Latest / The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon / David Kaplan previews the Bears season & talks Cubs, NFL Talk with Frank Schwab & Trent's Picks presented by Circa Sports

Transcript

David Kaplan previews the Bears season & talks Cubs, NFL Talk with Frank Schwab & Trent's Picks presented by Circa Sports · The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon

• 0:01
  Hour #2 Mallory Condon, welcome back, Iowa Sports Radio Network.
• 0:06
  We're with you until 2O clock still to come.
• 0:08
  Toward the bottom of the hour, Frank Schwab from
• 0:10
  yahoosports.com. On the NFL, David Kaplan joins
• 0:14
  us in his weekly spot. Century and Stone of Iowa
• 0:17
  sponsors Capper Trenton. Ken, thanks for coming on.
• 0:21
  Let's Fast forward to Monday night.
• 0:24
  The Vikings and the Bears will bring the curtain down on week
• 0:27
  one of the NFL season. Cap.
• 0:31
  Monday Night Football used to hold such a special place in the
• 0:34
  country as far as just, it just felt different being in a, in a
• 0:37
  NFL stadium on a Monday. Does it still cap now?
• 0:41
  And knowing that, you know, Sunday Night Football has kind
• 0:43
  of surpassed it? What will Monday night be like
• 0:46
  at Soldier Field? It will be insane.
• 0:50
  It will be electric. And yeah, maybe Sunday Night
• 0:55
  Football gets top billing. But I don't agree with you that
• 1:00
  Monday night may have lost some of its luster.
• 1:03
  No shot. And people in this town just out
• 1:06
  of their minds with excitement. Like tomorrow night we get
• 1:10
  football. Friday night we get Pro
• 1:12
  Football. Saturday from morning till
• 1:14
  midnight we get college football.
• 1:17
  Sunday, all day we get Pro Football.
• 1:19
  Sunday night we get Pro Football.
• 1:21
  Monday night we get the Bears and the Vikings.
• 1:24
  Like I told my wife, have a great one.
• 1:27
  I'll see you in a week. We're through the talking season
• 1:31
  now Cap, and it's time to get ready for real football and
• 1:33
  everything that we think or think we think now we'll be
• 1:36
  changing as we'll get to actually see these guys out
• 1:38
  there in a full time role. What were the major questions
• 1:41
  that you think were answered for the Bears leading into the
• 1:44
  season and and what's the thing that you still believe is a
• 1:47
  concern, something that wasn't answered during training camp?
• 1:52
  Is Braxton Jones going to be able to man that left tackle
• 1:56
  role? And if he can't steel Benedict
• 1:59
  really the answer? And if steel Benedict is the
• 2:01
  answer, why isn't he starting? So I've got some concern there.
• 2:06
  That's one. And then who's rushing the
• 2:08
  passer? Are we getting, you know,
• 2:11
  pressure on opposing quarterbacks?
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  Those are the only two real things that concern me.
• 2:18
  Obviously, injuries can always pop up.
• 2:21
  That is an issue, but I can't control those.
• 2:24
  The other two they could have controlled.
• 2:27
  So like, why did you draft Ozzie True Pillow if he can't play
• 2:31
  left tackle? Because Darnell Wright is your
• 2:35
  starting right dad. Well, you took him.
• 2:37
  This will be year 3, so 3 almost three seasons ago you drafted
• 2:42
  him. It can in the first round.
• 2:45
  Well, some people say, well, maybe they're grooming to Pillow
• 2:48
  so they don't have to pay Darnell, right?
• 2:51
  Well, if that's the case, then why did you draft Darnell right
• 2:54
  at #10 that, That just that's a terrible, terrible mistake.
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  So that has to play out. But for me it's pass rush and
• 3:02
  left tackle right now. Cap We've seen a good number of
• 3:07
  coordinators be offensive or defensive coordinators that are
• 3:10
  just so good at that spot. But then when they get the
• 3:14
  opportunity to become a head coach, for whatever reason, it
• 3:17
  doesn't work. Are we convinced with Ben
• 3:19
  Johnson will work? Great play caller, ton of
• 3:22
  success at Detroit. Does that carry over to a head
• 3:25
  coach at Chicago? I mean, I think it will.
• 3:31
  Why is Kevin O'Connell able to make the move from elite play
• 3:35
  caller under Sean McVay to elite head coach of the Minnesota
• 3:39
  Vikings? Why wouldn't Ben Johnson be able
• 3:43
  to go from elite play caller? One list this week had him the
• 3:46
  third best play caller in the NFL and #4 was Andy Reed.
• 3:51
  So they had McVeigh 1, Shanahan 2 and Ben Johnson 3 and Andy
• 3:56
  Reid four. Well, if he's that good at that
• 3:59
  part of the job, and everybody who I've talked to who is on
• 4:03
  that team or around that building keeps telling me this
• 4:07
  dude's different. He's awesome, he's in control,
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  there's accountability, he's a good person, great work ethic.
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  Like then why won't it work that you can't tell me that it won't,
• 4:19
  that he will be the reason it won't work.
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  Whereas with Eberflos with, he was one of the reasons it didn't
• 4:26
  work because I just thought he was a horrible head coach.
• 4:29
  Question for you on the injury front, Jalen Johnson incredibly
• 4:32
  important to that Bears defense. One of the better quarterbacks
• 4:35
  in the league and well, we inspect Justin Jefferson's going
• 4:38
  to be on the other side there, though he's dealing with an
• 4:40
  injury of his own. They were so vague during
• 4:42
  training camp. He they had him on the NFI list.
• 4:45
  The non football injury sound like a soft tissue injury.
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  What can you tell us about that injury?
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  And if he can't go, what does it look like at the other
• 4:52
  quarterback spot for the Bears? I believe he is going to play.
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  He talked yesterday about how much better he felt and that
• 5:02
  he'd gone through a workout. He was hoping to get clear to be
• 5:04
  able to practice this week. So I, I believe that he's going
• 5:08
  to start until I hear differently.
