00:00:00
Speaker 1: I'm sorry to report this, but it appears that expansion of the field of sixty four is almost about to happen latest reports. But you are seventy the votes are there? Yea, that they're going to seventy six seventy six. What's the harm in just twelve more years.
00:00:22
Speaker 2: Have a twelve game opening round play the two different sites in twenty six twenty seven.
00:00:27
Speaker 1: I know, I I know. You're dancing a very fine line because you know, you are employed by the university. You don't want to get called into a big ten meeting about why are you saying this stuff on your radio show about what's going on? But this is truly literally something that unites all of us as sports fans. Nobody upon nobody is asking for this, but the desire and the greed and the grabbing for money, money, money. But it's not. Still one of the best bits the Onion did when they were producing videos. It's very expensive. You have to hire actors and scripted and shoot it. But it was so funny. He's like, yeah, you look out for Flagler. I hear they've got a full roster and they've begun practicing.
00:01:15
Speaker 3: Yeah, a day on OSN two and osn you.
00:01:17
Speaker 1: Time for some predictions. The Central Kansas feed has got three hundred technical and vocational colleges. Who's your pick for the six thirty seven six seventy eight matchup?
00:01:24
Speaker 3: Well, I have to tell you, I really like the Online University of Liverpool.
00:01:28
Speaker 1: You think they can take the region?
00:01:29
Speaker 3: Oh no, No, I think that's gonna go to the Xenon International School of Here design.
00:01:32
Speaker 1: The whole talent to peak. It was crazy for seene On there.
00:01:34
Speaker 3: Unfortunately, they lost their star player Cody Beak last year.
00:01:37
Speaker 1: He graduated and became a barber.
00:01:39
Speaker 3: But they still have a very talented cores and I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see them show up in the fantastic five hundred and twelve or maybe even the tremendous twohitter fifty six.
00:01:47
Speaker 1: All right, Joe, that's a tremendous two hundred and fifty six. They're gonna break it. They're gonna break the greatest thing that used to exist in sports. This is because the set ups they're gonna take.
00:02:06
Speaker 2: They're gonna take twelve automatic big bids from single bid conferences and twelve and the twelve last at large teams have those play on that Tuesday Wednesday. And what it's gonna do, realistically, those are all numbers.
00:02:17
Speaker 1: Whatever.
00:02:18
Speaker 2: What it's gonna do is it's going to decrease the number of cinderellas. It just is because because of how they pull the twelve teams from the automatic bids at large team like they're pulling those cull some of the cinderellas in that round.
00:02:33
Speaker 1: Correct. So what I used to derisively call the the card table games, because like when you were a kid, you had to sit at the card table at Thanksgiving that with a big book with I still do sometimes that they're bringing in another card table, a bigger card table for the kids to sit at at Thanksgiving, and it will not fit on a single sheet. You can't. You can barely fit the sixty eight. Now you have to jam in those early games. Most pools don't even pick those games, or many pools don't even.
00:03:04
Speaker 2: Know you're gonna have to now. But yeah, I mean, are you gonna have to know? Well, yeah, because there's gonna be how me slotted into it. I mean there's gonna be twelve different I mean.
00:03:13
Speaker 1: Yeah, in my life, I've never seen anything that nobody wanted that's being jammed down our throats like this ever, and especially not for something that is used to be one of the most beloved events ever March Madness. But hey, a lot of people like replace. It's quite popular with about at least half. It's a fifty to fifty split.
00:03:34
Speaker 2: No, I just threw that out there, but you're right, it's a fifty to fifty split this.
00:03:38
Speaker 1: There's this nobody wants. Nobody wants. And when you go map out the scrub teams that would make it in under this format from previous years, they're not good. It would include this format would have included Nebraska last year, which failed to make the Big Ten tournaments, but they did win the crowd the n I Crown. No, not the n IT, the CBI, No CBI, just the crown. That was a new one. That basketball. Yeah, okay, but that said, let's get to Week five and the National Football League. It is your one one six two two one one lineup of games. The Steelers, the Bears, the Falcons, and your Packers with byes. Spirit of seventy six game is the highlighted game That would be the Seattle Seahawks and Sam Darnold against Baker Mayfield and the Carolina and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they recount their wonderful days in Carolina together, to which Baker Mayfield said this week, what days wonderful? No, not fun, but the two of them are thriving. Pats and Bills are your Sunday nighter. The Chiefs and Jaguars are your Monday nighter. Interesting. Okay, without further adu, let's start by going to jolly old England. Add the Vikings and Browns from Tuttenham Hot Spurs Stadium, Minnesota, playing their second game in a row overseas. They're three and a half point favorites against the Dylan Gabriel led Browns. I'm not betting on a rookie in London, especially one not under six foot one. Given the Vikings to bounce back after the loss and win this one going away.
00:05:33
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think this is a go away for the Vikings as well. Plus they've been over there for two weeks. I don't know if that's good or bad. I lean towards I think it being good that they stayed over there and played two games right away.
00:05:43
Speaker 1: Just think, yeah, they do close laundry and with the purple and the whites. There's a definitely mix of the colors and.
00:05:51
Speaker 2: The laundry, because when you're overseas for so long, you don't really care about separating. You just throw them all in or you wash them in a sink. I've done that in China too, have a wash machine. So I took the bar of soap and started washing. Just you know, there he goes.
00:06:06
Speaker 4: You said, Dylan Gabriel's under six foot one? Are you saying he's six foot I.
00:06:11
Speaker 1: Don't know what he is. I don't think he's being generous. He might might not even be six.
00:06:14
Speaker 5: I don't think he has give me the vikings.
00:06:16
Speaker 1: Okay, Jonathan or Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Sarah Walsh on the call. Scott Novak, your referee. We go stateside one o'clock Eastern window, noon Central time, and we go to Indianapolis at the Raiders and the Colts. India is six and a half at home against a Raider team that is starting to prove what everyone thought they were gonna be a bad football team. How good are the cult? So that's the question. Probably should have beaten the Rams last week. Their wide receiver Ady Mitchell apologized profusely for dropping the ball at the one yard line. His coach Shane stik And said, he's not gonna just give him his job back. He's gonna have to earn it. I'll take blue horseshoe minus six and a hook.
00:07:02
Speaker 2: Yeah. Not only did he drop the ball before he scored, he also had a huge holding penalty on a touchdown by Jonathan Taylor that was taking off the board. So a couple of whoops, my bads there, my bed I know it's your bad.
00:07:16
Speaker 1: We all know it's your bad. We all saw it. Yep.
00:07:20
Speaker 2: Absolutely give the Colts still though, I think you look at Daniel Jones what he's been doing phenomenal.
00:07:26
Speaker 4: Easterly travel for the Raiders. Give me Indiana Jones and the Colts.
00:07:29
Speaker 1: Oh okay, they're not going all the way across the country though, just so you.
00:07:33
Speaker 5: Know, but it's still the Eastern time zone.
00:07:35
Speaker 1: Two thirds. I know. Chris Meyer's Mark Sanchez, Christina pink on the call, Alex Campire referee that takes us to New Orleans at the end Twan Dodson's special Game of the Week. Hid your children, hide your wives? They rape it. This is gonna be an eye raper Giants and Saints Wolf New Orleans minus one and a half. They're zero to four. Spencer Ratler has never won a game in a year and a half, and you have to lay points. That's how little they think of Jackson Dart and the Giants. Uh bounce back here, Giants not winning two in a row, Saints minus. If it smells, I'm in give me New Orleans to win. Finally.
00:08:23
Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, it smells. But they're on Bourbon Street. Everything smells smell. I mean, in general, it smells terrible. So I think that's part of what it is. When they're setting the lines. They were walking on Bourbon and just realize we gotta add a little stink to it. Give me the Giants here. I just the Saints are terrible. They're a terrible football team.
00:08:42
Speaker 1: I'm a fan.
00:08:43
Speaker 5: Give me a big blue all right.
00:08:46
Speaker 1: New York Giant. Andrew Catalan, Charles Davis, Jason mccordy, A j Ross on the call. Alan is your referee that takes us to the meadowlands at the battered New York Jets hosting the Dallas Cowboys. Oh and four, New York is a two and a half point home dog. The fighting Aaron Glenn's Cowboys have the number one offense in the league and the dead last defense in the league. I think the Jets gotta win. I'm playing on both of the oh and four teams. Give me the j e t s plus a nice two and a hook. Yeah, I can't. I just can't. I don't trust him.
