last week in August and then he will join Us Weekly during the
2:22
regular season. I believe that day is on
2:24
Thursday, but we're still dotting IS and crossing T's on
2:28
that. Mitch Holt is coming up here at
2:29
12:45. Matt Snyder, he writes on
2:33
majorleaguebaseball@cbssports.com. He's a Hall of Fame voter, so
2:38
we'll recap the Hall of Fame yesterday.
2:40
Trade deadline week, obviously number news on a number of
2:43
fronts. Baseball.
2:45
Jeff Passan has had an incredibly busy morning from
2:48
ESPN.com. He just within the last, oh, 20
2:51
minutes or so, broke the news about Emmanuel, Class A, the All
2:56
Star closer for the Cleveland Guardians.
2:59
His name has now been caught up in that investigation, that
3:03
gambling investigation pursuant to right-hander Luis Ortiz.
3:07
Remember, he's the pitcher that would bet on 1st inning hits or
3:11
whatever. It was just some innocuous prop
3:14
that was out there that once you bet any amount of money on that,
3:17
it's going to raise a red flag. And that's exactly what it did.
3:22
No Luis Ortiz has been placed on non disciplinary play paid
3:27
leave. Well, that's where Class A finds
3:28
himself. So any teams out there that were
3:31
in the market for a closer Class A's name has to come off that
3:34
list. You're not going to trade for a
3:35
guy that may not pitch again this year or who knows for how
3:38
long, if indeed there's any truth to this.
3:41
But I don't think that he that the Major League Baseball comes
3:43
out and goes to these extent if they don't have the goods.
3:48
So we'll watch that one. But Class A that's the second
3:51
guardians picture that have been caught up in this gambling
3:54
scandal. We'll see where it goes.
3:56
But you know what it does kind of on one hand for one of our
3:59
quote regional teams, the Twins, if they are trading Duran or if
4:03
they are trading Jacks, that's one major name in Class A that
4:06
comes off the list of potential targets.
4:09
So seemingly whatever you thought you were going to have
4:11
to give up to get a Duran or to get a Jacks, that price might
4:14
have just got a little bit more expensive.
4:17
So Matt Snyder on baseball, look forward to that as they always
4:20
do. I love the baseball segment with
4:22
Snyder that comes up, the kick off our #2 and then Bill Seals.
4:28
There is actually a football media availability happening as
4:32
we speak with Iowa State. So we'll get the latest on that.
4:36
Go back to last week with Bill as well as media days on Friday.
4:40
Point being, a lot of ground to cover with Iowa State.
4:42
We'll do so some basketball in there if time allows as well as
4:46
TJ Otzelberger met the media late last week.
4:50
I want to say Thursday, whatever day it was, we'll we'll talk to
4:54
Bill about Iowa State related topics.
4:56
No plays of the week this week as Trent is gone.
4:59
So we'll just talk about circus sports at 10 minutes or so
5:02
before the hour of 2:00 as they sponsor that segment on a daily
5:06
basis. But I'm not going to make some
5:08
picks. I don't like betting on games.
5:10
I like to bet on futures. If you listen to this program,
5:12
you're aware of that. So a huge week in in Major
5:15
League Baseball to kick off the week and what's promises to be a
5:18
a fun week of sports. Yes.
5:20
Thursday night there is football on your television sets.
5:24
It's the Hall of Fame game. Yeah, it's meaningless.
5:27
Yeah. It's the starters may or may not
5:29
play, but you know what? There's NFL helmets actually on
5:32
the field. They'll be tackling one another.
5:34
And for those folks that are just, you know, salivating,
5:38
waiting for that first opportunity to see that, well,
5:41
you don't have to wait much longer.
5:43
That comes along on Thursday. Everybody's all the training
5:46
camps have opened. Some news coming out of the
5:48
training camps. At some point we'll get an
5:51
opportunity to, you know, bring some people on him thinking Musa
5:54
town. He probably on the Vikings this
5:55
week at the latest on what he's seeing is the Vikings open up
5:59
practice to the media. At least we're part of it.
6:02
So when it comes to JJ McCarthy, I've heard conflicting reports,
6:05
some just glowing, some say he's got a lot to learn, but it's
6:09
it's July, so we'll just put it in that category and leave it
6:13
right there. But a massive week, a massive
6:16
week when it comes to baseball and in particular when it comes
6:19
to the National League's Central Division because the two teams
6:22
that begin the week in a flat footed tie, the Chicago Cubs and
6:28
the Milwaukee Brewers begin the first of is it eight games in
6:33
the next couple of weeks? I think there's a there's a make
6:36
up game at Wrigley Field next week when the Brewers make the
6:40
return visit. But the scene takes place
6:43
tonight at American Family Field.
6:44
I hope I've got that name right, Formerly Miller Park.
6:47
It's the Brewers and the Cubs and man oh man, how about
6:50
tonight's pitching matchup? Doesn't get much juicier than
6:53
this. We're going to start things off
6:54
in this three-game series. Matthew Boyd, who was an All
6:57
Star, Mizerosky who was an All Star for the National League
7:01
force, Boyd the lefty, Mizerosky the righty.