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  And I would think if he doesn't play, then there's been some
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  kind of a set back because he was out there moving and
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  grooving yesterday running around on the field.
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  So if that's, you know, something that becomes an issue
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  this weekend as he recovers from that workout, well, that's a big
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  disappointment because they've got to have him.
• 5:31
  They'll have Tyreke Stevenson. They already lost Terrell Smith
• 5:34
  for the year with a patellar tendon injury.
• 5:37
  So they've got a nation, right? They've got some guys there,
• 5:41
  Kyler Gordon, obviously, but he's a massive, massive piece of
• 5:46
  that defense bug. I was looking at a couple
• 5:49
  analytical sites and they had him in the third best cover
• 5:53
  corner in the NFL last year. That's big.
• 5:56
  Cap are you are you surprised that Green Bay is now the
• 5:59
  favorite to win the North? There are odds to win the Super
• 6:02
  Bowl draft from drop from 19 to 1 to 11 to one Cap that's a
• 6:06
  quarterback market movement, not an edge rusher.
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  I get he's really good at that. He's not good against the run
• 6:12
  necessarily. I think it's a huge overreaction
• 6:16
  when it comes to the Packers. Now, admittedly, I've I'm kind
• 6:19
  of hot and cold on them. I I picked them to finish last
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  prior to this, but are you surprised that the market move
• 6:25
  the way it did, is Micah Parsons really that good?
• 6:27
  Does he make that much difference in the North?
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  He's really, really good. But I'm with you.
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  I don't understand how you get Micah Parsons and all of a
• 6:37
  sudden now there's people going, OK, now you're the favorite to
• 6:41
  win the Super Bowl. Really, That move alone does
• 6:45
  that. I'm not convinced I like Jordan
• 6:48
  Love. I think he's a solid player.
• 6:51
  I don't think he's the top five, top seven, top 8 quarterback.
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  I don't. He may go out this year and
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  throw for 5000 yards, be the league MVP and win the Super
• 7:01
  Bowl. And if he does, I'll be the
• 7:03
  first to tip my cap and go. You proved me wrong.
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  I just don't think he's that dude.
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  And so if he's not, does adding Micah Parsons that much of a
• 7:14
  difference maker that now they're the clear favorite to
• 7:18
  win the North and many saying win the NFC?
• 7:23
  I'm not on that train. Yeah.
• 7:25
  Nor am I. We'll see.
• 7:27
  The guy two years ago at the end of the season was that guy and
• 7:30
  then the injuries last year, what it's going to be closer to
• 7:32
  be this season. Cap, I told you way back in the
• 7:36
  draft, I was a Luther Burden guy at Missouri.
• 7:38
  Absolutely loved the kid and what he was certainly two
• 7:41
  seasons before his final one and he's gone through three number
• 7:44
  changes. He can be #10 now.
• 7:46
  He was 87, then, he was 13, now he's 10.
• 7:48
  But him as a player, is he 4th right now out of that wide
• 7:52
  receiver group and as a whole, this wide receiver group, it
• 7:55
  feels like a strength on paper, but we said the same thing last
• 7:57
  year. Yeah, this wide receiver group
• 8:01
  is better than we've seen in Chicago in eons.
• 8:05
  I mean, seriously, when you got Roma Dunes, a who I think might
• 8:09
  be there one DJ Moore makes 27 and a half, $1,000,000 for a
• 8:14
  reason. And you add Luther Burden.
• 8:17
  And then let's factor in Colston Loveland, who absolutely is a
• 8:21
  wide receiver in a tight end body.
• 8:24
  Plus call Comet you have got and John A Walker.
• 8:28
  Like I've never seen those type of weapons, right?
• 8:32
  You have Jordan love what those type of weapons the Green Bay
• 8:34
  should be favored, but they that these are their Chicago Bears.
• 8:37
  So what's the over under on a doomsday?
• 8:39
  Does he caught what low 50s last year in his rookie year after
• 8:43
  somewhat of a slow start? Does he get up around, you know,
• 8:47
  north of 80 catches this year cap in your mind?
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  I think he does. He should be north of 1000
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  yards. He should be a real difference
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  maker. I'm just telling you a real
• 8:58
  difference maker because that dude is elite in so many aspects
• 9:02
  of being a wide receiver. And Loveland beat out Comet.
• 9:08
  I mean, they're going to go 12 personnel, so depends what they
• 9:11
  do. I think they're going to play a
• 9:13
  lot of two tight ends and if they do that, then you'll see
• 9:16
  both guys. If not, I guess it depends on
• 9:19
  the situation. Colston Loveland is an elite
• 9:23
  receiver getting separation. Cole Comet is a nice receiver.
• 9:29
  He's a better blocker. So Monday Night Football, let's
• 9:32
  preview the game. Mentioned Jefferson banged up
• 9:34
  with that hamstring injury. We'll see.
• 9:36
  JJ McCarthy obviously making his first career start.
• 9:39
  When you look at this Vikings team, a defense is going to be
• 9:42
  coming up for all the place. Flores, the way that he brings
• 9:45
  different blitz packages, he's going to do everything he can to
• 9:48
  confuse Caleb Williams. What do you expect to see on
• 9:50
  Monday night in the game? I expect the Bears to win the
• 9:54
  football game. I do.
• 9:55
  I'll be exceptionally disappointed if they don't win
• 9:58
  the game. And I'm trying to give you that
• 10:00
  from a non fan perspective. And I obviously am a die hard
• 10:05
  Bears fan. But you're telling me JJ
• 10:08
  McCarthy, who missed all of last year with two knee injuries, is
• 10:12
  a rookie and has never taken a snap in a regular season NFL
• 10:15
  game, is rolling into Chicago and he's leading the Vikings to
• 10:19
  a victory? I don't believe that and I I
• 10:22
  don't dislike him in any way, shape or form, but I don't
• 10:26
  believe Minnesota is going to do that.
• 10:29
  I think they were a good team last year, had a great record.