00:09:30
Speaker 2: I mean, even when they had the kickoff return for the touchdown and they thought they were gonna win the end, end up still losing to Miami.
00:09:37
Speaker 1: IM gonna take Dak and the Cowboys.
00:09:43
Speaker 5: I'll take the New Jersey Jets. Please.
00:09:45
Speaker 1: Oh, he's on the Jets. You gotta be on the Jets. You gotta like the Jets.
00:09:49
Speaker 5: I think Aaron is gonna be a good coach. It's just gonna take some time for that culture. And they sucked. But yeah, this is his first win.
00:09:56
Speaker 1: Okay. Uh, Jason Bennetti on the call, Greg Ols and Pam Oliver and Alex Moore your referee. That takes us to filth the Delphi at the Broncos and Eagles. Eagles minus three and a half against a very stout Broncos team that has lost two games on buzzer beaters. They'd be four and oh otherwise got beat on kicks late on the two games. This is a tricky game, it really is. Yes, And we'll see if the Eagles can complete a pass in the second half because they didn't last week. At some point the Eagles have to stub their toe their four and oh they're laying points. I'll take the feisty and petulant Sean uh Peyton and the Broncos plus den is my pick. Yeah, there there's a season that go go with them, go with them. I'm not so you don't have to play it again. I'm not. There's some reason this season.
00:10:56
Speaker 2: Who you look at the way the Eagles have won games and it's just it's amazing. I think they find a way again to do it against a good Broncos defense. And I think A. J. Brown goes off yet again. I just I think it's one of those where matchup's not going I mean, goes off yet again. Well he had one, he had one game where he went off. Oh okay, so kind of get back on track a little bit after all the drama.
00:11:19
Speaker 1: All that stuff.
00:11:22
Speaker 4: Correct, is this the marriage trying to spell Eagles?
00:11:34
Speaker 1: Terry Bradshaw stops singing place, who do you like.
00:11:38
Speaker 4: You said, it's three and a half three and hook Quinn Miners and Broncos.
00:11:43
Speaker 1: Okay, Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and the wolf Oh Tracy Wolfson on the call. Yo, Adrian Adrian Hill your referee that takes us to Carolina at the Dolphins and Panthers, this too, Anchwin Dodson special woof Dolphins are minus one and a half coming off there win on Monday night in which they lost Tyreek Hill. Tyreek Hill video of him taking his first steps on a walker in the hospital. People are playing armchair doctor saying, oh, look at the left leg nerve drop. He still probably has nerve damage. And everyone's analyzing his injury from the internet. It's like slow down people, Dolphins, they're not good. But the Panthers say, oh yeah, hold my beer. How bad is it in Carolina that some Panthers podcast put out a statement saying they were stopping their podcast because there's basically no hope left. They can't even podcast their way to the rest of the season. The podcast is called the Mew Mix. How funny is that mistake I had? I had a whole lot of you know, I was like, man, that really yo?
00:13:00
Speaker 2: But if they decided that they were gonna start the podcast Meow mixed that was your first mistake.
00:13:07
Speaker 1: It was kind of cute. Yeah, they're like, yeah, there's just no reason to keep doing this. There's no hope when you're when you're so bad, you're killing your own podcasters. That's how bad it is in Carolina. Yeah, oddly enough, I like him plus the one and a half. Give me Carolina plus.
00:13:24
Speaker 2: Give me the Dolphins. Here a little Darren Waller action, you know, make it happen.
00:13:31
Speaker 5: Ah h, They're gonna be partying in Charlotte for their second win of the air.
00:13:34
Speaker 1: Give me the Panthers, Eric Collins, Mark Shore f Jenn Hale and the call your referee as Clay Martin. That takes us to Baltimore at the Ravens at one in three. Who have to win this game? Now? They can't just say the schedule is tough. It's gonna be Cooper Rush. I assume could you please google or grock that real quick? That's what I'm what I'm paying.
00:13:57
Speaker 2: There's there's a big D right next Lamar still doubtful. I don't think there's an O. There's a D.
00:14:04
Speaker 1: Texans coming off there clowning of the Titans and they're one and a half point road favorites. I want to believe fundamentally the Ravens are a good team. And therefore when they're getting points at home against a one in three team, that is a sale. That is a flash sale on the Ravens. You're not gonna get this price of the Ravens for a long time. And when they have flash sales, I get out my credit card, gimme Baltimore outright win. But I'll take the one and a half.
00:14:37
Speaker 2: Yeah, you're gonna take all of it. I'm gonna take the Texans here. I just think it's one of those where I don't trust Rush, very simple.
00:14:44
Speaker 1: I don't trust him.
00:14:45
Speaker 2: And you know, obviously it will be a lot of Derrick Henry, a lot of you know, hopefully you know, for.
00:14:49
Speaker 1: Your will, it be a lot of Derrick Henry should be because here's the thing. Dan Orlofsky had a little video on his X feed in which he said this is shocking and unacceptable. He's had The Ravens are averaging the most yards heading off to a running back on first and second down, like five point six yards, yet they're handing it off to a running back on first and second down at the lowest rate in the league. So they're the best at it with the best guy ever and Derrick Henry and they're doing it the least. That's I think.
00:15:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, John Harbaugh, wake up. But you also got playoff in MVP, and you want to let him to control it. But you got like get out of your own way sometimes. Okay, Luddy, this is a tough one. I think Houston, Houston.
00:15:40
Speaker 1: All right, an Eagle, JJ Watt, Evan Washburn on the call Land clerk is your referee. That's it for the ones. We go to the bridge window four or five Eastern and we go to Arizona. Add Kyler Murray and the Cardinals seven and a half point favorites over the windless and hopeless Titans. Brian Callahan did sort of push back on his quarterback cam Ward, saying, you know, he's gotta choose his words carefully because after the game he's like, I'm gonna keep it a buck we asked. Callahan also has drawn the Spirodidas Adam Archletta Aditi Kinkable Walla Crew with Aditi's little tense dust up with Ben Johnson last week. I'm praying for a Callahan adity showdown because this dude Callahan, he knows he's getting fired. He is on absolute deaf con five razors edge. What the hell? Cardinals minus seven and a half? I'm a sucker. I bet the Titans last week thinking they're due. It was an unpleasant experience. I am not signing up for another unpleasant experience. Give me Arizona minus seven and a half. Do you like my description of it? It was unpleasant? Zero stars would not recommend zero.
00:17:07
Speaker 2: Okay, being said, back up the wood, back it all up, seven and a half. I'll take the hook. I hopefully they keep within a touchdown. That's what I'm gonna say. Give me the Titans here? Whoa plus sailing?
00:17:20
Speaker 1: Do you know this is a half stack of lumber, sir? This is not a full court. This is only seven and a half. Yeah, but if you still want it, where do you want it? I dump it?
00:17:32
Speaker 5: Here?
00:17:36
Speaker 2: It it is, But that half gives me.
00:17:38
Speaker 1: All the hope in the world.
00:17:39
Speaker 5: Lake touchdown, all right, you can lock them in. Give me the Cardinals.
00:17:44
Speaker 1: Woa, lock and load Cardinals. That's just your former Arizona hometown bias coming through. No or maybe it's a good call. By the way they showed off the Arizona Cardinals new facility there building out there, it's gonna be done in twenty twenty eight. Kyler Murray said, yeah, it looks nice. Hope I'm around to see.
00:18:05
Speaker 2: Its confidence right there. Hey wrong though.
00:18:13
Speaker 1: Sean Smith, your referee in that game. That takes us to the game of the week out in Seattle at nineteen seventy six, where the uniforms were bright and colorful, the Buccaneers and Seahawks wearing both throwback jerseys. This only possible because the Bucks already wore their creamsicles at home, so they don't mind wearing them again a second time on the road. Teams don't want to burn their alts or their throwbacks on the road, so this is gonna look sweet as pie, gonna be a good game as well. Three in one Tampa three and one Seattle Seahawks are minus three and a half. Evan's still injured. Big loss. I believe for the Buccaneers, You're gonna have to find a way to do it. Uh, do you believe in Sam Darnold? Sam? I am, I do. I'm taking Seattle minus in this one. What is the line again? Is it three three and a half?
00:19:12
Speaker 2: Yeah? I like Tampa Bay here. I'm I'm all for the hook. What the hook gonna be? But I'm all for it. Give me Tampa Bay here.
00:19:20
Speaker 5: I'm with Brian Sam same exact thing.