7:03
They're going to begin this three-game set tonight in
7:06
Milwaukee, then we move on to tomorrow night.
7:09
Not the greatest, especially when it comes to the Cubs.
7:11
Colin Ray, Who? Yeah, I get credit where credit
7:14
is due. Nobody thought that Colin Ray
7:15
was going to have the season that he's put together.
7:18
So far he's been better than expectations that were granted,
7:22
not very high going up against Quinn Priester, who I don't know
7:26
much about other than the fact is record stellar.
7:29
But that's the match up tomorrow.
7:30
And then we wrap things up with a day game in Milwaukee and a
7:34
really good pitching match up to end at Imanaga versus Peralta.
7:37
So I have to believe the Brewers are very happy the way they're
7:40
pitching. Rotation sets up for the week.
7:42
And maybe you don't want Colin Reagan there tomorrow for the
7:45
Cubs. But again, he's been better than
7:47
advertised. But a massive, massive series
7:49
when it comes to these two teams.
7:51
Flat footed tie top this Central Division trade deadline week.
7:56
It's what are the Cubs going to do?
7:58
Are they going to, you know, is there still a need for 1/3
8:02
baseman or is Matt Shaw maybe quieted some of his critics out
8:05
there? You know, where I might be
8:07
looking now. And that would be at Mackenzie
8:09
Gore, the starting pitcher for Washington.
8:12
Especially if you go back to Friday night and if you saw any
8:15
of the Cubs and the White Sox, and by the way, this White Sox
8:18
team who was dreadful last year and not very good to begin the
8:22
year, see that tunnel way in the distance.
8:27
I think you can see a little flicker of light coming for the
8:30
Chicago White Sox. It seems as though some of this
8:33
young talent is starting to come together a little bit.
8:36
They're starting to figure things out.
8:38
It's not not this year, but you can see A at least the future
8:43
starting to take shape, if you will.
8:45
But back to my point on Shote Imanaga, he was not good.
8:51
It's almost like he was tipping his pitches.
8:53
Then you find out that his velocity was about two miles
8:56
below what it had normally been. So that to me is the rig the red
9:00
flag as much as him tipping his pitches, What apparently he was.
9:05
It's just the velocity is down and it needs not too long since
9:09
he's been was on the IL. So there's some concern there
9:12
about the presumptive ace for the Cubs, Chote Imanaga.
9:17
We will watch him closely on Wednesday afternoon and see if
9:19
he can get that velocity ticking up in a positive direction or if
9:23
indeed there is something more there as he will go up against
9:27
Freddy Peralta. But terrific 3 game set taking
9:31
place this weekend, this week rather in Milwaukee at some
9:35
point, and I guess I'll bring this up with Matt Snyder.
9:38
I don't know how to to react to is it Craig Carey, Chip Carey's
9:43
son, the broadcaster, Harry's great grandson, I guess the home
9:52
run call, the foul ball call from the other night in in
9:56
Houston. I mean, it's just might be the
9:57
worst call I've ever heard in the history of it's play by
10:01
play. I mean, I just booted it and you
10:03
feel bad for him because you can't take it back once it comes
10:06
out of your mouth. It's not like you can reach out
10:07
and grab it and pull it back. God knows I've tried.
10:11
But it's just you want to laugh, you want to cry, kind of cry,
10:15
but you certainly feel a pit in your stomach for, you know,
10:18
because you got to feel for just how bad this cat feels, right?
10:21
I mean, the ball was hit to to right center field.
10:25
You've seen it. I don't want to I don't want to
10:27
dwell on it, but worth mentioning because it I
10:29
certainly do have mixed. I hope the I hope the young man
10:32
learns from it, put it that way and moves forward and could put
10:34
it behind him that it doesn't, you know, linger with him and
10:37
ruin his career potentially because this one was an
10:41
Alzheimer. Scott Dockerman will join me
10:43
next. We'll recap what we saw in Las
10:44
Vegas from this past week. Also pick Doc's brain on you
10:48
know, who's going to win this fight.
10:49
The playoff structure is, I guess the way it's going to
10:56
unfold is on the line kind of right.
10:57
They either the Big 10 is going to get the SEC to see it their
11:01
way or the SEC is going to, you know, flex their muscles and
11:04
draw the Big 10 in if they can. And if neither conference will
11:08
budget, then we're just going to stay at 12 teams in 2026.
11:12
And I know for a lot of people that would make you happy
11:14
because I see what a lot of you are saying out there.
11:16
You think 12 is good. You know, let's stay at 12.
11:18
Let's let's give this a couple of years to, you know, to
11:21
breathe a little bit and to expand upon before we go ahead
11:24
and make some changes. But for me, more football is
11:27
good football. We'll talk to Scott Docman.
11:29
We come back. Miller and Condon were under
11:31
way. It's the Iowa Sports Radio
11:33
Network. I'm Hillary Condon.
11:35
Welcome back, Iowa Sports Radio NETWORK.
11:37
Still to come this hour, Mitch Holtis, the voice of the Kansas
11:40
City Chiefs. His first of five weeks worth of
11:43
daily Kansas City Chiefs training camp reports.
11:46
Mitch joining me here at about 12:45.