• 10:32
  They also caught a ton of breaks and I will be very surprised if
• 10:37
  the Bears are getting on the, you know, the train out of there
• 10:40
  all in one. What's the concern on Kyle
• 10:43
  Tucker's? We switch over to the Cubs, Left
• 10:45
  the game last night, won't play today, off day tomorrow.
• 10:48
  How big of a concern? I guess it's a calf, Cappy, What
• 10:50
  we're dealing, what he's dealing with here.
• 10:53
  Yeah, he said his calf had been before the game and they decided
• 10:59
  to try and play through it anyway.
• 11:01
  He hit the three run home run. He said it was a little sore, so
• 11:04
  let's take a couple days. So I think that's a smart
• 11:07
  decision by Craig counsel. You guys know I'll criticize him
• 11:11
  when I think it's due. I thought it was smart of Craig
• 11:14
  to get him off his feet not playing today.
• 11:17
  They'll do therapy and do whatever the trainers do today,
• 11:21
  tomorrow and then let's see if he's ready to go on Friday.
• 11:24
  But you need that dude for the long haul.
• 11:26
  You're four games up for the number one wild card spot.
• 11:30
  You are going to the playoffs. You're only 5 back in Milwaukee.
• 11:33
  Now they have two more with the Phillies.
• 11:35
  They got to play 3 coming up a week or two down the road with
• 11:39
  the Padres. The Cubs have a chance.
• 11:42
  It's one game at a time. But I'm telling you, this
• 11:45
  division race is not over. Daniel Palencia, can you make it
• 11:49
  easy sometimes? I mean, last night, couple guys
• 11:51
  on stolen base, runners at the corners, 2 outs.
• 11:54
  I know Ken has been concerned about this, he's brought this up
• 11:56
  before, but the back end there, this is plenty his job.
• 11:59
  We know it. Unless things completely blow
• 12:01
  up. But what's the concern level for
• 12:02
  you as we get ready for this playoff run?
• 12:06
  My my biggest concern is can they stay healthy?
• 12:11
  AB who is going to be that guy that if it's a playoff game at
• 12:15
  Wrigley and guess what, there's two on Cubs league 2 to one in
• 12:20
  the eighth and here comes Fernando Tatis in the 8th.
• 12:25
  Is that Brad Keller? Hope So what if?
• 12:27
  It's a lefty. Is that Caleb Theobach who's
• 12:30
  coming in and getting that dude? And again, if we go to the 9th,
• 12:36
  can Daniel Palencia really with the playoffs on the line, can he
• 12:41
  shut them down? I hope so.
• 12:45
  But he's proving it's not just how hard you throw, but it's got
• 12:49
  to be your pitch mixed because in the Colorado series, he gave
• 12:54
  up a base hit to start the inning on a fastball.
• 12:59
  And then he got beat on a breaking ball that just hung
• 13:02
  there and it got hit in the corner and the guy came in to
• 13:04
  score. Ball game over on Sunday and it
• 13:07
  was an 89 mile an hour pitch. I'm like, why are you getting
• 13:10
  beat with your secondary stuff? And then in San Francisco, he
• 13:14
  came in and he gave up three singles.
• 13:17
  They paper cutted you to death and every one of the hits came
• 13:21
  on a pitch in the 8988 mile an hour range.
• 13:24
  Why? Why?
• 13:26
  If I'm I'm going to get beat, I'm getting beat with my best.
• 13:28
  Here's 100. And two, good luck.
• 13:31
  And if you hit it, you hit it. I never understood.
• 13:33
  That no, I'm with you. You know, August was not kind to
• 13:36
  Daniel Palencia, but I got to tip my cap.
• 13:38
  He was really good prior to that cap.
• 13:40
  I think Nico Horner is the MVP of this team so far.
• 13:44
  I do. I mean, obviously not non
• 13:46
  pitchers is getting picked off second base the other day
• 13:49
  notwithstanding. I know you were pissed at that,
• 13:51
  so was I Nicole Horner's had a hell of a year again.
• 13:55
  Yet last year you go back to after the season, this guy
• 13:58
  seemingly was on his way out of town.
• 14:00
  Are they convinced that Nicole Horner needs to continue to be a
• 14:03
  cub? I don't know why he was on the
• 14:05
  block, if indeed that rumors out there were true.
• 14:07
  Cap. I think they were looking at
• 14:11
  different ways that they were going to put this thing
• 14:14
  together. They have a budget.
• 14:16
  They do. They're just they're not the
• 14:18
  Dodgers. They're never going to be.
• 14:20
  They're not going to just keep spending and spending and he
• 14:24
  makes 11,000,000 a year and I think this year he's proven to
• 14:27
  them how important he is. He's a really clutch hitter with
• 14:32
  men in scoring position. He's a Gold Glove defender, he's
• 14:35
  a great leader. He plays with passion, he always
• 14:38
  hustles. He does everything you want in a
• 14:41
  baseball player except hit the ball at the ballpark with any
• 14:44
  kind of regularity. So I think that's why.
• 14:47
  Plus they have prospects that play second base.
• 14:50
  But I believe he's locked his spot in here.
• 14:53
  The likelihood is if the Cubs get past the Wild card round
• 14:56
  that they will face the Brewers in the divisional round A5 game
• 15:00
  series against the Brewers better or worse than what a 7
• 15:03
  gamer would be a short series. Does that give a little bit more
• 15:07
  advantage to the Cubs? Against the Brewers, yes.
• 15:15
  I don't really know if it matters because let's say it's
• 15:18
  A7 game series. You're still going to get
• 15:20
  Imanaga twice in that series. You're going to get Kate Horton
• 15:23
  twice in that series. Matthew Boyd, now he looks like
• 15:27
  he's a little tired to me, but I think they'll try and manage him
• 15:30
  this month. You're going to get him probably
• 15:33
  twice in A7 game series. So I don't know if it really
• 15:37
  matters. I just you've got to go out and
• 15:40
  get that offense cooking again. Like yesterday they got four
• 15:43
  runs and one inning, A3 run home from Tucker and a hit by E in
• 15:47
  half and then we never saw him again.