00:19:23
Speaker 1: Okay, your announcers for the game Kevin Harlan with no regard for human life, along with uh aj or Trent Green and A. J. Collins or no Melanie Collins. Then your referee is Craig Ruh Ruh Rollstad. Okay, let's leave the two fours and the Sunday nighter for the other side, shall we. Let's go ahead and take a rake and try to keep on schedule. Here, I'm surprised because you got another pump out letty or no, there we go. Be a good time to remind people you can be on a trip of a lifetime with me and Butcher to Pittsburgh. Somebody already said snarkily, oh, trip of a lifetime. I've never heard that said about a trip to Pittsburgh. Well, here's why it's a trip of a lifetime. Will it happen again in your life? No? No, Aaron Rodgers is not going to be playing the Packers and your dumb face ain't going to be seeing it for free with a hotel, airfare and more. And that's what you have a chance to win. You just got to go to our website sign up to enter your name into the contest. It is our Date with Destiny flyaway sponsored by the Great rust Daro Automotive Group. Go to Rusdaro dot com and start your search today. We are taking two fans with us in two weeks time to Pittsburgh and it's going to be glorious. Go to ninety seven through of the Game dot com and sign up today. Look for the link. You got to get an iHeart account. It takes two minutes, two minutes, and you could be going with us A Lions, Bengals and Commander's Chargers your feet afternoon game Sunday and then Patriots Bills on Sunday night. So pretty good, just not earthschat not great? All right? Coming up will mop up the rest of the week. Plus a look ahead to the Big House Badger's back on the field in action. Can they pull off a shocking upset? I feel obligated to ask that question when deep down looking a little bit dicey, Plus Vandy and Alabama in college football. It's a big game of the week as well. Oh hell yeah, here we go. But she's clapping along with a clap track. Of course, this not really the right tone, even though I did call for this, I said I want to hear this and coming back. Not the right tone given the seriousness, the magnitude, the life changing week we're about to have, one way or the other. As a sports fan, this series against the Brewers will change everything. If God forbid, the Brewers fall short. You're right, you're gonna hear from every cub fan, every single one. And there's a lot of them from within us. Oh yes, a lot of people embedded could be your neighbor. But if the other outcomes, if the other outcome happens, then it's glorious. Then you would have punked once again, our hated rivals to the south. Wouldn't you want that? Don't you need that? Aren't you willing to put yourself out there as a fan for that moment? So gotta win, gotta win game one.
00:22:54
Speaker 2: Yes, yes, but it's a longer series, which is what you want. Here's the only five but correct, but it's longer the three. But after the know, but after the heard of.
00:23:06
Speaker 1: Like it's late quick when you lose one, when you lose lose the first, it gets late quick, go ahead.
00:23:13
Speaker 2: But after the loss of last year and the way it happened in the ninth, the way it played out, like, I don't that hurt really bad?
00:23:22
Speaker 1: I don't.
00:23:22
Speaker 2: I mean something serious here has to happen from me to be have it being that much pain.
00:23:28
Speaker 1: I I that has stuck with me forever, by the way.
00:23:31
Speaker 4: Last year, that whole last year, Yes, and going into that game, we were ready to go. Man, but that thing sucked every piece of life blood out of us.
00:23:39
Speaker 5: You are not wrong. Just the way it played out, right, that's it. And it was another polar Bear that did it to us.
00:23:47
Speaker 1: Seventy eight point five. Seventy eight point five. You know what that is, No, the percentage of teams that go on to lose their best of five. Okay, lose game one. It's not fatal, but it is a wounding blow. So let's hope Freddy is dealing tomorrow at one oh eight. I know am FAM's gonna be rocking. Yes, there's going to be a lot of cub fans. Just deal with it, do not fall for their baiting. Don't get into a fight. You want to see the whole game to the end. You don't want to be kicked out of the damn game. They're not worth it anyway. They're not worth it. Knuckle Sandwich. Correct, Yes, they're quite dirty. But if you spill a beer on one of them by a woops, sorry.
00:24:39
Speaker 2: Whoops, whoops, my bad bads are okay, whoops, I gotta open.
00:24:46
Speaker 5: That's a it's Wisconsin thing open.
00:24:49
Speaker 2: Uh.
00:24:49
Speaker 1: Sophia Minert's gonna join us for the first time. Nice to talk to Sofia does a great job on the Brewers broadcast. You schedule to join us here before the hour is out. Wayne Larravie, even though it's a bye we and even though he is heading out to Park City now no skiing yet, he's there now he will join us talk football and talk Packers top of next hour, and then of course we'll have Let's goes and oh no's let's mop up. You are looking live week number five, Just get our picks on record. We're in the four twenty five Eastern late primetime slot and that will start by going to Cincinnati at the Lions and Bengals and the utterly inadequate. Jake Browning, he is not good. Bengals have been outscored seventy three to fourteen. I think their last three games. The Lions are ten and a half point favorites in this one. This is the biggest truck of lumber that is out there. Some might say that it's still not enough that the Lions have found their footing, that they are what they were last year, only albeit healthier. Some will say theles quit last week on Monday Night Joe Buck called him out, or Troy Aikman even called him out, and Troy Aikman always says, good job to everybody about everything. This is why I'm going to shock you by saying I am taking the Cincinnati Bengals in part because I've used the Frank Gambletron three thousand ext wrong one. Here we go, hold on, here we go.
00:26:23
Speaker 5: After evaluating millions leases of data in the link.
00:26:27
Speaker 1: By the gamble Tron two thousand.
00:26:31
Speaker 2: Cincinnati by two one hundred points FIU worthless.
00:26:39
Speaker 1: Give me the Bengals plus ten and a half as my lock of the week. Why lock and low, Because whenever you think something's too easy, like candy off the ground, it's not. It's a trap. Bengals for no reason. Short week traveling home from Denver, totally suck Lions getting their legs under him. I'm on the Bengals. This is all about it.
00:27:06
Speaker 2: Let's go yeah, and it should be all about it. It's a lot of points. I mean, this is the NFL. This last night's game should have been a blow.
00:27:14
Speaker 1: We were told.
00:27:15
Speaker 2: We were told that the Rams should run away with it. The forty nine Ers shouldn't even be in the game, no reason they should even be competitive.
00:27:23
Speaker 1: Yep, well they won. That being said, I'm taking the Lions here. I don't like giving up the points, but I think it's a runaway. Give me the Lions.
00:27:33
Speaker 5: Love yeah, Lions.
00:27:35
Speaker 1: Okay, nobody likes the Bengals but me. Kevin Coogler, Moose Johnston, Alison Williams on the call, Carl Chichichi, Cheffer's your referee. That takes us to Los Angeles. Add Jade and Daniels back in the starting role for the Commanders, who are at the Chargers two and two Washington three and one LA and the Chargers are only two and a half. A lot of respect for a Commander team with Jayden Daniels, No, Terry MC A lot of respect right there. I will take the Chargers minus.
00:28:09
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm jumping on the Chargers here isabe and I am locking the Chargers on this one and way too much, way too much respect, locking loud.
00:28:22
Speaker 5: For whatever reason, give me the Commanders.
00:28:25
Speaker 1: Okay, baby KK, Tom Brady, Aaron Andrews, Tom Ornaldi on the call. John Ulysses Hussy is your referee. We go to Sunday night and we go to Buffalo at the Patriots and Drake May who roll into Buffalo to take on Josh Allen and the Bills. Bills are minus seven and a half. They struggled badly against the Saints. It was a close game deep into the fourth quarter. Josh Allen had to hit cheat code mode just to get it done. Do the Bill stumble again. Patriots are a better team by a wide margin than the Saints. It's too juicy for me to pass up seven and a hook. I'll take the fight in Drake Mays plus the seven and a half. I'm gonna jump on the Bills here. Like you said, they had a closed one last week. You don't have two close ones. That's one guy on a Buffalo is room for two. We have two guys on a buffalo. Two guys on a buffalo. They're on a buffalo. Your announcers the Great Mike Tarico, Chris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark. Referee is shown hockeyly. Monday's game is Chiefs at Jaguars do the Chiefs are three and a half in this one? That sounds like a problem for Monday us. Remember I could always wait until Monday to do that, all right? Is mis gonna be on the playoff roster? That's a good question to ask our next guest, Sophia Minard. And also, you know what else about this incredible matchup we got coming at us. We'll talk to Sophia next. You were listening to Zaban Butcher in the morning on the game. That was Murph talking about the Brewers' season and it has been quite the ride joining us now fan duels on field reporter for your Milwaukee Brewers, Sophia Minnard. Good morning, Sophia. It is a pleasure to finally talk to you and meet you. How are you today?