11:49
Scott Docman covers college football for The Athletic, and
11:52
he joins me. Hello Doc Ken, how are you?
11:56
Doing well, Ken, How's it going today?
11:58
Doing well, I guess we want to start Doc with the news that
12:00
just broke. I knew Deion Sanders was going
12:02
to address his his health issues with the with Denver media,
12:07
Boulder media, Big 12, whoever's there media.
12:10
But what I wasn't anticipating was just the severity of what
12:14
he's been fighting bladder cancer, an aggressive form.
12:18
He had his bladder removed and is going to step away from
12:21
college football for the foreseeable future.
12:24
But boy oh boy when he said it was serious.
12:27
Not kidding doc. Yeah, that is, that's pretty
12:31
serious, no question about it. And you kind of wondered for a
12:34
while what's going on. But but the fact that you're
12:36
there bringing in, you know, a medical team to discuss this, I
12:40
think it was really important. And you know, as always with
12:45
this type of situation, you, you think of, you know, his media
12:48
family and himself and getting better is more important than
12:52
coaching or, or even, you know, employment at this point.
12:55
Yep, no doubt about it. Well, Doc, let's go back to Las
12:58
Vegas. By the way, it was good to see
13:00
you in Las Vegas. Had a quick drink with you on
13:02
what, Tuesday nights? So always good to see you.
13:05
But three days of college football, meaty days.
13:08
We'll get to that. Let's do here and now your piece
13:10
today in the Athletic. And it certainly has a lot to do
13:13
with what you heard when Tony Petiti, the Commissioner of the
13:16
Big 12 spoke on our Big 10 rather spoke on Tuesday morning.
13:21
And he is bound and determined to get this 4422111 format
13:28
across the finish line, but is coming up against a another
13:31
heavy head. Obviously in Greg's say I like
13:33
the Big 10s model better than the SCC's, but I think we're in
13:37
for a fight, Doc. Sure, it it's going to be a, you
13:42
know, back and forth probably between the two leagues and the,
13:45
you know, both, both sides have kind of sharpened their swords
13:48
over the last few months. And I got something on that
13:51
coming out tomorrow, which is just how the kumbaya between the
13:55
SEC and Big 10 is now kind of vanished, you know, back at each
14:00
other's throats, which is fine. It probably needs to happen.
14:03
You don't want everybody to be unboxed up too much in the sport
14:06
like this. But you know, Petiti, I, I had a
14:09
long, you know, about an hour long visit with him on Thursday
14:13
and we talked about this, you know, almost the whole entire
14:17
time. And, and you know, the, The
14:19
thing is, can you know, the numbers back up with the Big 10
14:23
wants to do? But it is the perception and
14:26
that for the Big 12 and the ACC that you're kind of relegated to
14:31
2nd tier status. And it's the perception that
14:34
you're taking out kind of, you know, you're almost in a sense
14:39
of entitlement is kind of what I think people are looking at is
14:42
you're entitled to at least four spots every year.
14:45
And when. But I, I did the math at least
14:48
on the teams that are going to be part of this and in the Big
14:53
10 and then, and all the teams that are in their current
14:56
leagues, the Big 10 would have had 54 teams over an 11 year
15:00
period since the CFP was instituted.
15:02
The SEC's current allotment was 51, then it was 27 each for both
15:07
the ACC and Big 12, and then 20 for other teams.
15:11
You know, I mean, the teams in the G5 and Notre Dame.
15:14
So I mean, you know, the numbers barred out to the Big 10 and SEC
15:18
are almost 2 to 1, you know, current allotment over the ACC
15:22
and Big 12. But you know, it doesn't have a
15:25
lot of maneuverability even though there are there are a
15:27
couple at larges at the bottom. Yeah, it's fascinating.
15:30
So by the way, was Cincinnati part of the Big 12 when it comes
15:33
to when it came to your math? It does now, yeah.
15:37
Because just like, I mean, it's kind of difficult when you start
15:41
to play around with this because these teams were in different
15:43
league, right? You know, the PAC 12 does not
15:46
really doesn't exist for what it was.
15:48
You know, you have Oklahoma and Texas that were in the Big 12,
15:51
Oregon and Washington, USC that were in the PAC 12 and you know,
15:55
just on and on. But I think for this for this
15:58
purpose, I'm like, OK, which teams made it to what?
16:00
And like the Big 12 had two years where they had five
16:04
different teams that are in the current allotment that made the
16:07
the would have made a 16 team playoff.
16:10
And then but there are several years, there's four in fact,
16:13
where they would have only had one.
16:16
So you know that that's going to be something that you might want
16:20
to think about if you're Brett, your Mark and and Jim Phillips
16:24
is, you know, because ACC have the same issue where there's
16:27
some years where they didn't, they only had one.
16:29
And so you got to think of it in multiple ways.
16:32
What's the best for your league perception wise?
16:35
What's the best in reality? And I think sometimes they're a
16:40
butt hit. Yeah, I agree with you.
16:41
I, I don't understand your Mark's stance on this because he
16:44
wants the 511 and I think that that's going to short change his
16:48
conference from more years than it helps his conference.
16:51
But we shall see. So we shall see.