• 15:50
  Got to be better offensively. Last thing, Soroka seemingly is
• 15:54
  working his way back. Heard the report from Taylor
• 15:56
  McGregor during the game. What what's what will the plan
• 15:59
  be for him? Cap, once he gets through his
• 16:01
  rehab and he's ready to go, he's back up to the majors.
• 16:04
  I hear he's throwing the ball a velocity wise is higher than it
• 16:07
  was prior to him leaving Washington.
• 16:10
  So that seemingly headed in the right direction with that
• 16:13
  shoulder maybe behind him. What's the plans?
• 16:17
  The plan with Sarok is I don't think you're going to see him
• 16:20
  start again. Think they're going to shorten
• 16:23
  him up and try and use him in bursts.
• 16:25
  He's got his velocity back the other day in the bullpen at 95
• 16:29
  and if he can throw 95, he's, you know, a tough, hard nosed
• 16:34
  kid. He could give you some, you
• 16:36
  know, opportunities to use him terms of as a starter.
• 16:40
  Again, I don't. See it?
• 16:42
  Yeah, well, Savali looked good out of the bullpen, so maybe
• 16:45
  Saroka can follow suit. Because the volley man really
• 16:48
  good. Yeah.
• 16:49
  And this is not a shot at the White Sox.
• 16:51
  But you get out of a place where the games don't really matter
• 16:55
  compared to a team that's trying to get to the postseason.
• 16:59
  His juices had to be flying when he got on the mound.
• 17:02
  Oh, God. I'm pitching on a team that's
• 17:04
  going to the postseason. OK, I got to bring it.
• 17:06
  Let's go. Because maybe he makes your
• 17:09
  postseason roster. Who knows?
• 17:11
  He was excellent. I know Andrew Vaughn will make
• 17:13
  the Brewers postseason roster after he got.
• 17:16
  Out. Yeah, Andrew Vaughn Looks like
• 17:17
  the Andrew Vaughn the White Sox had again.
• 17:19
  For sure. Great stuff, buddy.
• 17:21
  Thank you, Cap. We'll talk to you next week.
• 17:22
  Thank you, Cap. And you got a pick on Iowa?
• 17:25
  Iowa. Yeah.
• 17:26
  What is it? No.
• 17:27
  What is it? I'm laying the point.
• 17:30
  Laying 3 cyclones from the capper.
• 17:33
  Good stuff buddy, good to talk to you.
• 17:34
  Thank you. See you.
• 17:36
  See you bud. David Kaplan chiming in Taking
• 17:38
  the clones. Going with the clones?
• 17:40
  Yeah, He asked. He said he thought maybe he's
• 17:42
  going to get bumped this week. Oh, because of Cyhawk.
• 17:44
  Because of Cyhawk. New, not copy too important.
• 17:49
  We gave you a good power hour for our number one.
• 17:51
  If you missed it, if you're just checking in, all of our number
• 17:54
  one, all Iowa, Iowa State Cyhop props, individual player props,
• 17:59
  the voice of the Hawkeyes and the Vice voice of the Cyclones
• 18:02
  all up right now on the podcast page, kxno.com.
• 18:05
  When did you get that done? I get it done every time.
• 18:07
  It's up by 1:00 seemingly every single day.
• 18:11
  Good stuff that I'm in the studio.
• 18:13
  Right. And then when you're not, we
• 18:15
  hear about that too. Well, yeah, 'cause the old man's
• 18:17
  not really versed at doing those things.
• 18:19
  We'll take your time out. Come back.
• 18:21
  We're going to do some NFL conversation.
• 18:23
  Frank Schwab, yahoosports.com, Best game of the week.
• 18:27
  There's so many trends. Sunday Night Football, My God,
• 18:30
  it's. Going to be tremendous.
• 18:31
  Monday night's going to be phenomenal.
• 18:34
  Friday night, if you're a fan of a team in the AFC West,
• 18:37
  Chargers, Chiefs, I I think the stinkers tomorrow.
• 18:41
  The stinkers tomorrow. Of the prime time.
• 18:43
  Game blow out. Doesn't it seem like that?
• 18:46
  Dak up and down the field. Man, I hope so.
• 18:48
  CD Lamb couple of touchdowns, all of a sudden it's 1714.
• 18:55
  CD Lamb, did you draft him or something?
• 18:57
  I did no all right. We'll talk to Frank Schwab in
• 19:00
  the NFL. That's next.
• 19:01
  Miller and Condon, Iowa Sports Radio Network I'm Miller Condon.
• 19:07
  Welcome back, Iowa Sports Radio Network, wherever listening in
• 19:10
  the state of Iowa. Grateful that you are locally
• 19:12
  here on KXNO. We have the Minnesota Vikings
• 19:15
  and Paul Allen all season long. When the Vikings aren't playing,
• 19:20
  we'll have Westwood one, which means Sunday Night Football,
• 19:23
  Monday Night Football, Thursday Night Football, playoff
• 19:25
  football, Super Bowl football, your home for the Super Bowl
• 19:29
  right here on Des Moines Sports Station one O 6.3 KXNO, the
• 19:33
  flagship of the Iowa Sports Radio Network.
• 19:36
  Let's get the Frank Schwab. He writes about the NFL for
• 19:38
  yahoosports.com. Ready or not, Frank Schwab, here
• 19:42
  we go again. How are you?
• 19:44
  Doing well, doing all glad football's finally almost here,
• 19:47
  right? I have nothing else to say right
• 19:50
  about the, the, the, the upcoming season, basically.
• 19:54
  Like I, I feel like we've said it all, we've written about it
• 19:58
  all. It's just time to to get to some
• 19:59
  games. That appetizer Thursday night
• 20:01
  with your Badgers didn't exactly get you going.
• 20:06
  Boy, they're bad. Here's where I am with Wisconsin
• 20:08
  football. And I don't think any Wisconsin
• 20:11
  fans out there happening to me listening would disagree with
• 20:13
  me. I didn't know they played on
• 20:15
  Thursday night, clearly, like just blanked on it.