00:30:28
Speaker 6: Hi, guys, I'm doing great.
00:30:29
Speaker 1: How are you doing? Wonderful?
00:30:32
Speaker 4: So?
00:30:32
Speaker 1: What's been the secret sauce? Do you think for this Brewers team. We know we've got the Yuke narrative, and I do believe in other world mystical things. But in terms of the actual baseball, what do you think, having watched them up close all year long, is the secret sauce?
00:30:49
Speaker 6: Yeah, I think, Look, it's it's people, right. You hear that from Pat Murphy all the time you've spent any time around this team. It absolutely is the right group of guys. They're so first of all, they're good, well good ball players, let's start there. I think people overlook that part. You know, they look at the other teams in the postseason, you look at their opponent and the Cubs, and you can say, oh, there's more talented teams in the National League. They might agree with you sometimes, but look, this this team is. They're good. You don't get through a one hundred and sixty two game season, you don't win ninety seven games.
00:31:25
Speaker 2: You don't put.
00:31:25
Speaker 6: Yourself in this position if you're not talented. But the pieces really do kind of elevate everyone else. And so I think, you know, they're selfless, they're hungry, they're competitive, they care deeply about each other. They know that they have to play as a team, right, they know that it's all phases. It's the pitching, it's the defense, it's the offense. It's all connected, the starters in the bullpen. I mean it all, it's all connected. There's such a unit, and I think they know that that's how they have to win. They can't be reliant on one guy or one face of the team. So I think that's it's just team really, more than more than one thing.
00:32:07
Speaker 1: What do you think could be the biggest nagging question for fans about this team going into this series? I know, for me, part of me says, is this Andrew Vaughan thing real? Or is it like a glorious mirage that could disappear at any moment. What would you say is the one thing that might nag fans wondering about this team going into this playoff series.
00:32:29
Speaker 6: I mean, I think the narrative that we have heard a lot around this team is that, you know, is this quote unquote style of play? Right? Does that translate to postseason success? And I think that's what you know, everyone's aware of that narrative, right the home runs right of you know, more than forty percent of the runs scored in the postseason are on home runs. And it's pretty pretty clear that the teams that outnumber you're out home or your opponent, that they have success in the post And I think this team would tell you that, like, this is who we are, this is who we play. We can't change that, right, And so they believe, like, well, we won ninety seven games that went pretty well right with how they played, and they're absolutely capable of power, right, Like everyone loves home runs, No one's gonna no one's going to turn down home runs in the postseason, but they're not going to chase it either, because that's that's just not who they are. That's not how they play. Their offensive game is pressure. It's one through nine. It's pressure. It's quality at bats, it's seeing pitches, it's swing decisions, it's getting on base, it's executing in situations, whether that's buns, sacfly, stealing the base, taking the pitch so that your teammate can steal a base. And then there's there's actually base hits and homers that come with that if you're making good decisions. And Craig Counsel used to say this all the time. Pat Murphy believes this as well. Home runs are mistakes that are thrown. You can't go up there trying to think I'm gonna go up there and hit a three run homer and win this game. That's just not your This is not how you can play this game. So I think that is the question that fans probably have around this team, is Okay, this worked through the regular season. Does this win you a postseason series and ultimately get you to the World Series? And I think this team would tell.
00:34:24
Speaker 1: You that it can, Sophia.
00:34:26
Speaker 2: This team has the best record in baseball, but yet they feel like an underdog. Why is it just national media every like the best team all year long, but yet they're.
00:34:35
Speaker 1: The under It baffles me.
00:34:38
Speaker 6: I think it's for all the reasons I just said, right, Like, they on paper, you know, do not have huge superstars. I mean you can put Christian Yelich in that conversation, you know. It's just I think it's it's all the things, right. It's it's the roster, it's the market size, it's how they play, it's you know, yes, they're not going to be favored in any postseason series here moving forward. It is crazy, but I think they're okay with that. I think they're like of course, of course that's our narrative, right, Like, that's fine. I can't tell you how comfortable they are with that. They know it, they embrace it, and really, at the end of the day, who cares, like, go out and play the game and win, right, I mean, I think they don't care what the narrative is. They certainly didn't care last year, right when all the changes happened last year, no one knew how the season was going to go. They went out and they won the division. Same story again this year at spring training. It feels like we have this conversation at spring training every year, and they know that the margins are thin, right of things can go either way. We learned that really quickly in the first four games of the season, right the way that those four games went of all right, buckle up, like you know, it was so early. There was no panic at that point. But it was also like, well, this is not who we are, right, this is this is not Brewer's baseball. And obviously things got back on track after that, is as guys got healthy and the team got whole. But yeah, look, they they know, they know the position that they're in, and they don't they don't care. That's the best part about this team. They know who they are. They're confident and who they are. They don't care what anybody else thinks. Like it works for them, you know, and I think more than anything, they know who.
00:36:30
Speaker 1: They are as a team, Sophia.
00:36:32
Speaker 2: One of the things obviously Craig's coming back and it's now the playoffs, and that's a storyline for fans, and there's gonna be a lot of you know, heat, I'll use the word that well, I'll use that word heat in the in the stadium with him coming back. But is that in play for the players and for Murph or has that kind of now been removed and hey, we just know what they're They're a good baseball team. That the narratives that the fans want. That's not really creeping into the clubhouse or or is it it's not.
00:37:00
Speaker 4: No.
00:37:01
Speaker 6: I mean, look, we know we're gonna see Craig Council right like we're also you know we're gonna see Quintin Berry, We're gonna see Colin Ray. I mean, you can go down the list. There's there's a couple of guys over there that are our former brewers and Craig obviously the most prominent one. But that's it's been two years now for them. Internally, and and frankly, for whatever narrative the fans want, there are no negative feelings in that clubhouse towards Craig Council. Certainly not with Pat Murphy. Those two are lifelong friends. They've been friends and part of each other's families for decades. That doesn't go away because of one decision. So I think it's a really nice external narrative. I think internally they just want to win.
00:37:47
Speaker 1: They don't.
00:37:48
Speaker 6: They would feel the same way if it was the San Diego Padres, right, So.
00:37:53
Speaker 5: I mean it's gonna be fun.
00:37:54
Speaker 6: I can tell you that like it's gonna be fun.
00:37:58
Speaker 7: I mean the fact that these teams.
00:38:00
Speaker 6: Right, and all the drama and spiciness and rivalry that comes with that of Brewers Cubs never having met in the postseason and now here we are. But I can tell you internally there there are not. Their negative feelings just don't exist towards him. But do they want to win? Absolutely?
00:38:19
Speaker 1: Yeah? All right, Luddy says, you have a nice professional friendship working relationship with Taylor McGregor, who does the same job for the Cubs, Will there, Sophia be new playoff rules between you and Taylor just a bit?
00:38:37
Speaker 6: Oh my god, we're best friends. We talk all the time.
00:38:43
Speaker 1: Well, this week, you can't be best friends Red. Leave her on Red.
00:38:50
Speaker 6: I know, I know, I will not be doing that. I'm sorry.
00:38:55
Speaker 1: It's okay.
00:38:56
Speaker 6: If Craig cut listen. If Craig, we actually joked about this.
00:39:00
Speaker 2: We did a segment together.
00:39:03
Speaker 6: This must have been July or August, one of the last series that the Brewers and Cubs played each other, and we did a segment together and we were joking. We were like, well, if Corek Counsel and Pat Murphy can stay friends, right, like everyone else should be able to get along, right. So yeah, there's there's obviously a lot of connections with this rivalry for as often as we see them.
00:39:23
Speaker 5: So yeah, it'll be fine.
00:39:24
Speaker 1: Well, you're going to keep texting her, try to get some intel, try to pull some intail out of her.
00:39:30
Speaker 6: That's okay, Okay, I will do that.
00:39:33
Speaker 1: It's going to be incredible. And uh, the only thing that stinks is that you know, you guys who did a great job all year long have to then sit out just too bad.
00:39:43
Speaker 7: Yeah, but you can listen on the radio, yeah radio, Jeff Levering and Grindall, and we'll have coverage for you on Brewers Digital so you can.
00:39:54
Speaker 6: Follow along there.
00:39:56
Speaker 1: But yeah, all right, Sophia, nice to meet you, Thank you for your to this morning, Go Brewers.
00:40:01
Speaker 6: All right, thanks for having me.