16:53
Speaking of that, but we have to know, right, Doc, by December of
16:56
this year, there has to be some agreement in place for us to see
17:03
an expanded playoff next year or we hold serve at 12.
17:06
What's the likelihood? I mean, I know we got a long way
17:09
between now and December, but not really what's the likelihood
17:13
that we do get an agreement, we do push to 16 next year.
17:17
I would say pretty likely, you know, at this point, I think
17:22
we've all discussed it as 16, like it's a foregone conclusion
17:26
and and it benefits everybody, you know, to go from 12 to 16.
17:30
We're in that era now. We've we've kind of bypassed the
17:34
bowls as being the, the, the signature post season mechanism
17:39
and now it's the playoffs. So I think both, you know, all
17:42
the leagues and specifically the big 10 and SECI mean the more
17:45
often you can get a team in that tournament, the better it is for
17:48
your league. And, and so I would expect it to
17:50
happen, but it, it is a four month, you know, discussion that
17:54
they've got to go through now. And, and it's primarily between
17:58
the SEC and big 10 because they're the ones who can kind of
18:01
unilaterally or bilaterally make the decision.
18:04
So, you know, I, I think the, the Saber rattling is, is now
18:08
kind of going to subside as everybody goes to their campuses
18:10
and starts football and, and you'll see the, you know,
18:14
commissioners will probably meet and talk.
18:17
And I know that they have a meeting in September.
18:19
And so I would expect a lot of this to get hashed out, But but
18:24
you know, there are a lot of questions and and things have to
18:27
happen behind the scenes in order to make things happen in
18:30
reality. Scott Dockerman from The
18:31
Athletic Docs latest piece on this very subject is posted at
18:35
The Athletic today. Well, let's go to Vegas again.
18:37
And from what you heard here was my biggest take away, maybe the
18:40
line that stuck with me the most.
18:42
And it wasn't from a coach. It was from, I can't remember
18:45
who said it. But the point was if you took
18:48
Penn State's players and put them in Ohio State's uniforms,
18:53
it would be consensus, overwhelming consensus that Penn
18:56
State has the team to beat this year in the Big 10.
18:59
A lot of people believe that to begin with, but there's a lot of
19:03
love for this Penn State team, but there's some that just can't
19:05
get past the James Franklin. Where are you on Penn State?
19:09
Do they, in your mind, have what it takes to win this conference
19:13
this year? They do for sure they have the
19:17
best roster returning and you know, and they were really good.
19:20
They they went to the championship game and the big 10
19:23
and lost by eight points to Oregon and in a kind of a
19:26
shootout and kept coming. And then, you know, they had
19:29
their one mistake away from potentially reaching the
19:31
national title game. And they have the guts of their
19:33
roster. They have 2000 yard running
19:36
backs back. They have a really good
19:37
quarterback who is might have been a first rounder had he left
19:40
for the draft. You know, really good players
19:42
everywhere and they supplemented well through the portal.
19:44
So they have the roster that is the best in the Big 10 as things
19:49
speak. But as we know, nobody ever
19:52
shuts the door in Ohio State. That has very a lot of talent.
19:55
Lot of talent now in the NFL, but a lot of talent
19:58
nevertheless. And I think what you look at
20:01
with Penn State or a couple of things, can they get over the
20:04
hump? They haven't beaten Ohio State
20:06
2016 and James Franklin has wanted 15 against top five
20:12
competition and the last win was against Ohio State 2016.
20:16
So I think that's that's something why everybody's a
20:19
little bit reserved. On on how much they want to
20:22
praise Penn State, But I do think that they have the best
20:25
roster in the Big 10 as things speak.
20:28
Doesn't mean that they can't win, you know, can't lose and
20:30
stuff their toes. They almost did it Minnesota
20:32
last year and and but they have a really good yeah, and they're
20:37
they're a good team and and no question about that in my.
20:40
Life one of the team stock that that I got back on the airplane
20:43
needing to do a deeper look at was USC and they'll host Iowa
20:48
think the middle of November. But I I heard a lot I read a lot
20:54
of positive things about the Trojans this year that don't
20:58
sleep on USC. Not necessarily that they're
21:01
going to play for a championship, but they might be
21:03
that team on the periphery. This finds its way in to the
21:06
College Football Playoff Rd. games Big 10 Rd. games at
21:09
Purdue, at Illinois at Nebraska at Oregon.
21:13
But no Penn State on the schedule.
21:15
No Ohio State on the schedule. Lincoln Riley's Trojans.
21:18
Your thoughts? Yeah, they're a real, they're
21:22
enigmatic to me. I, I don't know what I'm going
21:25
to get with them. And I, with, they're very
21:29
talented, no question. And, and, you know, at all.
21:31
I mean, and, but there are a lot of questions and whether or not
21:35
they could be good for a long term.
21:36
I mean, you know, they, they return, you know, Jordan Mayava
21:40
who beat out Miller Moss late in the season.
21:43
He had a nice year, but only 11 touchdowns, 6 interceptions and
21:48
barely didn't even complete 60 percent of his passes.