• 20:18
  And then I was going scrolling through my TV Guide to see
• 20:21
  something what's on TV tonight? I'm like, oh, Badgers games on
• 20:24
  it. Might as well put that on for a
• 20:25
  little bit. And I'm almost glad.
• 20:27
  I would have been glad if I just never knew they were playing.
• 20:30
  Like they're so unwatchable. It's it is.
• 20:33
  It is a tough time to be a Wisconsin fan.
• 20:35
  Let's go this let's go this way with the NFL.
• 20:37
  Who's the team that this pre season, either from a positive
• 20:40
  perspective or from a maybe they're not going to be as good
• 20:43
  as I thought they were going to be.
• 20:44
  Who's that team, Frank, that you're having to do a maybe a
• 20:47
  decent, a different look, a deeper dive into?
• 20:51
  I and I think for me it's the Broncos and I, I don't know that
• 20:54
  their starters look that great. And maybe it's just I'm catching
• 20:58
  up finally to to where they are as a team.
• 21:00
  But, you know, their backups looked really good, showed a lot
• 21:03
  of depth. And then, you know, you take the
• 21:05
  Chargers injuries into account. I've kind of come around on the
• 21:08
  Broncos maybe being really good and maybe being the team to
• 21:11
  finally break the chief streak of AFC West titles.
• 21:13
  Like I I just you look, and they have an elite defense.
• 21:18
  They have an elite offensive line quarterback.
• 21:20
  Everybody's gushing about the quarterback making a second year
• 21:22
  leap. Everybody in practice says,
• 21:24
  yeah, it's different this year. Bo Nix is much better.
• 21:27
  The skill positions look really deep and strong.
• 21:29
  They they a lot of guys played really well in the preseason
• 21:32
  from that group, Trump, Payton, the Hall of Fame coach.
• 21:34
  You start thinking about like, what's the weakness of this
• 21:37
  team? There's really not one.
• 21:39
  If there's somebody who's going to break that kind of triumphant
• 21:42
  of the Bills, Ravens and Chiefs in the AFC, I think it's Denver.
• 21:45
  They're the team that have probably come around on the most
• 21:48
  in the in the preseason and 1. I don't think I just surprised
• 21:52
  me at all. But boy, the Saints are bad.
• 21:54
  The Saints are just so bad. Like, yeah, you watch them play
• 21:57
  football and you're like, wow, I don't even know how to get them
• 21:59
  to three wins like that. They're going to be an awful,
• 22:01
  awful football team this year. So Circa Survivor Arizona for
• 22:05
  you in Week 1. It's I hate taking Rd. teams, I
• 22:10
  hate taking Rd. teams, but I it's there's going to be some
• 22:14
  team because we do this every single year and last year was
• 22:18
  the Bengals. There's always some team in week
• 22:20
  one that we just oh, this is a lock.
• 22:23
  We that's why I don't want to take the Broncos because on
• 22:26
  paper, like how on earth out of Tennessee Titans or Cam Moore
• 22:29
  making his first career start going to beat the Denver
• 22:31
  Broncos, but every year it happens every year.
• 22:34
  So Week 1, if I get through with all my survivor, Andrew, I'm not
• 22:37
  in Circa, but I, I, I'm in other, you know, smaller home
• 22:41
  leagues, I guess you'd call them.
• 22:42
  If I get through with all my survivor picks intact after Week
• 22:45
  1, I'll feel really, really lucky because it seems like
• 22:49
  every year Week 1 is just a bloodbath.
• 22:50
  It certainly has been all right, Franco mentioned.
• 22:53
  The Broncos is one of those teams.
• 22:55
  It's it's been difficult for both Ken and I to get our arms
• 22:58
  around the Packers at different times this offseason.
• 23:01
  The Mica trade last week certainly changes the equation
• 23:03
  for a lot of people. Now the betting favorite to win
• 23:06
  the division and pretty much every shop that is out there
• 23:08
  right now. Give us your take on this
• 23:10
  Packers team and and where Jordan Love and this crew is
• 23:13
  going to be in 2025. I think they're really good.
• 23:17
  Like the problem I had with them, and I think we've talked
• 23:19
  about it through the summer, is that they just didn't have a
• 23:23
  blue chip superstar. They had a bunch of very good
• 23:26
  players and and there was no weakness on this team, but I
• 23:30
  didn't think they had anybody who tipped the field either.
• 23:32
  Like you need a difference maker.
• 23:34
  I think that's part of the reason they were O and six
• 23:36
  against the Lions, Vikings and Eagles last year.
• 23:40
  Those teams have difference makers and the Packers just had
• 23:42
  a bunch of really, really good players.
• 23:44
  Well, now they have a difference maker.
• 23:46
  I mean, Mike is as good as there is, but I will say this, I don't
• 23:49
  want this to turn into a Lions thing, but I think it's crazy.
• 23:52
  The Lions are are behind the Packers and the NFC North odds
• 23:55
  like we have gone so far in overcompensating for the loss of
• 24:01
  coordinators, which we've never done before.
• 24:04
  The Eagles lost both coordinators after the Super
• 24:06
  Bowl 2 years ago. We didn't hear a peep about it
• 24:08
  this year. As I've mentioned before, I'll
• 24:10
  say the line again. I've not had a conversation
• 24:13
  about the Detroit Lions since the end of last season without
• 24:16
  the names of Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn being involved.
• 24:18
  Everybody is saying, oh, they lost those two coordinate.
• 24:22
  Like that team went 15 and 2 with just about everybody on
• 24:26
  defense gone. Yeah, they had a bad game
• 24:29
  against the Commanders. OK, fine.
• 24:31
  You look at that roster up and down and it's loaded.
• 24:34
  They have capable code like I who's to say?
• 24:37
  I'm not saying John Morton is Ben Johnson, but John Morton's
• 24:41
  been around a long time. He was just with Sean Payton,
• 24:43
  their new offensive coordinator. John Morton, why can't he be a
• 24:47
  good son? Like, why?
• 24:49
  It's not like they're going to have nobody calling plays.
• 24:51
  They're not going to have Jared Goff drawing stuff up into dirt.