00:40:03
Speaker 1: Thanks, there you go. Sophia Minnert of the Fan Duel Broadcast. We are ready for a showdown, unlike anything we've ever had. Our three coming up,
Speaker 1: I'm sorry to report this, but it appears that expansion of the field of sixty four is almost about to happen latest reports. But you are seventy the votes are there? Yea, that they're going to seventy six seventy six. What's the harm in just twelve more years.
00:00:22
Speaker 2: Have a twelve game opening round play the two different sites in twenty six twenty seven.
00:00:27
Speaker 1: I know, I I know. You're dancing a very fine line because you know, you are employed by the university. You don't want to get called into a big ten meeting about why are you saying this stuff on your radio show about what's going on? But this is truly literally something that unites all of us as sports fans. Nobody upon nobody is asking for this, but the desire and the greed and the grabbing for money, money, money. But it's not. Still one of the best bits the Onion did when they were producing videos. It's very expensive. You have to hire actors and scripted and shoot it. But it was so funny. He's like, yeah, you look out for Flagler. I hear they've got a full roster and they've begun practicing.
00:01:15
Speaker 3: Yeah, a day on OSN two and osn you.
00:01:17
Speaker 1: Time for some predictions. The Central Kansas feed has got three hundred technical and vocational colleges. Who's your pick for the six thirty seven six seventy eight matchup?
00:01:24
Speaker 3: Well, I have to tell you, I really like the Online University of Liverpool.
00:01:28
Speaker 1: You think they can take the region?
00:01:29
Speaker 3: Oh no, No, I think that's gonna go to the Xenon International School of Here design.
00:01:32
Speaker 1: The whole talent to peak. It was crazy for seene On there.
00:01:34
Speaker 3: Unfortunately, they lost their star player Cody Beak last year.
00:01:37
Speaker 1: He graduated and became a barber.
00:01:39
Speaker 3: But they still have a very talented cores and I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see them show up in the fantastic five hundred and twelve or maybe even the tremendous twohitter fifty six.
00:01:47
Speaker 1: All right, Joe, that's a tremendous two hundred and fifty six. They're gonna break it. They're gonna break the greatest thing that used to exist in sports. This is because the set ups they're gonna take.
00:02:06
Speaker 2: They're gonna take twelve automatic big bids from single bid conferences and twelve and the twelve last at large teams have those play on that Tuesday Wednesday. And what it's gonna do, realistically, those are all numbers.
00:02:17
Speaker 1: Whatever.
00:02:18
Speaker 2: What it's gonna do is it's going to decrease the number of cinderellas. It just is because because of how they pull the twelve teams from the automatic bids at large team like they're pulling those cull some of the cinderellas in that round.
00:02:33
Speaker 1: Correct. So what I used to derisively call the the card table games, because like when you were a kid, you had to sit at the card table at Thanksgiving that with a big book with I still do sometimes that they're bringing in another card table, a bigger card table for the kids to sit at at Thanksgiving, and it will not fit on a single sheet. You can't. You can barely fit the sixty eight. Now you have to jam in those early games. Most pools don't even pick those games, or many pools don't even.
00:03:04
Speaker 2: Know you're gonna have to now. But yeah, I mean, are you gonna have to know? Well, yeah, because there's gonna be how me slotted into it. I mean there's gonna be twelve different I mean.
00:03:13
Speaker 1: Yeah, in my life, I've never seen anything that nobody wanted that's being jammed down our throats like this ever, and especially not for something that is used to be one of the most beloved events ever March Madness. But hey, a lot of people like replace. It's quite popular with about at least half. It's a fifty to fifty split.
00:03:34
Speaker 2: No, I just threw that out there, but you're right, it's a fifty to fifty split this.
00:03:38
Speaker 1: There's this nobody wants. Nobody wants. And when you go map out the scrub teams that would make it in under this format from previous years, they're not good. It would include this format would have included Nebraska last year, which failed to make the Big Ten tournaments, but they did win the crowd the n I Crown. No, not the n IT, the CBI, No CBI, just the crown. That was a new one. That basketball. Yeah, okay, but that said, let's get to Week five and the National Football League. It is your one one six two two one one lineup of games. The Steelers, the Bears, the Falcons, and your Packers with byes. Spirit of seventy six game is the highlighted game That would be the Seattle Seahawks and Sam Darnold against Baker Mayfield and the Carolina and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they recount their wonderful days in Carolina together, to which Baker Mayfield said this week, what days wonderful? No, not fun, but the two of them are thriving. Pats and Bills are your Sunday nighter. The Chiefs and Jaguars are your Monday nighter. Interesting. Okay, without further adu, let's start by going to jolly old England. Add the Vikings and Browns from Tuttenham Hot Spurs Stadium, Minnesota, playing their second game in a row overseas. They're three and a half point favorites against the Dylan Gabriel led Browns. I'm not betting on a rookie in London, especially one not under six foot one. Given the Vikings to bounce back after the loss and win this one going away.
00:05:33
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think this is a go away for the Vikings as well. Plus they've been over there for two weeks. I don't know if that's good or bad. I lean towards I think it being good that they stayed over there and played two games right away.
00:05:43
Speaker 1: Just think, yeah, they do close laundry and with the purple and the whites. There's a definitely mix of the colors and.
00:05:51
Speaker 2: The laundry, because when you're overseas for so long, you don't really care about separating. You just throw them all in or you wash them in a sink. I've done that in China too, have a wash machine. So I took the bar of soap and started washing. Just you know, there he goes.
00:06:06
Speaker 4: You said, Dylan Gabriel's under six foot one? Are you saying he's six foot I.
00:06:11
Speaker 1: Don't know what he is. I don't think he's being generous. He might might not even be six.
00:06:14
Speaker 5: I don't think he has give me the vikings.
00:06:16
Speaker 1: Okay, Jonathan or Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Sarah Walsh on the call. Scott Novak, your referee. We go stateside one o'clock Eastern window, noon Central time, and we go to Indianapolis at the Raiders and the Colts. India is six and a half at home against a Raider team that is starting to prove what everyone thought they were gonna be a bad football team. How good are the cult? So that's the question. Probably should have beaten the Rams last week. Their wide receiver Ady Mitchell apologized profusely for dropping the ball at the one yard line. His coach Shane stik And said, he's not gonna just give him his job back. He's gonna have to earn it. I'll take blue horseshoe minus six and a hook.
00:07:02
Speaker 2: Yeah. Not only did he drop the ball before he scored, he also had a huge holding penalty on a touchdown by Jonathan Taylor that was taking off the board. So a couple of whoops, my bads there, my bed I know it's your bad.
00:07:16
Speaker 1: We all know it's your bad. We all saw it. Yep.
00:07:20
Speaker 2: Absolutely give the Colts still though, I think you look at Daniel Jones what he's been doing phenomenal.
00:07:26
Speaker 4: Easterly travel for the Raiders. Give me Indiana Jones and the Colts.
00:07:29
Speaker 1: Oh okay, they're not going all the way across the country though, just so you.
00:07:33
Speaker 5: Know, but it's still the Eastern time zone.
00:07:35
Speaker 1: Two thirds. I know. Chris Meyer's Mark Sanchez, Christina pink on the call, Alex Campire referee that takes us to New Orleans at the end Twan Dodson's special Game of the Week. Hid your children, hide your wives? They rape it. This is gonna be an eye raper Giants and Saints Wolf New Orleans minus one and a half. They're zero to four. Spencer Ratler has never won a game in a year and a half, and you have to lay points. That's how little they think of Jackson Dart and the Giants. Uh bounce back here, Giants not winning two in a row, Saints minus. If it smells, I'm in give me New Orleans to win. Finally.
00:08:23
Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, it smells. But they're on Bourbon Street. Everything smells smell. I mean, in general, it smells terrible. So I think that's part of what it is. When they're setting the lines. They were walking on Bourbon and just realize we gotta add a little stink to it. Give me the Giants here. I just the Saints are terrible. They're a terrible football team.
00:08:42
Speaker 1: I'm a fan.
00:08:43
Speaker 5: Give me a big blue all right.
00:08:46
Speaker 1: New York Giant. Andrew Catalan, Charles Davis, Jason mccordy, A j Ross on the call. Alan is your referee that takes us to the meadowlands at the battered New York Jets hosting the Dallas Cowboys. Oh and four, New York is a two and a half point home dog. The fighting Aaron Glenn's Cowboys have the number one offense in the league and the dead last defense in the league. I think the Jets gotta win. I'm playing on both of the oh and four teams. Give me the j e t s plus a nice two and a hook. Yeah, I can't. I just can't. I don't trust him.
00:09:30
Speaker 2: I mean, even when they had the kickoff return for the touchdown and they thought they were gonna win the end, end up still losing to Miami.