21:50
I'm questioning whether he's going to take off and be a
21:53
really good quarterback or whether or not he's going to get
21:57
beat out by Houston Longstreet. You know, five start at a
21:59
quarterback and, and you know, they, they have some talented
22:03
receivers. They got some really good
22:04
players on both sides of the ball.
22:06
They brought in a lot of transfers.
22:08
But I, I'm really kind of reserving judgement on them
22:11
because I wonder if stylistically if they're built
22:14
to win Big 10 championships and, and, and they are, you know,
22:19
again, and he's going to have to prove that as well, as much as
22:21
James Franklin is, I think Lincoln Riley is going to have
22:24
to prove that in the Big 10 that he's going to be able to line it
22:26
up. And, and it is a much more
22:28
physical league and you've got to be able to compete that way
22:31
and, and win game in and game out.
22:33
And having the schedule that they have, it's very challenging
22:36
and but it's not overbearing either.
22:39
So we'll see, you know, towards the end of the year, you know,
22:43
and of course they they go to what South Bend and Mid South
22:47
part of the season as well. So they've they've got a tough
22:50
sket as always, but I think they've got a lot of talent and
22:52
and they're going to be right there.
22:54
I think that the from, I would say 4 to 11 is as deep as the
22:59
big 10s ever been. And if you were to point out one
23:01
team and say this team is going to make the playoffs, I can find
23:04
an argument to support it and then go against it.
23:07
You know, just you know both ways.
23:09
Doc, there's a guy I want to bring up with you, Minnesota
23:12
safety. I believe he's a sophomore this
23:14
year. Coy is his name.
23:15
Perish, right? Perish.
23:17
Perish. Yeah.
23:18
So I don't remember him from last year.
23:21
I mean, I vaguely remember him, but boy, oh, boy, the buzz
23:25
around this guy. I mean, you have to have your
23:28
head on your side not to hear some people talking about this
23:31
kid from Minnesota. How good is he, Doc?
23:34
And Will, by the end of the season, will he be?
23:36
Will he be one of the, I don't want to maybe say a household
23:38
name, but maybe a household name in the Big 10 footprint?
23:42
He should be, if he isn't already.
23:44
He's the second most talented defensive back in the country
23:47
after Caleb Downs. He led the Big 10 last year with
23:50
six interceptions, 4th and punt returns and 6th and kickoff
23:54
returns. You know, he was the first team
23:57
unanimous, all freshman guy. We've seen Cooper De Jean play
24:01
in Iowa. That's quite parrot.
24:04
Yeah. He's from northern Minnesota,
24:06
way up by Duluth, really small towns.
24:09
It's unincorporated. And he's got major swagger to
24:12
him. I mean, he is.
24:14
He would never know that he's from, you know, a town that's
24:17
frozen after this season and nobody knows where it is.
24:21
But he is incredible level talent.
24:22
I mean, six, one, £200 can run jump.
24:26
He's going to play offense, you know, as well.
24:28
You're probably receiver. Yeah, He's going to be a triple
24:30
threat. He's going to try Travis Hunter,
24:32
like so be Yeah, you know the name Koi Parrot.
24:36
She is. He's the straw that serves the
24:38
drinks. He's as exciting as any player
24:40
in the Big 10. Did he, What did he do against
24:42
Iowa last year when they played? I don't remember him in the
24:44
game, Doc, do you recall? Not much, because they didn't
24:48
have to throw that much. Yeah, they did.
24:51
Caleb Johnson. Caleb Johnson, right?
24:53
Yeah. Yeah, I ran for 217 yards and
24:56
four touchdowns or something like that.
24:58
So, yeah, I mean, it was kind of tough for him to take on, you
25:00
know, just like it would be tough for Caleb Johnson or Caleb
25:03
Johnson versus Cooper de Jean that, you know, Coupe would make
25:08
the tackle, but it would be a challenge.
25:09
So no, he didn't do much in that game, but he did a lot in a lot
25:12
of other games. What did you when you listen to
25:14
Kirk Ference and company, what did you think of the Hawkeyes
25:17
representation on Thursday? Yeah, it's, you know, it, it,
25:23
it's not out of the norm. And I've been there obviously
25:26
for Kirk's for 20 plus years now on this stage and real similar
25:31
to the tenor and tone of most the other years.
25:33
I think there's with Iowa, there's reason for optimism and
25:38
he's optimistic, but he's also kind of guarded in that.
25:41
And it makes sense. I think some of the stuff what
25:44
he said to say, you know, Mark Gronowski and and you know, even
25:48
without him taking a snap, even in practice is made him the
25:50
starter, which obviously makes sense.
25:52
But you know, it's still something for Kirk parents and
25:55
you know, you try to listen to which players kind of have
25:59
energized him or make him think a little bit highly of where
26:03
they are. And there's a couple that got
26:05
mentioned. I think Jaylen Watson and KJ
26:08
Parker and Bryce Hawthorne are guys that seem to be making
26:12
strides. And then, you know, I have a
26:14
nice conversation with Logan Jones.
26:16
I mean, he's as good as any offensive lineman in the
26:20
country. And you know, obviously a 705, I
26:23
think 705 LB squat kind of shows that he's got rare athletic
26:28
ability to go along with. So I was I was a dangerous team.