• 24:54
  Like they still have professional coordinators.
• 24:57
  And I I think we forgot how good that team was last year.
• 25:01
  And for the Packers fans who were like, well, we just added
• 25:03
  Micah Parsons. You know, the Lions fans are
• 25:05
  saying we're adding Aiden Hutchinson.
• 25:07
  Did you forget about him? Did you, did you forget that he
• 25:10
  missed almost all of last year and we still finished the top
• 25:13
  five defensive DVOA. Like I think the Lions
• 25:15
  disrespect has gone way, way too far.
• 25:18
  That's still to me, the best team in the NFC North.
• 25:20
  That's the team I'm going to pick the window division and I'm
• 25:23
  coming around to just let's let's put it this.
• 25:25
  I don't have any Super Bowl bets on Lions now, but the price is
• 25:28
  dipped. I'm going to buy the dip.
• 25:30
  I I why isn't this team a Super Bowl contender?
• 25:33
  You tell me. And if you could tell me without
• 25:35
  mentioning the coordinators names, I'd be impressed because
• 25:38
  that's all anybody has is well, Ben Johnson, Eric Glenn, I get
• 25:41
  it. They're great, but there's a lot
• 25:43
  to like about this Lions team other than those two guys.
• 25:45
  That's a great point on Philadelphia.
• 25:47
  Nobody made it. Nobody said a peep about it when
• 25:49
  that happened. Now everybody brings it up.
• 25:51
  Frank, I think, and I hate to be able to say it this way because
• 25:54
  I can watch whatever I want this weekend, but if I could only
• 25:57
  watch one. I mean, Baltimore and Buffalo on
• 26:00
  Sunday night, My God, how good is that?
• 26:03
  Unbelievable. I.
• 26:06
  That's got to be the game, right?
• 26:08
  OK, I I'm not going to get tricky on you and say that's not
• 26:11
  the game of the week that that is the game of the week.
• 26:13
  It is potential. I could make an argument.
• 26:16
  Those are the two best teams with football like I mean, and I
• 26:18
  don't I don't think they are, but they're in the top four or
• 26:21
  five for sure. But the one game I'm really now,
• 26:26
  I'm really more interested in the Lions Packers because I
• 26:30
  think that sets the tone for the whole year in that division and
• 26:32
  and not the Bills. Bills rains game of the week.
• 26:35
  I'm not. But I'll tell you what, I
• 26:37
  wouldn't skip Lions, Packers because I think the Lions and
• 26:41
  you know, we had Aiden Hutchinson on Andrew Siciliano
• 26:44
  interviewed him on our inside coverage show and kind of did
• 26:47
  like he was, you know, you could tell that they're sick of
• 26:50
  talking about the whole like, oh, you guys lost your
• 26:52
  coordinator stuff. And you could tell.
• 26:55
  I mean, he didn't come out and say it.
• 26:56
  But you know, I think they feel this, they feel this disrespect
• 27:01
  that why is everybody talking about the Packers?
• 27:03
  Why is everybody talking about the Bears?
• 27:04
  What they're the team that went 15 and two last year.
• 27:07
  And I think that they come in with extra motivation into this
• 27:11
  game. The Packers are the team
• 27:12
  everybody's talking about and they're everybody's shiny new
• 27:14
  toy. I think the Lions have a point
• 27:16
  to prove. I can't wait for that game.
• 27:18
  I think it's going to be awesome.
• 27:19
  I, I hope Micah plays and it sounds like he will.
• 27:22
  And we just get to see this game because again, I, it's only week
• 27:26
  1, but that sets the tone for the division the entire year.
• 27:28
  And I, I think that that if Bill's Ravens is 1A, then
• 27:32
  Packers Lions is 1B to me. I can't wait for that game.
• 27:35
  Speaking of divisional games, a huge one in the NFC South
• 27:38
  because it feels like a two team division with the Bucks and the
• 27:41
  Falcons. If Tampa goes in there, wins in
• 27:43
  Atlanta, what a leg up they're going to have in that division.
• 27:46
  The retooled Atlanta defense and Michael Pennix.
• 27:49
  How do you feel about him going into year #2 and now as the
• 27:53
  undoubtedly #1 quarterback there in Atlanta?
• 27:57
  Yeah, and I'm honestly not sold on Michael Pennix.
• 28:00
  I think he's good and I'm excited to see him.
• 28:02
  And I thought what we saw from him last year was very positive,
• 28:05
  right. But I think a lot of people were
• 28:07
  like, it just kind of over over emphasized what he did last
• 28:13
  year. He's fine.
• 28:14
  He was good like, but he wasn't like, Oh my goodness, this is
• 28:18
  Patrick Mahomes playing Week 18 against the Broncos his rookie
• 28:22
  year. Like it was like, all right,
• 28:23
  Michael Pannix has shown some stuff and obviously a good
• 28:26
  college quarterback, but I, I don't know that he's necessarily
• 28:29
  there. Like I wouldn't pick them over
• 28:31
  Baker Mayfield, let's put it that way.
• 28:32
  Like I, I, I'm not picking the Falcons over the Buccaneers.
• 28:35
  I think the Buccaneers are really, really good and I want
• 28:39
  to see it from the Falcons. Like, look, maybe Michael
• 28:41
  Pannick is, is ridiculous. He's the second year breakout.
• 28:43
  It's not Caleb or Bonex or anybody.
• 28:45
  It's it's actually Michael Pannick's.
• 28:47
  But I, I just need to get there first with the Falcons.
• 28:51
  I don't think their defense is very good.
• 28:54
  Losing Caleb McGarry, the right tackle is a big loss.
• 28:56
  Like I just, I think the Buccaneers are clearly out of
• 28:59
  the Falcons in the division. We'll see.
• 29:00
  Like you're like you said, like it looks like a 22 team race to
• 29:05
  me, too. And games like this has such a
• 29:08
  big impact on tiebreakers and all that kind of stuff that
• 29:11
  yeah, this is for Week 1. This is a pretty big game in
• 29:14
  that division. Speaking of, defenses that
• 29:16
  aren't good are very good. Trey Henderson's back with
• 29:19
  Cincinnati, Can they win with that defence, Frank?