00:09:37
Speaker 1: IM gonna take Dak and the Cowboys.
00:09:43
Speaker 5: I'll take the New Jersey Jets. Please.
00:09:45
Speaker 1: Oh, he's on the Jets. You gotta be on the Jets. You gotta like the Jets.
00:09:49
Speaker 5: I think Aaron is gonna be a good coach. It's just gonna take some time for that culture. And they sucked. But yeah, this is his first win.
00:09:56
Speaker 1: Okay. Uh, Jason Bennetti on the call, Greg Ols and Pam Oliver and Alex Moore your referee. That takes us to filth the Delphi at the Broncos and Eagles. Eagles minus three and a half against a very stout Broncos team that has lost two games on buzzer beaters. They'd be four and oh otherwise got beat on kicks late on the two games. This is a tricky game, it really is. Yes, And we'll see if the Eagles can complete a pass in the second half because they didn't last week. At some point the Eagles have to stub their toe their four and oh they're laying points. I'll take the feisty and petulant Sean uh Peyton and the Broncos plus den is my pick. Yeah, there there's a season that go go with them, go with them. I'm not so you don't have to play it again. I'm not. There's some reason this season.
00:10:56
Speaker 2: Who you look at the way the Eagles have won games and it's just it's amazing. I think they find a way again to do it against a good Broncos defense. And I think A. J. Brown goes off yet again. I just I think it's one of those where matchup's not going I mean, goes off yet again. Well he had one, he had one game where he went off. Oh okay, so kind of get back on track a little bit after all the drama.
00:11:19
Speaker 1: All that stuff.
00:11:22
Speaker 4: Correct, is this the marriage trying to spell Eagles?
00:11:34
Speaker 1: Terry Bradshaw stops singing place, who do you like.
00:11:38
Speaker 4: You said, it's three and a half three and hook Quinn Miners and Broncos.
00:11:43
Speaker 1: Okay, Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and the wolf Oh Tracy Wolfson on the call. Yo, Adrian Adrian Hill your referee that takes us to Carolina at the Dolphins and Panthers, this too, Anchwin Dodson special woof Dolphins are minus one and a half coming off there win on Monday night in which they lost Tyreek Hill. Tyreek Hill video of him taking his first steps on a walker in the hospital. People are playing armchair doctor saying, oh, look at the left leg nerve drop. He still probably has nerve damage. And everyone's analyzing his injury from the internet. It's like slow down people, Dolphins, they're not good. But the Panthers say, oh yeah, hold my beer. How bad is it in Carolina that some Panthers podcast put out a statement saying they were stopping their podcast because there's basically no hope left. They can't even podcast their way to the rest of the season. The podcast is called the Mew Mix. How funny is that mistake I had? I had a whole lot of you know, I was like, man, that really yo?
00:13:00
Speaker 2: But if they decided that they were gonna start the podcast Meow mixed that was your first mistake.
00:13:07
Speaker 1: It was kind of cute. Yeah, they're like, yeah, there's just no reason to keep doing this. There's no hope when you're when you're so bad, you're killing your own podcasters. That's how bad it is in Carolina. Yeah, oddly enough, I like him plus the one and a half. Give me Carolina plus.
00:13:24
Speaker 2: Give me the Dolphins. Here a little Darren Waller action, you know, make it happen.
00:13:31
Speaker 5: Ah h, They're gonna be partying in Charlotte for their second win of the air.
00:13:34
Speaker 1: Give me the Panthers, Eric Collins, Mark Shore f Jenn Hale and the call your referee as Clay Martin. That takes us to Baltimore at the Ravens at one in three. Who have to win this game? Now? They can't just say the schedule is tough. It's gonna be Cooper Rush. I assume could you please google or grock that real quick? That's what I'm what I'm paying.
00:13:57
Speaker 2: There's there's a big D right next Lamar still doubtful. I don't think there's an O. There's a D.
00:14:04
Speaker 1: Texans coming off there clowning of the Titans and they're one and a half point road favorites. I want to believe fundamentally the Ravens are a good team. And therefore when they're getting points at home against a one in three team, that is a sale. That is a flash sale on the Ravens. You're not gonna get this price of the Ravens for a long time. And when they have flash sales, I get out my credit card, gimme Baltimore outright win. But I'll take the one and a half.
00:14:37
Speaker 2: Yeah, you're gonna take all of it. I'm gonna take the Texans here. I just think it's one of those where I don't trust Rush, very simple.
00:14:44
Speaker 1: I don't trust him.
00:14:45
Speaker 2: And you know, obviously it will be a lot of Derrick Henry, a lot of you know, hopefully you know, for.
00:14:49
Speaker 1: Your will, it be a lot of Derrick Henry should be because here's the thing. Dan Orlofsky had a little video on his X feed in which he said this is shocking and unacceptable. He's had The Ravens are averaging the most yards heading off to a running back on first and second down, like five point six yards, yet they're handing it off to a running back on first and second down at the lowest rate in the league. So they're the best at it with the best guy ever and Derrick Henry and they're doing it the least. That's I think.
00:15:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, John Harbaugh, wake up. But you also got playoff in MVP, and you want to let him to control it. But you got like get out of your own way sometimes. Okay, Luddy, this is a tough one. I think Houston, Houston.
00:15:40
Speaker 1: All right, an Eagle, JJ Watt, Evan Washburn on the call Land clerk is your referee. That's it for the ones. We go to the bridge window four or five Eastern and we go to Arizona. Add Kyler Murray and the Cardinals seven and a half point favorites over the windless and hopeless Titans. Brian Callahan did sort of push back on his quarterback cam Ward, saying, you know, he's gotta choose his words carefully because after the game he's like, I'm gonna keep it a buck we asked. Callahan also has drawn the Spirodidas Adam Archletta Aditi Kinkable Walla Crew with Aditi's little tense dust up with Ben Johnson last week. I'm praying for a Callahan adity showdown because this dude Callahan, he knows he's getting fired. He is on absolute deaf con five razors edge. What the hell? Cardinals minus seven and a half? I'm a sucker. I bet the Titans last week thinking they're due. It was an unpleasant experience. I am not signing up for another unpleasant experience. Give me Arizona minus seven and a half. Do you like my description of it? It was unpleasant? Zero stars would not recommend zero.
00:17:07
Speaker 2: Okay, being said, back up the wood, back it all up, seven and a half. I'll take the hook. I hopefully they keep within a touchdown. That's what I'm gonna say. Give me the Titans here? Whoa plus sailing?
00:17:20
Speaker 1: Do you know this is a half stack of lumber, sir? This is not a full court. This is only seven and a half. Yeah, but if you still want it, where do you want it? I dump it?
00:17:32
Speaker 5: Here?
00:17:36
Speaker 2: It it is, But that half gives me.
00:17:38
Speaker 1: All the hope in the world.
00:17:39
Speaker 5: Lake touchdown, all right, you can lock them in. Give me the Cardinals.
00:17:44
Speaker 1: Woa, lock and load Cardinals. That's just your former Arizona hometown bias coming through. No or maybe it's a good call. By the way they showed off the Arizona Cardinals new facility there building out there, it's gonna be done in twenty twenty eight. Kyler Murray said, yeah, it looks nice. Hope I'm around to see.
00:18:05
Speaker 2: Its confidence right there. Hey wrong though.
00:18:13
Speaker 1: Sean Smith, your referee in that game. That takes us to the game of the week out in Seattle at nineteen seventy six, where the uniforms were bright and colorful, the Buccaneers and Seahawks wearing both throwback jerseys. This only possible because the Bucks already wore their creamsicles at home, so they don't mind wearing them again a second time on the road. Teams don't want to burn their alts or their throwbacks on the road, so this is gonna look sweet as pie, gonna be a good game as well. Three in one Tampa three and one Seattle Seahawks are minus three and a half. Evan's still injured. Big loss. I believe for the Buccaneers, You're gonna have to find a way to do it. Uh, do you believe in Sam Darnold? Sam? I am, I do. I'm taking Seattle minus in this one. What is the line again? Is it three three and a half?
00:19:12
Speaker 2: Yeah? I like Tampa Bay here. I'm I'm all for the hook. What the hook gonna be? But I'm all for it. Give me Tampa Bay here.
00:19:20
Speaker 5: I'm with Brian Sam same exact thing.