26:32
They got an incredibly difficult schedule among the that four
26:37
through 11 range. They have the most difficult
26:40
schedule by far in the Big 10. But they also have, you know,
26:43
with Mark Gronowski and you go week by week, anything can
26:47
happen. A couple more minutes.
26:48
Scott Docman covers college football for The Athletic Doc
26:52
just a hit or two on a couple of these two of them on I was
26:55
scheduled one of them not let's start there Illinois Brett
26:59
Bielema. I hear both ways that this is
27:02
going to be a playoff team that don't I can't buy the the Illini
27:07
this year. I can personally six and three
27:09
in conference last year. Where are you on the fighting
27:12
Illini? Illinois has everything you want
27:16
returning to be a not only competitive team, but certainly
27:20
a team that could challenge for the top two or three spots of
27:23
the Big 10. Returning quarterback was
27:25
efficient and and hit everything great late game quarterback.
27:29
I think he had three touchdowns in the final minute or an
27:32
overtime for the one games return the entire offensive
27:36
line, most of your defense, including an elite pass rusher
27:40
and Gabe Yakis and A and a first team, all Big 10 defensive back
27:44
and Xavier Scott. They have everything you're
27:47
looking for. They have a coach and and Brett
27:49
Bieleman who's won championships.
27:51
So you would expect Illinois to be in that conversation.
27:54
But this is rare air for the Illini.
27:56
They, you know, when they have good years, they usually fall
28:01
off the next year, which is a pattern that they're very aware
28:04
of. And So what they're they're
28:06
trying to guard against that now they're the, their schedule is
28:09
pretty front loaded. You'll know by week 7, you know,
28:13
whether this team is going to be a playoff team or if it's going
28:17
to end up in like Tampa or someplace like that because they
28:20
play USC, they play Ohio State, Duke on the road is a
28:23
challenging game, Indiana on the road.
28:26
So, you know, when you look at those first, you know, half of
28:29
the season, you know, they're going to go through a lot.
28:31
And if Illinois can guard against being, you know,
28:34
Illinois, I think that that they have a chance to to get to the
28:38
playoffs. If they but you know, here's the
28:41
issue with the line. I and, and probably Iowa State
28:43
figures into this too, because Iowa certainly has in the past
28:46
that when you're built this way and you win a lot of close
28:48
games, which they did last year, there are five and one and one
28:50
score games, they tend to swing the other way once in a while
28:53
and you got to guard against that and you got to be better.
28:55
So I, I, yes, I think they're more than capable of challenging
28:59
for the playoffs, but I also think that they're very capable
29:01
of going seven and five and wondering what if, because Lord
29:04
knows we've seen a lot of those teams over the years.
29:07
And two more and I'll let you go.
29:08
Indiana playoff team last year, Signetti.
29:10
I don't think that this team's going to go back to where they
29:12
once were, but can they get back to where they were last year?
29:17
Another challenging schedule this time, you know, I should
29:21
say another 1A challenging schedule for the for the
29:24
Hoosiers this year, they might be a better team and have a
29:27
worse record because, you know, they got to go play Oregon and
29:31
Penn State. They got to go to Iowa, they got
29:32
to play Illinois. They've got some challenging
29:35
games. But that said, this is a really
29:37
good roster and they what they did in that one year was just
29:40
remarkable. And I think Kirk Signetti is a
29:43
tremendous coach, but Fernando Mendoza is a you know, really
29:48
what an upgrade and over I thought Curtis Work was a good
29:51
quarterback, but Mendoza is a great quarterback and Elijah
29:53
Sarat is, you know, maybe, you know, after Jeremiah Smith, of
29:56
course, is maybe as good as any receiver there is in the Big 10.
30:01
Mikkel Kamara at the edge. They got a, you know, all
30:04
American linebacker and Aiden Fisher couple of really good
30:07
defensive back. So this is going to be a team
30:09
that's going to be what is it going to be 8 and four or is it
30:12
going to be 10 and two? I think that's kind of what the
30:15
range is. And when they they got three
30:18
games in consecutive fashion against Illinois, Iowa and
30:22
Oregon, the last two on the road, that will tell us a lot
30:25
about this team. And, and all three of those
30:27
should be very competitive, close, tough games.
30:30
And, and I think Indiana has the capability of going two and one
30:34
or even O and three and still being a good team.
30:36
So I I like the Hoosiers a lot. In fact, I'm probably a little
30:40
more bullish than I am on them on Illinois as far as which team
30:44
may be more consistent at at the end of the season.
30:48
One minute left, Doc, and I'll use that minute to ask you about
30:50
Nebraska course, Heroes game, Final game, Black Friday, Iowa,
30:54
Nebraska, your thoughts on the Cornhuskers and white what
30:57
potentially might be on the line in that Black Friday game.
31:02
Wouldn't surprise me a bit if Iowa, Nebraska has a chance to
31:05
be right on the border of a playoff appearance.
31:09
Now. You know, Nebraska, it's kind of
31:11
every offseason champion every year, But I think this year they
31:14
may be. Closer.
31:15
To it than they've been in the past.