• 29:23
  I don't think so. I really don't.
• 29:25
  I mean, just because they're going to be fine.
• 29:28
  They're going to be a good football team.
• 29:30
  But are they better than the Ravens and the division?
• 29:32
  I don't think so. Are they better than the Bills
• 29:35
  or the Chiefs or maybe even the Broncos and the AFC?
• 29:37
  I don't think so. Like I just Burroughs great,
• 29:40
  Chase Jamar chases great, T Higgins great, obviously even
• 29:43
  Chase Brown, a really, really good football player.
• 29:46
  But I just I can't get there. And I also do have some
• 29:49
  questions about Zach Taylor, to be honest.
• 29:50
  Like, I just wonder, looking back now, it's like, was that,
• 29:55
  yeah, they went to Super Bowl. But Joe Burrow makes your life a
• 29:58
  little easier, doesn't he? I, I I just don't know.
• 30:01
  I, I look at this over his six years, I believe I just looked
• 30:06
  the stat up. I think Zach Taylor is 1 and 11
• 30:09
  in his first two games of the season.
• 30:10
  Wow, that's unbelievable. Like they just start slow every
• 30:14
  single year. I just don't know.
• 30:15
  I think I think I'll say this, I think if the Bengals don't make
• 30:18
  the playoffs, I think that Zach Taylor's getting fired.
• 30:20
  Like how do you possibly miss the playoffs 2 straight years
• 30:23
  with Joe Burrows quarterback? So I just, I'm just not there
• 30:26
  with the Bengals yet. There's going to be games where
• 30:28
  Pearl throws for 400 yards and four touchdowns and they pull
• 30:31
  out wins and that's great, but I just don't think they have the
• 30:34
  balance to be a Super Bowl contender.
• 30:36
  Frank, you mentioned Sunday night, Bills, Ravens, almost
• 30:41
  everybody. It feels like they're picked to
• 30:43
  come out of the AFC as one of those two teams.
• 30:46
  Give us a major concern how this thing can go wrong for both
• 30:50
  Baltimore and Buffalo this season, injuries aside.
• 30:55
  Yeah, and I think the one thing for Baltimore, and I guess it's
• 30:59
  injury related, but Derek Henry at some point can't be Superman,
• 31:03
  right? Like he has defied every single
• 31:07
  rule of this many carries this age this it just doesn't.
• 31:12
  He doesn't get affected by anything and I guess he's kind
• 31:16
  of made of steel at £250, but at some point he's got to slow
• 31:21
  down. And when he does, what does that
• 31:23
  do to the rest of the Ravens offense?
• 31:25
  I mean, does he have another 1800 yard season in him?
• 31:27
  I hope so. I love Derek Henry, I think he's
• 31:29
  a great player, but if he doesn't, all of a sudden they
• 31:32
  don't really have a great backup running back.
• 31:34
  And you look at their skill position at receiver, it's like
• 31:37
  it's fine. It's good.
• 31:39
  It's better than the Bills, but it's not great.
• 31:41
  So I don't know. I think Derek Henry is the one
• 31:43
  question for me. If you can tell me Derek Henry's
• 31:46
  yardage right now, give me that one answer on the answer key.
• 31:50
  I can tell you the Ravens had a good season or not.
• 31:52
  He's like, if if he's just a 1000 yard guy, then I I don't
• 31:57
  know that I love the Ravens that much anymore.
• 31:58
  Is he a 1700 yard guy? Yeah.
• 32:00
  Then the Ravens are are wheels up like they're going to be a
• 32:03
  really good team. But with the Bills, it's just
• 32:06
  Josh Allen having to do everything himself.
• 32:08
  Can somebody emerge? Can can it be Kincaid?
• 32:11
  Can it be? But yeah, Keon Coleman I really
• 32:14
  like, but who knows? He's unproven.
• 32:16
  Josh Palmer, right? At some point, you can only go
• 32:19
  so far with Josh Allen doing absolutely, positively
• 32:22
  everything by himself. But both of those teams, I think
• 32:27
  they're they're Super Bowl quality teams that just haven't
• 32:29
  won a Super Bowl yet because they just happen to be in the
• 32:31
  same conference as Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.
• 32:33
  Like it's it's Patrick Ewing and the Knicks, it's Crumble and
• 32:37
  John Stockton and the Jazz and they're just going up against
• 32:39
  Michael Jordan. That's what it is.
• 32:41
  Like the Ravens and Bills are awesome.
• 32:43
  They're quality, fantastic football teams.
• 32:46
  You just have to, I think the bill said it best.
• 32:48
  Brandon Bean, their general manager, basically said we're
• 32:51
  good enough to win a Super Bowl. We just got to keep the course.
• 32:54
  In one of these years, we're going to catch some breaks in
• 32:55
  the playoffs like, and I kind of agree to that with the Bills and
• 32:58
  the Ravens. Frank Schwab, yahoosports.com.
• 33:01
  Frank, thanks as always for what you do for us.
• 33:03
  We'll track you down if your schedule allows in a couple of
• 33:05
  weeks. Thank you, Frank.
• 33:06
  Appreciate it. Absolutely appreciate it.
• 33:09
  Yeah, good to talk to you Frank Schwab, yahoosports.com as we
• 33:12
  check in on the NFL, forgot to mention this earlier, Trent,
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• 34:00
  Street in Des Moines. Trans plays of the day Circus
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  sports sponsor those Miller and Condon.
• 34:05
  Our final segment is next. It's the Iowa Sports Radio
• 34:07
  Network, right? 10 minutes before 2.
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  Miller and Condon, Iowa Sports Radio Network, 2O clock off the
• 34:19
  bench. Lucas Strange, Sean Roberts
• 34:22
  until 5 overtime. I have a 5 until 6.
• 34:25
  Of course, the first quarter gets underway tomorrow at 6:00
• 34:28
  AM. Bright and early for Alec and
• 34:31
  Heather. They've got Beth Getz tomorrow,
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  I think 7:30, but could be mistaken.