00:19:23
Speaker 1: Okay, your announcers for the game Kevin Harlan with no regard for human life, along with uh aj or Trent Green and A. J. Collins or no Melanie Collins. Then your referee is Craig Ruh Ruh Rollstad. Okay, let's leave the two fours and the Sunday nighter for the other side, shall we. Let's go ahead and take a rake and try to keep on schedule. Here, I'm surprised because you got another pump out letty or no, there we go. Be a good time to remind people you can be on a trip of a lifetime with me and Butcher to Pittsburgh. Somebody already said snarkily, oh, trip of a lifetime. I've never heard that said about a trip to Pittsburgh. Well, here's why it's a trip of a lifetime. Will it happen again in your life? No? No, Aaron Rodgers is not going to be playing the Packers and your dumb face ain't going to be seeing it for free with a hotel, airfare and more. And that's what you have a chance to win. You just got to go to our website sign up to enter your name into the contest. It is our Date with Destiny flyaway sponsored by the Great rust Daro Automotive Group. Go to Rusdaro dot com and start your search today. We are taking two fans with us in two weeks time to Pittsburgh and it's going to be glorious. Go to ninety seven through of the Game dot com and sign up today. Look for the link. You got to get an iHeart account. It takes two minutes, two minutes, and you could be going with us A Lions, Bengals and Commander's Chargers your feet afternoon game Sunday and then Patriots Bills on Sunday night. So pretty good, just not earthschat not great? All right? Coming up will mop up the rest of the week. Plus a look ahead to the Big House Badger's back on the field in action. Can they pull off a shocking upset? I feel obligated to ask that question when deep down looking a little bit dicey, Plus Vandy and Alabama in college football. It's a big game of the week as well. Oh hell yeah, here we go. But she's clapping along with a clap track. Of course, this not really the right tone, even though I did call for this, I said I want to hear this and coming back. Not the right tone given the seriousness, the magnitude, the life changing week we're about to have, one way or the other. As a sports fan, this series against the Brewers will change everything. If God forbid, the Brewers fall short. You're right, you're gonna hear from every cub fan, every single one. And there's a lot of them from within us. Oh yes, a lot of people embedded could be your neighbor. But if the other outcomes, if the other outcome happens, then it's glorious. Then you would have punked once again, our hated rivals to the south. Wouldn't you want that? Don't you need that? Aren't you willing to put yourself out there as a fan for that moment? So gotta win, gotta win game one.
00:22:54
Speaker 2: Yes, yes, but it's a longer series, which is what you want. Here's the only five but correct, but it's longer the three. But after the know, but after the heard of.
00:23:06
Speaker 1: Like it's late quick when you lose one, when you lose lose the first, it gets late quick, go ahead.
00:23:13
Speaker 2: But after the loss of last year and the way it happened in the ninth, the way it played out, like, I don't that hurt really bad?
00:23:22
Speaker 1: I don't.
00:23:22
Speaker 2: I mean something serious here has to happen from me to be have it being that much pain.
00:23:28
Speaker 1: I I that has stuck with me forever, by the way.
00:23:31
Speaker 4: Last year, that whole last year, Yes, and going into that game, we were ready to go. Man, but that thing sucked every piece of life blood out of us.
00:23:39
Speaker 5: You are not wrong. Just the way it played out, right, that's it. And it was another polar Bear that did it to us.
00:23:47
Speaker 1: Seventy eight point five. Seventy eight point five. You know what that is, No, the percentage of teams that go on to lose their best of five. Okay, lose game one. It's not fatal, but it is a wounding blow. So let's hope Freddy is dealing tomorrow at one oh eight. I know am FAM's gonna be rocking. Yes, there's going to be a lot of cub fans. Just deal with it, do not fall for their baiting. Don't get into a fight. You want to see the whole game to the end. You don't want to be kicked out of the damn game. They're not worth it anyway. They're not worth it. Knuckle Sandwich. Correct, Yes, they're quite dirty. But if you spill a beer on one of them by a woops, sorry.
00:24:39
Speaker 2: Whoops, whoops, my bad bads are okay, whoops, I gotta open.
00:24:46
Speaker 5: That's a it's Wisconsin thing open.
00:24:49
Speaker 2: Uh.
00:24:49
Speaker 1: Sophia Minert's gonna join us for the first time. Nice to talk to Sofia does a great job on the Brewers broadcast. You schedule to join us here before the hour is out. Wayne Larravie, even though it's a bye we and even though he is heading out to Park City now no skiing yet, he's there now he will join us talk football and talk Packers top of next hour, and then of course we'll have Let's goes and oh no's let's mop up. You are looking live week number five, Just get our picks on record. We're in the four twenty five Eastern late primetime slot and that will start by going to Cincinnati at the Lions and Bengals and the utterly inadequate. Jake Browning, he is not good. Bengals have been outscored seventy three to fourteen. I think their last three games. The Lions are ten and a half point favorites in this one. This is the biggest truck of lumber that is out there. Some might say that it's still not enough that the Lions have found their footing, that they are what they were last year, only albeit healthier. Some will say theles quit last week on Monday Night Joe Buck called him out, or Troy Aikman even called him out, and Troy Aikman always says, good job to everybody about everything. This is why I'm going to shock you by saying I am taking the Cincinnati Bengals in part because I've used the Frank Gambletron three thousand ext wrong one. Here we go, hold on, here we go.
00:26:23
Speaker 5: After evaluating millions leases of data in the link.
00:26:27
Speaker 1: By the gamble Tron two thousand.
00:26:31
Speaker 2: Cincinnati by two one hundred points FIU worthless.
00:26:39
Speaker 1: Give me the Bengals plus ten and a half as my lock of the week. Why lock and low, Because whenever you think something's too easy, like candy off the ground, it's not. It's a trap. Bengals for no reason. Short week traveling home from Denver, totally suck Lions getting their legs under him. I'm on the Bengals. This is all about it.
00:27:06
Speaker 2: Let's go yeah, and it should be all about it. It's a lot of points. I mean, this is the NFL. This last night's game should have been a blow.
00:27:14
Speaker 1: We were told.
00:27:15
Speaker 2: We were told that the Rams should run away with it. The forty nine Ers shouldn't even be in the game, no reason they should even be competitive.
00:27:23
Speaker 1: Yep, well they won. That being said, I'm taking the Lions here. I don't like giving up the points, but I think it's a runaway. Give me the Lions.
00:27:33
Speaker 5: Love yeah, Lions.
00:27:35
Speaker 1: Okay, nobody likes the Bengals but me. Kevin Coogler, Moose Johnston, Alison Williams on the call, Carl Chichichi, Cheffer's your referee. That takes us to Los Angeles. Add Jade and Daniels back in the starting role for the Commanders, who are at the Chargers two and two Washington three and one LA and the Chargers are only two and a half. A lot of respect for a Commander team with Jayden Daniels, No, Terry MC A lot of respect right there. I will take the Chargers minus.
00:28:09
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm jumping on the Chargers here isabe and I am locking the Chargers on this one and way too much, way too much respect, locking loud.
00:28:22
Speaker 5: For whatever reason, give me the Commanders.
00:28:25
Speaker 1: Okay, baby KK, Tom Brady, Aaron Andrews, Tom Ornaldi on the call. John Ulysses Hussy is your referee. We go to Sunday night and we go to Buffalo at the Patriots and Drake May who roll into Buffalo to take on Josh Allen and the Bills. Bills are minus seven and a half. They struggled badly against the Saints. It was a close game deep into the fourth quarter. Josh Allen had to hit cheat code mode just to get it done. Do the Bill stumble again. Patriots are a better team by a wide margin than the Saints. It's too juicy for me to pass up seven and a hook. I'll take the fight in Drake Mays plus the seven and a half. I'm gonna jump on the Bills here. Like you said, they had a closed one last week. You don't have two close ones. That's one guy on a Buffalo is room for two. We have two guys on a buffalo. Two guys on a buffalo. They're on a buffalo. Your announcers the Great Mike Tarico, Chris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark. Referee is shown hockeyly. Monday's game is Chiefs at Jaguars do the Chiefs are three and a half in this one? That sounds like a problem for Monday us. Remember I could always wait until Monday to do that, all right? Is mis gonna be on the playoff roster? That's a good question to ask our next guest, Sophia Minard. And also, you know what else about this incredible matchup we got coming at us. We'll talk to Sophia next. You were listening to Zaban Butcher in the morning on the game. That was Murph talking about the Brewers' season and it has been quite the ride joining us now fan duels on field reporter for your Milwaukee Brewers, Sophia Minnard. Good morning, Sophia. It is a pleasure to finally talk to you and meet you. How are you today?