31:17
You know, Dylan Rayola is an incredible talent and you know,
31:20
he was really up and down and inconsistent, but true freshmen
31:22
are that way and and Dane Key getting him from Kentucky was
31:26
huge at receiver. They've got a lot of turnover,
31:29
but they picked up some nice pieces in the offensive line.
31:32
You know, getting Alabama starting, you know, right
31:35
tackle, getting Rocco Spindler from Notre Dame.
31:37
I mean, these are starters, you know, we'll see what they are
31:39
like up front on defense. That's going to really tell us
31:42
that this is a A7 and 5 or even 6 and six team.
31:45
Or, hey, this could be a real challenger.
31:47
But I think one of the best atmospheres of the season is
31:51
going to be Week 4 when the Huskers take on Michigan at
31:53
home. I think that could be welcome
31:57
back to college football moment for Nebraska.
31:59
I think they could have a good day.
32:01
Good stuff, Scott Dockerman for the Athletic.
32:03
Doc, it was great to see you. Thanks for being so generous
32:05
with your time here with me this morning.
32:07
Appreciate it, Doc. Thank you, Scott Dockerman.
32:10
Yeah, have a good one. You're.
32:11
The same good to talk to you, Scott Dockerman from The
32:14
Athletic. As we talk college football with
32:16
college football writer Scott Dockerman, we'll take a time
32:20
out. Mitch Holtis his first of many
32:23
daily Chiefs training camp, reports.
32:25
Papa John's in central Iowa. The Donaldson family make that
32:29
possible. We'll talk to Mitch about the
32:31
Chiefs. I think he's got a snippet from
32:33
Andy Reid in there as well, so we'll work that into the
32:36
conversation. Miller and Condon underway on a
32:39
Monday. You're listening to the Iowa
32:40
Sports Radio Network. I'm Millery Condon.
32:43
Welcome back. Iowa Sports Radio NETWORK.
32:46
Trent Condon, vacation. Ken Miller solo for the week.
32:49
Mitch Holtis momentarily want to clear something up on Deion
32:51
Sanders. He did meet the media.
32:53
He says he's cancer free and he plans on coaching, plans on
32:58
coaching this year. So hats off to him for that one.
33:00
There were some reports that he's going to be stepping away,
33:03
but from the coach's mouth himself, he's going to be on the
33:06
sidelines with his Buffs. Mitch Holtis will be in the
33:09
press box calling his Chiefs back again.
33:11
For what year is this Mitch Holtis?
33:13
Ken here, good to speak with you.
33:15
Well, thank you Sir. It is only my 32nd year as the
33:19
voice of the Chief, so just getting started and but as I've
33:24
said and sometimes coach has me speak to the team to start camp.
33:28
Not this year, although it's my 32nd year.
33:30
It feels like my rookie year. This league is 1 that'll have
33:34
your stomach churn at the beginning of every season.
33:37
And yeah, it's churning, but we've been here a week and been
33:39
hard at it. Yeah, and you know what, that
33:42
some of the snippets you sent me from Coach Reed, just, you know,
33:45
when you write it down on paper, just the change from last year's
33:48
Super Bowl. 28 free agents, 14 of them signed, 9 new free
33:52
agents, a rookie class of 7, all have a chance to make the team.
33:56
It's just the team that changeover on the roster from
34:01
year to year. I don't think maybe people
34:03
realize just how significant most years it is.
34:07
No, and it's for every team. It's just the way the league is
34:09
with the salary cap and so forth.
34:12
But this team, this Chiefs team has been interesting, Ken,
34:15
because the only virtue of getting pounded in the Super
34:19
Bowl was it took the hot, bright lights off.
34:21
The Chiefs, like every little move wasn't looked at and
34:25
scrutinized as it has been the last couple of off seasons.
34:29
And so under the radar, this team is kind of quietly put
34:31
together a roster. You alluded to it and the
34:34
division is going to be great and the Broncos have the best
34:37
defense in the league. The Chargers look at the coaches
34:40
in this league. I'm sorry, in this division, but
34:43
no one's talking about the Chiefs.
34:45
It's not like we have said still here.
34:47
And the other thing was there's no hangover from the Super Bowl.
34:52
None. In fact, it's just the opposite.
34:54
They attacked the offseason and when they came into this camp,
34:57
they got off, I mean, with the ground running, almost everybody
35:00
was on the field in OTAs, in mini camp, and they've been on
35:03
the field in this camp. And for Coach Reed, it's not
35:07
lost on him. And that has led to a scrutiny
35:11
evaluation every day. They've been, they've been
35:14
great. They've worked hard.
35:16
They came back with a a certain zest for things and you know, I,
35:22
I think we all felt it. I think them included.
35:26
So I, you know, I, I. Appreciate that.
35:29
As a head coach, I appreciate that.
35:31
How much personnel evaluation is done here leading to when you
35:34
get to the final roster cuts? Every day, every play, every
35:38
day. And so the players always know
35:42
where they stand. If they're if they want to ask,
35:45
they're going to know where where they stand.
35:47
And I don't want to leave in here.
35:48
If you know when we eventually make the cuts, then to never
35:52
feel like they can't come in and say, hey, you know, what
35:55
happened or what can I improve on or where am I at?