• 34:36
  Check the time on that one. She will be in studio.
• 34:40
  Trench plays of the day, Circus sports sponsor those.
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  What have you got? Tomorrow, Pet Angerer will be
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  joining us at about 1:25. We'll catch up with the year #2
• 34:49
  man up in the booth with Gary. Dolph.
• 34:51
  So I'll push sip back. Oh, I thought SIP was 1/31/30.
• 34:56
  Yes. Yeah, we'll we'll find the time,
• 34:58
  but that's the time that works for.
• 34:59
  Pat, OK, we'll find. Time for sip will be at some
• 35:02
  chicken dinner and. Yeah, be driving from from a
• 35:05
  luncheon Yes talking about they're a different breed over
• 35:10
  there. They are, they are.
• 35:12
  They love their Huskers. No doubt about well, we'll get
• 35:14
  sip on here after Pat anger. OK, yesterday memory served a
• 35:18
  decent day. One and two.
• 35:20
  That's not decent. It's not decent, no.
• 35:22
  What was your one win? Oh, you lost against the Reds?
• 35:25
  I knew you picked the Reds over the to beat the Jays.
• 35:27
  Yeah, they came roaring back. Thought we had a chance.
• 35:30
  You did have a chance. And then we didn't have a
• 35:32
  chance, and then I had the LA Dodgers and we said, you know,
• 35:36
  that point spreads weird, right? The money line's weird.
• 35:38
  It's only -157 with Kurt 97 Pirates with the win.
• 35:42
  I didn't see a pitch. Was Kershaw good?
• 35:44
  Bad. Didn't either.
• 35:45
  Didn't either, no. I'll get a win in the WNBA
• 35:48
  though as the Valkyries 1 outright should have just
• 35:51
  grabbed him on the money. Line by the way, Stephanie white
• 35:53
  just said that Caitlin Clark could be back before the end of
• 35:58
  the regular season I'm. Not going to hold my breath.
• 36:01
  Nor am I weird. It's football season.
• 36:04
  That too. That too.
• 36:05
  We got 5 picks for today. Let's try to get things revved
• 36:08
  up a little bit. Let's go right back to the WNBA
• 36:10
  again. We're going to jump on LA.
• 36:12
  Sparks had a nice Rd. win against Seattle.
• 36:14
  Now they come across the country to Atlanta tonight.
• 36:17
  It's not back-to-back. It was Monday night that they
• 36:19
  played. Still, I'm going to lay it with
• 36:20
  Atlanta, who's playing really well again, minus the 6 1/2 in
• 36:23
  that 14 plays in baseball, 2 dogs and two favorites.
• 36:27
  Let's start with the underdogs, including the Texas Rangers
• 36:30
  here. A little less than an hour.
• 36:31
  It'll be Jack lighter getting the ball against Zach Gallon,
• 36:33
  will take lighter plus 110 in that one.
• 36:37
  You can do the same with the Rays who are red hot.
• 36:39
  Once again, give me Tampa. Never bet against the streak as
• 36:43
  you get plus money plus 1/22 at home against Seattle.
• 36:46
  Then the two favorites tonight, 2 regional teams.
• 36:49
  Give me the Royals -162 and the Cubs -150.
• 36:53
  Cubs have Kate Horton on the pump today, by the way.
• 36:56
  You're Twins. I know it's school's back in,
• 36:58
  etcetera. Do you see any pictures of the
• 37:00
  crowd last night? And it was bring your dog to the
• 37:03
  ballpark last night, last night usually that, you know, brings
• 37:05
  some folks out. That's animal abuse.
• 37:10
  Yeah, in this case. I'd have to turn in if you would
• 37:12
  have brought Jed to that. Thing.
• 37:13
  No, no, no. Yeah, That's sheesh.
• 37:16
  Not good. But the White Sox and the Twins
• 37:18
  will go out again tonight and again tomorrow.
• 37:21
  I don't know if I'll see a pitch.
• 37:23
  Have you checked out? Totally, Yeah.
• 37:25
  Nothing would draw you in Tuesday or Wednesday.
• 37:27
  No, absolutely nothing. No, I'll watch the Cubs tonight.
• 37:30
  Yeah, me too. But Kate Horton.
• 37:32
  I told you last week when when I just had it on, I was doing some
• 37:35
  work in the basement. I'm like, what am I doing?
• 37:37
  Why? There's things that are more
• 37:39
  compelling. It's not like I'm going to talk
• 37:40
  about them here. Nope, no anymore.
• 37:42
  What is the point of watching this God forsaken organization
• 37:45
  and this awful team I I weaned myself off of?
• 37:48
  It Royals need to get back in the wind column.
• 37:50
  They can't lose the these teams that you should be beating.
• 37:52
  You have to beat them to stay in this Pennant race.
• 37:55
  We'll we'll see if it happens. 2 1/2's still the number.
• 37:58
  No, not over yet. Not over yet, but.
• 38:01
  Guess who is Miller in Condon? That's right.
• 38:05
  We are coming to the end of our program.
• 38:07
  Busy show tomorrow. Pat Anger going to be a part of.
• 38:09
  We'll get a clone to be named prior to that to join us.
• 38:12
  Lee Sterling will be here. We had some tape from Mitch
• 38:16
  Holtis that we never got to today, so we will play that
• 38:18
  tomorrow. The Chiefs are on an airplane
• 38:21
  headed to Brazil. So we won't get Mitch live this
• 38:24
  week, but we'll hear what he has to say.
• 38:27
  I'll be at 24 hours late tomorrow when he joins us.
• 38:30
  That's going to do it for us. We appreciate you being with us
• 38:33
  coming. Coming up next, the drive are
• 38:35
  they drive off the bench with Lucas and Sean.
• 38:38
  They take you until 5:00. We appreciate you being here,
• 38:40
  Miller and Colin, that we talk sports with you every Monday
• 38:43
  through Friday from noon until 2 on the Iowa Sports Radio
• 38:48
  Network.