00:30:28
Speaker 6: Hi, guys, I'm doing great.
00:30:29
Speaker 1: How are you doing? Wonderful?
00:30:32
Speaker 4: So?
00:30:32
Speaker 1: What's been the secret sauce? Do you think for this Brewers team. We know we've got the Yuke narrative, and I do believe in other world mystical things. But in terms of the actual baseball, what do you think, having watched them up close all year long, is the secret sauce?
00:30:49
Speaker 6: Yeah, I think, Look, it's it's people, right. You hear that from Pat Murphy all the time you've spent any time around this team. It absolutely is the right group of guys. They're so first of all, they're good, well good ball players, let's start there. I think people overlook that part. You know, they look at the other teams in the postseason, you look at their opponent and the Cubs, and you can say, oh, there's more talented teams in the National League. They might agree with you sometimes, but look, this this team is. They're good. You don't get through a one hundred and sixty two game season, you don't win ninety seven games.
00:31:25
Speaker 2: You don't put.
00:31:25
Speaker 6: Yourself in this position if you're not talented. But the pieces really do kind of elevate everyone else. And so I think, you know, they're selfless, they're hungry, they're competitive, they care deeply about each other. They know that they have to play as a team, right, they know that it's all phases. It's the pitching, it's the defense, it's the offense. It's all connected, the starters in the bullpen. I mean it all, it's all connected. There's such a unit, and I think they know that that's how they have to win. They can't be reliant on one guy or one face of the team. So I think that's it's just team really, more than more than one thing.
00:32:07
Speaker 1: What do you think could be the biggest nagging question for fans about this team going into this series? I know, for me, part of me says, is this Andrew Vaughan thing real? Or is it like a glorious mirage that could disappear at any moment. What would you say is the one thing that might nag fans wondering about this team going into this playoff series.
00:32:29
Speaker 6: I mean, I think the narrative that we have heard a lot around this team is that, you know, is this quote unquote style of play? Right? Does that translate to postseason success? And I think that's what you know, everyone's aware of that narrative, right the home runs right of you know, more than forty percent of the runs scored in the postseason are on home runs. And it's pretty pretty clear that the teams that outnumber you're out home or your opponent, that they have success in the post And I think this team would tell you that, like, this is who we are, this is who we play. We can't change that, right, And so they believe, like, well, we won ninety seven games that went pretty well right with how they played, and they're absolutely capable of power, right, Like everyone loves home runs, No one's gonna no one's going to turn down home runs in the postseason, but they're not going to chase it either, because that's that's just not who they are. That's not how they play. Their offensive game is pressure. It's one through nine. It's pressure. It's quality at bats, it's seeing pitches, it's swing decisions, it's getting on base, it's executing in situations, whether that's buns, sacfly, stealing the base, taking the pitch so that your teammate can steal a base. And then there's there's actually base hits and homers that come with that if you're making good decisions. And Craig Counsel used to say this all the time. Pat Murphy believes this as well. Home runs are mistakes that are thrown. You can't go up there trying to think I'm gonna go up there and hit a three run homer and win this game. That's just not your This is not how you can play this game. So I think that is the question that fans probably have around this team, is Okay, this worked through the regular season. Does this win you a postseason series and ultimately get you to the World Series? And I think this team would tell.
00:34:24
Speaker 1: You that it can, Sophia.
00:34:26
Speaker 2: This team has the best record in baseball, but yet they feel like an underdog. Why is it just national media every like the best team all year long, but yet they're.
00:34:35
Speaker 1: The under It baffles me.
00:34:38
Speaker 6: I think it's for all the reasons I just said, right, Like, they on paper, you know, do not have huge superstars. I mean you can put Christian Yelich in that conversation, you know. It's just I think it's it's all the things, right. It's it's the roster, it's the market size, it's how they play, it's you know, yes, they're not going to be favored in any postseason series here moving forward. It is crazy, but I think they're okay with that. I think they're like of course, of course that's our narrative, right, Like, that's fine. I can't tell you how comfortable they are with that. They know it, they embrace it, and really, at the end of the day, who cares, like, go out and play the game and win, right, I mean, I think they don't care what the narrative is. They certainly didn't care last year, right when all the changes happened last year, no one knew how the season was going to go. They went out and they won the division. Same story again this year at spring training. It feels like we have this conversation at spring training every year, and they know that the margins are thin, right of things can go either way. We learned that really quickly in the first four games of the season, right the way that those four games went of all right, buckle up, like you know, it was so early. There was no panic at that point. But it was also like, well, this is not who we are, right, this is this is not Brewer's baseball. And obviously things got back on track after that, is as guys got healthy and the team got whole. But yeah, look, they they know, they know the position that they're in, and they don't they don't care. That's the best part about this team. They know who they are. They're confident and who they are. They don't care what anybody else thinks. Like it works for them, you know, and I think more than anything, they know who.
00:36:30
Speaker 1: They are as a team, Sophia.
00:36:32
Speaker 2: One of the things obviously Craig's coming back and it's now the playoffs, and that's a storyline for fans, and there's gonna be a lot of you know, heat, I'll use the word that well, I'll use that word heat in the in the stadium with him coming back. But is that in play for the players and for Murph or has that kind of now been removed and hey, we just know what they're They're a good baseball team. That the narratives that the fans want. That's not really creeping into the clubhouse or or is it it's not.
00:37:00
Speaker 4: No.
00:37:01
Speaker 6: I mean, look, we know we're gonna see Craig Council right like we're also you know we're gonna see Quintin Berry, We're gonna see Colin Ray. I mean, you can go down the list. There's there's a couple of guys over there that are our former brewers and Craig obviously the most prominent one. But that's it's been two years now for them. Internally, and and frankly, for whatever narrative the fans want, there are no negative feelings in that clubhouse towards Craig Council. Certainly not with Pat Murphy. Those two are lifelong friends. They've been friends and part of each other's families for decades. That doesn't go away because of one decision. So I think it's a really nice external narrative. I think internally they just want to win.
00:37:47
Speaker 1: They don't.
00:37:48
Speaker 6: They would feel the same way if it was the San Diego Padres, right, So.
00:37:53
Speaker 5: I mean it's gonna be fun.
00:37:54
Speaker 6: I can tell you that like it's gonna be fun.
00:37:58
Speaker 7: I mean the fact that these teams.
00:38:00
Speaker 6: Right, and all the drama and spiciness and rivalry that comes with that of Brewers Cubs never having met in the postseason and now here we are. But I can tell you internally there there are not. Their negative feelings just don't exist towards him. But do they want to win? Absolutely?
00:38:19
Speaker 1: Yeah? All right, Luddy says, you have a nice professional friendship working relationship with Taylor McGregor, who does the same job for the Cubs, Will there, Sophia be new playoff rules between you and Taylor just a bit?
00:38:37
Speaker 6: Oh my god, we're best friends. We talk all the time.
00:38:43
Speaker 1: Well, this week, you can't be best friends Red. Leave her on Red.
00:38:50
Speaker 6: I know, I know, I will not be doing that. I'm sorry.
00:38:55
Speaker 1: It's okay.
00:38:56
Speaker 6: If Craig cut listen. If Craig, we actually joked about this.
00:39:00
Speaker 2: We did a segment together.
00:39:03
Speaker 6: This must have been July or August, one of the last series that the Brewers and Cubs played each other, and we did a segment together and we were joking. We were like, well, if Corek Counsel and Pat Murphy can stay friends, right, like everyone else should be able to get along, right. So yeah, there's there's obviously a lot of connections with this rivalry for as often as we see them.
00:39:23
Speaker 5: So yeah, it'll be fine.
00:39:24
Speaker 1: Well, you're going to keep texting her, try to get some intel, try to pull some intail out of her.
00:39:30
Speaker 6: That's okay, Okay, I will do that.
00:39:33
Speaker 1: It's going to be incredible. And uh, the only thing that stinks is that you know, you guys who did a great job all year long have to then sit out just too bad.
00:39:43
Speaker 7: Yeah, but you can listen on the radio, yeah radio, Jeff Levering and Grindall, and we'll have coverage for you on Brewers Digital so you can.
00:39:54
Speaker 6: Follow along there.
00:39:56
Speaker 1: But yeah, all right, Sophia, nice to meet you, Thank you for your to this morning, Go Brewers.
00:40:01
Speaker 6: All right, thanks for having me.
00:40:03
Speaker 1: Thanks, there you go. Sophia Minnert of the Fan Duel Broadcast. We are ready for a showdown, unlike anything we've ever had. Our three coming up,