35:58
Well, we got it for you. Yeah, I've seen that over 13
36:02
years where it's just very detailed on everything that's
36:07
done everything. And then every place of I'll
36:10
just say this, there are guys on this roster that have won Super
36:13
Bowl rings can that won't make this team.
36:17
Yep. And that's, we'll get into that
36:19
over the next month and things can change.
36:20
But this is a roster that's actually improved.
36:23
There's some holes here. But overall, right now, I would
36:26
tell you that this team's way ahead of schedule and they've
36:28
done it under the radar because everybody's talking about
36:31
everything else, and that's OK. Obviously 2 huge pieces, one on
36:35
the both sides of the football car.
36:37
Loftus, who's really I think emerged and is way better than
36:40
we thought coming out of the Big 10.
36:42
Of course Trey Smith, had it not been for an injury, you guys
36:44
probably don't get him in the sixth round or wherever it was
36:47
you got him late in the draft. 2 guys that mean a lot to this
36:50
football team. Both resigned.
36:53
Lug nuts to the wheel. Both of them are lug nuts on
36:55
this team now. Carl office has had a brilliant
36:57
spring. He has been.
36:59
It looks like he's gone to the next level potential as an edge
37:02
rusher could be zeroing in on A10 sack season.
37:05
He's stronger, quicker, faster. He's just, he's just, it is Trey
37:09
Smith is a such a force inside and working together with Creed
37:14
Humphrey. So to get both those guys,
37:16
because when we walked off the field in New Orleans, there was
37:19
a lot of uncertainty about who would be back to answer the
37:21
call. And there have been some
37:23
exceptions. We lost some guys as every team
37:25
does. You alluded to that.
37:26
But overall, the guts of this team, the nucleus of the atom of
37:30
this team that has been the most successful professional team
37:33
over the past 10 years is still right here.
37:36
And so that they'll come out swinging against a much improved
37:40
division. Yeah, no, I mean, even the
37:42
Raiders, Mitch, I I I still think they finished last.
37:46
But you know what? I'm I won't fall off my chair if
37:49
they don't. I'd like, I'm not a huge Geno
37:51
Smith guy, but it's a huge upgraded quarterback.
37:52
I think if you've got a huge upgrade in the head coach's
37:55
office, I think they're drafting well.
37:57
I can't wait to see Gente, even the Raiders arrows pointing up.
38:01
Yeah, Gentie's a stud, but Brock Bowers on that team is the new.
38:04
For sure. That's been that's the next guy.
38:07
And he is poses a problem for everybody that plays them.
38:11
He can run every round on the route tree and yet he's got the
38:13
girth of a tight end. Some of these tight ends are
38:15
just putting a TE by their name. Not, not this kid.
38:18
He's he's Kelsey. 10 years ago, Yeah.
38:21
No doubt. Well, let's talk about our fine
38:23
sponsor, Papa John's back again, the Donaldson Papa John's here
38:27
in Central. I went throughout the state of
38:28
Iowa as we broadcast on the Iowa Sports Radio.
38:31
Let's talk about them. One of my highlights of the
38:35
offseason, non playing season as we call it now, was breaking
38:38
bread with the Donaldsons in Des Moines.
38:41
It was awesome. They do such great work for the
38:45
city and for the state. But a medium cheeseburger pizza,
38:48
medium cheeseburger pizza 1299. We talk about how it's, you
38:52
know, got expensive to eat out or not with those guys.
38:55
And so and again, they do so much to help the state of Iowa.
38:58
So here we are, buddy. We're back football and I think
39:02
everybody's ready to go. And even including Papa John's
39:05
medium cheeseburgers pizzas at 1299, I think.
39:07
I think we're set. I'm all for it.
39:09
Any teas what we're doing tomorrow?
39:12
Patrick Mahomes. Oh, that's good.
39:15
That'll work. Yeah.
39:16
You want anything more than that?
39:17
I mean, let's see, one of the cool things I know you got up
39:20
against break. The cool things about camp is
39:23
I'll get time with these guys more than I do when the season
39:26
hits. Like there's so much pressure on
39:28
every week and there'll be just a chance just to sat down and
39:31
have a chat. And I had a little bit of chat
39:33
with with Pat. You'll get into that tomorrow
39:36
and kind of get his vibe on this team.
39:37
Good stuff. Thank you.
39:38
Glad we're doing this, Mitch. Love the segments.
39:40
Talk to you tomorrow. Got.
39:42
To talk to you. Mitch Holt is the voice of the
39:44
Kansas City Chiefs. Papa John's central Iowa makes
39:47
this possible. We do it each and every day.
39:49
There's a couple that do the travel that we won't hear from
39:53
Mitch, but for the most part, we will.
39:55
And then it'll take a week off before the season kicks off.
39:58
And they'll kick off on a Friday night in Brazil.
40:02
Chargers, Chiefs. Hello.
40:06
Hour 2 is coming up next. Matt Snyder and I will talk MLB.
40:10
Lots of news there. Look forward to that.
40:13
Bill Seals going to talk Iowa State when he joins me at 1:30.
40:16
Miller and Condon, you're listening to the Iowa Sports
40:19
Radio Network.